Genesis

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Genesis is a history book.

It was compiled by Moses, probably with the help of secretaries.

It covers the period from the beginning of creation of our planet until the death of JoSeph (which we calculate as around 1847 BCE).

Genesis 1

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[Editor note: The wording of Genesis 1:1 through 2:3 indicates that it was originally written as a poem or a song. Also, it seems to be written from the perspective of someone standing on the earth, rather than looking down from above – as ancient peoples knew no such viewpoint.]

¹ In the beginning, The God created the sky and the land. ² But the land was ugly and unfinished, Darkness covered its depth, And God’s Breath moved over its waters.

³ Then The God spoke, and He said: ‘May the light come to be.’ So, the light came to be, ⁴ And God saw that the light was beautiful.

Then The God brought a division Between the light and the darkness. ⁵ He called the light the daytime And the darkness, the night.

So came the evening and the morning Of the very first day.

⁶ And then the The God spoke, and He said:

‘Let there be a firmament between all the waters...

A division of the waters and the waters.’

And that’s what thereafter happened.

⁷ For God ordered a firmament between the waters That were under the firmament, From those that were over the firmament. ⁸ Then God called the firmament the sky, And He saw that this too was beautiful.

So came the evening and the morning Of [His] day number two.

⁹ Then The God said:

‘Let the waters that are under the skies

Be brought together so the land can be seen.’

And that’s what thereafter happened.

¹⁰ God called the dry space the land And the collected waters the seas… And God saw that this too was beautiful.

¹¹ Then The God spoke, and He said:

‘Let the land sprout with pastures of grasses

Which [each] bear seeds of its kind and appearance.

And let there be fruit trees that bear fruit with seeds,

[Each] of its kind [and appearance].’

And that’s what thereafter happened.

¹² The ground sprouted with pastures of grasses That [each] bore seeds of its kind and appearance, And the fruit trees bore fruit with their seeds, [Each] of its kind [and appearance]. And God saw that this too was beautiful.

¹³ So came the evening and the morning Of [His] day number three.

¹⁴ Then The God spoke, and He said:

‘Let there be lights in the firmament of the skies

To serve as light for the land,

To make a division between day and night,

And as signs for the days, years, and seasons.

¹⁵ Let them serve as sources of lights in the firmament,

So as to shine on the ground.’

And that’s what thereafter happened.

¹⁶ For God made the two huge [sources of] light; The greater light to rule over the days, And the lesser light and the stars To be rulers over the nights.

¹⁷ Then God assigned them spaces [high] in the skies So as to shine on the earth… ¹⁸ To dominate the days and the nights, And to make the division between light and darkness. Then God saw that it too was beautiful.

¹⁹ So came the evening and the morning Of [His] day number four.

²⁰ Then The God spoke, and He said:

‘Now, let the waters give birth,

To living animals that slither,

And [let there be] winged creatures to fly,

Above the earth in the firmament of the skies.’

And that’s what thereafter happened.

²¹ Then God created the great creatures That would live in the seas... Creatures that slither and live in the waters, Each according to their own kinds, And all the feathered flying creatures Each according to their own kinds. And God saw that this too was beautiful.

²² So God blest them all, and He said:

‘Reproduce and multiply in the waters

Until you fill up the seas,

And let the winged creatures multiply on the earth.’

²³ So came the evening and the morning Of [His] day number five.

²⁴ Then The God spoke, and He said:

‘Let the land give birth to living creatures,

Each according to their own kinds…

Those that travel on their four feet,

Those that slither [and crawl] on the ground,

And those that are wild on the earth,

Each according to their own kinds.’

And that’s what thereafter happened.

²⁵ So God made the wild creatures [that walk on] the ground, Each according to their own kinds… Along with those [that travel] in herds, Each according to their own kinds… And all that slither [and crawl] on the ground. Each according to their own kinds. And God saw that this too was beautiful.

²⁶ Then The God spoke, and He said:

‘Let us make a man in our image and like us,

To rule over the creatures [that live] in the seas,

The winged creatures [that fly] in the skies,

The animals that travel in herds,

And those that slither and crawl on the ground.’

²⁷ So then, God created mankind. He created mankind in the image of the Gods, As a male and female [He made them].

²⁸ Then The God blest them and said:

‘Reproduce and now become many…

Fill the whole earth and control it.

Rule over those that [live in] the seas,

The winged creatures that [live in] skies,

The animals that [travel in] herds,

The animals that slither and crawl on the ground,

And [in fact], the whole earth.’

²⁹ Then The God said:

‘Look! I’ve given you all the seed-bearing crops,

That [you can plant] in the ground,

As well as all the seed-bearing trees,

[That you] can plant for your food.

³⁰ ‘[I have given] the green-yellow plants

As food for the wild ones [walking] on the ground,

For all the winged creatures [flying in] the skies,

And for all that slither and crawl on the ground…

For all have the breath of life.’

And that’s what thereafter happened.

³¹ Then The God viewed all that He’d made, And {Look!} it was all beautiful. So came the evening and the morning Of [His] day number six.

Genesis 2

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¹ [At that], the skies and the lands were completed, As was the arranging of them. ² For on the sixth day, God finished His work, And on the seventh day, He rested From all the things He’d done.

³ Then God blest the seventh day and declared it as holy, For He had completed [all of] the work That He’d set out to do.

[Editor note: The rest of chapter 2 doesn’t appear to be part of the poem or song found in the first chapter, for it breaks into a narration of the things that followed.]

⁴ This was the scroll of the origins of the skies and the lands, and of when they came to be in the day that The God spoke the sky and the land [into existence], ⁵ as well as when all the greenish-yellow plants for it began on the ground, and all the grasses of the fields started growing from it.

However, because Yahweh God had not yet provided rain on the earth and there were no men to cultivate it, ⁶ springs poured from the ground and watered the entire surface of the land.

⁷ Then The God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life against his face, and he became a living creature.

⁸ Thereafter, God planted a Paradise east of Edem where He put the man whom he had formed... ⁹ And it was there that God caused every tree that was attractive to look at and worthy as food to spring from the ground. [He also] put the Tree of Life in the middle of the Paradise, as well as the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

¹⁰ There was also a river that flowed out of Edem to water the Paradise, and from there separated into the sources of four [rivers].

• ¹¹ The name of the [first river] is Phison. It flows around the land of Evilat, where there’s gold, ¹² and the gold from that land is good. There’s also red gemstone and ornamental stone there.

• ¹³ The name of the second river is Geon. It runs around the land of Kush.

• ¹⁴ The third river is the Tigris. It flows over towards the Assyrians.

• And the fourth river is the EuPhrates.

¹⁵ Then Yahweh God took the man whom He’d formed and put him in the Paradise of Delights so that He could cultivate it and take care of it. ¹⁶ And Yahweh God gave these instructions to Adam:

‘You may eat from all the trees of Paradise, ¹⁷ but you must not eat from the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. For on whatever day you eat from it, your life will end and you’ll die.’

¹⁸ Then Yahweh God said:

‘It isn’t good for the man to be alone, so let’s make a helper for him.’

¹⁹ Well, after God had made all the wild animals of the plains and all the winged creatures of the skies from the [dirt], He brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living animal was what its name became.

²⁰ So Adam named all the cattle, all the winged creatures of the skies, and all the wild animals of the plains. Yet, a suitable helper that was like Adam couldn’t be found.

²¹ God then put Adam into a trance, and while he was sleeping, He took one of his ribs and filled the place where it was with flesh. ²² Then The God built the rib that He took from Adam into a woman... And brought her to Adam.

²³ And Adam said:

‘This is now bone from my bones,

And flesh from my flesh.

‘She will be called a woman,

Because she was taken from a man.

²⁴ ‘Because of this, a man will leave his father and mother

And bond with his woman,

And the two will become one flesh.’

Genesis 3

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¹ [Well at the time], both of them (the man and the woman) were naked and unashamed.

² Then the snake (which was the wiliest of the animals that Yahweh had made on the earth) asked the woman:

‘Why did God tell you that you shouldn’t eat from all of the trees in the Paradise?’

³ And the woman replied to the snake:

‘We can eat the fruit from the trees of Paradise, but God said that we shouldn’t eat the fruit from the tree in the middle of Paradise – that we shouldn’t even touch it – or we’ll die.’

⁴ Then the snake said to the woman:

‘You won’t stop living and die, ⁵ for God knows that on whatever day you eat from it your eyes will be opened wide and you’ll be like the gods knowing good and evil.’

⁶ Well, the woman saw that the tree was worthy as food, it was a pleasant sight to her eyes, and it was a beautiful thing to think about. So after picking its fruit, she ate it. Then she gave some to her man (who was with her), and they ate it [together]...

⁷ And thereafter, the eyes of both of them were opened wide and they realized that they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together and made skirts to go around themselves.

⁸ But then, when they heard the voice of Yahweh God as He walked around in Paradise at dusk, Adam and his woman hid from the face of Yahweh God among the trees in the Paradise.

⁹ So Yahweh God called out to Adam, asking:

‘Where are you Adam?’

¹⁰ And [Adam] replied to God:

‘I heard Your voice as You were walking through the Paradise, but I was afraid because of my nakedness, so I hid myself.’

¹¹ Then The God asked him:

‘If you haven’t eaten from the only tree about which I commanded you not to eat; then, who told you that you were naked?’

¹² And Adam replied:

‘It was this woman whom You gave to me as a companion… She gave me some [fruit] from the tree, and I ate it.’

¹³ Then Yahweh God asked the woman:

‘Why did you do this?’

And the woman replied:

‘The snake seduced me, so I ate it.’

¹⁴ So Yahweh God said to the snake:

‘Because you did this; among all the cattle and wild animals of the earth, you [alone] are doomed to be punished. Therefore, you’ll now travel on your chest and belly and you’ll have to eat from the ground all the days of your life.

¹⁵ ‘I’m also going to create hatred between you and the woman, and between your descendant and her descendant. He will then watch for your head, and you will watch for his heel.’

¹⁶ And after that, He said to the woman:

‘I’ll now make your sorrow and groaning [much] worse; for when you give birth to children, you’ll do so with groaning. You will also have to submit to your man and he will dominate you.’

¹⁷ Then He said to Adam:

‘Because you listened to your woman’s voice and ate from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat (and from which you went ahead and ate); all the work that you will do on the ground will be cursed, and you’ll groan as you eat from it all the days of your life!

¹⁸ ‘Briars and thistles will grow for you, and your food will be the grasses in the fields.

¹⁹ ‘You will then eat your bread through the sweat on your face until you return to the ground from which you were taken… Yes, you were taken from the ground and that’s where you’ll return!’

²⁰ Well, thereafter, Adam called his woman’s name Life, because she was to be the mother of all [human] life.

²¹ Then Yahweh God made leather clothing for Adam and his woman, and He dressed them in it.

²² And after that, The God said:

‘Look, Adam has now become one of us in knowing good and evil!’

Therefore, to keep him from reaching out to pick and eat from the Tree of Life so as to gain age-long life, ²³ Jehovah God then put Adam outside of the Paradise of Delights, where he had to work the ground from which he was taken.

²⁴ Yes, He drove Adam out and made him live next to the Paradise of Delights. Then He stationed the [heavenly] cherubs with their flaming, spinning swords to guard the way to the Tree of Life.

Genesis 4

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¹ Well thereafter, Adam had [sexual relations] with Eue, his woman, so she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. And she said:

‘I have gained a man through God.’

² Then she again gave birth to his brother, Abel.

Abel [grew up to be] a herder of sheep, while Cain worked the ground.

³ Then after many days, Cain brought some of the fruit of the ground as an offering to Yahweh, ⁴ while Abel brought the first-born of his sheep and his belongings.

Well, God looked favorably upon Abel and his gifts, ⁵ but He paid no attention to Cain and his sacrifices, which made Cain very sad, and his face [reflected] this. ⁶ So Yahweh God asked Cain:

‘Why are you so sad and why is your face so long? ⁷ For even if you didn’t bring [your gifts] righteously, you didn’t sin by sharing. Overlook this, because [Abel] will submit to you and you’ll [rule] over him!’

⁸ But thereafter, Cain said to his brother Abel:

‘Let’s go out into the fields.’

Then, while they were in their fields, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

⁹ And when Yahweh God asked Cain:

‘Where is your brother?’

He replied:

‘I don’t know… I’m not my brother’s keeper!’

¹⁰ Then Yahweh God asked:

‘What have you done?

‘I hear the blood of your brother calling out to Me from the ground! ¹¹ Therefore, you’ll now be cursed by the ground, which has opened her mouth wide to [drink] the blood of your brother from your hand.

¹² ‘So from here on, whenever you work the ground, it will [no longer] give you its strength, and you’ll groan and tremble on the earth.’

¹³ Then Cain said to Yahweh God:

‘My crime is too great to be forgiven. ¹⁴ So if you [drive me] away from Your face and the face of this land today, I’ll have to hide, groaning and trembling on the land… For anyone who finds me will kill me!’

¹⁵ And Yahweh God replied:

‘That isn’t so! For whoever kills Cain will pay seven penalties.’

Then Yahweh God put a mark on Cain so that nobody that found him would kill him. ¹⁶ And thereafter, Cain left the presence of God and lived in Nod, which also borders Edem.

¹⁷ There, Cain [had sex] with his woman and she became pregnant, giving birth to Enoch. [Then Cain] built a city, which he named after his son, Enoch.

• ¹⁸ Enoch fathered GaiDad,

• GaiDad fathered MalaleEl,

• MalaleEl fathered MethuSelah, and

• MethuSelah fathered Lamech.

¹⁹ Then Lamech took two women; the first was Ada and the second was SelLa. ²⁰ Ada gave birth to JoBel, who was the ancestor of those who lived in tents and herded cattle. ²¹ He had a brother named JuBal, who invented the lute and the harp.

²² SelLa also gave birth to ThoBel, who worked iron and brass. And he had a sister named NoEma.

²³ Then Lamech said this to his women (Ada and SelLa):

‘Listen to me, [my] women and remember;

I’ve killed a man who wounded me…

A young man who whipped me.

²⁴ So if the vengeance [for killing] Cain was seven punishments;

Mine will be seven times that.’

²⁵ Well, Adam [again had sex with] his woman Eue and she became pregnant, giving birth to a son whom she named Seth. For she said:

‘God has [provided me with] another son to replace Abel, who was murdered by Cain.’

²⁶ Then Seth had a son whom he named Enos, who hoped to call upon the Name of The God, Yahweh.

Genesis 5

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¹ This was the scroll of the early [days] of mankind, when God fathered Adam, forming him in [His] image. ² He created the male and the female and He blest them. Then in the day that He created [the first man], He named him Adam.

³ Adam was 230 years old when he fathered a son who was just like him and looked like him, that he named Seth.

⁴ Then after fathering Seth, Adam lived on for 700 years, as he fathered other sons and daughters. ⁵ So Adam was 930 years old when he died.

⁶ Now, Seth was 205 years old when he fathered Enos. ⁷ And after fathering Enos, he lived on for 707 more years, as he fathered other sons and daughters. ⁸ So Seth was 912 years old when he died.

⁹ Enos was 190 years old when he fathered Kainan. ¹⁰ Then after fathering Kainan, he lived on for another 715 years, as he fathered other sons and daughters. ¹¹ So Enos was 905 years old when he died.

¹² Kainan was 170 years old when he fathered MaleLeal. ¹³ Then after fathering MaleLeal, he lived on for some 740 years, as he fathered other sons and daughters. ¹⁴ So Kainan was 910 years old when he died.

¹⁵ MaleLeal was 165 years old when he fathered JaRed. ¹⁶ And after fathering JaRed, he lived on for 730 years, as he fathered other sons and daughters. ¹⁷ So MaleLeal was 895 years old when he died.

¹⁸ JaRed was 162 years old when he fathered Enoch. ¹⁹ Then after fathering Enoch, he lived on for another 800 years, as he fathered other sons and daughters. ²⁰ So JaRed was 962 years old when he died.

²¹ Enoch was 165 years old when he fathered MethuSelah. ²² And it was after he fathered MethuSelah that God found Enoch to be righteous.

So after he lived for 200 more years, and after he’d fathered other sons and daughters, ²³ when he was 365 years old ²⁴ (and because he had pleased God), God transported him and he disappeared.

²⁵ Well, MethuSelah was 187 years old when he fathered Lamech. ²⁶ Then after fathering Lamech, he lived on for another 782 years, as he fathered other sons and daughters. ²⁷ So MethuSelah was 969 years old when he died.

²⁸ Lamech was 188 years old when he fathered a son ²⁹ whom he named Noah. And he said:

‘He will stop us from doing all the [bad] things that we’re doing, as well as from working with our hands and from [living on] the ground that Yahweh has cursed.’

³⁰ Then, after he fathered Noah, [Lamech] lived on for some 565 years, as he fathered other sons and daughters. ³¹ So Lamech was 753 years old when he died.

³² Well, it was after Noah was 500 years old that he fathered three sons:

• Shem,

• Ham, and

• JaPheth.

Genesis 6

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¹ Now, as the population of men grew on the earth and they fathered daughters, ² the sons of The God noticed that the daughters of men were beautiful; so, they took all whom they chose as their women.

³ Then Yahweh God said:

‘There’s no way that My Breath will stay with these men. They’re [just] flesh, so their [lives] will last just 120 [more] years.’

⁴ Well, there were giants on the earth back in those days; for after that, the sons of The God continued to [had sex] with the daughters of mankind and fathered [children] for themselves who became the giants and the famous men of that age.

⁵ Well, Yahweh God saw that the badness of the people on the earth was getting much worse… For the things that they conceived in their hearts every day was all twisted towards evil.

⁶ So God became disturbed that He had created humans on the earth… He shook His head ⁷ and declared:

‘I will wipe the humans that I made off the face of the earth… Yes, the people, the cattle, and the winged creatures of the skies, for I’m sorry that I made them.’

⁸ However, Noah found mercy in the eyes of The God, Yahweh.

⁹ This is the account of Noah’s origin:

Noah was a righteous man… Perfect [when compared to] that generation, for Noah pleased God well. ¹⁰ Then he fathered three sons:

• Shem,

• Ham, and

• JaPheth.

¹¹ As God saw it, the land had become unclean and the earth was filled with unrighteousness. ¹² So when Yahweh God looked at the earth, all He saw was corruption, because all flesh had become corrupt in its ways.

¹³ Then Yahweh God told Noah:

‘A season is now before me [that will lead to the end of] all mankind, because the earth is filled with their unrighteousness. Look! I’m going to lay waste to them and to the whole earth!

¹⁴ ‘So [you must] make a chest of squared timbers for yourself and [divide the] chest into stalls, then cover both the inside and outside of it with tar.

¹⁵ ‘This is how you should build the chest; [make it:]

• 300 cubits [500 feet / 152m] long,

• 50 cubits [80 feet / 24.4m] wide, and

• 30 cubits [50 feet / 15.25m] tall.

¹⁶ ‘You must also make a roof that’s about 1 cubit [~20in / ~50cm] thick, and put a door in the side of the chest… Make a bottom floor, a second floor, and a third floor.

¹⁷ ‘[For after it’s completed], {Look!} I’m going to bring a downpour of water upon the ground to destroy all flesh under the skies that has the breath of life… So, all that’s on the ground will then come to an end. ¹⁸ And after that, I’ll establish an agreement between you and Me.’

¹⁹ ‘Therefore, [I want you to] bring all [types of] cattle, slithering creatures, and wild animals – all [types of] flesh – into the chest by pairs of males and females.

‘Then, bring in enough food for them and for yourselves. ²⁰ For they’ll all be eating there with you… All the winged creatures, all types of cattle, and all varieties of slithering animals that crawl on the ground (both the males and the females).

²¹ ‘Yes, you must gather all types of food for yourselves so that you’ll each have something to eat.’

²² And thereafter, Noah did everything that Yahweh God told him to do.

Genesis 7

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¹ Then Yahweh God said to Noah:

‘Now you and your family must enter the chest, because I’ve [only] found you to be righteous among this generation. ² Take 7 pairs (males and females) of [all the] clean cattle in with you, and take in [single] pairs (males and females) of [all the] unclean animals.

³ ‘[Do the same with all] the winged creatures of the sky… Bring in 7 pairs (males and females) of the clean ones, and [just] pairs of all the unclean winged creatures, so that their descendants will remain on the earth.

⁴ ‘For in just 7 days, I’ll bring rain to the ground [that will last for] 40 days and 40 nights, and I’ll blot every creature that I’ve made off of the face of the entire earth!’

⁵ And thereafter, Noah did everything that Yahweh God had commanded him to do.

⁶ Noah was 600 years old when the Downpour of waters started on the earth. ⁷ Then Noah, his wife, his sons, and their wives went into the chest with him (because of the downpour of water).

⁸ And the clean winged creatures, the unclean winged creatures, the clean cattle, the unclean cattle, and all the wild animals as well as all the things that crawled on the ground ⁹ came to Noah and entered the chest in pairs of males and females, just as God had commanded Noah.

¹⁰ Then after 7 days, the waters of the Downpour started falling on the earth.

¹¹ It was in the 600th year of Noah’s life, on the 27th day of the 2nd month, that all the springs under the ground broke open, and the floodgates of the skies were opened. ¹² Then it rained on the earth for 40 days and 40 nights.

¹³ It started on the very day that Noah, his wife, as well as Shem, Ham, JaPheth (the sons of Noah and his wife) and their three wives went into the chest with him.

¹⁴ Also, all the wild animals (each of its kind), all the cattle (each of its kind), all the slithering animals that move on the earth (each of its kind), ¹⁵ and all the winged creatures (each of its kind) went inside the chest to Noah in pairs of males and females… Everything that had the breath of life. ¹⁶ Males and females of all flesh went inside, just as God had commanded Noah... Then Yahweh God closed the chest from the outside.

¹⁷ Thereafter, the Downpour continued on the earth for 40 days and 40 nights, and the water got so deep that it lifted the chest high above the ground.

¹⁸ The water dominated and totally covered the land, and the chest was carried along on top of the water. ¹⁹ For the water dominated and covered even the tallest mountains under the whole sky… ²⁰ It covered the highest mountains by at least 15 cubits [25 feet / 7.6m].

²¹ So everything that moved on the earth died… All the men, winged creatures, cattle, wild animals, and all the animals that slithered across the ground. ²² Everything that lived on the ground and had the breath of life, died.

²³ God blotted out all His creatures on the face of the earth… The men, the animals, the winged creatures, and the slithering animals. He blotted them all from the earth. The only ones who remained were Noah and those who were with him inside the chest.

²⁴ Altogether, the water covered the land for 150 days.

Genesis 8

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¹ But God didn’t forget Noah or any of the wild animals, cattle, winged creatures, or crawling, slithering animals that were inside the chest. So God sent a wind to the earth that stopped the water… ² For the springs that were under the ground closed and the floodgates of the skies and the rain from the skies were held back.

³ Then the water level started to drop, flowing off the ground. And after 150 days, the water lowered, and the chest came to rest on Mount Ararat on the 27th day of the 7th month.

⁴ Well, the water levels kept dropping through the 10th month, ⁵ and on the 1st day of the 10th month, they could see the mountaintops.

⁶ Then, after 40 days, Noah opened the window that he had made in the chest, and he sent out a crow, which left and didn’t return until the water had abated.

⁷ So it left and it didn’t return (until [later, when] the water had dried off the ground).

⁸ And after that, he sent out a dove to see if the earth was still flooded. ⁹ But the dove couldn’t find a place to rest its feet, because the water was still covering all the ground, and it returned to the chest. So [Noah] stuck out his hand to take [the dove], and brought it to himself inside the chest.

¹⁰ Well, a week later, he sent the dove out from the chest once again. ¹¹ And that evening, the dove returned to him with a stem and leaf from an olive tree in its beak. That’s when Noah knew [for sure] that the water had left the ground.

¹² However, he continued to wait another week before he released the dove once more. And this time, it didn’t return at all.

¹³ So by the 601st year of Noah’s life, on the 1st day of the 1st month, the water had poured off the ground.

Then Noah opened the roof that he had made for the chest, and he could finally see that the water had drained from the ground… ¹⁴ And by the 22nd day of the 2nd month, the ground was dry.

¹⁵ Then Yahweh God spoke to Noah and said:

¹⁶ ‘Come out of the chest… You, your wife, your sons, their wives who are with you, ¹⁷ and all the wild animals that are with you.

‘Bring out all the flesh that’s with you – the winged creatures, the cattle, and the slithering animals that move on the ground – [so that they can] reproduce and multiply on the earth.’

¹⁸ So Noah, his wife, his sons, and his son’s wives that were with him, came out. ¹⁹ And all the wild animals, all the cattle, all the winged creatures, and all the slithering animals that crawl on the ground (according to their kinds) came out of the chest.

²⁰ Then Noah built an altar to Yahweh, and he took some of the clean animals, as well as some from among all the clean winged creatures, and offered them whole… Burning them on the altar.

²¹ And as Yahweh noticed the sweet smell, He thought about it and said:

‘Never again will I curse the ground for the bad things that men do, because the imagination of men is totally bent towards doing bad things from the time they’re young. Also, will I never again [destroy] all living flesh as I have just done. ²² Then, during all the days of the earth, the seed [planting] time and harvesting, the heat and the cold, the spring and the summer, and the days and nights won’t ever be brought to an end.’

Genesis 9

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¹ Thereafter, God blest Noah and his sons and told them:

‘Now, reproduce and multiply… Fill the earth and rule over it. ² For all the wild animals of the earth, all the winged creatures in the skies, and everything that moves on the ground (including all the creatures in the seas) will have a dread and fear of you. So I have put you in charge over all of them!

³ ‘Also, all the living and slithering animals can serve as meat for you… I’ve given them all to you as though they were green vegetation. ⁴ But you must not eat their flesh with its blood of life, ⁵ or I’ll require your blood at the hand of all those wild animals.

‘I’ll also require a man’s life at the hands of his brothers… ⁶ For, whoever spills the blood of mankind will also have his blood spilled, since I made mankind in the image of God.

⁷ ‘Now, reproduce and multiply… Fill the earth and rule over it!’

⁸ Then The God spoke to Noah and his sons that were with him and said:

⁹ ‘Look; I’m making an agreement between you and Me, [as well as] with your descendant [that will come] after you ¹⁰ and with every living thing (the winged creatures, the [domesticated] animals, and all the wild animals of the earth)… With all who are with you and came out of the chest.

¹¹ ‘This is My promise to you and to all flesh:

‘I’ll never again send a downpour of water to kill all flesh, and I’ll never again send a downpour to destroy the whole earth.’

¹² Then The God said to Noah:

‘This is the sign of the Agreement that I have established between you and Me throughout ages of generations, as well as with every living creature that’s with you:

¹³ ‘I have put My bow in the clouds, which will serve as the sign of the Agreement between the earth and Me, ¹⁴ so that whenever I gather clouds over the earth, My bow will be seen in those clouds, ¹⁵ and this will remind Me of My agreement between you and Me, and with every living creature and all flesh, that never again will I send a downpour of water that will blot out all flesh.

¹⁶ ‘My bow will be there in the clouds, and when I see it, I’ll remember the age-long agreement between Me and the earth, as well as with every living creature among all the flesh that’s on the earth.’

¹⁷ And God said to Noah:

‘Yes, this is the sign of the Agreement that I made with all flesh that is on the earth and Myself.’

¹⁸ Now, the sons of Noah who came out of the chest were [named] Shem, Ham, and JaPheth (Ham was the father of CanaAn). ¹⁹ And it was from these three sons of Noah that all men came to be scattered over the whole earth.

²⁰ Thereafter, Noah took up farming and he planted some grapes. ²¹ [Then, one day], Noah was drinking some wine while he was naked in his house, and he got drunk. ²² But then, Ham (CanaAn’s father) saw his father’s nakedness, and he went outside and told his brothers about it.

²³ So Shem and JaPheth grabbed a robe, put it over their backs, and walked backward to cover their father’s naked body. And because they were looking away, they didn’t see their father’s nakedness.

²⁴ Well, after Noah recovered from the wine, he realized what his youngest son [or grandson] had done to him. ²⁵ So he said:

‘The servant CanaAn is cursed, and he will be a slave to his brothers.’

²⁶ Then he added:

‘May Yahweh, Shem’s God, bless him… But let CanaAn be his houseboy.

²⁷ ‘Also, may God make room for JaPheth and allow him to live in the tents of Shem… And may CanaAn then become his also.’

²⁸ Well, after the Downpour, Noah lived on for another 350 years. ²⁹ So he lived for 950 years, and then he died.

Genesis 10

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¹ Now, these are the generations of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and JaPheth. And these are the sons who were born to them after the Downpour.

² JaPheth’s sons were:

• Gamer,

• Magog [the Scythians],

• Madoi [the Medes],

• Jovan,

• EliSa,

• ThoBel [of Tubal],

• Mosoch [possibly Moscow of Russia], and

• Thiras [Islands of the Aegean Sea].

³ Gamer’s sons were:

• AshKenaz [Germans, Slavs],

• RiPhath [of Northwestern Asia Minor], and

• Thorgama [the Armenians].

⁴ Jovan’s sons were:

• EliShah [of Tyre],

• TarShish [of Spain],

• Cetian [of Cypress], and

• Rhodes [of Rhodes].

⁵ [They settled the] islands, which lands were divided by tribe and nation among the ethnics, each according to his own language.

⁶ Ham’s sons were:

• Kush,

• Mesrain [Egyptian tribes],

• Phud [Libyans], and

• CanaAn [Palestinians].

⁷ The sons of Kush were:

• Saba [peoples of southern Africa],

• Evilat,

• SaBatha,

• Rhegma, and

• Sabathaca [East Africans].

The sons of Rhegma were:

• Saba [of 13 Arabian tribes], and

• Dadan [part of Arabia].

⁸ Kush fathered NimRod, who became a giant on the earth. ⁹ He was a gigantic hunter before Yahweh God, and that’s why people speak of NimRod as ‘the gigantic hunter before Yahweh.’ ¹⁰ His kingdom started with Babylon and stretched to Orech, Archad, and ChalanNe, which were all in the land of Shinar.

¹¹ Then outside of that land, [he went to] Assyria and built Nineveh, the cities of RehobOth, Chalach, ¹² and Dase (between Nineveh, and Chalach), which is the great city.

¹³ Mesrain fathered:

• The Lydim [Lydians],

• the MaphTuhim [people of Memphis, Egypt],

• the AnaMim [Libyans],

• the Lehabim [people of Lower Egypt],

• ¹⁴ the Pathrusim [people of Upper Egypt],

• the Casluhim [Cretans] (from whom the Philistines descended), and

• the GaphThoriim [also from the area of Crete].

¹⁵ CanaAn’s first-born son was Sidon. Then there were:

• The Hittites,

• ¹⁶ the Jebusites,

• the Amorites,

• the Girgashites,

• ¹⁷ the Hevites,

• the Arukites,

• the Sinites [Chinese?],

• the Asenites,

• ¹⁸ the Aradians,

• the Samarians [Northern Lebanon], and

• the Hamathites.

But the CanaAnites were scattered, ¹⁹ so their territory stretched from Sidon to Gerar (near Gaza), to Sodom and GomorRah, to Adama, and to Seboim, as far as Dasa.

²⁰ So these were the descendants of Ham by tribe, country, language, and nation.

²¹ Shem, who was the elder brother of JaPheth and the ancestor of all the sons of Heber [the ancestor of the Israelites], also had children born to him.

²² His sons were:

• ElAm,

• AsSur,

• ArphaxAd,

• Lud,

• Aram, and

• Kainan.

²³ Aram’s sons were:

• Uz,

• Ul,

• Gater, and

• Mosoch.

²⁴ ArphaxAd fathered [a son whom he named] Kainan, who fathered Sala, who fathered [a son whom he named] Heber. ²⁵ This Heber had two sons. He named the first PhalEd (Division), because the land became divided in his day, and his brother’s name was JekTan.

²⁶ JekTan fathered:

• ElModad,

• Saleth,

• SarMoth,

• Jarach,

• ²⁷ OdorRha,

• AiBel,

• Decla,

• ²⁸ Eval,

• AbiMaEl,

• Saba,

• ²⁹ Uphir,

• Evila, and

• Jobab.

These were all the sons of JekTan. ³⁰ Their territory stretched from MasSe all the way to Saphera, which is a mountain in the east.

³¹ So these were the sons of Shem by tribe, language, country, and nation, ³² and these were the tribes of the sons of Noah by generations and nations. From them came the people of all the islands and nations that were scattered around the earth after the Downpour.

Genesis 11

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¹ [At the time], the whole earth shared the same lips, because they all spoke the same language. ² And as they migrated from the east, they found a flat area of land in Shinar, and started living there.

³ Then one man said to his neighbor:

‘Come on; let’s make some bricks and bake them in an oven.’

So bricks became their ‘stone’ and tar served as their ‘mortar.’

⁴ And they said:

‘Come on; let’s build ourselves a city with a tower that reaches into the sky. And let’s create a name for ourselves, before we end up being scattered all over the face of the earth.’

⁵ Then Yahweh came down to see this city and its tower that the sons of men had built. ⁶ And Yahweh said:

‘Look; they’re all the same race and they share the same lips… And now they’ve started doing this. [Before long], they’ll be able to accomplish anything that they set out to do.

⁷ ‘Therefore, let’s go down there and change their language so that no one will be able to understand the voice of his neighbor.’

⁸ So, Yahweh scattered them from there over the entire face of the earth, and they stopped building the city and its tower. ⁹ That is why [the city] is named ‘Confusion,’ because, that’s where Yahweh confused all the languages of the earth and scattered them from there over all the face of the earth.

¹⁰ These are the generations of Shem:

Shem was 100 years old when he became father to ArphaxAd in the 2nd year after the Downpour. ¹¹ And after Shem became father to ArphaxAd, he lived 335 more years (fathering other sons and daughters), and then he died.

¹² ArphaxAd was 135 years old when he became father to Kainan. ¹³ And after ArphaxAd became the father to Kainan, he lived 330 years more (as he fathered other sons and daughters), and then he died.

Kainan was 130 years old when he became father to Sala. And after he became father to Sala, he lived 330 years (as he fathered other sons and daughters), and then he died.

¹⁴ Sala was 130 years old when he became father to Heber. ¹⁵ And after he became father to Heber, he lived 330 years more (as he fathered other sons and daughters), and then he died.

¹⁶ Heber was 134 years old when he became father to Phaleg. ¹⁷ And after he became father to Phaleg, he lived 270 years (as he fathered other sons and daughters), and then he died.

¹⁸ Phaleg was 130 years old when he became father to Ragau. ¹⁹ After he became father to Ragau, he lived 209 years (as he fathered other sons and daughters), and then he died.

²⁰ Ragau was 132 years old when he became father to Seruch. ²¹ After he became father to Seruch, he lived 207 years (as he fathered other sons and daughters), and then he died.

²² Seruch was 130 years old when he became father to NaHor. ²³ And after he became father to NaHor, he lived 200 years (as he fathered other sons and daughters), and then he died.

²⁴ NaHor was 79 years old when he became father to Terah. ²⁵ And after he became father to Terah, he lived 129 years (as he fathered other sons and daughters), and then he died.

²⁶ [After] Terah was 70 years old, he became father to:

• Abram,

• NaHor, and

• Haran.

²⁷ These are the generations of Terah:

Terah became father to Abram, NaHor, and Haran; and Haran became father to Lot.

²⁸ Haran died in the presence of Terah his father in the land where he was born, the country of the Chaldeans.

²⁹ Both Abram and NaHor then took women for themselves.

Abram’s wife was named Sara, and NaHor’s wife was named Malcha. She was the daughter of Haran (the father of Malcha and Jescha). ³⁰ However, Sara was sterile, so she didn’t have any children.

³¹ Then Terah took his son Abram, Abram’s wife Sara (his daughter-in-law), and his grandson Lot (son of Haran), and led them from the land of the Chaldeans towards the land of CanaAn. However, when they got to Haran, they started living there. ³² And thereafter, Terah continued living in the land of Haran for the next 205 years, and [that’s where] he died.

Genesis 12

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¹ Then Yahweh said to Abram:

‘Leave this land, as well as your family and your father’s home, and go to a land that I’ll show you, ² because I’m going to make a great nation of you. I will bless you, make your name famous, and you’ll become a blessing [to others].

³ ‘I will bless those who praise you and curse those who curse you… All the tribes will be blest because of you.’

⁴ So Abram did just as Yahweh told him… And Lot went with him.

Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran, ⁵ taking along his wife Sara, his nephew Lot, all the many things that they owned, and all the souls that they had accumulated in Haran, as they traveled to the land of CanaAn. ⁶ Abram traveled down through the land to a place called SheChem, where there was a tall tree. And at the time, the CanaAnites were living in the land.

⁷ Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said:

‘I will give this land to your offspring.’

So Abram built an altar there to the Lord that had appeared to him.

⁸ Then he moved on from there to a mountain that was east of BethEl, and he camped near BethEl, close to the sea, east of AgGai. There he built an altar to Yahweh and started calling on the Name of the Lord.

⁹ Thereafter, Abram left that place and camped in the desert.

¹⁰ Well, there came a famine in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt to stay, because the famine had devastated the land. ¹¹ And as Abram was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sara:

‘You’re a beautiful woman, ¹² [and I’m afraid] that when the Egyptians see you they’ll say, ‘[Look at] his wife!’, and they’ll kill me… But they’ll let you live.

¹³ ‘So tell people that you’re my sister. That way, things will go well for me because of you, and my life will be safe because of you.’

¹⁴ And that’s what happened. When Abram entered Egypt and the Egyptians saw how beautiful his woman was, ¹⁵ one of PharaOh’s princes praised her to PharaOh [possibly Pepi II] and brought her into PharaOh’s [Palace].

¹⁶ And because of her, PharaOh treated Abram very well. So he accumulated [many] sheep, calves, burros, male and female servants, mules, and camels.

¹⁷ However, God cursed PharaOh and his house with some very serious and difficult problems because of Sara (Abram’s wife).

¹⁸ So PharaOh called Abram and asked:

‘What have you done to me? You didn’t tell me that she’s your wife. ¹⁹ Why did you tell us that she’s your sister? Look, I’ve already taken her as mine!

‘Now, there’s your wife standing before you… She’s yours, so take her and leave quickly!’

²⁰ Then PharaOh gave his men instructions about Abram, telling them to accompany him and his wife on their way, along with all the things that they owned.

Genesis 13

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¹ So thereafter, Abram left Egypt and traveled into the desert along with his wife and with Lot, taking along everything that he owned ² (for by then, Abram had become very rich in cattle, silver, and gold).

³ So he returned to the place he’d come from (in the desert near BethEl, between BethEl and AgGai, where he’d previously camped), ⁴ and to the place where he’d earlier built the altar and ⁵ called on the Name of the Lord.

⁶ At the time, Lot (who had left [Egypt] along with Abram) had also accumulated many sheep, oxen, and tents; ⁷ so the land just wasn’t large enough for both of them to live together, because of their many possessions. ⁸ And since there wasn’t enough land to share, there were problems between the herdsmen of Abram’s cattle, the herdsmen of Lot’s cattle, and with the CanaAnites and Pherezites who lived in that land. So Abram said to Lot:

‘There shouldn’t be problems between you and me, or between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, because we are brothers.

⁹ ‘Look! The whole land lies before you, so leave me and choose your own way. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; or if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.’

¹⁰ So Lot surveyed all the country around the JorDan and noticed that it had plenty of water (this was before God overthrew Sodom and GomorRah). It looked like the Paradise of Yahweh and like the land of Egypt up to Zogora. ¹¹ So Lot chose all the country around the JorDan for himself and he traveled to the east, as the brothers parted ways.

Now, as Abram took up living in the land of CanaAn, ¹² Lot [chose] to live in a city among neighbors; so he moved to Sodom. ¹³ However, the men of Sodom were evil and they were extreme sinners before God.

¹⁴ Then The God said to Abram (after Lot had separated from him):

‘Look around at this place where you’re standing… Look to the north, to the south, to the east, and to the sea. ¹⁵ I’ll give all this land that you see before you to you and your offspring throughout the ages. ¹⁶ And I’ll make your offspring as [numerous as] the dust of the ground.

‘Why, if anyone is able to count all the dust of the earth, he should be able to count your offspring! ¹⁷ So get up and walk across the land… Across its length and its breadth. I’m giving it all to you and to your offspring throughout the ages!’

¹⁸ Well after that, Abram packed up his tent and started living by the big tree [close to] MamRe in HebRon, and he built an altar there to Yahweh.

Genesis 14

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¹ It was during the reign of AmarPhal (the king of Shinar) and AriOch (the king of ElLasar), that ChodolLogomor ² (the king of ElAm) and Thargal (the king of the Gentiles) went to war with:

• BalLa (the king of Sodom),

• BarSa (the king of GomorRah),

• Sennaar (the king of Adama),

• SymoBor (the king of Seboim), and

• Balac (or Segor).

³ So they all agreed to meet together at the Salt Valley ([which is now] the Dead Sea). ⁴ For they had served as vassals to ChodolLogomor for some 12 years, but in the 13th year they revolted.

⁵ So in the 14th year, ChodolLogomor and his allies attacked them, cutting the giants in AshtarOth CarNain to pieces, along with the strong nations that were their allies (the OmMeans in the city of Saue and ⁶ the ChorRheans in the mountains of SeIr) all the way to the turpentine trees of Pharan (in the desert).

⁷ And on their return, they stopped at the Well of Judgment (that is, Cades), where they cut to pieces all the princes of Amalecites and the Amorites that were living in AsaSon/Thamar.

⁸ And then the kings of Sodom, GomorRah, Adama, Seboim, and Balac (or Segor) went out and set up battle lines against these other kings in the Salt Valley ⁹  yes, against ChodolLogomor (king of ElAm), Thargal (king of the Gentiles), AmarPhal (king of Shinar), and AriOch (the king of ElLasar)... The four against five.

¹⁰ Now, there were slime pits in the Salt Valley, and the kings of Sodom and GomorRah fell into them as they were fleeing (and as the rest were retreating into the mountains). ¹¹ So [the invaders] took all the horses and food in Sodom and GomorRah and they left, ¹² carrying away Abram’s nephew Lot (who lived in Sodom), along with all of his possessions.

¹³ Then one of those who’d been rescued went and told Abram (the Hebrew) [what had happened]. At the time, he was living by the large tree [that belonged to] MamRe ([who] was an Amorite, the brother of Eschol and AuNan (who were Abram’s allies). ¹⁴ And when Abram heard that his nephew Lot had been captured, he gathered 318 of his personal home-born servants, and pursued them all the way to Dan.

¹⁵ Then when he and his servants caught up with them that night, he attacked them and pursued them all the way to Choba, which is to the left of Damascus.

¹⁶ So he recovered all the horses of Sodom, his nephew Lot, and all of his possessions and women, as well as the rest of the people.

¹⁷ Then after [Abram] returned from the slaughter of ChodolLogomor and the kings who were with him; the king of Sodom traveled to the valley of Saby (in the plain of the king) to meet with him. ¹⁸ And there, MelchiZedek (the king of Salem) brought him some loaves [of bread] and some wine.

This man was also the Priest of the Most High God, ¹⁹ and he blest Abram there, saying:

‘May Abram of the Most High God who made the heavens and the earth, be blest!

²⁰ ‘And may the Most High God, who delivered your enemies into your hands, be praised!’

Then Abram gave him 1/10th of everything [that he had captured].

²¹ And the king of Sodom said to Abram:

‘Let me take all the men… You can keep the horses for yourself.’

²² But Abram said to the king of Sodom:

‘I swear by Yahweh, the Most High God who made the heavens and the earth, ²³ that I won’t take anything from you – not so much as a piece of string or a shoe lace – so you won’t be able to say, I’m the one who made Abram wealthy.

²⁴ ‘[I will take] nothing other than what the young men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me… Eschol, AuNan, and MamRe… They’ll each take a portion.’

Genesis 15

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¹ Well after that, Yahweh sent word to Abram in a vision, saying:

‘Don’t be afraid, Abram... For I am your shield, and you’ll receive a huge reward.’

² Then Abram said:

‘O Almighty Yahweh! What can You give me, since I’m about to die without a son? EliEzer of Damascus, the home-born son of my [slave girl] Masek of Damascus, is my heir.’

³ And Abram continued:

‘I’m so very sad, because You haven’t given me a descendant, and the home-born [of my slave girl] will be my heir.’

⁴ Well, the Lord immediately replied, saying:

‘He won’t be your heir… Another that comes from you will be your heir.’

⁵ Then He took him outside and said:

‘Look up into the sky and count all the stars… That is, if you can come up with an accurate count.’

And He said:

‘This is how your offspring will be.’

⁶ So Abram believed The God, and his [faith] was counted to him as righteousness.

⁷ Then [God] said to him:

‘I’m the God who brought you out of the land of the Chaldeans to give you this land as an inheritance.’

⁸ And [Abram] said:

‘My Lord and Master, how can I know [for sure] that I’ll inherit it?’

⁹ And He replied:

‘Collect for Me a 3-year-old heifer, a 3-year-old nanny goat, a 3-year-old billy goat, a dove, and a pigeon.’

¹⁰ So Abram brought all three of [the animals] to Him, cut them each into halves, and set [the halves] opposite each other… But he didn’t cut the winged creatures into halves.

¹¹ Well, birds then started landing on the bodies (the cut-up parts), as Abram sat there next to them.

¹² Then, about sunset, Abram fell into a trance and {Look!} he had an ominous premonition. ¹³ For Abram was told [by God]:

‘You must know this for a fact; your offspring will have to live as aliens in a foreign land where they’ll be slaves who are treated badly and humbled for 400 years.

¹⁴ ‘Then I’ll judge the nation that they are to serve; and following that, [your offspring] will return here with many possessions. ¹⁵ However, you’ll go to your fathers [in the grave] well fed and in peace at a ripe old age.

¹⁶ ‘Then the 4th generation will return here... Because, even up to this point, the sins of the Amorites haven’t reached their climax yet.’

¹⁷ Well, as the sun was setting, {look!} there was a flame that looked like a smoking furnace and like lamp fires that moved between the divided pieces [of the animals]!

¹⁸ This was the day that Yahweh made a Sacred Agreement with Abram. He said:

‘I will give this land – from the [Nile] River of Egypt to the great EuPhrates River – to your offspring, ¹⁹ along with:

• The Kainites,

• the Kenezites,

• the KedMoneans,

• ²⁰ the Hittites,

• the Pherezites,

• the Raphaim,

• ²¹ the Amorites,

• the CanaAnites,

• the Hevites,

• the Gergesites, and

• the Jebusites.’

Genesis 16

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¹ Well, Sara (Abram’s wife) hadn’t given him any children. However, she had an Egyptian handmaid whose name was Hagar. ² And so, Sara said to Abram:

‘Look; Yahweh has kept me from getting pregnant; so, [sleep with] my maid that I might have my children through her.’

Well, Abram accepted this offer from Sara, ³ so Sara (Abram’s wife) took Hagar her Egyptian handmaid (this was after Abram had lived in the land of CanaAn for 10 years) and gave her to her man Abram as his woman.

⁴ Then [Abram] went in to [bed with] Hagar, and she became pregnant.

However, after she realized that she was going to have a child, she started being disrespectful to her mistress.

⁵ So Sara said to Abram:

‘I’ve really been hurt by you, for I gave you my handmaid [to sleep with], and when I saw that she was pregnant, she started treating me disrespectfully!

‘So may Yahweh judge between you and me!’

⁶ Then Abram told Sara:

‘Look, your handmaid is yours! Treat her any way that seems right to you!’

So Sara started treating [Hagar] badly, and she ran away.

⁷ Then a [spirit] messenger from Yahweh found [Hagar] by a spring of water in the desert (the spring on the way to Sur). ⁸ And Yahweh’s messenger said to her:

‘Hagar, Sara’s maid! Where are you coming from and where are you going?’

And she replied:

‘I’m running away from my mistress, Sara.’

⁹ Then Yahweh’s messenger said:

‘Return to your mistress and obey her.’

¹⁰ And the messenger of Yahweh told her:

‘I will make your offspring grow, and they’ll become so many that they can’t be counted.’

¹¹ The messenger of Yahweh then went on to say:

‘Look; you are pregnant with a child. You’ll give birth to a son, and you should name him IshMaEl (‘God has Noticed’), because Yahweh has noticed how you’ve been humiliated.

¹² ‘He will be a wild man, for his fists [will be lifted] against everyone, and everyone [will lift] their fists against him. However, he will live in the midst of all his brothers.’

¹³ Then she called upon the Name of the Lord God who was speaking to her, saying:

‘You are the God who watches over me...’

And she added:

‘...because I openly saw the One who appeared to me.’

¹⁴ [So from that point on], she called that well, ‘The Well of The One Whom I Openly Saw.’ Look; it [still can be found] between Cades and BarAd.

¹⁵ Well after that, Hagar bore a son to Abram; and Abram named the son whom Hagar bore to him, IshMaEl. ¹⁶ Abram was 86 years old when Hagar bore IshMaEl.

Genesis 17

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¹ Then, when Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him [again] and said:

‘I am your God. So, if you’ll be pleasing before Me and not do anything for which you can be blamed, ² I’ll establish a Sacred Agreement between you and Me, and I will make you prosper greatly!’

³ Well at that, Abram fell with his face [to the ground]. Then The God spoke to him [again], saying:

⁴ ‘Look!

‘I am making My Sacred Agreement with you. Since you’ll become the father of many nations, your name will no longer be called Abram, but AbraHam... ⁵ For I’ve made you the father of many nations.

⁶ ‘I will make you grow tremendously, I’ll make nations come from you, and kings will descend from you.

⁷ ‘I’ll also extend my Sacred Agreement between you and Me to the offspring that comes from you through its generations. It’s a Sacred Agreement throughout the ages that [I] will be your God and the God of the offspring that comes from you.

⁸ ‘Also, I’ll give the land where you’re [now] living as an alien, to you and to your offspring. This includes the entire land of CanaAn… It’ll become yours throughout the ages, and I’ll be their God.’

⁹ Then The God told AbraHam:

‘You must absolutely keep my Sacred Agreement… Both you and your offspring that descends from you through all their generations.

¹⁰ ‘This is the Sacred Agreement between you and your offspring and Me through all its generations:

‘All of your males must be circumcised… ¹¹ The foreskin of their flesh must be circumcised, for this will be the sign of the Sacred Agreement between you and Me.

¹² ‘All of your male children must be circumcised by you when they’re 8-days old, throughout all your generations. [This includes all your] home-born servants and those who are bought with money (the sons of aliens that are not your offspring).

¹³ ‘Those who are born in your house and those who are bought with money must surely be circumcised. So My Sacred Agreement will be in their flesh as [a sign of the] Sacred Agreement throughout the ages.

¹⁴ ‘As for the uncircumcised males who aren’t circumcised in the flesh of their foreskin on the 8th day... Such individuals must be totally destroyed from among their families for breaking My Sacred Agreement!’

¹⁵ Then The God told AbraHam:

‘Your wife Sara will no longer be called Sara… SarAh will be her name. ¹⁶ For I’ll bless her and give you a son from her, whom I will also bless… nations and kings of nations will come from him!’

¹⁷ Well with that, AbraHam fell to his face and laughed, asking in his heart:

‘Will a 100-year-old [man] father a child? And will SarAh –who’s 90 years old– give birth to it?’

¹⁸ Then AbraHam said to God:

‘Please accept IshMaEl to [stand] before You.’

¹⁹ But God told AbraHam:

‘Look; your wife SarAh will give birth to your son, and you should name him IsaAc [which means ‘Laughter’].

‘I’ll make my Sacred Agreement [with you] firm through him… It’ll be an age-long Sacred Agreement that I’ll be his God and [the God] of his offspring that descends from him.

²⁰ ‘As for IshMaEl; {Look!} I’ve heard you and I’ve blest him. I’ll make him grow and multiply tremendously, so he will become the father of 12 nations that I’ll make a great people.

²¹ ‘However, My Sacred Agreement will be established with IsaAc, whom SarAh will bear to you at this time next year.’

²² Then The God stopped talking to him, and He left AbraHam.

²³ Well thereafter, AbraHam took his son IshMaEl, all of his home-born servants, all of those whom he’d bought with money… All the males in AbraHam’s house, and circumcised their foreskins on that very day, just as God had told him.

²⁴ AbraHam was 99 years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, ²⁵ and his son IshMaEl was 13 years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

²⁶ Both AbraHam and his son IshMaEl were circumcised that very day, ²⁷ along with all the men of his house… Those who were born there and the foreigners who were bought with money.

Genesis 18

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¹ God [next] appeared to [AbraHam] around noon, as he was sitting at the entrance to his tent by the big tree close to MamRe. ² For when he looked up, he saw three men standing in front of him. And when he noticed them, he ran from the entrance of his tent to meet them, bowing all the way to the ground.

³ Then he said:

‘Lords,

‘If I have indeed found favor in your sight, don’t pass your servant by. ⁴ [I’ll have] water brought and [my servants] will wash your feet! You just rest here under this tree. ⁵ I’ll also bring some bread for you to eat, and then you can continue your journey… Allow your servant to offer you some refreshment.’

And they replied:

‘You may do as you’ve said.’

⁶ So AbraHam ran back to SarAh (who was in the tent) and said to her:

‘Hurry… Knead three scoops of fine flour and make [some bread].’

⁷ Then AbraHam ran to the pens, where he took a young calf (a nice, tender one) and gave it to his servant, who quickly prepared it.

⁸ Next, he got some butter, some milk, and the calf that he’d prepared, and set it all out before them… And they ate as he stood near them under the tree.

⁹ Then the Lord asked:

‘Where is your woman SarAh?’

And [AbraHam] replied:

‘Look, she’s there in the tent!’

¹⁰ So the Lord said:

‘I’ll return this way and come to see you during this season [next year], and your woman SarAh will have a son.’

Well, SarAh overheard this as she stood behind him at the entrance of the tent. ¹¹ And because AbraHam and SarAh were old, and SarAh was [well beyond the age of child bearing], she laughed inside herself, saying:

¹² ‘This hasn’t happened to me [in the past]… And now my lord is [too] old!’

¹³ And at that, the Lord asked AbraHam:

‘Why is SarAh laughing inside herself and asking, ‘Will I give birth? I’m already old’?

¹⁴ ‘Is there anything that’s impossible for Yahweh?

‘I’ll return to you [next year] in this season, and SarAh will have a son!’

¹⁵ However, SarAh denied it, saying, ‘I didn’t laugh’ (she said this because she was afraid).

And the Lord replied:

‘Oh, but you did laugh.’

¹⁶ Then the men got up and headed towards Sodom and GomorRah, and AbraHam traveled along with them to assist in their journey.

¹⁷ So the Lord then asked:

‘Shall I hide the things that I’m about to do from my servant AbraHam?

¹⁸ ‘For AbraHam will become a great and highly populated nation through whom all the nations of the earth will be blest, ¹⁹ because I know that he will order his sons and the house that is to come from him to keep the ways of Yahweh… To be righteous and just, so that Yahweh can bring all the things to AbraHam that He’s promised.’

²⁰ Then the Lord told him this:

‘The cries that I’m hearing about Sodom and GomorRah keep growing, and their sins are very bad. ²¹ So I’m going down to see if they’re as bad as the cries that I’m hearing have said.

‘And if not, at least I’ll know [for sure].’

²² And at that, the men headed towards Sodom.

Meanwhile, AbraHam was still there in the Lord’s presence.

²³ So AbraHam went up to him and asked:

‘Are you going to destroy the righteous along with the wicked, treating the righteous as though they were wicked? ²⁴ If there are 50 righteous [people] in the city, will you destroy them? Wouldn’t you spare the whole place if there were 50 righteous [people] there?

²⁵ ‘You would never do such a thing as to destroy the righteous along with the wicked and treat the righteous as though they were wicked… No way! Won’t you, the judge of the whole earth, do what’s right?’

²⁶ And the Lord said:

‘If there are 50 righteous [people] in the city of Sodom, I’ll spare the whole city and the whole place for their sakes.’

²⁷ Then AbraHam continued:

‘My Lord,

‘Here I’m speaking to you, and all I am is dirt and ashes. ²⁸ However, what if there weren’t 50 righteous [people] and there were only 45. Would you destroy the whole city because of the lack of 5?’

And the Lord said:

‘I won’t destroy it if I can find 45 there.’

²⁹ However, [AbraHam] just kept talking to him and said:

‘What if there are only 40? ³⁰ Would you not destroy it for the sake of the 40?’

And he went on:

‘Lord, please don’t hold it against me if I continue to speak; but, what if there are 30?’

And the Lord replied:

‘I won’t destroy it for the sake of 30.’

³¹ So he said:

‘Since I’m allowed to speak to [my] Lord; what if you can only find 20?’

And he said:

‘I won’t destroy it if I can only find 20.’

³² Finally, he said:

‘Lord,

‘Would you hold it against me if I were to say just one more thing? What if you were to find just 10 [righteous people]?’

And he replied:

‘I won’t destroy it for the sake of the 10.’

³³ Then the Lord stopped speaking to AbraHam and left, and AbraHam returned to his [tent].

Genesis 19

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¹ Well, that evening, the two messengers [of God] finally arrived at Sodom, where they found Lot sitting by the [city] gate. And when Lot saw them, he got up [and went] to meet them, bowing low with his face to the ground. He said:

² ‘Look here, my lords; come to the house of your servant and rest from your journey. [Then you can] wash your feet and get up early in the morning to continue on your way.’

However, they said:

‘No, we’ll just sleep here in the street.’

³ But [Lot] kept insisting, so they went with him to his house. Then he baked flatbread and made a feast for them, which they ate.

⁴ [Well, that evening], before they went to bed, the men of the city of Sodom gathered around the house… All of them, from the young to the old, ⁵ and they shouted for Lot, saying:

‘Where are the men who came to your home this evening?

‘Send them out to us, so we can [have sex] with them!’

⁶ Well, Lot went out on his porch, shut the door behind him, ⁷ and said:

‘Absolutely not, my brothers! Don’t do this wicked thing!

⁸ ‘I have two daughters that have never [had sex] with a man. I’ll bring them out to you and you can do whatever you want with them. However, don’t harm these men! It was to avoid such a thing that [I brought them] under the shelter of my roof!’

⁹ But they replied:

‘Get out of the way! You came here to live among us, and [now, do you think] have become our judge?

‘We’re going to do more harm to you than we’ll do to them!’

¹⁰ So they started pushing Lot and were ready to break down his door. But the [messengers] reached out and grabbed Lot, dragged him back inside the house, and shut the door. ¹¹ Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house with blindness, both the great and the small… Until they finally got tired of trying to find the door.

¹² And the [messengers] said to Lot:

‘If you have any sons, daughters, sons in law, or any friends in the city, you must take them away from this place, ¹³ because we’re going to destroy it!

‘A great cry has been raised against [this city] to Yahweh, and [He] has sent us to destroy it.’

¹⁴ So Lot went and spoke to his [future] sons-in-law that [were engaged to] his daughters, and said:

‘Get up and leave this place, because Yahweh is going to destroy the city!’

However, to his [future] sons-in-law, it seemed as though he was joking.

¹⁵ Then the next morning, the messengers started to hurry Lot along, saying:

‘Get up! Take your wife and your two daughters and go, so you won’t be destroyed with the sins of this city!’

¹⁶ However, they were unsure. So the messengers grabbed the hands of Lot, his wife, and his two daughters… And that’s how Yahweh saved them.

¹⁷ Then, once they were outside [of the city], the [messengers] told them:

‘Now, do whatever you must to save your own lives. You must not turn around and look back at the things that are behind you… And don’t stay anywhere in the countryside around here. Run to the mountains, so you won’t be [destroyed along] with the rest!’

¹⁸ But Lot said:

‘I beg you, Lord,

‘Your servant has been shown such mercy and you have shown such righteousness in the things that you’ve done for me to save my life. ¹⁹ However, I won’t be able to make it to the mountains, because the [destruction] will likely catch up with me and kill me.

²⁰ ‘Look, there’s a town nearby… A small one that I can escape to and be spared. Isn’t this just a small thing?

‘If you [allow] this, you’ll save my life!’

²¹ And [the messenger] told him:

‘Look; I’ll respect your wishes in this matter and I won’t destroy the town that you’re talking about. ²² But hurry and get out of here, because I won’t be able to do anything until you get there.’

And from that point on, [Lot] referred to that town as Segor [meaning, ‘small’].

²³ Well, the sun was already up by the time that Lot arrived in Segor, and that’s when ²⁴ Jehovah poured fire and sulfur from the sky upon Sodom and GomorRah, ²⁵ which destroyed those cities, all the countryside around them and everyone who lived in the cities… Including even the plants that grew on the ground.

²⁶ However, [Lot’s] wife had turned and looked back, and she then became an upright block of salt.

²⁷ Well, that morning (as AbraHam arose early to go to the place where he’d stood before the Lord) ²⁸ when he looked towards Sodom, GomorRah, and the surrounding countryside, he saw what looked like the flames and smoke of a furnace arising from that land!

²⁹ And this is how it all happened.

However, when God destroyed all the cities around there, He remembered AbraHam and He brought Lot out of the midst of that destruction, when the Lord overthrew those cities where Lot had been living.³⁰ Well after that, Lot and his daughters left Segor and they went to live in the mountains, because he was afraid to live in Segor. So he and his daughters went and lived in a cave.

³¹ [It was there that] the eldest [daughter] said to the younger:

‘Our father is old, and no one on earth will come to us here where we’re living... ³² So let’s get our father drunk with wine and then we’ll sleep with him, so we can raise our father’s offspring.’

³³ Well, that night, they brought their father some wine to drink, and the eldest went in and laid down with him. However, he wasn’t aware of when he went to sleep or when he got up.

³⁴ Then the next day, the eldest said to the younger:

‘Look; I slept with our father last night. Therefore, let’s get him some wine to drink again tonight, and then you go in and sleep with him, so we can raise offspring from our father.’

³⁵ Well, they got their father to drink wine again, and the younger went in and slept with her father that night… And he didn’t know when he went to sleep or when he got up.

³⁶ As a result, the two daughters of Lot became pregnant by their father. ³⁷ Then the eldest bore a son whom she called MoAb, saying:

‘He’s of my father.’

([MoAb] is the father of the MoAbites to this day).

³⁸ And the younger also bore a son whom she named AmMon, saying:

‘He’s the son of my family.’

([AmMon] is the father of the AmMonites to this day).

Genesis 20

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¹ Well, sometime after that, AbraHam moved to the southern part of the country and took up living between Cades and Sur, staying for a while in GeraRa. ² And [there], AbraHam [again told the people] that his wife SarAh was his sister. He didn’t want to say, ‘She’s my wife,’ for fear that the men of that city would kill him because of her.

So AbiMelech (the king of GeraRa) sent for SarAh and took her [to be his woman]. ³ But God came to AbiMelech at night in a dream and told him:

‘Look; you’re all going to die because of this woman you’ve taken, since she [already has] a husband!’

⁴ Well, AbiMelech hadn’t touched her [yet], so he replied:

‘Lord, would you destroy a righteous nation that has sinned in ignorance?

⁵ ‘Didn’t he tell me, She’s my sister?

‘And didn’t she tell me, He’s my brother?

‘I’ve done this with righteous hands and with a pure heart!’

⁶ Then The God replied to him in his [dream], saying:

‘Yes, I know that you did this with a pure heart... That’s why I’ve spared you and [kept you from] sinning against Me, and that’s why I also kept you from touching her.

⁷ ‘So return this man’s wife now, because he’s a Prophet. Then he will pray for you and you’ll continue to live.

‘However, if you don’t return her, you and all that are yours will die.’

⁸ So early the next morning, AbiMelech got up and called all his servants in; then he told them everything that was said, which frightened them.

⁹ And thereafter, AbiMelech called AbraHam in and asked:

‘What have you done to us? [What type of bad] have you seen in me that you should do such a thing? Have we sinned against you in some way so that you’d draw my whole kingdom and me into such a great sin?

‘Why, you’ve done something to me that no one should ever do!’

¹⁰ And AbiMelech continued:

‘What [bad] have you seen in me that you would do such a thing?’

¹¹ Then AbraHam replied:

‘[I thought] that this surely couldn’t be a place of godly people, so they’ll kill me for my wife. ¹² [And in fact], she really is my sister by my father (but not by my mother), whom I took as my wife.

¹³ ‘So when God took me from my father’s house, I told her:

‘I have a righteous thing that I want you to do for me: Wherever we go, tell [people] that I’m your brother.’

¹⁴ Then AbiMelech returned his wife SarAh, along with 1,000 silver coins, as well as sheep, cattle, and male and female servants. ¹⁵ And AbiMelech said to AbraHam:

‘Look, my whole land lies before you. So now, go wherever you wish.’

¹⁶ Then he told SarAh:

‘Look, I’ve given your brother 1,000 silver coins. These are yours as the price of your face and for all the women who are with you… But [in the future, you must] always tell the whole truth!’

¹⁷ So AbraHam prayed to God, and God healed AbiMelech. [He also healed AbiMelech’s] wife and his concubines, and they thereafter gave birth to children ¹⁸ (since Yahweh had closed all the wombs in AbiMelech’s house due to AbraHam’s wife, SarAh).

Genesis 21

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¹ Then the Lord visited SarAh and did as [He had promised] to her. ² She became pregnant and bore a son to AbraHam in his old age, at the exact time that the Lord had specified. ³ And AbraHam named the son who was born to him through SarAh, IsaAc [meaning ‘Laughter’].

⁴ Then on the 8th day, AbraHam circumcised IsaAc, just as God had instructed him.

⁵ AbraHam was 100 years old when his son IsaAc was born. ⁶ And SarAh said:

‘Yahweh has created laughter for me, because everyone who hears [about this] will rejoice with me.’

⁷ Then she added:

‘Who could tell AbraHam that I’m nursing a child, because I’ve given birth in my old age?’

⁸ Thereafter, the child grew; and on the day that he was weaned, AbraHam prepared a great feast. ⁹ However, SarAh noticed Hagar’s son (the one who was born to AbraHam through the Egyptian [woman]) playfully making fun of their son IsaAc.

¹⁰ So she told AbraHam:

‘Throw this slave woman and her son out, because I won’t have this slave’s son receive an inheritance with my son IsaAc!’

¹¹ Now, those words about his son were very difficult for AbraHam. ¹² But God said to AbraHam:

‘Don’t allow this thing about your son and the slave woman to become too difficult for you. Listen to whatever SarAh tells you, because IsaAc will be the one who’s called your offspring. ¹³ However, I’ll make a great nation of this slave woman’s son, because he’s also your offspring.’

¹⁴ So the next morning, AbraHam got up, gave Hagar some loaves [of bread] and a skin [bottle] of water, put her son on her shoulders, and sent her away. Then she left there and wandered in the desert near the Well of the Promise.

¹⁵ However, [before long], the skin [bottle] of water was empty. So she threw her child under a fir tree, ¹⁶ where she left him, and then she sat some distance across from him (a bow-shot away). And she said:

‘I can’t just watch my child die.’

So she sat there across from him as her child bawled and cried.

¹⁷ Well, God heard the voice of the child from the place where He was, and a [spirit] messenger from God called to Hagar out of the sky, and asked:

‘Why are you so concerned, Hagar?

‘Don’t worry; for God has heard the child’s voice from where He is. ¹⁸ So now, get up and take the child by his hand, because I’m going to make a great nation of him!’

¹⁹ Then The God opened her eyes and she saw a life [sustaining] well of water; so she went and filled the skin with water and gave the child a drink.

²⁰ God was with that child, so he grew up living in the desert and he became an archer. ²¹ And while he was living there in the desert, his mother found a woman for him in Pharan, Egypt.²² Now, the time came when AbiMelech, OchoZath (his trusted friend), and Pichol (the head of his army) [came to] AbraHam and said:

‘God is with you [and has blest] everything that you do. ²³ So swear to me by God that you won’t harm me, my offspring, or my name; rather, you should deal with me in the same righteous way that I’ve dealt with you in this land in which you’re living.’

²⁴ And AbraHam said:

‘I swear.’

²⁵ Then AbraHam complained to AbiMelech about some water wells that his servants had taken from him. ²⁶ And AbiMelech replied:

‘I don’t know who did this thing to you, nor did you tell me about it. Today is the first time I’ve heard of this.’

²⁷ And thereafter, AbraHam took some cattle and sheep and gave them to AbiMelech, and they made a treaty. ²⁸ Then AbraHam set aside 7 female lambs. ²⁹ And AbiMelech asked him:

‘Why have you set those 7 female lambs aside?’

³⁰ And AbraHam replied:

‘I’m giving my 7 female lambs to you as testimony to the fact that I dug this well.’

³¹ So thereafter, he named that place, ‘The Well of the Promise,’ because that’s where they swore their oath ³² and made their treaty. Then AbiMelech, his trusted friend OchoZath, and Pichol (the head of his army) got up and returned [home] to the land of the Philistines.

³³ Well, after that, AbraHam planted a field near The Well of the Promise and started calling on the Name of the God of the ages, Yahweh. ³⁴ And he stayed there in the land of the Philistines for many days.

Genesis 22

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¹ It was then that God put AbraHam to the test. He called to him, saying:

‘AbraHam…

‘AbraHam!’

And [AbraHam] replied:

‘Look! It’s me!’

² Then [God] said:

‘Take your beloved son (this one whom you so love, IsaAc) then go to the highlands and offer him there on one of the mountains that I’ll tell you about – as a burnt offering.’

³ So AbraHam got up in the morning, saddled his burro, and [prepared to] take two servants and his son IsaAc with him. Then, after splitting some wood for the offering, he got up and traveled towards the place that God had spoken to him about.⁴ Well, it was on the 3rd day that AbraHam looked up and saw the place in the distance.

⁵ Then AbraHam said to his servants:

‘Stay here with the burros; for my son and I will go over there… And after we bow low [before God], we’ll return to you.’

⁶ So AbraHam took the wood for the offering and laid it on his son IsaAc’s [shoulders], and the two went off together, with him carrying both the fire and the knife in his own hands.

⁷ Then IsaAc called out to his father (AbraHam) and said:

‘Father!’

And he replied:

‘What is it, son?’

And [IsaAc] continued:

‘Look! [We have the] the fire and the wood, but where is the sheep for the offering?’

⁸ Then AbraHam said:

‘God will provide His own sheep for the offering, son.’

So they both traveled on, and they ⁹ finally arrived at the place that God had spoken to him about... Then AbraHam built the altar there and laid the wood on it, and he tied his son IsaAc’s feet together and laid him on the wood on top of the altar!

¹⁰ And just as AbraHam was reaching for the knife to slaughter his son, ¹¹ a [spirit] messenger of Yahweh called out to him from the sky, and said:

‘AbraHam…

‘AbraHam!’

And he said:

‘Look, it’s me!’

¹² Then [the messenger] said:

‘Don’t lay a hand on the child and don’t do anything to him!

‘For now I know that you fear God, since you haven’t spared even your loved son for My sake!’

¹³ And when AbraHam looked up, he saw {Look!} a male goat that was caught by its horns on a bush in the thicket. So AbraHam went over and grabbed the male goat; [then he] offered it as a whole burnt offering instead of his son IsaAc.

¹⁴ Well, AbraHam thereafter named that place, ‘The Lord Was Seen.’ [He did that] so people today would say, ‘This is the mountain where the Lord was seen.’

¹⁵ Then a messenger of Yahweh called AbraHam a second time from the sky, saying:

¹⁶ ‘This is what Yahweh has said:

‘I’ve sworn [an oath] by Myself that, because you’ve done this thing (because you haven’t spared your loved son for Me); ¹⁷ when it comes to blessings, I’ll bless you, and when it comes to multiplying, I’ll multiply your offspring like the stars in the skies and as the sands on the sea shores!

‘Your offspring will inherit the cities of their enemies, ¹⁸ and all the nations of the earth will be blest by your offspring, because you’ve listened to My voice!’

¹⁹ Well thereafter, AbraHam returned to his servants, and they all got up and traveled together to the Well of the Promise. Then AbraHam took up living there at the Well of the Promise.²⁰ Then later on, AbraHam received this report:

‘Look! Melcha has given birth to sons by your brother, NaHor!’

²¹ [They were:]

• Uz (the first-born),

• Baux his brother,

• CamuEl ([who later became] the father of the Syrians),

• Chazad,

• ²² Azav,

• Phaldes,

• JelDaph, and

• BathuEl (BathuEl [later] fathered RebecKa).

²³ Melcha bore these 8 sons to AbraHam’s brother NaHor.

²⁴ In addition, his concubine (named RheUma) also gave birth to:

• TaBec,

• TaAm,

• Tochos, and

• Mocha.

Genesis 23

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¹ Well, SarAh lived to be 127 years old, ² and then [she] died in the city of ArBoc (HebRon in the land of CanaAn), which is located in a valley.

So AbraHam went to SarAh to mourn for her. ³ And as AbraHam stood before his dead [wife], he spoke to the sons of Ket, saying:

⁴ ‘I’m just a visitor and a stranger among you; but [please] allow me to buy a burying-place among [your people], so I can bury my dead away from [my place].’

⁵ And the sons of Ket replied to AbraHam, saying:

‘No Sir!

⁶ ‘Listen; you may live among us, but you’re [really] a king from God! So bury your dead in our best tombs! None of us will ever withhold our tombs to keep you from burying your dead here!’

⁷ Then AbraHam arose and bowed low before the people of the land (the sons of Ket). ⁸ And AbraHam said to them:

‘If you approve of me burying my dead out of my sight; then, listen to what I have to say and [please] speak on my behalf to EphRon, son of SaAr...

⁹ ‘[I want] him to give me the double cave that he owns, which is located in his field. I’ll [be happy to] pay whatever it’s worth for a burial-place among you.’

¹⁰ Now, EphRon happened to be sitting there in the midst of the children of Ket, and [he] answered AbraHam (speaking where he could be heard by all the sons of Ket and by all that were entering the city) saying:

¹¹ ‘Pay attention to me, my lord; here before all my countrymen [I say]: Bury your dead!’

¹² And at that, AbraHam bowed low before the people of the land, ¹³ and he told EphRon (before the people of the land):

‘Since you’re on my side, listen to me; accept the price of the field from me and I’ll bury my dead there.’

¹⁴ However, EphRon answered AbraHam, saying:

¹⁵ ‘No, my lord! I’ve heard that the land [is worth] 400 silver coins, but what value is that between me and you? No, just bury your dead.’

¹⁶ And although AbraHam heard what EphRon had said, he still paid [him] the money, just as he had vowed before the sons of Ket – 400 silver coins that had been approved by the merchants.

¹⁷ So at that, the double cave that was in the field of EphRon opposite MamRe (the field, the cave that was in it, every tree in the field, and everything that was within its borders) was sold ¹⁸ to AbraHam as his possession, there in front of the sons of Ket and everyone [who’ll be] entering the city.

¹⁹ There, AbraHam buried his woman SarAh inside the field’s double cave, which is opposite MamRe (HebRon in the land of CanaAn). ²⁰ Yes, the field and its cave were sold to AbraHam as his burying place by the sons of Ket.

Genesis 24

←23 | All books | All chapters | 25→

¹ Well by then, AbraHam was very old, and Yahweh had blest AbraHam in everything. ² So AbraHam said to his servant (the elder of his house that was in charge of all his possessions):

‘Put your hand under my thigh, ³ because I want you to swear by Yahweh the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you won’t take a woman for my son IsaAc from the daughters of the CanaAnites… These [people] among whom I’m living.

⁴ ‘Instead, I want you to go to my country – to the place I was born and to my people – to find a woman for my son IsaAc.’

⁵ And his servant replied:

‘But if the woman isn’t happy and willing to return with me to this land, should I take your son back to that land from which you came?’

⁶ And AbraHam said to him:

‘Make sure that you don’t take my son back there. ⁷ For it was Yahweh (the God of heaven and the God of earth) who took me out of my father’s house and out of the land where I was born. He spoke to me and swore to me, saying:

‘I’ll give this land to you and to your offspring.’

‘[So I know that He] will send His messenger ahead of you… And you must take a woman for my son from there. ⁸ However, if the woman isn’t willing to come with you into this land, you’ll be free from this oath. Just don’t take my son back there.’

⁹ At at that, the servant put his hand under the thigh of his master AbraHam and swore to him. ¹⁰ Then the servant took 10 camels from his master’s herd and [some of] his master’s valuables, and he traveled through MesoPotamia to the city of NaHor.¹¹ Well, it was towards evening that he [stopped and] rested his camels outside of the city, by the well where the young women went to draw water.

¹² And he [prayed]:

‘O Yahweh, the God of my master AbraHam!

‘Bless what I’m doing today, and be merciful to my master AbraHam.

¹³ ‘{Look!} Here I’m standing by the well where the daughters of those who live in this city come to draw water. ¹⁴ And may it be that whichever virgin to whom I say:

‘Bring down the water jar so that I may have a drink...’

‘And she replies:

‘Take a drink, and I’ll also [pour water] for your camels to drink until they’re satisfied...’

‘I’ll know that this is the one You’ve prepared for Your servant IsaAc, and that You’ve been merciful to my master, AbraHam.’

¹⁵ Well, before he was even done speaking in his mind, {Look!} RebecKa, the daughter of BathuEl (son of Melcha, the woman of NaHor, AbraHam’s brother) came there carrying a water jug on her shoulders... ¹⁶ This virgin was very beautiful, and she was in fact a virgin… No man ever had sexual relations with her. She went down to the well, filled her water jug, and [walked back] up.

¹⁷ Then [AbraHam’s] servant ran to meet her, and said:

‘Give me a little water to drink from your pitcher.’

¹⁸ And she said:

‘Have a drink, sir.’

So she quickly removed the pitcher [from her head] and allowed him to drink until he was finished.

¹⁹ Then she said:

‘I’ll also draw water for your camels, until they’ve all had enough to drink.’

²⁰ And she quickly emptied the water jug into the trough, and then she kept running to the well to draw, until she’d drawn enough water for all the camels.

²¹ Well, the man paid attention to this, but he didn’t say anything, because he wanted to know whether this was Yahweh’s blessing.

²² Then, after all the camels were finished drinking, he gave her [two] gold earrings (each weighing about a drachma [1/8th of an ounce / 3.5g]), and he [put] two bracelets on her hands (they weighed about the same as 10 gold coins), ²³ and he asked her:

‘Whose daughter are you? Tell me!

‘And is there room for us to lodge with your father?’

²⁴ Then she replied:

‘I’m the daughter of BathuEl, who is the son of Melcha and whose father was NaHor.’

²⁵ And she added:

‘We have straw, a lot of fodder, and a place for [you to] rest.’

²⁶ Well at that, the man (who was very happy) bowed low to Yahweh ²⁷ and said:

‘May Yahweh the God of my master AbraHam be praised, [because He] hasn’t allowed His righteousness or His truth to fail my master, since the Lord has led me right to the house of my lord’s brother!’

²⁸ Then the young maiden ran and reported what he said to the household of her mother.

²⁹ Now, RebecKa had a brother whose name was Laban; and Laban ran all the way to the well to meet the man. ³⁰ For when he saw the earrings and the bracelets on his sister’s hands, and when he heard what his sister RebecKa said about what the man had told her, he went to the man as he was standing by the well with his camels ³¹ and said to him:

‘Come on in, you who are blest by Yahweh!

‘Why are you standing outside? I’ve prepared the house and I’ve also made a place for your camels!’

³² So the man went into the house, and [Laban] unloaded the camels, gave them straw and fodder, and he drew water to wash the feet [of AbraHam’s servant] as well as the feet of the men who were with him; ³³ then he set loaves of bread before them to eat.

However, [AbraHam’s servant] said:

‘I’m not going to eat until I’ve told you the reason why I came here.’

And [Laban] said:

‘Then go ahead and speak.’

³⁴ So he said:

‘I’m a servant of AbraHam, ³⁵ and Yahweh has greatly blest my master.

‘He’s highly respected and has been given sheep, cattle, silver, gold, male and female servants, camels, and burros... ³⁶ And SarAh, my master’s wife, bore one son to my master after he’d grown old, to whom he’s given everything that he owns.

³⁷ ‘Now, my master made me swear [an oath], saying:

‘You must not take a woman for my son from among the daughters of the CanaAnites… These [people] I’m living among. ³⁸ But you should go to the house of my father and to my tribe, and take a woman for my son from there!’

³⁹ ‘Then I asked my master:

‘What if the woman is unhappy about coming along?’

⁴⁰ ‘And he replied:

‘Yahweh God, who’s found me to be acceptable in His presence, will send His messenger along with you, and your journey will be blest.

‘You should take a woman for my son from among my tribe and from the house of my father. ⁴¹ Then you’ll be free from the curse [of your oath]... And if they won’t give her to you when you get to my tribe, you’ll be freed from your oath.

⁴² ‘So today I came to this well, and I [prayed]:

‘O Yahweh, the God of my master AbraHam; If you’ll bless this journey that I’m now on, ⁴³ {Look!} I’ll stand by this well where the daughters of the people of this city come to draw water. And whichever young woman to whom I’ll say:

‘Give me a little water to drink out of your pitcher...’

⁴⁴ ‘...and she replies:

‘Take a drink, and I’ll also [pour water] for your camels to drink until they’re satisfied...’

‘...this is the woman whom Yahweh has prepared for His servant IsaAc, and that’s how I’ll know that You’ve been merciful to my master, AbraHam.

⁴⁵ ‘Well, before I had even finished speaking in my mind, RebecKa arrived with her pitcher on her shoulders. And [after] she went down to the well and drew water, I said to her:

‘Give me a drink.’

⁴⁶ ‘Then she quickly took the pitcher from her head, and said:

‘Take a drink, and I’ll also give your camels [something to] drink.’

‘So I drank, and then she watered the camels!

⁴⁷ ‘Then I asked her:

‘Whose daughter are you… Tell me!’

‘And she replied:

‘I’m the daughter of BathuEl, son of Melcha, and whose father was NaHor.’

‘And that’s when I gave her the earrings and put the bracelets on her hands.

⁴⁸ ‘Well, all of this made me so happy that I bowed low and praised Yahweh, the God of my master AbraHam, who has truly blest me in such a way that I might take the daughter of my master’s own brother for his son.

⁴⁹ ‘Now, tell me whether you’ll be merciful and just with my lord, so I can know which way to turn.’

⁵⁰ And at this, Laban and BathuEl answered, saying:

‘Since this thing has come from Yahweh, we can’t answer you in either a bad way or a good way!

⁵¹ ‘Look! There is RebecKa standing before you… Take her and go! Let her be the wife of your master’s son, just as Yahweh has said.’

⁵² And when AbraHam’s servant heard these words, he bowed to the ground to Yahweh. ⁵³ Then he brought out silver and gold jewelry, as well as clothing, and gave it to RebecKa. He also gave gifts to her brother and to her mother. ⁵⁴ And afterward, both he and the men who were with him ate and drank; then they went to sleep.

Well, when he got up in the morning, he said to them:

‘Now allow me to leave, so I can return to my master.’

⁵⁵ And her brothers and mother said:

‘Let the virgin stay here with us for 10 more days, and then she can go.’

⁵⁶ But he replied to them:

‘Don’t hold me back, because Yahweh has blest my journey. Send me away now, so I can return to my master!’

⁵⁷ And they said:

‘Let’s call the girl and ask [her what she wants to do].’

⁵⁸ So they called RebecKa and asked:

‘Will you go with this man?’

And she replied:

‘I’ll go.’

⁵⁹ So they [agreed to] send their sister RebecKa and all her possessions along with AbraHam’s servant and his attendants. ⁶⁰ Then they [gave] RebecKa a blessing, saying to her:

‘You are our sister; now become ten thousands of thousands, and may your offspring own the cities of their enemies.’

⁶¹ Thereafter, RebecKa and her female attendants mounted the camels and went along with the man. And the servant, once having received RebecKa, departed.⁶² Meanwhile, IsaAc had traveled through the desert towards the Well of the Vision, and he took up living in the southern portion of that land. ⁶³ It was towards evening that IsaAc had gone out into the plains to think (because he was discouraged). And when he looked up, he saw camels coming.

⁶⁴ It was then that RebecKa looked up and saw IsaAc. So she quickly dismounted the camel ⁶⁵ and asked the servant:

‘Who is the man who is walking across the plains to meet us?’

And the servant said:

‘This is my master.’

So she took her veil and covered herself.

⁶⁶ Thereafter, the servant told IsaAc everything that he’d done. ⁶⁷ And IsaAc went to the house of his mother and took RebecKa, so she became his wife… And he loved her… And IsaAc was given comfort for [the death of] his mother, SarAh.

Genesis 25

←24 | All books | All chapters | 26→

¹ Well, after that, AbraHam took a wife again, whose name was KetTura. ² She bore to him:

• ZomBran,

• JeZan,

• Madal,

• MidiAn,

• JesBoc, and

• SoYe.

³ JeZan fathered:

• Saba, and

• DeDan.

The sons of DeDan were the AsShurites, the Latusians, and the Laomim.

⁴ The sons of MidiAn were:

• Gephar,

• Aphir,

• Enoch,

• Abida, and

• ElDaAh.

These were all the sons of KetTura.

⁵ However, AbraHam had given all of his possessions to his son IsaAc. ⁶ He just gave gifts to the sons of his concubines, then he sent them away from his son IsaAc, to a country in the east.

⁷ AbraHam lived to be 175 years old. ⁸ But AbraHam [eventually found himself in] failing health and he died at a ripe old age… An old man who’d lived a full life; and he was [buried] with his family.

⁹ His sons, IsaAc and IshMaEl buried him in the double cave that was in the field of EphRon (son of SaAr the Kettite), which is across from MamRe. ¹⁰ So AbraHam and his wife SarAh [were both buried] in that field, inside the cave that AbraHam bought from the sons of Ket.¹¹ Well, after AbraHam died, God blest his son IsaAc. And IsaAc went to live by the Well of the Vision.

¹² These are the generations of IshMaEl, son of AbraHam, whom Hagar (SarAh’s Egyptian handmaid) had born to AbraHam, ¹³ and these are the names of IshMaEl’s sons by each of their generations:

• NabaiOth (the firstborn of IshMaEl), then

• Kedar,

• NabDeEl,

• MasSam,

• ¹⁴ MasMa,

• Duma,

• MasSe,

• ¹⁵ ChodDan,

• ThaEman,

• Jetur,

• Naphes, and

• Kedma.

¹⁶ Those are all IshMaEl’s sons, whose names are on their tents and dwellings… 12 princes of their nations. ¹⁷ And this is how long IshMaEl lived: 137 years. Thereafter, [his health started to] fail and he died and was [buried with] his family.

¹⁸ [IshMaEl] and all his descendants lived [in the area] from Evilat [in the northeast] to Sur [in the southwest], and from Assyria to just across from Egypt.

¹⁹ And these are the generations of IsaAc, son of AbraHam:

²⁰ AbraHam fathered IsaAc. And when IsaAc was 40 years old, he took RebecKa (the daughter of BathuEl, the Syrian of Syrian MesoPotamia, the sister of Laban the Syrian) as his wife.

²¹ Then IsaAc prayed to Yahweh about his wife RebecKa, because she was sterile, and Yahweh heard him... So his wife (RebecKa) got pregnant.

²² And [one day], the babies that were inside her jumped. And she asked:

‘Why did this happen to me?’

So she went to ask Yahweh, ²³ and He told her:

‘There are two nations in your womb, and two races will be separated from your belly. One race will become greater than the other, and the older one will serve the younger.’

²⁴ Well, when it came time for her to deliver, she [found that] she indeed had twins in her womb!

²⁵ The first came out red and covered with hair all over his skin; and she named him Esau.

²⁶ Then his brother was born while holding onto the heel of Esau with his hand, so she named him Jacob [meaning, ‘Snatcher of the Heel’].

IsaAc was 60 years old when RebecKa bore them.²⁷ Well, after the boys grew up, Esau became a skilled hunter who lived in the country, while Jacob was a simple man who lived in a house. ²⁸ And although IsaAc loved Esau (because he enjoyed venison), RebecKa loved Jacob.

²⁹ Then [one day], while Jacob was cooking up some stew, Esau came in from the plains tired and weak, ³⁰ he said to Jacob:

‘Let me have a taste of that red stew, because I’m weak.’

(That’s when he started to be called Edom [or Red]).

³¹ And Jacob replied to Esau:

‘Then, sell me your right [as firstborn]… Right now!’

³² So Esau said:

‘Look, I’m about to die! What good does this right [of the firstborn] mean to me?’

³³ And Jacob said to him:

‘Swear to me right now!’

So then he swore to him, and that’s when Esau sold his birthright to Jacob.

³⁴ Thereafter, Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew, which he ate and then he drank, and he got up and left. This is how [little regard] Esau [had] his birthright.

Genesis 26

←25 | All books | All chapters | 27→

¹ Thereafter, a famine came upon the land that was greater than past famines that had happened in the time of AbraHam. So IsaAc went to GeraRa to see AbiMelech, the king of the Philistines.

² And there the Lord appeared to him and said:

‘Don’t go to Egypt! Rather, live in the land that I’m going to tell you about. ³ Stay in this land and I’ll be with you and bless you!

‘I’m going to give all of this land to you and to your offspring, for now I’ll fulfill the oath that I swore to your father AbraHam.

⁴ ‘I will increase your offspring as the stars in the skies, I’ll give all of this land to your offspring, and all the nations of the earth will be blest by your offspring, ⁵ because AbraHam (your father) listened to My voice and did as I said… He obeyed My commandments, rules, and laws.’

⁶ So thereafter, IsaAc started living there in GeraRa.

⁷ Well, when the men in GeraRa asked him about RebecKa (his wife), he told them that she was his sister, because he was afraid to tell them that she was his wife, as she was very pretty and [he feared that] the men there would kill him for RebecKa.

⁸ Then, after he’d lived there a long time, AbiMelech (the king of GeraRa) happened to lean over to look out his window, and he saw IsaAc playing with RebecKa, his wife.

⁹ So AbiMelech called IsaAc and asked him:

‘Is she your wife? [And if so, then] why did you say she’s your sister?’

And IsaAc replied:

‘Well, I said this so that I wouldn’t be killed for her.’

¹⁰ And AbiMelech said:

‘Why would you do such a thing to us?

‘Before long, one of my relatives would have had [sex] with your wife, and you would have brought a sin upon us in our ignorance!’

¹¹ So, AbiMelech gave a command to all his people, that said:

‘Any man who touches this man or his wife will die!’

¹² Then IsaAc planted grain in the land; and that year, the barley produced 100 times [more than what he’d planted], for Yahweh was blessing him. ¹³ So he became highly regarded and very wealthy, as he continued to prosper. ¹⁴ For he owned many sheep, cattle, and tillable lands. But as a result, the Philistines [started to] envy him, ¹⁵ and [they] stopped up all the wells that his father’s servants had dug back in his time, filling them in with dirt.

¹⁶ Then AbiMelech told IsaAc:

‘[I want you to] leave us, because you’ve become much greater than us.’

¹⁷ So IsaAc left there, stopping to rest in the valley of GeraRa, where [he decided to] live.

¹⁸ And once more, IsaAc dug the [same type of] wells that his father’s servants had dug (which the Philistines had stopped up after AbraHam’s death). And he gave them each names, using the same names as his father had used.

¹⁹ Then when IsaAc’s servants dug in the valley of GeraRa, they found a live well of water. ²⁰ However, the shepherds of GeraRa argued with IsaAc’s shepherds, claiming that the water was theirs. So they named the well Injury, because [they claimed] injury over this matter.

²¹ As a result, he left that place and dug another well. [But then the people] started claiming [that it was theirs also]. So he named it Hatred. ²² And he left that place and dug another well, which no one else claimed to be theirs; so he named it Expanse, saying:

‘Yahweh has made space for us and He’s prospered us in the land.’

²³ Then he traveled to the Well of the Promise, ²⁴ where the Lord appeared to him that evening and said:

‘I am the God of your father AbraHam!

‘Don’t be afraid, for I am with you! Because of your father AbraHam, I’ll bless you and your offspring will increase.’

²⁵ So he built an altar there, and he named it Yahweh.

Then he set up camp, and IsaAc’s servants dug another well there in the valley of GeraRa.²⁶ However, later, AbiMelech came to him from [the City of] GeraRa with his trusted friend OchoZath and with Phichol, the commander of his army.

²⁷ And IsaAc asked them:

‘Why have you come to me here, now that you’ve shown your hatred for me and driven me away?’

²⁸ And they replied:

‘We’ve seen that the Lord is surely with you. So we said:

‘Let us swear an oath between him and us.’

‘Yes, we want to make an agreement with you, ²⁹ that you won’t do any wrong to us, and we won’t show any more hatred towards you. After all, isn’t it because we treated you well by sending you away peacefully that you’re now being blest by Yahweh?’

³⁰ So, [IsaAc] prepared a feast for them, and they all ate and drank. ³¹ And when they got up the next morning, they each swore [an oath] to their neighbors. Then IsaAc sent them away, and they left him in safety.

³² However, that very same day, IsaAc’s servants came and [gave him news about] the well that they were digging. They said:

‘We’ve found water!’

³³ So he named it and the city, ‘The Oath.’ This is why that city is called ‘The Well of the Promise‘ [BeerSheba] to this day.

³⁴ Then when Esau was 40 years old, he took Judith, the daughter of BeOch the Kettite, and BaseMath (the daughter of Helon the Kettite) [as wives]. ³⁵ And [these women] made life very difficult for IsaAc and RebecKa.

Genesis 27

←26 | All books | All chapters | 28→

¹ Well, after IsaAc grew old, his eyes became so dim that he couldn’t see. Then he called Esau, his eldest son, and said to him:

‘Son!’

And [Esau] replied:

‘Look, here I am!’

² And [IsaAc] said:

‘{Look!} I’m old and I don’t know [how much longer I will live]. ³ So, go get your weapons, both your bow and your quiver, and go into the plains to get me some venison. ⁴ Then prepare the meat for me just the way I like it and bring it to me, so I can eat it.

‘Thereafter, I’ll pass my blessing upon your life before I die.’

⁵ However, RebecKa overheard IsaAc speaking to his son Esau. And after Esau had gone out to the plains to get some venison for his father, ⁶ RebecKa said to her younger son Jacob:

‘{Look!} I overheard your father speaking to your brother Esau. And he told him ⁷ to bring him some venison and prepare the meat so he could eat it; then he would bless him in front of Yahweh, before he dies.

⁸ ‘Now, listen my son and do what I tell you!

⁹ ‘Go out to the animals and bring two young goats to me ([make sure they’re] tender and good), and I’ll prepare the meat for your father just the way he likes it... ¹⁰ Then you must take it to your father, so he can eat it and bless you before he dies.’

¹¹ But Jacob said to his mother RebecKa:

‘My brother Esau is covered with hair, while [my body] is smooth. ¹² So if my father should [reach out] and feel me, it will look like I’m doing a bad thing to him, and that would bring a curse on me, not a blessing!’

¹³ However, his mother said to him:

‘May I receive your curses, my son. Just listen to what I’ve told you to do and bring [the young goats] to me.’

¹⁴ So he went out and brought them to his mother, and his mother prepared the meat just the way his father liked it. ¹⁵ Then RebecKa took some of her eldest son Esau’s finest clothes that she had there in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob, ¹⁶ and she also covered his arms and the bare parts of his neck with the skins of the young goats.

¹⁷ Thereafter, she put the meat and the bread that she’d prepared into the hands of Jacob, ¹⁸ and he brought it in to his father.

He said:

‘Father.’

And [IsaAc] replied:

‘Look, it’s me! Who are you, son?’

¹⁹ And Jacob said to his father:

‘It’s me, Esau your first-born!

‘I’ve done what you told me to do; so, sit up and eat my venison… Then you can pass your blessings on my life.’

²⁰ But IsaAc asked his son:

‘How did you find [the meat] so quickly?’

And he replied:

‘Yahweh your God set it before me.’

²¹ Then IsaAc told Jacob:

‘Come close to me so I can feel you, [to see] whether you’re truly my son Esau!’

²² And Jacob drew close to his father, so IsaAc could feel him, and he said:

‘Your voice is that of Jacob, but your hands are the hands of Esau.’

²³ Therefore, he didn’t recognize him, because his hands were hairy like the hands of his brother Esau… And this is how [IsaAc] came to bless [Jacob].

²⁴ Well after that, [IsaAc] again asked:

‘Are you my son Esau?’

And [Jacob] replied:

‘It’s me.’

²⁵ So he said:

‘Then, bring your venison over here and I’ll eat it, son, and I’ll pass my blessings on to your life.’

So he brought [the food] to him and he ate it, along with some wine, which he drank.

²⁶ Thereafter, IsaAc (his father) said to him:

‘Come close and kiss me, son.’

²⁷ So [Jacob] went over and kissed him; and [IsaAc] then sniffed the odor of his clothes and blest him, saying:

‘{Look!} This is the odor of my son. It has the smell of a wonderful field that has been blest by Yahweh... ²⁸ So may God give you the dew of the skies, the fatness of the land, and plenty of grain and wine.

²⁹ ‘May the gentiles serve you, and may their princes bow low before you. May you be the lord of your brother, and may your father’s [other] sons show you respect.

‘May anyone who curses you be cursed, and may all that praise you be blest.’

³⁰ Well, right after IsaAc had blest his son Jacob (immediately after Jacob had left the presence of IsaAc his father), his brother Esau returned from his hunt. ³¹ He’d also prepared some meat and brought it in to his father, and he said:

‘Get up father! Sit up and eat some of your son’s venison, so you can pass your blessings on my life.’

³² But his father IsaAc asked:

‘Who are you?’

And he said:

‘I’m your first-born son, Esau!’

³³ Well, IsaAc was shocked, and asked:

‘Then, who was it that [just] got the venison and brought it to me? I ate it all before you got here, and I blest him… So he’s the one who’ll be blest!’

³⁴ And when Esau heard what his father IsaAc said, he shouted loudly and bitterly:

‘I beg you, father! Bless me too!’

³⁵ And [IsaAc] told him:

‘Your brother slyly took your blessing.’

³⁶ Then [Esau] said:

‘He is well-named Jacob, because {Look!} this is the second time that has he’s taken what was mine! First he took my right as the firstborn, and now he’s taken my blessing!’

And again, Esau asked his father:

‘Don’t you have a blessing left for me, father?’

³⁷ Then IsaAc said to Esau:

‘I’ve already made him your lord and all of your brothers his servants. I’ve also empowered him with the wine and grain… So what more can I give you, my son?’

³⁸ But Esau asked his father:

‘Don’t you have just one blessing father? I beg you father, bless me too!’

Well, this really bothered IsaAc, because Esau was shouting and crying. ³⁹ So (his father) IsaAc answered and said:

‘Look; your home will be in the fatness of the ground and in the dew of the skies up above... ⁴⁰ You’ll indeed live by your sword and you’ll serve your brother. However, the time will come when you’ll loosen and break his yoke from your neck.’

⁴¹ Well, Esau was very angry with Jacob over the blessing that his father had given to him. So Esau thought about it and then he said:

‘May the days of mourning my father come quickly, so I can kill my brother Jacob!’

⁴² Then when these words of Esau (her eldest son) were reported to RebecKa, she sent for her younger son Jacob, and said to him:

‘{Look!} Your brother Esau has threatened to kill you!

⁴³ ‘So now, listen to me, my son: Get up and quickly leave for MesoPotamia… Go to my brother Laban in Haran ⁴⁴ and live with him until all of your brother’s anger ⁴⁵ and rage against you has passed and he forgets what you’ve done to him... Then I’ll send for you and bring you back. For I don’t want to be saddened over [the death] of both you [and your father] on the same day!’

⁴⁶ Then [later], RebecKa said [to IsaAc]:

‘I’m so tired of my life because of the daughters of the sons of Chet. And if Jacob were [also] to take a wife from the daughters of this land, where would I live?’

Genesis 28

←27 | All books | All chapters | 29→

¹ So IsaAc called for Jacob… He blest him and said to him:

‘You must not take a woman from among the daughters of the CanaAnites. ² Rather, get up quickly and travel to MesoPotamia, to the house of my father-in-law BathuEl, and find yourself a woman among the daughters of your mother’s brother Laban.

³ ‘May my God bless you, prosper you, and make you increase; for you’ll indeed become a gathering of nations. ⁴ May He give the blessings of my father AbraHam to you and to your offspring that comes after you, so that you’ll inherit this land in which you’re living and which God had given to AbraHam.’

⁵ So thereafter, IsaAc sent Jacob away, and he went to [stay with] Laban, son of BathuEl the Syrian, who was the brother of RebecKa (the mother of Jacob and Esau) in MesoPotamia.

⁶ Now, Esau knew that IsaAc had blest Jacob and that after he blest him, he’d sent him away to find a wife in Syrian MesoPotamia. [And he also knew that he told Jacob] not to take a woman from the daughters of the CanaAnites… ⁷ And that Jacob had obeyed his father and mother by going off to Syrian MesoPotamia. ⁸ For Esau recognized that his father IsaAc viewed the daughters of the CanaAnites as evil.

⁹ As a result, he went to see IshMaEl (son of AbraHam) and he took MaEleth (IshMaEl’s daughter and NabeOth’s sister) to be another one of his wives.

¹⁰ Meanwhile, Jacob had left the Well of the Promise and traveled to Haran. ¹¹ And when he reached a certain place, he decided to sleep there, since the sun had gone down... So he chose a stone and placed it under his head, then he went to sleep in that place ¹² and he started to dream.

Well, {Look!} [in the dream] there was a stairway fastened to the ground that reached all the way into the heavens… And the messengers of God were ascending and descending upon it!

¹³ Then [he saw] Yahweh standing at the top of it, who said this to him:

‘I am the God of your father AbraHam and the God of IsaAc.

‘Don’t be afraid, for I’ll give the land where you’re now lying to you and to your offspring. ¹⁴ For your offspring will become as many as the sands of the earth… They’ll spread from the sea to the north, south, and the east. And through you and your offspring all the tribes of the earth will be blest.

¹⁵ ‘Look; I am with you! [I’ll] always keep you safe no matter where you may go… And then i will return you to this land. I will never leave you until I’ve done everything that I said I’ll do for you.’

¹⁶ And when Jacob awoke from his sleep, he said:

‘Yahweh is here and I didn’t realize it.’

¹⁷ Well, this frightened him, and he said:

‘What a fearful place! For this is nothing other than the House of God and the Gate to Heaven!’

¹⁸ So after Jacob got up in the morning, he took the stone on which he’d laid his head and erected it as a pillar. Then he anointed it with oil, ¹⁹ and he named that place, The House of God (BethEl). (Before that, the city had been called UlamLuz.)

²⁰ There Jacob made a vow to Yahweh, saying:

‘If You’ll be with me and guard me throughout this journey, giving me enough bread to eat and clothes to wear, ²¹ and then You bring me back safely to the house of my father; you will be my God.

²² ‘Also, this stone that I’ve erected as a pillar will be a House of God to me, and I’ll return 1/10th of everything that You give to me.’

Genesis 29

←28 | All books | All chapters | 30→

¹ So thereafter, Jacob [resumed his journey] eastward towards the land of Laban… To the son of BathuEl the Syrian and the brother of RebecKa (the mother of Jacob and Esau).

² {Look!} [Jacob] then spied a well in the plains where there were three flocks of sheep resting. It was a well that they used to water the flocks, and there was a large stone covering it.

³ You see, after all the flocks had gathered there, they used to roll the stone away from the mouth of the well to provide water for the [animals], then they’d push it back over the mouth of the well to cover it again.

⁴ So Jacob asked [those nearby]:

‘Brothers, where are you from?’

And they replied:

‘We’re from Haran.’

⁵ Then he asked:

‘Do you know Laban, son of NaHor?’

And they answered:

‘We do!’

⁶ And he asked:

‘Is he doing well?’

Then they replied:

‘He’s well. Look, here comes his daughter RachEl with his sheep!’

⁷ And Jacob said:

‘It’s still mid-day… It isn’t time for the flocks to be gathered yet. So, why don’t you just water the flocks, then take them back out to graze?’

⁸ But they said:

‘We can’t do that until all the shepherds arrive. They’ll roll away the stone from the mouth of the well and then we’ll all water our flocks.’

⁹ Well, while he was still speaking to them, {Look!} Laban’s daughter RachEl arrived with her father’s sheep, because she was in charge of grazing them. ¹⁰ And when Jacob saw RachEl (the daughter of Laban, his mother’s brother) and the sheep of his mother’s brother Laban, Jacob went over and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered Laban’s sheep.

¹¹ Thereafter, Jacob kissed RachEl and shouted loudly, as he [started to] cry… ¹² For he explained to RachEl that he was a close relative of her father, and that he was RebecKa’s son.

So she ran and told her father what he said. ¹³ And when Laban heard the name of Jacob (his sister’s son), he ran to meet him… He hugged and kissed him, then he led him into his house.

Then after [Jacob] explained to Laban [all that had happened to him], ¹⁴ Laban said to him:

‘You are my own flesh and bones!’

Well, after [Jacob] had stayed with [Laban] for a full month, ¹⁵ Laban said to Jacob:

‘Surely you aren’t going to serve me for nothing, for you’re my brother! Tell me how I can reward you!’

¹⁶ Well, Laban had two daughters. The name of the eldest was called LeAh, and the younger was called RachEl. ¹⁷ Although LeAh had weak eyes, RachEl was beautiful and had a very pretty face.

¹⁸ And because Jacob loved RachEl, he replied:

‘I will serve you 7 years for your younger daughter, RachEl.’

¹⁹ So Laban said to him:

‘It’s better for me to give her to you than to some other man. Come and live with me!’

²⁰ Well, Jacob served [Laban] 7 years for RachEl, but to him it seemed like just a few days, because he loved her so much.

²¹ Then Jacob told Laban:

‘Now, give me my wife, because I’ve served my time.’

²² So Laban assembled all the people and prepared a wedding banquet. ²³ Then that evening, he took his daughter LeAh and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob [had sex] with her. ²⁴ Laban also gave his servant ZelPha to his daughter LeAh, to be her handmaid.

²⁵ Well, it was [the next] morning before [Jacob realized] that it was LeAh. So Jacob [went to] Laban and asked:

‘What have you done to me?

‘Didn’t I serve you for RachEl? Why have you deceived me?’

²⁶ And Laban answered:

‘In our country, it isn’t proper to give the younger before the eldest. ²⁷ Serve me for 7 [more years] and I’ll give her to you also, in return for your labor of 7 more years.’

²⁸ So, that’s what Jacob did… He served for 7 [more years].

Then Laban also gave his daughter RachEl to be his wife. ²⁹ And Laban gave his servant BalLa to be his daughter’s handmaid.

³⁰ Thereafter, [Jacob had sex with] RachEl, and he loved RachEl more than LeAh… And this is why [he had been willing] to serve him for 7 more years.

³¹ Well, when Yahweh God saw that [Jacob] wasn’t attracted to LeAh, He opened her womb, while RachEl remained barren. ³² So LeAh got pregnant and bore a son to Jacob, whom she named ReuBen [meaning, ‘See, a Son!’].

For she said:

‘Yahweh has seen my humiliation and given me a son, so that now my husband will love me.’

³³ Then she got pregnant again and bore a second son to Jacob.

[This time] she said:

‘Because Yahweh has heard that I’m hated, He’s also given me this one.’

So she named him SimeOn [meaning, ‘He Has Heard’].

³⁴ Then she got pregnant a third time and bore a son, and said:

‘Now my husband will stay with me, because I’ve born three sons to him.’

So she named him Levi [meaning, ‘He Is Mine’].

³⁵ Thereafter, she got pregnant again and bore a [fourth] son. And she said:

‘I give thanks to Yahweh once more.’

So she named him Judah [meaning, ‘Praised’]. And after that, she stopped having children.

Genesis 30

←29 | All books | All chapters | 31→

¹ Well, when RachEl realized that she wasn’t bearing children for Jacob, she became jealous of her sister, and she said to Jacob:

‘Give me children… For if you don’t, I’ll die!’

² This made Jacob very angry with RachEl, so he asked:

‘Am I in the position of God, who’s deprived you of the fruit of your womb?’

³ Then RachEl told Jacob:

‘Look, here’s my handmaid BalLa... [Sleep] with her, and she will give birth [to children] on my knees…

‘I’ll have children by her.’

⁴ So she gave him BalLa her handmaid to be his woman, and Jacob went in [and slept with] her. ⁵ As a result, BalLa (RachEl’s handmaid) got pregnant and bore a son to Jacob.

⁶ Then RachEl said:

‘God has given me justice and listened to my voice, for He’s given me a son.’

So she named him Dan [meaning, ‘Justice’].

⁷ Thereafter, BalLa (RachEl’s handmaid) got pregnant again and bore a second son to Jacob. ⁸ And RachEl said:

‘God has helped me… I fought with my sister and won.’

So she named him NaphTali [meaning, ‘Struggle’].

⁹ Well when LeAh saw that she was no longer bearing children, she took ZelPha her handmaid and gave her to Jacob as his woman, and he went in to [sleep with] her. ¹⁰ So ZelPha, LeAh’s handmaid, got pregnant and bore Jacob a son.

¹¹ And LeAh said:

‘[Now I’m] happy!’

So she named him Gad [meaning, ‘Happiness’].

¹² Then ZelPha, LeAh’s handmaid, got pregnant again and bore Jacob a second son.

¹³ This time LeAh said:

‘I am blest, because the women will call me blest.’

So she named him Asher [meaning, ‘Blessings’].

¹⁴ Well, when it came time to harvest the barley, ReuBen went out to the field and found some mandrake apples [growing] there, and he brought them to his mother LeAh.

Then RachEl said to her sister:

‘Give me some of your son’s mandrakes!’

¹⁵ And LeAh replied:

‘Isn’t it enough that you’ve taken my husband… Would you also take my son’s mandrakes?’

And RachEl said:

‘[I’ll] allow you to [sleep] with [Jacob] tonight [in exchange] for your son’s mandrakes.’

¹⁶ So that evening, when Jacob came in from the field, LeAh went out to meet him and said:

‘You’ll [sleep] with me tonight, because I’ve hired you for my son’s mandrakes.’

So he slept with her that night, ¹⁷ and God listened to LeAh, so she got pregnant and bore a 5th son to Jacob.

¹⁸ And LeAh said:

‘God has rewarded me for giving my handmaid to my man.’

So she named him IshSachar [meaning, ‘Reward’].

¹⁹ Then LeAh got pregnant again and bore a 6th son to Jacob.

²⁰ And LeAh said:

‘God has given me a fine gift this time. For my man will choose me, since I’ve given him 6 sons.’

So she named him ZebuLon [meaning, ‘Gift’].

²¹ And after that, she gave birth to a daughter whom she named DinAh [meaning, ‘Justified’].

²² Then The God remembered RachEl… He heard her and opened her womb, ²³ so she got pregnant and bore Jacob a son.

And RachEl said:

‘Yahweh has removed my disgrace.’

²⁴ So she named him JoSeph [meaning, ‘Yahweh Will Increase’], saying:

‘May God give me another son.’

²⁵ Well, after RachEl had given birth to JoSeph, Jacob said to Laban:

‘[Allow] me to leave now, so I may return to my country and my home.

²⁶ ‘Free my women and children for whom I served you, so I can go… And don’t forget all the services that I’ve provided for you.’

²⁷ Then Laban replied:

‘If I’ve found favor in your eyes, it’s a good sign for me, because Yahweh has blest me by sending you here.

²⁸ ‘Now, tell me how much I owe you and I’ll pay it.’

²⁹ And Jacob said:

‘You know how many ways I’ve served you and how many of your cattle I’m [responsible for]… ³⁰ You didn’t have many before I came here, and now there are many! So Yahweh God has blest you since I arrived.

‘Now, help me to establish my own house.’

³¹ Then Laban asked:

‘What should I give you?’

And Jacob replied:

‘Don’t give me anything… Just do this one thing for me:

‘I will continue to watch over your flocks and tend them, ³² and as your sheep pass by each day, let me set aside the dark sheep and the speckled and spotted goats as my reward.

³³ ‘So by tomorrow, my righteousness will answer for me, because this will be my reward from you. You can steal back any goats that aren’t spotted or speckled, or any sheep that aren’t dark.’

³⁴ Well at that, Laban agreed, saying:

‘May it be as you’ve said.’

³⁵ However, that same day, [Laban craftily] separated the spotted and speckled billy goats and nanny goats, and all the dark sheep from those that were white, and he gave them to his sons. ³⁶ Then he sent [them away] on a 3-day journey, while Jacob was tending the animals that were left behind.

³⁷ However, Jacob gathered some green rods from storax, walnut, and sycamore trees, and peeled them alternately [to create the look of] white and green stripes, which gave a [spotted] appearance to the rods... ³⁸ Then he laid the rods he’d peeled at the bottom of the watering troughs, so that when the cattle came to drink, they’d see the rods and mate there in front of the rods.

³⁹ And [that’s what happened]… The cattle did get pregnant at the rods and gave birth to [young with] speckles, streaks, and ash-colored spots!

⁴⁰ Then Jacob separated the lambs, setting aside the speckled goats and lambs for himself away from Laban’s sheep.

⁴¹ Thereafter, Jacob [continued] to put the rods in the troughs before the cattle, so they’d mate in front of the rods. ⁴² And when the cattle gave birth, [he would give] the unmarked ones to Laban, but he set aside the marked ones as his. ⁴³ And [before long], he became very rich with many cattle, oxen, male and female servants, camels, and burros.

Genesis 31

←30 | All books | All chapters | 32→

¹ However, Jacob happened to overhear Laban’s sons saying:

‘Jacob has taken everything that belongs to our father and all our father’s property… All of his glory!’

² So Jacob realized that Laban [wasn’t happy to see him anymore].

³ Then the Lord said to Jacob:

‘Now, return to your family and to your father’s land, and I’ll be with you.’

⁴ So Jacob sent for LeAh and RachEl, [who were] out in the plains with the flocks, ⁵ and he said to them:

‘I know that your father is no longer [happy to see me]. However, the God of my father is still with me. ⁶ For even though I’ve served your father with all my might, ⁷ and he deceived me by changing what he owed me to [just] 10 lambs… God hasn’t allowed him to [wrong me]. ⁸ Because, if he would’ve said:

‘The speckled will be your reward...’

‘...then all the cattle would give birth to the speckled. And if he would’ve said:

‘The white ones will be your reward...’

‘...then all the cattle would’ve been born white.

⁹ ‘Therefore, it was God who’s taken all these cattle from your father and given them to me! ¹⁰ For during the time that the cattle were pregnant with their young, I fell asleep and {Look!} I dreamed that I saw billy goats and rams jumping on the nanny goats and sheep that were all speckled, striped, and spotted with ash-colored spots.

¹¹ ‘Then a messenger from God called to me in that dream, shouting:

‘Jacob!’

‘And I said,

‘What is it?’

¹² ‘And he said:

[‘Yahweh says:]

‘Look up and see the billy goats and rams jumping on the nanny goats and sheep… They are all speckled, striped, and spotted with ash-colored spots. I’ve seen all things that Laban did to you... ¹³ For I’m the God who appeared to you at BethEl where you poured oil out on a pillar to Me and [where you] swore an oath to Me.

‘So now, get up and leave this land. Return to the land of your birth, and I’ll be with you!’

¹⁴ Then RachEl and LeAh asked:

‘And what about our inheritances in the house of our father?

¹⁵ ‘Does he now consider us strangers?

‘He sold us and then he spent our money!

¹⁶ ‘Therefore, all the wealth and glory that God has taken from our father also belongs to us and to our children. So you should do whatever God has told you to do!’

¹⁷ Well at that, Jacob got up and mounted his women and children on their camels, ¹⁸ along with all the possessions and provisions he’d obtained in MesoPotamia and all [the servants and animals] that belonged to him, so he could return to his father (IsaAc) in the land of CanaAn, ¹⁹ as Laban was off shearing his sheep.

But then, RachEl also stole her father’s idols.

²⁰ Meanwhile, Jacob didn’t let Laban the Syrian know that he was running away… ²¹ He and all who were his just left, crossing the river and traveling on to Mount GileAd.

²² Well, it was three days later that Laban the Syrian was finally told that Jacob was gone... ²³ So he gathered his brothers and he chased after them, catching up with them after 7 days at Mount GileAd!

²⁴ However, God came to Laban the Syrian in his sleep that night and said to him:

‘Be very careful not to say anything bad about Jacob.’

²⁵ So when Laban caught up with Jacob (Jacob had camped on the mountain, and Laban had stationed his brothers all around the mountain), ²⁶ he asked Jacob:

‘What have you done? Why did you run away secretly, then steal from me and use swords to take my daughters as captives?

²⁷ ‘If you had just told me first, I’d have happily sent you away with singing, tambourines, and harps!

²⁸ ‘Didn’t you consider me worthy to hug my children and my daughters before you did such a foolish thing?

²⁹ ‘And now, even though I have enough power in my hands to harm you, the God of your father spoke to me yesterday and said:

‘Be very careful to never say anything bad about Jacob.’

³⁰ ‘So go on, because you really wanted to return to the house of your father.

‘However, why did you steal my gods?’

³¹ And Jacob replied to Laban:

‘[I left secretly] because I was afraid that you’d take your daughters and all my possessions away from me!’

³² And he added:

‘But whoever you find that has [stolen] your gods won’t [be allowed to] live in the presence of our family. Just look around for anything I might have that’s yours and take it back!’

[Well, Laban searched], but he couldn’t find anything (Jacob didn’t realize that his wife RachEl had stolen [the idols]). ³³ Laban went in and searched LeAh’s tent, then Jacob’s tent, and then the tent of the two female servants, and he found nothing.

Lastly, he entered RachEl’s tent. ³⁴ However, RachEl had hidden the idols among the camel’s packs and she was sitting on them. ³⁵ [And when her father asked to check her camel], she told him:

‘Don’t be impudent, sir! I can’t get up and stand before you, because it isn’t my way and it isn’t customary for women!’

Well, Laban searched throughout the [camp] and he couldn’t find the idols, ³⁶ which made Jacob very angry... So he argued with Laban and asked him:

‘What wrong have I done to you and what’s my sin that caused you to chase after me ³⁷ and then search all the furnishings in my [tents]?

‘What have you found [that] came from your home? Lay it out here between your relatives and mine, and let them decide!

³⁸ ‘I’ve been with you for 20 years, and during all that time, your sheep and nanny goats didn’t fail to give birth… And I didn’t eat any of the rams from your herds. ³⁹ All that I ever took was the wild animals that I didn’t bring to you!

‘I [even paid] for anything that was stolen during the day or night, ⁴⁰ as I was dried out with the heat of the day, [chilled] by frost in the night… And I seldom ever got much sleep!

⁴¹ ‘During those 20 years that I stayed in your house, I served you for 14 years for your two daughters. [Then I spent the next] 6 years among your sheep… Just to have you fraudulently set my wages as 10 lambs!

⁴² ‘So if it weren’t for the God of my father AbraHam and for the fact that [you’re] afraid of IsaAc’s [God], you’d have even sent me away empty-handed!

‘Yet, it was because God saw how I was humiliated and how hard I’ve worked for you, that He [scolded you] last night!’

⁴³ Then Laban replied:

‘These are my daughters and my sons… Yes, the cattle are mine, and everything that you see belongs to my daughters and me!

‘But, what should I do to them today, or to their children?

⁴⁴ ‘Come on, let’s conclude a treaty between you and me that will serve as a witness between us. And although nobody else is here, {Look!} God will serve as the witness between you and me.’

⁴⁵ So then, Jacob found a [large] stone and he erected it as a pillar. ⁴⁶ And Jacob told his family to gather some stones. So they brought stones and made a pile, then they [shared bread] on top of the pile.

And thereafter, Laban said:

‘This [pile of stones] will serve as the witnesses between you and me today.’

⁴⁷ So Laban called it ‘The [Stone] Pile of Testimony,’ while Jacob referred to it as ‘The Witness [Stone] Pile.'

⁴⁸ And Laban said to Jacob:

‘Look at this pile and pillar that I’ve erected between you and me… This Witness [Stone] Pile and this [Stone] Pile of Testimony. We’ll call them, The [Stone] Pile Witnesses.’

⁴⁹ And thereafter, [Laban] referred to this place as The Watchtower, for he said:

‘May God keep watch over you and me, because we’re about to leave each other. ⁵⁰ But if you should humble my daughters by taking other women in addition to them, you’ll see that someone who’s with us is watching… For God is the witness between you and me.’

⁵¹ Then Laban continued:

‘Look! This pile of stones and this pillar are the witnesses ⁵² that I won’t come beyond this pillar to do anything bad to you, and you won’t come [beyond this pillar] to me.

⁵³ ‘May the God of AbraHam and the God of NaHor judge between us!’

Then Jacob swore by the fear of his father IsaAc, ⁵⁴ and he offered a sacrifice on the mountain. He called his family together and they ate and drank, then they all went to sleep on the mountain.

⁵⁵ And when Laban got up in the morning, he kissed his daughters and [their] sons and blest them, and then Laban turned around and went back to his home.

Genesis 32

←31 | All books | All chapters | 33→

¹ Well, just as Jacob [was about to] continue on his journey, he looked up and he saw the camp of the army of God, and a messenger of God [coming to] meet him. ² So when Jacob saw this, he said:

‘This [place] is the campground of God!’

So he named that place MahaNahim [meaning, The Campgrounds].

³ Then Jacob sent messengers in front of him to his brother Esau in the land of SeIr and the country of the Edomites. ⁴ He told them to say to Esau:

‘Lord, this is what your servant Jacob has said:

‘I have visited with Laban and stayed there until now. ⁵ And [during this time], oxen, burros, sheep, and male and female servants were born to me.

‘Now I’ve sent [my messengers] to beg you, my lord Esau, to help your servant find favor in your eyes.’

⁶ Then when the messengers returned to Jacob, they told him:

‘We found your brother Esau, and {Look!} now he’s coming to meet you with 400 men!’

⁷ Well, Jacob was upset and terrified by this! So he divided the people who were with him, as well as the cattle, camels, and sheep, into two camps. ⁸ And Jacob said:

‘If Esau comes to one camp and attacks it, the other camp will survive.’

⁹ Then Jacob [prayed]:

‘O Yahweh, the God of my father AbraHam and the God of my father IsaAc!

‘You’re the One who told me to get up and return to the land where I was born, and that You’d treat me well. ¹⁰ So, please remember all the justice and truth that You’ve brought about through Your servant.

‘Now, with this walking stick of mine, I’ve crossed the JorDan [River] divided into two camps. ¹¹ So, please save me from the hands of my brother – from the hands of Esau – because I’m afraid of him, since [he may] enjoy coming here to strike me down with the mothers and the children.

¹² ‘[Don't forget that] you said You’d treat me well and make my offspring like the sands of the seas… So many that they can’t be counted.’

¹³ Well, after sleeping there that night, [Jacob selected] gifts to be carried to his brother Esau. ¹⁴ [He sent] 200 nanny goats, 20 billy goats, 200 sheep, 20 rams, ¹⁵ 30 milk camels and their foals, 40 cows, 10 bulls, 20 burros, and 10 colts.

¹⁶ He gave them to his servants and said to them:

‘Go ahead of me… And leave a space between each of the herds.’

¹⁷ Then he told the first group:

‘If you meet my brother Esau, and he asks:

‘Who sent you, where are you headed, and whose animals are [being herded] in front of you?’

¹⁸ ’You should say:

‘[We were sent by] your servant Jacob. He’s sending these as gifts to his lord Esau… {Look!} he’s [traveling] behind us.’

¹⁹ Then he gave the same instructions to the 2nd group and then to the 3rd… To everyone who traveled ahead of him (following the herds).

He said:

‘This is what you should tell Esau when you find him:

²⁰ ‘Look! Your servant Jacob is following behind us.’

‘For I want to impress Esau with the gifts that [are being sent] ahead of me, so I can see him face to face and hope that he will accept me.’

²¹ So the gifts were then sent out ahead of him, as he spent [part of] the night there in the camp.

²² But then, during the night, he got up and took his two wives, the two female servants, and his 11 children, and they all crossed the Jaboch River… ²³ He led them and all his possessions through that raging river.

²⁴ It was there that, while Jacob was all by himself, a ‘man’ came up and wrestled with him until the next morning... ²⁵ [And when the ‘man’] saw that he wasn’t going to win, he touched the upper part of Jacob’s thigh, which became numb as they wrestled.

²⁶ Then [the ‘man’] told [Jacob]:

‘Let me go, because the sun is coming up!’

But [Jacob] said:

‘I’m not going to let you go until you give me a blessing!’

²⁷ So [the ‘man’] asked:

‘What’s your name?’

And he answered:

‘Jacob.’

²⁸ And [the ‘man’] said to him:

‘Your name will no longer be Jacob. Rather, IsraEl will be your name... For you’ve grown stronger with God and mightier with men.’

²⁹ Then Jacob said:

‘Tell me your name.’

And he said:

‘Why do you [have to] ask my name?’

So He blest him there, ³⁰ and Jacob named that place, PeniEl [meaning, Face of God]... For he said:

‘I’ve now seen God face to face and survived.’

³¹ Well, the sun was up by the time he left PeniEl (the place where he’d been stopped by his thigh). ³² And this is why, to this very day, the children of IsraEl will never eat the part of meat that’s on the thigh… Because, that was the place on Jacob’s thigh that [God’s messenger] had numbed.

Genesis 33

←32 | All books | All chapters | 34→

¹ Well, when Jacob looked up, {Look!} he saw his brother Esau coming with 400 men! So Jacob divided the children between LeAh, RachEl, and the two female servants.

² Then he put the two female servants and their children out in front, followed by LeAh and her children, then RachEl, and [finally, himself] at the rear… ³ But then Jacob stepped out ahead of them all and bowed to the ground 7 times, as he approached his brother...

⁴ Well at that, Esau ran up to meet him! He hugged him, fell around his neck and kissed him… And they both started crying.

⁵ Then when Esau noticed the women and children, he asked:

‘What are they to you?’

And Jacob replied:

‘They’re the children with which God has so mercifully blest your servant.’

⁶ Then the female servants and their children came up and bowed low, ⁷ followed by LeAh and her children who also came up and bowed low.

And finally, RachEl [arrived] and bowed down next to JoSeph.

⁸ So [Esau] asked:

‘Then, what did all those groups that I met along the way have to do with you?’

And [Jacob] replied:

‘This was done so that your servant might find favor in your eyes, my lord.’

⁹ Then Esau said:

‘But I [already own] much, my brother. Keep what’s yours!’

¹⁰ And Jacob said:

‘If I’ve found favor in your eyes, take the gifts from my hands. For, seeing your face is like seeing the face of God! If you’re happy with me, ¹¹ take the blessings that I’ve brought to you, because God has been merciful to me, and I have everything.’

And he kept insisting, so [Esau] took them. ¹² Then he said:

‘Now, let’s head back.’

¹³ But [Jacob] said:

‘My lord,

‘You know that the children are frail, and the flocks and herds that I’ve brought also have [many] young ones. So if I drive them hard today, these cattle will die.

¹⁴ ‘Therefore, my lord, go on ahead of your servant… I’ll take it easy along the way, so [I’ll have] enough strength [to make the long journey] that’s still ahead of me, and so that the children will have enough strength.

‘Then I’ll [meet up with] my lord at SeIr.’

¹⁵ And Esau said:

‘Then, let me leave some of my men with you.’

And [Jacob] asked:

‘Why? It’s enough that I’ve found your favor, my lord!’

¹⁶ So Esau returned to SeIr that day, ¹⁷ and Jacob returned to the tents that he had set up to live in… And he also built pens for his cattle. Then he named that place, SucCoth [meaning, The Pens].

¹⁸ Finally, Jacob arrived at Salem (SheChem’s city) in the land of CanaAn, after traveling all the way from MesoPotamia of Syria. So he went to [the city gate] ¹⁹ and bought the field where he’d camped from Hamor (the father of SheChem) for 100 lambs... ²⁰ And there he erected an altar, where he called upon his (IsraEl’s) God.

Genesis 34

←33 | All books | All chapters | 35→

¹ Well, DinAh, the daughter whom LeAh had born to Jacob, went to see the daughters of the local people. ² And SheChem, son of Hamor the Tent Dweller (and the ruler of the land), noticed her. Then he humiliated her by taking her and [having sex] with her.

³ Yet, he was deeply drawn to the person of DinAh, Jacob’s daughter… He loved the girl and spoke kindly to her.

⁴ So SheChem told his father Hamor:

‘Take this girl for me to be my wife.’

⁵ Well when Jacob heard that Hamor’s son had violated his daughter DinAh, he sent for his sons who were out in the fields with his cattle... And Jacob didn’t say a word until they all got there. ⁶ Then Hamor, SheChem’s father, went over to talk to Jacob, ⁷ arriving there just as Jacob’s sons were returning from the fields.

Well, when [Jacob’s sons] heard [what had happened], they were very upset! It really hurt them, because he’d made a joke of IsraEl by [having sex] with Jacob’s daughter… It just shouldn’t have happened.

⁸ But Hamor spoke to them and said:

‘My son SheChem has decided in his heart to marry your daughter. So give her to him to be his woman… ⁹ Come and marry among us. Give us your daughters, and take our daughters for your sons… ¹⁰ Come live among us!

‘Look, there’s plenty of room for you, so live here in this land… Trade [with us] and prosper here!’

¹¹ Then SheChem said to [DinAh’s] father and brothers:

‘I’ll do whatever I must to find your favor, and we’ll give you whatever you ask. ¹² Raise the bride price several times and I’ll pay whatever you say. Just give me this girl to be my woman!’

¹³ However, Jacob’s sons answered SheChem and his father Hamor cunningly, because he’d violated their sister DinAh. ¹⁴ DinAh’s brothers (SimeOn and Levi) said to them:

‘We won’t be able to give our sister to someone who isn’t circumcised, because that would dishonor us.

¹⁵ ‘The only way we can do what you say and live among you, is if you’ll become as we are… All your males must be circumcised. ¹⁶ Then we’ll give our daughters to you and take your daughters as our women and live with you as one race.

¹⁷ ‘But if you refuse to listen and won’t get circumcised, we’ll just take our [sister] and leave.’

¹⁸ Well, what they said was agreeable to Hamor and his son SheChem. ¹⁹ And the young man didn’t delay when it came to doing this thing, because he was really attached to Jacob’s daughter.

He was indeed the most honorable person in his father’s house.

²⁰ So then, Hamor and his son SheChem walked out to the city gate and they said to the men who were there:

²¹ ‘These are peaceable people, so let them live with us here in our land and trade in it.

‘Look! There’s a lot of land before them... So, we’ll take their daughters to be our women, and we’ll give them our daughters. ²² The only thing that they require to live among us as one people, is that all our males must be circumcised, just as they are circumcised. ²³ And then, won’t their cattle, their herds, and their possessions be ours?

‘So, let’s do what they say and then they will live among us!’

²⁴ Well, everyone who was there at the city gate listened to Hamor and his son SheChem, and thereafter, the foreskins of all the males were circumcised.

²⁵ But on the 3rd day, while they were all aching in pain, Jacob’s two sons (DinAh’s brothers, SimeOn and Levi) each took their swords and crept into the city, then they killed every male… ²⁶ They killed Hamor and his son SheChem with their swords, and then they took DinAh from SheChem’s house and left.

²⁷ Thereafter, when Jacob’s [other] sons came upon those who were wounded, they ravaged the city where DinAh (their sister) had been violated… ²⁸ They took all the sheep, oxen, burros, and everything in the city, as well as everything that was in their fields.

²⁹ Then they took all the people as captives (all their provisions and all their women) and they looted whatever was left in their city and in their homes!

³⁰ Well afterward, Jacob said to SimeOn and Levi:

‘You’ve made me an evil and hated [person] among the people who live in this land… All the CanaAnites and the Pherezites!

‘And now, since there are only a few of us, they’ll band against me and cut me to pieces, destroying both me and my house!’

³¹ And they replied:

‘Not so! Would [you rather] have them treat our sister as a whore?’

Genesis 35

←34 | All books | All chapters | 36→

¹ Then The God told Jacob:

‘You must get up and go to the place [you named] BethEl, and live there. And then you must build an altar to the God who appeared to you there when you were running from your brother Esau.’

² So Jacob told his family and everyone who lived with him:

‘You must get rid of any strange gods that you may have, then wash yourselves, change your clothes, ³ and get ready, because we’re going up to BethEl, where we’ll build an altar to the God who listened to me, was with me, and kept me safe through my journeys and trials.’

⁴ So they gave Jacob all the strange gods that they owned and the earrings in their ears, and Jacob buried [these things] under a turpentine tree at SheChem, where they’ve remained destroyed down to this day.

⁵ Then IsraEl left SheChem, and because the cities around them had the fear of The God in them, they didn’t chase after the children of IsraEl.⁶ Well, Jacob and all the people who were with him finally arrived at Luza in the land of CanaAn, which [he’d earlier named] BethEl... ⁷ For it was there that he’d built an altar and called it ‘the House of God,’ since that’s the place where God appeared to him as he was running from his brother Esau.

⁸ Well thereafter, RebecKa’s nurse DeborAh died, and she was buried under an oak tree in BethEl that Jacob then named, AlLon-BaCuth [meaning, Oak Tree of Mourning].

⁹ It was at Luza that God appeared to Jacob again as he was on his way back from MesoPotamia of Syria, and that’s when God blest him ¹⁰ and told him:

‘You’ll no longer be called Jacob... Your name will be IsraEl.’

So that’s when [God] first referred to him as IsraEl.

¹¹ Then The God said to him:

‘I am your God, so prosper and grow… Nations and groups of nations will descend from you, and kings will come from your loins. ¹² I’m now giving this land that I gave to AbraHam and IsaAc to you, as well as to the offspring that descends from you.’

¹³ Then The God left him there in that place where He spoke to him. ¹⁴ And Jacob erected a [stone] pillar [to honor] the place where he’d been spoken to by God, pouring a drink offering and oil upon it.

¹⁵ And that’s when Jacob actually named this place where God spoke to him, BethEl [meaning, House of God].¹⁶ [Well, after DeborAh died], Jacob left BethEl and camped beyond the tower of Gader. And as they were getting close to ChabRatha, on their way to EphRatha, RachEl had birth pains and then she went into hard labor. ¹⁷ It was while she was in hard labor that the midwife told her:

‘Don’t worry, you’re going to have this son!’

¹⁸ Then, as she was giving up her life (she was dying), she named him BenOni [meaning, Son of My Pain]. However, his father named him BenJamin [meaning, Son of My Right Hand].

¹⁹ So RachEl died there and was buried along the road to EphRatha (BethLehem), ²⁰ and Jacob erected a pillar over her tomb, [which is referred to as] The Pillar of RachEl’s Tomb to this day.

²¹ It was while IsraEl was living in this land that ReuBen went and [had sex] with BalLa, Jacob’s (his father’s) concubine. And when IsraEl heard about this, it really upset him.²² Now, there were 12 sons of Jacob.

²³ LeAh’s sons were:

• ReuBen (Jacob’s first-born), then

• SimeOn,

• Levi,

• Judah,

• IshSachar, and

• ZebuLon.

²⁴ RachEl’s sons were:

• JoSeph, and

• BenJamin.

²⁵ RachEl’s handmaid BalLa’s sons were:

• Dan, and

• NaphTali.

²⁶ And LeAh’s handmaid ZelPha’s sons were:

• Gad, and

• Asher.

These sons were born to Jacob in MesoPotamia of Syria.

²⁷ Then Jacob returned to his father IsaAc in MamRe, to a city of the plains [called] HebRon (in the land of CanaAn), where AbraHam and IsaAc had stayed. ²⁸ For IsaAc had lived 180 years ²⁹ before he stopped breathing and died.

Then his sons Esau and Jacob buried him beside his family, after he’d lived a long and full life.

Genesis 36

←35 | All books | All chapters | 37→

¹ And these are the generations of Esau ([who] is [also known as] Edom):

² Esau took these women from the daughters of the CanaAnites.

There was:

• Ada (the daughter of AiLom the Kettite),

• OliBema (the daughter of Ana, son of SebeGon the Hivite), and

• ³ BaseMath (the daughter of IshMaEl, the sister of NabaiOth).

⁴ Ada bore EliPhas to [Esau], BaseMath bore RaguEl, ⁵ and OliBema bore JeUs, JegLom, and CoRe. These were Esau’s sons that were born to him in the land of CanaAn.

⁶ Then Esau took his women, his sons, his daughters, and everyone in his house, along with all his possessions, all his cattle… Yes, everything that he owned and absolutely everything that he’d acquired in the land of CanaAn, and he left the land of CanaAn [to get away from] his brother Jacob, ⁷ because they’d both acquired so much that they couldn’t live close to each other anymore... For the land where they were staying couldn’t hold them, since they had so much.

⁸ So Esau [went to live] at Mount SeIr (Esau is Edom).

⁹ These are the generations of Esau, the father of the Edomites, when [he lived at] Mount SeIr, ¹⁰ and these are the names of Esau’s [grand]sons through EliPhas (Ada’s son) and RaguEl (BaseMath’s son).

¹¹ The [grand]sons of Ada through EliPhas were:

• ThaEman,

• Omar,

• Sophar,

• Gothom, and

• Kenez.

¹² Also, ThamNa (EliPhas’ concubine) bore Amalec to him.

¹³ The [grand]sons of BaseMath through RaguEl were:

• NachOth,

• ZaRe,

• SoMe, and

• MoZe.

¹⁴ These are the sons of Esau’s woman OliBema (the daughter of Ana, son of SebeGon), she bore to Esau:

• JeUs,

• JegLom, and

• CoRe.

¹⁵ These are the chiefs of EliPhas, the first-born of Esau:

• Chief ThaEman,

• Chief Omar,

• Chief Sophar,

• Chief Kenez,

• ¹⁶ Chief CoRe,

• Chief Gothom, and

• Chief Amalec.

They’re the chiefs of [the family of] EliPhas (the sons of Ada), in the land of Edom.

¹⁷ And these are the chiefs of RaguEl, son of Esau:

• Chief NachOth,

• Chief ZaRe,

• Chief SoMe, and

• Chief MoZe.

They’re the chiefs of [the family of] RaguEl (the sons of BaseMath) in the land of Edom.

¹⁸ And these are the chiefs of OliBema (the daughter of Ana), Esau’s woman:

• Chief JeUs,

• Chief JegLom, and

• Chief CoRe.

¹⁹ These were the sons of Esau. They’re [all] chiefs, and they’re [all] the sons of Edom.

²⁰ These are the sons of SeIr the ChorRhite who lived in the land:

• LoTan,

• SoBal,

• SebeGon,

• Ana,

• ²¹ DeSon,

• Asar, and

• Rison.

These were the chiefs of SeIr the ChorRhite, in the land of Edom:

²² The sons of LoTan and his sister ThamNa were:

• ChorRhi, and

• HaEman.

²³ The sons of SoBal were:

• GoLam,

• ManaChath,

• GaEbel,

• Sophar, and

• Omar.

²⁴ The sons of SebeGon were:

• Aie, and

• Ana (this is the same Ana that found JaMin in the desert when he was tending his father SebeGon’s animals).

²⁵ Ana’s children were:

• DeSon (his son), and

• OliBema (his daughter).

²⁶ DeSon’s sons were:

• Amada,

• AsBan,

• IthRan, and

• CharRhan.

²⁷ Asar’s sons were:

• BalaAm,

• ZuCam, and

• JuCam.

²⁸ Rison’s sons were:

•Hos, and

• Aran.

²⁹ These are the chiefs of the ChorRites:

• Chief LoTan,

• Chief SoBal,

• Chief SebeGon,

• Chief Ana,

• ³⁰ Chief DeSon,

• Chief Asar, and

• Chief Rison.

They’re the chiefs of the ChorRites in their own principalities in the land of Edom.

³¹ These are the kings who reigned in Edom before [the time of] the kings of IsraEl:

• ³² Balac (son of BeOr) reigned in Edom, and his [capital] city was DenNaba.

• ³³ After Balac died, Jobab (son of ZaRa from BosorRha) reigned in his stead.

• ³⁴ After Jobab died, Asom (from the land of the ThaEmanites) reigned in his stead.

• ³⁵ After Asom died, Adad (son of BarAd, who cut off MidiAn in the plain of MoAb) reigned in his stead. And his [capital] city was GetThaim.

• ³⁶ After Adad died, SaMada of MasSecca reigned in his stead.

• ³⁷ After SaMada died, Saul of RhoObOth by the River reigned in his stead.

• ³⁸ After Saul died, BalLenon (son of AchObor) reigned in his stead.

• ³⁹ After BalLenon died, Arad (son of BarAd) reigned in his stead. The name of his [capital] city was PhoGor, and the name of his woman was MeteBeel (the daughter of MatraIth, son of MaiZoOb).

⁴⁰ These are the names of the tribal chiefs of Esau in their areas, countries, and nations:

• Chief ThamNa,

• Chief Gola,

• Chief JeTher,

• ⁴¹ Chief OliBema,

• Chief Helas,

• Chief PhiNon,

• ⁴² Chief Kenez,

• Chief ThaEman,

• Chief Mazar,

• ⁴³ Chief MagediEl, and

• Chief ZaphoIn.

They’re the chiefs of Edom in the areas where they dwell and in the lands that they own.

And this is Esau, the father of [all] Edom.

Genesis 37

←36 | All books | All chapters | 38→

¹ Now, Jacob lived in the land where his father stayed, the land of CanaAn.

² And these are the origins of Jacob:

When JoSeph was 17 years old (and because he was so young), he was accompanied by his brothers (the sons of his father’s women BalLa and ZelPha) as he grazed the sheep. And [at the time], they’d been speaking about their father IsraEl in an evil way because of JoSeph, ³ since Jacob loved JoSeph more than the rest of his sons (he was the son of his old age).

And because [Jacob] had just made a multi-colored coat for him, ⁴ his brothers could see that their father loved him more, so they hated [Jacob] and they never spoke to him in a peaceful way.

⁵ Then JoSeph had a dream, and he told his brothers about it.

⁶ He said:

‘Listen to what I dreamed:

⁷ ‘I saw you bundling stalks of grain in the middle of the field; and then suddenly my bundle stood straight up, and your bundles turned around and bowed low before mine.’

⁸ So his brothers asked:

‘[Does this mean] that you’re going to rule over us and you’re going to be our master?’

Well, this dream and the things he said made them hate him even more!

⁹ Then [JoSeph] had another dream, and he told his father and brothers about it, saying:

‘{Look!} I had another dream in which the sun, the moon, and 11 stars bowed low before me.’

¹⁰ Well, his father scolded him over this, and he asked:

‘What kind of a dream is that? Do you think that your mother, brothers, and I are going to come and bow to the ground before you?’

¹¹ Nevertheless, although his brothers were jealous of him, his father still paid attention to the things that he was saying.

¹² Well, one day, JoSeph’s brothers went to SheChem to graze their father’s sheep.

¹³ And IsraEl said to JoSeph:

‘Your brothers are grazing the flocks at SheChem and I want you to go to them.’

And he replied:

‘Look, here I am.’

¹⁴ So IsraEl said:

‘Go there to see if your brothers and the sheep are doing well, then come back and report to me.’

So he sent him from the HebRon Valley to SheChem.

¹⁵ Well, a man later found JoSeph wandering in the fields and asked him:

‘What are you looking for?’

¹⁶ And he said:

‘I’m looking for my brothers. Tell me where they’re grazing [their flocks].’

¹⁷ And the man said:

‘They’ve left here. I heard them say, Let’s go to Dothaim.’

So JoSeph went after his brothers, and he found them in Dothaim. ¹⁸ However, they had spotted him in the distance before he got there, so they got together and wickedly started talking about killing him!

¹⁹ They were saying to each other:

‘Look, here comes the dreamer! ²⁰ Come on, let’s kill him and then throw his [body] into a ravine. We can say, An evil wild animal ate him… Then let’s see what his dreams amount to!’

²¹ But when ReuBen heard this, he saved [JoSeph] from them by saying:

‘Let’s not kill him.’

²² Then [he suggested]:

‘Don’t shed [his] blood; let’s throw him into one of these deep crevices in the desert… But don’t lay a hand on him.’

([ReuBen] said this so that he could save [JoSeph] from them and return him safely to his father).

²³ Well, when JoSeph reached his brothers, they took off the multi-colored coat that he was wearing, ²⁴ then they threw him into a deep crevice that was empty and didn’t have any water.

²⁵ And after that, they sat down to eat some bread.

Thereafter, when they looked up, they noticed {Look!} an IshMaElite caravan that was coming from GileAd (their camels were loaded down with spices, resin, and myrrh that they were carrying to Egypt).

²⁶ And Judah said to his brothers:

‘What profit would it bring us if we kill our brother and just cover it up? ²⁷ Let’s sell him to these IshMaElites instead. We don’t want to lay a hand on him, because he’s our brother and our own flesh.’

Well, his brothers listened to this. ²⁸ So, as the merchants of MidiAn were traveling by, [his brothers] pulled JoSeph out of the crevice and sold him to the IshMaElites for 20 gold coins… And [the IshMaElites] took JoSeph [with them] down to Egypt.

²⁹ Then when ReuBen later returned to the crevice and saw that JoSeph wasn’t there, he started ripping his clothes!

³⁰ So he went to his brothers and said:

‘The boy isn’t [there]… Where do I have to go [to find him]?’

³¹ Well after that, the men killed a young goat and dipped JoSeph’s coat in its blood. ³² Then they took JoSeph’s multi-colored coat to their father and said:

‘We found this… Do you recognize it as your son’s coat or not?’

³³ Well, he recognized it and said:

‘It’s my son’s coat! An evil wild animal has surely eaten him… A wild animal has carried off JoSeph!’

³⁴ Then Jacob tore his clothes and covered the lower part of his body with sackcloth; and thereafter, he spent a long time mourning over his son. ³⁵ Although all of his sons and daughters went there to comfort him, he didn’t want to be comforted. He said:

‘I’ll go to my grave mourning my son!’

And his father kept crying over him.

³⁶ Well, when they got to Egypt, the MidiAnites sold JoSeph to Potiphar, PharaOh’s councilor and captain of the guard.

Genesis 38

←37 | All books | All chapters | 39→

¹ Then Judah left his brothers and he traveled for some distance, arriving [at the home] of an OdolLamite named Iras...

² While he was there, Judah found the daughter of a CanaAnite man named Sava. He took her [as his wife] and [slept] with her, ³ and she got pregnant. Then she gave birth to a son whom she named Er. ⁴ And after that, she got pregnant again and gave birth to a [second] son whom she named AuNan. ⁵ Then she gave birth to a [third] son whom she named SeLom (she was living in Chasbi when she gave birth to them).

⁶ [Well, sometime later], Judah took a woman named Tamar to be the wife of his first-born son, Er. ⁷ But Er was wicked before Yahweh, so God killed him.

⁸ Then Judah told AuNan:

‘You must go and [have sex] with your brother’s [widow]… Since you’re her brother-in-law, you must take her so [she can] raise a child for your brother.’

⁹ However, AuNan knew that the child wouldn’t be [counted as] his. So when he [had sex with] his brother’s [widow], he discharged [his semen] on the ground, so he wouldn’t give his brother a child. ¹⁰ And his doing this appeared evil to God, so He killed him also.

¹¹ Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar:

‘Live as a widow in your father’s house until my son SeLom grows up… For I don’t want him to die like his brothers.’

So Tamar left and went to stay in her father’s home.

¹² Well, after several years, Judah’s woman Sava died... So while Judah was looking for comfort, he went to see his sheep shearers at ThamNa, along with his Shepherd, Iras the OdolLamite. ¹³ And when his daughter-in-law Tamar was told:

‘{Look!} Your father-in-law is going up to ThamNa to shear his sheep...’

¹⁴ ...she took off her widow’s clothes, put on a veil and made up her face, and she went to sit by the gate of [the town of] AiNan, along the road that leads to ThamNa.
She did this because [Judah’s son] SeLom had already grown up and [Judah] hadn’t given [Tamar] to be his son’s woman.

¹⁵ Well, when Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, because she’d her face covered and he didn’t recognize her. ¹⁶ So he stopped and said to her (not knowing that she was his daughter-in-law):

‘Let me [have sex with] you.’

And she asked:

‘What will you give to [have sex] with me?’

¹⁷ And he said:

‘I’ll send you a young goat from my flock.’

But she told him:

‘You must provide me some assurance that you’ll send it.’

¹⁸ So he asked:

‘What kind of assurance can I give you?’

And she said:

‘Give me your ring, your bracelet, and the walking stick you’re holding.’

So he gave them to her, [had sex with] her, and she got pregnant by him. ¹⁹ Then afterward, she got up and took off her veil, put her widow’s clothes back on, and left that place.

²⁰ Well later, Judah sent the young goat with his shepherd (the OdolLamite), to get back the things that he’d left with the woman… But he couldn’t find her. ²¹ So he asked the local men:

‘Where’s that prostitute that used to sit by the road [here at] AiNan?’

And they replied:

‘There was no prostitute here.’

²² So he returned to Judah and said:

‘I couldn’t find her, and the local men say there wasn’t any prostitute there.’

²³ Then Judah told him:

‘Let her have [those things]. Although I sent the young goat, you couldn’t find her; so, let’s not leave ourselves open to ridicule.’

²⁴ Well after three months, Judah was told:

‘Your daughter-in-law Tamar has played the whore! And now look – she’s pregnant by her whoring!’

So Judah said:

‘Then drag her out and have her burned!’

²⁵ But as they were dragging her out, she called out to her father-in-law, and said:

‘I’m pregnant by the man who owns these things… Just whose ring, bracelet, and walking stick are these?’

²⁶ Well, Judah recognized them [as his] and said:

‘Tamar is innocent… But not me, because I didn’t give her to my son SeLom.’

And that was the last time [Judah had sex] with her.

²⁷ Then when she went into labor, it was found that she had twins in her womb... ²⁸ And as they were being born, one pushed his hand out. So the midwife took hold of the hand and tied some scarlet [thread around it], and said:

‘This is the firstborn.’

²⁹ But then he drew his hand back and his brother came out immediately thereafter.

And she asked:

‘Why have you broken the barrier between you?’

So she named him Phares [meaning, Breach].

³⁰ It was then that his brother (around whose hand the scarlet thread was tied) was born. And she named him ZaRa [meaning, Scarlet].

Genesis 39

←38 | All books | All chapters | 40→

¹ Meanwhile, JoSeph was down in Egypt where he’d been bought by an Egyptian named Potiphar (PharaOh’s advisor and captain of the guard), who had purchased him from the IshMaElites that carried him there.

² But Yahweh was with JoSeph and He blest him as he was living in the house of his Egyptian master.

³ Even [Potiphar] recognized that Yahweh was with [JoSeph] and that He was blessing everything he did; ⁴ so JoSeph was treated kindly by him, and [JoSeph did everything he could to] please his master well.

Then before long, the man put JoSeph in charge of his whole house… He was appointed to be in charge of everything that [his master] owned... ⁵ And because he’d put JoSeph in charge of his house and over everything that he owned, Yahweh blest the Egyptian’s house for JoSeph’s sake. He blest everything that the man had in his house and in his fields, ⁶ because he’d entrusted everything he owned into JoSeph’s hands.

So the man didn’t even know what belonged to him, other than the bread that he ate!

Well, JoSeph was extremely attractive… He had an excellent body and a very handsome face. ⁷ And so, after he’d been [put in charge of the house], his master’s wife eyed JoSeph and said:

‘Sleep with me!’

⁸ However, he wouldn’t. For he told his master’s wife:

‘Look, it’s because of me that my master doesn’t even know what’s going on in his own house! He has put everything that he owns into my hands.

⁹ ‘Nobody in this house is over me, nor has anything been withheld from me, except you… And you’re his wife! So, how could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?’

¹⁰ Still, she pleaded with JoSeph every day… But he wouldn’t listen to her requests to sleep with her.

¹¹ Then one day, as JoSeph entered the house to do his work, he found that none of the household staff were around... ¹² That’s when she grabbed him by his clothes and said:

‘[Have sex] with me!’

But JoSeph just left his clothes there in her hands and ran from the house!

¹³ Well, when she saw that he’d left his clothes in her hands and ran away, ¹⁴ the woman called [the family in] and said:

‘You see – He’s brought in a Hebrew slave to make fun of us!

‘Why, he came in and told me that he wanted to sleep with me, but I screamed...¹⁵ And when he heard me scream, he left his clothes here and ran out of the house!’

¹⁶ So she kept the clothes nearby, and when [her husband] got back home, ¹⁷ she said to him:

‘This Hebrew servant whom you brought to us came here to make fun of me! He said to me:

‘I’m going to sleep with you!’

¹⁸ ‘But after he heard me scream, he left his clothes with me and ran out of the house.’

¹⁹ Well, when his master heard everything his woman said, he proclaimed:

‘Then he did it to me!’

²⁰ And because he was so angry, his master took JoSeph and had him thrown in prison… Into the place where the king’s prisoners were kept.

²¹ Nevertheless, Yahweh was with JoSeph and He was very merciful to him. So He helped him find favor in the eyes of the prison’s warden. ²² And therefore, the warden put JoSeph in charge of the prison along with all the prisoners that were there and everything that they did.

²³ So the warden was unaware of what was going on there, because everything was in JoSeph’s hands. And Yahweh continued to bless all that he was doing.

Genesis 40

←39 | All books | All chapters | 41→

¹ It was some time after this that the king’s chief cupbearer and his chief baker had wronged their lord, the king of Egypt. ² PharaOh was furious with his two eunuchs (his chief cupbearer and his chief baker), ³ so he had them locked up in prison… In the same place where JoSeph was kept, ⁴ and the prison warden left them with JoSeph, who was to guard them.

Well, after they’d spent some time in the prison, ⁵ they both had a dream one night. Each man had his own dream and each dream had its own interpretation.

⁶ Then the next morning when JoSeph went in to see them, they were both quite disturbed... ⁷ So he asked PharaOh’s eunuchs (who were there in the prison with him):

‘Why are you so sad today?’

⁸ And they replied:

‘We [both] had dreams, but don’t know what they mean.’

So JoSeph said:

‘Doesn’t the interpretation of [dreams come] through God? Tell [me what you saw]!’

⁹ And the chief cupbearer told JoSeph his dream. He said:

‘In my dream [I saw] a vine ¹⁰ that had three stems, which budded and put out blossoms; then [it formed] clusters of grapes that ripened.

¹¹ ‘Then after that, [I found] PharaOh’s cup in my hands. So I took the grapes and squeezed them into the cup, and I gave the cup to PharaOh.’

¹² Well at that, JoSeph said to him:

‘This is what [the dream] means:

‘The three stems are three days. ¹³ So in three days, PharaOh will remember what you did and he will give you back your position as chief cupbearer!

‘Therefore, you’ll [once again] put PharaOh’s cup in his hands, holding the same high position that you once had as his cupbearer.’

¹⁴ [Then he continued]:

‘Now, remember me when things are going well for you… Be merciful to me and mention me to PharaOh, so that I can be released from this dungeon!

¹⁵ ‘You see, I was stolen from the land of the Hebrews. And although I’ve done nothing wrong here, I was thrown into this hole.’

¹⁶ Well, when the chief baker saw that he’d given [the first man] the right interpretation, he said to JoSeph:

‘I also had a dream. I remember looking up, and I found three baskets of bakery goods on top of my head... ¹⁷ In the top basket, there were all the kinds of things that PharaOh enjoys. But birds in the sky came and ate them out of the basket that was on my head.’

¹⁸ Then JoSeph told him:

‘This is what it means:

‘The three baskets are three days. ¹⁹ So in three days, PharaOh will cut off your head and hang you on a tree, where the birds of the sky will eat your flesh.’

²⁰ Well, three days later, it was PharaOh’s birthday when he held a banquet for all his servants. It was then that he remembered the offices that the cupbearer and the baker once held among them.

²¹ So he restored the chief cupbearer to his office, and once again he put PharaOh’s cup into his hands. ²² However, he hanged the chief baker, just as JoSeph foretold... ²³ But thereafter, the chief cupbearer soon forgot about JoSeph.

Genesis 41

←40 | All books | All chapters | 42→

¹ It was a full 2 years later that PharaOh [likely AmenemHat 1] also had a dream:

He dreamed that he was standing next to a river, ² then {Look!} he saw 7 fat and good-looking cows come up out of the water to feed at the river’s edge. ³ And after that, 7 more cows, which were skinny and ugly, came up out of the river to feed along its banks.

⁴ Then the 7 skinny, ugly cows ate the 7 fat and good-looking cows… And that’s when PharaOh woke up.

⁵ Then he had another dream.

{Look!} There were 7 large and good-looking [heads] of grain that grew on a single stalk. ⁶ And {Look!} they were followed by [a stalk] with 7 thin and windblown [heads] that grew up alongside them.

⁷ Then the [stalk] with the 7 thin and windblown [heads] ate the ones with the 7 large, good-looking [heads]… And that’s when PharaOh woke up… And it was just a dream.

⁸ Well the next morning, he was deeply disturbed [by the dreams], so he sent for all the [dream] interpreters of Egypt and all the wise men. PharaOh told them of his dreams, but no one could tell him what they meant.

⁹ And that’s when PharaOh’s chief cupbearer told him:

‘I just remembered something that I’m responsible for... ¹⁰ [You were once] quite angry with your servants and you had us imprisoned in the house of the captain of the guard… Both the chief baker and me. ¹¹ Each of us had a dream in that same night (both him and me)… But we each had our own dream.

¹² ‘And there was a young man with us, a Hebrew servant of the captain of the guard, to whom we told [our dreams], and he interpreted [them] to us.

¹³ ‘Well, everything that he said would happen, came true… I was restored to my office and [the baker] was hanged!’

¹⁴ So, PharaOh sent for JoSeph… They took him from the prison, shaved him and changed his clothes; then he went in to PharaOh.

¹⁵ And PharaOh said to JoSeph:

‘I had a vision that no one can interpret, and I’ve heard that you’ve listened to dreams and interpreted them.’

¹⁶ But JoSeph answered PharaOh, saying:

‘Without God, [I couldn’t] give a safe answer to PharaOh.’

¹⁷ Then PharaOh told JoSeph:

‘In my dream, I was standing by the bank of the river. ¹⁸ Then out of the river came 7 fat and good-looking cows that fed along the river’s edge. ¹⁹ And after that, {Look!} 7 more cows came up out of the river that were evil, skinny, and ugly… I’ve never seen worse in the entire land of Egypt!

²⁰ ‘Then the 7 skinny, ugly cows ate the 7 fat and good-looking cows… ²¹ They swallowed them down whole; yet, I couldn’t see that they had gone into their stomachs, because they still looked as ugly as they did before.

‘And after I woke up, I went to sleep again. ²² Then I saw what looked like 7 large, good-looking [heads] of grain growing from a single stalk. ²³ And [after that, I saw] 7 more [heads] that were thin and windblown, coming up next to them. ²⁴ Then the 7 thin and wind-blown [heads] ate the 7 large, good-looking [heads].

‘Now, I told all this to the [dream] interpreters, but none of them could explain it to me.’

²⁵ So JoSeph told PharaOh:

‘Both of your dreams are the same, for The God has shown PharaOh what He’s going to do!

²⁶ ‘The 7 good-looking cows mean 7 years, and the 7 good-looking [grain heads] mean 7 years… So PharaOh’s dreams are both the same!

²⁷ ‘Also, the 7 skinny cattle that came up after them mean 7 years, and the 7 thin and windblown [heads] mean 7 years… Therefore, there’ll be 7 years of famine.

²⁸ ‘Now, what I’m telling PharaOh is that it’s God’s purpose to show you what He’s going to do... ²⁹ And look! 7 years are coming when there’ll be a great abundance throughout the land of Egypt; ³⁰ but these will be followed by 7 years of famine, which will be so bad that the abundance Egypt had will be forgotten, and famine will consume the land.

³¹ ‘Yes, the abundance in the land will be gone because of the famine that will follow, since it’s going to be an extremely bad time... ³² And the fact that PharaOh saw the dream twice, proves that the things I’m telling you (which will come from The God) are true; for, God will cause it to happen very soon!

³³ ‘Therefore, search for a wise and discerning man, and put him in charge over the land of Egypt. ³⁴ Also, PharaOh should appoint local governors over the land that must collect 1/5 of all the produce in the land of Egypt during the 7 abundant years.

³⁵ ‘They must gather all the food that will come in during the 7 good years, and have all the grain gathered into the hands of PharaOh… And you must store the food in each city.

³⁶ ‘This stored food will then [protect] the land during the 7 years of famine that are coming upon Egypt, so [the country] won’t be totally destroyed by the famine.’

³⁷ Well, what [JoSeph] said appeared good to PharaOh and to all of his servants.
³⁸ So [he] asked his servants:

‘Where can we find such a man as this… Someone who has the Breath of God in him?’

³⁹ Then PharaOh said to JoSeph:

‘Since God has shown all of these things to you; is there a man who is wiser or more discerning than you?

⁴⁰ ‘I’ll appoint you to be over my house, and then all of my people must do whatever you say… Only I will be greater than you on the throne.’

⁴¹ Then PharaOh told JoSeph:

‘{Look!} Today, I’m putting you in charge of the entire land of Egypt.’

⁴² And at that, PharaOh took the ring off of his hand and put it on JoSeph’s hand, [he had him dressed in] a robe of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck... ⁴³ Then he mounted [JoSeph] on his second-best chariot and had a herald walk in front of him to proclaim that [JoSeph] had been appointed over the whole land of Egypt.

⁴⁴ And PharaOh said to JoSeph:

‘Although I am the PharaOh; nobody will lift his hand anywhere in the land of Egypt without [your permission].’

⁴⁵ Thereafter, PharaOh started calling JoSeph, Zaphnath-Paaneah [meaning either, Revealer of Secrets, or Savior of the Age], and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Petephre, the priest of HelioPolis [Greek for City of the Sun], to be his wife.

⁴⁶ Well, JoSeph was 30 years old when he stood before PharaOh, the king of Egypt.

So thereafter, JoSeph left the presence of PharaOh and he traveled throughout the land of Egypt.

⁴⁷ And After that, the land did in fact produce well during the 7 years of abundance… By the heaping handfuls! ⁴⁸ So, during those 7 years he gathered much food, because there was such abundance in the land, and he stored it away in each of the cities. He took the food that grew in the fields around each city and stored it in them.

⁴⁹ So the grain that JoSeph stored away became like the sands of the seas… So much that it couldn’t be calculated.

⁵⁰ Meanwhile, JoSeph had two sons born to him prior to the 7 years of famine, by Asenath (the daughter of Petephre, the priest of HelioPolis). ⁵¹ And JoSeph named his firstborn ManasSeh [meaning, Forgotten], for he said:

‘God has made me forget all my hard work, and even the house of my father.’

⁵² Then he named his second son Ephraim [meaning, Double Fruitfulness]; for he said:

‘God has caused me to grow in the land where I was humiliated.’

⁵³ Well, the 7 years of abundance in the land of Egypt soon passed, ⁵⁴ and then the 7 years of famine began, just as JoSeph had foretold. However, even though there was a famine throughout the entire [known] earth, there was still plenty [in Egypt]!

⁵⁵ Then, when the people of Egypt finally got hungry, they called out to PharaOh for bread, and PharaOh said to [them]:

‘Go to JoSeph and do whatever he tells you to do.’

⁵⁶ Well, before long, the famine covered the entire land; so JoSeph opened all the granaries and sold [the stored grain] to the Egyptians.

⁵⁷ Then [people from] all the regions roundabout started coming to Egypt to buy [food] from JoSeph, because the famine had become [so great].

Genesis 42

←41 | All books | All chapters | 43→

¹ Now, Jacob had noticed that they were still selling [grain] down in Egypt.

So he said to his sons:

‘Why don’t you do something?

² ‘Look; I’ve heard that there’s grain in Egypt. Go there and buy us a little food, so we don’t starve to death.’

³ Therefore, JoSeph’s 10 brothers went down to Egypt to purchase grain. ⁴ However, JoSeph’s brother BenJamin wasn’t sent along with his brothers, ‘So he doesn’t get sick,’ Jacob said.

⁵ Of course, the sons of IsraEl [traveled along with] many others to buy [grain], because the famine had affected the entire land of CanaAn.

⁶ Well, since JoSeph was the ruler of the land, he’s the one who actually sold [the food] to all the people who were coming from these lands; so, JoSeph’s brothers came to him and had to bow with their faces to the ground before him.

⁷ But when JoSeph saw his brothers (because he recognized them), he hid himself in front of them and spoke harshly to them, asking:

‘Where are you coming from?’

And they replied:

‘[We came from] the land of CanaAn to buy food.’

⁸ Well, although JoSeph recognized his brothers, they didn’t recognize him... ⁹ Then JoSeph remembered his dreams and the things that he saw, and he said to them:

‘You are spies! You’ve come here to spy in our land!’

¹⁰ But they said:

‘No Sir; we’re just your servants that have come to buy food! ¹¹ We’re all the sons of one man and we’re peace loving… Your servants aren’t spies!’

¹² And he said to them:

‘No! You’ve come to spy [in our] land!’

¹³ Then they replied:

‘Your servants were once 12 brothers from the land of CanaAn. The youngest [of us] is with our father right now… But the other one is no more.’

¹⁴ Then JoSeph argued:

‘It’s just as I said; you’re spies!

¹⁵ ‘Here’s how I’ll prove it: By the health of PharaOh, you aren’t going to leave until your younger brother comes here!

¹⁶ ‘One of you can go to get your brother, but the rest of you’ll stay in jail until what you’ve said can be [proven]… Whether you’re telling the truth or not... And if not, then by the health of PharaOh, you really are spies!’

¹⁷ So he had them all locked up in jail for three days!

¹⁸ Then on the 3rd day, he said:

‘Do this and you’ll live, because I fear The God:

¹⁹ ‘If you really are peace loving, I’ll allow just one of your brothers to be held in jail. So now, go and carry the grain that you bought [back to your home]... ²⁰ Then bring your younger brother to me, and I’ll believe what you said.

‘But if you don’t, you’ll all die!’

And that’s what they did.

²¹ Well, each one was saying to his brother:

‘Yes, we are to blame when it comes to our brother... We didn’t pay attention to the anguish that he was going through, and when he looked to us, we didn’t listen to him.

‘That’s why this bad thing is happening to us!’

²² Then ReuBen said:

‘Didn’t I tell you not to harm the boy? But you wouldn’t listen to me! Now look… His blood is [being avenged]!’

²³ However, they didn’t realize that JoSeph was standing right there in front of them, because an interpreter stood between them.

²⁴ Well at that, JoSeph left them and started crying. Then he returned and spoke to them, and he took SimeOn and had him bound before their eyes.

²⁵ And thereafter, JoSeph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, and to return the money to each one’s bag before giving them permission to leave. And that’s what happened… ²⁶ The grain was loaded on their burros, and then they left.

²⁷ Well, when they stopped somewhere to rest, one of them opened his bag to feed the burros, and that’s when he saw his bundle of money lying in the top of his bag!

²⁸ So he said to his brothers:

‘They’ve returned my money. Look, it’s all here in my container!’

Well, they were all dumbfounded and sick at heart... And they asked each other:

‘What has God done to us?’

²⁹ And when they got back to their father Jacob (in the land of CanaAn), they told him everything that had happened to them, saying:

³⁰ ‘This man, who is the lord of the land, spoke harshly to us and had us put in jail as spies! ³¹ But we told him that we’re peaceful men… We aren’t spies. ³² We said that we’re 12 brothers, the sons of our father. One [of us] is no more, and the youngest is with our father today in the land of CanaAn.

³³ ‘However, this man who’s the lord of the land said to us:

‘Here’s how I’ll know that you’re peaceful: Leave one of your brothers here with me and take the grain you bought, then return to your family ³⁴ and bring your younger brother to me so I’ll know that you aren’t spies, but men of peace...

‘Then you can have your brother back and you can trade in this land.’

³⁵ ‘But, as we were emptying our bags, each man found his bundle of money inside his bag.’

So they [showed] their father their bundles of money, and they were all frightened.

³⁶ Then their father (Jacob) said to them:

‘Now you’ve made me very sad, for JoSeph is no more and neither is SimeOn. So are you going to take BenJamin away also?

‘[Why have] all these [bad] things come upon me?’

³⁷ Then ReuBen said to his father:

‘You can kill my two sons if I don’t bring him back to you. Give him to me, and I’ll bring him back!’

³⁸ But [Jacob] said:

‘I won’t allow my son to go with you, because his brother is already dead, and he’s the only one left...

‘What if something happens to him on the way? This would bring such sorrow upon me in my old age that it would lead me to my grave!’

Genesis 43

←42 | All books | All chapters | 44→

¹ However, the famine continued in the land. ² And so, after they had finished eating the grain that they’d brought from Egypt, their father told them:

‘Go there to buy us a little food again.’

³ But Judah said to him:

‘That man who’s the lord of the land absolutely warned us, saying:

‘You may not see my face again unless you have your younger brother with you.’

⁴ ‘So if you’ll send our brother with us, we’ll go and buy you food. ⁵ But if you won’t send our brother with us, we won’t go.’

⁶ Then IsraEl asked:

‘Why did you do so much harm to me by telling the man that you had a brother?’

⁷ And they replied:

‘The man asked a lot of questions about our family. He asked, Is your father still alive? and, Do you have a brother? All we did was answer his questions!

‘How could we know that he would tell us to bring our brother?’

⁸ Then Judah said to his father IsraEl:

‘Send the boy with me and we’ll go… So we don’t all [starve] to death!

⁹ ‘I’ll be responsible for him, and you can hold me to blame if anything happens to him... If I don’t return him and stand him before you, I’ll be guilty before you throughout the age.

¹⁰ ‘If we hadn’t been delaying, we could could have already have gone there a second time!’

¹¹ And their father IsraEl said to them:

‘If that’s the case, then do this:

‘Take along the fruit of the land in your bags. Carry gifts of gum, honey, frankincense, oil of myrrh, turpentine, and walnuts to the man.

¹² ‘Also, carry twice as much money – in addition to the money that was put back in your bags – just in case that was a mistake.

¹³ ‘Then take your brother along and go down to the man. ¹⁴ May my God allow you to find favor in the eyes of that man, so he sends you home with your other brother and BenJamin. For I’ve been saddened, and I’m very sad now.’

¹⁵ So the men loaded up their gifts and took twice as much money, as well as BenJamin, and headed down to Egypt, where they soon stood before JoSeph.

¹⁶ Well, when JoSeph saw them and his brother BenJamin (who was born to the same mother), he told his house manager:

‘Bring the men into [my] house, then butcher some animals and prepare them, because these men are to eat bread with me at noon.’

¹⁷ So the man did just as JoSeph said, and he brought them into JoSeph’s house.

¹⁸ Well, when the men realized that they had been taken to the house of JoSeph, they said:

‘We’ve been brought here because of the money that was returned to our bags the first time. [This is being done] so witnesses can be called and we can be charged [with a crime]… Then they’ll confiscate our burros and take us as slaves!’

¹⁹ So they went up to the man who was in charge of JoSeph’s house and spoke to him out on the porch.

²⁰ They said:

‘We’re begging you, sir… We just came the first time to buy food. ²¹ But, as we were unloading and opening our bags, [we found] this money in each bag.

‘We have the full amount of money in our hands [and we wish] to return it.

²² ‘We’ve also brought more money along with which to buy the food… We don’t know who put the money [back] in our bags!’

²³ And [the man] replied:

‘May God be merciful with you. Don’t be afraid, for it was your God and the God of your ancestors who put the treasures in your bags.

‘I have enough of your good money!’

Then he brought SimeOn out to them… ²⁴ Along with some water to wash their feet, and some fodder for their burros.

²⁵ It was then that they started preparing their gifts for JoSeph’s arrival at noon, because they heard that he was going to dine there. ²⁶ So when JoSeph came home, they brought him the gifts that they’d carried into the house… And afterward, they bowed with their faces to the ground.

²⁷ Well, he asked them:

‘How are you? Is your father, the old man whom you spoke of, well? Is he still living?’

²⁸ And they replied:

‘Our father, your servant, is well. And yes, he’s still alive.’

Then JoSeph said:

‘May that man of God be blest!’

And at that, they all bowed low to show him respect.

²⁹ It was then that JoSeph looked up and saw his brother BenJamin (who was born to the same mother). And he asked:

‘Is this the younger brother whom you said you’d bring to me?’

Then he added:

‘May God have mercy on you, my son.’

³⁰ Well, JoSeph’s emotions overcame him, because he missed his brother so much, and he wanted to cry. So he walked to his inner room and cried there.

³¹ Thereafter, he washed his face and regained his composure, and came out and said:

‘Now, bring on the bread!’

³² So they set out bread for JoSeph, for his servants, and for the Egyptians that were eating with him, but not for [his brothers], because the Egyptians considered it dishonorable to eat bread with Hebrews.

³³ They just sat there in front of him (in the order of their ages, from the firstborn to the youngest), as the brothers looked at each other in astonishment... ³⁴ But then, JoSeph gave them their portions to eat by themselves. However, BenJamin received five times as much as did the rest. They also drank with him until each one was full.

Genesis 44

←43 | All books | All chapters | 45→

¹ Then JoSeph gave instructions to his house manager. He said:

‘Now, fill the men’s bags with as much food as they can carry, and put each one’s money in the top of his bag. ² Also, put my silver cup in the bag that belongs to the youngest, along with the price of his grain.’

So he did exactly as JoSeph said. ³ Then the next morning, the men and their burros were sent away.

⁴ Well, after they left the city (but before they had traveled very far), JoSeph said to his house manager:

‘Now, get up and chase after those men; and when you catch up with them, ask:

‘Why have you returned evil for good… ⁵ why have you stolen my silver cup? Isn’t this the [cup] that our lord drinks from and the one which he uses to foretell the future?

‘You’ve done an evil thing!’

⁶ So when he caught up with them, he said what [JoSeph] had told him to say.

⁷ And they replied:

‘Why is our lord saying such things? Your servants wouldn’t do anything like that!

⁸ ‘If we returned the money to you which we found in our bags all the way from the land of CanaAn, why would we steal silver or gold from the house of your lord? ⁹ May whichever of your servants that you find with the cup die, and then we’ll all be our lord’s slaves!’

¹⁰ So, [JoSeph’s house manager] told them:

‘May it be just as you’ve said. But just the one who is found with the cup will be my slave… The rest of you can go free.’

¹¹ Then each man quickly took down his bag and put it on the ground, and opened their bags, ¹² and the man began his search, starting from the eldest to the youngest… And then he found the cup in BenJamin’s bag.

¹³ Well at that, they all started ripping their clothes. So each man loaded his bag back on his burro, and they all returned to the city, ¹⁴ where Judah and his brothers were taken to see JoSeph, who was [still at home].

There they fell to the ground before him, ¹⁵ and JoSeph asked them:

‘What have you done? Didn’t you realize that a man like me can see the future?’

¹⁶ And Judah replied:

‘What can we say to you, our lord? What can we say that will justify us? God has uncovered the unrighteousness of your servants.

‘Look! We’re now our lord’s slaves… Both us and the one who was found with your cup!’

¹⁷ But JoSeph said:

‘I wouldn’t do anything like that… Just the man who was found with my cup will be my slave. [The rest of you] may return home safely to your father.’

¹⁸ Then Judah came up to him and said:

‘I beg you, sir,

‘Allow your servant to say something to you, and don’t get angry, because you’re next to PharaOh.

¹⁹ ‘Sir, you once asked your servants whether we have a father or a brother, ²⁰ and we replied:

‘Yes Lord, we have a father who is an old man, and he has a young son of his old age. [Since this boy’s] brother is now dead, he’s the only one left that came from his mother, and his father loves him.’

²¹ ‘Then you said to your servants:

‘Bring him down here to me, and I’ll take care of him.’

²² ‘And we said to our lord:

‘The child can’t leave his father, because if he leaves his father, [his father] will die.’

²³ ‘But you told your servants:

‘Unless your younger brother comes down with you, you won’t see my face again.’

²⁴ ‘And so, when we went up to your servant our father, we told him what our lord said.

²⁵ ‘Then, when our father said:

‘Return and buy a little food for us...’

²⁶ ‘...we said:

‘We can’t return, unless our younger brother goes with us. We can go there, but we won’t be able to see the man unless we bring our younger brother along!’

²⁷ ‘And your servant (our father) said to us:

‘You know that my woman gave birth to two [sons] for me. ²⁸ Now, one [of the two] is gone from me. For you told me that wild animals ate him, and I haven’t seen him since. ²⁹ So if you take this one away from me also and something should happen to him along the road, the sorrow will bring me to the grave in my old age!’

³⁰ ‘Therefore, if I should return to your servant (our father) and the boy doesn’t return with us (remember that his life depends on this [boy’s] life)... ³¹ Well, when he sees that the boy isn’t with us, he will die!

‘And then your servants [will be responsible for] bringing your servant (our elderly father) to his grave in his sorrow... ³² For when I (your servant) took the boy from his father, I said:

‘If I don’t return him to you and stand him before you, I’ll be guilty before my father throughout the age.’

³³ ‘Now, may I stay here as your slave instead of the boy! I’ll work in my lord’s house; but, let the boy [return home] with his brothers... ³⁴ For how could I return to my father without the boy and cause evil things to happen to him?’

Genesis 45

←44 | All books | All chapters | 46→

¹ However, JoSeph couldn’t restrain himself when they were all standing there with him; so he said:

‘Everyone else is dismissed!’

As a result, nobody [from his servants were with] JoSeph when he told his brothers who he was… ² And as he spoke, he was crying.

Well, soon all the Egyptians heard about this [anyway], and it was reported to the house of PharaOh. ³ For JoSeph said to his brothers:

‘I’m JoSeph! Is my father still alive?’

However, his brothers couldn’t answer him, because they were in shock!

⁴ Then JoSeph told his brothers:

‘Come closer to me...’

...and they all came up to him.

And he said:

‘I... Am your brother JoSeph whom you sold into Egypt.

⁵ ‘But, don’t be upset and don’t feel guilty that you sold me here, because [it was] God who sent me ahead of you, so you could live.

⁶ ‘For this [is just] the 2nd year of the famine on the earth, and there are still 5 years to come when there’ll be no plowing or reaping!

⁷ ‘It was God who sent me ahead of you so that some of you’d survive on the earth to feed the rest of your crowd. ⁸ Therefore, you didn’t send me here, God did! And now He’s made me like a father to PharaOh… The master of his whole house and the ruler of the entire land of Egypt!

⁹ ‘So hurry and return to my father, and tell him that this is what your son JoSeph has said:

‘God has made me the lord of the entire land of Egypt. So come here to me, and don’t delay! ¹⁰ You’ll live in the land of Gesem in [the Egyptian province of] Arabia [in Lower Egypt], where you’ll be closer to me… You, your sons, your grandsons, your sheep, your cattle, and everything that’s yours.

¹¹ ‘I’ll feed you there, because the famine is going to last for 5 more years. This way, nothing that you own will be lost… Not your sons or any of your possessions!’

¹² ‘Look at me and see!

‘And [you], my brother BenJamin... Use your eyes [and recognize] that it’s my mouth speaking to you!

¹³ ‘So report to my father about all the glory that I have in Egypt, and about everything that you’ve seen. Then hurry and bring my father down here.’

¹⁴ [Well, after that], he fell on his brother BenJamin’s neck and cried, and BenJamin cried on his neck. ¹⁵ Then he kissed all his brothers and cried over them, and his brothers [were finally able to] speak to him.

¹⁶ Well, the report of this was carried back to the house of PharaOh, for he was told:

‘JoSeph’s brothers have come.’

And this made PharaOh and his household very happy.

¹⁷ Then PharaOh said to JoSeph:

‘Tell your brothers to [get] wagons and return to the land of CanaAn ¹⁸ to get their father and all their possessions, and then come here to me.

‘I’ll give them all the good things of Egypt, and they’ll eat from the [best] of our land!

¹⁹ ‘Now, you must give them these instructions:

‘Tell them to take wagons from the land of Egypt to get their wives, their children, and their father, and come here. ²⁰ [Tell them] not to worry about their possessions, because all the good things of Egypt will be theirs.’

²¹ So that’s what the children of IsraEl did.... JoSeph gave them wagons, just as PharaOh the king had said, and he gave them the things that they’d need for their journey.

²² He also gave each of them two suits of clothes… But he gave BenJamin 5 suits of clothes, plus 300 gold coins. ²³ And he sent the same gifts to his father, plus 10 burros that carried a sampling of all the good things of Egypt, along with 10 mules that carried [provisions] for their journey.

²⁴ So he dismissed his brothers and they left.

But before they left, he told them:

‘Don’t go away angry.’

²⁵ Then they left Egypt and returned to the land of CanaAn and to their father, Jacob. ²⁶ There they reported everything to him, saying:

‘Your son JoSeph is alive! And he’s now the ruler of the entire land of Egypt!’

Well, this was so amazing to Jacob that he didn’t believe them. ²⁷ But they told him everything that JoSeph said, no matter what it was that he said to them.

It was then that [Jacob] noticed the chariots that JoSeph had sent to pick him up, and that’s when the spirit of their father Jacob was restored.

²⁸ And IsraEl said:

‘If my son JoSeph is still alive, that’s wonderful! I want to go see him before I die!’

Genesis 46

←45 | All books | All chapters | 47→

¹ So IsraEl left with everything that he owned. And when he got to the Well of the Promise [BeerSheba], he offered a sacrifice to the God of his father IsaAc.

² Then The God spoke to IsraEl in a vision that night.

He said:

‘Jacob! Jacob!’

And [Jacob] asked:

‘What is it?’

³ Then [God] said to him:

‘I am the God of your ancestors.

'Don’t be afraid to go down to Egypt, because I’ll make a great nation of you there.

⁴ ‘I will be going down to Egypt with you and I’ll be bringing you back… For it’ll be JoSeph who’ll lay his hands over your eyes.’

⁵ Well after that, Jacob left the Well of the Promise, and IsraEl’s sons carried their father, their baggage, and their women on the wagons that JoSeph had sent to them.

⁶ They also brought along the goods and things that they had obtained in the land of CanaAn, and they went to the land of Egypt (Jacob and all his descendants – ⁷ his sons, his grandsons, his daughters, and his granddaughters)… He brought all of his offspring with him down to Egypt.

⁸ These are the names of the grandsons of IsraEl who went to Egypt with their father Jacob:

The sons of Jacob’s first-born, ReuBen, were:

• ⁹ Enoch,

• PhalLus,

• AsRon, and

• CharMi.

¹⁰ The sons of SimeOn were:

• JemuEl,

• JaMin,

• Aod,

• Achin,

• SaAr, and

• Saul (the son of a CanaAnite woman).

¹¹ The sons of Levi were:

• GedSon,

• CaAth, and

• MeraRi.

¹² The sons of Judah were:

• Er,

• AuNan (who died in the land of CanaAn),

• SeLom,

• Phares,

• ZaRa, and

• Er.

¹³ Phares’ sons were:

• EsRon, and

• JemuEl.

The sons of IshSachar were:

• Thola,

• Phua,

• Asum, and

• SamBran.

¹⁴ The sons of ZebuLun were:

• Sered,

• AlLon, and

• AchoEl.

¹⁵ These were the sons that LeAh gave birth to (for Jacob) in MesoPotamia of Syria, and those of his daughter Dina. Altogether, the sons and daughters numbered 33.

¹⁶ The sons of Gad were:

• Saphon,

• Angis,

• SanNis,

• ThasoBan,

• Aedis,

• AroEdis, and

• AreElis.

¹⁷ The sons of Asher were:

• JemNa,

• JesShua,

• JeUl,

• BariJa, and

• SarAh (their sister).

BariJa’s sons were:

• Chobor, and

• MelchiEl.

¹⁸ These were the sons that ZelPha (whom Laban had given to his daughter LeAh) gave birth to for Jacob – 16 people.

¹⁹ The sons of Jacob’s woman RachEl were:

• JoSeph, and

• BenJamin.

²⁰ And the sons that were born to JoSeph in the land of Egypt through Asenath (the daughter of Petephre, the priest of HelioPolis) were:

• ManasSeh, and

• Ephraim.

The son who was born to ManasSeh by his Syrian concubine was MachIr. Then MachIr fathered GalaAd.

Ephraim’s sons were:

• SutalaAm, and

• TaAm.

SutalaAm’s son was Edom.

²¹ The sons of BenJamin were:

• Bala,

• Bochor, and

• AsBel.

Bala’s sons were:

• Gera,

• NoEman,

• Anchis,

• Ros, and

• Mamphim.

Then Gera fathered Arad.

²² These were the sons whom RachEl gave birth to for Jacob. Altogether, there were 18 people.

²³ The son of Dan was Hushim.

²⁴ NaphTali’s sons were:

• AsiEl,

• Goni,

• IshSaar, and

• SolLem.

²⁵ These were the sons that BalLa (whom Laban had given to his daughter RachEl) gave birth to for Jacob. [Altogether], there were 7 people.

²⁶ Therefore, all the descendants of Jacob that came with him to Egypt (those – except his son’s women – that came from his loins) totaled 66. ²⁷ And the sons of JoSeph that were born in the land of Egypt totaled 9.

So all the people of the house of Jacob that were with JoSeph in Egypt totaled 75.

²⁸ Now, [Jacob] had sent Judah ahead of him to JoSeph, who told him to meet them at the City of HroOn [possibly Mit El-Harun] in the land of RaMesse. ²⁹ So JoSeph got his chariots ready and went to meet his father IsraEl at the City of HroOn. And when he got there, [JoSeph] fell on [Jacob’s] neck and cried profusely.

³⁰ Then IsraEl said to JoSeph:

‘Now that I’ve seen your face I can die happy, because you’re still alive!’

³¹ And JoSeph told his brothers:

‘I’ll go to PharaOh and tell him that my brothers and my father’s household have arrived from the land of CanaAn. ³² I’ll also tell him that you’re shepherds and cattlemen, and that you’ve brought along your cattle, herds, and all of your belongings.

³³ ‘So if PharaOh calls for you and asks you what you do for a living, ³⁴ you must say:

‘Your servants have been shepherds since our youth… Both our fathers and us.’

‘[You must say this], so you can live in the land of Gesem in [the Egyptian province of] Arabia [in Lower Egypt], because shepherds are looked down on by the Egyptians.’

Genesis 47

←46 | All books | All chapters | 48→

¹ So then, JoSeph went and told PharaOh that his father and brothers had arrived from the land of CanaAn with their cattle, oxen, and all their possessions, and that they’d be staying in the land of Gesem.

² He also took 5 of his brothers and brought them before PharaOh.

³ And when PharaOh asked them:

‘What’s your occupation?’

They replied:

‘Your servants (we and our fathers) are shepherds.’

⁴ Then they said to PharaOh:

‘We’ve come to stay in [your] land. And since there are no pastures for your servant’s flocks here, and because there’s a famine in the land of CanaAn, please allow us to live in the land of Gesem.’

And PharaOh told JoSeph:

‘Then, may they live in the land of Gesem. And if you know any among them who are more capable, put them in charge of my cattle also.’

So that’s how Jacob and his sons came to JoSeph in Egypt. And after PharaOh (the king of Egypt) learned about this, ⁵ he told JoSeph:

‘[Now that] your father and brothers have come to you, ⁶ {Look!} the whole land of Egypt is before you... So, choose the very best land as a place for your father and brothers to settle!’

⁷ Then later, JoSeph brought his father Jacob in and stood him before PharaOh, and Jacob blest PharaOh.

⁸ Then PharaOh asked Jacob:

‘How old are you?’

⁹ And Jacob replied to PharaOh:

‘I’ve lived 130 years of my life.

‘These years have been too few and too troubled, for I haven’t reached the age that my ancestors [achieved], back in the days when they lived.’

¹⁰ And after that, Jacob [again] blest PharaOh, and left.

¹¹ So, just as PharaOh commanded, JoSeph gave his father and brothers a tract of land as their possession and settled them in the land of Egypt, on the best ground in the land of RaMesse.

¹² And thereafter, JoSeph provided grain for his father, brothers, and his father’s entire household.

¹³ However, there was no grain [growing on] the land at the time, so the famine was terrible. For both in the land of Egypt and in the land of CanaAn, people were weak from the famine. ¹⁴ As a result, JoSeph collected all the money that there was in the land of Egypt and in the land of CanaAn, because the people had spent all that they had for the grain that they were buying… And he took it all to the house of PharaOh.

¹⁵ So before long, there was no more money left in the land of Egypt or in the land of CanaAn. And because of this, all the Egyptians came to JoSeph and said:

‘Give us bread! Do you want us to die here before you? All our money is gone!’

¹⁶ And JoSeph replied to them:

‘If all your money is gone, then bring me your cattle, and I’ll give you bread in exchange for them.’

¹⁷ So they brought their cattle to JoSeph, and he gave them bread in exchange for their horses, sheep, oxen, and burros.

And JoSeph kept the people alive with bread that year in exchange for their cattle.

¹⁸ But after that year had passed, they came to him the 2nd year and said:

‘Must we be consumed before you, our lord?

‘For all our money is gone, and since we’ve brought all our possessions and our cattle to you, our lord, we don’t have anything left other than our bodies and our land!

¹⁹ ‘Therefore, so that we won’t die before you, and so that our land isn’t devastated, please buy us and our land for bread, so that we and our land will become PharaOh’s servants... Give us seeds to grow so we can live and not die, and so that our land won’t be devastated!’

²⁰ As a result, JoSeph bought all the land of the Egyptians for PharaOh… They sold it all to PharaOh, because the famine was so bad. And therefore, the entire land became PharaOh’s, ²¹ and the people became his servants from one end of Egypt to the other… ²² That is, except for the land of the priests – JoSeph didn’t buy [their land], because PharaOh gave [grain] as gifts to the priests. So they ate what PharaOh gave them, and they didn’t have to sell their land.

²³ Then JoSeph told all the Egyptians:

‘{Look!} Today I’ve purchased both you and your land for PharaOh. So now, take the seeds and plant the land. ²⁴ Then, when it produces, you must give 1/5 of its produce to PharaOh!

‘You may keep the rest for yourselves as seeds for planting and as food for you and for all that are in your homes.’

²⁵ And they said:

‘You have saved us! We’ve found favor before you, our lord, and we’ll be PharaOh’s servants!’

²⁶ As a result, JoSeph passed a law that we still have today:

A fifth part [of the produce of the land of Egypt] is to be [given to] PharaOh. The only exception is the land of the priests (that doesn’t belong to PharaOh).

²⁷ Well thereafter, the IsraElites lived in the land of Gesem in Egypt and they owned an allotment [of land] there… So the [family] grew rapidly and profusely.

²⁸ Jacob also lived for 17 more years there in the land of Egypt, until he was 147 years old.

²⁹ Then, as the time for IsraEl to die drew near, he called his son JoSeph and said this to him:

‘If I’ve found favor before you, put your hand under my thigh and [swear] to me mercifully and truthfully that you won’t bury me in Egypt, ³⁰ but that I’ll sleep with my ancestors!

‘[Swear that] you’ll carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their tomb.’

And JoSeph said:

‘I will do as you’ve asked.’

³¹ But [Jacob] said:

‘Swear to me!’

And he swore to him.

Then IsraEl bowed low, as he leaned on his cane.

Genesis 48

←47 | All books | All chapters | 49→

¹ Well, sometime after that, this report came to JoSeph:

‘{Look!} Your father is ill!’

So he took his two sons, ManasSeh and Ephraim, and they went to [see] Jacob.

² Then when Jacob was told that his son JoSeph had come to see him, IsraEl straightened himself and sat up on his bed.

³ And [he] said this to JoSeph:

‘My God appeared to me in Luza in the land of CanaAn and blest me.

⁴ ‘Then He said to me:

‘{Look!} I’ll make you grow and increase, and I’ll make many nations come from you. I’ll also give this land to you and to your offspring that comes after you as an inheritance throughout the ages.’

⁵ ‘Now, your two sons (Ephraim and ManasSeh) who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came here, are my [sons] the same as ReuBen and SimeOn are my [sons]... ⁶ And any children that you have from this point on will share in the names of their brothers; so, [the lands that they’ll] inherit will be named after them!

⁷ ‘As for me... After I left Assyrian MesoPotamia, your mother RachEl died in the land of CanaAn during the evening, near the ChabRatha racetrack while we were coming to EphRatha (or BethLehem).

‘So I buried her beside the road at the racetrack of BethLehem.’

⁸ Then, when IsraEl noticed JoSeph’s sons, he asked:

‘Who are they?’

⁹ And JoSeph replied to his father:

‘They’re the sons that God has given to me here.’

And Jacob said:

‘Bring them here to me, so that I can bless them.’

¹⁰ Now, IsraEl’s eyes were weak due to his age, so he couldn’t see. But he drew them close, and he hugged and kissed them both.

¹¹ Then IsraEl said to JoSeph:

‘Look! I haven’t been deprived of seeing your face, and now {Look!} God has also shown me your offspring.’

¹² So at that, JoSeph brought them out from [between] his [father’s] knees, and they bowed to [IsraEl] with their faces to the ground.

¹³ Then JoSeph took his two sons, with Ephraim at his right hand (but on the left of IsraEl), and ManasSeh at his left hand (but on the right of IsraEl), and led them near to him again.

¹⁴ However, IsraEl stuck out his right hand and laid it on Ephraim’s head (he was the younger), and he put his left hand on ManasSeh’s head, with his arms crossed.

¹⁵ Then he blest them, saying:

‘May the God who found my fathers AbraHam and IsaAc pleasing (the God who fed me from my youth until now ¹⁶ and the [spirit] messenger who protects me from all that’s evil) bless these boys… And may they be called by my name and by the name of my fathers, AbraHam and IsaAc...

‘Let them grow to be a vast number on the ground!’

¹⁷ Well, when JoSeph noticed that his father had put his right hand on Ephraim’s head, that seemed wrong to him. So JoSeph took hold of his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to ManasSeh’s head.

¹⁸ And JoSeph said:

‘Father! This is the first-born... Lay your right hand on his head!’

¹⁹ But Jacob wouldn’t. He said:

‘I know, son, I know. [Your eldest son] will be a [tribe of] people, and he will be important. However, his younger brother will be greater, and his offspring will become many nations.’

²⁰ So he blest them that day. And he said [to JoSeph]:

‘In your name, IsraEl will pronounce this blessing:

‘May God make you like Ephraim and ManasSeh!’

...and he put Ephraim before ManasSeh.

²¹ Then IsraEl said to JoSeph:

‘Look, I’m dying! But my God will be with you, and He will return you to the land of your fathers.

²² ‘I am giving you SheChem (a better portion than that of your brothers), which I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.’

Genesis 49

←48 | All books | All chapters | 50→

¹ Then Jacob called the rest of his sons in and said to them:

² ‘Gather here so I can tell you what will happen to you in later years. Gather and listen to me, sons of Jacob. Listen to IsraEl… Listen to your father!

³ ‘ReuBen:

‘You’re my firstborn and my strength. You’re the first of my children, but you’re hard to endure, [pig headed], ⁴ and you’re as unruly as water… Bring an end to your violence!

‘For you even climbed up on your father’s bed and dirtied the couch that you climbed on!

⁵ ‘SimeOn and Levi:

‘You are brothers who are good at the injustices that separated you. ⁶ May my inner person pay no attention to the things that you say, and may my feelings never have any part in your conspiracies. For you’ve killed men in anger, and in your passion you’ve cut off the feet of bulls!

⁷ ‘May your anger be cursed, because it’s willful and cruel. So I’ll separate you in [the land of] Jacob and scatter you in IsraEl!

⁸ ‘Judah:

‘Your brothers have spoken well of you, so your hands will stay on the backs of your enemies, and your father’s sons will bow before you… ⁹ For Judah is the cub of a lion.

‘My son: you’ve grown from the tender plant [you once were], and now you’re a young lion. So by whom can you ever be beaten?

¹⁰ ‘There’ll always be a ruler from Judah,

And princes will come from his loins

Until the one we’re awaiting arrives…

The one who’s the hope of the nations.

¹¹ ‘[He’ll] tie his foal to a vine…

The foal of his burro to a branch,

And he’ll wash his robes in [fine] wine…

In the blood of grapes, he will wash his clothes;

¹² His eyes will be more cheerful than wine,

And his teeth [will be] whiter than milk.

¹³ ‘ZebuLun:

‘You’ll live on the coast near a shipping port that reaches to Sidon.

¹⁴ ‘IshSachar:

‘You’ve desired the best thing… To rest among the [other] inheritances. ¹⁵ So [when you find] a good resting place and fertile land, you’ll put your shoulders to work and become a farmer.

¹⁶ ‘Dan:

‘You’ll judge your people as a single tribe in IsraEl.

¹⁷ ‘Dan will be a snake on the road that blocks the path and bites at the hooves of horses to cause their riders to fall, ¹⁸ while he awaits the salvation of Yahweh.

¹⁹ ‘Gad:

‘You’ll be looted by plunderers… But then you’ll also follow and plunder them.

²⁰ ‘Asher:

‘You’ll have plenty of bread, and you’ll provide delicious things to princes.

²¹ ‘NaphTali:

‘You’re a spreading vine [that will bear] beautiful fruit.

²² ‘JoSeph:

‘My son who has now grown [into a man];

My dearly-loved son who’s been increased;

My younger son who has been returned...

²³ ‘You’re the one whom the evil have spoken against;

The one against whom they’ve plotted

And whom the archers [have tried to shoot down].

²⁴ ‘But their bows and arrows were quickly destroyed

By the hand of Jacob’s Almighty God,

Who then weakened the might of their arms…

‘You’re the one who thereafter brought strength

From the God of IsraEl, to his father.

²⁵ ‘My God has helped you and blest you

With the blessings that come from above.

‘They’re the blessings of the ground that owns all…

They’re the blessings of the breasts and the womb.

²⁶ ‘They’re the blessings of your father and mother,

Which last longer than the blessings on the mountains,

And [longer than] the hills of the ages.

‘These [blessings] will be upon JoSeph’s head,

And on the heads of the brothers

Over whom he will now take the lead.

²⁷ ‘BenJamin:

‘You're a hungry wolf who’ll eat all morning long, but also provide food in the evening.’

²⁸ All these are the 12 sons of Jacob, and that’s what their father said to them. He blest them… He blest each of them by the blessings that they’d receive.

²⁹ Then he said to them:

‘Now I’m going to my people [in death]; so, bury me with my ancestors in the cave that’s in the field of EphRon the Kettite.

³⁰ ‘It’s the double cave across from MamRe in the land of CanaAn that AbraHam bought as a tomb from EphRon the Kettite, ³¹ and it’s where they buried AbraHam and his wife SarAh, IsaAc and his wives RebecKa and LeAh, ³² in that part of the field where the caves of the sons of Ket are located.’

³³ Then Jacob stopped giving instructions to his sons, and he lifted his feet on the bed and died… Then he was buried with his people.

Genesis 50

←49 | All books | All chapters

¹ Well at that, JoSeph fell over his father’s face, cried over him, and kissed him.

² Then JoSeph told his servants (the embalmers) to [take charge of] his father’s body, and the embalmers mummified IsraEl. ³ The process took 40 days, because that’s how long it took to mummify someone. And all of Egypt mourned for him during the next 70 days.

⁴ Then when the days of mourning were completed, JoSeph spoke to the PharaOh’s mighty ones and said:

‘If I’ve found favor in your eyes, talk to PharaOh for me and tell him that ⁵ my father made me swear, saying:

‘I want you to bury me in the tomb that I dug for myself in the land of CanaAn.’

‘So I wish to go there and bury my father… And then I’ll return.’

⁶ And PharaOh said to JoSeph:

‘Go up and bury your father, just as he made you swear.’

⁷ So JoSeph went up [to the land of CanaAn] to bury his father; and all of PharaOh’s servants and elders of his house, as well as all the elders of the land of Egypt traveled with him ⁸ and the households of JoSeph and his brothers, as well as the household of his father and his relatives.

However, they left the sheep and oxen behind in the land of Gesem… ⁹ The entourage also included many chariots and horsemen, and a large crowd of others.

¹⁰ Then, upon arriving at the threshing-floor of Atad (which is across the JorDan), they wailed for [Jacob] with a very deep grief, and they mourned there for [JoSeph’s] father for the next 7 days.

¹¹ Well, when the people of the land of CanaAn saw the mourning at the floor of Atad, they said:

‘This is a huge mourning to the Egyptians!’

So after that, they named the place The Mourning of Egypt Beyond the JorDan.

¹² Yes, that’s what his sons did for him.

¹³ His sons carried him up into the land of CanaAn and buried him in the double cave that AbraHam bought as his own burying place from EphRon the Kettite, which is across from MamRe.

¹⁴ Then JoSeph and his brothers returned to Egypt, along with all those who had come with him to bury his father.

¹⁵ Well, after JoSeph’s brothers saw that their father had died, they said:

‘Let’s not forget that JoSeph can decide to get even with us and pay us back for all the evil things that we did to him at any time!’

¹⁶ So they went to JoSeph and said:

‘Before his death, your father made us swear. He instructed us ¹⁷ to tell JoSeph to forgive us for the bad things we’ve done and for our sins, because we’ve really done some evil things to you.

‘Therefore, please forgive the injustice of the servants of the God of your father.’

Well, JoSeph started to weep while they were talking to him. ¹⁸ Then they came up to him and said:

‘We are your servants!’

¹⁹ And JoSeph said:

‘Don’t be afraid, for I [belong to] God. ²⁰ And even though you once met and talked about doing evil things to me, God made what you said about me [turn out] for the good.

‘And that’s why things happened as they have today… So that many people might be fed.’

²¹ Then he said to them:

‘Don’t be afraid... I’ll take care of you and your families.’

And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.

²² Well, JoSeph continued to live in Egypt along with his brothers and his father’s family for 110 years. ²³ JoSeph [lived to] see Ephraim’s children through to the third generation, and the sons of MachIr (ManasSeh’s son) were born at his side.

²⁴ Then JoSeph told his [family]:

‘I’m dying. But, God will surely come to you and take you from this land into the land that God swore to give to our ancestors, AbraHam, IsaAc, and Jacob.’

²⁵ Then JoSeph made the Sons of IsraEl swear, saying:

‘When God comes for you, you must carry my bones back with you.’

²⁶ So JoSeph died at the age of 110 [c. 1879 BCE], and they prepared his body, then they placed it in a [tomb] in Egypt.

Exodus

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Exodus is a history book, law book, and a book describing the items that the Israelites made for worship.

It was compiled by Moses, probably with the help of secretaries.

It covers the time that the Israelites first entered Egypt until the time of the construction of the Tent of Proofs in the desert, which we calculate to be around 1549 BCE.

Difficult portions

This book contains some long descriptions of the first laws and the construction of the items for worship. These sections may be too dry for casual reading, so if you only wish to read the story, we’ve added editor notes to show you where it begins and ends.

Bold text

The main topics of each law, procedure, and object for worship are marked in bold.

Exodus 1

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¹ These are the names of the Sons of IsraEl that came to Egypt with their father Jacob and their families:

• ² ReuBen,

• SimeOn,

• Levi,

• Judah,

• ³ IshSachar,

• ZebuLun,

• BenJamin,

• ⁴ Dan,

• NaphTali,

• Gad, and

• Asher.

⁵ Then [there was] JoSeph [who lived] in Egypt; so altogether, there were 75 of these people who [descended] from Jacob.

⁶ [In time], JoSeph, his brothers, and that entire generation died. ⁷ But the children of IsraEl grew and multiplied into a large and strong [nation], and the land helped them to grow.

⁸ Then a new king became the ruler over Egypt who didn’t know JoSeph [possibly SobeKemsaf I]. ⁹ And he said to his nation:

‘{Look!} The children of IsraEl have [grown tremendously] and they’re now more powerful than we are!

¹⁰ ‘So, let’s be crafty in the ways that we deal with them, because if they continue to grow, and then we find ourselves at war, they could side with our enemies!

‘And after they beat us in war, they will leave our land!’

¹¹ So he appointed [governors] over them, whose [job] was to make them do hard labor; and they built fortified cities for PharaOh, including Pithom, RaMesse, and On (the City of the Sun).

¹² But the more they held [the IsraElites] down, the faster they grew.

Well, they multiplied so much and grew so strong that the Egyptians hated the children of IsraEl! ¹³ So the Egyptians became tyrants over IsraEl ¹⁴ and made their lives unbearable by forcing them to work hard by making bricks from clay and working in the fields… Whatever needed to be done.

And they were also dealt with violently.

¹⁵ Then the king of Egypt told the midwives that [served] the Hebrews (one was SepPhora and the other was Poua):

¹⁶ ‘When you serve as midwives to the Hebrew women and they’re about to give birth, kill [the baby] if it’s a boy, but leave it alone if it’s a girl.’

¹⁷ However, the midwives feared God and wouldn’t do what the king of Egypt told them… They allowed the male [babies] to live. ¹⁸ So, the king of Egypt called for the midwives and asked them:

‘Why haven’t you [killed] the male [babies]?’

¹⁹ And the midwives answered PharaOh, saying:

‘Hebrew women aren’t like the women of Egypt, because they give birth before the midwives arrive, so they [already] have their children!’

²⁰ As a result, God dealt kindly with the midwives, while the [IsraElites] continued to multiply and grow very strong. ²¹ Also, these midwives that feared God were able to start families.

²² Then PharaOh told all his people:

‘Whenever a male is born to the Hebrews, you must throw it into the river… But let the females live.’

Exodus 2

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¹ Now, there was a certain man of the tribe of Levi who married one of the daughters of [his tribe]. ² Then she got pregnant and gave birth to a male child. And after she saw how beautiful the child was, they hid him for three months.

³ But when they could no longer hide him, his mother got a box for him and coated it with tar, put the child inside, then she set it in the mud by the river, ⁴ and she had his sister keep watch in the distance to see what would happen to him.

⁵ Well, PharaOh’s daughter thereafter came down to the river to bathe. And as her handmaids were walking along by the river, they saw the box lying in the mud, so she sent a handmaid out to pick it up... ⁶ And when she opened it, she found the baby inside the box, crying!

Well, PharaOh’s daughter felt sorry for it and said:

‘This is a Hebrew child!’

⁷ Then [the baby’s] sister went up and asked PharaOh’s daughter:

‘Would you like me to call a Hebrew [woman] to nurse the child for you?’

⁸ And PharaOh’s daughter replied:

‘Go!’

So the young woman went and called [her] mother.

⁹ Then PharaOh’s daughter said to [the mother]:

‘Take care of this child and nurse it for me, and I’ll pay you.’

So the woman took the child and nursed it. ¹⁰ And after the boy had grown, she brought him to PharaOh’s daughter and he became her son. [PharaOh’s daughter] named him Moses [Egyptian: Mo-sheh, meaning, to draw], because she said:

‘I drew him from the water.’

¹¹ In time, after Moses had grown, he went to see his brothers, the sons of IsraEl. And as he was observing how bad things were, he noticed an Egyptian beating one of his Hebrew brothers of the children of IsraEl. ¹² Then he looked around and he didn’t see anyone, so he bludgeoned the Egyptian and buried [his body] in the sand.

¹³ Well, on the next day, he noticed two Hebrew men fighting, and he asked the bully:

‘Why are you beating your neighbor?’

¹⁴ And he replied:

‘Who appointed you to be our ruler and judge? Are you going to kill me like you killed that Egyptian yesterday?’

This stunned Moses, and he thought:

‘If [he knows], then others will know!’

¹⁵ And when PharaOh found out about it, he tried to have Moses put to death. So Moses withdrew from the face of PharaOh and went to live in the land of MidiAn.

Then, upon arriving in the land of MidiAn, he sat down next to a well. ¹⁶ And nearby, the 7 daughters of the Priest of MidiAn happened to be grazing their father’s sheep.

Then, when they came [to the well] to fill their buckets to water the flock, ¹⁷ some shepherds arrived and [tried to] chase them away. However, Moses stood up and protected them. And thereafter, he drew water for them and watered their sheep.

¹⁸ Well, after they returned to their home, their father (RagouEl) asked them:

‘Why have you returned so quickly today?’

¹⁹ And they replied:

‘An Egyptian protected us from the shepherds; and then he drew water for us and watered our sheep.’

²⁰ So [RaguEl] asked his daughters:

‘Where is he… Why did you leave the man? Invite him over [for a meal].’

²¹ Well [after that], Moses developed a good relationship with the man, and [RaguEl] gave his daughter SepPhoran to be Moses’ wife. ²² Then she got pregnant and gave birth to a son, whom Moses named GerSam [meaning, Visitor], for he said:

‘I’m a visitor in a strange land.’

²³ After a while, the king of Egypt died. But the children of IsraEl kept groaning and crying because of their hard work. And the cries over their labor ascended to God! ²⁴ [He] heard their groaning and God remembered the Sacred Agreement He had made with AbraHam, IsaAc, and Jacob... ²⁵ So He [started paying attention] to the children of IsraEl, and He made Himself known to them.

Exodus 3

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¹ It was while Moses was out tending the flock of his father-in-law (His Excellence, the Priest of MidiAn) that he’d led the sheep into the desert to the dry mountain. ² And there, Yahweh’s messenger appeared to him in a flame that was burning in a bush. He saw the flames in the bush, but [the bush] wasn’t really burning.

³ And Moses said:

‘I’ll get closer, so I can see this great sight… To find out why the bush isn’t being burned!’

⁴ And when [God] saw him drawing closer to look, the Lord called to him from the bush. He said:

‘Moses!

‘Moses!’

And [Moses] asked:

‘What is it?’

⁵ And He said:

‘Don’t come any closer. Take your sandals off, because you’re standing on holy ground.’

⁶ Then He said:

‘I am the God of your ancestors… The God of AbraHam, the God of IsaAc, and the God of Jacob.’

Well at that, Moses turned his face away, because he was afraid to look at God.

⁷ Then the Lord told Moses:

‘I’ve seen the hardships that My people are enduring in Egypt, and I’ve heard their cries about their task-masters, so I know what they’re going through.

⁸ ‘Now, I’ve come down here to free them from the Egyptians and to take them away from that land, to a land that’s good and has plenty of room… A land that’s flowing with milk and honey. It’s the place where the CanaAnites, Chettites, Amorites, Pherezites, Gergeshites, Evites, and Jebusites [live].

⁹ ‘For, {Look!} the shouting of the children of IsraEl has now reached to Me, and I’ve seen the suffering that the Egyptians are bringing upon them.

¹⁰ ‘So now, come; because, I’m going to send you to PharaOh, the king of Egypt, and you’re going to bring My people (the children of IsraEl) out of the land of Egypt.’

¹¹ But Moses asked God:

‘Just who am I that I should go to PharaOh the king of Egypt and bring the children of IsraEl out of that land?’

¹² And God replied:

‘I will be with you! This [place] will serve as the sign that I’m sending you.

‘Then when you bring My people out of Egypt, you must serve God on this mountain.’

¹³ But Moses said to God:

‘Look, I’ll go to the children of IsraEl and tell them:

‘The God of our ancestors has sent me to you.’

‘But they’re going to ask:

‘What is His Name?’

‘So, what should I tell them?’

¹⁴ And God told Moses:

‘I am The Being! Just tell the children of IsraEl that The Being has sent you.’

¹⁵ Then God said to Moses:

‘Tell the Sons of IsraEl that Yahweh the God of your ancestors – the God of AbraHam, IsaAc, and Jacob – has sent you to them.

‘That has been My Name throughout the ages, and it’s how I shall be remembered from generation to generation.

¹⁶ ‘So, go and gather the elders of the children of IsraEl, then tell them that Yahweh, the God of your ancestors, has appeared to you. He’s the God of AbraHam, the God of IsaAc, and the God of Jacob.

‘[And report that] He said:

‘I have looked [down] and [seen] all the bad things that are happening to you in Egypt.’

¹⁷ ‘And tell them that I will take them away from their oppression in Egypt into the land of the CanaAnites, Chettites, Amorites, Pherezites, Gergeshites, Evites, and Jebusites… A land that is flowing with milk and honey.

¹⁸ ‘And then they’ll listen to what you have to say.

‘After that, you and the elders of IsraEl must go to PharaOh the king of Egypt and tell him this:

‘The God of the Hebrews has called us, so we’re going on a 3-day journey into the desert to offer a sacrifice to our God.’

¹⁹ ‘However, I know that PharaOh (the king of Egypt) won’t let you go [unless he sees] a mighty hand [of power]. ²⁰ So I’ll raise My hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that I [wish to show] to them… And then he will allow you to leave.

²¹ ‘I will also make [My] people look good in the eyes of the Egyptians, so that when you escape, you won’t leave empty handed.

²² ‘Women will ask their neighbors and landlords for clothing, and for gold and silver [jewelry], which you’ll then put on your sons and your daughters… So you’ll plunder the Egyptians!’

Exodus 4

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¹ Then Moses asked:

‘But, what if they don’t listen to me and do what I tell them to do? Or, what if they say, God hasn’t appeared to you… What should I tell them then?’

² So the Lord asked him:

‘What do you have in your hand?’

And he replied:

‘My walking stick.’

³ Then [the Lord] said:

‘Throw it on the ground.’

Well, when he threw it on the ground it became a snake, and Moses ran from it.

⁴ And after that, the Lord told Moses:

‘Now, reach out and grab it by the tail.’

So [Moses] reached out and grabbed it by the tail, ⁵ and it became a walking stick in his hand once again. [And God continued]:

‘That’s why they’ll believe you when you say that the God of your ancestors has appeared to you… The God of AbraHam, and of IsaAc, and of Jacob.’

⁶ Then the Lord told him:

‘Now, put your hand inside [your robe and touch] your chest.’

So, he reached inside and touched his chest; and when he brought his hand out, it was [as white] as snow!

⁷ Then [the Lord] said:

‘Now, put your hand back in and touch your chest once more.’

So, he reached in and touched his chest, and when he brought it out, its color had returned to the regular shade of his flesh!

⁸ [Then the Lord said]:

‘So, if the first sign doesn’t make them listen to you and believe, the second sign will. ⁹ But if they still won’t listen to you or believe after these two signs, then draw some water from the river and pour it out on the dry ground… And the river water will turn into blood.’

¹⁰ Then Moses said to the Lord:

‘I beg you Lord; I’ve not been good at this in the past, and I’ve not become any better at it since You’ve started talking to your servant… I’m a poor speaker and I talk slowly!’

¹¹ And the Lord asked Moses:

‘Who gave man his mouth? Who made both those who can hear and the deaf, as well as those who can see and the blind? Wasn’t it Me… God?

¹² ‘Now, go on, and I’ll open your mouth and tell you what to say!’

¹³ But Moses continued:

‘I beg you Lord, send someone who is more capable!’

¹⁴ Well, this made the Lord very angry with Moses, so He said:

‘Look; isn’t Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he’ll speak for you… Look, he’s coming to meet you, and when he sees you, he’ll be jumping for joy.

¹⁵ ‘Then you must talk to him and put My words into his mouth, and I’ll open both of your mouths and tell you what to say. ¹⁶ Let him speak to the people for you… He will serve as your mouth and you will be the things of God to him.

¹⁷ ‘So now, take this walking stick that turned into a snake in your hands and work miracles with it!’

¹⁸ Well thereafter, Moses returned to His Excellence (his father-in-law), and said:

‘I’m going to visit my brother in Egypt to see if he’s still living.’

And His Excellence said to Moses:

‘Go in health.’

Well, after some time, the king of Egypt [possibly Kamose] died. ¹⁹ And the Lord said to Moses (while he was still in MidiAn):

‘Now go… Leave for Egypt, because those who wanted to kill you, are dead.’

²⁰ So Moses took his wife and children, mounted them on his animals, and returned to Egypt. Moses also carried along the walking stick [through which he’d received power] from God.

²¹ And the Lord said to Moses:

‘When you return to Egypt, consider all the miracles that I’ve given to you, then you must perform these things before PharaOh.

‘However, I’ll make him hard-hearted and he will still refuse to send the people away. ²² So you must tell PharaOh:

‘This is what Yahweh has said:

‘IsraEl is My firstborn, ²³ and I’ve told you to send My people away so they can serve Me; however, if you won’t send them away, {Look!} I’ll destroy all your firstborn!’

²⁴ Well, [during their journey], a messenger of Yahweh met them along the way at an inn, and he wanted to kill [Moses’ son]. ²⁵ But SepPhoran grabbed a [sharp] stone and cut off her son’s foreskin.

Then she fell at his feet and said:

‘See… The blood of my son’s circumcision is flowing!’

²⁶ So because she said, ‘The blood of my son’s circumcision is flowing,’ he left.

²⁷ Then the Lord told Aaron:

‘Now, go into the desert to meet Moses.’

So, he went and met him at the Mountain of God, and they kissed each other. ²⁸ And thereafter, Moses told Aaron everything that the Lord had said, why he was being sent, and about all the things that he’d been instructed to do.

²⁹ So Moses and Aaron went and gathered the elders of the children of IsraEl, ³⁰ and Aaron told them everything that God had said to Moses; then he performed the miracles before the people… ³¹ And the people believed and were happy, because God was visiting the children of IsraEl and He had seen how they were being oppressed.

So, the people all bowed to their faces before him.

Exodus 5

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¹ Well after that, Moses and Aaron went to PharaOh and said to him:

‘This is what Yahweh the God of IsraEl, said:

‘Send My people away, so they can hold a feast to Me in the desert.’

² And PharaOh asked:

‘Just who is this Yahweh, that I must pay attention to anything He has to say and send the children of IsraEl away? I don’t know Yahweh, and I’m not letting IsraEl go!’

³ So [Moses and Aaron] said:

‘The God of the Hebrews has called us to Him, and we’re going on a 3-day journey into the desert to [offer] sacrifices to our God Yahweh; otherwise, we’re afraid that He might strike us and we’ll die!’

⁴ But the king of Egypt replied:

‘Why are you, Moses and Aaron, trying to keep people from doing their work? Now, go back and just do your jobs!’

⁵ Then PharaOh said [to his people]:

‘{Look!} There are huge numbers of them and we can’t allow them to slack off from doing their work!’

⁶ And as a result, PharaOh gave orders to those who were in charge to tell their supervisors ⁷ not to give the people any straw for brick-making as they did the day before and three days before that.

He said:

‘Let them gather and carry the straw for themselves! ⁸ However, they must maintain the quota for the daily brick making… Don’t let up on them, because they’re lazy!

‘Why, they came here demanding that we must allow them to [go out and] offer a sacrifice to their God. ⁹ Therefore, make the men’s work much harder, so they’ll pay attention to that instead of to idle chatter!’

¹⁰ Well, the taskmasters and the supervisors acted quickly, and they told the people:

‘This is what PharaOh says:

‘I’m not going to give you straw anymore. ¹¹ Go get it yourselves! Take it from wherever you can find it… But you must still make the same number of [bricks]!’

¹² So the people were scattered all over the land of Egypt as they gathered stubble for straw. ¹³ And the taskmasters kept pushing them, saying:

‘You aren’t meeting the quotas you had when [we were providing] the straw.’

¹⁴ But then the supervisors who were assigned over the children of IsraEl by PharaOh’s governors were whipped… And they were asked:

‘Why aren’t you meeting your brick-making quotas as you did yesterday and three days ago?’

¹⁵ Well as a result, the children of IsraEl’s supervisors went to see PharaOh, and asked him:

‘Why are you treating your servants this way? ¹⁶ You don’t give us any straw, but you tell us to make bricks anyhow... And now {Look!} your servants have been whipped! Are you going to allow your people to be injured?’

¹⁷ And he said to them:

‘You’re lazy and you’re slackers! For you said, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifices to our God.’

¹⁸ ‘Now, go to work instead, because you won’t be given any straw… But you must meet the same quota of bricks.’

¹⁹ Well, the children of IsraEl’s supervisors realized that they were in a tight situation, since they’d been told that they still had to deliver the same daily quota of bricks.

²⁰ So when they saw Moses and Aaron coming to meet them (just after they’d left PharaOh), ²¹ they said:

‘May God look down on you and judge you, because you’ve made us so hated by PharaOh and his servants that you’ve put the sword into their hands to kill us!’

²² Then Moses turned to Yahweh, and said:

‘I beg You, O Lord,

‘Why have You caused trouble for these people, and why did You send me?

²³ ‘For from the time that I went to PharaOh to speak in Your Name, he’s made things harder for these people… And You still haven’t taken Your people away.’

Exodus 6

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¹ And Yahweh replied to Moses:

‘Now you’re going to see what I will do to PharaOh; for he will indeed send them away… With a strong hand and a hard pitch he’ll throw them out of his land!’

² And God said to Moses:

‘I am Yahweh.

³ ‘I appeared to AbraHam, IsaAc, and Jacob as their God – and wasn’t my name Yahweh declared to them? ⁴ I established My sacred agreement with them [and promised] to give them the land of the CanaAnites… The land where they were visitors and living as strangers.

⁵ ‘Now, I’ve heard the groaning of the children of IsraEl over the oppressive ways that the Egyptians are keeping them in slavery, and I’ve remembered the sacred agreement [that I made] with them.

⁶ ‘So, go and tell the children of IsraEl that I am Yahweh and that I will lead them out of the tyranny of the Egyptians and free them from slavery.

‘I’ll pay their ransom with a hard pitch and a great judgment, ⁷ then I’ll take them to be My people and I’ll be their God… And they’ll know that I am Yahweh their God who freed them from the tyranny of the Egyptians.

⁸ ‘Then I’ll bring them into the land that I reached out to give to AbraHam, IsaAc, and Jacob… I’ll give it to them as their inheritance, for I am Yahweh!’

⁹ So, that’s what Moses then went and told the Sons of IsraEl.

However, they wouldn’t listen to Moses, because of their fear and their hard work. ¹⁰ So the Lord told Moses:

¹¹ ‘Go and tell PharaOh the king of Egypt to send the children of IsraEl out of his land!’

¹² And Moses replied to the Lord, saying:

‘Look, the children of IsraEl didn’t listen to me, so how will I get PharaOh to listen to me? Besides, I’m not a good speaker.’

¹³ So the Lord spoke to [both] Moses and Aaron and told them to order PharaOh (the king of Egypt) to send the children of IsraEl out of the land of Egypt.

¹⁴ Now, these were the family heads of each of the houses of [IsraEl at the time]...

The sons of ReuBen (IsraEl’s firstborn) were:

• Enoch,

• PhalLus,

• AsRon, and

• Charmi.

They were ReuBen’s children.

¹⁵ The sons of SimeOn were:

• JemuEl,

• JaMin,

• Aod,

• JaChin,

• SaAr, and

• Saul (a Phoenician woman’s son).

These were SimeOn’s children.

¹⁶ The sons of Levi (and the family heads) were:

• GedSon,

• CaAth, and

• MeraRi.

And Levi lived to be 137 years old.

¹⁷ The sons of GedSon (and the family heads) were:

• LoBeni, and

• Semei.

CaAth’s sons were:

• ¹⁸ AmBram,

• IshSaAr,

• ChebRon, and

• Ozie.

And CaAth lived to be 133 years old.

¹⁹ The sons of MeraRi (and the family heads) were:

• MoOli, and

• Omusi.

²⁰ Now, AmBram married his cousin JochaBed (the daughter of his father’s brother), and she gave birth to:

• Aaron,

• Moses, and

• MiriAm (their sister).

AmBram [died] when he was 132 years old.

²¹ The sons of IshSaAr were:

• KorAh,

• Naphec, and

• ZechRi.

²² And the sons of OziEl were:

• MisaEl,

• EliShaphan, and

• Segri.

²³ Then Aaron married EliShaBeth, the daughter of AminAdab and the sister of NaAsson, and she gave birth to:

• NaDab,

• AbiUd,

• EliEzer, and

• IthaMar.

²⁴ KorAh’s sons were:

• Asir,

• ElKana, and

• AbiAsar.

These were KorAh’s children.

²⁵ Aaron’s son EliEzer married one of the daughters of PhutiEl, and she gave birth to PhineAs.

These are the heads of the family of the Levites, by their generations.

²⁶ And this is Aaron and Moses, who were told by God to use His power to bring the children of IsraEl out of the land of Egypt.

²⁷ So, this is what they went and said to PharaOh the king of Egypt (before Aaron and Moses brought the children of IsraEl out of the land of Egypt) ²⁸ on the very day that the Lord spoke to Moses.

²⁹ For the Lord told Moses:

‘I am Yahweh! So, speak to PharaOh the king of Egypt and tell him whatever I say to you.’

³⁰ But Moses replied to the Lord:

‘Look, I’m not a good speaker; so how will I get PharaOh to listen to me?’

Exodus 7

←6 | All books | All chapters | 8→

¹ Then the Lord told Moses:

‘Look! I’ve made you a god to PharaOh, and your brother Aaron is your Prophet.

² ‘So, tell PharaOh everything that I’ve told you to say through your brother Aaron… Tell him that he must send the children of IsraEl out of his land!

³ ‘However, I will make PharaOh hardhearted, then I will bring many signs and wonders to the land of Egypt; ⁴ but, PharaOh will still refuse to listen to you.

‘Then I will lay My hand upon Egypt and bring My people the children of IsraEl out of their land by My power and with a great vengeance. ⁵ And all the Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh, and that I stretched out My hand towards Egypt and brought the children of IsraEl out of their midst.’

⁶ So Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded them.

⁷ Now, Moses was 80 years old, and his brother Aaron was 83 years old when they spoke to PharaOh.

⁸ Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron:

⁹ ‘If PharaOh says that you must give him a sign or perform a miracle; tell your brother Aaron to throw his walking stick on the ground in front of PharaOh and his servants, and it will become a snake.’

¹⁰ So when Moses and Aaron went in [and stood] before PharaOh and his servants, they did just as the Lord had instructed them. Aaron threw his walking stick before PharaOh and his servants, and it became a snake.

¹¹ However, PharaOh brought in all the Egyptian wise men, warlocks, and soothsayers, and they used their magic to do the same thing… ¹² They each threw down their walking sticks and they became snakes... But then, Aaron’s walking stick swallowed down their walking sticks!

¹³ Nevertheless, PharaOh’s heart became hard and he refused to listen to what Yahweh had instructed them to say.

[Plague #1 – Water into blood]

¹⁴ So, the Lord told Moses:

‘Now, PharaOh’s heart has become hard and he won’t let the people go. ¹⁵ So, approach PharaOh when he goes down to the river tomorrow morning and meet with him there on its bank... Then take [Aaron’s] walking stick that turned into a snake, ¹⁶ and tell [PharaOh] that Yahweh the God of the Hebrews has sent you to him, and that He says:

‘Send My people away so they can serve Me in the desert! Look, you haven’t listened to Me so far, ¹⁷ but this is how I’m going to let you know that I am the Lord!’

‘[Then tell him]:

‘Look; I’m going to slap the water with this walking stick in my hand, and the river water will change into blood. ¹⁸ And at that, all the fish in the river will die and it’ll stink, so the Egyptians won’t be able to drink water from the river.’

¹⁹ And the Lord continued:

‘Then tell your brother Aaron to take his walking stick and hold his arms out over all the water in Egypt (over its rivers, canals, ponds, and any standing water) and they’ll turn into blood... This blood will be throughout the entire land of Egypt… Even in their pottery and wooden jars!’

²⁰ So Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commanded them.

[Aaron] held out the walking stick and slapped the river right there in front of PharaOh and his servants, and all the river water changed into blood!

²¹ Then all the fish in the river died and the river had a foul odor, so the Egyptians couldn’t drink water from it... And there was blood throughout the entire land of Egypt.

²² However, the Egyptian soothsayers used their magic to do the same thing. So the heart of PharaOh became hard and he wouldn’t listen to them… Which is just what the Lord said [would happen].

²³ Then PharaOh turned around and went back into his palace without looking at anything.

²⁴ Well, the Egyptians had to dig [wells] around the river to find drinking water, because they couldn’t drink the water from the river. ²⁵ And Yahweh’s conquest of the river lasted for 7 days.

Exodus 8

←7 | All books | All chapters | 9→

[Plague #2 – Frogs]

¹ Then the Lord told Moses:

‘Now go to PharaOh [again] and tell him that this is what Yahweh has said:

‘Send My people away, so they can serve Me. ² And if you don’t send them away, {Look!} I’ll fill your land with frogs… ³ the river will teem with frogs, and they’ll get into your houses, into your bedrooms, and onto your beds...

‘[They’ll be] in the homes of your citizens, in the homes of your servants, on your dough, and on your ovens. ⁴ They will also climb on you, your servants, and your people.’

⁵ And the Lord said to Moses:

‘Then, tell your brother Aaron to raise his arms with his walking stick in his hand over the rivers, canals, and pools, to bring up the frogs.’

⁶ So when Aaron held his arms out over the waters of Egypt, it did bring up the frogs; and the frogs that he brought up covered the whole land of Egypt.

⁷ Well, the Egyptian soothsayers used their magic and they too brought frogs upon the land of Egypt.

⁸ But then PharaOh called for Moses and Aaron, and said:

‘Pray to Yahweh for me and ask Him to take the frogs away from my people and from me!

‘Then I will send [the children of IsraEl] away to offer their sacrifices to Yahweh.’

⁹ And Moses said to PharaOh:

‘Tell me exactly when I should pray for the frogs to disappear from you, your servants, and your people, [for that’s when they’ll leave] you, your people, and your houses.

‘However, they’ll remain in the river.’

¹⁰ And [PharaOh] replied:

‘Tomorrow morning.’

Then [Moses] said:

‘It’ll be just as you’ve said… And then you’ll know that there’s no [God] other than Yahweh. ¹¹ For the frogs will be removed from you, your houses, your villages, your servants, and your people. However, they’ll remain in the river.’

¹² And at that, Moses and Aaron left PharaOh.

Then [the next morning] Moses called to Yahweh and asked Him to remove the frogs, as PharaOh had requested. ¹³ And Yahweh did just as Moses had asked… The frogs died in the houses, villages, and fields. ¹⁴ Then they gathered them in piles, which caused the whole land to stink.

¹⁵ Well, when PharaOh saw that there was some relief, his heart became hard again, and he didn’t listen to the things that they told him that Yahweh had said.

[Plague #3 – Fleas]

¹⁶ So the Lord told Moses:

‘Now, tell Aaron to take his walking stick in his hand and to hit the dirt on the ground; then fleas will cover the men and animals throughout the entire land of Egypt.’

¹⁷ So Aaron stuck out his walking stick and hit the dirt on the ground, and fleas covered the men and the animals… There were fleas on the ground everywhere!

¹⁸ Well, the soothsayers tried to use their magic to do the same thing and bring out the fleas, but they were unable to do so. However, the fleas covered both the men and the animals.

¹⁹ So the soothsayers said to PharaOh:

‘This is the finger of God!’

But PharaOh’s heart was again hardened and he wouldn’t listen to them and do as Yahweh had said.

[Plague #4 – Stable Flies]

²⁰ So the Lord said to Moses:

‘Get up early in the morning and stand before PharaOh as he’s going down to the water. Then you must tell him that this is what Yahweh has said:

‘Send My people away so they can serve Me in the desert. ²¹ For if you won’t let My people go, {Look!} I’m going to send stable flies to you, your servants, your citizens, and into your homes. The houses of the Egyptians will be filled with stable flies wherever they live in the land.

²² ‘[But this time], I’ll create a marvelous difference in the land of Gesem, where My people are living… There’ll be no stable flies there. Then you’ll know that I am Yahweh, the God of the whole earth, ²³ when I create a difference between My people and yours!

‘This is going to happen in your land tomorrow!’

²⁴ Well, the stable flies came in huge numbers and they got into the houses of PharaOh, his servants, and everyone in the land of Egypt… The land was virtually destroyed by stable flies!

²⁵ So PharaOh called Moses and Aaron [again] and said:

‘Now, go and offer a sacrifice to Yahweh your God… [but do it] here in this land.’

²⁶ However, Moses said:

‘We can’t do that, because the things we’ll sacrifice to Yahweh our God are considered disgusting by the Egyptians. So if we sacrifice such things in front of the Egyptians, they’ll stone us.

²⁷ ‘Instead, let us travel three days into the desert, and we’ll offer our sacrifices to Yahweh our God there, just as our Lord told us.’

²⁸ Then PharaOh said:

‘Well, you can go and sacrifice to your God in the desert; but, don’t go too far… And pray to Yahweh for me!’

²⁹ And Moses said:

‘Now I’ll leave you and pray to God, so that the stable flies will leave your servants and your citizens tomorrow. But PharaOh… Don’t deceive me again and then refuse to send the people away to sacrifice to Yahweh!’

³⁰ So Moses left PharaOh and he prayed to God; ³¹ and Yahweh did just as Moses said… He removed all the stable flies from PharaOh, his servants, and his citizens.

³² However, PharaOh’s heart became hard once again and he wouldn’t send the people away.

Exodus 9

←8 | All books | All chapters | 10→

[Plague #5 – Cattle deaths]

¹ So the Lord told Moses:

‘Go to PharaOh and tell him that this is what Yahweh the God of the Hebrews has said:

‘Send My people away so they can serve Me! ² If you don’t send My people away and if you prevent them from going, ³ {Look!} the Lord will touch the cattle in your fields – the horses, burros, camels, bulls, and sheep – and many will die!

⁴ ‘I’ll also show a marvelous difference between [the way I’ll treat] the cattle of the Egyptians and the cattle of the children of IsraEl. None of those who belong to the children of IsraEl will die.’

⁵ Then God told him when this would happen. He said:

‘I’ll bring it on the land tomorrow.’

⁶ And the next day, cattle that belonged to all the Egyptians died, but none of the children of IsraEl’s cattle died.

⁷ And when PharaOh saw that none of the cattle that belonged to the children of IsraEl died (not one), his heart became even harder; so he refused to let the people go.

[Plague #6 – Blisters]

⁸ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying:

‘Moses should take handfuls of furnace ashes and throw them into the sky before PharaOh and his servants, ⁹ so it can blow like dust over the entire land of Egypt.

‘Then the men and animals throughout all of Egypt will break out with blisters.’

¹⁰ So Moses carried furnace ashes before PharaOh and threw them into the sky… And they caused blisters to break out on both the men and their animals.

¹¹ Well, the soothsayers were no longer able to stand before Moses, because they were also covered with blisters like everyone else in the land of Egypt.

¹² But Yahweh made PharaOh’s heart even harder, so he wouldn’t listen to them and do what the Lord told him to do.

[Plague #7 – Hailstorm]

¹³ And the Lord said to Moses:

‘Get up early in the morning and stand before PharaOh, then tell him that this is what Yahweh the God of the Hebrews has said:

‘Send My people away so they can serve Me. ¹⁴ For I’ve been sending all My plagues into your heart and into the hearts of your servants and your people, so you’ll know that there isn’t anyone else like Me in the entire earth.

¹⁵ ‘And now I’m going to raise My hand to strike you and kill your people, wiping them off of the earth. ¹⁶ For, the very reason that you’ve been allowed to live is so that I might display My strength through you, and so that My Name might be advertised throughout the whole world!

¹⁷ ‘You’ve taken great pains to keep My people and to not let them go, haven’t you? ¹⁸ So look! At this same time tomorrow I’ll bring a hailstorm that will be the worst that Egypt has seen since the time it was founded!

¹⁹ ‘Hurry and gather your cattle, as well as everything else that you have in the fields… All the men and cattle that you can find in the fields... For if they don’t go inside a building, the hail will hit them and kill them!’

²⁰ So, those servants of PharaOh that were afraid of what the Lord said brought their cattle into their homes. ²¹ And those who didn’t pay any attention to what the Lord said left their cattle in the fields.

²² Then the Lord told Moses:

‘Raise your hands to the sky, and there’ll be a hailstorm throughout the entire land of Egypt… On the men, the cattle, and all the plants that are growing on the ground.’

²³ So Moses raised his hands to the sky, and Yahweh sent hail, thunder, and lightning that rolled around on the ground. And this hail from Yahweh rained throughout the entire land of Egypt.

²⁴ There was hail and there was lightning mixed with hail… It was the greatest hailstorm to hit Egypt in the [history of] that nation! ²⁵ The hail landed all over the land of Egypt – on the men, the animals, and the grass in the fields – and it broke all the trees in the fields.

²⁶ But in the land of Gesem where the children of IsraEl were, there was no hail.

²⁷ So PharaOh sent for Moses and Aaron, and said:

‘I’ve sinned this time. Yahweh is righteous, and my people and I are wicked.

²⁸ ‘Pray to Yahweh for me and have Him stop the thunder, lightning, and the hail; then, I’ll send you away and you won’t have to [live here] anymore.’

²⁹ And Moses said to him:

‘After I leave the city, I’ll raise my hands to Yahweh, and the thunder, lightning, hail, and rain will stop… Then you’ll know that the earth belongs to Yahweh.

³⁰ ‘However, I know that you and your servants still don’t fear Yahweh.’

³¹ Well, [Egypt’s] flax and barley was all destroyed, because the barley was fully-grown and the flax had seeds. ³² However, the wheat and rye hadn’t been damaged, because they came up later.

³³ Then Moses left PharaOh and [walked] out of the city. And when he raised his hands to Yahweh, the thundering ended, and the rain and hail stopped falling.

³⁴ But when PharaOh saw that the rain, hail, and thundering had stopped, he continued to sin. He hardened his heart and the hearts of his servants. ³⁵ And it was because of this hardened heart that PharaOh refused to send the children of IsraEl away, as Yahweh had instructed him through Moses.

Exodus 10

←9 | All books | All chapters | 11→

[Plague #8 – Locusts]

¹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

‘Go to PharaOh [again], because I’ve hardened the hearts of him and his servants so I could bring these signs upon them.

² ‘[I did this] so you could tell your children and your children’s children of the many ways that I’ve mocked the Egyptians through the wonders I’ve brought upon them, and so that they’ll know that I am the Lord.’

³ Then Moses and Aaron went before PharaOh and said to him:

‘This is what Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, says:

‘How much longer will you refuse to respect Me?

‘Send My people away, so they can serve Me!

⁴ ‘But if you won’t send My people away... {Look!} at this same time tomorrow, I’ll bring huge amounts of locusts to all your borders. ⁵ They’ll cover the entire land, so that you won’t be able to see the ground. They’ll eat everything that the hail has left for you, and chew up every tree that you still have growing in the land.

⁶ ‘Your houses, the houses of your servants, and all the houses throughout the land of Egypt will be filled with them. It’ll be something that neither your fathers nor their ancestors have seen from their time until this day.’

Then Moses turned and left PharaOh. ⁷ And PharaOh’s servants said to him:

‘How much longer are you going to allow them to be a snare to us?

‘Send those people away so they can serve their God!

‘Don’t you realize that Egypt is [being] destroyed?’

⁸ So they went and brought Moses and Aaron back to PharaOh, and he said to them:

‘You may go and serve Yahweh your God… But, who will be going with you?’

⁹ And Moses replied:

‘We’ll be taking the young and the old, along with our sons, daughters, sheep, and bulls, because this is a feast of Yahweh.’

¹⁰ Then [PharaOh] said to them:

‘May Yahweh be with you. But if I send you away, must I also [send away] all that you own?

‘You have an evil [plan], ¹¹ so [I’m] not going to [allow that]! I’ll just allow the men to go and serve your God, because that’s all you really wanted.

‘Now, throw them out from before the presence of PharaOh!’

¹² Then the Lord told Moses:

‘Raise your hands over the land of Egypt and let the locusts come to the land. They’ll eat every plant on the ground and all the fruit that wasn’t damaged by the hail on the trees!’

¹³ So Moses raised his walking stick to the sky, and Yahweh sent a south wind [that blew] all day and all night long... Then the next morning, the south wind brought the locusts, ¹⁴ sending them throughout the land of Egypt. And there they sat in huge numbers throughout all the borders of Egypt.

Never had such locusts been seen before or since! ¹⁵ They covered the entire ground and they devastated the land. They ate all the plants off the ground and any fruit in the trees that hadn’t been damaged by the hail… Nothing green was left on the trees or in the fields anywhere in the land of Egypt!

¹⁶ Then PharaOh hastily called Moses and Aaron, and said:

‘I have sinned before Yahweh your God and against you.

¹⁷ ‘[Please] pardon my sin one more time and pray to Yahweh your God… Ask Him to take away this death!’

¹⁸ So Moses left PharaOh and prayed to God; ¹⁹ then Yahweh sent a strong wind from the sea that blew in the opposite direction, picking up the locusts and throwing them into the Red Sea… And there wasn’t a single locust left anywhere in the land of Egypt.

²⁰ But Yahweh continued to harden PharaOh’s heart, so he didn’t send the children of IsraEl away.

[Plague #9 – Darkness]

²¹ Then the Lord told Moses:

‘Now lift your hands towards the sky and bring darkness to the land of Egypt… A darkness that can be felt.’

²² So Moses raised his hands to the sky, and it stormed throughout the land of Egypt for three days… And the sky became totally black!

²³ Well, for the next three days, nobody could see anyone else, so no one even got out of bed. However, all the children of IsraEl had light where they were.

²⁴ Then PharaOh called Moses and Aaron, and said:

‘Now, go and serve your God Yahweh… But you must leave your sheep, your cattle, and your belongings here!’

²⁵ However, Moses said:

‘No! You must allow us the burnt offerings and sacrifices that we’re going to offer to our God Yahweh… ²⁶ Our cattle will be going with us!

‘We won’t leave a hoof behind, because we’re going to take them to serve Yahweh our God, and we won’t know how we’re supposed to serve Him until we get there.’

²⁷ But Yahweh kept hardening PharaOh’s heart and he wouldn’t let them go.

²⁸ So PharaOh said:

‘Get away from me, and be careful not to see my face again, because the next time you appear before me, you’re going to die!’

²⁹ And Moses replied:

‘That’s what you’ve said, so I won’t appear in your presence again!’

Exodus 11

←10 | All books | All chapters | 12→

¹ Then the Lord told Moses:

‘I’m going to bring one more plague upon PharaOh and Egypt… And he will send you away with everything. In fact, he’ll drive you out!

² ‘Now, go to the people secretly and tell them to ask their neighbors for clothing, silver, and gold jewelry.’

³ Well, Yahweh caused his people to be looked upon favorably by the Egyptians and they were willing to lend things to them, because the Egyptians considered Moses a great man… Even greater than PharaOh and his servants.

⁴ Then Moses told [the children of IsraEl]:

‘This is what the Lord said:

‘About midnight I’ll be going throughout Egypt, ⁵ and all the firstborn in the land will die, from the firstborn of PharaOh that sits on the throne, to the firstborn of the female slave that sits by the mill, as well as the firstborn of all the cattle.

⁶ ‘Then a cry will [be heard] throughout the land of Egypt such as has never been heard before and will never be heard again!

⁷ ‘However, among the children of IsraEl, not even a dog will snarl at a man or an animal. That’s when you’ll see the great difference that Yahweh will make between the Egyptians and IsraEl!

⁸ ‘For they’ll then be your servants… They’ll come to [you] and bow, saying:

‘Leave, both you and all the people whom you’re in charge of.’

‘And that’s when [you’ll] leave.’

⁹ Meanwhile, Moses had left PharaOh [feeling very] angry. And the Lord told Moses:

‘PharaOh isn’t going to listen to you anymore, so now I’m going to bring great signs and wonders to the land of Egypt.’

¹⁰ Yes, even though Moses and Aaron had been bringing all these signs and wonders to the land of Egypt and to PharaOh, Yahweh kept hardening PharaOh’s heart, so he wouldn’t listen and send the children of IsraEl out of the land of Egypt.

Exodus 12

←11 | All books | All chapters | 13→

[Plague #10 – Death of the firstborn]

¹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron there in the land of Egypt, and said:

² ‘This will be your 1st month. It’s to be the first one [in your] year.

³ ‘So, tell the whole gathering of the children of IsraEl that on the 10th day of this month, each man should select a lamb for his household (depending on the size of his family). ⁴ And if there are just a few in his house (too few [to eat a whole] lamb), they may go to [the home of] a nearby neighbor.

‘They are to figure out how many people there’ll be, and then calculate how much lamb they’ll eat.

⁵ ‘So, choose a perfect male yearling lamb from [your herd] of lambs and kids, ⁶ and keep it nearby until the 14th day of this month.

‘Then the whole gathering of the children of IsraEl must slaughter [their lambs] towards the evening, ⁷ and they must gather the blood and splash it on the top and both sides of the doorframes of the houses where they’ll be eating [the lamb].

⁸ ‘Then that night, they must roast the flesh over a fire and eat it with fermentation-free bread and bitter herbs.

⁹ ‘Now, you must not eat it raw or boiled in water, just roasted over a fire with the head, feet, and extremities. ¹⁰ Nothing should be left over until morning, and you shouldn’t break any of its bones.

‘Then, any leftovers must be burned in the fire.

¹¹ ‘And this is how you must eat it:

‘With your thighs covered for work, your sandals on your feet, and your walking sticks in your hands.

‘You must eat it quickly, because it’ll be Yahweh’s Passover. ¹² For I’ll go throughout the land of Egypt that night and strike all the firstborn in that land (both the men and their animals), and I’ll bring My vengeance upon all the gods of Egypt… I am Yahweh!

¹³ ‘Now, this blood will be the sign that you’re inside of each house; for when I see the blood, I’ll protect you, and you won’t be a part of the plague of destruction when I strike the land of Egypt.

¹⁴ ‘You must always remember this day and keep it as a feast to Yahweh through all your generations… [observance of] this feast will be the law throughout the ages.

¹⁵ ‘You must eat fermentation-free bread for 7 days.

‘And starting on the 1st day, you must remove all the fermentation from your homes. For if anyone eats fermentation between the 1st and 7th days, that person must be destroyed in IsraEl.

¹⁶ ‘The 1st day will be called holy, and the 7th day will be your holy day when you aren’t to do any hired work.

‘The only work that you may do will be for the things that you require.

¹⁷ ‘You must observe this commandment, because this is the day that I will use My great power to bring you out of the land of Egypt… You must make this day a law throughout the ages for every generation!

¹⁸ ‘You must eat fermentation-free bread from the evening of the 14th day of the 1st month until the evening of the 21st day.

¹⁹ ‘Fermentation must not be found in your homes during those 7 days, and whoever eats anything with fermentation must have his life cut off from the gathering of IsraEl and he will be self-condemned in the land.

‘This applies to the native residents of your land and your neighbors (converts). ²⁰ Yes, nobody should eat anything that has fermentation… Only fermentation-free bread may be eaten in any of your homes.’

²¹ Then Moses called all the elders of the children of IsraEl and told them:

‘Go find yourselves a lamb (according to your family needs) and slaughter the Passover.

²² ‘Then [cut] bunches of hyssop branches and dip them into some of the blood next to the door, and touch it to the upper part and both sides of the door frame… With this blood that’s by the door.

‘Thereafter, no one should go outside the door of his house until morning, ²³ for the Lord will pass over you [as He] strikes the Egyptians… He will see the blood on the doorframes and the Lord will pass over that door, then He won’t allow the destroyer to enter your homes to strike you.

²⁴ ‘Now, keep this as a Law for yourselves and for your descendants throughout the ages!

²⁵ ‘And when you enter the land that Yahweh has promised to give you, you must keep on doing this.

²⁶ ‘Then if your sons should ever ask:

‘Why are we doing this?’

²⁷ ‘You should tell them:

‘The Passover is a sacrifice to Yahweh for when He protected the homes of the children of IsraEl in Egypt and He struck the Egyptians, but [passed over] our homes.’

²⁸ Well thereafter, the people bowed to their faces, then the children of IsraEl went and did exactly as Yahweh had instructed Moses and Aaron.

²⁹ It was midnight when Yahweh struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt… From the firstborn of PharaOh that was sitting on the throne, to the firstborn of the female slave that was sitting in a dungeon, and to the firstborn of all the cattle.

³⁰ So, PharaOh woke up that night (as did his servants and all the Egyptians) and there was a lot of screaming throughout the entire land of Egypt; for someone had died in every home.

³¹ As a result, PharaOh called Moses and Aaron that night and told them this:

‘Get up and leave us, both you and the children of IsraEl! Go and serve your God Yahweh as you’ve asked, ³² and take your sheep and bulls with you.

‘But please bless me… I beg you!’

³³ All the Egyptian people also urged them to leave their land quickly, because they were saying:

‘We’re all going to die!’

³⁴ So the children of IsraEl took all their bread dough that hadn’t fermented yet and wrapped it in cloths, and carried it on their shoulders.

³⁵ Then, following Moses’ instructions, they asked the Egyptians for clothing, as well as for items of silver and gold. ³⁶ And because Yahweh had caused the Egyptians to view them favorably, they [gave them these things]… So they plundered the Egyptians.

³⁷ Then the children of IsraEl got up and left RaMesse, traveling towards to SocChoth (some 600,000 men on foot) with everything they owned, ³⁸ along with a huge number of others who left with them, as well as with their sheep, bulls, and many cattle.

³⁹ [And when they got there], they baked the dough that they’d brought from Egypt into fermentation-free loaves (there was still no fermentation in the dough), because the Egyptians hadn’t allowed them to stay any longer. For, since they’d been literally thrown out, they hadn’t been allowed enough time to properly prepare for their journey.

⁴⁰ Now, even though it had been 430 years that the children of IsraEl lived in the land of CanaAn and in the land of Egypt, ⁴¹ the whole army of Yahweh left the land of Egypt that [single] night!

⁴² And since this was [the night] that they kept watching for Yahweh to bring them out of the land of Egypt, all the children of IsraEl were to observe it as a night of watch to Yahweh throughout all their generations.

⁴³ Then the Lord told Moses and Aaron:

‘This is the Law regarding the Passover:

‘No stranger may eat it, ⁴⁴ and any slave or servant that you buy must be circumcised before he can eat it.

⁴⁵ ‘However, visitors and people you hire can’t eat it. ⁴⁶ It must be eaten in one house, because you can’t carry the flesh outside of the house… And no bones should be broken.

⁴⁷ ‘The entire gathering of the children of IsraEl must continue to do this.

⁴⁸ ‘And if any converts come and want to observe the Passover to Yahweh, you must circumcise all their males before they can [partake of] the sacrifice; for thereafter, they’ll be treated as residents in the land.

‘However, no one uncircumcised may eat it.

⁴⁹ ‘So, there’ll be just one Law, and it’ll apply to both the native residents and to those who come to be converts among you.’

⁵⁰ Then the children of IsraEl did exactly as Yahweh had instructed Moses and Aaron... ⁵¹ And that was the day Yahweh brought the children of IsraEl out of the land of Egypt with all their armies.

[Editor note: God now begins to give the first laws to IsraEl. The story continues in Exodus 13:17.]

Exodus 13

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¹ Then the Lord told Moses:

² ‘All the first-fathered and firstborn that open any womb among the children of IsraEl, whether of men or animals, are to be set aside as holy to Me, for they are now Mine!’

³ And Moses said to the people:

‘Remember this day! [It’s the one] when you were brought out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of slavery; for, Yahweh brought you out of there with His strong hand.

‘So, fermentation must not be eaten ⁴ on this day of new grain that you left. ⁵ And when Yahweh your God brings you into the land of the CanaAnites, Chettites, Amorites, Evites, Jebusites, Gergeshites, and Pherezites, which He swore to your ancestors that He would give you (a land that’s flowing with milk and honey), you must perform the same service during this month.

⁶ ‘You will all eat fermentation-free bread for 6 days, and the 7th day will be a feast day to Yahweh… ⁷ So, you’ll eat fermentation-free bread for 7 days.

‘Nothing with fermentation may be seen among you, nor may you have fermentation inside all of your borders.

⁸ ‘And you must say to your sons on this day:

‘This is how Yahweh dealt with me as I was leaving Egypt.’

⁹ ‘Let this always serve as a sign on your hand and as something in front of your eyes to remember, so that Yahweh’s Law will always stay on your [lips]! Because, Yahweh God brought you out of Egypt with His mighty hand.

¹⁰ ‘Therefore, each year at this same time and season, you must observe this Law.

¹¹ ‘And when Yahweh your God brings you into the land of the CanaAnites, which He swore to your ancestors that he would give to you; ¹² you must set aside every male who [first] opens a womb to Yahweh.

‘This includes those among your flocks and herds of cattle… As many as you have. [All the firstborn] males must be [set aside as] holy to Yahweh!

¹³ ‘However, when it comes to your burros; you must offer a sheep instead… You can’t exchange it, you must buy it back [from Yahweh], and you must buy back every firstborn son.

¹⁴ ‘And if your son should ever ask you:

‘Why are we doing this?’

‘You must tell him:

‘Yahweh brought us out of Egypt and out of the house of slavery with His mighty hand. ¹⁵ And when PharaOh’s heart hardened and [he refused] to send us away, [God] slaughtered all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the men and the animals.

‘So that’s why we offer every male that [first] opens a womb to Yahweh, and that’s why we buy back all of our firstborn sons.’

¹⁶ ‘Therefore, may this be a sign on your hand and something that’s always fixed in front of your eyes… Because, Yahweh brought you out of Egypt with His mighty hand.’

[Editor note: The story continues here.]

¹⁷ Well, after PharaOh had sent the people away, God didn’t lead them towards the land of the Philistines (even though it wasn’t far away), because God said:

‘[I’m doing this to keep] the people from having a change of heart when they see war, and from thereafter returning to Egypt.’

¹⁸ So God led them around the desert towards the Red Sea.

It was the 5th generation of the children of IsraEl that left the land of Egypt. ¹⁹ And Moses took JoSeph’s bones along, because [JoSeph] had made the children of IsraEl swear, saying:

‘God will surely visit you, so you must carry my bones back with you.’

²⁰ Thereafter, the children of IsraEl left SucCoth and went to camp at Othom, which is near the desert.

²¹ God led them there using a tall column of clouds during the day (to show them the way) and a tall column of fire during the night... ²² The column of clouds was there all day long, every day, and the column of fire was always there in front of the people all night long.

Exodus 14

←13 | All books | All chapters | 15→

¹ Then the Lord said to Moses:

² ‘Tell the children of IsraEl to turn around and set up camp in front of the village of the MagDol (the watchtower)… Between it and the sea, across from BeEl-SepPhon. Camp there in front of them, next to the sea. ³ For PharaOh will say to his people:

‘The children of IsraEl are just wandering around in the land, and now they’re boxed in!’

⁴ ‘Then I’ll harden PharaOh’s heart, and he will chase after you. So, PharaOh and his whole army will bring glory to Me, and all the Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh.’

And that’s exactly what happened.

⁵ Well, a report was carried to the king of the Egyptians that the people had run away. And this changed the hearts of PharaOh and his servants against the [children of IsraEl], and they started asking:

‘What have we done by allowing the children of IsraEl to go, rather than having them [stay here and] serve us?’

⁶ So PharaOh prepared his chariots and took his [whole army] with him… ⁷ 600 of their best chariots, the entire Egyptian cavalry, and all his generals!

⁸ And it was because Yahweh had hardened the hearts of PharaOh (the king of Egypt) and his servants that he chased after the children of IsraEl. For the children of IsraEl allowed them the upper hand, ⁹ and when the Egyptians caught up with them, they found them camped next to the sea.

Well, there was all of PharaOh’s cavalry, chariots, horsemen, and entire army at a village near BeEl-SepPhon! ¹⁰ And as PharaOh approached, the children of IsraEl could see the Egyptians coming up behind them, which terrified them, so they started calling out to Yahweh.

¹¹ And at that, they asked Moses:

‘Aren’t there enough graves in the land of Egypt so that you had to bring us out here to be killed in the desert?

‘What have you done to us by taking us out of Egypt?

¹² ‘Wasn’t it enough that we told you back in Egypt to leave us alone so that we could keep on serving the Egyptians?

‘For, it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to have us die here in this desert!’

¹³ But Moses said to the people:

‘Don’t be afraid!

‘Stand here and watch the salvation that comes from Yahweh – through the things that He will do for us on this day.

‘Do you see all those Egyptians today? You won’t see them again in this age, ¹⁴ because Yahweh is going to fight for you and bring peace to you!’

¹⁵ Then the Lord asked Moses:

‘Why are they shouting to Me?

‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them to continue on!

¹⁶ ‘Just lift your walking stick and raise your hands over the sea, and it’ll split open… Then you can [lead] the children of IsraEl across on dry land through the midst of the sea!

¹⁷ ‘And after that, {Look!} I’ll harden the hearts of PharaOh and all the Egyptians, and they’ll chase after you… For, that’s when PharaOh, his army, his chariots, and all his horses will glorify Me... ¹⁸ Yes, everyone in Egypt will know that I am Yahweh when I’m glorified by PharaOh, his chariots, and his horses.’

¹⁹ So immediately thereafter, the messenger of God who had been traveling in front of the camp of the children of IsraEl went around to its rear… For the column of clouds moved to the rear and stayed behind them, ²⁰ between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of IsraEl.

And as it was standing there between them, it started to get dark… In fact, the night became so black that the [Egyptian army] couldn’t come any closer all-night long.

²¹ Then when Moses lifted his arms over the sea, the Lord pushed the water back with a strong south wind [that blew] all night long. This dried the seabed and it kept the water divided... ²² So the children of IsraEl walked down through the midst of the sea on dry land, as the walls of water stood to their right and to their left.

²³ But then the Egyptians went in and chased after them… All of PharaOh’s horses, chariots, and horsemen also went [down into] the midst of the sea.

²⁴ Well, it was during the morning watch that Yahweh looked at the Egyptians through the columns of fire and clouds, and [He created] trouble in their camp, ²⁵ for the wheels on their chariots sank to their axels, making them very hard to pull.

And the Egyptians started saying:

‘Let’s run from the face of IsraEl, because Yahweh is fighting for them and against the Egyptians!’

²⁶ Then the Lord told Moses:

‘Now, stretch your arms out over the sea and let the water fall back into its place… Let it cover the Egyptian chariots and their riders.’

²⁷ So Moses stretched his arms out over the sea, and the water returned to its place around daybreak. The Egyptians tried to run from the water, but Yahweh just kept shaking them back into the midst of the sea!

²⁸ Yes, it returned and covered the chariots and their riders, along with the whole army of PharaOh that followed them into the sea, leaving no survivors.

²⁹ Yet, the children of IsraEl had been able to cross through the midst of the sea on dry land with the water standing like walls on their right and on their left.

³⁰ So Yahweh saved IsraEl from the hands of the Egyptians that day, and IsraEl could see the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. ³¹ And after IsraEl had witnessed Yahweh’s mighty hand in the things that He did to the Egyptians, they started fearing Yahweh… Trusting in God and in His servant Moses.

Exodus 15

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¹ Thereafter, Moses and the children of IsraEl sang this song to God:

‘Let us sing to Yahweh;

For He’s been glorified.

‘The horses and riders He’s tossed in the sea…

² He’s been our protector and helper,

And He has brought us salvation.

‘This is my God and I’ll praise Him…

He’s the God of my fathers and I’ll hold Him high.

³ He’s the Lord who crushes with war;

Jehovah is His [Great] Name.

⁴ ‘Into the sea, He’s thrown

The army and chariots of PharaOh.

It swallowed his best mounted generals,

⁵ And He covered them up with the water,

Where they sank to the bottom like stones.

⁶ ‘The strength of Your right hand, O God,

Has now proven its glory.

For, with Your right hand, O God,

You’ve shattered all of Your enemies.

⁷ ‘In Your glory, You’ve smashed those who hate us,

As You sent them Your rage,

Which has now consumed them like stubble.

⁸ ‘By the spirit of Your rage, the waters had split…

The waters stood firm, like a wall…

You banked the waves in the midst of the sea.

⁹ ‘But our enemies said:

‘We’ll chase them down,

Then divide their things and bring ourselves joy.

We’ll destroy with our swords…

With our mighty hands, we’ll beat them.’

¹⁰ ‘But then, [Yahweh] sent out His wind,

And the sea covered them over…

They sank in the waters like lead.

¹¹ ‘So, who among gods is like You, O Lord…

To whom can You be compared?

For Your holy ways bring glory to You,

And we marvel at all of Your glories.

¹² ‘You raised Your right hand with wonders,

For the earth has swallowed them down.

¹³ But You righteously guided those whom You bought

(Those whom You called by Your might)

To the Holy Place of Your rest.

¹⁴ ‘But, when the nations heard about this,

They all became quite enraged…

Birth pangs fell on the Philistines,

¹⁵ And the princes of Edom and MoAb;

Then, all their chiefs ran away.

They each started to tremble,

And all in CanaAn just melted away.

¹⁶ ‘May they shake in fear of the strength of Your arm,

And may they become like the stones, O Lord,

Until all Your people have passed them by…

Until those You’ve purchased have passed them.

¹⁷ ‘Now, take us and plant us in the mountains we’ll inherit,

And in the homes You’re preparing, O Lord…

In the place of safety, prepared by Your hands.

¹⁸ For, Yahweh reigns throughout the ages,

And throughout the ages of ages.

¹⁹ ‘PharaOh’s horses sank into the sea,

Along with his chariots and horsemen.

Then, they were covered with water,

Where the children of IsraEl had walked on dry land

Through the midst of the sea.’

²⁰ Then the Prophetess MiriAm (Aaron’s sister) picked up her tambourine, and all the other women went to get their tambourines, and they started dancing.

²¹ MiriAm led them, singing:

‘Let us sing to Yahweh;

For, He’s been glorified.

The horses and riders He’s tossed in the sea…’

²² Well thereafter, Moses led the children of IsraEl away from the Red Sea and into the desert of Sur. But after [traveling] through the desert for three days, they hadn’t found any water to drink. ²³ And when they got to MerRha (Bitterness), they couldn’t drink the water there, because it was bitter. (That’s why [Moses] named that place Bitterness).

²⁴ Then the people started complaining about Moses, asking:

‘What are we going to drink?’

²⁵ So Moses called to Yahweh, and the Lord showed him a tree, which [Moses] threw into the water… And the water became sweet. This is also the place where [God] gave him His Laws and decisions, and where He showed His approval.

²⁶ For [the Lord] said:

‘If you’ll listen to the voice of Yahweh your God, if you’ll do the things that please Him, obey His Commandments, and keep all His Laws... I won’t bring any of the [plagues] upon you that I brought upon the Egyptians!

‘For I am Yahweh, the God who provides you with healing.’

²⁷ Then, when they arrived at AiLim, they found 12 springs of water and 70 branching palm trees, so they camped there by the water.

Exodus 16

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¹ Thereafter, they left AiLim, and the entire gathering of the children of IsraEl traveled into the Sin Desert, which is between AiLim and SinAi. And on the 15th day of the 2nd month from their leaving the land of Egypt, ² the entire gathering of the children of IsraEl [once again] started complaining to Moses and Aaron.

³ They told them:

‘We would rather have died [with those who were] struck by Yahweh in the land of Egypt, back when we could sit by the stew pots and eat all the bread we wanted!

‘But now you’ve brought us out into this desert just to starve us all to death!’

⁴ And the Lord said to Moses:

‘Look! I’ll rain bread upon you from the skies!

‘Then the people will go out and gather their allotment for each day, so I can test them to see whether they’ll follow My Law... ⁵ For on the 6th day they must gather all that they can, and it’ll be double that which they could gather on the previous days.’

⁶ So Moses and Aaron spoke to the entire gathering of the children of IsraEl, saying:

‘This evening you’ll realize that it was Yahweh that brought you out of the land of Egypt; ⁷ and tomorrow morning you’ll see the glory of the Lord, since He’s heard you complaining against Him… And what are we, that you should keep complaining about us?’

⁸ Then Moses continued, saying:

‘This evening, Yahweh will give you meat to eat; and in the morning, He will provide enough bread to satisfy you.

‘For Yahweh has heard all the complaints that you’ve made against us… Yet, what are we? You aren’t complaining against us, but against God!’

⁹ And Moses said to Aaron:

‘Now, tell the entire gathering of the children of IsraEl that they must go over and approach God, since He’s heard all their complaining!’

¹⁰ So, after Aaron said this to them, they all turned and faced the desert… And the glory of the Lord appeared in a cloud!

¹¹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

¹² ‘I’ve heard all the children of IsraEl’s complaining, so tell them:

‘This evening you’ll eat meat, and in the morning you’ll have enough bread to satisfy you… And then you’ll know that I am Yahweh your God.’

¹³ Well that evening, a [huge flock] of quail flew in and covered the camp!

¹⁴ And the next morning, after the dew around about the camp had dried; {Look!} on the surface of the desert (lying there like frost) was small things that looked like white coriander seeds... ¹⁵ And when the children of IsraEl saw them, they asked each other:

‘What is this [Hebrew: man-nah]?’

...because they didn’t know what it was.

And Moses told them:

¹⁶ ‘This is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat… It’s what Yahweh has approved.

‘So, every man should gather 1/3 of a bushel for each person in his family. You and those who are living with you should go out and gather it.’

¹⁷ And that’s what the children of IsraEl did.

Although some gathered more and others gathered less, ¹⁸ the ones who gathered the full 1/3 of a bushel didn’t have any leftovers, and those who gathered less never went hungry.

So, they all gathered just what their households required.

¹⁹ Then Moses told them:

‘Now, none of you may save any of this for the next morning.’

²⁰ However, many of them wouldn’t listen to Moses, and they tried to keep it until the following morning… But by then it had worms and it smelled… And all of this irritated Moses.

²¹ So each morning, everyone would collect all that they needed, and everything melted after the sun went down. ²² Then on the 6th day, they gathered twice as much as they needed… 2/3 of a bushel per person.

Well, all the chiefs of their gathering thereafter came and reported what was happening to Moses. ²³ And Moses asked:

‘Didn’t the Lord tell us that tomorrow is the Sabbath… A holy [day of] rest to Yahweh?

‘Therefore, bake all that you can bake and boil all that you can boil, so that the leftovers can be stored for tomorrow!’

²⁴ [So on the 6th day], they stored the leftovers until the next morning, just as Moses told them, and it didn’t stink and there weren’t any worms in it.

²⁵ [And then the next day], Moses said:

‘This is what you must eat today; for since this day is a Sabbath to Yahweh, you won’t find any of it out in the fields.

²⁶ ‘You must collect it for 6 days, but because the 7th day is a Sabbath, there won’t be any then.’

²⁷ However, on the 7th day some of the people still went out to collect it, but they couldn’t find any. ²⁸ So the Lord said to Moses:

‘How long are they going to fail to listen to My commands and [obey] My laws?

²⁹ ‘Look; I’ve given them this day as the Sabbath, and I gave them enough bread to last for two days on the 6th day. So from now on, they must all just sit there in their homes… Don’t allow anyone to leave his place on the 7th day!’

³⁰ Well thereafter, the people started keeping the Sabbath on the 7th day.

³¹ The children of IsraEl called this [food], manna.

It looked like white coriander seeds and tasted like crackers and honey.

³² Then Moses said:

‘This is what Yahweh has commanded:

‘We are to collect 1/3 of a bushel of manna and set it aside so that future generations can see the bread that you ate in the desert after Yahweh led you out of the land of Egypt.’

³³ And he told Aaron:

‘Take a gold pot and fill it with a full 1/3-of-a-bushel of manna, then store it away for God and keep it for future generations.’

³⁴ So, just as the Lord told Moses, Aaron stored it away as a testimony.

³⁵ As a result, the children of IsraEl ate manna for 40 years. They ate manna until they got to the land of Phoenicia.

³⁶ Now, a homer (1/3 of a bushel) was 1/10th of an ephah (3 bath measures).

Exodus 17

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¹ Thereafter, the entire gathering of the children of IsraEl left the Sin Desert, following the order of their camps, and the Lord told them to camp in RaphiDin.

However, there was no water for the people to drink in this place, ² so they started shouting at Moses and saying:

‘Give us water to drink!’

And Moses asked them:

‘Why are you shouting at me, and why are you asking Yahweh to prove Himself?

³ Well, the people were very thirsty, and they complained again to Moses, saying:

‘What’s the point? Did you bring us up out of Egypt to kill us along with our children and cattle with thirst?’

⁴ Then Moses called to Yahweh, and said:

‘What should I do with these people… Before long they’ll stone me!’

⁵ And Yahweh replied to Moses:

‘Go before the people and bring along some of their elders. Then take the walking stick that you slapped the [Nile] River with ⁶ and go to the rock in the dry place (Horeb) where {Look!} I’ll be standing before you!

‘[Then you must] strike the rock and water will pour out of it, so the people will [have something to] drink.’

Well thereafter, Moses did this in front of the sons of IsraEl. ⁷ And then he named that place, ‘Proof and Shouting,’ because of all the shouting of the children of IsraEl, [as they demanded that] Yahweh prove Himself.

For they’d asked:

‘Is Yahweh among us or not?’

⁸ Then the Amalekites came to fight against IsraEl in RaphiDin. ⁹ And Moses said to JoShua:

‘Choose your best men and form battle lines against the Amalekites tomorrow... {Look!} I’ll be standing on top of the hill with the walking stick of God in my hands.’

¹⁰ So JoShua did just as Moses told him. He went out and formed his army into battle lines against the Amalekites; then Moses, Aaron, and Or went up to the top of the hill.

¹¹ Well, whenever Moses raised his arms, IsraEl would be superior; but when he let them down, the Amalekites were more successful. ¹² But soon Moses’ arms got tired, so they found a rock and had him sit on top of it; then Aaron and Or supported his arms on either side, holding them there until the sun set.

¹³ So, JoShua was able to drive the Amalekites and all their people away by slaughtering them with swords.

¹⁴ Then the Lord told Moses:

‘Write this in a scroll, so it’ll be remembered.

‘[Also,] tell JoShua that I’m going to totally blot out all memory of the Amalekites from under the skies!’

¹⁵ Well after that, Moses built an altar to Yahweh there, and he named it ‘Yahweh is My Refuge,’ ¹⁶ because Yahweh was secretly waging war against all generations of the Amalekites.

Exodus 18

←17 | All books | All chapters | 19→

¹ Meanwhile, His Excellence (the priest of MidiAn, Moses’ father-in-law) heard of all that Yahweh had done for his people IsraEl by bringing them out of Egypt.

² So His Excellence [went to see Moses], bringing along Moses’ wife SepPhora (since [Moses] had sent her ³ and her two sons away).

[One of his sons] was named GerSam [meaning, Visitor], because, as [Moses] said:

‘I was a visitor in a strange land,’

⁴ And [the other was named] EliEzer [meaning, My God is my Helper], because as [Moses] said:

‘The God of my fathers is my helper and He rescued me from the hands of PharaOh.’

⁵ His Excellence then took [Moses’ family] to him in the desert… To his camp on the Mountain of God. ⁶ And when Moses was told, ‘Look! His Excellence (your father-in-law) is coming and he’s bringing your wife and two sons with him,’ ⁷ Moses went out to meet them.

Then [Moses] bowed low before his father-in-law and kissed him, then they hugged each other, and he led them into his tent, ⁸ where Moses told his father-in-law about everything that Yahweh had done to PharaOh and to the Egyptians for IsraEl’s sake, as well as about all the things that had happened to them along the way, and of the way Yahweh had rescued them from the hands of PharaOh and the Egyptians.

⁹ Well, His Excellence was amazed by all the good things that Yahweh had done for them by rescuing them, ¹⁰ and he said:

‘Praise Yahweh, because He rescued them from the hands of PharaOh and the Egyptians!

¹¹ ‘Now I know that Yahweh is higher than all [other] gods; for He did this to those who were treating [the children of IsraEl so poorly].’

¹² Then His Excellence presented whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for God, and Aaron and all the elders of IsraEl came to eat bread before God, along with Moses’ father-in-law.

¹³ Well, the next morning, Moses sat down to [serve as] judge for the people, and they [kept coming to] him all day long. ¹⁴ Then when His Excellence noticed all that [Moses was doing], he asked:

‘Why are you sitting there all by yourself as the people come to you from morning until night?’

¹⁵ And Moses replied:

‘The people are coming to me to receive God’s decisions. ¹⁶ So whenever they have any disagreement, they come to me and I judge each [case].

‘I teach them the Laws of God and [I judge by] His Laws.’

¹⁷ However, Moses’ father-in-law told him:

‘You aren’t handling this thing right, ¹⁸ for this will just wear you down… And your people will get tired of it too. You won’t be able to keep on doing this all by yourself.

¹⁹ ‘So, listen to me; I’m going to tell you what to do, and God will be with you.

‘You can be [the one] that [leads] the people in matters that pertain to God, and you can take their problems before God. ²⁰ You should also [teach] them God’s [ways] and His Laws, and show them how to act and the things that they should be doing.

²¹ ‘But, keep an eye out among the people for capable, righteous men who fear God… Righteous men who hate pride. Then appoint them as chiefs over thousands, chiefs over hundreds, chiefs over fifties, and chiefs over tens… ²² Let them spend all their time judging.

‘And whenever a problem is too great, then they should bring it to you. Let them help you to free up your [time] by judging the smaller cases.

²³ ‘And if you do that, God will strengthen you, you’ll [have time to take care of more important matters], and these people will [return to their tents] more peacefully.’

²⁴ Well, Moses paid attention to his father-in-law’s suggestion and did everything that he said. ²⁵ He chose capable men throughout all of IsraEl and made them chiefs of thousands, chiefs of hundreds, chiefs of fifties, and chiefs of tens.

²⁶ Then they judged the people, and whenever a matter was too weighty, they brought it to Moses, while they judged the lighter matters.

²⁷ Then after that, Moses [said goodbye] to his father-in-law, and [His Excellence] returned to his own land.

Exodus 19

←18 | All books | All chapters | 20→

¹ Well, it was on that same day (in the 3rd month after the children of IsraEl had fled the land of Egypt) that they arrived in the SinAi desert.

² They left RaphiDin and traveled through the desert to SinAi, and IsraEl set up camp there in front of the mountain.

³ Then Moses climbed the Mountain of God, and God called to him on the mountain, saying:

‘You must say this to the house of Jacob and report [My words] to the children of IsraEl:

⁴ ‘You’ve seen all that I’ve done to the Egyptians, and how I lifted you as on the wings of eagles and drawn you close to Me. ⁵ Now, if you’ll listen to what I say and keep My Sacred Agreement, you’ll be a special people to Me that will be higher than all other nations!

‘And because the whole earth is Mine, ⁶ you’ll become My holy nation and a Kingdom of Priests.’

‘Now, [go] and tell this to the children of IsraEl!’

⁷ So Moses went back and called the people’s elders, then he laid out what God had said exactly as He said it. ⁸ And all the people replied unanimously, saying:

‘We will listen to, and obey, everything that God has said!’

And Moses reported their words back to God.

⁹ Then the Lord told Moses:

‘{Look!} I’m going to come to you in a column of clouds so the people can hear Me speaking to you. And after that, throughout the age, they’ll believe you.’

And so, Moses reported back to the people about what the Lord had said.

¹⁰ Thereafter, the Lord said this to Moses:

‘Go down and give these solemn instructions to the people:

‘They must cleanse themselves both today and tomorrow, and they must wash their clothes.

¹¹ ‘Make sure they’re ready by the 3rd day, because on the 3rd day, the Lord will descend upon Mount SinAi before all the people.

¹² ‘Also, be sure that they keep themselves some distance from the mountain. Tell them:

‘Be careful not to step on any part of the mountain or to touch any part of it. For anyone who touches the mountain will surely die!

¹³ ‘No hand should touch it, and anyone who does so must be pelted with rocks or shot through with arrows… Whether it’s a man or an animal, [he or she] must not be allowed to live!’

‘People may only climb the mountain after the voices, trumpeting, and clouds are gone.’

¹⁴ So Moses went down the mountain to the people. He then cleansed them and [had them] wash their clothes.

¹⁵ He told them:

‘Get ready… And for the next three days, no [man] should even get close to a woman [and so on]...’

¹⁶ Then, as the morning of the 3rd day dawned, there were voices, there was lightning, there was a dark cloud on SinAi, and they heard a trumpeting sound that was so loud that the people in the camp were trembling!

¹⁷ And that’s when Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God.

Well, they were all standing there, close to the camp, ¹⁸ and then the whole mountain started to smoke, because The God had descended upon it in fire… And the smoke kept rising as though it [was coming from] a furnace, which left the people in awe!

¹⁹ Then the trumpeting got even louder as Moses spoke, and God started answering him with a voice… ²⁰ Yes, the Lord descended to the top of Mount SinAi and called to Moses, [telling him to come to Him] on top of the mountain!

So Moses went up, ²¹ and God then said this to Moses:

‘Go down and warn the people [again] not to approach to see God, for this will cause many of them to [die]! ²² And make sure that any Priests who come close to Yahweh God have cleansed themselves, so He doesn’t [have to] destroy some of them!’

²³ Then Moses said to God:

‘The people won’t be able to approach Mount SinAi, because You warned us, saying:

‘Set boundaries around the mountain and make it holy.’

²⁴ And at that, the Lord told him:

‘Now, go down [the mountain] and bring Aaron back up here with you... But don’t allow the Priests or the people to force their way up to God, for fear that Yahweh will destroy them!’

²⁵ So Moses went [back] down to the people and reminded them [once again].

Exodus 20

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¹ Then the Lord said all of this:

² ‘I am Yahweh… I am your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of slavery.

³ ‘[#1] You must have no gods other than Me.

⁴ ‘[#2] You must not make images for yourselves of anything in the skies above, on the earth below, or of things that live in the water or under the ground... ⁵ You must not bow before them or serve them; for I, Yahweh your God, am a zealous God, and I bring the sins of the ancestors upon the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of those who hate Me.

⁶ ‘Yet, I’m merciful to the thousands who love Me and keep My Commandments.

⁷ ‘[#3] You must not misuse Yahweh your God’s Name; for Yahweh your God won’t forgive those who misuse His Name.

⁸ ‘[#4] Keep the Sabbath day and make it holy...

⁹ ‘You may work and get everything done in 6 days. ¹⁰ However, the 7th day is the Sabbath of your God Yahweh, and you must do no work… Not you, nor your sons, your daughters, your male servants, your female servants, your oxen, your burros, any of your cattle, nor any strangers who are visiting among you!

¹¹ ‘For after Yahweh made the skies, the lands, the seas, and everything in them, He rested on the 7th day. Then Yahweh blest the 7th day and made it holy.

¹² ‘[#5] Honor your father and mother, as Yahweh your God commanded you, so that things may go well for you and that you may live a long time in the land that Yahweh your God is giving to you.

¹³ ‘[#6] You must not commit murder.

¹⁴ ‘[#7] You must not commit adultery.

¹⁵ ‘[#8] You must not steal.

¹⁶ ‘[#9] You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.

¹⁷ ‘[#10] You must not desire your neighbor’s woman, his house, his field, his male servant, his female servant, his ox, his burro, any other animal, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.’

¹⁸ Well, all the while, the people were being distracted by all the thunder and lightning, the sounds of the trumpets, and the smoke on the mountain; and everyone was afraid and backing far away...

¹⁹ So they told Moses:

‘You talk to us… Don’t let God talk to us, because we’re afraid that we might die!’

²⁰ And Moses said to them:

‘Be courageous! For The God came here to test you and to put the fear of Him into you, so you won’t sin.’

²¹ However, the people just kept backing away.

Then Moses went into the darkness where God was...

²² And Yahweh said to Moses:

‘This is what you must say to the house of Jacob and what you must report to the children of IsraEl:

‘Now you’ve seen Me speaking to you from the sky; ²³ so, don’t make gods of silver or gold for yourselves.

²⁴ ‘You may make an Altar to Me from the dirt in whichever place that I record My name, and that’s where you must sacrifice your whole burnt offerings, as well as the peace offerings of your sheep and calves, and that’s where I’ll come to you and bless you.

²⁵ ‘However, if you should choose to build a stone Altar to Me, don’t use cut stones; because, if you use tools on them, they’ll become unclean. ²⁶ And don’t build any steps up to My Altar, so that the naked [parts of your bodies] can be seen from [below].’

Exodus 21

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[Editor note: God now outlines more detailed laws for the new nation. The story continues in Exodus 23:20.]

¹ ‘Now, these are the Laws that you are to show to them:

² ‘If you buy a Hebrew slave, he may only serve you for 6 years; for in the 7th year, he must be set free without cost.

³ ‘If he comes alone, he must leave alone; but if his wife comes with him, his wife must also leave with him. ⁴ However, if his master gives him a wife and she gives birth to sons or daughters; she and her children belong to the master, so [the slave] will leave alone.

⁵ ‘But if the slave should say:

‘I love my master, my woman, and my children, so I don’t want to leave free...’

⁶ ...then this master should bring him to the judgment-seat of God and take him up to the door, where he will use an awl to punch [a hole through] his ear against the doorframe, [to signify] that he will serve [his master] throughout the age.

⁷ ‘And if anyone sells his daughter as a house slave, she may not be sent away as other female slaves are released... ⁸ For if she has been involved with him and if she thereafter hasn’t been found pleasing by him, he may only set her free… He may not sell her to some foreigner after that.

⁹ ‘And if he’s obtained the wife for his son, he must treat her as his own daughter. ¹⁰ But if he’s taken her for himself, he must never deprive her of her clothing, her needs, or her companionship with him. ¹¹ If he refuses to do any of these three things for her, she must be set free at no cost.

¹² ‘If any man strikes another man and kills him, he must absolutely be put to death. ¹³ But if such a thing should happen by accident, or if God [allows the situation that causes the death]; I’ll provide a place to which the killer can run.

¹⁴ ‘However, if someone who lies in wait and plans to murder his neighbor runs to that refuge, you must take him [far] from My Altar and put him to death.

¹⁵ ‘Whoever beats his father or mother must be put to death, ¹⁶ and whoever curses his father or mother must die.

¹⁷ ‘If someone overpowers and kidnaps one of the children of IsraEl and sells him, or if he’s caught with him; [the kidnapper] must die.

¹⁸ ‘If two men are shouting at each other and one hits the other with a rock or with his fist, and he doesn’t die but is laid up in bed; ¹⁹ the man who hit him will be cleared if the other person can get up and walk (even with the aid of a cane), as long as he pays for the lost time and the cost of his healing.

²⁰ ‘If a man hits his male or female slave with a cane and the person dies as a result, he must be punished. ²¹ However, if the slave continues to live a few days after that, the master shouldn’t be punished, because it’s his own loss.

²² ‘If two men are fighting and [one] hits a pregnant woman and her child is born deformed as a result; he must be forced to pay whatever amount her man demands of him.

²³ ‘But if the child is born perfectly formed [although injured], he must pay life for life, ²⁴ eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, ²⁵ burning for burning, wound for wound, whipping for whipping.

²⁶ ‘If anyone should hit their male or female slave in the eye and put it out, that slave should be set free because of the eye injury.

²⁷ ‘And if he [breaks or knocks out] a male or female slave’s tooth, that slave must be set free because of the tooth.

²⁸ ‘If a bull gores a man or a woman and he or she dies, the bull must be stoned to death and its flesh may not be eaten… However, the bull’s owner will be [free of guilt].

²⁹ ‘But if the bull has been known to gore before and the owner was told and hasn’t done anything about it, and then it kills a man or woman; the bull must be stoned and its owner must also die.

³⁰ ‘However, if a ransom is demanded instead, he must pay whatever is asked for his life.

³¹ ‘If a bull gores someone’s son or daughter, it must be handled according to the law that was given... ³² But if the bull gores a male or female slave, their master must be paid 30 double-silver coins, and the bull must be stoned.

³³ ‘If anyone digs an open pit or a hole in rock and fails to cover it, and an ox or a burro falls into it; ³⁴ the owner of the pit must pay a compensation to [the animal’s] owner, but the dead [animal] will thereafter be his.

³⁵ ‘And if a man’s bull should gore his neighbor’s bull and kill it, they must sell the living bull and divide the money, then divide up the dead bull. ³⁶ However, if the bull has been known to gore in the past and his owner knew about this and failed to do anything about it; he must pay for the bull, and the dead one won’t be his.’

Exodus 22

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¹ ‘If someone should steal an ox or a sheep and kills it or sells it, he must pay back 5 calves for a calf, and 4 sheep for a sheep.

² ‘And if a thief should be caught inside a fence and is beaten and dies as a result, no one will be found guilty [of killing him].

³ ‘However, if someone [kills a thief] the next day, he’s guilty and should be [put to death].’

‘If a thief has nothing left [of what he stole], he can be sold [as a slave] to repay what he’s stolen.

⁴ ‘But if the thing he stole is still around and can be found alive in his possession (as with an ox or a sheep), he must pay back twice as much.’

⁵ ‘And if anyone [has allowed his cattle] to strip his own field or vineyard, and then he sends his animals to graze in someone else’s field, he must [pay his neighbor back] out of the produce from his own field.

‘But if the animals strip [his neighbor’s] entire field; he must pay with the best of his field and the best of his vineyard.

⁶ ‘Now, if [someone sets a] fire (even if he thinks it has gone out) and it burns a threshing floor or a field of grain; the one who sets the fire must pay a compensation.

⁷ ‘If anyone gives his neighbor money or other [valuables] to keep and they’re stolen from the man’s house; the thief must repay double if he’s caught.

⁸ ‘But if the thief isn’t caught, the owner of the house must stand before God and swear that he hasn’t done anything wrong to whatever his neighbor left with him.

⁹ ‘Then every accusation, whether it involves a calf, a burro, a sheep, some clothing (or whatever)… Every claim of loss must be taken before God.

‘And anyone who is found guilty by God must repay his neighbor with twice as much.

¹⁰ ‘And if anyone leaves a calf, a sheep, or any other animal with his neighbor and it’s wounded or it dies and no one knows for sure how it happened... ¹¹ Each must swear an oath to God that he isn’t guilty in any way. Then his master should find him innocent and he won’t have to pay a compensation.

¹² ‘However, if it was stolen from him; he must repay the owner.

¹³ ‘And if someone stole any other type of animal, [he must] return the animal to its owner, and he won’t have to pay a compensation.

¹⁴ ‘If anyone borrows [an animal] from his neighbor and it’s wounded, or dies, or is stolen while its owner is away; he must be compensated for it... ¹⁵ But if the owner is there; he doesn’t have to pay compensation.

‘And if it’s something that he rented; [the owner] must be paid back in lieu of his rent.

¹⁶ ‘If anyone deceives a virgin to whom he isn’t engaged, and [has sex] with her, he must take her as his wife. ¹⁷ But if her father refuses and won’t consent to giving her to be his wife, he must pay her father the amount of dowry that’s required for a virgin.

¹⁸ ‘You must not [seek the aid of] sorcerers.

¹⁹ ‘Anyone who [has sex] with an animal must be put to death.

²⁰ ‘Anyone who offers sacrifices to a god other than Yahweh must be put to death.

²¹ ‘You must not harm strangers or oppress them, because you were once strangers in the land of Egypt.

²² ‘You must not do anything to harm widows or orphans. ²³ For if you treat them badly, they should call out to Me and I’ll hear them… ²⁴ And that will make Me very angry!

‘Then you’ll be killed with a sword, so that your wife will become a widow and your children will become orphans!

²⁵ ‘If you lend money to one of your poor brothers who lives nearby, you shouldn’t be hard on him and you shouldn’t charge him interest.

²⁶ ‘And if you take your neighbor’s robe as security, you must make sure that he gets it back before sunset. ²⁷ Since it’s all that covers his nakedness, how could he then go to bed?

‘And if he then should call out to Me, I’ll listen, because I’m merciful.

²⁸ ‘You should never speak badly of your mighty ones [Greek: theous – gods plural] or say bad things about the rulers of your people.

²⁹ ‘You must never hold back the first fruitage of your threshing floor [or of your olive or wine] press.

‘You must give your first-born sons to Me, ³⁰ as well as those of your calves, sheep, and burros... They may stay under their mothers for 7 days, but on the 8th day, you must offer them to Me.

³¹ ‘You must be a holy [people] to Me... Therefore, you may not eat the flesh of wild animals… You should throw it to the dogs.’

Exodus 23

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¹ ‘You should not accept false testimony, nor should you allow anyone who’s crooked to provide false testimony.

² ‘You must not join a mob to do bad things, nor should you go along with with the majority when they’re wrong.

³ ‘If a man is found guilty, you must not [free him from his responsibilities] just because he’s poor, ⁴ nor should you [find any man guilty] because he’s poor.

⁵ ‘If you find your enemy’s ox or burro wandering loose, you must catch it and return it to him.

⁶ ‘And if you see your enemy’s burro collapsed under its load, you shouldn’t just pass it by. You must help him to get it back on its feet.

⁷ ‘Never do anything that’s unfair...

‘You shouldn’t kill the innocent along with the guilty, or accept a bribe to find a guilty person innocent.

⁸ ‘Nor should you accept gifts [when judging], because gifts blind the eyes of those who can see and twist the words of justice.

⁹ ‘You should never mistreat a stranger, because you know how they feel – since you were once strangers in the land of Egypt!

¹⁰ ‘You can plant your field and harvest it for 6 years...

¹¹ ‘However, every 7 years you must leave it alone and allow it to rest, so that the poor of your nation can [find] food there, and the wild animals can eat whatever is left.

‘That’s also what you must do to your vineyards and your olive groves.

¹² ‘You should work for 6 days, but the 7th day is a day of rest, so that your burro, your ox, the sons of your female slaves, and strangers may be refreshed.

¹³ ‘Guard all the things that I’ve commanded you – and don’t mention the names of other gods or speak of them in any way!

¹⁴ ‘You must hold a feast to Me three times each year:

¹⁵ [Feast #1]

‘Be sure to observe the Feast of Fermentation-Free Bread. You must eat fermentation-free bread for 7 days (as I told you before) during the time of the month of new grain, because that’s when you came out of Egypt… And don’t approach Me empty-handed!

¹⁶ [Feast #2]

‘You must observe a feast when you harvest the first-fruits of your work, no matter what you’ve planted in your field.

[Feast #3]

‘And [you must observe] a feast at the end of the year when you harvest the crops in your field.

¹⁷ ‘So, all your males must appear before Yahweh your God three times each year.

¹⁸ ‘And when I drive the other nations out of your midst and widen your borders, you must never offer fermented bread along with the blood sacrifices, nor should the fat of My feast be allowed to stay [on the altar] until the next morning.

¹⁹ ‘You must bring all the first fruitage of your fields to the House of your God, Yahweh.

‘You must never boil a lamb in its mother’s milk.

[Editor note: The story continues here, with God speaking.]

²⁰ ‘{Look!} I’m going to send My messenger to you in order to keep you headed in the right direction; for he will lead you into the land that I have prepared for you.

²¹ Be sure to listen to him… Obey him! He won’t give in to you, because he carries My Name.

²² ‘Tell the children of IsraEl that if they’ll listen to what I say and do everything that I tell them, I’ll be an enemy to their enemies, and I’ll oppose anyone who’s against them.

²³ ‘Then I’ll send My messenger to serve as their leader, and [he will] bring them to [the land of] the Amorites, Chettites, Pherezites, CanaAnites, Gergeshites, Evites, and Jebusites, whom I’ll destroy.

²⁴ ‘However, [IsraEl] must not worship or serve the gods [of those people], nor should they do any of the things that they’re doing. Rather, [those people] must all be destroyed and their [sacred] columns must be pulled down!

²⁵ ‘If you serve Yahweh your God, I’ll bless your bread, your wine, and your water, and I’ll keep you from getting sick... ²⁶ There won’t be anyone in your land who’s impotent or infertile, and you’ll live full lives.

²⁷ ‘I’ll send terror ahead of you, all the nations in the land you’re entering will be amazed by you, and I’ll make all your enemies run from you! ²⁸ I’ll send hornets ahead of you to drive the Amorites, Evites, CanaAnites, and the Chettites away from you.

²⁹ ‘I won’t throw them out in the 1st year, so the fields don’t grow wild and allow wild animals to multiply there. ³⁰ But before long, I’ll start throwing them out ahead of you, until you grow and inherit the land. ³¹ Then I’ll set your borders from the Red Sea to the [MediTerranean], and from the desert to the great EuPhrates River.

‘Since I’ll be handing over those who are living in the land and driving them away from you, ³² you must make no treaties with them or with their gods... ³³ For they won’t be allowed to live in your land, lest they cause you to sin against Me.

‘Because, if you serve their gods, that will lead to your downfall.’

Exodus 24

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¹ Then the Lord told Moses:

‘I want you, Aaron, NaDab, AbiUd, and 70 of IsraEl’s elders to come to Me and bow before [Me] from a distance. ² And thereafter, I want you to come close to Me by yourself… None of the others should come any closer!’

³ So Moses went and told the people about everything God had said and about His Laws.

And the people unanimously answered all together:

‘We will do and obey everything that Yahweh has said!’

⁴ Then Moses wrote down everything that the Lord said.

And early the next morning, he built an Altar at the base of the mountain using 12 stones [to represent] the 12 tribes of IsraEl. ⁵ After that, he sent young men from the children of IsraEl to offer up whole burnt offerings and to sacrifice young calves as peace offerings to God. ⁶ Then Moses took half of the blood and poured it into bowls, and he poured the other half on the Altar.

⁷ Next, [Moses] took the scroll of the Sacred Agreement [that he wrote] and read it to the people.

And they [again] said:

‘We will do and pay attention to everything that Yahweh has said.’

⁸ Then Moses took the blood [from the bowls] and sprinkled it on the people, and he said:

‘{Look!} This is the blood of the Sacred Agreement that Yahweh has made with you over the things you’ve agreed to.’

⁹ And thereafter, Moses, Aaron, NaDab, AbiUd, and 70 of the elders of IsraEl went up [the mountain], ¹⁰ where they saw the place that the God of IsraEl was standing; and under His feet [they saw] what looked like slabs of cut sapphires that were as pure as the firmament.

¹¹ So, all the chosen ones of IsraEl stood there in the presence of God – none were missing (not one) – and they ate and drank.

¹² Then Yahweh told Moses:

‘[I want you to] come [back] up the mountain to Me and stay here; for I’ll now give you the tablets of stone containing the Laws and Commandments that I’ve written.’

¹³ So [the next day], Moses got up and took his assistant JoShua to climb the mountain of God along with him.

¹⁴ And they told the elders:

‘Rest here until we return.

‘Look! Aaron and Or will be here with you; so if there are any [cases] that have to be tried, let them handle it.’

¹⁵ Then Moses and JoShua climbed the mountain, which was shrouded in a cloud. ¹⁶ And the glory of The God came down on Mount SinAi, and the cloud covered it for 6 days... Then Yahweh called to Moses from the midst of the cloud on the 7th day.

¹⁷ Well, to the Children of IsraEl, the glory of Yahweh looked like a fire that was burning on top of the mountain!

¹⁸ Then Moses entered the cloud and climbed the mountain, where he stayed for 40 days and 40 nights.

Exodus 25

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[Editor note: The Lord now gives detailed instructions for the construction of the objects for worship. The story continues at Exodus 31:1.]

¹ It was there that the Lord told Moses:

² ‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and [ask for] the first fruits of everything that their hearts are willing to give… Then you must [collect] it [and set it aside].

³ ‘These are the offerings that you are to ask for:

• Gold,

• Silver,

• Bronze,

• ⁴ Blue [thread],

• Purple [yarn],

• Scarlet [cloth],

• Fine-spun linen,

• Goats’ hair,

• ⁵ Ram’s skins that are dyed red ,

• Blue, and

• Durable wood.

⁶ ‘[You should also ask for] lamp oil, fragrances for anointing oil, ingredients for incense, ⁷ and for rubies and other [precious] stones that will fit into a breastplate, as well as a full-length robe.

⁸ ‘You must now make a Sacred Place for Me, where I can appear among you. ⁹ Everything you make for Me must follow the examples that I’ll show you on the Mountain... There’ll be an example for the Sacred Place and examples for all of its furnishings. And that’s how you are to make them.

¹⁰ ‘You must also build a Chest for the Proofs. [Build it] from durable wood.

‘It must be:

• 50 inches (130cm) wide,

• 30 inches (75cm) deep, and

• 30 inches (7cm) tall.

¹¹ ‘Cover it with pure gold both inside and out, and put spun gold wreaths around it. ¹² You must create 4 gold rings for it, and mount 2 rings on each side.

¹³ ‘Then make [two] poles of durable wood, cover them with gold, ¹⁴ and put the poles into the rings on the sides of the Chest, to carry it ¹⁵ (these poles should always be left in the rings on the Chest).

¹⁶ ‘Then you must put the Proofs that I’ll give to you inside of the Chest.

¹⁷ ‘You must also make the Lid. It is to be a cover of pure gold, 50 inches (125cm) long and 30 inches (75cm) wide. ¹⁸ And you’ll carve two [statues of] cherubs from gold and mount them on the Lid.

¹⁹ ‘A cherub will be mounted on this side of the Lid, and a cherub [statue] will be mounted on its other side, so there’ll be a cherub [statue] on each side... ²⁰ The cherubs will face each other with their heads bowed towards the [center of the] Lid. And they must have wings that are outstretched over them that [extend forward] over the Lid.

²¹ ‘Then the Lid must be put on top of the Chest, which will contain the Proofs that I’ll give to you.

²² ‘This is where I’ll make My presence known to you. I’ll speak to you from above the Lid, between the two [statues of] cherubs on the Chest of Proofs... It’s there that I’ll talk to you and instruct you concerning everything that has to do with the children of IsraEl.

²³ ‘You are also to make a table of pure gold that’s:

• 40 inches (100cm) long,

• 20 inches (50cm) wide, and

• 30 inches (75cm) tall.

²⁴ ‘It must have gold wreaths going around it and a 6-inch (15cm) rim ²⁵ that has a spun wreath circling it.

²⁶ ‘You must also make 4 gold rings and fasten them to the 4 feet (1.2m) under the rim. ²⁷ These rings will be supports for the poles that will be used to carry the table. ²⁸ The poles should be made of durable wood and covered with pure gold, for carrying the table.

²⁹ ‘You should also make dishes, incense burners, bowls, and cups (for drink offerings) out of pure gold. ³⁰ These must always be set before Me on the table of Show Bread.

³¹ ‘You must also shape a lampstand from pure gold... The whole thing – it’s stem, branches, sockets, knobs, and lilies – must be a single piece.

³² ‘It is to have 6 branches that come from its sides… Three branches for lamps on one side and three branches for lamps on the other side... ³³ [Each branch] that comes from the lampstand should be topped with an almond-shaped socket [to hold the lamps], which is to be mounted above a knob and a lily.

³⁴ ‘Each will have 4 sockets that are shaped like almonds, and the knobs and flowers on each branch should be the same. ³⁵ There’ll be a knob under two branches and a knob under 4 branches that come from it, so that 6 branches come from the lampstand, and each will have 4 bowls shaped like almonds.

³⁶ ‘The knobs and the branches must be a single piece that’s carved from a block of pure gold.

³⁷ ‘So, there must be 7 lamps that all shine from the same side.

³⁸ ‘You must also make funnels and serving plates of pure gold... ³⁹ They should each be made with a measurement of pure gold, ⁴⁰ using the example that I’ll show you on the mountain.’

Exodus 26

←25 | All books | All chapters | 27→

¹ ‘Then you must make the Tent with 10 curtains of fine-spun linen, blue [thread], purple [yarn], and scarlet [cloth], with a pattern of cherubs woven into them.

² ‘The curtains must be 47 feet (14.3m) long and 6-3/4 feet (2m) tall. All the curtains must be the same size... ³ Five of the curtains will be joined to each other, and the other five will be closely connected to each other.

⁴ ‘You must put blue loops on one side of each curtain and [loops] on the other side to [join them]. ⁵ There should be 50 loops [on one side] and 50 loops at the same locations on the other side to connect them... ⁶ Then you must make 50 gold rings that will hold the curtains together so as to make it a single Tent.

⁷ ‘You must make a roof for the Tent using 11 sections of [goat hair cloth]. ⁸ Each section should be 50 feet (15m) long, 6-3/4 feet (2m) wide, and all 11 should be the same size.

⁹ ‘Then connect [the cloths in strips of] fives, and attach the sixth [cloth] and fold it over the front of the Tent. ¹⁰ Thereafter, make 50 loops on the side of the [cloth] and 50 loops on the edge of the second one, where they’ll be joined... ¹¹ And make 50 bronze rings and use them to connect the loops, then tie the [cloths] together to form a single piece.

¹² ‘Next, connect the [11th cloth] to the roof of the Tent at its centerfold, and allow half of it to hang down. Also, any extra [cloth] should hang over the sides of the Tent… ¹³ 20 inches (50cm) of [cloth] should hang over each side of the Tent to cover it.

¹⁴ ‘Then make another covering from ram’s skins that have been dyed red and blue, and put it over the [Tent] roof.

¹⁵ ‘You must also make tent posts from durable wood.

¹⁶ ‘Each post should be 7-3/4 feet (2.3m) long and 2-1/2 feet (75cm) thick. ¹⁷ All the posts should have two joints for connections. ¹⁸ You should make 20 posts for the north side, ¹⁹ and 40 silver sockets should be made to connect them, with a [base] socket for each of the posts.

²⁰ ‘Then make 20 posts for the south side of the Tent, ²¹ and 40 silver sockets to connect each end of the posts.

²² ‘And for the side of the Tent that faces west, ²³ you must make 6 posts plus 2 corner posts for its backside.

²⁴ ‘They must all be the same and join at the same spots on each end, so that all the corners are equal. ²⁵ There are 8 posts, which need 16 silver sockets, one for each end of each post.

²⁶ ‘And you must make rafters of durable wood.

‘Make five for the posts on one side of the Tent, ²⁷ five for the posts on the other side of the Tent, five for the posts in the rear, and one for the side of the Tent that faces the sea. ²⁸ This center rafter should run between the posts lengthwise from end to end.

²⁹ ‘The posts should be covered with gold and fitted with gold rings to hold the rafters, and all the rafters must be covered with gold.

³⁰ ‘Then you must assemble the Tent according to the example that I’ll show you on the mountain.

³¹ ‘After that, you must make a veil of spun blue [thread], purple [yarn], scarlet [cloth], and fine-spun linen that will have [images of] cherubs woven into it.

³² ‘You must mount it on 4 posts of durable wood that are overlaid with gold and with gold covering each of their caps, as well as silver sockets for the base of each one. ³³ Then mount the veil on the posts and carry it inside to serve as a veil for the Chest of Proofs.

‘This veil will form the separation between the Holy Place and the Holiest of Holies. ³⁴ Use the veil as a screen for the Chest of Proofs in the Holiest of Holies.

³⁵ ‘Next, put a table outside of the veiled area, on the north side of the Tent, and put the lampstand opposite the table on the south side of the Tent.

³⁶ ‘Then make a veil as a door for the Tent out of blue [thread], purple [yarn], scarlet [cloth], and embroidered fine-spun linen.

³⁷ ‘You must make five posts for the veil that are capped at the top and covered with gold, and bronze sockets for the base of each one.’

Exodus 27

←26 | All books | All chapters | 28→

¹ ‘Then you must make an Altar of durable wood that will be square:

• 8-1/4 feet (2.5m) long

• 8-1/4 feet (2.5m) wide, and

• 5 feet (1.5m) high.

² ‘You must also create horns for each of the four corners. They’ll be made of a single piece and overlaid with bronze.

³ ‘You must make a rim for the Altar and a covering, plus cups, meat hooks, a fire pan and all its utensils, from bronze.

⁴ ‘You must also make a bronze meshed grating with four bronze rings, one for each of its four sides... ⁵ Mount the rings under the grating and center it in the middle of the Altar.

⁶ ‘You must also make Altar poles from durable wood that are to be overlaid with bronze. ⁷ Then put the poles into the rings on each side of the Altar, to carry it.

⁸ ‘[The Altar] will be hollow and made from wood in a way that will be shown [to you] on the mountain.

⁹ ‘You must also make a courtyard for the Tent:

‘On the south side, its curtains should be made of fine-spun linen and they’ll run 167 feet (50m) long.

¹⁰ ‘They’ll require 20 posts and 20 bronze sockets, as well as silver rings and clasps.

¹¹ ‘The curtains on the north side will also run 167 feet (50m) long, with 20 posts, 20 bronze sockets, as well as the rings and the clasps for the posts. However, their sockets must be overlaid with silver.

¹² ‘The curtains on the west side of the [courtyard] must run 84 feet (25.6m) with 10 posts and 10 sockets. ¹³ And along the width of the [courtyard], on the south side, there should also be curtains that run 84 feet (25.6m) long, with 10 posts and 10 sockets.

¹⁴ ‘There must be a 25 foot [awning] on one side of the [courtyard entrance], which is to be [supported by] three posts and three sockets. ¹⁵ And on the other side, there must be an [awning] that runs 25 feet (7.6m), with three posts and three sockets.

¹⁶ ‘The courtyard entrance must be a 33-foot-high veil of blue [thread], purple [yarn], scarlet [cloth], and fine-spun embroidered linen. It should have four posts and four sockets.

¹⁷ ‘All the courtyard posts are to be overlaid with silver, with silver caps and bronze sockets.

¹⁸ ‘So the length of the courtyard will be 163 feet (49.7m), its width should be 82 feet (25m), and its height must be 8 feet (2.4m)… All of fine spun linen mounted on sockets of bronze.

¹⁹ ‘And all the furnishings, instruments, and pins for the courtyard are [to be made of] bronze.

²⁰ ‘Now, give instructions to the children of IsraEl and have them bring you pure, refined olive oil that has been beaten for burning in a lamp, so the lamps can be kept burning continually ²¹ inside the Tent of Proofs, but outside of the veil that hides the Chest of the Sacred Agreement.

‘Aaron and his sons must keep them burning all night long before Yahweh...

This is the rule that must be followed throughout all generations of the children of IsraEl.’

Exodus 28

←27 | All books | All chapters | 29→

¹ ‘Now, I want you to choose your brother Aaron and his sons NaDab, AbiUd, EliEzer, and IthaMar, who are all children of IsraEl, to be My servants.

² ‘You must make holy clothing for your brother Aaron, to honor and glorify [him]. ³ So, talk to all the wise and understanding [people] whom I’ve filled with the spirit of wisdom and comprehension, and have them make holy clothing for Aaron to wear in the Holy Place, where he will serve as a Priest to Me.

⁴ ‘These are the clothes that they must make:

• A breastplate

• A shoulder piece

• A full-length robe

• A fringed tunic

• A turban

• A sash.

‘These are to be holy garments for Aaron and his sons to serve Me as Priests.

⁵ ‘They must take gold and fine-spun linen with blue [thread], purple [yarn], and scarlet [cloth], ⁶ and embroider them [to serve as] the shoulder pieces. ⁷ Both shoulder pieces must be joined together and fastened on each side. ⁸ They should be woven as a single piece of pure gold with blue [thread], purple [yarn], scarlet [cloth], and fine-spun linen.

⁹ ‘Then you must take two large emeralds and engrave the names of IsraEl’s sons on them, ¹⁰ with six names on the first stone and the other six names on the second stone, in the order of their births... ¹¹ It must be done artistically by a stone engraver in raised letters like a seal, for each of the names of the children of IsraEl.

¹² ‘Then mount these stones on each of the shoulder pieces. They are to be memorial stones of the children of IsraEl. Therefore, Aaron will wear the names of the children of IsraEl before Yahweh on his shoulders, in memory of them.

¹³ ‘Then you must make [two] small rings of pure gold, ¹⁴ and two fringes mixed with flowers and wreaths of pure gold. Mount the wreathed fringes on the small rings and fasten them to the front of the shoulder pieces.

¹⁵ ‘Then you must make The Word of Judgment:

‘It is to be embroidered; and to keep the theme of the rest of the sacred clothing, you should make it of gold, blue [thread], purple [yarn], scarlet [cloth], and fine-spun linen.

¹⁶ ‘Make it square, 9 inches (23cm) long and 9 inches (23cm) wide, and doubled. ¹⁷ Then, four columns of stones should be woven into it.

• The first column will have a ruby, a topaz, and an emerald.

• ¹⁸ The second column will have a carbuncle, a sapphire, and a jasper.

• ¹⁹ The third column will have a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst.

• ²⁰ And the fourth column will have a peridot, a beryl, and an onyx.

‘All of these should be mounted in gold settings with gold clasps... Make sure they’re assembled in that order!

²¹ ‘Then each stone must be engraved like a seal with the name of [one of] the 12 children of IsraEl in his order.

²² ‘The Word of Judgment must also have woven fringed chains of pure gold. ²³ Make two gold rings for it and place them on either side of the Word. ²⁴ And along the border, connect the chains to the rings on each side of the Word.

²⁵ ‘Then on each side of the two borders, you must place the wreaths. Place them on the sides of the shoulder piece, opposite each other and towards the front.

²⁶ ‘Thereafter, make two more gold rings and place them on the tips of the Word on the back side and within the shoulder pieces.

²⁷ ‘Also, make two more gold rings, place them on the shoulder pieces on their bottom edges towards the front, to serve as couplings above the woven portions of the shoulder pieces.

²⁸ ‘Then secure the Word by its gold rings that are sewed to the blue work, to the gold rings on the shoulder pieces, so that it’s held tightly to the woven work on the shoulder pieces above it.

²⁹ ‘Thereafter, Aaron must wear the names of the sons of IsraEl on the Word of Judgment whenever he enters the Holy Place, as a reminder before God. ³⁰ And you must place the Revelation and the Truth over The Word of Judgment, which Aaron will wear into the Holy Place whenever he goes before Yahweh.

‘So, Aaron will always bear the judgments of the sons of IsraEl on his chest whenever he goes before Yahweh.

³¹ ‘And you are also to make an undergarment [for him] that’s entirely blue and reaches to his feet... ³² The middle portion is to be a woven work that’s coupled to the rest so it can’t be torn; ³³ then along the bottom hem, there are to be blossoming pomegranates all around that are woven from blue [thread], purple [yarn], scarlet [cloth], and fine-spun linen, surrounded by pomegranates and bells of gold in between.

³⁴ ‘And between the gold pomegranates, there are to be bells and a flowered work along the hem. ³⁵ [These bells] will jingle whenever Aaron enters and leaves to officiate before Yahweh, so he doesn’t die.

³⁶ ‘You must also make a plate of pure gold, into which you must carve the impression:

‘Holy to Yahweh.’

³⁷ ‘It is to be fastened to the front of the turban with blue yarn ³⁸ and worn upon Aaron’s forehead, so he can lift away the sins of the holy things that the sons of IsraEl offer as holy gifts.

‘It must always be there on Aaron’s head whenever he accepts their gifts.

³⁹ ‘The knitted tunics will be made of linen. You’ll make a turban out of fine linen, and a sash – the work of a weaver.

⁴⁰ ‘And for Aaron’s sons, you’ll make tunics and belts and elaborate headwear; [they’ll be] symbols of honor and glory.

⁴¹ ‘You must put them upon your brother Aaron and his sons, then anoint them and empower their hands... Purify them, so that they can officiate as Priests before Me!

⁴² ‘You must also make linen underwear for them (to cover the indecency of their flesh) that run from their loins to their thighs... ⁴³ Aaron and his sons must wear them whenever they enter the Tent of Proofs and whenever they serve at the Altar of the Holy Place, so they don’t bring sin upon themselves and die.

‘This is the rule for him and his offspring throughout the ages.’

Exodus 29

←28 | All books | All chapters | 30→

¹ ‘These are the things that you must do to them to make [Aaron and his sons] holy, so they can serve Me as Priests:

‘Take one young calf from the herd and two perfect rams. ² Then make some fermentation-free bread with the finest wheat flour that has been kneaded with oil, and some fermentation-free round cakes with oil poured over them.

³ ‘Thereafter, put them into a basket to be offered along with the young calf and the two rams.

⁴ ‘Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the Tent of Proofs and wash them with water... ⁵ And after that, get the [sacred] garments and dress your brother Aaron with the full-length robe, the chest covering, and the Word (of Judgment), and tie the Word to the chest covering.

⁶ ‘Then put the turban on his head and mount the plate of Holiness on the turban, ⁷ and take the anointing oil and anoint him by pouring it over his head.

⁸ ‘Then bring his sons in and dress them… ⁹ Wrap them with sashes and put on their turbans to create a Priesthood for Me throughout the ages.

‘After that, you must empower Aaron and his sons:

¹⁰ ‘Bring the calf to the entrance of the Tent of Proofs and have Aaron and his sons lay their hands upon the calf’s head before Yahweh.

¹¹ ‘Then you must slaughter the calf before Yahweh there at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs. ¹² Take the calf’s blood and wipe it on the horns of the Altar with your finger, and pour the rest of the blood out at the base of the Altar.

¹³ ‘Then take all its belly fat, its liver and kidneys, along with any fat that’s on them, and [burn] them on the Altar. ¹⁴ However, the calf’s flesh, skin, and manure must be burned outside of the camp as an [offering] for sins.

¹⁵ ‘Next, take one of the rams, and have Aaron and his sons lay their hands on its head, ¹⁶ and slaughter it. Collect the blood and pour it on and around the Altar, ¹⁷ then cut the ram into several pieces and wash the insides and the feet with water, and set the pieces and the head aside.

¹⁸ ‘Then you must put the whole ram on the Altar as a burnt offering and a sweet-smelling delight to Yahweh. It’ll be like incense to Yahweh.

¹⁹ ‘Then take the 2nd ram, and have Aaron and his sons lay their hands on its head; ²⁰ you must slaughter it and collect the blood, and touch a little of the blood to the tip of Aaron’s right ear, to the thumb of his right hand, and to the big toe of his right foot... [Then touch some of it to] the tips of his sons’ right ears, the thumbs of their right hands, and the big toes of their right feet.

²¹ ‘Thereafter, take some of the blood from the Altar and [mix it with] anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and on his clothes, as well as on his sons and on his sons’ clothes. This will purify him and his clothing, and his sons and their clothing.

‘Then pour the rest of the blood out around the Altar.

²² ‘After that, [set aside] all of the ram’s fat, including the belly fat, the liver and kidneys and any fat on them, and the right shoulder, to complete [the ceremony].

²³ ‘And take one of the round cakes [that have been covered] with oil and one loaf from the basket of fermentation-free bread, and set them before Yahweh... ²⁴ Then give the rest to Aaron and his sons. But the [loaf and the round cake] must be offered separately to Yahweh.

²⁵ ‘Take them from the hands of the Priests and put them on the Altar, then burn them as offerings of sweet-smelling delights to Yahweh.

²⁶ ‘Then you must remove the ram’s breast at the end of the ceremony for Aaron. It is to be offered before Yahweh… And [the rest] must be shared with you.

²⁷ ‘You must cut up the breast and the shoulder that was removed from the last lamb and give it to Aaron and his sons. ²⁸ This will be a requirement for the children of IsraEl and for Aaron and his sons throughout the ages. This is to be a separate and special offering to Yahweh from the children of IsraEl, as one of their peace offerings.

²⁹ ‘The clothing that Aaron wears inside the Holy Place must thereafter be passed on to his [future generations, after he dies], so his [descendants] can be anointed in them and empowered when they wear them.

³⁰ ‘The Priests among his descendants who succeed him and who enter the Tent of Proofs to serve in the Most Holy, must wear them for 7 days.

³¹ ‘You must then boil the flesh of the last lamb in the Holy Place, ³² and Aaron and his sons will eat the ram’s flesh with the loaves [of bread] in the basket, next to the Tent of Proofs.

³³ ‘They must eat the offerings that were used to make them holy and to empower them. They can’t be eaten by anyone else, because these things are holy!

³⁴ ‘And if the sacrificed flesh of the final sacrificial lamb and the bread should be left until the next morning, it must all be burned, not eaten, because it’s something that’s holy.

³⁵ ‘You must always do this for Aaron and his sons, just as I’ve told you.

‘The empowerment will take 7 days. ³⁶ You must sacrifice the calf for the sin offering on the cleaning day, and then you’ll clean the Altar where you’ll sacrifice the last lamb, and anoint it to make it holy.

³⁷ ‘The Altar must be cleaned and made holy for each of the 7 days, because the Altar is very holy, and anyone who touches it must also be holy.

³⁸ ‘These are the sacrifices that you must offer on the Altar:

‘Two perfect yearling lambs must be offered each day, ³⁹ one in the morning and the other in the evening. ⁴⁰ And each lamb should be offered along with 3 quarts (2.8l) of fine flour that has been mixed with a quart of [olive] oil and with a quart of wine as a drink offering.

⁴¹ ‘You must offer the same things with the 2nd lamb [that’s sacrificed] in the evening (which includes the drink offering) as a sweet-smelling delight to Yahweh.

⁴² ‘This sacrifice is to be offered before Yahweh by all your generations throughout the ages at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs. For that’s where I’ll be made known to you and where I’ll speak to you from now on... ⁴³ This is where I’ll instruct the children of IsraEl, and where I’ll be treated as holy in My glory.

⁴⁴ ‘I will make the Tent of Proofs and its Altar holy, and I’ll make Aaron and his sons holy, so they can serve Me as Priests.

⁴⁵ ‘Here the children of IsraEl will call to Me, and I will be their God. ⁴⁶ Then they’ll know that I am Yahweh, the God who brought them out of the land of Egypt, so they can call on Me and I can be their God.’

Exodus 30

←29 | All books | All chapters | 31→

¹ ‘You must also make an incense Altar from durable wood:

² ‘It should be 20 inches (50cm) long, 20 inches (50cm) wide, and 40 inches (100cm) tall; and it should have horns that are made from a single piece [of wood].

³ ‘Its grating, all its sides, and its horns must be covered with pure gold. It should have wreathed edges of gold all around, ⁴ and under the wreathes you must put two rings of pure gold on each side, to serve as supports for the poles that you’ll use to carry it.

⁵ ‘The poles must be made from durable wood and covered with gold.

⁶ ‘Then place [the incense Altar] in front of the veil that [hides] the Chest of Proofs where I will make My presence known to you.

⁷ ‘Aaron must burn a fine compound of incense on [this Altar] each morning, after he snuffs the lamps. ⁸ And when Aaron lights the lamps in the evening, he must burn incense on it again. So, incense will be offered continuously before Yahweh throughout your generations.

⁹ ‘You must not offer a different type of incense on it, set any fires on it, offer any sacrifices on it, or pour drink offerings on it.

¹⁰ ‘And at the same time each year, Aaron must offer the reconciliation for their generations on its horns with the blood of purification, because it’s very holy to Yahweh.’

¹¹ Then the Lord told Moses:

¹² ‘I want you to take a census of the children of IsraEl.

‘Each [person] must pay Yahweh a ransom for his life, so no one will be destroyed when they’re visited.

¹³ ‘This is what everyone who’s surveyed must give: half a double-silver coin (or 20 copper coins), which is to be used for the Holy Place as an offering to Yahweh.

¹⁴ ‘Everyone from 20 years old and up who answers to the census must pay this offering to Yahweh. ¹⁵ The rich won’t pay any more, and the poor won’t pay any less than the half double-silver coin that they must offer to reconcile their lives with Yahweh.

¹⁶ ‘Then you must take the money that the children of IsraEl pay and use it for the services at the Tent of Proofs.

‘The children of IsraEl must always remember to do this, so as to reconcile their lives [with Yahweh].’

¹⁷ And the Lord spoke to Moses, and said:

¹⁸ ‘You must make a bronze bowl with a bronze base for washing:

‘It must be put between the Tent of Proofs and the Altar, and you must fill it with water. ¹⁹ Then Aaron and his sons must use the water to wash their hands and feet.

²⁰ ‘For whenever they enter the Tent of Proofs, they must wash themselves with the water, so they won’t die... And they must do [the same] whenever they go to the Altar for services or to burn sacrifices to Yahweh.

²¹ ‘In addition, they must wash their hands and feet in the water whenever they enter the Tent of Proofs, so they don’t die.

‘This is the rule for him and his descendants throughout the ages.’

²² Then the Lord told Moses:

²³ ‘You must also gather these sweet-smelling items for the Holy Place:

• 16 pounds (7.25kg) of choice myrrh flowers,

• 8 pounds (3.6kg) of sweet-smelling cinnamon,

• 8 pounds (3.6kg) of sweet-smelling calamus,

• ²⁴ 16 pounds (7.25kg) of cassia, and

• 1 gallon (3.8l) of olive oil.

²⁵ ‘This must then be professionally formulated to make a perfumed holy anointing oil that’s to be used for sacred purposes...

²⁶ ‘Then you must use it to anoint:

• The Tent of Proofs,

• The Chest inside the Tent of Proofs ²⁷ (and all of its furnishings),

• The Lampstand (and its furnishings),

• The incense Altar,

• ²⁸ The Altar of whole burnt-offerings (and all its furnishings),

• The table (and all its furnishings), and

• The wash basin.

²⁹ ‘You must cleanse them and make them extremely holy… And then everyone who touches them will become holy.

³⁰ Thereafter, you must anoint Aaron and his sons and cleanse them, so they can serve Me as Priests.

³¹ ‘Then say to the children of IsraEl:

‘This will be your holy anointing oil throughout all your generations... ³² It should never be poured on a man’s skin, and no one should make any of this for himself using the same formula, because it’s holy, and it should be [treated as] holy by you.

³³ ‘So if anyone makes anything like it and gives it to a stranger, he must be destroyed from among his people!’

³⁴ ‘Also, gather these sweet-smelling substances:

• Sweet myrrh oil,

• Snail shells,

• Sweet galbanum, and

• Transparent frankincense.

‘They are to be combined in equal measures ³⁵ in a professional way, to make perfumed incense that will be pure and holy.

³⁶ ‘It must all be beaten into a fine powder and put in front of the Proofs inside the Tent of Proofs, where I’ll make My presence known to you... It must be treated as a most-holy incense by you, ³⁷ so you shouldn’t make any for yourselves by this formula, because it’s something holy to Yahweh.

³⁸ ‘Whoever makes anything like it so they can smell it must be destroyed from among his people!’

Exodus 31

←30 | All books | All chapters | 32→

[Editor note: The story resumes here.]

¹ Then the Lord told Moses:

² ‘{Look!} I have called on BeSeleEl (son of Urias and grandson of Or, of the tribe of Judah) ³ and I’ve filled him with the Breath of God and with the wisdom, understanding, and knowledge to be creative in all fields!

⁴ ‘[He understands] carpentry and how to work with gold, silver, and bronze; [how to work with] blue thread, purple yarn and spun scarlet material, as well as ⁵ how to do stone working and wood crafting… How to do everything!

⁶ ‘So, I’ve chosen him, as well as EliAb (son of AchiSamach, of the tribe of Dan) and anyone else into whose heart I have put talent, to make everything that I’ve talked to you about.

⁷ ‘[This includes]:

• The Tent of Proofs,

• The Chest of the Sacred Agreement (and the Lid that sits on top of it),

• All the furnishings of the Tent,

• ⁸ The Altars,

• The table and its furnishings,

• ⁹ The pure lampstand and its furnishings,

• The wash bowl and its base,

• ¹⁰ Aaron’s official garments and the garments for his sons to serve Me as Priests,

• ¹¹ The anointing oil, and

• The incense for the Holy Place.

‘They’ll make these things just the way I’ve told you.’

¹² And the Lord said to Moses:

¹³ ‘Also, tell the children of IsraEl that they must pay attention and keep My Sabbaths, because these are the sign between us through the generations that they know that I am the Lord who makes them holy.

¹⁴ ‘They must guard the Sabbaths as something that’s holy to them. So, anyone who dishonors them must be put to death, and anyone who works on [those days] must have their lives destroyed from the midst of their people!

¹⁵ ‘They may work for 6 days, but the 7th day is the Sabbath… A holy [day of] rest to Yahweh, and anyone who works on the 7th day must be put to death!

¹⁶ ‘The children of IsraEl must keep the Sabbaths and obey them throughout their generations, ¹⁷ for this is to be an Agreement throughout the ages between the children of IsraEl and Me.

‘It is their sign to Me throughout the ages, because Yahweh made the skies and the lands in 6 days, and He stopped and rested on the 7th day.’

¹⁸ Well at that, He finished speaking to Moses on Mount SinAi and He gave Moses the two Tablets of Proofs that were made of stone and had been inscribed by the finger of God.

Exodus 32

←31 | All books | All chapters | 33→

¹ [Well, after considerable time had passed] and the people saw that Moses hadn’t returned from the Mountain, they went to Aaron and said:

‘[We want you to] make gods for us to lead us, because we don’t know what’s become of this Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt.’

² So Aaron told them:

‘I want you to take all the gold earrings that your wives and daughters wear in their ears, and bring them to me.’

³ Then everyone took off their gold earrings and brought them to Aaron, ⁴ and he took them from their hands, [had] them melted, and then the gold was carved into [the shape of] a calf.

And he said:

‘O IsraEl,

‘This is your God who carried you out of the land of Egypt.’

⁵ And after he saw it, Aaron had an altar built next to it.

Then Aaron proclaimed:

‘Tomorrow [we’ll hold] a feast to the Lord.’

⁶ So he got up early the next morning and he offered whole burnt sacrifices and a peace offering [upon the altar]. Then the people sat down to eat and drink, and thereafter they got up to play.

⁷ Well at that, the Lord told Moses:

‘Hurry and go down [the mountain], because the people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt are acting lawlessly!

⁸ ‘Notice how quickly they’ve left the ways that you’ve shown them… For now they’ve made themselves a calf to worship, and they’ve even offered sacrifices to it, saying:

⁹ ‘O IsraEl, this is your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt!’

¹⁰ ‘So, leave Me now, for I’m so angry with them that I’ll reject them and make a great nation of you!’

¹¹ But Moses started begging the Lord. He said:

‘O Yahweh,

‘Why are you so angry with the people whom You brought out of the land of Egypt with Your mighty arm and with so much power?

¹² ‘Don’t allow the Egyptians to say:

‘He wickedly took them away to kill them in the Mountains and to wipe them off of the land!’

‘Hold back Your rage and show mercy on the sins of Your people... ¹³ Remember Your servants AbraHam, IsaAc, and Jacob, and the [oath] that You made to them when You swore by Your Name, saying:

‘I will cause your offspring to increase [in number] so much that [they’ll become] like the stars in the skies!’

‘And [remember the promise that You made] to give them all of this land as theirs throughout the ages.’

¹⁴ Well, that’s how Yahweh was moved to [keep them] as His people.

¹⁵ Then Moses turned and went down the Mountain carrying the two Tablets of Proofs in his hands... They were tablets of stone that were inscribed on both sides, ¹⁶ and they were the works and writings of God.

¹⁷ Well, when JoShua heard the voices of people shouting, he said to Moses:

‘That’s the sound of a war in the camp!’

¹⁸ But [Moses] replied:

‘It isn’t the sound of people going to battle or the sound of defeat... What I hear is the sound of a lot of [partying].’

¹⁹ And when he got close to the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing, and Moses became so angry that he threw the two tablets from his hands and broke them into pieces at the base of the Mountain!

²⁰ Then he took the calf that they’d made and had it melted and ground into dust, and he put it into some water and made the children of IsraEl drink it.

²¹ And after that, Moses asked Aaron:

‘What have these people done to you?!

‘Why have you made them [guilty of] such a great sin?’

²² And Aaron replied:

‘Don’t be angry, lord; for you know how troublesome these people are! ²³ They told me:

‘[We want you to] make gods for us to lead us, because we don’t know what’s become of this Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt!’

²⁴ ‘So I said:

‘If anyone has gold ornaments, take them off.’

‘Then they gave them to me and I threw them into the fire, and out came this calf!’

²⁵ Well, Moses realized that the people were divided, and Aaron was responsible… Which was something that would make their enemies very happy.

²⁶ So Moses went to the entrance of the camp and shouted:

‘Who is on Yahweh’s side? [May those who are], come here to me!’

Well, all the sons of Levi came to him, ²⁷ and he told them:

‘This is what Yahweh, the God of IsraEl, has declared:

‘Everyone must [tie on] his sword and go through the camp from gate to gate, and each of you must kill [your rebellious] brothers and neighbors, starting with those who are the nearest to you!’

²⁸ So the sons of Levi did just as Moses had told them, and 3,000 people fell that day.

²⁹ Then Moses said:

‘You are to be praised, because you’ve all raised your hands before Yahweh [and struck down] your own sons and your own brothers!’

³⁰ Then the next morning, Moses spoke to the people and said:

‘You’ve committed a great sin! So, now I must go up to God and pay for your sins!’

³¹ Therefore, Moses returned to Yahweh and said:

‘I’ve [come to] beg You, O Lord; because these people are guilty of a great sin by making a god of gold.

³² ‘So now, [please] forgive their sins. But if You choose not to; then, also erase my name from the scroll that You’ve written.’

³³ But the Lord told Moses:

‘I’m going to erase [the names] from My scroll of all those who’ve sinned against Me!

³⁴ ‘Now, go and lead these people to the place that I told you about when I said:

‘{Look!} My messenger will travel before you.’

‘However, I’m also going to visit them and [punish] them for their sins.’

³⁵ So thereafter, Yahweh struck the people for having Aaron make the calf.

Exodus 33

←32 | All books | All chapters | 34→

¹ Then the Lord told Moses:

‘Go on! You and the people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt must leave now and go to the land that I promised to AbraHam, IsaAc, and Jacob, when I said:

‘I will give this [land] to your offspring. ² For I’ll send My messenger ahead of you, and he will throw out the Amorites, Chettites, Pherezites, Gergeshites, Evites, Jebusites, and CanaAnites, ³ then I’ll bring you into a land that flows with milk and honey.’

‘However, I won’t be going with you, for fear that I’ll destroy you along the way, because you’re such a stubborn people!’

⁴ Well, when the people heard this bad news, they went into mourning and dressed themselves in mourning clothes.

⁵ But the Lord told the children of IsraEl:

‘You’re a stubborn people!

‘Now, pay attention, so I don’t send another plague to destroy you!

‘Take off your [mourning] clothes and their trappings, and let Me show you what I’ll do for you.’

⁶ So the Sons of IsraEl took off all their [mourning] gear there at the dry mountain (Horeb). ⁷ Then Moses carried the [materials for] the Tent (which they called the Tent of Proofs) outside of the camp and [had it] assembled some distance away, so that everyone who [wanted an answer from Yahweh] would have to go outside the camp to the Tent.

⁸ Then, whenever Moses would enter or leave the Tent, everyone would stand and watch at its entrance, to see what would happen. ⁹ For when Moses entered the Tent, a column of clouds descended and stayed at the Tent’s entrance while [God] was speaking to Moses.

¹⁰ And as they all watched the column of clouds at the entrance to the Tent, everyone stood there and prayed ¹¹ as Yahweh spoke to Moses face to face as though they were two friends!

Then after that, [Moses] would return to the camp, but his servant JoShua (son of NaWeh), who was a young man, didn’t leave the Tent.

¹² Thereafter, Moses said to Yahweh:

‘{Look!} You told me to lead these people on, but You haven’t shown me where You want me to go yet.

‘You’ve also told me that You know me better than all the rest, and that You care for me... ¹³ So now, if I’ve found favor in Your eyes, show Yourself to me so I can see You. Then I’ll know that I’ve found favor in Your eyes, and I can be sure that this great nation is truly Your people.’

¹⁴ And [God] replied:

‘I’ll pass before you, to satisfy you.’

¹⁵ Then [Moses] said:

‘But if You aren’t going to [travel] with us, don’t make me go either!

¹⁶ ‘For, how would anyone know for sure that these people and I have found favor with You, unless You go with us? [And if You should choose to go], both Your people and I’ll be glorified above all the nations of the earth.’

¹⁷ Well at this, the Lord told Moses:

‘I’ll do this thing that you’ve asked, because you’ve found My favor and I’ve put you above all the rest.’

¹⁸ Then [Moses] said:

‘Then, show Yourself to me!’

¹⁹ And [God] said:

‘I’ll pass before you with My glory, and I’ll call out My Name (Yahweh) in front of you as I say:

‘I’ll be merciful to those for whom I feel mercy, and I’ll have pity on those for whom I feel pity.’

²⁰ Then [God] told [Moses]:

‘You won’t be able to see My face, because no man can see My face and live.’

²¹ And the Lord said:

‘{Look!} Stand by Me on that rock [over there]; ²² and as My glory is passing by, I’ll put you into a hole in that rock and cover you with My hand as I pass. ²³ Then I’ll remove My hand, so you can see My back… But you won’t be able to see My face.’

Exodus 34

←33 | All books | All chapters | 35→

¹ And the Lord said to Moses:

‘Now, you must cut two tablets of stone like the first ones, and climb the mountain to Me; then I’ll write the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke.

² ‘So, be ready to climb Mount SinAi in the morning, and then stand there [and wait] for Me at the top of the Mountain... ³ Don’t allow anyone to go up with you or to even be seen on the Mountain! And don’t allow any sheep or bulls to graze near the Mountain.’

⁴ So [Moses] cut two stone tablets just like the first, and he got up early and climbed Mount SinAi, just as the Lord had told him, carrying the two stone tablets.

⁵ Then the Lord descended in a cloud and stood close to him, as He called out the Name, Yahweh. ⁶ And the Lord passed before his face while He was saying:

‘Yahweh, the God of mercy, pity, patience, concern, and truth, ⁷ who brings justice and mercy to thousands, and removes wrong-doing, unrighteousness, and sins, but who won’t acquit the guilty...

‘He’s the One who [punishes] the sins of ancestors on their children and on their children’s children to the 3rd and 4th generations.’

⁸ Then Moses quickly bowed to the earth and prayed:

⁹ ‘If You care for me; may my Lord go with us, because these people are stubborn. Then You’ll remove our sins and our failings, and we’ll be Your people.’

¹⁰ And after that, the Lord said to Moses:

‘{Look!} I am establishing a Sacred Agreement with you in the presence of all your people.

‘I’ll do wonderful things that have never been done before anywhere on the earth or in any nation!

‘Everyone among you will see the deeds that I’ll do for you… For they’re wonderful.

¹¹ ‘However, make sure that you do everything that I’ve told you to do. Then {Look!} I’ll throw the Amorites, CanaAnites, Pherezites, Chettites, Evites, Gergeshites, and Jebusites out from before you.

¹² ‘Be careful not to make any agreements with the people who live in the land that you’re entering, for fear that they’ll become stones to stumble you!

¹³ ‘You must destroy their altars and smash their [sacred] columns, cut off their water, and burn the images of their gods... ¹⁴ You must not worship other gods, because Yahweh, which is a zealous Name, is a zealous God.

¹⁵ ‘Never make pacts with people who live in this land and then commit ‘adultery’ with their gods, or sacrifice to their gods, or have them call you to eat at their feasts.

¹⁶ ‘You shouldn’t take their daughters as wives for your sons, nor should you give your daughters to their sons, so your sons and daughters don’t become ‘adulterers’ with their gods.

¹⁷ ‘You aren’t to mold [any images of] gods for yourselves.

¹⁸ ‘You must keep the Feast of Fermentation-Free Bread and eat fermentation-free bread for 7 days, just as I’ve told you, in the month and season of new grain… Because, that’s when you came out of Egypt.

¹⁹ ‘All the first-born males are Mine… Yes, everyone who first opens the womb, including all your first-born oxen and sheep.

²⁰ ‘But when it comes to the first-born of burros; you must pay a ransom for them using a sheep or with money. You must also pay a ransom for your first-born sons… Don’t come to Me empty-handed!

²¹ ‘You can work for 6 days, but you must rest on the 7th day, whether it’s during the seed [planting] time or the harvest.

²² ‘You must also observe the Feast of Weeks for Me at the beginning of the wheat harvest and at the harvest in the middle of the year. ²³ So, every male must appear before Yahweh the God of IsraEl three times each year.

²⁴ ‘For after I’ve driven the nations away from before you and enlarged your borders, no one will really desire your land… That is, as long as you go up to appear before Yahweh your God three times each year!

²⁵ ‘You must not offer the blood of My sacrifices with any fermentation, nor should the Passover sacrifices remain until the next morning.

²⁶ ‘The first fruits of your land must be taken to the House of your God Yahweh.

‘You must not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.’

²⁷ Then the Lord told Moses:

‘Write all of these words down, because they are the words of My Sacred Agreement with you and with IsraEl.’

²⁸ Well, Moses was there [on the mountain] with Yahweh for 40 days and 40 nights; and during that entire time, he didn’t eat any bread or drink any water! Then He wrote the words of the Sacred Agreement (the Ten Commandments) on the tablets.

²⁹ So when Moses came down the Mountain, he had the two tablets in his hands... But, as he was coming down, he didn’t realize that his face was glowing because of his conversation with God! ³⁰ And when Aaron and all the elders of IsraEl saw Moses’ face radiating, they were afraid to come any closer.

³¹ However, when Moses called to them, Aaron and all the heads of the gathering turned towards him, as he started speaking to them.

³² And after that, all the children of IsraEl also came to him, and he told them all the Commandments that Yahweh had given to him on Mount SinAi.

³³ Then, after he’d finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. ³⁴ Yet, whenever Moses went in to speak to Yahweh, he would remove the veil until he [came back outside] to tell the children of IsraEl what the Lord had said to him.

³⁵ [Of course], it was because the children of IsraEl could see Moses’ face radiating that he wore the veil over it after going in to speak to the Lord.

Exodus 35

←34 | All books | All chapters | 36→

¹ After that, Moses assembled the entire gathering of the children of IsraEl and said:

‘These are the commandments that Yahweh has told you to obey:

² ‘You can work for 6 days, but the 7th day is for resting. It’s a holy Sabbath and a rest for Yahweh. So, anyone who does work on [that day] must die.

³ ‘You may not so much as light a fire in any of your homes on the Sabbath day; for I am Yahweh.’

⁴ Then Moses told the gathering of the children of IsraEl:

‘This is what Yahweh has instructed you to do:

⁵ ‘Take up [a collection] as an offering to Yahweh, and everyone whose heart moves him to do so must bring these as first-fruits to Yahweh:

• Gold,

• Silver,

• Bronze,

• ⁶ Blue [thread],

• Purple [yarn],

• Double-spun scarlet [cloth],

• Fine-spun linen,

• Goats’ hair,

• ⁷ Ram’s skins that have been dyed red or blue,

• Durable wood, and

• ⁸ Rubies and gemstones that can be engraved for the [Priest’s] shoulder-piece and full-length robes.

⁹ ‘Then, any man among you who is wise at heart may come and create the things that Yahweh has commanded, such as:

• ¹⁰ The Tent,

• The cords,

• The coverings,

• The rings,

• The rafters,

• The posts,

• ¹¹ The Chest of Proofs and its staves,

• The Lid,

• The veil,

• ¹² The curtains for the courtyard and their posts,

• ¹³ The [engraved gemstones],

• ¹⁴ The incense,

• The anointing oil,

• ¹⁵ The table and all its furnishings,

• ¹⁶ The lampstand (for lighting) and all of its furnishings,

• ¹⁷ The Altar and all of its furnishings, ¹⁸ and

• The holy garments for the Priesthood of Aaron (the clothing that he must use in his services), ¹⁹ as well as the Priestly garments for Aaron’s sons.’

²⁰ And after the gathering of the children of IsraEl [had finished listening to] Moses, all that felt moved to do so brought whatever they thought would be appropriate as offerings... ²¹ So, they donated (as offerings to Yahweh) everything that was needed for the Tent of Proofs and all of its services, as well as all the clothing for the Holy Place.

²² Then, any man who felt moved to do so brought items from their wives, such as gold...

• Clasps,

• Earrings,

• Finger rings,

• Necklaces,

• Bracelets, and

• All sorts of gold items.

²³ Yes, many of them brought their gold jewelry to Yahweh, as well as their fine linen and ram’s skins that were dyed blue or red.

²⁴ All those who brought offerings also brought items of silver and bronze to Yahweh, and everyone who had durable wood or the tools to work it, brought these things too.

²⁵ Then the women who were skilled at spinning brought blue [thread], purple [yarn], scarlet [cloth], and fine linen. ²⁶ And thereafter, all the women who were moved to do so and were wise, spun the goats’ hair.

²⁷ In addition, the [tribal] rulers brought emeralds and gemstones for the settings in the shoulder pieces and the Words [of Judgment].

²⁸ They also brought the materials for the anointing oil and the things that would be used to make the incense.

²⁹ So, every man and woman who was moved to do so came to do all the work that Yahweh had assigned to them through Moses [using the things that] the children of IsraEl had donated as offerings to the Lord.

³⁰ And Moses told them:

‘{Look!} God has specifically called BeSeleEl (of Urias and Or) from the tribe of Judah, ³¹ and filled him with a godly spirit of wisdom, understanding, and knowledge, in order to be creative in all fields of expertise.

³² ‘For he’s skilled in all sorts of crafts, such as working gold, silver, and bronze, ³³ in setting gemstones, and in doing wood carving… He does everything [well].

³⁴ ‘Both he and EliAb (of AchiSamach of the tribe of Dan) have been granted such understanding. ³⁵ They have been filled with wisdom, understanding, and the know-how to do all the work that must be done for the Tent, as well as how to weave and embroider using scarlet [cloth] and fine linen, and how to fashion all the unique embroidered items.’

Exodus 36

←35 | All books | All chapters | 37→

¹ So BeSeleEl, EliAb, and all those who were wise and knowledgeable, were given the wisdom, knowledge, and necessary [skills] to do everything that had to be done for the holy offices in the way that Yahweh had instructed.

² Then Moses called BeSeleEl, EliAb, and all the wise men who had received the needed skills from God, as well as everyone who was willing to come and donate their work, to get the job done.

³ Moses gave them everything that the children of IsraEl had brought to build the Holy Place. In fact, they continued to receive the gifts each morning, ⁴ and wise people with many different skills kept showing up to work at the Holy Place.

⁵ Then one of them said to Moses:

‘The people are bringing in too many of the things that Yahweh told them to bring!’

⁶ So Moses sent a proclamation throughout the camp, saying:

‘No men or women should come to work or bring any more offerings to the Holy.’

So they actually had to stop the people from bringing things, ⁷ since they had enough material to make all the furnishings, with much left over.

[Editor note: Now follows descriptions of the construction of the items for worship. The story continues at Exodus 40:17.]

⁸ The wise and thoughtful among those who were working on the Tent also produced 10 tent curtains:

[They were made] from:

• Blue [thread],

• Purple [yarn],

• Spun-scarlet [cloth], and

• Fine-spun linen.

[They were made] with [images of] cherubs carefully woven into them.

⁹ Each curtain was 42 feet (12.8m) wide and 6 feet (1.8m) tall… And all the curtains were the same. ¹⁰ Then, two groups of five curtains each were connected end-to-end.

¹¹ They also made blue loops along the edges of each curtain to join them to each other. And they made 50 [loops] along the outer edges of the following curtains to connect them all together… ¹² They put 50 loops on the first curtain and 50 corresponding loops on the next, so [the curtains] could be joined together at the loops.

¹³ Then [BeSeleEl] made 50 gold hooks to join each of the curtains to each other, in order to assemble the Sacred Tent.

¹⁴ After that, he also put together the 11 goat-hair coverings to serve as a roof for the Sacred Tent:

¹⁵ Each of these was 45 feet (13.7m) long and 6 feet (1.5m) wide. ¹⁶ He joined five of the goat-hair coverings to make one portion, and six to make the other. ¹⁷ 

He also made 50 loops along the edge of the first group of goat-hair cloths and 50 loops along the edge of the second group (in the middle), ¹⁸ then he formed 50 bronze hooks and joined both sections with the hooks, making it a single sheet.

¹⁹ He also made the top covering for the Sacred Tent out of ram’s skins, some of which were dyed red, and some of which were dyed blue.

²⁰ Then he made the posts for the Sacred Tent out of durable wood:

²¹ The first post was 15 feet (4.5m) tall, and 1-3/4 feet (53cm) wide. ²² It had two joints that butted against each other… And that’s how he made all the posts for the Sacred Tent.

²³ There were 20 posts on the side facing the south, ²⁴ along with 40 silver sockets to connect them (2 sockets per post), and two sockets for each of the posts that followed.

²⁵ There were also 20 posts along the north side [of the Tent], ²⁶ and 40 silver sockets for them, two sockets per post. ²⁷ And for the rear of the Sacred Tent (the west side), he made 6 posts, ²⁸ plus two posts for the rear corners. ²⁹ Their sections were of equal lengths, both the tops and the bottoms, for the corner posts.

³⁰ So altogether, there were 8 posts and 16 silver sockets – two per post.

³¹ He also made cross bars out of durable wood:

Five [were set] between the posts along one side of the Sacred Tent, five were set between the posts to the other side of the Sacred Tent, ³² five were set between the posts at the rear of the Sacred Tent (towards the west), ³³ and there was a single bar through the middle, which ran right through the posts from one side to the other.

³⁴ He then covered the posts in gold and added gold rings to hold the poles; and he gilded the cross bars with gold.

³⁵ He also made a veil:

[It was made] from:

• Blue [thread],

• Purple [yarn],

• Spun-scarlet [cloth], and

• Fine-spun linen.

[It had images of] cherubs carefully woven into them, ³⁶ and [he] placed it over four posts of durable wood that were covered in gold.

The tips of the poles were covered in gold, but their four bases were made of silver.

³⁷ Then he made a draw curtain for the entrance to the Tent:

[It was made] from:

• Blue [thread],

• Purple [yarn],

• Spun-scarlet [cloth], and

• Fine-spun linen that was embroidered.

³⁸ [It came] along with its five posts, the tips of which he gilded with gold, and he cast five bronze bases for them.

Exodus 37

←36 | All books | All chapters | 38→

¹ Then BeSeleEl made the Chest from durable wood:

It was:

• 3-3/4 feet (114cm) long,

• 27 inches (70cm) wide, and

• 27 inches (70cm) tall.

² He gilded it with pure gold both inside and out, and he made a waved border of spun gold all around it. ³ Then he cast four gold rings for its four sides, two rings on one side and two rings on the other.

⁴ And he made bearing poles of durable wood, covering them with gold. ⁵ Then he inserted the bearing poles into the rings on the sides of the Chest, to carry it.

⁶ Thereafter, he made the Lid of pure gold:

It was:

• 3-3/4 (114cm) feet long, and

• 27 inches (70cm) wide.

⁷ Then he made two [statues of] cherubs of beaten gold, and put them on each side of the Lid ⁸ (one on the right and the other on the left), so there was a cherub on either side.

⁹ Both of the cherubs had out-stretched wings that overshadowed the Lid as they faced each other, for both cherubs faced [inward].

¹⁰ Next he made the Table from durable wood:

It was:

• 3 feet (91cm) wide,

• 1-1/2 feet (45cm) deep, and

• 2-1/4 feet (68cm) tall.

¹¹ He covered it all in pure gold, ¹² and he made a spun, waved border of gold all around it. Then he made a rim for it that was 9 inches (23cm) around, and he put a spun, waved border around the rim.

¹³ He also cast four gold rings for it, and he placed the four rings on each of its feet. ¹⁴ Then, next to the waved border rim, he placed rings to hold the bearing poles that were used to carry the table.

¹⁵ The bearing poles were also made from durable wood, which he then covered with gold.

¹⁶ He also made the utensils for the table:

• Its saucers,

• Incense pans,

• Cups, and

• The bowls in which the Priest would offer the drink offerings.

...[all were made] of pure gold.

¹⁷ After that, he made the Lampstand of pure gold:

Its stems, branches, basins, knobs, and lilies were all formed on a lathe. ¹⁸ It had six branches in a row, three on the right and three on the left.

¹⁹ Each of the oil basins were almond shaped, with a knob and lily on the six branches that were on either side of the one in the center of the lampstand. ²⁰ [This center] part had four almond-shaped basins on its single branch, along with knobs and lilies.

²¹ There was a knob under each pair of [the lamp’s] six branches that extended outward from the lampstand.

²² These branches and their knobs were all turned from single pieces of pure gold. ²³ Then he made its seven lamps, its snuffers, and their oil funnels of pure gold, ²⁴ which weighed some 60 pounds (27.2kg).

²⁵ Next he made the Incense Altar out of durable wood:

It was:

• 1-1/2 feet (45cm) long,

• 1-1/2 feet (45cm) wide, and

• 3 feet (91cm) high.

And on each of its four corners there were horns. ²⁶ He covered it with pure gold (its grate, its sides, and its horns), and he made a spun rim of gold all around it.

²⁷ He also made rings of pure gold that he placed under its rim of spun gold for each of its four corners, to serve as holders for the bearing poles that they’d use to carry [this Altar].

²⁸ He made the poles out of durable wood, and he covered them with gold.

²⁹ Following that, he prepared the holy anointing oil and he mixed the incense in the pure ways of a perfumer.

Exodus 38

←37 | All books | All chapters | 39→

¹ Then he made an Altar for the whole burnt offerings out of durable wood:

It was:

• 7-1/2 feet (2.3m) long, and

• 7-1/2 feet (2.3m) wide.

It had four corners, and it stood 4-1/2 feet (1.2m) tall.

² He made horns for each of the four corners, which he then covered in bronze.

³ He also made a rim for the Altar, a lid for it, bowls for it, meat hooks for it, and a fire pit… He made everything out of bronze.

⁴ Then he made a grate of latticed bronze, ⁵ and he made four rings to support the grate at each of its four sides out of bronze, which he placed under the grate ([The grate] was about half [the size of] the Altar).

⁶ He also made the bearing poles for the Altar out of durable wood, plating them with bronze. ⁷ Then he inserted the bearing poles through the sides of the Altar, to carry it (it was hollow and made of boards).

⁸ He also made the bathing tub out of bronze:

The bronze for its base came from the bronze mirrors of the women who had been fasting at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs.

⁹ Next, he made curtains for the courtyard:

• The curtain towards the south was made of fine spun linen, 150 feet (45.7m) long. ¹⁰ It had 20 posts and 20 bronze bases, and its hooks and their clips were made of silver.

• ¹¹ The side towards the north was also 150 feet (45.7m) long, with 20 posts and 20 bronze bases; and their hooks and clips were of silver.

• ¹² The curtains towards the west side were 75 feet (22.8m) long, with 10 posts and 10 bronze bases; and their hooks and clips were of silver.

• ¹³ And the curtains towards the east were 75 feet (22.8m) long.

¹⁴ [The entrance to the courtyard] ran 22-1/2 feet (6.8m) towards the rear, with three posts and three bases. ¹⁵ Then there was a 2nd section leading to the entrance of the courtyard, with curtains that were 22-1/2 feet (6.8m) long, having three posts and three bases.

¹⁶ All the curtains for the Tent were made out of fine-spun linen, ¹⁷ their bases were made of bronze, their hooks and clips were of silver, and all the posts in the courtyard were silver plated.

¹⁸ The veils for the entrance to the courtyard were embroidered of:

• Blue [thread],

• Purple [yarn],

• Spun-scarlet [cloth], and

• Fine-spun linen.

They were each 30 feet (9.1m) long and 7-1/2 feet (2.3m) high, and they were connected to the courtyard curtains. ¹⁹ They had 4 posts and 4 bronze bases.

Their hooks were of silver, and their tips were silver plated, ²⁰ and all the courtyard tent pegs were made of bronze.

²¹ This was how things were arranged at the Tent of Proofs, just as the orders were given to Moses.

IthaMar (son of Aaron the High Priest) was in charge of everything, ²² and BeSeleEl (son of Uri, of the tribe of Judah) was in charge of making all the things (just as the Lord had instructed Moses). ²³ Also, EliAb (son of AhiSamach, of the tribe of Dan) supervised the weaving, stitching, and embroidering with the blue [thread], purple [yarn], spun-scarlet [cloth], and fine-spun linen.

²⁴ [They] used 1,790 pounds (810kg) of gold in the Holy Places (which all came in as part of the first-fruit offerings), plus 730 holy gold coins.

²⁵ All the silver that came from the census of those chosen from among the gathering amounted to 60,000 pounds (27,200kg), plus 1,775 shekels (a silver bar per head, which is half of a holy shekel) ²⁶ that was paid for each of the males in the census that were more than 20 years old among the 63,550.

²⁷ [They] cast 60,000 pounds (27,200kg) of silver for the tips of the Sacred Tent and for the tips of the veil.

There were 100 tips weighing 60 pounds (27.2kg) each. ²⁸ Also, [they] used 1,775 shekels to make the hooks for the posts, the tips of which were gilded and engraved.

²⁹ [They] used 4,200 pounds (1,900kg) of bronze for sacred purposes, plus 2,400 shekels. ³⁰ From it they made the bases for:

• The entrance to the Tent of Proofs,

• The bronze Altar and its grate,

• All the utensils for the Altar,

• ³¹ The bases all around the courtyard,

• The bases for the entrance to the courtyard,

• The pegs for the Tent, and

• The pegs for the courtyard around it.

Exodus 39

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¹ And from what was left over of the blue, purple, and scarlet, they made into garments for the services of Aaron, so that he could officiate in them in the Holy Place, as the Lord had instructed Moses:

² They made the shoulder pieces out of gold, blue [thread], purple [yarn], spun-scarlet [cloth], and fine-spun linen.

³ They cut up two sheets of hammered gold to create the gold threads and wove them into the blue [thread], purple [yarn], spun-scarlet [cloth], and fine-spun linen, ⁴ [which they attached on either side of the sacred vest].

⁵ The vest was also made of gold, blue [thread], purple [yarn], spun-scarlet [cloth], and fine-spun linen, as the Lord had instructed Moses.

⁶ Then they attached the two emerald stones with clasps... They were carved and engraved like a seal with the names of the sons of IsraEl, and then inlaid with gold ⁷ and placed on the tops of each of the shoulder pieces, in memory of the sons of IsraEl, just as the Lord had instructed Moses.

⁸ Next, they made the Word [of Judgment]:

It was woven and embroidered (the same as the shoulder pieces) of gold, blue [thread], purple [yarn], spun-scarlet [cloth], and fine-spun linen. ⁹ It was four-cornered, 9 inches (23cm) long, 9 inches (23cm) wide, and folded.

¹⁰ And into it they wove and inlaid precious stones that were arranged in four rows:

• The first row had a sardius, a topaz, and an emerald.

• ¹¹ The second row had a red garnet, a sapphire, and a jasper.

• ¹² The third row had an amber, an agate, and an amethyst.

• ¹³ The fourth row had a chrysolite, a beryl, and an onyx.

The stones were all set in gold and connected by gold. ¹⁴ They were engraved like seals with one of the names of the 12 sons of IsraEl on each, representing the 12 tribes.

¹⁵ The Word [of Judgment] had a border with a tightly-joined wreath of pure gold.

¹⁶ Then they made two gold rings and two gold clasps. ¹⁷ They placed the two gold rings on each of the corners of the Word [of Judgment], and they put wreaths of gold with fasteners over the two rings (on each side of the Word [of Judgment]), ¹⁸ which connected to the sides of shoulder pieces, across from each other, in the front.

¹⁹ They connected the Word [of Judgment] to the back, inside of the shoulder piece. ²⁰ For they made two gold rings and placed them along the tips of the shoulder pieces, on the bottom sides and in the front, below the connector that was over the woven parts of the shoulder pieces.

²¹ The Word [of Judgment] was then fastened by its rings to the rings on the shoulder pieces. They were sewed in using blue thread, and they were closely joined into the woven work of the shoulder pieces, so the Word [of Judgment] wouldn’t come loose from the shoulder pieces, just as the Lord had instructed Moses.

²² Then they made the robe that went under the shoulder piece, which was woven entirely of blue thread:

²³ It had an opening in the middle with a closely-woven, reinforced edge around the collar. ²⁴ Then along the bottom hem of the robe, there were woven blossoming pomegranates of blue thread, purple yarn, scarlet cloth, and fine-spun linen.

²⁵ They also made gold bells and placed them around the bottom hem of the robe, between the figures of pomegranates. ²⁶ So there were gold bells and the figures of pomegranates all around the official robe, just as the Lord had instructed Moses.

²⁷ They made all the garments for Aaron and his sons of fine woven linen:

The turbans were of linen, ²⁸ the outer robes were of linen, the underwear were made from spun linen, ²⁹ and the sashes were made of linen that was embroidered with blue thread, purple yarn, and scarlet cloth, exactly as the Lord had instructed Moses.

³⁰ They also made a curtain of pure gold to [hide] the Most Holy Place, upon which they wrote words in raised letters:

‘Holy to Yahweh.’

³¹ It had a blue upper hem that connected it to the upper [cross bar], just as the Lord had instructed Moses.

³² So, all of the work on the Tent of Proofs was finally completed by the sons of IsraEl, just as the Lord had given the instructions to Moses.

³³ The blue [thread], the purple [yarn], and the scarlet [material] that was left over, was used to make [more] garments for Aaron to wear in his services at the Holy Place.

³⁴ They also brought garments to Moses for use in the Tent, as well as [things] for its furnishings, bases, rafters, and posts ³⁵ for the Chest of the Sacred Agreement and its carriers, and for the Altar and its furnishings.

³⁶ They made:

• The anointing oil,

• The incense,

• The holy lampstand ³⁷ and its lamps (that held oil for the light),

• ³⁸ The showbread table and all its furnishings,

• ³⁹ Aaron’s garments for use in the Holy Place,

• The garments for his sons in their Priestly duties,

• ⁴⁰ The curtains for the courtyard,

• All the posts,

• The veils for the entrance to the Tent and the courtyard,

• ⁴¹ All the furnishings and tools for the Tent,

• The ram skins that were dyed red and blue,

• Coverings for other things,

• The pins,

• And everything that was needed for work in the Tent of Proofs.

⁴² Whatever the Lord told Moses, the children of IsraEl made to complete the furnishings. ⁴³ And when Moses looked at all the work and saw that they’d done everything and made everything in the way that Yahweh had told him, he praised them.

Exodus 40

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¹ Then the Lord told Moses:

² ‘On the 1st day of the 1st month (the New Moon), you must assemble the Tent of Proofs ³ and put the Chest of Proofs inside it, behind the veil.

⁴ ‘Then carry in the table and lay [the bread] upon it...

‘Also, bring in the lampstand and mount the lamps on it.

⁵ ‘Then carry in the gold incense Altar and burn incense in front of the Chest, and hang the veil in the entryway to the Tent of Proofs.

⁶ ‘Then put the Altar of burnt offerings next to the entry to the Tent of Proofs, and set up the rest of the Tent.

⁷ ‘And put the bathing tub between the Tent of Proofs and the Altar, and put water in it. ⁸ And you’ll set up the courtyard around it, and you’ll set up the veil of the courtyard gate. [missing from Septuagint source]

⁹ ‘Then take the anointing oil and anoint the Tent and everything in it, to cleanse it, so that it and all its furnishings will be holy... ¹⁰ Also, anoint the Altar of burnt offerings and all of its furnishings. Make it clean, so that the Altar will be most holy.

¹¹ ‘And you’ll anoint the bathing tub and its base, and make it holy. And you’ll make the Altar holy, and it’ll become the Altar of the Most Holy. [missing from Septuagint source]

¹² ‘After that, bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the Tent of Proofs and wash them with water... ¹³ Then dress Aaron in the holy garments and anoint him, to make him holy, so he can serve as a Priest to Me.

¹⁴ ‘And after that, bring in his sons, dress them in their garbs, ¹⁵ and anoint them as you did their father, so they can serve Me as Priests. ¹⁶ This anointing of the Priesthood [must be continued] throughout the ages.’

And Moses did everything that the Lord told him.

[Editor note: The story continues here.]

¹⁷ So it was that the Tent was erected during the 1st month (a year after they’d left Egypt… During the New Moon).

¹⁸ Moses set up the Tent, put on the caps, and set the rafters and posts in their places. ¹⁹ Then he stretched the curtains over the Tent and installed the veil from the top of the Tent, as Yahweh had commanded.

²⁰ He also took the Proofs and placed them inside the Chest; then he mounted the Chest on the poles ²¹ and carried it into the Tent. And thereafter, he installed the veil to conceal the Chest of Proofs, just as the Lord had commanded.

²² After that, he carried the table into the Tent of Proofs and placed it on the north side, just outside the veil. ²³ And he brought in the showbread [and set it] before Yahweh, just as the Lord had instructed him.

²⁴ Next, he brought the lampstand into the Tent of Proofs and placed it on the south side of the Tent, ²⁵ and he mounted its lamps in front of Yahweh, just as the Lord had commanded.

²⁶ Then he brought the gold incense Altar into the Tent of Proofs and put it in front of the veil, ²⁷ and he lit the [sacred] incense upon it, just as the Lord had commanded.

²⁸ And he set up the curtain of the door of the Tent. [missing from Septuagint source]

²⁹ He also put the Altar for the burnt offerings next to the Tent entrance.

³⁰ And he placed the bathing tub between the Tent of Proofs and between the Altar, and he put water in it ³¹ for Moses, Aaron, and his sons to wash their hands and feet ³² when entering the Tent of Proofs (or whenever they went to serve at the Altar), just as the Lord had commanded. [missing from Septuagint source]

³³ And he set up the courtyard all around the Tent and the Altar. Yes, Moses did all these things.

³⁴ After that, a cloud covered the Tent of Proofs and it was filled with the glory of Yahweh!

³⁵ So then, even Moses wasn’t able to enter the Tent of Proofs because of the cloud that covered it and the glory of Yahweh that was inside of the Tent!

³⁶ And after that, whenever the cloud would rise above the Tent, the children of IsraEl packed their bags and [got ready to leave]. ³⁷ But if the cloud stayed in place, they didn’t get ready to leave until the day that the cloud arose again... ³⁸ For the cloud covered the Tent during the day, and fire covered it during the night; and all IsraEl could [see this] as they traveled.

Leviticus

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Leviticus is a history book, a law book, and an instruction manual for Temple procedures for the Levites (hence the name, Leviticus).

It was compiled by Moses, probably with the help of secretaries, and dates from around 1549 BCE while the IsraElites were at Mount SinAi.

Difficult portions

This book contains many long descriptions of sacrificial procedures and laws that may be too dry for casual reading. If you only wish to read the story, we’ve added editor notes to show you where it begins and ends.

Bold text

The main topics of each law and procedure are marked in bold.

Leviticus 1

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[Editor note: Leviticus begins with an extensive description of the different sacrifices. The story resumes at Leviticus 9:22.]

¹ Then the Lord called Moses again and spoke to him in the Tent of Proofs.

He said:

² ‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them that anyone who brings an ox as a gift to Yahweh must bring one that the Lord will find acceptable.

³ ‘If his gift for a burnt offering is from the herd, he will bring a male that has no defects. He will bring it to the entrance of the Tent of Proofs [where it will be] accepted on his behalf before Yahweh.

⁴ ‘He must put his hands on the head of the offering [to show that] it’s something he wishes to do so as to be forgiven by [God], ⁵ and they must slaughter the calf before Yahweh.

‘Then Aaron’s sons (the Priests) must collect its blood and pour it around the Altar at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs.

⁶ ‘The meat of the offering should thereafter be butchered and divided into quarters. ⁷ Then the sons of Aaron (the Priests) must light a fire on the Altar and pile wood on the fire, ⁸ and the Priests must put the head and the fat over the fire in the Altar, ⁹ then wash the [animal’s] entrails and feet in water, and then put the rest of it on the Altar as a burnt-offering sacrifice and as a sweet odor to Yahweh.

¹⁰ ‘However, if [the person] is offering a sheep as a gift to Yahweh (or a lamb, or a kid goat) as a whole-burnt offering, it must be a perfect male.

¹¹ ‘He must put his hand on its head and they must slaughter it next to the Altar towards the north, before Yahweh. Then the sons of Aaron (the Priests) must pour its blood on and around the Altar.

¹² ‘They must quarter it and put its head and its fat over the burning wood on the Altar. ¹³ Then they must wash its entrails and feet with water, and the Priest must put the rest on the Altar as a burnt-offering sacrifice and a sweet odor to Yahweh.

¹⁴ ‘But if [the person] is offering a bird as a gift to Yahweh, it must be a dove or a pigeon. ¹⁵ The Priest must bring it to the Altar, wring off its head and sprinkle its blood at the base of the Altar. ¹⁶ And before placing it on the Altar, he must remove the crop and the feathers, and throw them by the ashes, to the east of the Altar.

¹⁷ ‘He should then break off its wings, but not cut it up, and put the burnt-offering sacrifice on the Altar over the burning wood as a sweet-smelling odor to Yahweh.’

Leviticus 2

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¹ ‘If a person brings fine flour as a gift to sacrifice to Yahweh, he must pour oil over it and put frankincense on it, before offering it as a sacrifice.

² ‘He must carry it to the Priests (the sons of Aaron) and take a handful of the fine flour with the oil and the frankincense, and then a Priest must put it on the Altar as a sacrifice and as a sweet odor to Yahweh.

³ ‘The rest of the sacrifice must then be [given to] Aaron and his sons as their holy portion from the sacrifices to Yahweh.

⁴ ‘And if he brings [bread] that has been baked in an oven as a gift sacrifice to Yahweh, it must be fermentation-free and kneaded with oil into fermentation-free cakes. ⁵ But if the gift of fermentation-free fine flour is brought in a pan, ⁶ it must be broken into pieces and then oil must be poured over it as a sacrifice to Yahweh.

⁷ ‘However, if the gift of fine flour with oil that’s to be offered as a sacrifice to Yahweh [consists of whole loaves] that were baked in an oven, ⁸ they must be brought to the Priest, ⁹ and the Priest must take it to the Altar and offer a portion of it as a burnt offering and as a sweet odor to Yahweh.

¹⁰ ‘The rest of the sacrifice must then be [given to] Aaron and his sons as their holy portion from the burnt offerings of Yahweh.

¹¹ ‘You must not have fermentation in any of the sacrifices that are brought to Yahweh [at the Altar], and no honey will be brought as a gift to Yahweh [at the Altar].

¹² ‘Such things may be brought to Yahweh as though they were fruit, but they must not be offered on the Altar as a sweet-smelling odor to Yahweh.

¹³ ‘All gifts of sacrifices must be seasoned with salt. Don’t leave the salt of Yahweh’s Sacred Agreement out of your sacrifices! No matter what type of gift it is, it must be offered to Yahweh your God with salt.

¹⁴ ‘And when you offer the first fruits of your new grain as a sacrifice to Yahweh, it should be ground and roasted before bringing it as a sacrifice... ¹⁵ You must also pour oil and frankincense over it, because it’s a sacrifice.

¹⁶ ‘Then the Priest must offer a portion of the grain with all the oil and frankincense as a burnt offering to Yahweh.’

Leviticus 3

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¹ ‘If the gift to Yahweh is to be a peace offering and it’s selected from among your cattle, it can be a male or a female, but it must be perfect to bring it before Him.

² ‘The [person] must put his hands on the head of the gift and they must slaughter it before Yahweh next to the entrance to the Tent of Proofs. Then the Priests (the sons of Aaron) must pour the blood on and around the Altar of burnt offerings.

³ ‘For peace offerings, [the following portions] should be offered as burnt-sacrifices to Yahweh:

• The belly and all the fat in and around it,

• ⁴ The kidneys and the fat on them,

• [The fat] on the thighs and the membrane around the liver and kidneys.

⁵ ‘The Priests (the sons of Aaron) must offer them on the Altar of burnt offerings over the burning wood on the Altar as a sweet-smelling odor to Yahweh.

⁶ ‘And if the peace-offering gift to Yahweh is a sheep, it may be either a male or a female, but it must be perfect.

⁷ ‘If the gift is a lamb; he must bring it before Yahweh, ⁸ put his hands on the head of his offering, and they must slaughter it by the entrance to the Tent of Proofs. Then the Priests (the sons of Aaron) must pour its blood on and around the Altar.

⁹ ‘The peace offering to be burned to Yahweh shall be [the following portions] which you’ll remove:

• The healthy, fat hind parts and loins,

• All the fat that’s in and around the belly,

• ¹⁰ The kidneys and the fat around them,

• The fat around the thighs and the membrane around the liver and kidneys.

¹¹ ‘[All this] must be offered on the Altar by the Priest as a sweet-smelling odor and burnt offering to Yahweh.

¹² ‘And if he’s offering a goat, he must bring it before Yahweh, ¹³ put his hands on its head, and they must slaughter it before Yahweh next to the entrance to the Tent of Proofs. Then the Priests (the sons of Aaron) must pour the blood on and around the Altar.

¹⁴ ‘The parts of the burnt offering [that will be offered] to Yahweh must be:

• The fat in and around the belly,

• ¹⁵ Both kidneys and all the fat on them,

• [The fat] on the thighs and the membrane around the liver and kidneys.

¹⁶ ‘Then the Priest must offer it on the Altar as a burnt offering and as a sweet odor to Yahweh.

‘All of the fat is Yahweh’s!

¹⁷ ‘And this is the rule throughout the ages of your generations wherever you may live:

‘You must not eat the fat or the blood!’

Leviticus 4

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¹ Then the Lord said to Moses:

² ‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them this:

‘If a person sins against Yahweh by doing something that He says you mustn’t do, in any of the Commandments, but unintentionally...

³ ‘Or if the Anointed Priest sins and that causes the people to sin...

‘The person must bring [an offering] for his sin. [He must bring] a perfect calf from his herd to Yahweh, [to cover] his sin.

⁴ ‘He must bring the calf before Yahweh at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs, put his hand on its head, and they must slaughter it in Yahweh’s presence.

⁵ ‘And when the Anointed Priest who’s been made perfect receives the calf’s blood, he must carry it into the Tent of Proofs.

⁶ ‘The Priest must then dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it at the base of the Holy Veil before Yahweh, 7 times. ⁷ And he must put some of the calf’s blood on the horns of the incense Altar that’s before Yahweh (inside the Tent of Proofs) and pour the rest of the blood at the base of the Altar, by the entrance to the Tent of Proofs.

⁸ ‘[Thereafter, he must take] all the fat from the calf of the sin offering and remove it. [From:]

• The inner fat,

• The outer fat,

• ⁹ The kidneys and the fat on them, and

• [The fat on] the thighs and the membrane around the liver and kidneys.

¹⁰ ‘Then the Priest must offer it on the Altar of burnt offerings.

¹¹ ‘As for the calf’s skin, flesh, head, extremities, belly, and dung... ¹² It must all be carried outside the camp into the clean place where they pour the ashes, and it must be totally burned among the wood ashes that will be poured out there.

¹³ ‘Also, if the whole gathering of IsraEl should unknowingly commit a sin and it goes unnoticed by them (if they should do something that’s forbidden, shouldn’t be done, and is a sin against any of the Commandments of Yahweh), ¹⁴ but they later realize what they’ve done; the gathering should bring a perfect calf from the herd as a sin offering to the entrance of the Tent of Proofs.

¹⁵ ‘Then [all] the elders of the gathering must lay their hands on the calf’s head and slaughter it before Yahweh.

¹⁶ ‘Thereafter, the Anointed Priest must bring the calf’s blood into the Tent of Proofs, ¹⁷ then dip his finger in some of the blood and sprinkle it 7 times before the veil of the Most Holy, there before Yahweh.

¹⁸ ‘The Priest must also put some of the blood on the horns of the incense Altar that stands before Yahweh inside the Tent of Proofs. Then he must pour the rest of the blood at the base of the Altar of whole-burnt offerings, which is by the entrance to the Tent of Proofs.

¹⁹ ‘He must cut off all its fat and offer it on the Altar, ²⁰ dealing with it in the same way as he does with the calf of the sin offering. That’s how the Priests must pay for their sins, and then their mistakes will be forgiven.

²¹ ‘After that, they must take the rest of the calf outside of the camp and burn it in the same way as the other calf.

‘This is the sin offering for the [entire] gathering.

²² ‘And if one of the leaders should unknowingly break one of the Commandments of his God Yahweh (something he shouldn’t have done in sin and error), ²³ and then he realizes that he’s sinned... The gift he must offer is a perfect male kid goat.

²⁴ ‘He must put his hand on the head of the kid and slaughter it where they slaughter the whole-burnt offerings before Yahweh, as a sin offering. ²⁵ Then the Priest must put some of the blood of the sin offering on the horns of the Altar of whole-burnt offerings with his finger, and pour the rest of the blood at the base of the Altar.

²⁶ ‘Thereafter, he must offer all of its fat on the Altar as the sacrifice of the peace offering. [This is how] the Priest must pay for [the leader’s] sin, so that it may be forgiven.

²⁷ ‘And if a person among the people of the land should sin unknowingly against any of the Commandments of Yahweh by doing something that shouldn’t be done, ²⁸ and then he realizes that he’s sinned... He must bring a perfect female kid goat for the sin that he’s committed.

²⁹ ‘He must put his hand on the head of his sin offering and slaughter the kid of the sin offering where they slaughter the whole-burnt offerings. ³⁰ And the Priest must then take some of its blood on his finger and wipe it on the horns of the Altar of whole-burnt offerings.

‘After that, he must pour the rest of the blood out at the base of the Altar. ³¹ Then he must remove all the fat and offer it as a sacrifice of a peace offering. The Priest must offer it on the Altar as a sweet odor to Yahweh.

‘[This is how] the Priest must pay for [the person’s] sin, so that it may be forgiven.

³² ‘But if he offers a lamb for his sin offering, it should be a perfect female... ³³ He must put his hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it where they kill the whole-burnt offerings.

³⁴ ‘Then the Priest must take some of the blood of the sin offering on his finger and wipe it on the horns of the Altar of whole-burnt offerings, and he must pour the rest of the blood around the base of the Altar.

³⁵ ‘He must also cut off all its fat, the same as he would for the lamb of the peace-offering sacrifice, and the Priest must put it on the Altar as a whole-burnt offering to Yahweh.

‘[This is how] the Priest must atone for the person’s sin, so that it can be forgiven.’

Leviticus 5

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¹ ‘And if a person sins by witnessing, seeing, or knowing of someone who’s sworn an oath [of vengeance] against another and fails to report it, he’s guilty of a sin.

² ‘And whoever touches anything that’s dirty, such as:

• The filth of animals,

• Dead things ([like] a dead unclean animal or [the rotting] body of cattle),

• ³ Any kind of filth from a man that would make him unclean...

‘...whoever touches [any of this,] even if he doesn’t realize it, but comes to know about it later – he’s sinned.

⁴ Or if some unrighteous person has decided to use his lips to swear an oath to do evil or good – even if a person doesn’t realize it, but comes to know of it [later] – he’s sinned by doing this.

⁵ ‘He must admit that he’s sinned ⁶ and [pay for] his sin against [Yahweh by bringing] a female lamb from his flock or a goat kid as a sin offering, which the Priest must [offer] in payment for his sin.

‘Then he will be forgiven.

⁷ ‘And if he can’t afford a sheep... He must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to Yahweh. One [must serve] as a sin offering, and the other as a burnt offering.

⁸ ‘He must carry them to the Priest, and the Priest must [sacrifice] the sin offering first. He must pinch off the head at the neck, but not cut up the body. ⁹ Then he must sprinkle the blood of the sin offering on the side of the Altar, and pour the rest of the blood at the base of the Altar… Because this is a sin offering.

¹⁰ ‘Then the 2nd [bird] must serve as a whole burnt offering for the Priest, to atone for the sins that the person has committed.

¹¹ ‘And if he can’t afford a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons... The gift that he should bring for his sin offering must be a quart of fine flour. He shouldn’t put frankincense or oil on it, because it’s a sin offering.

¹² ‘He must carry it to the Priest, who must take a handful of it and lay a portion of it on the Altar as a whole-burnt offering to Yahweh and as a sin offering. ¹³ So the Priest must offer payment for the way that the person has sinned in these matters, and [the person] will be forgiven.

‘Then, whatever remains of the flour offering will belong to the Priest.’

¹⁴ And the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

¹⁵ ‘The person who’s truly unaware and unknowingly sins against any of the holy things of Yahweh must carry something to Yahweh for his error.

‘[It must be] a perfect ram from his flock (or its value in the type of silver coins that are accepted in the Holy Place) [to pay] for his mistake.

¹⁶ ‘He must pay for his sin against any of the holy things, and add 1/5th more to it. He must give it to the Priest, and the Priest must cover his sin with the ram of his error, and then [the person] will be forgiven.

¹⁷ ‘And if any person sins and does something that isn’t right and is against any of Yahweh’s Commandments – even if he doesn’t realize it – he’s guilty of a sin.

¹⁸ ‘So, he must bring a perfect ram from his flock (or its value in silver) to the Priest for his mistake, and the Priest will [use it] to pay for the sin that he committed in ignorance... Then he will be forgiven.

¹⁹ ‘However, he’s truly been found guilty of sinning before Yahweh.’

Leviticus 6

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¹ And the Lord told Moses:

² ‘Whoever sins by:

• Ignoring the Commandments of Yahweh,

• Lying about something entrusted to them by a neighbor,

• Something shared, or stolen, or in any way wrongs his neighbor

• ³ Finds something lost but lies about it, or

• Lies about any sins like these...

⁴ ‘Then when he sins by making such errors, he should return whatever he wrongly acquired by theft, misplaced trust, chance, ⁵ or lying. Then he must repay the total sum, plus 1/5th.

‘Yes, when he’s disciplined, he will pay back whatever he owes. ⁶ And for his sin offering to the Lord, he will bring a perfect ram from the flocks, of [the same] value of his error. ⁷  Then, before Yahweh, the priest will see that his sin is paid for; and he’ll be forgiven for whatever sin he committed.’

⁸ And the Lord told Moses:

⁹ ‘Give Aaron and his sons these instructions… This is the law concerning whole-burnt offerings:

‘Because whole-burnt offerings are to be left burning on the Altar all night long, the fire on the Altar must be kept burning and not be put out.

¹⁰ ‘Then the Priest must put on the linen tunic and the linen underwear, and carry everything that’s been thoroughly burned and consumed by the fire (the whole-burnt offerings) from the Altar and throw [the ashes] nearby. ¹¹ And after that, he must take off that robe, put on another robe, and carry the burned [ashes] to a clean place outside of the camp.

¹² ‘The fire on the Altar must be kept burning all the time and never be allowed to go out. The Priests must stoke it with wood each morning, so whole-burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings can be piled on it.

¹³ ‘The fire must always be kept burning on the Altar and it must never be extinguished.’

¹⁴ ‘This is the law concerning the sacrifices that the sons of Aaron must bring to the Altar before Yahweh:

¹⁵ ‘[The Priest] must scoop a handful of the fine flour of the sacrifice that was offered along with its oil and all the frankincense, and put it on the Altar as a burnt offering and a sweet-smelling odor for Yahweh to remember.

¹⁶ ‘Then Aaron and his sons may eat all that’s left. However, it must be eaten without fermentation inside the courtyard of the Tent of Proofs… ¹⁷ And it must not be baked with any fermentation.

‘I’m giving a portion of Yahweh’s burnt offering to them, for it’s very holy, as are the offerings for sin and the offerings for errors.

¹⁸ ‘All the male Priests must eat it. This is to be the rule for burnt offerings to Yahweh throughout your generations and throughout the ages, for whoever touches them will be made holy.’

¹⁹ And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

²⁰ ‘This is the gift that Aaron and his sons must offer to Yahweh on the day that you anoint him:

‘A quart of fine flour must be sacrificed, half of it in the morning and the other half in the evening. ²¹ It must be kneaded with oil into rolls [and cooked] in a pan, then offered [on the Altar] in pieces, as a sweet odor to Yahweh.

²² ‘The Anointed Priest (one of [Aaron’s] sons who is serving in his place) will offer it, and it must all be burned.

‘This is to be a rule throughout the ages:

²³ ‘All the sacrifices for the Priests must be totally burned and never be eaten.’

²⁴ Then the Lord told Moses:

²⁵ ‘Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them that this is the law of the sin offerings:

‘The sin offerings must be slaughtered before Yahweh in the same place as the whole burnt offerings, for they’re very holy. ²⁶ The Priest who offers it must also eat it in a holy place in the courtyard of the Tent of Proofs.

²⁷ ‘Anyone who touches its flesh must be holy, and all those whose clothes have been sprinkled with its blood must be washed in the Holy Place.

²⁸ ‘Thereafter, the clay pots that held [the sacrifice] must be broken. However, if it was put in a brass pot, [the pot] must be scoured and washed in water.

²⁹ ‘Then all the male Priests must eat it as something that’s very holy to Yahweh. ³⁰ But, none of the blood of the sin offering that’s carried into the Tent of Proofs to pay for sins in the Holy Place may be eaten. It must be burned with fire.’

Leviticus 7

←6 | All books | All chapters | 8→

¹ ‘This is the law of the Ram Offering for Errors, because it’s the most sacred of the offerings:

² ‘They must butcher the Ram-Offering for Errors before Yahweh in the same place that they butcher the whole-burnt offerings, and the blood must then be poured around the base of the Altar.

³ ‘Thereafter, they must remove all of the fat that’s on:

• The loins,

• Around the entrails,

• ⁴ The two kidneys and the fat on them, and

• The thighs.

‘The lobe of the liver should be removed along with the kidneys.

⁵ ‘Then the Priest must offer them on the Altar as an offering of submission to Yahweh, because this is an offering for errors. ⁶ This [sacrifice] should thereafter be eaten by all of the males among the Priests in the Holy Place, because this is the holiest of the holies.

⁷ ‘The offering for errors is performed just like the offering for sins, since these are considered to be the same thing. And [the sacrifice] will thereafter belong to whichever Priest does the offering.

⁸ ‘Also, the hide of any animal that’s brought as a whole-burnt-offering will belong to the Priest.

⁹ ‘In addition, any sacrifice that’s baked, or grilled, or fried will belong to the Priest who offers it. ¹⁰ And every sacrifice that’s prepared with or without olive oil will be divided among the sons of Aaron equally.

¹¹ ‘This is the Law of the Sacrifice of Salvation that they must bring before Yahweh:

¹² ‘If it’s to be an offering of praise, he must bring a sacrifice of unfermented bread made of fine flour mixed with olive oil, and pan-fried flat bread that’s made of fine flour mixed with olive oil and smeared with olive oil.

¹³ ‘Then along with the unfermented bread, he must offer a gift as part of the sacrifice of praise for his salvation. ¹⁴ And along with his gift offerings, he must bring a portion that’s to be set aside for Yahweh, which will then belong to the Priest who pours out the blood of the offering.

¹⁵ ‘Also, the meats of the Sacrifice of Praise for Salvation will belong to the Priest. This must be eaten on the day it’s presented, and none may be left over until the next morning.

¹⁶ ‘If an offering is being made voluntarily as part of a vow, the person should bring his gift offering on whichever day he’s chosen for his sacrifice, and it can be eaten on the following morning.

¹⁷ ‘But any meats that are brought must be incinerated on the 3rd day.

¹⁸ ‘And if he eats any of the meat on the 3rd day, the sacrifices will have been rejected and are no longer accepted on his behalf, because they’re viewed as defiled. So, the person who eats it will continue to bear his sins.

¹⁹ ‘Also, all meats that have touched anything unclean may not be eaten. Rather, they must be incinerated in a fire, since all that are clean must eat meat that’s clean. ²⁰ And no person may eat any of the meat of the Sacrifice for Salvation that has been offered to Yahweh, for this will make him unclean and he must be destroyed from among his people.

²¹ ‘In addition, any person who touches something unclean, such as the uncleanness of a person, or of a four-footed animal, or something disgusting from anything that’s unclean, and then the person eats some of the meats of the Peace Offering that’s presented to Yahweh... That person must be destroyed from among his people.’

²² Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

²³ ‘Speak to the sons of IsraEl and tell them that they must not eat the fat of sheep, oxen, or goats.

²⁴ ‘And while the fat of decaying flesh or of that which has been killed by wild animals may be used for work, it may not be eaten.

²⁵ ‘Also, anyone who eats the fat of cattle that he’s brought to Yahweh as an offering of submission must be destroyed from among his people.

²⁶ ‘Nor may you eat the blood of any cattle or birds in your home, ²⁷ for any person who eats blood must be destroyed from among his people.’

²⁸ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

²⁹ ‘Speak to the sons of IsraEl and tell them that anyone who brings a Peace Offering to Yahweh must also bring the gift of a Salvation Offering.

³⁰ ‘In his own hands, he must carry these offerings to Yahweh:

‘The fat on the breast and on the lobe of the liver… He must bring this and place it as a gift before Yahweh. ³¹ Then the Priest will offer it on the Altar, and the breast will be given to Aaron and to his sons.

³² ‘You must also cut off the right shoulder of the Salvation Offering and give it to the Priest. ³³ The right shoulder of the Salvation Offering belongs to the one from among the sons of Aaron who offers up the blood and the fat.

³⁴ ‘So, I’ve taken the breast of the Offering of the Blessings and the cut-off portion of the right shoulder from the sacrifices of the sons of IsraEl and given it all to Aaron the Priest and to his sons.

‘This is to be a law throughout the ages for IsraEl, ³⁵ since this is [part of] the anointing of Aaron and his sons… It’s their portion of the Offering of the Blessings that Yahweh gave to them on the day that He appointed them to officiate as Priests to Him, ³⁶ and when He appointed them and anointed them from among the sons of IsraEl as an age-long law through the generations.’

³⁷ These are the laws of the whole burnt offerings, of the sacrifices for sins and for errors, of the consecration, and of the sacrifices of the Salvation Offerings, ³⁸ in the way that the Lord gave these instructions to Moses on Mount SinAi on the day that He ordered the sons of IsraEl to bring their gift offerings before Yahweh, there in the SinAi Desert.

Leviticus 8

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¹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

² ‘Go get Aaron and his sons, along with their robes, the anointing oil, a calf for a sin offering, two rams, and a basket of fermentation-free bread; ³ then assemble the whole gathering at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs.’

⁴ So Moses did just as the Lord told him. He assembled the gathering at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs, ⁵ and Moses told them:

‘This is what Yahweh has commanded us to do.’

⁶ So, he brought Aaron and his sons forward and washed them with water. ⁷ Then he wrapped him in the robe, tied on the sash, and he put the tunic and the Word of Judgment on him.

⁸ He wrapped [the tunic] so the Word of Judgment would fit, and clasped it tightly before putting on the Word of Judgment, and he laid the Revelation and the Truth on top of that.

⁹ Next, he put the turban on [Aaron’s] head and mounted the gold plate (this most holy thing) on the front of the turban, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

¹⁰ Then Moses took the anointing oil ¹¹ and sprinkled it on the Altar 7 times to anoint the Altar and make it holy (along with everything on it, including its base and the basin).

He made them holy, and he anointed the Tent and all its furniture, making them holy... ¹² Then Moses poured anointing oil on Aaron’s head to anoint him and make him holy.

¹³ And Moses brought up Aaron’s sons, put on their robes and wrapped on their sashes; then he put on their turbans, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

¹⁴ Next, Moses brought over the calf for the sin offering.

So, Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the sin-offering calf, ¹⁵ and Moses slaughtered it. Then he took some of the blood and rubbed it on the horns of the Altar with his finger, to purify it; and he poured the rest of the blood at the base of the Altar, to make it holy, so that it could be used to pay for sins.

¹⁶ Thereafter, Moses took all the inner fat plus the liver and kidneys and the fat around them, and he offered it on the Altar. ¹⁷ Then he burned the rest of the calf (its skin, flesh, and dung) in a fire outside of the camp, just as The Lord had commanded Moses.

¹⁸ Moses then brought over the ram for the whole-burnt offering.

Aaron and his sons also laid their hands on its head and Moses slaughtered the ram, pouring the blood around the Altar. ¹⁹ Then he divided the ram by each of its limbs, and Moses offered up the head, the limbs, and the fat, after washing the feet and belly with water.

²⁰ So Moses offered the whole ram on the Altar as a burnt offering, and it was burned as a sweet-smelling odor to Yahweh, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

²¹ After that, Moses brought over the second ram (the last ram), and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head, and he slaughtered it.

²² So Moses took its blood and put some on the tip of Aaron’s right ear, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.

²³ Then Moses brought in Aaron’s sons and put the blood on the tips of their right ears, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet; and Moses poured the rest of the blood around the Altar. ²⁴ Then he took the fat, the rump, the belly fat, the liver and kidneys and the fat that’s on them, as well as its right shoulder.

²⁵ And from the basket of consecration that was before Yahweh, he took one fermentation-free loaf, one loaf made with oil, and one cake (along with the fat and the right shoulder), ²⁶ and put them all in the hands of Aaron and his sons, who waved them before Yahweh.

²⁷ Then Moses took it from their hands and put it all on the Altar as the whole-burnt offering of the last lamb; and it was burned as an offering to Yahweh, providing a sweet-smelling odor to Him.

²⁸ Finally, Moses took the last lamb’s breast and set it aside before Yahweh, and this was given to Moses as his portion, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

²⁹ Thereafter, Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood that was on the Altar, and sprinkled it on Aaron and his garments, and on his sons and their garments. ³⁰ [By doing this], he made Aaron and his garments, as well as his sons and their garments, holy.

³¹ Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons:

‘Now, boil the flesh in the Holy Place inside the Tent of Proofs, and eat it there along with the loaves in the last basket, just as the Lord told me when He said:

‘Aaron and his sons must eat this.’

³² ‘After that, you must burn whatever’s left of the flesh and loaves in a fire. ³³ And then you must stay inside the entrance to the Tent of Proofs until the end of 7 days. For in 7 days, He will make you perfect ³⁴ in the same way as He did on the day that the Lord commanded me to do this to pay for your sins.

³⁵ ‘You must remain inside the entrance to the Tent of Proofs for 7 days and nights… You must obey this rule of Yahweh so that you won’t die, for that’s what Yahweh God has commanded.’

³⁶ Well, Aaron and his sons then followed the instructions that the Lord gave as commandments to Moses.

Leviticus 9

←8 | All books | All chapters | 10→

¹ It was on the 8th day that Moses called Aaron and his sons out before IsraEl’s elders.

² And Moses said to Aaron:

‘Now, select a perfect young calf from the herd as a sin offering and a ram as a whole-burnt offering, then offer them before Yahweh. ³ And tell the elders of IsraEl:

‘Take one goat kid to be a sin offering, and take a young calf and a perfect yearling lamb as whole-burnt offerings, ⁴ as well as a calf and a ram as peace offerings to Yahweh, along with fine flour that’s mixed with oil, because the Lord is going to appear among you today!’

⁵ So, just as Moses commanded, they brought [the animals] to the Tent of Proofs, and the entire gathering came and stood before Yahweh.

⁶ Then Moses said:

‘This is what Yahweh told us to do… For after that, the glory of the Lord will appear among you.’

⁷ And Moses told Aaron:

‘Now, approach the Altar and offer your sin offering and your whole-burnt offering so as to pay for the sins of you and your family… And then you must offer gifts for the people to pay for their sins, just as the Lord commanded.’

⁸ So Aaron went to the Altar and slaughtered the calf as his sin offering.

⁹ Then Aaron’s sons brought the blood to him, and he dipped his finger in it and put some on the horns of the Altar; and thereafter, he poured the rest of the blood at the base of the Altar.

¹⁰ Next, he offered the fat, the kidneys, and the liver on the Altar as a sin offering, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ¹¹ Then the flesh and hide were burned in a fire outside of the camp.

¹² After that, he slaughtered the whole-burnt offering; and Aaron’s sons brought the blood to him, which he poured all around the Altar.

¹³ Then they brought the whole-burnt offering (which they’d cut in pieces), and he laid the head on the Altar. ¹⁴ Then he washed the belly and feet with water, and put them on the Altar.

¹⁵ Thereafter, he brought up the gifts for the people. He took the goat, which was the people’s sin offering, and slaughtered it and washed it, as before.

¹⁶ Next, he brought the whole-burnt offering, and he offered it in the proper way, ¹⁷ carrying the sacrifice in his hands and laying it on the Altar beside the whole-burnt offering that had been offered up in the morning.

¹⁸ Then he slaughtered the calf and the ram as peace-offering sacrifices for the people.

So, Aaron’s sons brought the blood to him, which he poured all around the Altar, ¹⁹ and he put the calf’s fat, as well as the hindquarters of the ram, the fat on its belly, its kidneys and the fat on them, the membrane around the liver, ²⁰ as well as the fat on the breasts, and offered it on the Altar.

²¹ Then Aaron set aside the breast and right shoulder as a choicest offering before Yahweh, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

[Editor note: The story continues here.]

²² Then, after he’d offered up the sin offering, the whole-burnt offerings, and the peace offerings, Aaron raised his arms over the people and blest them before coming back down, ²³ and both Moses and Aaron went into the Tent of Proofs...

Then when they came out, they blest all the people. And at that, the Lord’s glory appeared to all the people!

²⁴ Also, fire came from Yahweh that consumed the offerings on the Altar (both the whole-burnt offerings and their fat)! And when all the people saw this, they were stunned and fell to their faces.

Leviticus 10

←9 | All books | All chapters | 11→

¹ Then two of Aaron’s sons (NaDab and AbiUd) took their censers, put incense and fire in them, and offered it before Yahweh in a way that’s quite different from what they’d been commanded...

² And after they did that, fire came from the Lord and consumed them, causing them to die there before Yahweh!

³ So Moses said to Aaron:

‘Yahweh told us that He must be treated as holy by those who approach Him, and He must be glorified before the whole congregation!’

Well, Aaron was devastated by this.

⁴ Then Moses called MisaDae and EliShaphan ([two of] the sons of Aaron’s uncle OziEl) and said to them:

‘Come here and remove your brothers from in front of the Holy Place, then [carry their bodies] outside of the camp!’

⁵ So they came and took them (while they were still wearing their [Priestly] outfits) outside of the camp, just as Moses had said.

⁶ Then Moses said to Aaron, EliEzer, IthaMar, and his remaining sons:

‘Now, don’t uncover your heads or tear your clothes, unless you also want to die and bring [God’s] rage down upon the entire congregation, for then your brothers and the entire house of IsraEl would start mourning this burning that came from Yahweh!

⁷ ‘And don’t leave the entrance to the Tent of Proofs or you’ll die, because Yahweh’s anointing oil is upon you!’

Well, they did just as Moses told them.

⁸ Then the Lord spoke to Aaron and said:

⁹ ‘Hereafter, you and your sons must not drink any wine or liquor before you enter the Tent of Proofs or before you approach the Altar, lest you should die!

‘This is [to be] a law throughout the ages [for all your] generations!

¹⁰ ‘For [you must be able to] recognize the difference between what’s sacred and what’s profane, and between what’s clean and what’s unclean!

¹¹ ‘And [you must] teach the children of IsraEl all the laws that [Yahweh gave] them through Moses.’

¹² Then Moses told Aaron, EliEzer, IthaMar, and Aaron’s surviving sons:

‘Now, take the remaining sacrifices among the burnt offerings for Yahweh and eat [them with] fermentation-free bread close to the Altar; because, that is a very holy [place].

¹³ ‘Eating the burnt offerings to Yahweh in the Holy Place will be the law for you and your sons; for He’s commanded ¹⁴ that you, your sons, and your families must eat the breast that has been set aside [for you], as well as the choicest shoulder, in the Holy Place.

‘This is the rule for you and your sons concerning the peace-offering sacrifices [that are brought by] the children of IsraEl.

¹⁵ ‘They must bring the choicest shoulder and [they must] separate the breast from the burnt offerings of fat as a separate division before Yahweh. This is to be the rule for you, as well as for your sons and daughters throughout the ages, just as the Lord commanded Moses.’

¹⁶ Well, when Moses started looking for the goat of the sin offering, [he found that] it had already been burned in the fire!

So Moses became very angry with EliEzer, IthaMar, and Aaron’s remaining sons, and he said:

¹⁷ ‘Why didn’t you eat the sin offering here in the Holy Place? It’s a very holy [thing that Yahweh] has given you to eat before Him, so you can remove and pay for the sins of the entire gathering!

¹⁸ ‘Not even its blood was brought into the Holy Place… And Yahweh commanded you to eat [the sacrifice] here before Him!’

¹⁹ So Aaron asked Moses:

‘Well, if they bring their sin offerings and whole-burnt offerings to Yahweh today, and we eat the sin offerings that are brought today (despite what we’ve done), would that be pleasing to the Lord?’

²⁰ And when Moses heard this, he was pleased.

[Editor note: Now follows a long description of the laws. The story resumes at Leviticus 24:10.]

Leviticus 11

←10 | All books | All chapters | 12→

¹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and told them:

² ‘Speak to the sons of IsraEl and tell them that these are the animals that you may eat among all the animals on the ground:

³ ‘You may eat any animal with a split hoof or that has a split between its two claws and chews the cud. ⁴ However, you may not eat those that just chew the cud or those that just have split hoofs or a split between the claws, [such as] the camel, because it chews the cud, but it doesn’t have a split hoof; so, this is something that’s unclean to you.

⁵ ‘[This includes] the rabbit, because it chews the cud but it doesn’t have a split foot; so, it’s unclean to you.

⁶ ‘This [is also true] of the hare, because it doesn’t chew the cud and it doesn’t have a split foot; so, it’s unclean to you, ⁷ as are pigs, because they have split hoofs and claws on each hoof, but they don’t chew the cud; so, they’re also unclean to you.

⁸ ‘You must not eat their flesh or touch their dead bodies, because they’re unclean to you.

⁹ ‘These are the things that you may eat, [which live] in the water:

‘You may eat anything that has fins and scales [that lives in] the water, whether in the seas or in the rivers.

¹⁰ ‘However, anything that lives in the water but doesn’t have fins or scales (whether in the seas or in the rivers)… All else that lives in the water or comes out of the water is disgusting, and you are to consider it disgusting.

¹¹ ‘You must not eat their flesh and you must dislike their dead bodies. ¹² You must view anything that lives in the water and doesn’t have fins or scales as disgusting!

¹³ ‘These are the things that you must dislike among the flying creatures… Things that must not be eaten but are to be considered disgusting:

• Eagles, ospreys, sea eagles, ¹⁴ vultures, kites, and the like;

• ¹⁵ Ostriches, owls, seagulls, and the like;

• ¹⁶ Ravens and the like;

• Hawks and the like;

• ¹⁷ Night ravens, cormorants, storks, ¹⁸ ibis, pelicans, swans, ¹⁹ herons, sandpipers, and the like;

• Hoopoes and bats.

²⁰ ‘Also, all winged creatures that crawl on all fours are [to be considered] disgusting by you.

²¹ ‘You can eat crawling winged creatures that move on all fours but have legs above their feet and jump around on the ground.

²² ‘These include:

• Migratory locusts and the like,

• Tree locusts and the like,

• Crickets and the like, and

• Ggrasshoppers and the like.

²³ ‘But, any [other thing] that crawls and flies is to be considered disgusting by you; ²⁴ and if you touch their dead bodies you’ll be unclean and will remain unclean until the evening.

²⁵ ‘All who touch their dead bodies must wash their clothes and then be [considered] unclean until the evening.

²⁶ ‘Any dead bodies of animals that have split hooves and claws but don’t chew the cud will be unclean to you, and everyone who touches them will be unclean until the evening.

²⁷ ‘Also, any wild animals that walk on four paws are unclean to you, and anyone who touches their dead bodies will be unclean until the evening. ²⁸ If you touch their dead bodies, you must wash your clothes and be [considered] unclean until the evening. For all of such things are unclean to you.

²⁹ ‘These crawling [animals are also] unclean for you among the slithering creatures:

• Weasels,

• Mice,

• Crocodiles,

• ³⁰ Ferrets,

• Chameleons,

• Geckos,

• Newts,

• Sand lizards.

³¹ ‘Among all the crawling animals on the earth, these are unclean for you, and anyone who touches their dead bodies will be unclean until the evening.

³² ‘And if one of the dead bodies of these unclean [things] should fall on a wooden container, or on clothing, or on leather, or on a sack, or on anything that’s used for work; [the item] should be washed in water and be unclean until the evening… Then it will be clean.

³³ ‘Also, if one of these [animals] should fall into a clay pot or bowl, whatever is inside it will be unclean and it must be broken. ³⁴ Any edible food that the water was poured on, or any beverage that was in such a vessel, will be unclean.

³⁵ ‘Everything that their dead bodies fall on will be unclean. Ovens and tables must be broken down, because they’re unclean, and they’re unclean for you.

³⁶ ‘Springs, pools, and moving water will be clean, but anyone who touches dead bodies will be unclean.

³⁷ ‘If one of these dead bodies should fall on seeds that have been planted, the [seeds] are clean. ³⁸ However, if water has been poured on the seeds and then one of their dead bodies fall on it, it is unclean to you.

³⁹ ‘If one of the cattle that the Law allows you to eat should die [naturally]; whoever touches the body will be unclean until the evening. ⁴⁰ Whoever eats such a body must wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. And anyone who carries their bodies must wash their clothes, take a bath, and be unclean until the evening.

⁴¹ ‘All slithering animals that crawl on the ground must be [considered] disgusting by you and never be eaten.

⁴² ‘And any slithering creatures that crawl along the ground on their bellies must not be eaten… You should consider them disgusting. ⁴³ You shouldn’t dirty your lives with any slithering creatures that crawl on the ground. If you don’t allow them to pollute you, they won’t make you unclean.

⁴⁴ ‘For I am Yahweh your God who makes you holy, and you must remain holy, since I, Yahweh your God, am holy. Therefore, you must not dirty your lives with any of the slithering things that crawl on the ground.

⁴⁵ ‘For I am Yahweh who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. So, you must be holy, because I, Yahweh, am holy.’

⁴⁶ These are the laws concerning [four-footed] animals, flying creatures, everything that lives and moves in the water, and all creatures that crawl on the ground, ⁴⁷ [so you can know] the difference between what’s clean and unclean, and between those that give birth alive that can be eaten, and those that shouldn’t be eaten.

Leviticus 12

←11 | All books | All chapters | 13→

¹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

² ‘You must speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them this:

‘Whenever a woman gets pregnant and gives birth to a male child, she must be [considered] unclean for 7 days, just as she is [considered] unclean during her monthly [menstrual] periods.

³ ‘Then on the 8th day, she must circumcise [her son’s] foreskin flesh.

⁴ ‘And for [the next] 33 days, she must continue as in [a state] of an unclean blood [flow]; so, she should not touch anything holy and [she] must not enter the Holy Place until the full period of her purification is fulfilled.

⁵ ‘But if she gives birth to a female child, she must be considered unclean for 14 days, and for the next 66 days she will remain [as in a state] of an unclean blood flow.

⁶ ‘When her period of purification for [giving birth to] a son or daughter is completed, she must bring a perfect yearling lamb to the Priest at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs as a whole-burnt offering, and bring a young pigeon or a turtledove as a sin offering.

⁷ ‘Then [the Priest] must present it before Yahweh and offer it to pay for her sins and her flow of blood.

‘This law applies to her, whether she gives birth to a male or a female.

⁸ ‘However, if she can’t afford a lamb, she must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons… One [to be sacrificed] as a whole-burnt offering, and the other as a sin offering.

‘The Priest will use these to pay for her sins and to purify her.’

Leviticus 13

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¹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, and said:

² ‘If anyone should [develop] a bright clear spot on his skin that looks like the plague of leprosy, he must be brought to Aaron the Priest, or to one of his sons, the Priests, ³ and the Priest should examine the spot.

‘If the hair in the spot has turned white and the spot is under the skin, it’s leprosy; so, the Priest who looked at it must pronounce him unclean.

⁴ ‘But if the spot on the skin is clear and white and doesn’t appear to be deep under the skin, and the hair hasn’t turned white, but is dark, the Priest must quarantine him for 7 days... ⁵ Then on the 7th day, the Priest must look to see if the spot is still there. [If it is], and if the spot hasn’t spread, the Priest should quarantine him for 7 more days.

⁶ ‘Then on the 7th day, the Priest should examine him a second time to see if the spot has started to darken. If it hasn’t, and if it isn’t spreading in his skin, the Priest will pronounce him clean, for it is just a scar. Then the person must wash his clothes and [he will] be [considered] clean.

⁷ ‘However, if the bright spot changes and spreads in the skin after the Priest has looked at him and called him clean; he must return to the Priest again, ⁸ and the Priest must reexamine him.

‘Then if he finds that the mark has spread inside the skin, the Priest must pronounce him unclean… For it’s leprosy.

⁹ ‘If a man [thinks he] has the plague of leprosy, he must go to the Priest ¹⁰ and the Priest should examine him.

‘Then if [he finds] a white spot under the skin where all the hair has turned white and there are signs of good flesh in the sore; ¹¹ this is leprosy that has matured in the skin. So the Priest must pronounce him unclean and quarantine him, because he’s unclean.

¹² ‘But if the leprosy becomes very visible and it covers all the person’s skin wherever the Priest looks, from his head to his feet, ¹³ and this is what the Priest finds; {Look!} the Priest must pronounce him clean of the plague, because once everything has turned white, he’s clean.

¹⁴ ‘But if new flesh starts to appear again, he must be pronounced unclean.

¹⁵ ‘For if the Priest finds sound flesh; this sound flesh proves that he’s unclean and that he has [active] leprosy.

¹⁶ ‘Then if the sound flesh changes back to white once again, he must return to the Priest, ¹⁷ and the Priest must examine him. If he then sees that the plague has all turned white, the Priest must pronounce him clean, for he’s clean.

¹⁸ ‘And if [anyone] should develop a sore in his skin that heals, ¹⁹ then it turns white, or lighter, or very red; it should be examined by the Priest.

²⁰ ‘And if, when the Priest looks at it, he finds that it’s growing under the skin and that the hair has turned white; the Priest must pronounce him unclean, because leprosy has broken out in the sore. ²¹ But if the Priest finds that there’s no white hair, and that it isn’t growing under the skin, but that it has a dark color; then the Priest must quarantine him for 7 days.

²² ‘And if he finds that it’s spreading over the skin, the Priest must pronounce him unclean; for a plague of leprosy has broken out in the sore.

²³ ‘However, if the bright spot stays the same and doesn’t spread, it’s just a scar, and the Priest must pronounce him clean.

²⁴ ‘But if the skin becomes inflamed and bright red, then appears to heal, but develops splotches that are bright, clear, and white, mixed with red or very white; ²⁵ the Priest should examine him... If he finds the hair turning white and that the bright color is under the skin, leprosy has broken out. ²⁶ But if he sees that there isn’t any white hair in the inflammation and it isn’t growing under the skin, but is dark; the Priest must quarantine him for 7 days.

²⁷ ‘Then on the 7th day, the Priest should examine him to see if the spot has spread in the skin. [If it has], the Priest will pronounce him unclean, because of the plague of leprosy that has broken out in the sore.

²⁸ ‘But if the bright spot doesn’t move and doesn’t spread in the skin, but gets darker; it’s [just] the inflammation of a scar and the Priest will pronounce him clean.

²⁹ ‘And if a man or woman [thinks that they have] developed the plague of leprosy on the head or in the beard, ³⁰ the Priest must examine it.

‘And if he finds that it’s growing under the skin and that the hair has turned thin and yellow, then the Priest will pronounce the person unclean; for the skin is dead and it’s leprosy of the head or of the beard.

³¹ ‘However, if the Priest finds dead skin, but he sees nothing growing under the skin and there’s no yellowish hair; the Priest must quarantine the person for 7 days... ³² Then on the 7th day, the Priest must examine the person again. And if the dead skin hasn’t spread and there’s no yellowish hair on it, and there doesn’t appear to be a hollow spot under the skin, ³³ the skin must be shaved everywhere except where the dead skin is, and the person should be quarantined a second time… For 7 more days.

³⁴ ‘Then on the 7th day, the Priest must look to see if the dead skin has spread to the area that was shaved. [If it hasn’t], and if there doesn’t appear to be a hollow spot under the skin, the Priest will pronounce him clean, and he must wash his clothes and be clean.

³⁵ ‘However, if the dead skin does spread after he’s been purified, ³⁶ the Priest must examine it and affirm that the dead skin has spread… And even if he finds no yellow hair, the person is unclean.

³⁷ ‘But if the dead skin doesn’t spread and dark hair grows from it, the dead skin has healed and he’s clean; so, the Priest must pronounce him clean.

³⁸ ‘Now, if a man or woman develops bright white spots on his or her skin, ³⁹ the Priest must look at it.

‘And if he just finds bright white spots on the skin, it’s psoriasis and he or she is clean. ⁴⁰ [The same is true] when someone starts losing his hair; he’s just balding and he’s clean. ⁴¹ If he loses his hair in the front, he has forehead baldness and is clean.

⁴² ‘But if white or red blotches should develop in the baldness on [the top of] his head or on his forehead, it’s leprosy.

⁴³ ‘The Priest must examine him, and if he finds white spots or an inflammation in the bald places on top or in the front that look like leprosy, ⁴⁴ he’s [to be considered] a leper. The Priest must absolutely pronounce him unclean because of the plague on his head.

⁴⁵ ‘Those who are lepers must wear unbelted clothing and they must cover their heads and their mouths, and they are to call out:

‘Unclean!’

⁴⁶ ‘They are always to be unclean as long as they have the plague on them. They are to separate themselves and travel outside of the camp.

⁴⁷ ‘And if leprosy is found in any wool or linen clothing, ⁴⁸ or in anything that’s been woven with wool or linen thread, or in any leather or things that have been made with skin... ⁴⁹ Or if you find a greenish or reddish coloring in the skin or in the clothing, or in the weaving, or in anything made of skin... It’s a plague of leprosy, and you must show it to the Priest.

⁵⁰ ‘Then the Priest must examine it and quarantine it for 7 days.

⁵¹ ‘Then on the 7th day, the Priest must examine it again; and if he finds that the plague has spread in the clothing, weaving, leather, or in whatever may be made from skin, it’s confirmed as leprosy and it’s unclean.

⁵² ‘Then the clothing, or the wool or linen weaving, or the thing made of skin in which there’s the confirmed plague of leprosy, must be burned in a fire.

⁵³ ‘However, if the Priest sees that the plague hasn’t spread in the clothing, weaving, or things made of skin, ⁵⁴ he must instruct someone to wash the thing that held the plague, and the Priest will quarantine it a second time for 7 days.

⁵⁵ ‘Then if the Priest sees that the plague hasn’t changed its appearance in the clothing or woven things after it’s been washed – even if it hasn’t spread – it’s unclean and it must be burned in a fire. ⁵⁶ But if the Priest sees that the spot has turned dark after it was washed, he must cut it out of the clothing, weaving, or skin.

⁵⁷ ‘However, if it still looks the same in the clothing, weaving, or skin; it’s an active plague of leprosy and it must be burned in a fire.

⁵⁸ ‘But if the clothing, weaving, or thing made from skin washes clean, the plague has been removed. It must then be rewashed and be clean.’

⁵⁹ These are the laws concerning the plague of leprosy on wool or linen clothing, weaving, and leather goods, to [show whether to] pronounce them as clean or unclean.

Leviticus 14

←13 | All books | All chapters | 15→

¹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

² ‘This is the law about lepers:

‘On the day that [a leper] has been cured, a Priest must be brought to him ³ outside of the camp to look and see if the plague of leprosy has been removed.

⁴ ‘Then the Priest must tell the cleansed person to obtain two live, clean birds, some cedar wood, some spun scarlet and some hyssop; ⁵ and following the Priest’s directions, he must slaughter one of the birds in a clay pot over some running water.

⁶ ‘Then [the Priest] must take the living bird, the cedar wood, the spun scarlet and the hyssop, and he must dip them and the living bird into the blood of the bird that was killed, under the running water, ⁷ and he must [use them to] sprinkle [some of the blood on] the person who was cured of leprosy, 7 times… Then he will be clean.

‘And thereafter, he must set the living bird [free] to fly into the fields.

⁸ ‘After that, the person who was cured must wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, and wash himself in water; and then he will be clean and he can return to the camp… But he can’t enter his house for 7 days.

⁹ ‘On the 7th day, he must shave all the hair off his head, beard, eyebrows, and everything else, then wash his clothes and his body in water, in order to be clean.

¹⁰ ‘Then on the 8th day, he must take two perfect yearling lambs and one perfect yearling ewe, plus a quart of fine flour that has been kneaded with oil as a sacrifice, and one small cup of oil.

¹¹ ‘And the Priest who did the cleansing must present the man who is being purified, along with these [offerings], before Yahweh, at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs.

¹² ‘Then the Priest must take the lamb and present it as a compensation offering, along with the cup of oil, and set them aside as special offerings before Yahweh. ¹³ Thereafter, they must slaughter the lamb at the Holy Place where they slaughter the whole-burnt offerings and sin offerings, because a compensation offering (like a sin offering) is very holy, and it belongs to the Priest.

¹⁴ ‘Then the Priest must take the blood of the compensation offering and put some of it on the tip of the right ear, the thumb of the right hand, and on the big toe on the right foot of the person being cleansed.

¹⁵ ‘After that, the Priest must take the cup of oil and pour it over his own left hand, ¹⁶ then dip the finger of his right hand in some of the oil in his left hand, and sprinkle it before Yahweh with his finger, 7 times.

¹⁷ ‘And the Priest must put the remaining oil (which is on his hand) on the tip of the right ear, on the thumb of the right hand, and on the big toe of the right foot of the person who’s being cleansed, where the [blood of the] compensation offering [was put].

¹⁸ ‘Any oil that’s left over on the hand of the Priest should then be put on the head of the cleansed person, and the Priest must [use it to] pay for his sins before Yahweh.

¹⁹ ‘Following that, the Priest must sacrifice the sin offering as a payment to Yahweh for the sins of the person who’s being purified, and then the Priest must slaughter the whole-burnt offering.

²⁰ ‘The Priest must offer the whole-burnt offering sacrifice on the Altar before Yahweh to pay for [the person’s] sins, so he can be cleansed.

²¹ ‘However, if [the person] is poor and can’t afford much, he must bring a lamb as a separate offering to pay for his sins and to soothe his [relationship with God], plus a quart of fine flour mixed with oil for a sacrifice, a cup of oil, ²² and two turtledoves or two young pigeons (whichever he can afford). One will serve as the sin offering and the other as the whole-burnt offering.

²³ ‘These must be brought to the Priest (before Yahweh) at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs on the 8th day, so he can be purified. ²⁴ Then the Priest must take the lamb of the compensation offering and the cup of oil, and set them before Yahweh.

²⁵ ‘After that, he must slaughter the lamb, and the Priest must take its blood and put some of it on the tip of the right ear, on the thumb of the right hand, and on the big toe of the right foot of the person who’s being purified.

²⁶ ‘Following that, the Priest must pour the oil over his own left hand, ²⁷ and sprinkle some of the oil that’s on his left hand with the finger of his right hand (before Yahweh), 7 times.

²⁸ ‘Then the Priest must put some of the oil that’s on his hand on the tip of the right ear, on the thumb of the right hand, and on the big toe of the right foot of the person who’s being cleansed, and over the blood of the compensation offering.

²⁹ ‘Any oil that’s left on the hand of the Priest must then be put on the head of the one who’s being purified, and the Priest must pay for his sins before Yahweh.

³⁰ ‘Thereafter, he must offer the turtledoves or young pigeons (whichever the person can afford); ³¹ one for a sin offering, and the other for a whole-burnt offering. The Priest must use these to soothe the relationship of the person being purified with Yahweh.’

³² This is the law for the person who has the plague of leprosy and that can’t afford the offerings for his purification.

³³ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, and said:

³⁴ ‘When you enter the land of the CanaAnites, which I’m giving you to own, I’ll [allow] the plague of leprosy to [exist] in the houses of the land that you’ll own. ³⁵ [So when it’s found], the owner of the house must report it to the Priest and say:

‘I have seen what looks like a plague in [my] house.’

³⁶ ‘Then the Priest must have the furniture removed from the house before he enters it to look at [what’s described as] the plague, so none of the furniture in the house will become unclean.

‘Thereafter, the Priest can go in and examine the house.

³⁷ ‘When he looks at [what’s called] the plague on the walls of the house, and if he sees green or red pits that run beneath the surface of the walls... ³⁸ The Priest must walk outside of the house, [close] its door, and quarantine it for 7 days.

³⁹ ‘And if the Priest returns to look at the house on the 7th day and finds that the plague has spread in its walls, ⁴⁰ then the Priest must order the [infected] stones to be removed and thrown into an unclean place.

⁴¹ ‘Thereafter, the entire house must be scraped down and the dust must be poured into an unclean place outside of the city, ⁴² and scraped stones must be used [to replace the removed] stones.

‘Then the [whole house] must be re-plastered.

⁴³ ‘However, if the plague returns and breaks out in the house after they’ve taken away the stones and scraped and re-plastered the walls... ⁴⁴ The Priest must go in and see if the plague has [truly re-grown] in the house.

‘[If so], it’s a confirmed leprosy in the house, [and the house] is unclean. ⁴⁵ So, they must tear down the house – all its timbers and all its stones – and carry everything outside of the city to an unclean place.

⁴⁶ ‘And anyone who enters that house at any time during its demolition must be [considered] unclean until the evening. ⁴⁷ Also, anyone who sleeps in the house or eats there must wash his clothes and be [considered] unclean until the evening.

⁴⁸ ‘But if the Priest goes in and sees that the plague hasn’t spread in the house at all after it’s been re-plastered, the Priest must declare the house clean, because the plague has been cured.

⁴⁹ ‘Then to purify the house, he must take two clean, living birds, some cedar wood, some spun scarlet and some hyssop, ⁵⁰ and he must slaughter one of the birds in a clay pot over running water.

⁵¹ ‘Then he must take the cedar wood, the spun scarlet, the hyssop, and the living bird, and dip them into the blood of the bird that was slaughtered under running water, and use them to sprinkle the house [with the blood] 7 times.

⁵² ‘The house will then be purified with the blood of the bird, the running water, the living bird, the cedar wood, the hyssop, and the spun scarlet. ⁵³ And after that, he must let the living bird go to leave the city for the fields in order to create a good relationship with [God] for the house, and to make it clean.’

⁵⁴ This is the law about all plagues of leprosy and dead skin, ⁵⁵ as well as about the leprosy of clothing, houses, ⁵⁶ sores, clear spots, and shiny ones, ⁵⁷ to show what’s unclean and what to do when it’s cured.

This is the law on leprosy.

Leviticus 15

←14 | All books | All chapters | 16→

¹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, and said:

² ‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them this:

‘Whenever a man has gonorrhea in the male [member] of his body, his discharge is unclean.

³ ‘This is the law concerning the uncleanness caused by gonorrhea in a body, and it describes the uncleanness that’s caused by the discharge that’s affecting his body, for as long as it keeps coming from his body, and of how his body is unclean due to the discharge.

⁴ ‘Any bed or seat that the person (with the discharge) sits on, is unclean. ⁵ So, anyone who touches the bed must wash his clothes, take a bath, and be unclean until the evening. ⁶ Also, anyone who sits on the seat where the person with the discharge sat, must wash his clothes, take a bath, and be unclean until the evening.

⁷ ‘Anyone who touches the skin of the man with the discharge must wash his clothes, take a bath, and be unclean until the evening. ⁸ And if the man who has the discharge should spit on someone who’s clean, [the clean person] must wash his clothes, take a bath, and be unclean until the evening.

⁹ ‘Any saddle that the man with the discharge has mounted must be unclean until the evening, ¹⁰ and anyone who touches things that have been under him will be unclean until the evening.

‘Also, anyone who picks him up with his hands must wash his clothes, take a bath, and be unclean until the evening.

¹¹ ‘In addition, anyone whom the man with the discharge touches (if he hasn’t washed his hands in water) must wash his clothes, take a bath, and be unclean until the evening.

¹² ‘Any clay pot that the person with the discharge happens to touch must be broken... But, any wooden bowl can be washed in water, and it’ll be clean.

¹³ ‘However, if [the man] should be cured of the discharge, he must wait for 7 days before he can be called clean.

‘Then he must wash his clothes, take a bath, and he will be clean.

¹⁴ ‘And on the 8th day, he must obtain two turtledoves or two young pigeons and bring them before Yahweh at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs, and give them to the Priest.

¹⁵ ‘Then the Priest must offer one as a sin offering and the other as a whole-burnt offering. Thereby, the Priest will pay for [the man’s] sins before Yahweh, for the discharge.

¹⁶ ‘Any man who ejaculates semen must wash his whole body and be unclean until the evening. ¹⁷ And every piece of clothing, or any skin on which there’s semen, must be washed with water and be unclean until the evening.

¹⁸ ‘Also, when any woman goes to bed with a man and receives his semen, they must both bathe in water and be unclean until the evening.

¹⁹ ‘And during the week that a woman is experiencing menstruation; she must separate herself, and anyone who touches her will be unclean until the evening.

²⁰ ‘Also, everything that she lies on or sits on during [her period of] separation will be unclean. ²¹ And whoever touches her bed must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and he will be unclean until the evening.

²² ‘Also, anyone who touches any pot that she sits on, must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until the evening. ²³ And when someone touches her while she’s lying in bed or sitting on a chair, he will be unclean until the evening.

²⁴ ‘But if anyone lies with her and gets her uncleanness on him, he will be unclean for 7 days, and any bed that he lies on will be unclean.

²⁵ ‘And if a woman has a blood flow for a long time (not just during her period of separation, but if her blood continues to flow after that), as long as it continues the unclean flow, she must separate herself and be unclean.

²⁶ ‘Then, any bed that she lies on during the outpour must be treated like the bed of her separation, and any chair that she sits on will be unclean, the same as it is during her period of separation.

²⁷ ‘Anyone who touches it will be unclean, and he must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until the evening.

²⁸ ‘However, after the [unusual] blood flow stops, she must wait 7 days... And thereafter, she will be considered clean.

²⁹ ‘Then on the 8th day, she must take two turtledoves or two young pigeons and bring them to the Priest at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs, ³⁰ and the Priest must offer one as a sin offering and the other as a whole-burnt offering. This is how the Priest must pay for her sins before Yahweh for her unclean flow.

³¹ ‘You must make the children of IsraEl aware of what makes them unclean, so they don’t die for polluting My Tent while they’re unclean.’

³² These are the laws concerning:

• Men who have gonorrhea,

• Ejaculation (so that no one is polluted by it),

• ³³ Women to be separated during their menstruation,

• How males and females are to deal with ejaculated sperm, and

• What to do with a man who lies with a woman during [her period of] separation.

Leviticus 16

←15 | All books | All chapters | 17→

¹ It was after Aaron’s two sons had died for bringing unauthorized fire before Yahweh that the Lord spoke to Moses ² and said:

‘Tell your brother Aaron not to come before the Lid that lies upon the Chest of Proofs behind the veil in the Holy Place at just any time, so he doesn’t die! For I’ll appear in a mist over the Lid.

³ ‘This is how Aaron may enter the Holy Place:

‘[He must do so] with:

• A calf of the herd as a sin offering, and with...

• A ram as a whole-burnt offering.

⁴ ‘He must wear the perfect linen tunic and the linen underwear to cover his flesh… He must wrap himself with the linen sash, put on the linen turban (for these are holy garments), and he must wash his entire body in water before he puts them on.

⁵ ‘Then he must take two kids goats for a sin offering and one lamb for a whole-burnt offering on behalf of the gathering of the children of IsraEl.

⁶ ‘Aaron must also bring a calf as a sin offering to cover his own sins and of those of his house.

⁷ ‘Then he must take the two goats and stand them before Yahweh at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs, ⁸ and Aaron must cast lots over the two goats… One [will be] for Yahweh, and the other [will be] the Scapegoat.

⁹ ‘Then Aaron must bring up the goat that the lot [showed was Yahweh’s], and sacrifice it as a sin offering... ¹⁰ And the goat that was chosen by lot as the Scapegoat must be presented alive before Yahweh as a cleansing for [the people], then it must be sent away as the Scapegoat and released into the desert.

¹¹ ‘Thereafter, Aaron must bring a calf to cover his own sins and slaughter it as a sin offering, to cleanse himself and his house.

¹² ‘Then he must take his censer and fill it with coals from the fire on the Altar before Yahweh and fill his hands with fine mixed incense, then bring it inside the veil ¹³ and put the incense on the [coals] there before Yahweh... This incense smoke must cover the Lid (under which the tablets that are inside the [Chest of] Proofs have been put), so he doesn’t die.

¹⁴ ‘And after that, he must take the calf’s blood and sprinkle it eastward towards the Lid with his finger… He must sprinkle the blood towards the Lid with his finger, 7 times.

¹⁵ ‘Then he must slaughter the goat before Yahweh as the people’s sin offering, and he must bring its blood inside the veil and do the same thing that he did with the blood of the calf… Sprinkle its blood on and in front of the Lid.

¹⁶ ‘[By doing this], he will [cleanse] the Holy Place on behalf of the uncleanness of the children of IsraEl… For their errors and all their sins. He must do these things in the Tent of Proofs that was established there among them amidst all their uncleanness.

¹⁷ ‘No one else may be inside the Tent of Proofs when he enters the Holy Place to cover sins – from the time that he enters until the time he leaves – as he pays for his own sins, for those of his house, and for those of the whole gathering of the children of IsraEl.

¹⁸ ‘Afterwards, he must go outside to the Altar that’s before Yahweh and put the blood of the calf and the goat all around the horns of the Altar, to pay for these sins.

¹⁹ ‘Then he must sprinkle some of the blood on the Altar with his finger 7 times, to cleanse it and to make it holy from the uncleanness of the children of IsraEl.

²⁰ ‘After Aaron finishes cleansing the Holy Place, the Tent of Proofs, and the Altar, he must hold a cleansing for the Priests.

‘He must bring up the living goat, ²¹ lay his hands on its head, and he must speak of all the errors of the children of IsraEl, all of their unrighteousness, and all of their sins. He must lay them on the head of the living goat, and then a man must lead it away into the desert.

²² ‘[By doing this], Aaron will be sending all of their unrighteousness away into the desert on the head of that goat!

²³ ‘Thereafter, Aaron must go back inside the Tent of Proofs and remove the linen garments that he put on as he entered the Most Holy, and he must leave them there.

²⁴ ‘Then he must wash with water inside the Holy Place, put on his [regular] clothes, then go outside and offer one whole-burnt offering for himself and one for the people.

‘By doing this, he will pay for his own sins, as well as for those of his house, those of the Priests, and those of the people.

²⁵ ‘Then he must offer the fat on the Altar as a sin offering.

²⁶ ‘Also, after the goat is led out of the camp and released [into the desert], the person [who leads it out] must wash his clothes and bathe in water before he reenters the camp.

²⁷ ‘As for the calf and goat for the sin offering whose blood was carried in to pay for sins in the Holy Place... They must be carried outside of the camp and burned in a fire… Everything must be burned, including their skin, flesh, and dung.

²⁸ ‘Then the person who burns them must wash his clothes and bathe in water… And thereafter, he may return to the camp.

²⁹ ‘This is a rule for you throughout the ages:

‘On the 10th day of the 7th month, you must humble yourselves; and you, as well as the aliens and strangers that live among you must not do any work. ³⁰ For on that day, [the High Priest] must [offer the sacrifices to] pay for your sins and to cleanse you from all your errors before Yahweh… And this will purge them from you.

³¹ ‘This must be a most Holy Sabbath for you – a time of rest – and you must humble yourselves… This is to be a rule throughout the ages.

³² ‘Whichever Priest whom they [choose to] anoint must [offer the sacrifices] to pay for the sins.

‘And whomever they choose to make perfect so as to serve in the Priestly office after his father, must put on the linen robe and the holy garments... ³³ He’s the [only] one who may [enter] the Most Holy inside the Tent of Proofs to pay for sins. He must then cleanse the Altar and the Priests, and pay for the sins of the entire gathering.

³⁴ ‘This must be your rule throughout the ages… That [he must offer sacrifices] for the children of IsraEl to pay for all their sins. And it must be done once each year, just as Yahweh commanded Moses.’

Leviticus 17

←16 | All books | All chapters | 18→

¹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

² ‘Speak to Aaron, his sons, and to all the children of IsraEl, and tell them that this is the command of Yahweh ³ to all of the children of IsraEl, including the aliens that live among you:

‘If you slaughter a calf, sheep, or goat [as a sacrifice] – whether inside or outside of the camp – ⁴ [you must] bring it to the entrance of the Tent of Proofs as a sweet smelling whole-burnt offering or as a peace-offering sacrifice to Yahweh for it to be accepted [by Him].

‘If you slaughter it [as a sacrifice] outside and don’t bring it to the entrance at the front of the Tent of Proofs as a gift to Yahweh, you’ll be held guilty of shedding the blood, and you must be cut off from your people.

⁵ ‘Any [clean animals] that the children of IsraEl might carry in from fields as an offering to Yahweh must be brought to the entrance of the Tent of Proofs and to the Priest, who must then sacrifice it as a peace offering to Yahweh.

⁶ ‘Then the Priest must pour its blood on and around the Altar before Yahweh and offer the fat as a sweet-smelling odor to Him.

⁷ ‘Don’t waste [your time] by offering sacrifices in [spiritual] adultery. This is the rule for you throughout the ages and for all your generations.

⁸ ‘And you must tell them:

‘Should any man of the children of IsraEl (or of the sons of the converts who are living among you) offer a whole-burnt offering as a sacrifice ⁹ and fail to bring it to the entrance of the Tent of Proofs and offer it there to Yahweh… He must be destroyed from among his people.

¹⁰ ‘Also, if any man of the children of IsraEl (or any alien who’s living among you) eats any blood... I’ll set My face against that person who eats the blood and make him an enemy among his people!

¹¹ ‘For [the animal’s] blood is the life of its flesh, and I’ve given it to you [for use] on the Altar to pay for your sins… Its blood will pay for the sins in your lives!

¹² ‘That’s why I’ve told the children of IsraEl that none of you should eat blood, nor should any aliens that live among you eat blood.

¹³ ‘And if any man of the children of IsraEl (or any alien who’s living among you) should catch an edible animal while hunting (whether a wild animal or a bird), you must pour out its blood and cover it with dirt... ¹⁴ Because, the blood of all flesh is its life.

‘Therefore, I have told the children of IsraEl not to eat the blood of any flesh, because the blood is the life of all flesh, and any person who eats it must be destroyed.

¹⁵ ‘Also, anyone who eats anything that’s died on its own or has been [killed] by animals – whether [that person] is a native or an alien – must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until the evening… Then he will be clean.

¹⁶ ‘But if he doesn’t wash his clothes or bathe his body in water, he will continue to carry his sin.’

Leviticus 18

←17 | All books | All chapters | 19→

¹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

² ‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them [this]:

‘I am Yahweh your God...

‘³ So, you must not do the things that were done in Egypt where you [used to] live, or follow the ways of the [people in] the land of CanaAn where I’m taking you… Don’t do these [things] and don’t follow their rules!

⁴ ‘You must obey and follow My decisions and keep My rules… For I am Yahweh your God!

⁵ ‘You must follow all of My rules and all of My decisions… Yes, follow them in such a way [that you learn to] live by them... For I am Yahweh your God!

⁶ ‘No man may approach a close relative and uncover their nakedness... For I am Yahweh.

⁷ Don’t uncover your father’s naked [body], or your mother’s naked [body]… She’s your mother, so don’t [undress] her!

⁸ ‘Nor should you uncover the naked [body] of your stepmother, because [that’s the same as uncovering] your father’s naked [body].

⁹ ‘You must not uncover the naked [body] of your sister, whether by your father or by your mother, or whether she’s born at home or somewhere else.

¹⁰ ‘Nor should you uncover the naked [body] of your grandchildren, because that is your own nakedness.

¹¹ ‘You must not uncover the naked [body] of the daughter of your father’s woman, for she’s your step-sister by your father. So, don’t uncover her nakedness.

¹² ‘You must not uncover the naked body of your father’s sister, because she’s your father’s closest relative.

¹³ ‘Nor may you uncover the naked [body] of your mother’s sister, for she is your mother’s closest relative.

¹⁴ ‘You must not uncover the naked [body] of your father’s brother, nor may you [have sex] with his woman, because she’s also related to you.

¹⁵ ‘You must not uncover the naked [body] of your daughter-in-law, because she’s your son’s woman… So, don’t undress her!

¹⁶ ‘Nor should you uncover the naked [body] of your brother’s woman, because that’s also your brother’s nakedness.

¹⁷ ‘You must not [uncover] the naked body of a woman and her daughter, and you may not uncover the naked [bodies] of [the woman’s] grandchildren… For that would be disrespectful, since they’re also related to you.

¹⁸ ‘Nor should you take your woman’s sister while [your woman is] still alive, because uncovering her sister’s nakedness would be offensive to her.

¹⁹ ‘You must not [have sex] with a woman and uncover her naked body while she’s [sleeping apart] during her [menstrual period].

²⁰ ‘And you must not [have sex] with your neighbor’s woman and dirty yourself with her.

²¹ ‘You must not give your semen to serve a ruler, and you must not profane My Holy Name… For I am Yahweh.

²² ‘You must not go to bed with a male as [you would] with a female, because that’s disgusting.

‘ ²³ Nor may you lie down and have sex with any animal, for that would pollute you... And it’s disgusting for any woman to offer herself before any animal to have sex with it.

²⁴ ‘Don’t dirty yourselves with any of these things, because these are the things that have dirtied the nations that I’m driving out from before you… ²⁵ They’re the things that are polluting their land, and they’re the reasons why I’m paying them back for their sins!

‘For even the land is being offended by the people who live there!

²⁶ ‘You must keep all My Laws and all My rules.

‘And the native peoples and the aliens that come to live among you may not do any of these disgusting things. ²⁷ Because, these are the disgusting things that the people who lived in the land before you did… And it polluted the land!

²⁸ ‘So, don’t offend the land by polluting it, as did the people whom I’m driving away... ²⁹ Any person that does any of these disgusting things must be destroyed from among your people.

³⁰ ‘So, you must keep My rules!

‘You may not do any of the disgusting things that have been done [in the land] before you get there, and you must not pollute yourselves… For I am Yahweh your God!’

Leviticus 19

←18 | All books | All chapters | 20→

¹ And the Lord spoke to Moses, and said:

² ‘Speak to the gathering of the children of IsraEl and tell them this:

‘You must be holy… For I, Yahweh your God, am holy!

³ ‘Everyone must fear his father and his mother, and you must keep My Sabbaths… For I am Yahweh your God!

⁴ ‘You must not bow before idols, nor may you mold [statues] as gods for yourselves… For I am Yahweh your God!

⁵ ‘If you bring a peace-offering sacrifice to Yahweh, it must be offered willingly. ⁶ It may be eaten on the day after you sacrifice it; but if any of it should be left over until the 3rd day, it must be totally burned in a fire. ⁷ For if any of it’s eaten on the 3rd day, the entire sacrifice will be considered unfit and it will not be accepted.

⁸ ‘Also, the person who eats it will be [guilty] of sin, because he’s misused the holy things of Yahweh; so he must be destroyed from among his people.

⁹ ‘When you harvest your land, you must not completely harvest everything, nor may you pick up anything that falls on [the ground].

¹⁰ ‘And when you pick the grapes in your vineyard, you must not gather them all… You must leave some for the poor and for strangers… For I am Yahweh your God!

¹¹ ‘You must not steal, you must not lie, and you must not provide false testimony as a witness against your neighbor.

¹² ‘You must not swear false oaths in My Name, nor may you misuse the Holy Name of your God… For I am Yahweh your God!

¹³ ‘You must not do anything to harm your neighbor… You must not rob him, nor may the wages of a hired hand be withheld until the [next] morning.

¹⁴ ‘You must not make fun of the deaf, nor set traps for the blind; for you must fear Yahweh your God… I am Yahweh your God!

¹⁵ ‘You must never judge unrighteously... You must not mistreat poor people, nor may you show more respect to those who are powerful… You must be just when you judge your neighbors!

¹⁶ ‘You must not march in treachery against your nation, and you must not spill the blood of your neighbors… For I am Yahweh your God!

¹⁷ ‘You must not dislike your brothers in your hearts, and you must correct your neighbors [whenever they’re wrong], so you aren’t found guilty of sin because of something that they’re doing.

¹⁸ ‘You must not raise your hands in vengeance or be angry with the sons of your people… You must love your neighbors as you [love] yourselves… For I am Yahweh, ¹⁹ and you must obey My Laws!

‘You must not allow your cattle to breed with other types [of cattle].

‘You must not plant a vineyard with different types of seeds.

‘You must not wear woven pieces of clothing that are made from different [materials].

²⁰ ‘If anyone goes to bed and has sex with a woman who’s the household servant of another man, and she hasn’t been sold or set free by the man’s overseer; they must [both] be punished, but not killed… Because, she wasn’t free.

²¹ ‘Then for his sin, he must bring a ram as an offering for his error to Yahweh at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs. ²² There, the Priest must use the ram that’s being offered to pay Yahweh for the sin that he committed, and then his sin will be forgiven.

²³ ‘And when you enter the land that Yahweh your God is giving to you and plant any fruit trees; you must first purge away the filth [of the land]. So, its fruit must be unclean to you, and it may not be eaten for three years.

²⁴ ‘But in the 4th year, all the fruit will be holy and worthy of praise to Yahweh. ²⁵ And in the 5th year, you must eat the fruit… For that’s when it’ll produce a great abundance… I am Yahweh your God!

²⁶ ‘Don’t hold feasts in the mountains, and you must not allow anyone to search for omens in the flights of birds.

²⁷ ‘You must not shave the hair on your head cut short, nor may you shave your beards.

²⁸ ‘And you must not make cuts on your bodies over [the death of a loved one], nor may you tattoo your bodies… For I am Yahweh your God!

²⁹ ‘You must not allow your daughters to become dirty by making them whores, so the land doesn’t become filled with prostitution and sin.

³⁰ ‘You must keep My Sabbaths and fear My Holy Place… For I am Yahweh!

³¹ ‘You must not associate with or pollute yourselves with those who speak to [the demons], nor may you have anything to do with witches… For I am Yahweh your God!

³² ‘You must rise before a grey-headed person… [you must] value the faces of elderly men, and you must fear your God… For I am Yahweh your God!

³³ ‘And if a stranger should come to [live among] you in your land, you must not make his life difficult:

³⁴ ‘You must treat strangers as natives, and you must love them as yourselves; for you were once strangers in the land of Egypt. I am Yahweh your God!

³⁵ ‘You must not be unrighteous in your judgments, in your measurements, or in your weights and scales.

³⁶ ‘You must all have honest weights, scales, and liquid measures… For I am Yahweh your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt!

³⁷ ‘You must obey and follow all My Laws and rules… For I am Yahweh your God!’

Leviticus 20

←19 | All books | All chapters | 21→

¹ And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

² ‘You must also tell the children of IsraEl this:

‘If any of the children of IsraEl or any of IsraEl’s converts offer their [children] to Moloch, they must be put to death… The [people] in the land must stone him with rocks.

³ ‘I’ll set My face against that man and cut him off from his people, because he’s given his [child] to Moloch and defiled My Holy Place, dirtying the name of My holy people.

⁴ ‘And if anyone in the land should in any way choose to overlook what that person did by giving his [child] to Moloch, and fail to put him to death... ⁵ I’ll turn My face against that man and his family, and destroy him and everyone who agrees with him, so he doesn’t go to the rulers and lead the people into [spiritual] adultery.

⁶ ‘I will also turn My face against any person that commits [spiritual] adultery by becoming a follower of someone who predicts the future by means of [demons] or through witchcraft… I will destroy [such a person] from among his people.

⁷ ‘For you must be holy as I Yahweh your God am holy. ⁸ You must obey My rules and follow them; for I am Yahweh who makes you holy.

⁹ ‘Any person who is found guilty of saying bad things about his father or mother must absolutely be put to death for the bad things that he says about them.

¹⁰ ‘When any man commits adultery with another man’s woman, or when anyone commits adultery with his neighbor’s woman; both the adulterer and the adulteress must absolutely be put to death!

¹¹ ‘And if anyone is found guilty of lying down with his father’s woman; he’s uncovered his father’s nakedness, so both must absolutely die!

¹² ‘And if anyone is found guilty of lying down with his daughter-in-law; both must absolutely be put to death for their lack of respect.

¹³ ‘And when anyone is found guilty of lying with a male as though he were a female; they’ve both done something disgusting, so they must absolutely die.

¹⁴ ‘It’s also a sin when someone takes both a woman and her mother. They must all be burned in a fire for their badness, so there won’t be any sins among you.

¹⁵ ‘Any male that [has sex with] an animal must absolutely be put to death along with the animal... ¹⁶ And if any woman is found guilty of [having sex with] an animal; you must absolutely kill both the woman and the animal.

¹⁷ ‘If anyone undresses his sister (by his father or his mother) so they can look at each other’s nakedness; it’s disgusting... They must both be destroyed in front of the other children in their family; for they’ve sinned by [looking at] each other’s naked bodies.

¹⁸ ‘And whenever a man lies down with a woman who’s sleeping apart during [her menstrual period] and uncovers her naked body; He’s uncovering the source of her blood flow and seen her blood, so they must both be destroyed from among their generation.

¹⁹ ‘You must not undress your father’s sister or your mother’s sister and look at the naked body of the close relative; for both will be guilty of sin.

²⁰ ‘Whoever [has sex] with a close relative has also uncovered the naked body of his [other] close relative, and they must [both] die childless.

²¹ ‘And whoever [has sex] with his brother’s woman has done something that’s unclean; for he’s uncovered his brother’s naked body, so they must [both] die childless.

²² ‘If you obey and follow all My rules and decisions, you won’t offend the land where I’m taking you to live. ²³ You must not [adopt] the customs of the nations that I am driving out before you, because I’ve disliked them for the things that they’re doing.

²⁴ ‘I’ve told you that you’ll inherit their land, and I’m giving you this land that flows with milk and honey as your own.

‘For I am Yahweh your God who’s setting you apart from all those nations.

²⁵ ‘You must pay attention to the differences between the clean and unclean cattle, and the clean and unclean birds. You must not dirty yourselves with [unclean] cattle or birds, or with any of the things that slither on the ground… For I’ve separated you from such uncleanness.

²⁶ ‘You must be holy to Me, because I (Yahweh, your God) am holy, and I have set you apart from all other nations as Mine.

²⁷ ‘And if a man or woman is found guilty of telling the future by means of a [demon], or is a witch; he or she must absolutely be put to death... You must stone the person with rocks.’

Leviticus 21

←20 | All books | All chapters | 22→

¹ And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

‘Speak to the Priests among the sons of Aaron and tell them that they must not [show themselves to be mourning] the dead in front of the nation. ² They may [mourn] for a close relative such as a father, mother, son, daughter, brother, ³ or for a loved virgin sister who isn’t married… They may [show that they mourn] these.

⁴ ‘However, they may not show their mourning in front of the people by appearing unclean. ⁵ They must not shave their heads bald on top, nor may they shave their beards or cut gashes in their flesh over the dead. ⁶ They must be holy to their God, and they may not profane the Name of their God.

‘They must [remain] holy, because they offer the sacrifices to Yahweh as gifts to their God.

⁷ ‘They must not take a woman who is a whore, one who’s been violated, or one who’s been divorced, because these [men] are holy to their God Yahweh.

⁸ ‘They must remain holy, because they offer the gifts to their God Yahweh. They must be holy… For I, Yahweh (who makes them holy), am holy.

⁹ ‘Also, if the daughter of a man who’s a Priest dirties herself by having immoral sex, she is dirtying the name of her father, and she must be burned in a fire.

¹⁰ ‘The Priest who’s the chief one among his brothers – the one who’s been anointed by having oil poured over his head and who’s been made perfect to wear the [Priestly] garments – must not remove the turban from his head, or tear his clothes, ¹¹ or even get close to a dead body… No, he may not profane himself even for his own father or mother!

¹² ‘He may not leave the Holy Place and he must not make the Holy Place of his God unclean, because he wears God’s holy anointing oil… I am Yahweh.

¹³ ‘[A Priest] may only take a woman who’s a virgin and from his own tribe… ¹⁴ Not a widow, a divorcee, someone who’s been violated, or a whore. He may only take a virgin from his own people as his woman.

¹⁵ ‘He must not profane his offspring among his people… For I am Yahweh who makes him holy.’

¹⁶ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said,

¹⁷ ‘Tell Aaron this:

‘Throughout the generations, no man of your tribe who’s physically imperfect may be used to offer the gifts to his God... ¹⁸ No one may be used who is:

• Blind,

• Lame,

• Has a disfigured nose,

• Deformed ears,

• ¹⁹ A crippled hand or foot,

• ²⁰ Is a hunchback,

• Has cataracts,

• Has lost his eyelashes,

• Has open sores,

• Has a birthmark, or

• Has lost a testicle.

²¹ ‘None of Aaron the Priest’s offspring who is physically imperfect may be used to offer sacrifices to your God because of an imperfection. Such ones must not go in to offer the gifts to God, ²² for these gifts are very holy.

‘He may eat the holy things, ²³ but he must not approach the veil or get close to the Altar because of his handicap. He must not dishonor the Holy Place of his God… For I am Yahweh who makes him holy.’

²⁴ This is what Moses told Aaron, his sons, and all the children of IsraEl.

Leviticus 22

←21 | All books | All chapters | 23→

¹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

² ‘Speak to Aaron and his sons, and warn them to be careful with the holy things of the children of IsraEl, so they don’t profane My Holy Name in anything that they offer to Me in a holy way… For I am Yahweh!

³ ‘Tell them that throughout their generations, any of their offspring who comes before Me to offer the holy things (whatever the children of IsraEl may bring to Yahweh) and do so while they’re unclean must be cut off from Me… For I am Yahweh your God!

⁴ ‘And if any man who’s the offspring of Aaron the Priest should have leprosy or a running sexual discharge, he may not eat the holy things until he becomes clean. So, any of them who touches something unclean from a dead body, or who has ejaculated semen, ⁵ or who has touched an unclean slithering thing that’s defiled him, or who has touched an unclean person… ⁶ That soul will be unclean until the evening.

‘So, he must not eat any of the holy things until he bathes his body in water ⁷ after sundown… Then he will be clean and he can eat all the holy things; for they’re his [to eat] as food.

⁸ ‘He must not eat anything that dies on its own or has been killed by wild animals, so he isn’t polluted by them… For I am Yahweh!

⁹ ‘He must keep My rules so he doesn’t fall into sin over these matters and die because of making himself dirty… For I am Yahweh their God who makes them holy.

¹⁰ ‘And no stranger may eat the holy things, including those who travel with the Priests or those who are hired by them.

¹¹ ‘But if a Priest purchases a [slave] with money, or if [such a one] is born in his house, he or she may eat the [holy] bread.

¹² ‘But if the daughter of a Priest should marry a stranger, she may not eat the offerings from the Holy Place. ¹³ However, if the Priest’s daughter is widowed or divorced and has no children, and she returns to her father’s house as when she was young; she may eat her father’s bread… But no stranger may do so.

¹⁴ ‘If a man [who isn’t worthy] should eat holy things in ignorance, he must return as much with 1/5th more added, and give the holy things to the Priest.

¹⁵ ‘They must not profane the holy things of the children of IsraEl that are offered to Yahweh ¹⁶ and thereby bring the sin of error upon themselves when they eat their holy things… For I am Yahweh who makes them holy.’

¹⁷ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

¹⁸ ‘Speak to Aaron, his sons, and to the entire gathering of IsraEl, and tell them this:

‘Any man among the children of IsraEl or any alien who lives among them in IsraEl that wishes to offer a gift as a confession (as they may choose) – whatever they may bring to Yahweh as a whole-burnt offering – ¹⁹ must offer it willingly, and it must be a perfect male from his herd, or of his sheep or goats.

²⁰ ‘They must not bring anything to Yahweh that isn’t perfect, for I won’t accept it.

²¹ ‘And whenever a man brings something to Yahweh from his herd or his sheep as a peace offering, or to fulfill a promise, or as a free-will offering; it must be perfect to be accepted… It shouldn’t have any flaws.

²² ‘They may not offer anything to Yahweh that’s:

• Blind,

• Lame,

• Has its tongue cut out,

• Has warts,

• A running sore, or

• A scar.

‘They must not offer any of these as burnt offerings on the Altar.

²³ ‘If a calf or a sheep is missing an ear or has lost its tail, you can slaughter it for yourself; but it’s unacceptable [as an offering] for your vows. ²⁴ This is [also true] of one which has been castrated or has had its testicles crushed… You must not offer it to Yahweh as a sacrifice in your land.

²⁵ ‘And you may not offer any of these gifts to your God at the hand of a stranger, because that would corrupt [the gift] and make it imperfect. So, [such practices] are unacceptable for you.’

²⁶ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

²⁷ ‘Calves, sheep, and goats must suckle their mothers for 7 days from the time they’re born; and only after the 8th day may they be accepted as burnt-offering sacrifices to Yahweh… ²⁸ And you must not sacrifice a cow or an ewe and its young on the same day.

²⁹ ‘If you vow to offer a sacrifice to Yahweh out of sheer joy, you must offer it willingly! ³⁰ It must then be eaten on that same day and not left over until the next morning… For I am Yahweh!

³¹ ‘You must keep My Commandments and obey them, ³² and you must not profane the Name of your Holy One, for I must be made holy in the midst of the children of IsraEl.

‘I am Yahweh who makes you holy and ³³ who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God… I am Yahweh!’

Leviticus 23

←22 | All books | All chapters | 24→

¹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

² ‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them that the feasts of Yahweh that you’re going to call ‘Holy Assemblies,’ are My feasts.

³ ‘Therefore, you may work for 6 days, but the 7th day is the Sabbath, a [day of] rest and a Holy Assembly to Yahweh. You must not work on that day, for it’s a Sabbath to [Yahweh… And this covers] everything that you may do!

⁴ ‘Here are the feasts to Yahweh… The Holy Assemblies that you are to [observe] in each of their seasons:

• ⁵ The 14th day of the 1st month, from evening to evening, is Yahweh’s Passover.

• ⁶ Then the 15th day of that month is the Feast of Fermentation-free bread, so you must eat fermentation-free bread for 7 days.

• ⁷ The 1st [of these] days must be a Holy Assembly for you, and you must not work for anyone on that day.

• ⁸ Then you must offer whole-burnt offerings to [Yahweh during those] 7 days.

• And the 7th day will be [another] Holy Assembly for you, [during which] you must not work for anyone.’

⁹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

¹⁰ ‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them:

‘When you enter the land that I’ll give to you and you start reaping its harvests, you must bring a bundle of [cut stalks] from the first fruitage of your harvest to the Priest, ¹¹ and he must hold them up and wave the bundle before [Yahweh, in order for Him to] accept it from you.

‘This must be done on the morning of the 1st day.

¹² ‘And on that same day, you must offer a perfect yearling lamb as a whole-burnt offering to Yahweh. ¹³ Then, along with this offering of meat, you [must offer] 2 quarts (1.9l) of fine flour mixed with oil as a sweet-smelling sacrifice and a quart of wine as a drink offering to Yahweh.

¹⁴ ‘You may not eat any new bread or roasted grain until this day that you offer the sacrifices to your God.

‘This is a Law throughout the ages and throughout your generations for as long as you live.

¹⁵ ‘Thereafter, you must count the days, starting from the day after the Sabbath (when you offered the bundle of grain that was waved before Yahweh) and after 7 full weeks, ¹⁶ on the morning following the last week (or after 50 days), you must bring a food offering to Yahweh.

¹⁷ ‘You must also bring two loaves [of bread] from your homes that are made from 2 quarts (1.9l) of fine flour baked with fermentation as an offering of your first fruitage to Yahweh.

¹⁸ ‘And with the bread, you must bring 7 healthy yearling lambs, a calf from your herd, and two perfect male kid goats as whole-burnt offerings to Yahweh. These food and drink offerings are to be sacrificed as a sweet-smelling odor to Yahweh.

¹⁹ ‘One of the kid goats must be sacrificed as a sin offering, and the 2 yearling lambs are to be offered with the first-fruit bread as a peace offering.

²⁰ ‘The Priest must set them aside with the first-fruitage loaves as an offering before Yahweh. They will be holy to Yahweh, and they’ll belong to the Priest who [offers] them.

²¹ ‘You must designate this as an Assembly Day, and it must be holy to you; so, you may not work for anyone on that day. This is a rule throughout all your generations, wherever you may live.

²² ‘And when you harvest your land, you must not reap everything in your field, nor may you gather anything that falls during the harvest. You must leave it for the poor and for strangers… For I am Yahweh your God!’

²³ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

²⁴ ‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them:

‘The 1st day of the 7th month will be a Sabbath, the Memorial of Trumpets... It will be a Holy Assembly. ²⁵ You won’t do any work for anyone else, and you’ll offer a whole-burnt offering to Yahweh.’

²⁶ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

²⁷ ‘Also, the 10th day of the 7th month is to be the Day of Atonement [when you must pay for your sins]. It [is also] to be a [day of] Holy Assembly for you. You must be very humble [on that day] and present a whole-burnt offering to Yahweh.

²⁸ ‘You must not do any work on that day, for it’s a day when you must pay for your sins before Yahweh, your God.

²⁹ ‘Any person who doesn’t show humility on that day must be cut off from among his people. ³⁰ And any person who works on that day should have his life destroyed from among his people.

³¹ ‘Also, you must not do any sort of work! This is a law throughout the ages and throughout all your generations, wherever you may live.

³² ‘The 9th day of that month[that is, the 7th month], from evening to evening, is [also] to be a Holy Sabbath for you, and you must humble yourselves and keep your Sabbaths.’

³³ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

³⁴ ‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them this:

‘The 15th day of the 7th month and the next 7 days are to be the Feast of Temporary Dwellings to Yahweh:

• ³⁵ The 1st day must be a Holy Assembly [during which] you may not work for anyone.

• ³⁶ You must offer whole-burnt offerings to Yahweh for the next 7 days...

• Then the 8th day will be a Holy Assembly to you [during which] you must offer whole-burnt offerings to Yahweh. This is [to be] a free day, so you must not work for anyone.

³⁷ ‘These are the feasts to Yahweh that you are to call Holy Assemblies, [and during which] you are to offer burnt offerings to Yahweh… Whole-burnt offerings, food offerings, and drink offerings, each on its day.

³⁸ ‘This is in addition to the Sabbaths to Yahweh, to your gifts, to all your vows, and to all the free-will offerings that you’ll bring to Yahweh.

³⁹ ‘On the 15th day of the 7th month, after you have completely harvested all the fruitage of the ground, you must hold a feast to Yahweh for 7 days… And both the 1st and 8th days will be for resting.

⁴⁰ ‘On the 1st day, you must bring:

• A large amount of fruit from your trees,

• Some palm-tree branches,

• Some thick tree branches,

• Willow branches, and

• Branches from water willows.

‘[All of this must be brought] as a rejoicing to Yahweh your God… [do this] for 7 days each year.

⁴¹ ‘This is to be the law throughout the ages for all your generations… You must observe this in the 7th month. ⁴² You must live in temporary structures for 7 days… Yes, all the native people of IsraEl must live in temporary structures, ⁴³ so your descendants can see that I made the children of IsraEl live in such structures when I brought them out of the land of Egypt… For I am Yahweh your God!’

⁴⁴ So, this is how Moses explained Yahweh’s feast days to the children of IsraEl.

Leviticus 24

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¹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

² ‘Talk to the children of IsraEl and tell them to bring pure, beaten olive oil [for use in] the lamp so that it may always be kept burning ³ outside the veil of the Tent of Proofs.

‘Aaron and his sons must keep it burning before Yahweh continuously from evening until morning.

‘This is a law throughout the ages for all your generations... ⁴ The lamps on the pure lampstand must be kept burning before Yahweh until morning.

⁵ ‘Then you must take fine flour and make 12 loaves [of bread] from it. Each loaf should be made from 2 quarts (1.9l) [of flour].

⁶ ‘Place them in 2 rows, 6 loaves per row, on the pure table before Yahweh, ⁷ then pour frankincense and salt over each row. Remember to set these things and the loaves before Yahweh on each Sabbath.

⁸ ‘They must continue to be set before Yahweh by the children of IsraEl as a sacred agreement throughout the ages. ⁹ These will all be put there for Aaron and his sons, who must eat it inside the Holy Place… For this is their own very holy portion of the offerings that are made to Yahweh, as [part of] the Law of the ages.’

[Editor note: The story resumes here.]

¹⁰ Well, it so happened that there was this son of an IsraElite woman (whose father was an Egyptian) [who lived] among the children of IsraEl, and he got into a fight in the camp [with a man] whose mother and father were both IsraElites.

¹¹ Then, [during the fight], the IsraElite woman’s son used God’s Name while cursing… So, they brought him to Moses (his mother’s name was ShalomIth, and she was the daughter of DaBri of the tribe of Dan), ¹² and they tied him up and held him for judgment by Yahweh.

¹³ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

¹⁴ ‘Take the man who did the cursing outside the camp, and then everyone who heard [him cursing] must lay their hands on his head, as the whole gathering stones him to death!

[Editor note: The story continues in verse 23.]

¹⁵ ‘Thereafter, speak to the sons of IsraEl and tell them that whoever curses God is sinning, ¹⁶ and whoever [curses] using the Name of the Lord must absolutely be put to death – whether he is a native or an alien!

‘The entire gathering of IsraEl must stone him with rocks and he must die for [swearing vengeance in] Yahweh’s Name.

¹⁷ ‘Also:

‘Whenever a man strikes another man and kills him, he must absolutely be put to death. ¹⁸ And whenever a man strikes [someone’s] animal and it dies; he must give a life for the life.

¹⁹ ‘And whoever harms his neighbor must have the same thing done to him… ²⁰ Bruise for bruise, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. Whatever damage he does to a man must be done to him.

²¹ ‘And if a man strikes a man and kills him, he must be put to death.

²² ‘This one judgment must be the same for both the natives and the aliens… For I am Yahweh your God!’

[Editor note: The story resumes here.]

²³ Well, after Moses said all these things to the children of IsraEl, they took the man who had done the cursing outside the camp and stoned him with rocks… The children of IsraEl did just as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

[Editor note: Now follows more laws. The story continues in Leviticus 26:3.]

Leviticus 25

←24 | All books | All chapters | 26→

¹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses [while he was] on Mount SinAi and told him:

² ‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them this:

‘When you enter the land that I’m giving to you, the ground must [be allowed] to rest during its Sabbaths to Yahweh.

³ ‘You may plant your fields, prune your vines, and gather their fruitage for 6 years. ⁴ However, the 7th year will be a Sabbath, during which the land must rest.

‘During this Sabbath to Yahweh, you may not plant your fields, prune your vines, ⁵ or gather anything that starts to grow of its own in your fields, nor may you completely gather all the sacred grapes; for it’s to be a year of rest for the ground.

⁶ ‘However, during the Sabbaths on the land, [there’ll be enough] food for you and for your male and female servants, those who work for you, as well as for any aliens that live among you.

⁷ ‘But, as for your cattle and the wild animals that live on your land... They may eat whatever they wish.

⁸ ‘Thereafter, you must keep track and [count off] 7 Sabbaths of years (7 times 7 years) to make 7 weeks of years, or 49 years.

⁹ ‘Then in the 7th month, on the 10th day of the month (on the Day of Atonement), you must sound a trumpet and send a proclamation throughout the entire land with trumpeting... ¹⁰ For, that year (the 50th year) is to be holy, and you must proclaim a release on the land and on all that live on it… It’s to be a year of setting free.

‘It’s a Signal to you that each person may then return to his home and his family. ¹¹ The 50th year must be a Signal of Release among you.

‘So, you may not plant or harvest any of the produce that grows from the ground on its own, or gather any of its sacred fruit... ¹² For it’s to be the Signal of Release, and it must be holy to you, during which you must eat the [stored] crops that you’ve harvested from the fields.

¹³ ‘In the year of the Release Signal, everyone must [be allowed] to return home...

¹⁴ ‘So, if you sell [your land] to a neighbor, or if you should buy your neighbor’s [land], it must not be [held permanently]. ¹⁵ You must count the number of years after each Release Year from the time that you purchase [land] from your neighbor, then [figure out] how many years [you may own it] and how much you’ll likely harvest from it… ¹⁶ The more years, the higher the [land’s] value.

‘So, when there are few years, there’s less value, since there’ll be fewer crops, and [the price] should be [set lower]. ¹⁷ No man should oppress his neighbor, for you must fear your God Yahweh… I am Yahweh your God!

¹⁸ ‘You must keep all My Laws and decisions and obey them. For if you follow and obey them, you’ll live in the land in safety, ¹⁹ the ground will provide abundantly, you’ll have plenty to eat, and you’ll live there in security.

²⁰ ‘Now, if you should ask what you’ll eat during the 7th year if you don’t plant anything or pick your fruit; ²¹ I will send My blessings in the 6th year, and the land will produce abundant crops during [the previous] three years.

²² ‘Then you’ll start planting again in the 8th year and eat from your stored crops until the 9th year… Yes, until its crop comes in, you will eat from the stored crops.

²³ ‘Therefore, no land may be sold permanently, since all the land is Mine and you’re just aliens and travelers before Me! ²⁴ So, any land that you [buy] must also be repurchased.

²⁵ ‘If your brother who lives near you is poor and has to sell [you] some of his land, and his relative should thereafter come to assist him; he must be allowed to buy back the land that his brother sold. ²⁶ Or, if he has no such relative and he starts to prosper and finds enough money to buy it back himself... ²⁷ He must calculate how many years the land has been sold, and pay the person to whom he sold it a fair amount… And then it should be returned.

²⁸ ‘But if he hasn’t prospered enough to buy back the property; the one who bought it will own the land through the 6th year before the year of Release… Then it should be returned and its owner can go back to his land.

²⁹ ‘If anyone sells an inhabited house within a walled city, it [can be] bought back again before a one year buying-back time runs out...³⁰ But if it’s not bought back within that year, the house in the walled city will be transferred to the buyer throughout his generations – and it won’t be returned in the Release [Signal].

³¹ ‘But houses in villages that don’t have a wall around them will just be considered like the fields of the countryside... They’ll always be available to buy back, and they’ll be returned [automatically] in the release [year].

³² ‘The houses within cities owned by the Levites shall be always available to buy back by the Levites. ³³ And if anyone buys a Levite house, their purchased house will return in the Release [Signal]... Because the houses in the Levite cities are their possession within the children of Israel.

³⁴ ‘Also, the land reserved for their cities can’t be sold, because this is their age-long possession.

³⁵ ‘Also, if your brother who lives among you becomes poor and needs to [borrow some money] from you, you must help him as you would an alien or a traveler, so that your brother may continue to live among you. ³⁶ You must not charge him interest or [tell him] to pay you more; for you must fear your God… I am Yahweh!

‘And you must [help] your brother to keep living among you.

³⁷ ‘You must not lend your money to him for interest, and you must not lend him any food and expect him to pay you back with more, ³⁸ for I am Yahweh your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of CanaAn and to be your God.

³⁹ ‘And if your brother should become so poorly off that he sells himself to you, he must not serve and work as your slave… ⁴⁰ You must treat him like a hired person or as a traveler, and he will only work for you until the Year of Release.

⁴¹ ‘Then, during the Release, he and his children will leave as a family, and they will hurry back to their family possessions, ⁴² because they are My servants whom I brought out of the land of Egypt.

‘So, they can’t be sold as slaves, ⁴³ nor may you force them into hard labor... For you must fear Yahweh your God.

⁴⁴ ‘If you wish to purchase male and female slaves, buy them from the nations that live around you.

⁴⁵ ‘You may also buy the sons of the travelers who live among you. You may buy them and their relatives… All that live in your land may become your possession ⁴⁶ and may be left as an inheritance to your children after you, and be your [family] possession throughout the ages.

‘However, you must never oppress your brothers of the children of IsraEl by forcing them to do hard labor.

⁴⁷ ‘And if an alien or a traveler who lives among you should become rich, and your brother who is in need is sold to the alien or traveler who lives among you, or to an [IsraElite] convert... ⁴⁸ After he’s been sold, one of his brothers must buy him back. ⁴⁹ An uncle, a cousin, or another close relative from his tribe must be allowed to buy him… Or if he gets wealthy, he may buy himself back.

⁵⁰ ‘The person who buys him must calculate how many years there were from the time that he sold himself until the Year of Release, and then pay the amount that would be paid to a hired person during that number of years.

⁵¹ ‘And if anyone has [enough money] to pay [the wages] for all those years, he must pay the ransom. ⁵² If there’s just a short time until the Year of Release, he will pay the ransom [for that short period].

⁵³ ‘[Also, the person who buys him] must treat him as hired help through the years… He must not be forced into hard labor!

⁵⁴ ‘And if he can’t pay his own fair ransom, he and his children must be set free in the Year of Release. ⁵⁵ For the children of IsraEl are My servants… They are My attendants whom I brought out of the land of Egypt.’

Leviticus 26

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¹ ‘You must not mold [gods] for yourselves or carve them with your hands, nor may you set up stone pillars in your land to worship… For I am Yahweh your God!

² ‘You must keep My Sabbaths and be in fear of My Holy Place… For I am Yahweh!

[Editor note: The story resumes here, with God speaking.]

³ ‘If you follow My rules and keep My Commandments and obey them, ⁴ I’ll give you rain in its season, the ground will produce its fruitage, and the trees in your fields will bear fruit.

⁵ ‘Then, your threshing time will run through your fruit-picking time, and your fruit-picking time will run into your [planting] time. You will eat all the bread you want and you’ll live on your land in safety; for there’ll be no wars in your land!

⁶ ‘Yes, I’ll bring peace to your land, so you can go to sleep and not fear anyone!

‘I’ll also destroy all the bad animals in your land, ⁷ and you’ll chase your enemies and they’ll be slaughtered before you... ⁸ Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase tens of thousands! Then your enemies will be cut down before you with swords.

⁹ ‘I will also watch over you, make you grow and multiply, and keep My Sacred Agreement with you... ¹⁰ Then you may eat what’s old and very old, or throw out the old to make way for the new.

¹¹ ‘So... I will set up My Tent among you... And in My heart, there’ll be no hatred of you.

¹² ‘I’ll walk among you and be your God, and you’ll be My people!

¹³ ‘I am Yahweh your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt where you were slaves. I’m the One who broke the shackles of your [slavery] and paraded you away in front of [everyone]!

¹⁴ ‘However, if you choose not to listen to Me and obey My rules… ¹⁵ If you disobey them and your inner person comes to dislike My decisions… If you don’t keep all My Commandments and if you break My Sacred Agreement, ¹⁶ these are the things that I must do to you:

• I will bring uprisings among you and make you uncomfortable.

• You’ll develop rashes, jaundice, fever, loss of eyesight, and your lives will be shortened.

• When you plant seeds, it won’t do any good, because your enemies will eat the [crops].

¹⁷ ‘For if I set My face against you, you’ll fall before your enemies. Those who dislike you will chase you, and you’ll run even when there’s no one behind you!

¹⁸ ‘And if you still refuse to listen to Me, I’ll have to discipline you 7 times as much for your sins, ¹⁹ because I must break down your haughtiness and pride! I’ll turn your sky into iron, and your ground into brass, ²⁰ and all your hard work will be wasted... For the seeds in your ground won’t produce, and the trees in your fields won’t bear fruit.

²¹ ‘And after that, if you continue to walk a crooked path and you aren’t willing to obey Me; I’ll bring 7 plagues upon you for your sins. ²² I’ll send wild animals into the land to eat you and kill your cattle, so you will decrease in numbers and your [land] will become empty.

²³ ‘And if that doesn’t straighten you out and you keep walking a crooked path with Me... ²⁴ My Spirit will become crooked and I’ll walk a crooked path among you, causing Me to strike you 7 times for your sins!

²⁵ ‘I’ll bring swords against you to avenge My Sacred Agreement. Then when you run to your cities for safety, I’ll send death to you and you’ll be handed over to your enemies.

²⁶ ‘I’ll also bring a famine of bread among you; so then, it’ll take 10 women to bake your loaves in just one oven. And when they weigh out portions of bread for you to eat, you’ll still be hungry!

²⁷ ‘And if you still don’t obey Me but continue to walk a crooked path with Me... ²⁸ I’ll walk among you with an angry mind, and I must discipline you 7 times as much for your sins… ²⁹ So you’ll have to eat the flesh of your own sons and daughters!

³⁰ ‘I’ll also wipe away your stone columns and totally destroy the wooden [images] that you’ll make with your hands, then lay your dead bodies on the remains of your idols… For My soul will dislike you.

³¹ ‘I’ll destroy your cities, empty your holy places, and [never again] smell the odor of your sacrifices. ³² I’ll empty your land, and your enemies who live there will be amazed. ³³ For I’ll scatter you among the nations… You will be attacked with swords and destroyed, and your land and your cities will be emptied!

³⁴ ‘Meanwhile, the ground will enjoy its Sabbaths during all the time that it’s empty… ³⁵ As you’re living in the land of your enemies! Yes, that’s when the land will enjoy its Sabbaths… During all the time that it’s empty! For it’ll keep the Sabbaths that weren’t kept when you lived there.

³⁶ ‘I will put all who remain into bondage [as slaves] there in the land of your enemies, so that in your hearts, even the sounds of shaking leaves will chase you! You’ll run as though you’re running from a war and fall when no one is chasing you.

³⁷ ‘Brothers won’t have any regard for their brothers, like in a war. And although no one will be chasing you, you won’t be able [to be saved from] your enemies. ³⁸ You’ll die there among the ethnics, and the lands of your enemies will swallow you down. ³⁹ Then those who are left will perish because of their sins and the sins of their fathers… They’ll just waste away in the lands of their enemies.

⁴⁰ ‘However... If they should then confess their sins and the sins of their fathers, and [admit] that they’ve sinned and neglected Me, and that they’ve walked a crooked path before Me, ⁴¹ and [admit that] this is the reason why I walked among them with a crooked mind and destroyed them, [sending them off] into the lands of their enemies… Yes, when their uncircumcised hearts become ashamed and they repent of their sins, ⁴² I’ll once again remember the Sacred Agreement that I made with AbraHam, IsaAc, and Jacob.

⁴³ ‘I’ll also remember their land, and that land will still be waiting for them. For by then, the land will have enjoyed her Sabbaths during the time that they were gone.

‘Yet, they must acknowledge their sins… That they neglected My decisions and they disliked My Laws in their [hearts]... ⁴⁴ But despite this, I still won’t fail to [keep an eye] on them while they’re in the land of their enemies, nor will I dislike them and void the Sacred Agreement that I made with them… For I am Yahweh, their God.

⁴⁵ ‘Then I’ll remember the Sacred Agreement [that I made with them] when I brought them out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of slavery before that nation, to be their God… For I am Yahweh!’

⁴⁶ These are the decisions, rules, and the Law that Yahweh Himself gave to the children of IsraEl from Mount SinAi through the hand of Moses.

[Editor note: The story in this book now ends, the remainder of the book is only laws. The story resumes in the next book, Numbers.]

Leviticus 27

←26 | All books | All chapters

¹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

² ‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them this:

‘Whenever anyone wishes to make a vow to offer the value of a person to Yahweh:

• ³ The value of a male between 20 and 60 years old must be 50 double-silver coins by the standards of the Holy Place.

• ⁴ The value of an [adult] female must be 30 double-silver coins.

• ⁵ The value for a male child between 5 and 20 years old must be 20 double-silver coins.

• And 10 double-silver coins for a female [child].

⁶ ‘As for a child between 1 month and 5 years old:

• The value for a male must be 5 double-silver coins, and

• For a female, 3 double-silver coins.

⁷ ‘And for those who are over 60, the value must be:

• 15 double-silver coins for a male, and

• 10 double-silver coins for a female.

⁸ ‘But if a person is too poor to pay these values, he must go before the Priest, and the Priest will value him at whatever the man says he can afford in his vow; and that’s [the price] that the Priest must set for him.

⁹ ‘When cattle are offered as gifts to Yahweh by anyone, they become holy. ¹⁰ So, the [person] may not trade a good one for a bad one, or a bad one for a good one... If someone does decide to make a trade, it must be with an equal… And both animals will be holy.

¹¹ ‘If [someone should bring] an unclean animal (which must never be offered as a gift to Yahweh), He must lead the animal to the Priest, ¹² and the Priest must determine whether it has any value. Then, whatever value the Priest sets is what must be paid for it.

¹³ ‘And if he wishes to buy it back, he must pay 1/5th more than that amount.

¹⁴ ‘If a man chooses to set aside his house as holy to Yahweh, the Priest must determine whether or not it has any value, and whatever value the Priest sets is what must be paid.

¹⁵ ‘Then if he wishes to buy it back, he must pay 1/5th more for it than the valuation.

¹⁶ ‘If a man should choose to designate a portion of a field that he owns as holy to Yahweh, it must be valued by whatever is planted there.

‘It’ll be worth 50 double-silver coins for every 250 quarts (230l) of barley… ¹⁷ That is, that’s how much it should be valued if he should [set aside] his field as holy on the Year of Release.

¹⁸ ‘But if he donates his field sometime after the Release, the Priest must figure its value to the next Year of Release and deduct the appropriate amount from the full valuation.

¹⁹ ‘However, if the one who made the field holy wishes to buy it back [before the Year of Release], he must add 1/5th more to its value and it’ll be his once again.

²⁰ ‘But if he doesn’t buy back the field, it may be sold to someone else… And then he can’t buy it back later. ²¹ For after the Release, the field will be holy to Yahweh and thereafter be subdivided… Because the Priests will then own it.

²² ‘And if a man should set aside a field to Yahweh that he’s bought and it isn’t a family possession... ²³ The Priest must calculate its value to the Year of Release, and that’s how much he must pay that day, as something holy to Yahweh.

²⁴ ‘Then in the Year of Release, the land must be restored to the man who sold it and [really] owns the land.

²⁵ ‘All the values must be determined by using the holy weights; a double-silver coin is worth 20 copper coins.

²⁶ ‘All the firstborn cattle are already Yahweh’s, so no man can [set them aside] as holy… Whether it’s a calf or a sheep, it belongs to Yahweh.

²⁷ ‘If [a man] should choose to buy back an unclean animal, he must add 1/5th more to its valuation. But if he doesn’t buy it back, it may be sold at its stated value.

²⁸ ‘Anything a man has that he chooses to curse before Yahweh, whether it’s a man, an animal, or a field that he owns... It may never be sold or taken back. Everything that’s cursed for destruction becomes very holy to Yahweh. ²⁹ And anyone from among mankind who’s cursed may never be ransomed, but must surely be put to death.

³⁰ ‘Anything in the land that’s to be offered, whether it’s seeds or the fruit of trees, is Yahweh’s… It’s holy to Yahweh.

³¹ ‘And if any man should ever wish to buy back his offering, he must add 1/5th more to its [value], and it’ll be his.

³² ‘A 1/10th of everything, including bulls, sheep, and anything else that’s taxable, is also holy to Yahweh.

³³ ‘So, you may never exchange anything good for anything bad, or anything bad for anything good... If you should make an exchange, it must be with an equivalent; and since it’s holy, it can’t be repurchased.’

³⁴ These are the commandments that the Lord gave to Moses for the sons of IsraEl on Mount SinAi.

Numbers

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Numbers is a history book, a law book, and contains census records (hence the name, Numbers).

It was compiled by Moses, probably with the help of secretaries.

It covers the period from the 2nd year after the IsraElite Exodus, until just before they entered the Promised land.

We believe that of this all happened during the reigns of the Egyptian Kings Amenhotep I and Thutmose I, whom historians say ruled between 1554 and 1515 BCE.

Difficult portions

This book contains many long descriptions of sacrificial procedures and laws that may be too dry for casual reading. So if you only wish to read the story, we’ve added editor notes to show you where it begins and ends.

Bold text

The main topics of each law and procedure are marked in bold.

Numbers 1

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¹ On the 1st day of the 2nd month ([while they were still] in the desert at SinAi), 2 years after their departure from the land of Egypt, the Lord spoke to Moses inside the Tent of Proofs and said:

² ‘Take a census of the entire gathering of IsraEl by families and lines of descent. [Record] the names of all the males ³ that are 20 years old and older… All who serve as the army of IsraEl.

‘You and Aaron must count them and calculate their strength.

⁴ ‘Also, the rulers of each of the tribes (the paternal heads of the families) should accompany you as you do this.

⁵ ‘These are the names of the men who should help you:

• From the tribe of ReuBen, EliSur son of SediUr.

• ⁶ From the [tribe of] SymeOn, SalamiEl son of SuriSadai.

• ⁷ [From the tribe] of Judah, NaAsson son of AmiNadab.

• ⁸ [From the tribe] of IshSachar, NathaniEl son of Sogar.

• ⁹ [From the tribe] of ZebuLon, EliAb son of ChaElon.

• ¹⁰ [From the two tribes] of JoSeph, EliSama son of EmiUd for Ephraim, and GamaliEl son of PhadaSur for ManasSeh.

• ¹¹ [From the tribe] of BenJamin, AbiDan son of GadeOni.

• ¹² [From the tribe] of Dan, AchiEzer son of AmiSadai.

• ¹³ [From the tribe] of Asher, PhagaiEl son of Echran.

• ¹⁴ [From the tribe] of Gad, EliSaph son of RaguEl.

• ¹⁵ [From the tribe] of NaphTali, AchiRe son of AiNan.’

¹⁶ These were the most famous men among the gathering. They were the heads of the tribes by their families, and each one was a leader of thousands in IsraEl.

¹⁷ So Moses and Aaron gathered these men who’d been called by name.

¹⁸ Then they assembled the entire gathering that day and registered the [men] by tribes and family lines, recording the names and numbers of all those who were 20 [years old] and older, ¹⁹ as the Lord had commanded Moses there in the desert of SinAi.

[Editor note: Now follows the census data. The story resumes in Numbers 1:47.]

²⁰ Among the families, divisions, and households of the sons of ReuBen (the first-born of IsraEl), the number of males 20 years old and up that were counted as the strength of IsraEl ²¹ was:

46,400.

²² Among the families, divisions, and households of the sons of SymeOn, the number of males 20 years old and up that were counted as the strength of IsraEl ²³ was:

59,300.

²⁴ Among the families, divisions, and households of the sons of Judah, the number of males 20 years old and up that were counted as the strength of IsraEl ²⁵ was:

74,600.

²⁶ Among the families, divisions, and households of the sons of IshSachar, the number of males 20 years old and up that were counted as the strength of IsraEl ²⁷ was

54,400.

²⁸ Among the families, divisions, and households of the sons of ZebuLon, the number of males 20 years old and up that were counted as the strength of IsraEl ²⁹ was:

57,400.

³⁰ Among the families, divisions, and households of the sons of JoSeph:

From the Tribe of Ephraim, the number of males 20 years old and up that were counted as the strength of IsraEl ³¹ was

40,500.

³² From the Tribe of ManasSeh, the number of males 20 years old and up that were counted as the strength of IsraEl ³³ was:

32,200.

³⁴ Among the families, divisions, and households of the sons of BenJamin, the number of males 20 years old and up that were counted as the strength of IsraEl ³⁵ was:

35,400.

³⁶ Among the families, divisions, and households of the sons of Gad, the number of males 20 years old and up that were counted as the strength of IsraEl ³⁷ was:

45,650.

³⁸ Among the families, divisions, and households of the sons of Dan, the number of males 20 years old and up that were counted as the strength of IsraEl ³⁹ was:

62,700.

⁴⁰ Among the families, divisions, and households of the sons of Asher, the number of males 20 years old and up that were counted as the strength of IsraEl ⁴¹ was:

41,500.

⁴² Among the families, divisions, and households of the sons of NaphTali, the number of males 20 years old and up that were counted as the strength of IsraEl, ⁴³ was:

53,400.

⁴⁴ This was the census that Moses, Aaron, and the 12 rulers of IsraEl conducted… A man from each tribe.

⁴⁵ They counted all the males 20 years old and up among the children of IsraEl that could [serve in their army], ⁴⁶ [and there was a total of] 618,550.

[Editor note: The story resumes here.]

⁴⁷ However, those of the Tribe of Levi weren’t counted, ⁴⁸ for the Lord had told Moses:

⁴⁹ ‘You must not gather the Tribe of Levi and count them among the children of IsraEl. ⁵⁰ Rather, put the Levites in charge of the Tent, its furnishings, and everything in it.

‘They must serve there and camp around the Tent.

⁵¹ ‘And whenever the Tent is moved, the Levites must take it down and [be in charge of] setting it up again. Anyone else who goes near it must die.

⁵² ‘The [rest of] the children of IsraEl must camp in the order and grouping of their own armies... ⁵³ But the Levites must camp around and in front of the Tent of Proofs, so there may be no sins among the children of IsraEl.

‘For the Levites must protect the Tent of Proofs.’

⁵⁴ And the children of IsraEl did everything that Yahweh commanded Moses and Aaron.

Numbers 2

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[Editor note: Now follows instructions for decamping with further census data. The story resumes in Numbers 2:32.]

¹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and said:

² ‘Each man of the sons of IsraEl must set up his tent according to the signals, in his own order, and according to the house of his father, in a circle around the Tent of Proofs:

³ ‘The first in the camp, starting on the east side, shall be the [Tribe] of Judah with their armies. Their leader is NaShon (son of AmmiNadab).

⁴ ‘There are 74,600 in his army.

⁵ ‘The Tribe of IshSachar, whose leader is NathanEl (son of Zuar), should camp next to them.

⁶ ‘There are 54,400 in his army.

⁷ ‘The Tribe of ZebuLon, whose leader is EliAb (son of Helon), should camp next to them.

⁸ ‘There are 57,400 in his army.

⁹ ‘Altogether, there are 186,400 under the army of Judah. They and their armies must be the first to move.

¹⁰ ‘This is the order for the camp of ReuBen, whose army [will camp] towards the south. The leader of the children of ReuBen is EliZur (son of ShedeUr).

¹¹ ‘There are 46,500 in his army.

¹² ‘The Tribe of SimeOn, whose leader is ShelumiEl (son of ZuriShadDai), should camp next to them.

¹³ ‘There are 59,300 in his army.

¹⁴ ‘The Tribe of Gad, whose leader is EliAsaph (son of DeuEl), will camp next to them.

¹⁵ ‘There are 45,650 in his army.

¹⁶ ‘Altogether, there are 151,450 under the army of ReuBen. They and their armies will follow second.

¹⁷ ‘Then the Tent of Proofs should follow them, surrounded by the Levites who’ll travel between the armies. In whatever order they camp, that’s the order that they should follow in their march, each group traveling in the order of their divisions.

¹⁸ ‘The Tribe of Ephraim and their armies must camp on the west side. Their leader is EliShama, (son of AmmiHud).

¹⁹ ‘There are 40,500 in his army.

²⁰ ‘The Tribe of ManasSeh should camp next to them. Their leader is GamaliEl (son of PedahZur).

²¹ ‘There are 32,200 in his army.

²² ‘The Tribe of BenJamin should camp next to them. Their leader is AbiDan (son of Gideoni).

²³ ‘There are 35,400 in his army.

²⁴ ‘Altogether, there are 108,100 in the army of Ephraim. They and their armies must follow third.

²⁵ ‘The Tribe of Dan and their armies should camp on the north side. Their leader is AhiEzer (son of AmmiShadDai).

²⁶ ‘There are 62,700 in his army.

²⁷ ‘The Tribe of Asher should camp next to them. Their leader is PagiEl (son of OcRan).

‘²⁸ There are 41,500 in his army.

²⁹ ‘The Tribe of NaphTali should camp next to them. Their leader is AhiRa (son of Enan).

³⁰ ‘There are 53,400 in his army.

³¹ ‘Altogether, there are 157,600 in the armies of Dan, and they must be last in the marching order.’

[Editor note: The story resumes here.]

³² This is how the children of IsraEl were counted (by family lines), and there were [a total of] 603,550 in their army. ³³ However, the Levites weren’t counted among them, just as the Lord had instructed Moses.

³⁴ And the children of IsraEl did everything that Yahweh told Moses. They each camped in their [specified] locations, and they marched in order by family lines.

Numbers 3

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¹ These are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day in that the Lord spoke to Moses on Mount SinAi.

² These are the names of the sons of Aaron:

• NaDab (the firstborn),

• AbiUd,

• EliEzer, and

• IthaMar.

³ They were the Anointed Priests who were made perfect for the Priesthood.

⁴ However, NaDab and AbiUd died before Yahweh when they offered [incense] to Him in an unauthorized way, while they were in the SinAi Desert. And because they had no children, just EliEzer and IthaMar served as Priests with their father Aaron.

⁵ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and told him:

⁶ ‘Bring the Tribe of Levi up in front of Aaron the Priest, for they’re all going to serve him ⁷ and they must follow his instructions. You must explain this to the children of IsraEl in front of the Tent of Proofs, and show how [the Levites] will thereafter perform their duties at the Tent.

⁸ ‘[The Levites] are to take care of all the furnishings of the Tent of Proofs and they must teach the children of IsraEl about everything that has to do with the Tent.

⁹ ‘You are to give the Levites to Aaron and his sons (the Priests)... For they’ve been given to Me as a gift from the children of IsraEl.

¹⁰ ‘Appoint Aaron and his sons to be in charge of the Tent of Proofs, and they must give [the Levites] instructions about the Priesthood, everything that belongs to the Altar, and everything inside the veil… Anyone else who touches these things must die.’

¹¹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

¹² ‘Look, I have chosen the Levites from among the children of IsraEl [to take the place] of [all of] the [firstborn] males who are among the children of IsraEl. [The Levites] are their ransom, and they’re Mine. ¹³ For all their firstborn have been Mine since the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt. I chose all the firstborn in IsraEl as holy to Myself – both the men and the animals – and they’re Mine!

‘For I am Yahweh!’

[Editor note: There now follows census data, instructions for running the Tent of Proofs, and further laws. The story resumes at Numbers 6:22.]

¹⁴ Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the SinAi Desert and said:

¹⁵ ‘Take a census of the sons of Levi by family lines and divisions… Count every male from a month old and up.’

¹⁶ So thereafter, Moses and Aaron counted them all following Yahweh’s instructions.

¹⁷ The sons of Levi were:

• GedSon,

• CaAth, and

• MeraRi.

¹⁸ GedSon’s sons (and family lines) were:

• LoBeni, and

• Semei.

¹⁹ CaAth’s sons (and family lines) were:

• AmBram,

• IsSaAr,

• HebRon, and

• OziEl.

²⁰ MeraRi’s sons (and family lines) were:

• MoOli, and

• Musi.

These were the families of the Levites by family lines.

²¹ GedSon’s [sons] were LoBeni and Semei, ²² and the number of males descending from them that were a month old and older was 7,500…

²³ The sons of GedSon were to camp behind the Tent on its west side. ²⁴ The ruler of the family of GedSon was EliSaph (son of DaEl).

²⁵ The instructions that were given to the sons of GedSon concerning the Tent of Proofs included taking care of the tent itself, the veil that covers the entrance to the Tent of Proofs, ²⁶ the curtains for the courtyard, the veil to the courtyard that was around the Tent, and such things.

²⁷ The divisions that were counted [in the family line] of CaAth were those of AmBram, IsSaAr, HebRon, and OziEl, ²⁸ and they included 8,600 males a month old and older, who were given these instructions regarding the holy things.

²⁹ The families of the sons of CaAth were to camp next to the Tent, along its south side. ³⁰ The ruler of the family line and divisions of CaAth was EliShaphan (son of OziEl).

³¹ They were told that they were to be in charge of the Chest, the Table, the Sacred Lamp, the Altars, and all the furnishings in the Holy Place that were used in holy service inside the veil, and all their parts.

³² The head over the chiefs of the Levites was EliEzer, the son of Aaron the Priest. He was appointed to give all the instructions regarding the holy things.

³³ The family lines of MeraRi were those of MoOli and Musi. ³⁴ All the males a month old and older among his line were counted at 6,050.

³⁵ The head of the family line and divisions of MeraRi was SuriEl (son of AbiChail). They were to camp next to the Tent, along its north side.

³⁶ The sons of MeraRi were told that they were to be in charge of the Tent’s caps, rafters, posts, sockets, all their fittings and pieces, ³⁷ the posts for the courtyard, and their bases, pins, and ropes.

³⁸ Moses, Aaron, and their sons were to camp in front of the Tent of Proofs on its east side. They were to take care of the Holy Place and give instructions about it to the children of IsraEl. Anyone else who touched it was to die.

³⁹ All the Levites whom Moses and Aaron counted that were a month old and older (by family lines) following Yahweh’s instructions, were 22,000.

⁴⁰ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

‘Now, count all the firstborn males among the children of IsraEl who are a month old and older, and record their names. ⁴¹ Thereafter, take the Levites for Me in place of all the firstborn of the sons of IsraEl.

‘Also, take all the Levites’ cattle in place of the first-born of the cattle of the children of IsraEl… For I am Yahweh!’

⁴² So Moses counted all the firstborn of the children of IsraEl, just as the Lord had commanded him to do. ⁴³ And all the male firstborn a month old and older that were counted by name were 22,273.

⁴⁴ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

⁴⁵ ‘Now, take the Levites in place of all the first-born of the sons of IsraEl, and take the Levite’s cattle in place of their cattle, for they must be Mine… I am Yahweh!

⁴⁶ ‘And the ransom [that must be paid] for all the firstborn of the sons of IsraEl that exceed the number of Levites (the 273), ⁴⁷ [must be paid for] with 5 silver-coins per person. They must be paid for using the holy double-silver coins at 20 copper coins per silver coin... ⁴⁸ Then, give the money to Aaron and his sons as the ransom for those who exceed their number.’

⁴⁹ So Moses took the silver as the ransom for those who exceeded the number that were bought by the Levites. ⁵⁰ The amount of holy silver coins that he took from the firstborn of the sons of IsraEl was 1,365.

⁵¹ Then Moses gave the ransom for these extra ones to Aaron and his sons, according to the instructions that the Lord had given to Moses.

Numbers 4

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¹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and said:

² ‘Take a census of the children of CaAth separate from the sons of Levi, by family lines. ³ Count those from 25 to 50 years old that work at and serve inside the Tent of Proofs.

⁴ ‘For, these are the very holy things that the sons of CaAth must do at the Tent of Proofs:

⁵ ‘Whenever the camp is about to move, Aaron and his sons must enter and take down the [inner] veil, then use it to cover the Chest of Proofs... ⁶ It must be covered with a blue skin and a blue [cloth] over that, and then they must put the carrying poles through [the rings on the Chest].

⁷ ‘They must also put a purple cloth over the Table that holds the showbread, along with its dishes, incense holders, cups, pitchers for drink offerings, and the loaves (which must always be left on the table)... ⁸ Then they must cover it with a scarlet cloth and cover that with a blue skin, and mount [the table] on its staves.

⁹ ‘They must cover the Sacred Lamp that provides the light, along with its lanterns, snuffers, funnels, and all the oil jars, with a blue cloth, ¹⁰ and put it and all its utensils inside a blue skin bag, and mount it on its staves.

¹¹ ‘Also, the gold [Incense] Altar must be wrapped in blue cloth, then covered with blue skins and mounted on its staves.

¹² ‘Thereafter, they must take all the rest of the things that are used in the services at the Holy Place and put them in a blue cloth [bag], then cover them with blue skins and mount them on staves.

¹³ ‘They must cover the Altar with purple cloth, ¹⁴ along with all the utensils that are used with it (the fire pans, flesh-hooks, cups, covers, and all the utensils), wrap it all in a blue covering of skins and mount it all on the staves.

‘They must also cover the Basin and its base with blue cloth, then wrap it in blue skins and mount it on staves.

¹⁵ ‘Aaron and his sons must finish covering the holy things and all the holy utensils before the camp can move... Thereafter, the sons of CaAth must bear all [the Tent’s] furnishings… But they must not [actually] touch the holy things, or they’ll die. These [are the things] that just the sons of CaAth are to carry from the Tent of Proofs.

¹⁶ ‘EliEzer, the son of Aaron the Priest, is to be their overseer... He is to give instructions concerning the oil for the lamp, the incense, the daily food offerings, and the anointing oil. He is to be in charge of the whole Tent, everything that’s in it, and everything that’s done there.’

¹⁷ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and said:

¹⁸ ‘You must protect the family of CaAth (this tribe among the Levites) from being destroyed, ¹⁹ and this is what you must do for them so they can live and not die:

‘Whenever they approach the Holy of Holies, Aaron and his sons must take the lead... They’re the ones who must mount the [sacred items] to be carried on the staves. ²⁰ That way, [the family of CaAth] won’t [be tempted to] rush in to look at the holy things and die.’

²¹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

²² ‘Now, take a census of the children of GedSon by family lines... ²³ Count all those between the ages of 25 and 50 years old that go in to serve and work in the Tent of Proofs, ²⁴ because the public service of the family of GedSon is that of serving and carrying.

²⁵ ‘They must carry and attend to the skins for the Tent, the Tent of Proofs itself, its veil, the blue covering that goes over its top, the cover for the entrance to the Tent of Proofs, ²⁶ all the curtains for the courtyard, the mountings, and all the other utensils of service.

²⁷ ‘The sons of GedSon must take their direction from Aaron and his sons in everything that they do in their assignments and jobs.

‘You must count them by names and [show them] all the things that they must carry… ²⁸ This is the job of the sons of GedSon in the Tent of Proofs, and IthaMar, the son of Aaron the Priest, is to give them their instructions.

²⁹ ‘Also, take a census of the sons of MeraRi by family lines. ³⁰ Count all those between the ages of 25 and 50 years old that enter to serve and work inside the Tent of Proofs.

³¹ ‘These are the things you are to tell them about and what they must carry as their job at the Tent of Proofs... They must carry the Tent’s caps, rafters, poles, and sockets, as well as the sockets and poles for the veil and the curtain at the entrance to the Tent.

³² ‘They must also carry the poles for the surrounding courtyard and for the veil at the entrance to the courtyard, along with their sockets, pins, ropes, furnishings, and things for service.

‘Count them by name, and show what each man is to carry.

³³ ‘This is the assignment for the family of the sons of MeraRi… It’s their job at the Tent of Proofs, under the direction of IthaMar, the son of Aaron the Priest.’

³⁴ So Moses, Aaron, and the rulers of IsraEl took a census of the sons of CaAth by family lines, ³⁵ [counting] all those between the ages of 25 and 50 years old that went in to serve and work inside the Tent of Proofs. ³⁶ And their numbers, by family lines, came to 2,750.

³⁷ This is how many there were of the family of CaAth that served inside the Tent of Proofs, as Moses and Aaron counted them, following Yahweh’s instructions to Moses.

³⁸ Then they counted the sons of GedSon by family lines that were ³⁹ between 25 and 50 years old that enter to serve at the Tent of Proofs. ⁴⁰ And their number by family lines came to 2,630.

⁴¹ This is how many there were of the family of GedSon that served in the Tent of Proofs, as Moses and Aaron counted them, following Yahweh’s instructions to Moses.

⁴² Then they counted the sons of MeraRi by family lines that were ⁴³ between 25 and 50 years old that enter to serve inside the Tent of Proofs. ⁴⁴ And their numbers by family lines came to 3,200.

⁴⁵ This is how many there were of the family of MeraRi, as Moses and Aaron counted them, following Yahweh’s instructions to Moses.

⁴⁶ So Moses, Aaron, and the rulers of IsraEl counted all these Levites by family lines ⁴⁷ that were between 25 and 50 years old, and that serve, work at, and carry the things for the Tent of Proofs. ⁴⁸ Altogether, there were [a total of] 8,580 who were counted.

⁴⁹ Then, after they were counted (following the words of Yahweh through Moses), they appointed each man to his job, reviewing his duties and discussing what each man was to carry.

Numbers 5

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¹ Thereafter, the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

² ‘Give these instructions to the children of IsraEl...

‘Tell them to drive everyone out of the camp who has leprosy or gonorrhea, and anyone who’s made himself unclean [by touching a dead] person, ³ whether they’re males or females... Drive them out of the camp so they don’t dirty the place where I dwell among them.’

⁴ And that’s what the children of IsraEl did; they drove them out of the camp, just as the Lord told Moses.

⁵ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

⁶ ‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them this:

‘Any man or woman who has committed any of the sins that are common to mankind, or has in any way overstepped [My] Commandments and erred, ⁷ must confess the sin he committed and make restitution for his sin.

‘He [must pay] the price to restore [everything] to whomever he’s sinned against… And add 1/5th more to it.

⁸ ‘Now, if a man isn’t in debt to anyone for his sins against them, a sin-offering must still be paid to Yahweh, and he must offer a ram to the Priest as the payment for his sins.

⁹ ‘When it comes to the first fruitage of all the holy things among the children of IsraEl, everything that they offer to Yahweh must be [given to] the Priest for himself… ¹⁰ All the holy things that men [offer] or choose to donate must be given to the Priest, and it will be his as a gift.’

¹¹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

¹² ‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them this:

‘Whenever a wife rebels against [her husband] and tries to dominate and rule over him, ¹³ and then someone goes to bed with her and has sex with her behind her husband’s back... If she hides her filth and there’s no proof of it, and [the other man] doesn’t take her, ¹⁴ and [her husband] thereafter develops a jealous spirit and suspects that she’s dirtied herself – or even if he’s developed a jealous spirit when she hasn’t dirtied herself – ¹⁵ he must bring his woman to the Priest, along with the gift of a quart of barley meal.

‘He must not pour any oil or frankincense on the barley meal, for it’s a sacrifice of jealousy… It’s a sacrifice of memory and of recalling sins to mind.

¹⁶ ‘Then the Priest must take [the woman] to stand before Yahweh, ¹⁷ and the Priest must pour clean running water into a clay pot, then take some of the dirt that’s on the floor of the Tent of Proofs and throw it into the water... ¹⁸ Thereafter, the Priest must stand the woman before Yahweh, uncover her head, and place the sacrifice of memory (the sacrifice of jealousy) into her hands.

‘Next, the Priest must take the water that brings a curse into his hands, ¹⁹ and the Priest must make the woman swear [in reply to the words]:

‘If you aren’t guilty and no one has reclined with you, and if you haven’t sinned and dirtied yourself, and if you haven’t [been disrespectful] to your husband; [then, swear that you’re innocent] before this water that brings the curse.

²⁰ ‘But if you have sinned and dirtied your marriage, and [if you’ve allowed] someone to lie with you other than your husband...’

²¹ ‘Then the Priest must make the woman swear [to accept] the oaths of this curse.

‘The Priest must say to her:

‘May Yahweh bring a curse upon you by the oath [you’ve sworn] in the midst of your people.

‘May Yahweh cause your [sexual parts] to rot away and your belly to swell.

²² ‘May this water that brings the curse enter your womb and cause your belly to swell and your [sexual parts] to rot away.’

‘And the woman must say:

‘May it be so... May it be so.’

²³ ‘Thereafter, the Priest must write these curses on a scroll, then rinse them away with the water that brings the curse. ²⁴ And he must make the woman drink the water that brings the curse.

²⁵ ‘Next, the Priest must take the sacrifice of jealousy from the woman’s hands and carry it to the Altar to present it before Yahweh. ²⁶ Then the Priest must take a handful of the sacrificial [grain] and offer it on the Altar as a reminder, and he must make the woman drink the water.

²⁷ ‘For, this is what will happen:

‘If she has dirtied herself and her husband hasn’t been able to [prove] it, the water that brings the curse will enter her and cause her belly to swell and her [sexual parts] to rot away. And thereafter, the woman must be cursed among her people.

²⁸ ‘But if the woman hasn’t dirtied herself and has remained chaste, she must be declared free of guilt and thereafter give birth to a [child].’

²⁹ This is the law of jealousy [that covers the cases in which] a married woman sins and dirties herself, ³⁰ or where a man develops a jealous spirit and becomes jealous of his woman.

He should take his woman before Yahweh, and the Priest must make her follow this law. ³¹ And whereas the man will be cleared from his sin [of jealousy], the woman must be responsible for hers.

Numbers 6

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¹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

² ‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them this:

‘Whenever a man or woman wishes to make a great vow, to set him or herself aside as holy to Yahweh, ³ they may not eat or drink anything made from grapes, such as wine, brandy, fresh grapes, raisins, or vinegar that’s made from wine or other alcoholic products ⁴ during the period of their vow. Nor may he or she eat anything that comes from the vine, not even the seeds or skins ⁵ during the whole period that he or she is set aside!

‘Nor may a razor be used to cut the person’s hair until the period of the vow to Yahweh has been completed. Such ones must be holy and cherish the long hair of their heads ⁶ for as long as this vow to Yahweh lasts, and they must not go near any dead bodies… ⁷ Not even [the corpse] of their own father, mother, brother, or sister. They must not dirty themselves with dead bodies, because the vow of God is on them and on their heads.

⁸ ‘So, they must remain holy to Yahweh during the entire period of their vow.

⁹ ‘And if anyone should suddenly die near this person, his or her head will immediately be considered unclean and it must be cleansed. The person must shave his or her head on the 7th day, ¹⁰ then bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the Priest at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs on the 8th day... ¹¹ The Priest must offer one as a sin offering and the other as a whole-burnt offering to pay for the sin [of being close to] a dead body.

‘Then the person’s head will [once again] become holy on that day, ¹² and he or she will [again] be made perfect to Yahweh during the rest of [the period of] the vow. And thereafter, the person must bring a yearling lamb as an offering for the error; and because the vow on his/her head was polluted, the full period of [the vow] must be [restarted].

¹³ ‘It’s also the law for the person who made such a vow, that on the day the vow is completed, he or she must bring gifts to the entrance of the Tent of Proofs...

¹⁴ ‘The gifts that they must bring to Yahweh include:

• One perfect yearling male lamb as a whole-burnt offering,

• One perfect yearling female lamb as a sin offering,

• One perfect male sheep as a peace offering,

• ¹⁵ A basket of fermentation-free bread made with fine flour kneaded with oil,

• Fermentation-free cakes that have been anointed with oil, plus

• A food offering and a drink offering.

¹⁶ ‘The Priest must then lead the person before Yahweh and [sacrifice] the sin offering and the whole-burnt offering. ¹⁷ Then he must sacrifice the male sheep as a peace offering to Yahweh, along with the basket of fermentation-free bread, followed by the food offering and the drink offering.

¹⁸ ‘Then the one who made the vow must shave their head that was made holy, there at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs, and put the hair on the fire while it’s burning the peace-offering sacrifice.

¹⁹ ‘Then, after the person has shaved off their holy hair, the Priest must take the larger of the ram’s two shoulders, along with one fermentation-free loaf and one fermentation-free cake from the basket and lay them in the person’s hands... ²⁰ The Priest must then present them as an offering before Yahweh, and this holy portion will belong to the Priest, along with the breast and the shoulder of the wave offering.

‘And after that, the person who made the oath must drink some wine.

²¹ ‘This is the law for any person who makes a vow to Yahweh. [He must give all] his gifts that were promised to Yahweh, along with anything else that he may be able to afford, [in addition to] the things that are [required by] the strong vow of setting himself aside as holy.’

[Editor note: The story resumes here.]

²² Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

²³ ‘Speak to Aaron and to his sons and tell them to bless the sons of IsraEl who bear My Name with these words:

²⁴ ‘May Yahweh bless you and watch over you.

²⁵ May Yahweh’s face shine upon you, and may He have mercy on you.

²⁶ May [Yahweh always keep His eyes] on you and bring you peace.’

Numbers 7

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¹ Well, the day came when Moses had finished setting up the Tent.

Then he anointed it and made it and all its furnishings, as well as the Altar and all of its furnishings, holy… He made them perfect by anointing them.

² Then the leaders of IsraEl (the 12 heads of their family lines and the leaders of their tribes… Those who took the lead in the census) ³ brought their gifts before Yahweh. There were 6 covered wagons pulled by 12 bulls (two per [wagon]) that were contributed by the leaders, which they brought to the Tent.

⁴ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

⁵ ‘Take [these things] and use them for the services of the two cherubs that are on top of the Lid that covers the Chest of Proofs, and give the [wagons] to the Levites… [Distribute] them among the groups by their assigned jobs.’

⁶ So Moses took the wagons and bulls, and gave them to the Levites. ⁷ He gave two wagons and 4 bulls to the sons of GedSon for their jobs, ⁸ and 4 wagons and 8 bulls to the sons of MeraRi for their assignments under IthaMar, the son of Aaron the Priest. ⁹ However, he didn’t give any to the sons of CaAth, because the sacred things that they had to carry were to be borne on their shoulders.

¹⁰ [IsraEl’s] leaders brought these things to the Altar for the dedication of the Altar on the day that it was anointed.

¹¹ Then the Lord told Moses:

‘One leader must also bring a gift on each day for the dedication of the Altar.’

[Editor note: Now follows the lists of all their gifts. The story resumes at Numbers 7:89.]

¹² So on the 1st day, NaAsson (son of AmiNadab), the leader of the Tribe of Judah ¹³ brought his gift:

• A silver platter that weighed the same as 130 holy silver coins, and

• A silver bowl that weighed the same as 70 holy silver coins.

Both were filled with fine flour that was kneaded with oil for a food offering.

¹⁴ [There was also:]

• A gold incense holder filled with 10 silver coins worth of incense,

• ¹⁵ 1 calf from the herd,

• 1 ram,

• 1 yearling male lamb (for a whole-burnt offering),

• ¹⁶ 1 kid goat (for a sin offering),

• ¹⁷ 2 heifers,

• 5 rams,

• 5 billy goats, and

• 5 yearling female lambs for a peace-offering sacrifice.

These were the gifts of NaAsson, son of AmiNadab.

¹⁸ On the 2nd day, NathaniEl (son of Sogar), the leader of the Tribe of IshSachar brought ¹⁹ his gift:

• A silver platter that weighed the same as 130 holy silver coins, and

• A silver bowl that weighed the same as 70 holy silver coins.

Both were filled with fine flour that was kneaded with oil for a food offering.

²⁰ [There was also:]

• A gold incense holder filled with 10 silver coins worth of incense,

• ²¹ 1 calf from the herd,

• 1 ram,

• 1 yearling male lamb (for a whole-burnt offering),

• ²² 1 kid goat (for a sin offering),

• ²³ 2 heifers,

• 5 rams,

• 5 billy goats, and

• 5 yearling female lambs for a peace-offering sacrifice.

These were the gifts of NathaniEl, son of Sogar.

²⁴ On the 3rd day, EliAb (son of ChaElon), the leader of the Tribe of ZebuLon brought ²⁵ his gift:

• A silver platter that weighed the same as 130 holy silver coins, and

• A silver bowl that weighed the same as 70 holy silver coins.

Both were filled with fine flour that was kneaded with oil for a food offering.

²⁶ [There was also:]

• A gold incense holder filled with 10 silver coins worth of incense,

• ²⁷ 1 calf from the herd,

• 1 ram,

• 1 yearling male lamb (for a whole-burnt offering),

• ²⁸ 1 kid goat (for a sin offering),

• ²⁹ 2 heifers,

• 5 rams,

• 5 billy goats, and

• 5 yearling female lambs for a peace-offering sacrifice.

These were the gifts of EliAb, son of ChaElon.

³⁰ On the 4th day, EliSur (son of SediUr), the leader of the Tribe of ReuBen brought ³¹ his gift:

• A silver platter that weighed the same as 130 holy silver coins, and

• A silver bowl that weighed the same as 70 holy silver coins.

Both were filled with fine flour that was kneaded with oil for a food offering.

³² [There was also:]

• A gold incense holder filled with 10 silver coins worth of incense,

• ³³ 1 calf from the herd,

• 1 ram,

• 1 yearling male lamb (for a whole-burnt offering),

• ³⁴ 1 kid goat (for a sin offering),

• ³⁵ 2 heifers,

• 5 rams,

• 5 billy goats,

• 5 yearling female lambs for a peace-offering sacrifice.

These were the gifts of EliSur, son of SediUr.

³⁶ On the 5th day, SalamiEl (son of SuriSadai) the leader of the Tribe of SymeOn brought ³⁷ his gift:

• A silver platter that weighed the same as 130 holy silver coins, and

• A silver bowl that weighed the same as 70 holy silver coins.

Both were filled with fine flour that was kneaded with oil for a food offering.

³⁸ [There was also:]

• A gold incense holder filled with 10 silver coins worth of incense,

• ³⁹ 1 calf from the herd,

• 1 ram,

• 1 yearling male lamb (for a whole-burnt offering),

• ⁴⁰ 1 kid goat (for a sin offering),

• ⁴¹ 2 heifers,

• 5 rams,

• 5 billy goats,

• 5 yearling female lambs for a peace-offering sacrifice.

These were the gifts of SalamiEl, son of SuriSadai.

⁴² On the 6th day, EliSaph (son of RaguEl), the leader of the Tribe of Gad brought ⁴³ his gift:

• A silver platter that weighed the same as 130 holy silver coins, and

• A silver bowl that weighed the same as 70 holy silver coins.

Both were filled with fine flour that was kneaded with oil for a food offering.

⁴⁴ [There was also:]

• A gold incense holder filled with 10 silver coins worth of incense,

• ⁴⁵ 1 calf from the herd,

• 1 ram,

• 1 yearling male lamb (for a whole-burnt offering),

• ⁴⁶ 1 kid goat (for a sin offering),

• ⁴⁷ 2 heifers,

• 5 rams,

• 5 billy goats,

• 5 yearling female lambs for a peace-offering sacrifice.

These were the gifts of EliSaph, son of RaguEl.

⁴⁸ On the 7th day, EliSama (son of EmiUd), the leader of the Tribe of Ephraim ⁴⁹ brought his gift.

• A silver platter that weighed the same as 130 holy silver coins, and

• A silver bowl that weighed the same as 70 holy silver coins.

Both were filled with fine flour that was kneaded with oil for a food offering.

⁵⁰ [There was also:]

• A gold incense holder filled with 10 silver coins worth of incense,

• ⁵¹ 1 calf from the herd,

• 1 ram,

• 1 yearling male lamb (for a whole-burnt offering),

• ⁵² 1 kid goat (for a sin offering),

• ⁵³ 2 heifers,

• 5 rams,

• 5 billy goats, and

• 5 yearling female lambs for a peace-offering sacrifice.

These were the gifts of EliSama, son of EmiUd.

⁵⁴ On the 8th day, GamaliEl (son of PhadasShur), the leader of the Tribe of ManasSeh ⁵⁵ brought his gift:

• A silver platter that weighed the same as 130 holy silver coins, and

• A silver bowl that weighed the same as 70 holy silver coins.

Both were filled with fine flour that was kneaded with oil for a food offering.

⁵⁶ [There was also:]

• A gold incense holder filled with 10 silver coins worth of incense,

• ⁵⁷ 1 calf from the herd,

• 1 ram,

• 1 yearling male lamb (for a whole-burnt offering),

• ⁵⁸ 1 kid goat (for a sin offering)

• ⁵⁹ 2 heifers,

• 5 rams,

• 5 billy goats, and

• 5 yearling female lambs for a peace-offering sacrifice.

These were the gifts of GamaliEl, son of PhadasShur.

⁶⁰ On the 9th day, AbiDan (son of GadeOni), the leader of the Tribe of BenJamin ⁶¹ brought his gift:

• A silver platter that weighed the same as 130 holy silver coins, and

• A silver bowl that weighed the same as 70 holy silver coins.

Both were filled with fine flour that was kneaded with oil for a food offering.

⁶² [There was also:]

• A gold incense holder filled with 10 silver coins worth of incense,

• ⁶³ 1 calf from the herd,

• 1 ram,

• 1 yearling male lamb (for a whole-burnt offering),

• ⁶⁴ 1 kid goat (for a sin offering),

• ⁶⁵ 2 heifers,

• 5 rams,

• 5 billy goats, and

• 5 yearling female lambs for a peace-offering sacrifice.

These were the gifts of AbiDan, son of GadeOni.

⁶⁶ On the 10th day, AchiEzer (son of AmiSadai), the leader of the Tribe of Dan ⁶⁷ brought his gift:

• A silver platter that weighed the same as 130 holy silver coins, and

• A silver bowl that weighed the same as 70 holy silver coins.

Both were filled with fine flour that was kneaded with oil for a food offering.

⁶⁸ [There was also:]

• A gold incense holder filled with 10 silver coins worth of incense,

• ⁶⁹ 1 calf from the herd,

• 1 ram,

• 1 yearling male lamb (for a whole-burnt offering),

• ⁷⁰ 1 kid goat (for a sin offering),

• ⁷¹ 2 heifers,

• 5 rams,

• 5 billy goats, and

• 5 yearling female lambs for a peace-offering sacrifice.

These were the gifts of AchiEzer, son of AmiSadai.

⁷² On the 11th day, PhageEl (son of Echran), the leader of the Tribe of Asher ⁷³ brought his gift:

• A silver platter that weighed the same as 130 holy silver coins, and

• A silver bowl that weighed the same as 70 holy silver coins.

Both were filled with fine flour that was kneaded with oil for a food offering.

⁷⁴ [There was also:]

• A gold incense holder filled with 10 silver coins worth of incense,

• ⁷⁵ 1 calf from the herd,

• 1 ram,

• 1 yearling male lamb (for a whole-burnt offering),

• ⁷⁶ 1 kid goat (for a sin offering),

• ⁷⁷ 2 heifers,

• 5 rams,

• 5 billy goats, and

• 5 yearling female lambs for a peace-offering sacrifice.

These were the gifts of PhageEl, son of Echran.

⁷⁸ On the 12th day, AchiRe (son of AiNan), the leader of the Tribe of NaphTali ⁷⁹ brought his gift:

• A silver platter that weighed the same as 130 holy silver coins, and

• A silver bowl that weighed the same as 70 holy silver coins.

Both were filled with fine flour that was kneaded with oil for a food offering.

⁸⁰ [There was also:]

• A gold incense holder filled with 10 silver coins worth of incense,

• ⁸¹ 1 calf from the herd,

• 1 ram,

• 1 yearling male lamb (for a whole-burnt offering),

• ⁸² 1 kid goat (for a sin offering),

• ⁸³ 2 heifers,

• 5 rams,

• 5 billy goats, and

• 5 yearling female lambs for a peace-offering sacrifice.

These were the gifts of AchiRe, son of AiNan.

⁸⁴ These [were the gifts] that the leaders of the tribes of IsraEl brought during the time when the Altar was being anointed.

There were:

• 12 silver platters,

• 12 silver bowls, and

• 12 gold incense holders.

⁸⁵ Each platter weighed the same as 130 silver coins, and each bowl weighed the same as 70 holy silver coins. So altogether, their combined weight was 2,400 holy silver coins.

⁸⁶ The 12 gold incense holders were each filled with incense, and the gold weighed the same as 120 silver coins.

⁸⁷ The number of cattle for the whole burnt offerings amounted to:

• 12 calves,

• 12 rams, and

• 12 yearling male lambs.

Also, [there were] food offerings and drink offerings, and 12 kid goats for the sin offerings.

⁸⁸ So, the number of cattle that were sacrificed for the peace offering included:

• 24 heifers,

• 60 rams,

• 60 yearling billy goats, and

• 60 perfect yearling female lambs...

...which were all offered for the dedication of the Altar.

Then after that, [Moses] made [Aaron] perfect by anointing him.

[Editor note: The story resumes here.]

⁸⁹ And from that point on, whenever Moses went into the Tent of Proofs to speak to God, he would hear the voice of the Lord speaking to him from between the two cherubs that were above the Lid, which covers the Chest of Proofs.

Numbers 8

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¹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

² ‘Speak to Aaron and tell him that when he assembles the [sacred] lamp, the 7 lanterns must be arranged to illuminate the area across from the lamp.’

³ And that’s what Aaron did. He [assembled and] lit the lamps to illuminate the area directly across from the lamp, just as the Lord had instructed Moses.

⁴ The Sacred Lamp’s base and stem were made of solid gold, as were its lilies. They were made following the pattern that Yahweh had shown to Moses.

[Editor note: Now follows instructions for the purification rituals. The story resumes in Numbers 8:20.]

⁵ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

⁶ ‘Remove the Levites from among the children of IsraEl and purify them… ⁷ And this is how you should perform their purification:

‘Have them rinse themselves in clean water and shave all the hair from their bodies, then have them wash their clothes… Make sure that they’re clean!

⁸ ‘Then they must bring 2 yearling calves from the herd along with a food offering and some fine flour mixed with oil. ⁹ And thereafter, assemble the entire gathering of the sons of IsraEl and bring the Levites up before them at the Tent of Proofs... ¹⁰ Stand them there in front of Yahweh, and have the sons of IsraEl lay their hands on the Levites.

¹¹ ‘Aaron must set the Levites aside as a gift to Yahweh from the children of IsraEl, and they must be made ready to perform Yahweh’s work. ¹² Then have the Levites lay their hands on the heads of the calves, and you should sacrifice one as a sin offering and the other as a whole-burnt offering to Yahweh, to pay for their sins.

¹³ ‘Thereafter, stand the Levites in front of Yahweh and in front of Aaron and his sons, and offer them to Yahweh as a gift… ¹⁴ Separate the Levites from among the sons of IsraEl as Mine!

¹⁵ ‘Then the Levites must go to the Tent where they are to work, and you must purify them and present them there before Yahweh, ¹⁶ for they’ll have been given to Me as a gift from the children of IsraEl.... I’ve taken them as Mine in place of all the firstborn sons of IsraEl that open a womb.

¹⁷ ‘For, all the firstborn among the children of IsraEl (both the men and the animals) became Mine on the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt… Yes, that’s when I made them holy to Myself.

¹⁸ ‘But now, I’m taking the Levites instead of the first-born of the children of IsraEl, ¹⁹ and I’m presenting them as a gift to Aaron and his sons to serve the children of IsraEl at the Tent. There they must make the payments for the sins of the children of IsraEl, so none of the sons of IsraEl will have to approach the holy things.’

[Editor note: The story resumes here.]

²⁰ Well, Moses, Aaron, and the entire gathering of the children of IsraEl did everything that the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites. ²¹ The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes... Then Aaron presented them as a gift before Yahweh, and [he sacrificed] the payments for their sins in order to purify them.

²² Thereafter, the Levites entered the Tent to serve before Aaron and his sons, just as the Lord had instructed Moses.

²³ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

²⁴ ‘This is the rule for the Levites:

‘Those who are 25 years old and older must enter to serve at the Tent of Proofs. ²⁵ But when they reach 50 years old, they may no longer serve or work there.

²⁶ ‘They may supervise their brothers that serve at the Tent of Proofs, but they may not work there anymore.

‘Give the Levites these instructions.’

Numbers 9

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¹ It was in the 1st month of the 2nd year after they’d left the land of Egypt that the Lord spoke to Moses there in the SinAi Desert, and He said:

² ‘Tell the children of IsraEl to keep the Passover at the proper time. ³ You must keep it and obey all the laws and instructions concerning it, starting on the evening of the 14th day of the 1st month.’

⁴ So Moses ordered the children of IsraEl to sacrifice the Passover ⁵ on the 14th day of the 1st month, there in the SinAi Desert. And the children of IsraEl did just as the Lord told Moses.

⁶ However, there were some men who were unclean due to [touching] a dead body, and they were unable to keep the Passover on that day.

So they went before Moses and Aaron ⁷ and said:

‘We’re unclean, because we touched the dead body of a man... Will we not to be allowed to offer our gifts to Yahweh at this time along with the rest of the children of IsraEl?’

⁸ Then Moses told them:

‘Stay here, and I’ll listen to whatever instructions Yahweh gives to me about this.’

⁹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

¹⁰ ‘Tell the sons of IsraEl that whenever a man among you or your descendants has become unclean because of touching a dead body, or is far away on a journey, he must still keep the Passover to Yahweh… ¹¹ But he must do it on the evening of the 14th day of the 2nd month.

‘[The Passover sacrifice] must be offered then and eaten with fermentation-free bread and bitter herbs. ¹² They must not leave any of it over until the next day, nor may they break any of its bones. They must offer the sacrifice just as they would on the Passover.

¹³ ‘But if anyone is clean and isn’t away on a trip, he must be sure to [do this on] the Passover day! Any person who doesn’t offer the gift to Yahweh at the proper time is guilty and must be cut off from his people!

¹⁴ ‘And if an alien should come into your land and wishes to observe the Passover to Yahweh, he must do so according to the laws and instructions concerning the Passover. For there’s just one law, and it applies to both the natives and the aliens.’

¹⁵ Well, from the time that the Tent was [first] assembled, a cloud covered the Tent of Proofs all day long, and what looked like fire covered the Tent from evening until morning. ¹⁶ And that’s how it always was… A cloud cover by day and the appearance of fire by night.

¹⁷ Also, whenever the cloud left the Tent, the children of IsraEl were to leave that place; and whenever the cloud just stayed there, the children of IsraEl were to remain encamped.

¹⁸ So, the children of IsraEl camped by the commands of Yahweh and they moved by the commands of Yahweh… As long as the cloud covered the Tent, the children of IsraEl were to camp. ¹⁹ And even if the cloud stayed over the Tent for a long time, the children of IsraEl were to follow God’s instructions and not move. ²⁰ For whenever the cloud covered the Tent for a number of days, they were to camp, following the words of Yahweh, and they were to stay camped there by the commands of the Lord.

²¹ But whenever the cloud moved up from over the Tent, they were to move, whether it was day or night... ²² If the cloud covered the Tent for a full month, the children of IsraEl had to camp and were not to leave; ²³ for they were only to move by the commands of the Lord.

And this is what they did.

They followed the instructions and commands that the Lord gave them through Moses.

Numbers 10

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[Editor note: Now follows the instructions for breaking camp. The story resumes in Numbers 10:29.]

¹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

² ‘Make two silver trumpets for yourselves that are to be used to call assemblies and to move the camp. Make them of hammered [silver].

‘³ There is to be one type of call to assemble the whole gathering at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs, ⁴ and another type to assemble just the rulers and leaders there.

⁵ ‘You must [also use them to] sound the alarms for the camp to move, starting with the one in the east...

⁶ ‘Then when you sound a 2nd alarm, the camp to the south must move.

‘When you sound the 3rd alarm, the camp in the west must move.

‘When you sound the 4th alarm, the camp in the north must move.

‘And they must also sound alarms while they’re leaving.

⁷ ‘Also, blow the horns to signal assemblies (but it shouldn’t be the same signal as the alarms). ⁸ The Priests (the sons of Aaron) must blow these trumpets, and this is to be the rule for you through all your generations and throughout the ages.

⁹ ‘And if you must go to war against your enemies who will oppose you in your land, you must also blow the trumpets as a reminder to Yahweh… So that He will save you from your enemies.

¹⁰ ‘In addition, you must blow the trumpets on joyful days, such as your feasts, New-Moon festivals, and when you sacrifice your whole burnt offerings and peace offerings.

¹¹ ‘This must be done as a reminder to you before your God…

‘For I am Yahweh your God!’

¹² Well thereafter, the children of IsraEl packed their things in the SinAi Desert, for the cloud came to rest in the Pharan Desert. ¹³ So, following the instructions of Yahweh through Moses, the first group started their march...

¹⁴ The first to leave were the children of Judah with their army, headed by NaAsson, son of AmiNadab. ¹⁵ They [were followed by] the sons of IshSachar under NathaniEl, son of Sogar. ¹⁶ Then came the army of the Tribe of the sons of ZebuLon under EliAb, son of ChaElon.

¹⁷ Thereafter, the Tent was taken down and the sons of GedSon started out, followed by the sons of MeraRi, who carried the Tent.

¹⁸ Then came the camp of ReuBen and their army that was led by EliSur, son of SediUr. ¹⁹ They were followed by the army of the Tribe of the sons of SymeOn under SalamiEl, son of SuriSadai. ²⁰ Next came the army of the children from the Tribe of Gad under EliShaph, son of RaguEl.

²¹ Then the sons of CaAth came forward bearing the holy things, because the Tent was to be set up before they arrived.

²² Next the camp of Ephraim set out with their army under EliSama, son of SemiUd. ²³ They were followed by the armies of the Tribe of the sons of ManasSeh under GamaliEl, son of PhadasShur. ²⁴ Then came the army of the Tribe of the children of BenJamin under AbiDan, son of GadeOni.

²⁵ Next in the order of the camp came the sons of Dan and their army under AchiEzer, son of AmiSadai. ²⁶ Then came the army of the Tribe of the sons of Asher under PhageEl, son of Echran. ²⁷ They were followed by the army of the Tribe of the sons of NaphTali under AchiRe, son of AiNan.

²⁸ These are the armies of the children of IsraEl, and it’s the way that they started their march.

[Editor note: The story resumes here.]

²⁹ Then Moses said to Jobab (son of RaguEl the MidiAnite):

‘We’re traveling to the place about which Yahweh said:

‘I’m going to give this to you.’

‘So come with us and we’ll treat you well, because Yahweh has promised good things for IsraEl.’

³⁰ But [Jobab] replied:

‘No, I won’t go. I’m going to return to my family and to my land.’

³¹ However, [Moses insisted], saying:

‘Don’t leave us, for you’ve been with us all through the desert, and you should be considered an elder among us. ³² If you go with us, when Yahweh does good things for us, we’ll do good things for you!’

³³ Then they left the Mountain of Yahweh and traveled for three days. And the Chest of Yahweh’s Sacred Agreement was carried ahead of them for all three days, as a comfort to them all. ³⁴ Also, the cloud hung over them during the day, starting from when they left the camp.

³⁵ And when the Chest was brought forward, Moses said:

‘Arise, O Yahweh!

‘Let Your enemies be scattered and may all that hate You flee in terror!’

³⁶ Then when they reached its resting place, he said:

‘Turn [Your face] again, O Yahweh, to the thousands and tens of thousands in IsraEl!’

Numbers 11

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¹ Well after that, the people started murmuring sinful things against Yahweh, and He heard them. This made Him very angry, and Yahweh sent a fire that started to burn among them, which consumed part of the camp!

² So the people called for Moses; and after he prayed to Yahweh, the fire died out... ³ And thereafter, they called that place ‘The Burning,’ because that was where a fire from Yahweh had burned among them.

⁴ Then the [ethnics] that were mixed among them started [complaining]. They and some of the children of IsraEl sat down and started crying and saying:

‘Who is going to give us meat to eat?

⁵ ‘We remember all the fish that we used to eat in Egypt, as well as the cucumbers, melons, leeks, garlic, and onions. ⁶ But now our lives have become [empty], because all we can see is this manna!’

⁷ Well, the manna looked like coriander seeds and it appeared [on the ground] like frost... ⁸ The people would go out to collect it, and then they’d grind it in a mill or pound it in a mortar and bake it in a pan to make loaves from it. It tasted like sweet crackers that had been mixed with oil.

⁹ And during the night, when the dew was settling on the camp, the manna would just come down upon it.

¹⁰ Well, Moses heard them as they were sitting in front of their [tents] in family groups, crying! This made Yahweh very angry, and Moses also viewed these actions as evil.

¹¹ So Moses asked Yahweh:

‘Why have You done this to your servant, and why haven’t I found favor in Your eyes, so that You should lay the burden of these people upon me? ¹² Am I the one who carried and gave birth to all these people, so that You should tell me to take them into my arms like a nursing mother would take her new-born baby, then carry them into the land that You promised to give to their fathers?

¹³ ‘Where can I find enough meat to feed all these people? For, here they’re crying before me and saying:

‘Give us meat to eat!’

¹⁴ ‘I can’t carry all these people by myself… They’re just too heavy for me! ¹⁵ If You’re going to do this to me and if I’ve found Your favor, just kill me so I don’t have to [endure] this pain!’

¹⁶ Then the Lord told Moses:

‘Gather 70 men from among the elders of IsraEl to Me… [Make sure that] they’re the elders and scribes among the people. Then bring them to the Tent of Proofs and have them stand there with you. ¹⁷ For I’m going to come down and speak with you there... Then I’ll take [some] of [My] Breath that’s on you and put it on them, so they’ll have to share the burden of the people with you, and you won’t have to handle it all by yourself.’

¹⁸ ‘After that, go to the people and tell them this:

‘Now, purify yourselves, because tomorrow you’re going to eat meat! Yes, you who’ve bawled before Yahweh and asked:

‘Who will give us meat and the other things that [we used to enjoy back in Egypt]?’

‘For Yahweh will provide meat, and then you’ll have to eat it!

¹⁹ ‘You aren’t going to eat it for 1 day, or for 7, 10, or 20 days, ²⁰ you’re going to eat it for a full month… Until it comes out of your noses! You’re going to be sick of it, because you disobeyed Yahweh who’s here among you!

‘You bawled before Him and asked:

‘Why did we ever leave Egypt?’

²¹ Then Moses replied:

‘There are some 600,000 of just the soldiers among us, and are You telling me to give everyone enough meat to eat for a whole month? ²² Must we slaughter all of our sheep and cattle to feed them all… And would even that be enough? Or must we catch all the fish in the sea for them, and would that be enough?’

²³ And the Lord said to Moses:

‘Isn’t the hand of Yahweh large enough?

‘By now you should know whether My words will come true!’

²⁴ So Moses went out and told the people what the Lord had said.

Then he gathered 70 men from among the people’s elders and stood them around the Tent… ²⁵ And the Lord came down in a cloud to speak to [Moses]. Thereafter, He took some of the Breath that was in Moses and put it into the 70 elders. And when [God’s] Breath came to rest upon them, they all started prophesying… But then they stopped.

²⁶ However, two of the men were still back in the camp at the time; one was ElDad and the other was MoDad. They were part of the group that [Moses] had chosen, but they hadn’t made it to the Tent yet.

Nevertheless, [God’s] Breath came to rest upon them also, and they started prophesying there in the camp!

²⁷ So, a young man ran and told Moses… He said:

‘ElDad and MoDad are prophesying in the camp!’

²⁸ Well, JoShua (son of NaWeh) who was Moses’ assistant and chosen successor, said:

‘Lord Moses,

‘Make them stop!’

²⁹ But Moses replied:

‘Are you jealous for me? I wish that Yahweh would put His Breath in all of His people and make them all Prophets!’

³⁰ And with that, Moses and the elders of IsraEl returned to the camp.

³¹ Then Yahweh blew His Breath, and [flocks of] quail were blown over the sea and into their camp… They covered the ground several feet deep for a day’s journey all around the camp. ³² So the people went out all that day, all that night, and all the next day to gather quail... Even those who gathered the least gathered hundreds!

Then, all around the camp, everyone [sat down to feast].

³³ Well, they were still picking the meat that was stuck between their teeth when Yahweh showed them how angry He was with them, for He then struck them with a great plague!

³⁴ And thereafter, that place was called The Graveyard of the Greedy, because it’s where they buried all the greedy people.

³⁵ Then the people moved away from the Graveyard of the Greedy [and went to] AsherOth, where they [set up camp].

Numbers 12

←11 | All books | All chapters | 13→

¹ It was then that MiriAm and Aaron started condemning Moses because of the Ethiopian whom he’d taken as his woman.

² They asked:

‘Is Moses the only one to whom the Lord has spoken? Hasn’t He also spoken to us?’

And Yahweh heard them say this.

³ Now, Moses was the humblest man on the earth; ⁴ so the Lord immediately spoke to Moses, Aaron, and MiriAm, and said:

‘All three of you, come to the Tent of Proofs!’

⁵ So, the three of them went to the Tent of Proofs, and the Lord descended in a column of clouds... He stood there at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs and called Aaron and MiriAm, and they stepped forward.

⁶ Then He said to them:

‘Listen to Me.

‘If either of you are Prophets of Yahweh, I’ll make things known to you in visions and speak to you as you sleep.

⁷ ‘However, this isn’t the way [that I speak] to My servant Moses who has so faithfully [served] in My House... ⁸ I’m not hidden to him, I appear and speak to him mouth to mouth… And he’s even seen the glory of Yahweh!

‘So, why aren’t you afraid to speak against My servant Moses?’

⁹ Well, Yahweh was very angry with them.

Then, as He left, ¹⁰ the cloud disappeared from the Tent… And {Look!} MiriAm had leprosy that was [as white] as snow!

Well when Aaron saw that MiriAm had leprosy, ¹¹ he said to Moses:

‘I beg you my lord; don’t hold this sin against us, because we did this in ignorance! ¹² Don’t allow her to be one of the [walking] dead like a miscarriage from her mother’s womb… And for half of her flesh to be eaten away.’

¹³ So Moses called to Yahweh and said:

‘Oh God, I beg You; please heal her!’

¹⁴ And the Lord replied to Moses:

‘If her father had just spit in her face, wouldn’t she have been shamed for 7 days? Therefore, she may not enter the camp for 7 days… Only then may she return.’

¹⁵ So MiriAm was driven away from the camp for 7 days, and the people didn’t break camp until after MiriAm had been cleansed.

¹⁶ Well after that, the people left AsherOth and camped in the Pharan Desert.

Numbers 13

←12 | All books | All chapters | 14→

¹ There the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

² ‘Send some men as spies into the land of the CanaAnites that I’ll be giving to the sons of IsraEl. Choose men who are leaders from each of the tribes and family lines.’

³ So, following Yahweh’s instructions, Moses chose leaders from among the sons of IsraEl and sent them away from the Pharan Desert.

• ⁴ From the Tribe of ReuBen [he sent] SamuEl, son of ZachUr.

• ⁵ From the Tribe of SymeOn [he sent] Saphat, son of Suri.

• ⁶ From the Tribe of Judah [he sent] Caleb, son of JePhonNe.

• ⁷ From the Tribe of IshSachar [he sent] IlaAl, son of JoSeph.

• ⁸ From the Tribe of Ephraim [he sent] Ause, son of NaWeh.

• ⁹ From the Tribe of BenJamin [he sent] Phalti, son of Raphu.

• ¹⁰ From the Tribe of ZebuLon [he sent] GadDiEl, son of Sudi.

• ¹¹ From the Tribe of JoSeph’s son ManasSeh [he sent] GadDi, son of Susi.

• ¹² From the Tribe of Dan [he sent] AmiEl, son of Gamali.

• ¹³ From the Tribe of Asher [he sent] Sathur, son of MichaEl.

• ¹⁴ From the Tribe of NaphTali [he sent] Nabi, son of Sabi.

• ¹⁵ And from the Tribe of Gad [he sent] GaudiEl, son of MacKi.

¹⁶ These are the men whom Moses sent as spies into the land. However, Moses started calling Ause (son of NaWeh), JoShua.

¹⁷ As Moses sent them to spy in the land of CanaAn, he told them this:

‘Travel through this desert, then climb the mountain and ¹⁸ peer into the land to see what it looks like.

‘Watch the people who live there to [determine] whether they’re strong or weak, many or few. ¹⁹ Then, notice whether the land that they live on is good or bad, what cities are there, and whether or not they have walls.

²⁰ ‘Also, pay attention to the ground… See whether it’s rich or poor, and if there are any trees. Then venture in and take some of the fruitage of the land.’

Well, it was springtime, and the grapes were ready to be harvested, ²¹ as they went and surveyed all the land from the Sin Desert to RhoOb (on the road to AiMath). ²² They traveled through the desert and got as far as HebRon, where they found AchiMan, SesSi, and ThelAmi, the descendants of Enach (HebRon had been built 7 years before Tanis in Egypt).

²³ Well, when they got to the valley where the grapes were growing, after surveying it, they cut down a cluster of grapes and carried it on carrying poles.

They also picked some pomegranates and figs.

²⁴ Then they called that place, The Valley of the Cluster, because of the cluster of [grapes] that the children of IsraEl had cut down there.

²⁵ Well after 40 days, they returned from their survey of the land ²⁶ and they went before Moses, Aaron, and the entire gathering of the children of IsraEl ([who were] in the desert at Pharan KaDesh at the time). Then they spoke to the whole gathering and showed them the fruit from the land, ²⁷ giving this report:

‘We went into the land where you sent us and found a land that is indeed flowing with milk and honey! Here’s some of the fruit from that place.

²⁸ ‘However, the nation that lives there is aggressive, and they have large, strong, walled cities.

‘We also saw the children of Enach there... ²⁹ The AmaLechites live in the land towards the south, while the Hittites, Evites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country, and the CanaAnites live between the Sea and the JorDan River.’

³⁰ Then Caleb stopped them from speaking before Moses, and said:

‘We must surely go there and inherit [that land], because we can conquer them!’

³¹ But [the other] men disagreed and said:

‘We must not go there!

‘There’s no way we can beat nations like that, for they’re much stronger than we are!’

³² Well, they really terrified the children of IsraEl when they said:

‘The land that we walked through and surveyed swallows up the people who live there... And all the people who we saw there were huge!

³³ ‘We saw giants who [were so large] that we looked like grasshoppers in comparison!’

Numbers 14

←13 | All books | All chapters | 15→

¹ Well at that, the whole gathering started wailing and crying, and this went on throughout the night! ² Then all the children of IsraEl started grumbling against Moses and Aaron, for they came to them and said:

³ ‘We would rather have died in the land of Egypt than in this desert!

‘Why is Yahweh bringing us to this land… Just to be killed in war and to have our women and children serve as their prey?

‘It would be better for us to return to Egypt!’

⁴ Then they started saying to each other:

‘Let’s appoint [someone else] as our ruler who’ll take us back to Egypt!’

⁵ So Moses and Aaron just fell to their faces before the entire gathering of the children of IsraEl... ⁶ But then, JoShua (son of NaWeh) and Caleb (son of JePhonNe), who were among those who’d spied in the land, started ripping their clothes, ⁷ and they said to the gathering of the children of IsraEl:

‘The land that we surveyed is really very good!

⁸ ‘And if Yahweh has chosen us, won’t He take us into this land and give it to us… Into this land that flows with milk and honey?

⁹ ‘Don’t leave Yahweh, and don’t be afraid of the people in that land, because they’re just meat for us!

‘Since Yahweh is with us, their time has ended! So, don’t be afraid!’

¹⁰ But at that, all the people started throwing rocks at them!

[Then suddenly], the glory of Yahweh appeared in the cloud over the Tent of Proofs before all the children of IsraEl!

¹¹ And the Lord said to Moses:

‘How much longer will these people continue to anger Me, and how much longer will they refuse to believe Me after all the signs that I’ve sent to them?

¹² ‘So now, I’m going to strike them and kill them all!

‘Yes, I’ll destroy them and then I’ll make a great nation of you and of your father’s house… One that’ll be much greater than this!’

¹³ However, Moses replied:

‘But then the Egyptians would hear about this!

‘Because You used Your power to bring these people out from among them, ¹⁴ and the people who live in that land have heard that You’re our Lord, that You’re with these people, that You, O Yahweh, have been seen face-to-face, that Your cloud rests upon them, and You lead them each day in a column of clouds and by a column of fire all night long…

¹⁵ ‘If You destroy this whole nation, then all the nations that have heard of Your Name will say:

¹⁶ ‘Because Yahweh couldn’t bring His people into the land that He swore to give them, He [killed] them all in the desert!’

¹⁷ ‘So, O Lord, show Your power to them instead… And may this thing that You’ve said prove to be true:

¹⁸ ‘Yahweh is patient, merciful, and true. He removes mistakes, errors, and sins... He will never acquit the guilty, but He will bring the sins of the fathers upon their children for three or four generations’.

¹⁹ ‘Therefore, in Your great mercy, forgive these people for their sins and show them the same favor [that You’ve shown] them [since You led them out of] Egypt!’

²⁰ Then the Lord replied to Moses:

‘I’ll be [patient] with them as you’ve requested.

²¹ ‘For, as I live and as My Name is living; the glory of Yahweh must fill the whole earth, ²² since everyone has seen My glory through all the signs that I gave in Egypt and in the desert.

‘But, this is the 10th time that [IsraEl] has tested Me and refused to listen to My voice!

²³ ‘Therefore, they will not see the land that I promised to their fathers. Rather, I’ll give it to their children who are with Me here… Those who are inexperienced and don’t yet know good from bad.

‘I’m going to give the land to them… But, those who angered Me will never see it! ²⁴ My servant Caleb [will see it], because he had a different spirit and he followed Me... I’ll bring him into the land that he traveled through, and his offspring will inherit it. ²⁵ But until then, the AmaLechites and CanaAnites will [continue to] live in this valley.

‘So tomorrow [you must] turn around and return to the desert by way of the Red Sea!’

²⁶ And thereafter, the Lord spoke to both Moses and Aaron and said:

²⁷ ‘How much longer will this gathering remain wicked?

‘I’ve heard the grumbling against Me coming from the children of IsraEl as well as all their complaints about you.

²⁸ ‘So, tell them that Yahweh said this:

‘As I live; whatever I’ve heard you say is exactly what I’m going to do to you...

²⁹ ‘Your bodies will fall in this desert, and all those who were reviewed and counted from 20 years old and up – all that grumbled against Me – ³⁰ will never enter the land that I stretched out My hand to give to you, except for Caleb son of JePhonNe), and JoShua son of NaWeh.

³¹ ‘Then I’ll bring your little ones (whom you’ve said would serve as prey) into the land, and they’ll inherit what you’ve rejected, ³² while your bodies will fall in this desert!

³³ ‘So your sons must be fed in this desert for 40 years, and they must carry the weight of your infidelity, as your bodies rot in the desert. ³⁴ For each day that was spent spying in that land – 40 days – you must bear your sins a day for a year – for 40 years – and you’ll get to know My rage.

³⁵ ‘Now, I, Yahweh have spoken, and that’s what I’ll do to this evil gathering that has raised itself against Me… You will be totally destroyed and die here in this desert!’

³⁶ Then, all the men whom Moses sent to spy in the land and who then returned and grumbled before the group and said evil things about the land ³⁷ were struck with a plague from Yahweh and they all died.

³⁸ So, among the men who served as spies in the land, only JoShua (son of NaWeh) and Caleb (son of JePhonNe) survived!

³⁹ Well after that, Moses explained all these things to the children of IsraEl, and the people became very depressed.

⁴⁰ Then early the next morning, [the people] climbed to the top of a hill and said:

‘{Look!} We have sinned!

‘So, those of us who are left must travel to the place where Yahweh told us to go!’

⁴¹ But Moses asked them:

‘Why didn’t you just obey the words of Yahweh and prosper?

⁴² ‘However, now you can’t [enter the land], because Yahweh isn’t with you, and you’ll [be cut down] before your enemies! ⁴³ The AmaLechites and the CanaAnites that are standing there before you will cut you down with their swords, because you disobeyed Yahweh and turned aside.

‘So, the Lord won’t be there among you!’

⁴⁴ Well, they went up to the top of the mountain and tried to force their way [into the land] anyhow… But the Chest of Yahweh’s Sacred Agreement and Moses never left the camp.

⁴⁵ As a result, the AmaLechites and the CanaAnites who lived on the mountain attacked them, drove them away, and destroyed them all the way to [Mount] Herman; and they [had to] run back to their camp.

Numbers 15

←14 | All books | All chapters | 16→

[Editor note: Now follows instructions and laws. The story resumes in Numbers 15:32.]

¹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

² ‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them this:

‘When you enter the land that I’ll give to you (this place where you’ll live); ³ whenever you offer whole burnt offerings to Yahweh, or offerings to fulfill a vow, or free-will offerings, or feast sacrifices from the herd or flock as a sweet odor to Yahweh…

⁴ ‘The person who offers the gift must also bring a food offering of a quart of flour mixed with oil, ⁵ and a quart [of wine] as a drink offering with each lamb that you sacrifice as a sweet odor to Yahweh.

⁶ ‘And when you offer a ram as a whole-burnt offering or sacrifice, you must also prepare a food offering of 2 quarts (1.9l) of fine flour mixed with oil, ⁷ and 2 quarts (1.9l) of wine as a drink offering, as a sweet odor to Yahweh.

⁸ ‘And if you offer a sacrifice from the herd as a whole-burnt offering, or a sacrifice to fulfill a vow or as a peace offering to Yahweh... ⁹ Along with the calf, you must add a food offering of 3 quarts (2.8l) of fine flour mixed with oil, ¹⁰ and provide 3 quarts (2.8l) of wine as a drink offering, as a sweet odor to Yahweh.

¹¹ ‘You must do this for each calf, ram, lamb, sheep, or kid goat that you offer.

¹² ‘You must do the same thing for each one, no matter how many you may offer.

¹³ ‘All the natives in the country must do this whenever they offer sacrifices as a sweet odor to Yahweh… ¹⁴ Whether the person is an alien in your land or someone who was born among you, they must offer [the same] sacrifices as a sweet odor to Yahweh.

‘Yes, everyone among the gathering must offer sacrifices to Yahweh! ¹⁵ There must be just one law for you and for the aliens who live among you... It’s a law throughout the ages and throughout your generations, that the aliens must act as you do before Yahweh! ¹⁶ Both you and the aliens who live among you must follow the same laws and regulations!’

¹⁷ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

¹⁸ ‘Speak to the sons of IsraEl and tell them this:

‘When you enter the land where I’m taking you ¹⁹ and you start eating bread from the land, you must set aside a special wave-offering to Yahweh from the first fruitage of your dough. ²⁰ You must set aside and offer your bread as a wave offering in the same way that you offer grain ²¹ as the first fruitage of your dough… And you must give it to Yahweh as a wave offering throughout your generations.

²² ‘Now, if you fail to follow all these commandments that Yahweh has been giving to Moses, ²³ and which Moses has been telling you about since the day that Yahweh selected you (and on throughout your generations), ²⁴ and if you commit an error or mistake without the knowledge of the gathering... The whole gathering must offer a perfect calf from the herd as a whole-burnt offering and as a sweet odor to Yahweh, along with food and drink offerings (according to the rules), and one kid goat as a sin offering.

²⁵ ‘Then the Priest must make payment for the sins of the entire gathering of the children of IsraEl, and they’ll be forgiven, because it was a mistake… And because they brought their gift as a burnt-offering to Yahweh for their error and involuntary sin.

[v26‘]If it’s a mistake, everyone must be forgiven, whether they’re from the children of IsraEl or from the aliens who are living among you.

²⁷ ‘So, whenever a person sins by mistake, he must bring a yearling nanny goat as a sin offering. ²⁸ Then the Priest must [sacrifice it] to pay for the sin that was committed in error.

²⁹ ‘This same law applies to the natives of the children of IsraEl and to the aliens who are living among them… To anyone who unwittingly commits an error.

³⁰ ‘And whenever any person – a native or an alien – does anything so presumptuous as to anger God, he must be cut off from among his people! ³¹ For when he disregards the Word of Yahweh and breaks His Laws, that person must be found guilty of sin and destroyed.’

[Editor note: The story resumes here.]

³² Well, it was while the children of IsraEl were still in the desert that they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath. ³³ And those who found him doing this brought him before Moses, Aaron, and the entire gathering of the children of IsraEl... ³⁴ Then he was placed in custody, because they didn’t know what to do with him.

³⁵ But thereafter, the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

‘The man must absolutely be put to death by the entire gathering… Stone him with rocks!’

³⁶ So the entire gathering dragged him outside of the camp and stoned him with rocks, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

[Editor note: Now follows further laws. The story resumes in Numbers 16:1.]

³⁷ Thereafter, the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

³⁸ ‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them that they must wear fringes on the bottoms of their clothing throughout all their generations... These fringes are to be made of purple lace.

³⁹ ‘Then, whenever they look at these fringes, they must think of all the Commandments of Yahweh and remember to obey them, instead of turning back and following the immoral things of their imaginations.

⁴⁰ ‘They must remember to obey all My Commandments, and to be holy before Me... ⁴¹ For I am Yahweh, the God who brought them out of the land of Egypt to be their God...

‘I am Yahweh, your God!’

Numbers 16

←15 | All books | All chapters | 17→

[Editor note: The story resumes here.]

¹ But then KorAh (son of IsaAr, of CaAth, of Levi), Dathan, and AbiRam (the sons of EliAb), and Aun (son of Phaleth of ReuBen) started speaking ² rebelliously against Moses, along with 250 men from the sons of IsraEl that were chiefs of the assembly, chosen advisors, and men of fame.

³ They went up to Moses and Aaron and said:

‘That’s enough of you!

‘Since the whole gathering of IsraEl is holy, and Yahweh is among them, why have you elevated yourselves over the gathering of Yahweh?’

⁴ Well when Moses heard this, he fell to his face.

⁵ Then he spoke to KorAh and his group and said:

‘God has visited us, and He knows who are His, who are holy, who are set aside to Him, whom He’s chosen, and whom He’s purchased for Himself. ⁶ So, we’ll allow Yahweh to choose [the ones whom He finds] to be holy.

‘KorAh and his entire group should take their incense holders ⁷ and put fire and incense in them, then go and stand before Yahweh tomorrow.

‘May this settle the matter for you, you sons of Levi!’

⁸ Then Moses [turned and] addressed KorAh, saying:

‘Listen to me, you son of Levi.

⁹ ‘Is it so unimportant to you that the God of IsraEl has separated you from the rest of the gathering of IsraEl, and brought you close to Him to serve His people at His Tent, ¹⁰ that you and all your brothers (the sons of Levi) also want to become the Priests?

¹¹ ‘[Understand that] you and your group have now gathered in opposition to God!

‘For, who is Aaron that you should be complaining against him?’

¹² Then later, Moses sent for Dathan and AbiRam (the sons of EliAb), and they told him that they wouldn’t be coming. ¹³ They asked:

‘Doesn’t it matter to you that after you brought us to a land flowing with milk and honey, you chose to just kill us here in this desert? And now you even want to rule over us!

¹⁴ ‘If you’re really our leader, why don’t you just go ahead and carry us into the land that flows with milk and honey and give us our inheritance of land and our vineyards?

‘For, couldn’t you just blind the eyes of the men [in that land]?

‘No, we aren’t coming!’

¹⁵ Well, this upset Moses, and he said to Yahweh:

‘Please don’t accept their sacrifices, because I haven’t taken anything that they desire from them, nor have I harmed any of them.’

¹⁶ Then Moses told KorAh:

‘You must be sure that your whole group is holy, and then you must get them ready to stand before Yahweh along with Aaron tomorrow. ¹⁷ Each man must bring his incense holder and put incense in it, then carry it up before Yahweh… All 250 of you.

‘And of course, you and Aaron must also bring your incense holders.’

¹⁸ So [the next day], each man brought his incense holder and they put fire and incense in them. Then they stood themselves next to Moses and Aaron at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs, ¹⁹ and KorAh and his group just stood there defiantly, as the glory of the Lord appeared before the whole gathering.

²⁰ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and said:

²¹ ‘Move away from the whole gathering [of IsraEl], for I’m going to consume them all!’

²² But [Moses and Aaron] fell to their faces, and begged:

‘Oh God… The God of all that breathes and all that is flesh... If just one man has sinned, must You bring Your rage against the whole gathering?’

²³ And the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

²⁴ ‘Then, tell the gathering that they must move away from KorAh and his group!’

²⁵ So Moses got up and walked over to Dathan and AbiRam (and all the elders of IsraEl went with him).

²⁶ Then he spoke to the gathering and said:

‘Now, get away from the tents of these stubborn men and don’t touch anything that belongs to them, or you’ll be consumed along with them for their sins!’

²⁷ So everyone moved away from their tents, as KorAh, Dathan, and AbiRam went over and stood at the entrances to their tents, along with their women, their children, and all their belongings.

²⁸ Then Moses said:

‘Now you’ll know that when Yahweh sent me to do these things, I wasn’t doing it on my own!

²⁹ ‘For if these men just die a natural death, and if what happens to them is the same as what happens to all men, then Yahweh hasn’t sent me... ³⁰ But if the Lord brings a miracle and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them, their households, their tents, and everything that belongs to them, and they go down into their graves alive...

‘You must know that these men have angered Yahweh!’

³¹ And just as he finished saying those words, the ground rumbled underneath them!

³² Then the ground opened and swallowed them, their households, all the men who were with KorAh, and all their cattle… ³³ They and all that they had went down into their graves alive, as the ground covered them over!

So, they perished there in the midst of the gathering.

³⁴ Well at that, all the IsraElites that were standing nearby fled from the noise, shouting:

‘[Run], so the earth doesn’t swallow us too!’

³⁵ Then fire came from Yahweh, which consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense.

³⁶ And thereafter, the Lord said to Moses:

³⁷ ‘Now, tell EliEzer (son of Aaron the Priest) to pick up the bronze incense holders from where those men were burned and then melt them all down, for these things are holy, ³⁸ [and they must now serve as a sign against] those sinners and against their lives.

‘Beat [the metal] into plates to cover the Altar; for, since these [censors] were brought before Yahweh as holy, they must be used as a sign to the children of IsraEl!’

³⁹ So, EliEzer (son of Aaron, the Priest) took the bronze incense holders that the men who were burned carried, and he had them shaped into a covering for the Altar, ⁴⁰ as a reminder to the children of IsraEl that no one other than the offspring of Aaron might approach to offer the incense before Yahweh, and so that what happened to KorAh and those who conspired with him wouldn’t happen to them.

[He did just] as Yahweh told him through Moses.

⁴¹ But the next day, the people again started grumbling against Moses and Aaron, and they shouted:

‘You’ve killed the people of Yahweh!’

⁴² So, a mob gathered against Moses and Aaron, and they foolishly ran into the Tent of Proofs – and at that, the cloud immediately covered it and the glory of Yahweh appeared!

⁴³ Then Moses and Aaron entered through the front of the Tent of Proofs, ⁴⁴ and the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron there and said:

⁴⁵ ‘Get away from the whole gathering, because I’m going to consume them all!’

Well, [Moses and Aaron] dropped to their faces, ⁴⁶ and Moses said to Aaron:

‘Take an incense holder, put some incense into it, and light it with some of the fire from the Altar. Then, quickly carry it into the camp to atone for [the people’s] sins... For, Yahweh’s rage has come upon us and He’s already started destroying them!’

⁴⁷ So Aaron took it (just as Moses had told him) and he ran around throughout the whole gathering, since a plague had already started among them! And he used the incense to atone for the sins of the people.

⁴⁸ Then he stood himself between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped.

⁴⁹ Altogether, some 14,700 died from the plague… In addition to those who died because of KorAh. ⁵⁰ And when Aaron returned to Moses (who was at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs), the plague ended.

Numbers 17

←16 | All books | All chapters | 18→

¹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

² ‘Tell the children of IsraEl to have their [tribal] leaders each bring a walking stick with them, one for each of the family lines – 12 walking sticks – and have them write their [own] names on their sticks.

³ ‘Also write Aaron’s name on his walking stick [on behalf of the Tribe of] Levi.

‘Each tribe should provide these sticks for [the heads] of their family lines. ⁴ Then you must carry them all inside the Tent of Proofs and lay them before the Chest of Proofs, where I [always meet with] you.

⁵ ‘And whoever owns the walking stick that blossoms is the man whom I’ve chosen. This will bring an end to all the children of IsraEl’s grumbling to Me about you.’

⁶ So Moses spoke to the children of IsraEl, and each of their leaders gave him a walking stick, one for each of the heads of their family lines – 12 walking sticks – and Aaron’s walking stick was placed among them.

⁷ Then Moses laid the walking sticks before Yahweh inside the Tent of Proofs.

⁸ Well, the next morning, when Moses and Aaron entered the Tent of Proofs, they saw that the walking stick of Aaron (from the Tribe of Levi) had blossomed, putting out buds, flowers, and almonds!

⁹ Then Moses carried all of those walking sticks that had been set in front of Yahweh out before the sons of IsraEl for them to see... And each [of the leaders] took his own stick.

¹⁰ So the Lord told Moses:

‘Now, place Aaron’s walking stick among the Proofs… Keep it there as a sign for these disobedient children.

‘And then tell them to stop grumbling to Me, so they don’t die!’

¹¹ Well, that’s what Moses and Aaron did; they did just as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

¹² Then [the leaders] of the children of IsraEl spoke to Moses and asked:

‘Are we now going to be cut off, destroyed, and consumed?

¹³ ‘Since everyone who touches the Tent of Yahweh is to die; are we now going to be totally destroyed?’

[Editor note: Now follows some laws and procedures. The story continues in Numbers 20:1.]

Numbers 18

←17 | All books | All chapters | 19→

¹ Then the Lord spoke to Aaron and told him:

‘You, your sons, and your [tribe] will be guilty of any sins against the holy things, and you and your sons [are responsible for] your Priesthood.

² ‘So now, take the rest of your brothers from the Tribe of Levi (the family line of your forefather) and accept them as yours. Have them serve you and your sons there in front of the Tent of Proofs.

³ ‘They must obey you and follow your instructions regarding everything that has to do with the Tent. However, they must not go near the holy furnishings or the Altar, so that they – and you – don’t die!

⁴ ‘They must be joined to you and follow your instructions regarding the Tent of Proofs and serve as guards in watches at the Tent… But no outsiders may even approach you. ⁵ You alone are to give instructions when it comes to the holy things and the Altar… And there must be no more anger [about this] among the children of IsraEl.

⁶ ‘For I have also chosen your brothers the Levites from among the children of IsraEl as a gift to Yahweh, to officiate at the Tent of Proofs.

⁷ ‘Now, you and your descendants must maintain your assigned positions as Priests, serving at the Altar and inside the veil, doing the things that are required. You must serve in the position of your Priesthood, and any [unauthorized] person who approaches it must die!’

⁸ Then the Lord told Aaron:

‘Look, I have given you all the instructions regarding the first fruitage of everything that’s to be made perfect for Me by the children of IsraEl. This is an honor for you and for your descendants, and it’s a law throughout the ages ⁹ that all the perfect holy things from among the burnt offerings, gifts, sacrifices, and all the error and sin offerings – whatever holy things that they bring to Me – will belong to you and to your sons.

¹⁰ ‘These things must be considered holy by you, and all the males (you and your sons) must eat them inside this very holy place.

¹¹ ‘I’m also giving all the first fruitage among the gifts – the wave-offerings of the children of IsraEl – to you and to your sons and daughters. It’s a law throughout the ages that all those in your homes that are clean may eat them.

¹² ‘All the first offerings of oil, wine, grain, and whatever else they may offer to Yahweh, is yours. ¹³ All the first fruitage of the land – whatever is offered to Yahweh – must belong to you, and everyone in your home who is clean may eat them.

¹⁴ ‘And anything that the children of IsraEl may choose to dedicate is also yours. ¹⁵ Whatever they bring to Yahweh, whether a man or an animal – everything that opens a womb – is yours.

‘However, the first-born of men and the first-born of unclean animals must be ransomed. ¹⁶ The value of anything a month old and upwards is 5 silver coins (20 copper coins per holy silver coin).

¹⁷ ‘They can’t buy back their first-born calves, sheep, or goats, because these things are holy. You must pour their blood on the Altar, and offer the fat as a burnt offering and a sweet odor to Yahweh. ¹⁸ Then their flesh – the breast and the right shoulder of the wave-offerings – is to be yours.

¹⁹ ‘Also, I’ve given all the special offerings of holy things – whatever the children of IsraEl offer as special to Yahweh – to you and to your sons and daughters who live with you. This is to be a rule throughout the ages. It’s a Sacred Agreement of Salt throughout the ages between Me and you, and with your offspring that descends from you.’

²⁰ Then the Lord told Aaron:

‘You aren’t going to receive an inheritance in that land, nor may you own any part of it, for I am your portion and your inheritance in the midst of the children of IsraEl!

²¹ ‘Look! I’ve also given the sons of Levi 1/10th part of everything in IsraEl as their inheritance for the services that they are to perform at the Tent of Proofs.

²² ‘Now, the children of IsraEl must not approach the Tent of Proofs again, or they’ll [be found] guilty and die. ²³ Just the Levites may work and serve at the Tent of Proofs, and they are to be responsible for any errors against it!

‘This is a law throughout the ages and throughout all your generations!

‘They’re not to receive an inheritance among the children of IsraEl, ²⁴ because I’ve given the Levites the 1/10th part that the children of IsraEl must bring to Yahweh as theirs… And that’s why I’m telling them that they are to receive no inheritance among the children of IsraEl!’

²⁵ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

²⁶ ‘Speak to the Levites and tell them that when they receive the 1/10th part from the children of IsraEl that I’m giving to them as their inheritance, they must then set aside [a further] 1/10th of that 1/10th as a wave offering to Yahweh.

²⁷ ‘These wave offerings must be treated as their own grain offerings from the [threshing] floor and wine press. ²⁸ They must set this portion aside from all 1/10th part offerings to Yahweh – along with everything else that they receive from the children of IsraEl – and give My offerings to Aaron the Priest.

²⁹ ‘This includes a [1/10th part] of all the gifts that are given as offerings to Yahweh and all the first fruitage.

³⁰ ‘Tell them that whenever they offer the first fruitage, the Levites must think of it as the produce from their own threshing floors or wine presses. ³¹ Then, they and their families may eat it wherever they wish, because this is their reward for serving at the Tent of Proofs.

³² ‘They won’t sin by doing this, as long as they [set aside] a portion of the first-fruitage [for Aaron], and as long as they don’t dirty the holy things of the children of IsraEl...

‘Otherwise, they must be put to death.’

Numbers 19

←18 | All books | All chapters | 20→

¹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and said:

² ‘This is a commandment of the Law that Yahweh has given to you:

‘Speak to the sons of IsraEl and tell them to bring you a red heifer that has no blemishes or defects and which has never worn a yoke, ³ then give her to EliEzer the Priest.

‘He must thereafter have them take it to a clean place outside of the camp and slaughter it there before him. ⁴ Then EliEzer must take some of its blood and sprinkle it in front of the Tent of Proofs 7 times, ⁵ and they must burn it to ashes before him, making sure that its skin, flesh, blood, and dung are totally consumed.

⁶ ‘Afterward, the Priest must take some cedar wood, some hyssop, and some scarlet-colored wool, and throw it into the [fire] that’s burning the heifer.

⁷ ‘Then the Priest must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and go into the camp. However, he must remain unclean until that evening. ⁸ Also, the person who burns [the heifer] must wash his clothes, take a bath, and be unclean until that evening.

⁹ ‘Then a clean man must gather up the heifer’s ashes and lay them aside in a clean place outside of the camp for the gathering of the children of IsraEl, so as to make a water to sprinkle for purification... ¹⁰ And this man who gathers up the heifer’s ashes must wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening.

‘This is a law for the children of IsraEl and for the aliens that join with them throughout the ages:

¹¹ ‘Whoever touches a human corpse must be unclean for 7 days.

¹² ‘He must then be purified both on the 3rd day and on the 7th day, and he will be clean. But if he isn’t purified on the 3rd and 7th days, he won’t be clean. ¹³ For, anyone who touches the carcass of a man who’s died, and doesn’t get purified, will defile the Tent of Yahweh.

‘So, that person must be cut off from IsraEl… If the cleansing water isn’t sprinkled on him, he will be unclean and will remain unclean!

¹⁴ ‘This is also the law:

‘Whenever a man dies inside a house, anyone who enters that house and everything in that house must be unclean for 7 days. ¹⁵ All jars that are open and don’t have lids that are tightly sealed, must be unclean.

¹⁶ ‘Also, anyone who touches a man who was murdered, or a cadaver, or a human bone, or even a tomb, must be unclean for 7 days.

¹⁷ ‘Then they must take the burnt ashes of purification and pour them into a jar with running water to make the [water of] purification. ¹⁸ Thereafter, a clean man must take some hyssop and dip it into the water, and sprinkle the house, the furniture, and all the people who are there that may have touched the human bone, or the murdered man, or the cadaver, or the tomb.

¹⁹ ‘The clean man must sprinkle it upon the unclean people on the 3rd and 7th days. Then on the 7th day, he must purify himself, wash his clothes, take a bath, and be unclean until the evening.

²⁰ ‘Any man who’s become unclean and chooses not to purify himself must be cut off from among the gathering, because he’s dirtied the holy things of Yahweh… If the cleansing water hasn’t been sprinkled on him, he will remain unclean.

²¹ ‘And it’s the law throughout the ages that whoever sprinkles the water of purification must wash his clothes, and whoever even touches the water must be unclean until evening. ²² Also, everything that an unclean man touches must be unclean, and anyone who touches [that thing] must be unclean until the evening.’

Numbers 20

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[Editor note: The story resumes here.]

¹ It was during the 1st month that the people (the whole gathering of the children of IsraEl) traveled to the Sin Desert and stayed in KaDesh; and it was there that MiriAm died and was buried.

² Well, there was no water in that place, so all the people came to Moses and Aaron ³ and they started shouting at Moses, saying:

‘We would rather have died when our brothers were destroyed before Yahweh!

⁴ ‘Why have you brought the gathering of Yahweh into this desert… To kill us along with our cattle?

⁵ ‘Just what kind of a place is this?! You brought us out of Egypt and took us into this evil place where we can’t plant grain, or figs, or vines, or pomegranates… And there’s no water for us to drink here!’

⁶ Then Moses and Aaron went to the entrance of the Tent of Proofs and stood before the people, and [they both] fell to their faces. Thereafter, the glory of Yahweh appeared to them, ⁷ and [God] spoke to Moses, saying:

⁸ ‘Call an assembly.

‘Then take your walking stick, and you and your brother Aaron must call out to the rock that stands before them, and it’ll give you its water! You must bring the water out of the rock for them and give it to the gathering and to their cattle to drink.’

⁹ So Moses took his walking stick that was there before Yahweh, just as the Lord had commanded him... ¹⁰ Then Moses and Aaron assembled the whole gathering in front of the rock, and he said to them:

‘Listen to me, you rebels!

‘Must we bring water for you out of this rock?’

¹¹ And at that, Moses raised his hand and hit the rock twice with his rod, and water came gushing out of it for the gathering and their cattle to drink!

¹² But after that, the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and said:

‘Because you didn’t put enough trust in Me to mention Me before the children of IsraEl, you won’t be allowed to lead this gathering into the land that I’ve given to them!

¹³ ‘This is [to be called] The Water of Rebellion, because this is where the children of IsraEl spoke rebelliously before Yahweh, as I remained holy among them.’

¹⁴ Then Moses sent messengers from KaDesh to the king of Edom to tell him:

‘This is what your brother IsraEl is saying:

‘You know of all the hard times we’ve seen, ¹⁵ of how our fathers went down to Egypt and of the many [years] that we spent there, and of how the Egyptians oppressed us and our fathers... ¹⁶ But when we called out to Yahweh, He heard our voices and sent His messenger who brought us out of Egypt!

‘Well, now we’re in the city of KaDesh at the edge of your land, ¹⁷ and we wish to pass through it!

‘We won’t walk through your fields or through your vineyards, nor will we drink water from your cisterns... We’ll just travel along the King’s Highway (Via Nova Traiana), and we won’t turn to the right or left until we’ve passed your borders.’

¹⁸ But the Edomites replied:

‘You may not pass through [our land]!

‘And if you try to do so, we’ll go to war against you!’

¹⁹ So the children of IsraEl said:

‘Then we’ll go around the mountain... And if we and our cattle drink any of your water, we’ll pay you for it.

‘It shouldn’t bother you if we travel around the mountain.’

²⁰ But [the Edomites] replied:

‘You may not pass through [our land]!’

Well thereafter, the Edomites came out to meet them with a huge, well-prepared army, ²¹ and they refused to allow IsraEl to cross their borders.

So IsraEl turned and went another way… ²² The whole gathering left KaDesh and traveled on to Mount Hor.

²³ It was while they were at Mount Hor (on the border of the land of Edom) that the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, and said:

²⁴ ‘Aaron is now going to be laid [to rest] with his people…

‘And you may not enter the land that I’ve given to the children of IsraEl, because you angered Me at The Water of Rebellion!

²⁵ ‘So, take Aaron and his son EliEzer up Mount Hor before the whole gathering, ²⁶ then remove Aaron’s [official] garments and put them on EliEzer. And thereafter, Aaron will die and be added to [his people].’

²⁷ So Moses did just as Yahweh had commanded him.

He took them up Mont Hor before the whole gathering, ²⁸ then he removed Aaron’s clothes and put them on his son EliEzer… And Aaron died on top of the mountain.

Well, when Moses and EliEzer walked down the mountain, ²⁹ the gathering realized that Aaron had died.

Then the whole house of IsraEl wept for Aaron for 30 days.

Numbers 21

←20 | All books | All chapters | 22→

¹ After that, the CanaAnite king of Arad (who lived near the desert) heard that IsraEl had traveled through Atharin, so he went to war against IsraEl and carried some of [their people] off as captives.

² So, IsraEl swore a vow to Yahweh, saying:

‘If You’ll hand them over to us, we’ll dedicate them and their cities to You.’

³ Well, Yahweh heard what [the people of] IsraEl said and He gave the CanaAnites into their hands. They [destroyed] them and their cities, and they started calling that place the Cursed!

⁴ Thereafter, they left Mount Hor and traveled towards the Red Sea, circling the land of Edom. But somewhere along the way, the people lost their courage ⁵ and started speaking against God and Moses, saying:

‘Why have you brought us out of Egypt just to kill us here in the desert?

‘[We have] no bread or water, and we’ve come to hate the worthless bread!’

⁶ So, Yahweh sent poisonous snakes among them that bit [many] people, and quite a few of the children of IsraEl died. ⁷ As a result, the people went to Moses and said:

‘We have sinned, for we’ve spoken against Yahweh and against you!

‘Please pray to Yahweh and [ask] Him to take these snakes away from us!’

⁸ Well, Moses prayed to Yahweh for the people, and the Lord told Moses:

‘Make [the sign of] a snake and [post it high].

‘Then, whenever someone is bitten by a snake, they can look at [this sign] and they’ll live.’

⁹ So Moses made a brass snake and raised it as a sign; and whenever a snake bit a person, he [or she] could look at the bronze snake and survive.

¹⁰ Thereafter, children of IsraEl left that place and started camping in ObOth.

¹¹ And from ObOth, they moved to AchalGai, which is on the eastern edge of the desert across from MoAb.

¹² From there they traveled on and camped in the Zared Valley.

¹³ Then they left [Zared] and camped on the other side of the Arnon, in the desert that runs along the border of the Amorites. The Arnon is the border between the MoAbites and the Amorites, ¹⁴ for this is what was written about ZoOb in the book of the Wars of Yahweh:

‘The dry river beds of Arnon were set on fire, ¹⁵ and MoAb’s [Capital] Er [was built] along the river beds at their border.’

¹⁶ It was there that they found a well, and Yahweh said:

‘I have given this well to Moses; so, gather the people and I’ll give them water to drink.’

¹⁷ Then IsraEl started singing this song at the well:

¹⁸ ‘It was there that their leaders dug it;

The kings of their nation and kingdom.

They, in their kingship, sank it in rock;

This well of ManthaNain.

¹⁹ ‘From ManthaNain to NaAliEl,

And from NaAliEl to BamOth,

Then, on from BamOth to Janen;

And from the plains of MoAb,

And the quarry that faces the desert.’

²⁰ Well after that, Moses sent ambassadors to SeOn (the king of the Amorites) with words of peace.

They [said to him]:

²¹ ‘We [wish to] pass through your land.

‘We’ll just travel along the road… We won’t step into your fields or vineyards, ²² and we won’t drink any water from your wells.

‘We’ll just travel along the King’s Highway until we pass through your borders.’

²³ But SeOn wouldn’t allow IsraEl to cross his borders. Rather, he gathered all his people and set up battle lines against IsraEl from the desert [all the way] to JasSa!

²⁴ However, IsraEl beat them and slaughtered [many of their people with] swords. So thereafter, they owned all the land from the Arnon to the JaBoc as far as the children of AmMon (for, JaZer borders the [land of] the children of AmMon).

²⁵ IsraEl also captured all of the Amorite cities in the [district of] Hesh-EbonEh, and they started living in them!

²⁶ Hesh-EbonEh had been the city of SeOn the king of the Amorites, and he had previously fought against the king of MoAb and captured all the land from AroEr to the Arnon.

²⁷ That’s why there was a saying among those who speak of such dark things:

‘Come to Hesh-EbonEh, in order to build,

And prepare the city for SeOn.

²⁸ ‘Then a fire came out of Hesh-EbonEh…

Flames from the City of SeOn.

And there they burned and consumed

To the banks of the Arnon in MoAb.

²⁹ ‘So, woe to you, O MoAb;

For you’ve lost, O you people of CheMosh.

Your sons that survived have now all been sold,

And your daughters are the captives of SeOn,

Who is the Amorite king.

³⁰ ‘From Hesh-EbonEh to DaEbon

All your offspring is now gone,

And their women light the fires that are burning in MoAb.’

³¹ It was while IsraEl was living in the cities of the Amorites ³² that Moses sent spies to JaZer. Then he captured it and its [surrounding] villages, and he drove out the Amorites that lived there!

³³ And after their return, they [marched] up the road that leads to BaShan. And BaShan’s king Og sent his army from EdraIn to meet them.

³⁴ Then the Lord told Moses:

‘Don’t be afraid of him; for I’m putting him, his people, and his land into your hands!

‘Now, do to him like you did to SeOn the king of the Amorites, who lived in Hesh-EbonEh.’

³⁵ So they attacked and destroyed [Og], his sons, and all his people – there were no survivors, and [IsraEl] inherited their land.

Numbers 22

←21 | All books | All chapters | 23→

¹ Thereafter, the children of IsraEl left that place and camped on the west side of MoAb, by the JorDan River near JeriCho.

² And when Balak (son of SepPhor) saw what the IsraElites had done to the Amorites, ³ [he] and the people of MoAb became very concerned and upset, because there were so many IsraElites!

⁴ Then the MoAbites said to the elders of MidiAn:

‘This gathering is going lick up everything around us like a calf swallows down grass in a field!’

Well, Balak (son of SepPhor) was the king of MoAb at the time. ⁵ And he sent ambassadors to call BalaAm son of BeOr, who was at Phathura (which is beside a river in the land of his people). [And he told them] to say:

‘Look! These people who’ve come from Egypt are covering the entire land… And now they’re camping close to me!

⁶ ‘So, come and curse them for me, because they’re stronger than we are. Then we’ll be able to attack them and drive them out of the land! Because, I know that whomever you bless will be blest, and whomever you curse will be cursed.’

⁷ So the elders of MoAb and MidiAn went out carrying their charms in their hands, and they went to see BalaAm. Then they told him everything that Balak had said, ⁸ and he replied to them:

‘Spend the night here, and I’ll tell you whatever the Lord says to me.’

So the leaders of MoAb spent the night there with BalaAm. ⁹ And [during the night], God came to BalaAm and asked him:

‘Who are these men who are with you?’

¹⁰ And BalaAm replied:

‘Balak son of SepPhor and the king of MoAb sent them to Me. For he said:

¹¹ ‘Look! These people have come from Egypt… They [literally] cover the land, and now they’re camping close to me. So, come and curse them for me, then I can cut them down and drive them out of the land!’

¹² But God told BalaAm:

‘You must not go with them, nor should you curse these people; for they are blest.’

¹³ So when BalaAm got up the next morning, he told Balak’s [ambassadors]:

‘Hurry and return to your lord, because God won’t allow me to go with you.’

¹⁴ As a result, the MoAbites got up and returned to Balak and told him that BalaAm had refused to come with them. ¹⁵ So Balak then sent some [of his] rulers that were even more respected than the first ones.

¹⁶ They went to BalaAm and said:

‘This is what Balak son of SepPhor says:

‘I beg you; please hurry and come to me, ¹⁷ for I’ll honor you with great [gifts] and do anything you ask!

‘Come and curse these people for me!’

¹⁸ However, BalaAm answered Balak’s leaders in these words:

‘If Balak were to give me his whole house filled with silver and gold, I wouldn’t be able to violate the words of the God Yahweh and do anything good or bad, for I know [that this is wrong].

¹⁹ ‘However, spend [another] night here, and I will see what the Lord says.’

²⁰ Then God came to BalaAm during the night and said to him:

‘When these men who came to call you [awaken], get up and go with them... But just do the things that I tell you to do!’

²¹ Well when BalaAm arose the next morning, he saddled his burro and went with the leaders of MoAb. ²² But then God became very angry and sent His messenger to stop him.

So, while he was riding along on his burro (accompanied by two of his servants), ²³ when the burro saw the messenger of God standing in her way with a sword in his hand, she turned aside and ran into a field!

Well, BalaAm started hitting the [animal] with a stick to make her [behave].

²⁴ Then [later on,] Yahweh’s messenger went and stood in the Avenue of Vines, which had walls on both sides... ²⁵ And when the burro saw God’s messenger, she pushed up against the wall, squeezing BalaAm’s foot, and he started beating her again.

²⁶ And after that, Yahweh’s messenger went ahead and stood in a narrow place where it was impossible to turn to either the right or to the left. ²⁷ And when the burro saw the messenger of God, she just sat down under BalaAm.

Well, BalaAm was furious! And he again started beating the burro with his stick.

²⁸ But God opened the burro’s mouth, and she asked BalaAm:

‘Just what have I done to you that you’ve started beating me a third time?’

²⁹ And BalaAm told the burro:

‘You’re making a fool of me, so if I had a sword in my hand I’d kill you!’

³⁰ Then the burro said to BalaAm:

‘I’m the burro that you’ve ridden since you were young, and have I ever disobeyed you?’

And [BalaAm] replied:

‘No.’

³¹ Then God opened BalaAm’s eyes so he could see the messenger of Yahweh standing in the way with his sword in his hand!

So he fell down and bowed with his face to the ground.

³² And God’s messenger asked him:

‘Why did you beat your burro this third time?

‘Look; I came and stood in front of you three times, because the way that you’re heading is wrong!

‘And when this burro saw me, she turned away from me all three times. ³³ For if she hadn’t turned away, I would have killed you and left her alive!’

³⁴ Then BalaAm said to Yahweh’s messenger:

‘I have sinned! I didn’t realize that it was you standing in our way!

‘So, if it’s displeasing to you for me to go on, I’ll turn back.’

³⁵ But Yahweh’s messenger told BalaAm:

‘Go on with these men.

‘However, make sure that whatever I say to you is what you’ll tell them!’

So, BalaAm traveled on with Balak’s governors.

³⁶ Well, when Balak heard that BalaAm had arrived [in his land], he traveled to a city at the border of the Arnon (which is on the edge of MoAb) to meet him.

³⁷ Then Balak asked BalaAm:

‘I sent for you, so why didn’t you come to me?

‘May I not be allowed to honor you?’

³⁸ And BalaAm replied:

‘Look, I’m here now. But let me [warn] you... Whatever God says to me is what I must say.’

³⁹ So BalaAm traveled with Balak until they reached the City of Streets. ⁴⁰ There, Balak offered sheep and calves [to God], then he called for BalaAm and the governors that came with him.

⁴¹ And since it was morning, Balak took BalaAm to the sacred column of [their] BaAl and introduced him to some of the people there.

Numbers 23

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¹ Then BalaAm said to Balak:

‘Build 7 altars for me here, and prepare 7 calves and 7 rams for me.’

² So Balak did just as BalaAm told him… He offered up a calf and a ram on each altar.

³ Then he said to Balak:

‘Stand here by your sacrifices, and I’ll go to see if God will appear and meet with me... Then I’ll tell you whatever He says.’

So, Balak stood by his sacrifices ⁴ while BalaAm went to enquire of God… He went straight ahead, and God appeared to him.

Then BalaAm said:

‘I have prepared 7 altars, and I’ve offered a calf and a ram on each of the altars.’

⁵ And God said:

‘Return to Balak and tell him this...’

...then He put the words into BalaAm’s mouth.

⁶ So BalaAm returned to [Balak], who was standing next to his whole-burnt offerings with all the leaders of MoAb. Then the Breath of God came over BalaAm ⁷ and he spoke this prophecy:

‘I was summoned by MoAb’s King Balak…

To MesoPotamia and the mountains in the east.

He said: ‘Come and curse Jacob for me…

‘For me, call a curse on IsraEl.’

⁸ ‘But, how can I curse what the Lord won’t curse,

Or dedicate those whom God won’t destroy?

⁹ For I see them on the tops of the Mountains…

In the hills, I see and observe them.

{‘Look!} But, these people must live all alone…

They must not be counted as one of the nations.

¹⁰ For, who can count Jacob’s offspring…

Who can count all the families of IsraEl?

‘May my soul die among the souls of the righteous,

And may my offspring become as their offspring.’

¹¹ Then Balak said to BalaAm:

‘What have you done to me!?

‘I called you to curse my enemies! But look… You’ve greatly blessed them!’

¹² And BalaAm replied to Balak:

‘Shouldn’t I say whatever the Lord puts into my mouth?’

¹³ And Balak said:

‘Then, come with me to another place where you won’t see these people… You’ll only see part of them. Curse them for me there!’

¹⁴ So he took him to a high place in a field, to the top of some quarried blocks, where he built 7 altars and offered a calf and a ram on each of the altars.

¹⁵ Then BalaAm said to Balak:

‘Now, stand next to your sacrifices, while I’ll go [and speak to] God.’

¹⁶ Well, God met with BalaAm and He said:

‘Return to Balak and tell him this...’

...then He put the words into his mouth.

¹⁷ So BalaAm returned to Balak, who was standing next to his whole-burnt offerings along with all the leaders of MoAb.

And Balak asked:

‘What did the Lord say?’

¹⁸ Then [BalaAm] spoke this prophecy:

‘Arise and listen, O Balak,

Listen to the proofs, O son of SepPhor.

¹⁹ ‘God doesn’t waver like men,

Nor may He be threatened like their sons.

Will He talk and not make it happen;

Must He speak and not keep His Word?

²⁰ ‘{Look!} I’ve been instructed to bless them,

So I’ll bless and I’ll not turn back.

²¹ For, there must be no trouble in Jacob,

Nor may sorrow be seen among IsraEl.

‘For their God Yahweh is with them,

And the glory of kings is among them.

²² It was God who brought them from Egypt,

And like the rhinoceros is His glory.

²³ ‘There are no sooth-sayers in Jacob,

And in IsraEl, there are no enchanters.

So, Jacob and IsraEl will soon be told

All the things God will do.

²⁴ ‘{Look!} These people will become like the cubs of a lion,

And they’ll then grow into lions.

They won’t lie down ‘til they’ve eaten their prey,

And drunk the blood of those they’ve destroyed.’

²⁵ Then Balak said to BalaAm:

‘If you can’t curse the people for me, don’t bless them!’

²⁶ And BalaAm replied:

‘Didn’t I tell you that I must say whatever God tells me?’

²⁷ And Balak said:

‘Then, come and I’ll take you to another place that’s more pleasing to God, and you can curse them for me there.’

²⁸ So Balak took BalaAm to the top of Mount PhoGor (the part that runs into the desert).

²⁹ And BalaAm said to Balak:

‘Build 7 altars for me here, and prepare 7 calves and 7 rams for me.’

³⁰ And Balak did just as BalaAm told him, offering a calf and a ram on each altar.

Numbers 24

←23 | All books | All chapters | 25→

¹ It was then that BalaAm finally realized that it pleased God to bless IsraEl, so he didn’t follow his usual custom of looking for omens. Rather, he just turned his face towards the desert.

² Well, as BalaAm gazed, he saw IsraEl camped by their tribes, and God’s Breath came over him, ³ causing him to speak this prophecy:

‘BalaAm, son of BeOr;

This man who truly does see…

⁴ Who hears the prophecies of the [great] Mighty One…

Whose eyes opened and saw a vision of God…

While he slept, his eyes opened wide.

⁵ ‘Good are the places where you live, O Jacob,

And [good] are your tents, O IsraEl.

⁶ Like shady groves and gardens by rivers;

Like tents pitched by God and as cedars by water.

⁷ ‘For a man will come from your offspring

Who’ll rule many nations.

His kingdom will be raised and he will grow mighty;

⁸ For, out of Egypt, God brought him.

‘The glory of the rhinoceros is his,

And he’ll consume the nations that hate him…

Yes, he will drink all their marrow,

And shoot those who hate him with arrows.

9 ‘He’ll lie down and rest like a lion,

And as a young lion, who’ll wake him?

So, those who bless him are blest,

And those who curse him are cursed.’

¹⁰ Well, this made Balak very angry with BalaAm, so he clapped his hands and said to him:

‘I called you to curse my enemy, but look; you’ve blessed him for the third time!

¹¹ ‘Now, hurry and go back to your home. For even though I said that I’d honor you, the Lord has now deprived you of your glory!’

¹² And BalaAm replied to Balak:

‘Didn’t I tell the messengers whom you sent to Me ¹³ that even if Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I wouldn’t oppose the Lord and do either good or bad by myself?

‘Rather, [I told them that] I’d say whatever The God told me to say!

¹⁴ ‘So now, {Look!} I’ll go back to my home... But [first], come here and I’ll tell you what these people will do to your people in the last days.’

¹⁵ Then he spoke this prophecy:

‘BalaAm, son of BeOr, says this; the man who truly sees, tells you this...

¹⁶ ‘I heard the prophecies of God,

Knowledge from the Most High, I have received.

I saw a vision from God in my sleep

And it opened my eyes.

¹⁷ ‘I’ll point to him, but not now;

I’ll bless him, although he’s not nearby.

‘A star must arise out of Jacob,

And from IsraEl, a man must then spring

Who’ll crush the leaders of MoAb,

And all sons of Seth, he will plunder.

¹⁸ ‘For his courage, he’ll receive Edom,

And inherit his enemy, Esau.

¹⁹ [This man] will come out of Jacob,

And destroy all those who run from your towns.’

²⁰ Then he noticed the AmaLechites and spoke this prophecy:

‘AmaLech is the first among nations,

But their offspring will [also soon] die.’

²¹ Then he noticed the Kenites, and he spoke this prophecy:

‘Although the place where you live is very strong,

You should build your nest on a rock.

²² Even if BeOr shows you places to hide;

The Assyrians will take you as captives.’

²³ Then he noticed Og, and he spoke this prophecy:

‘Oh, oh; who’ll survive when God does such things?

²⁴ For, ships will come from Cypriot shores

Who’ll defeat Assyria and Eber…

Together, they’ll all be destroyed.’

²⁵ Then BalaAm got up and left for his [land], and Balak went back home.

Numbers 25

←24 | All books | All chapters | 26→

¹ Well, it was while IsraEl was camped at SatTin that [many of] the people made themselves dirty by engaging in immoral sex with the daughters of MoAb. ² Then they started worshiping their idols, offering sacrifices to them and eating their sacrifices!

³ So IsraEl had become totally devoted to BeEl Phegor, which made Yahweh very angry with them.

⁴ And as a result, the Lord told Moses:

‘Take all their leaders, then lay them out in the sunlight before Yahweh to make examples of them, and this will turn His anger away from IsraEl!’

⁵ Then Moses told the tribes of IsraEl:

‘You must each kill any of your friends who have devoted themselves to BeEl Phegor.’

⁶ And just then, an IsraElite man came and led his brothers over to [have sex with] a MidiAnite woman… Doing this right in front of Moses and the whole gathering of the children of IsraEl that had been weeping at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs!

⁷ And when PhineAs (son of EliEzer and grandson of Aaron the Priest) saw this, he stood up in the midst of the gathering, took a spear in his hand, ⁸ and he followed the IsraElite man right into his bedroom... There he ran the spear through the IsraElite man and through the woman’s womb!

Well at that, the plague [that had come] on the children of IsraEl stopped.

⁹ But by then, 24,000 people had died.

¹⁰ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

¹¹ ‘PhineAs (son of EliEzer and grandson of Aaron the Priest) has brought an end to My rage against the children of IsraEl.

‘And although I had become very zealous, I didn’t consume them all in My zeal. ¹² So, tell him that I’ll now make a sacred agreement of peace ¹³ with him and with the offspring that descends from him.

‘They will be Priests throughout the ages because of his zeal for his God, and because he paid for the sins of the children of IsraEl.’

¹⁴ Now, the name of the IsraElite man who was killed with the MidiAnite woman was ZamBri. He was SalMon’s son, and a leader of one of the lines of the Tribe of SymeOn.

¹⁵ The name of the MidiAnite woman who was killed was ChasBi. She was the daughter of Sur, who was a leader of the nation of OmMoth and a chief among the people of MidiAn.

¹⁶ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

‘Tell the children of IsraEl ¹⁷ that the MidiAnites are to be considered their enemies! So from now on, they must be treated as a plague and destroyed!

¹⁸ ‘For the treachery that they used to trap you (as in the case of PhoGor and ChasBi, who was a daughter of a leader of MidiAn and who was killed on the day of the plague) has proven that they’re truly your enemies!’

Numbers 26

←25 | All books | All chapters | 27→

¹ Well, after the plague had ended, the Lord spoke to Moses and EliEzer (the Priest) and said:

² ‘Take a census of the gathering of the children of IsraEl... Count all those who are 20 years old and upwards who serve as soldiers for IsraEl, by family lines.’

³ So it was there in the Plains of MoAb, near the JorDan and JeriCho, that Moses and EliEzer the Priest [took the census] ⁴ and counted all [the soldiers] that were 20 years old and older, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

And these are the [family lines] of IsraEl that came out of Egypt:

[Editor note: Now follows the census data. The story resumes at Numbers 26:63.]

⁵ ReuBen was the firstborn of IsraEl. His descendants were:

• Enoch and his family,

• PhalLu and his family of PhalLuites,

• ⁶ AsRon and his family of Asronites, and

• CharMi and his family.

⁷ So the [army of] the descendants of ReuBen was numbered at 43,730.

⁸ The descendants of PhalLu were EliAb ⁹ and his sons NamuEl, Dathan, and AbiRam.

[Now, Dathan and AbiRam] were the famous men among the gathering that joined KorAh in opposing Moses and Aaron and in rebelling against Yahweh... ¹⁰ Then the ground opened its mouth and swallowed them along with KorAh, and thereafter, their followers perished when fire destroyed all 250 as a sign [from God].

¹¹ However, KorAh’s sons weren’t killed.

¹² The descendants of SymeOn were:

• NamuEl and his family of NamuElites,

• JaMin and his family of JaMinites,

• JaChin and his family of JaChinites,

• ¹³ ZaRa and his family of Zaraites, and

• Saul and his family of Saulites.

¹⁴ So the [army of] the descendants of SymeOn was numbered at 22,200.

¹⁵ The descendants of Judah were:

• Er and AuNan (who both died in the land of CanaAn),

• ¹⁶ SeLom and his family of Selomites,

• Phares and his family of Pharesites, and

• ZaRa and his family of Zaraites.

¹⁷ Phares’ sons were AsRon and his family of Asronites, and JaMun and his family of JaMunites. ¹⁸ So the [army of] the descendants of Judah was numbered at 76,500.

¹⁹ The descendants of IshSachar and their family lines were:

• Thola and his family of Tholaites,

• Phua and his family of Phuaites,

• ²⁰ JaShub and his family of JaShubites, and

• AmBram and his family of AmBramites.

²¹ So the [army of] the descendants of IshSachar was numbered at 64,400.

²² The descendants of ZebuLon and their family lines were:

• Sared and his family of Saredites,

• AlLon and his family of AlLonites, and

• AlLel and his family of AlLelites.

²³ So the [army of] the descendants of ZebuLon was numbered at 60,500.

²⁴ The descendants of Gad and their family lines were:

• Saphon and his family of Saphonites,

• Angi and his family of Angites,

• Suni and his family of Sunites,

• ²⁵ Azeni and his families of Azenites and Addites,

• ²⁶ AroAdi and his family of AroAdites, and

• AriEl and his family of AriElites.

²⁷ So the [army of] the descendants of Gad was numbered at 44,500.

²⁸ The descendants of Asher and their family lines were:

• JaMin and his family of JaMinites,

• JoShua and his family of JoShuites,

• BarJa and his family of BarJaites,

• ²⁹ Chober and his family of Choberites, and

• MelchiEl and his family of MelchiElites.

³⁰ (Asher’s daughter’s name was Sara.) ³¹ So the [army of] the descendants of Asher was numbered at 43,400.

³² JoSeph had two sons, ManasSeh and Ephraim, and each had his own family line.

³³ The descendants of ManasSeh and their family lines were:

• MachIr and his family of MachIrites.

MachIr’s son was GalaAd, and he was the father of the GalaAdites.

³⁴ The descendants of GalaAd were:

• AchiEzer and his family of AchiEzerites,

• Cheleg and his family of Chelegites,

• ³⁵ EsriEl and his family of EsriElites,

• Sychem and his family of Sychemites,

• ³⁶ SymaEr and his family of SymaErites,

• Opher and his family of Opherites.

³⁷ Opher’s son SalpaAd had no sons, just daughters.

His daughter’s names were:

• SalpaAd,

• Mala,

• Nua,

• Egla,

• Melcha, and

• Thersa.

³⁸ So the [army of] the descendants of ManasSeh was numbered at 52,700.

³⁹ The descendants of Ephraim were:

• SuthaLan and his family of SuthaLanites, and

• Tanach and his family of Tanachites.

⁴⁰ SuthaLan was the father of Eden and his family of Edenites.

⁴¹ So the [army of] the descendants of Ephraim was numbered at 32,500.

These were the families of the children of JoSeph and their family lines.

⁴² The descendants of BenJamin and their family lines were:

• Bale and his family of Balites,

• Asuber and his family of Asuberites,

• JaChiran and his family of JaChiranites, ⁴³ and

• Sophan and his family of Sophanites.

⁴⁴ Bale’s sons were Adar and NoEman. Adar started his family of Adarites and NoEman started his family of NoEmanites. ⁴⁵ So the [army of] the descendants of BenJamin and their family lines was numbered at 35,500.

⁴⁶ The descendants of Dan were:

• SaMei and his family of SaMeites.

So the [army of] the descendants of Dan ⁴⁷ through SaMei and his family line was numbered at 64,400.

⁴⁸ The descendants of NaphTali and their family lines were:

• AsiEl and his family of AsiElites,

• GaUn and his family of GaUnites,

• ⁴⁹ Jeser and his family of Jeserites, and

• SelLem and his family of SelLemites.

⁵⁰ So the [army of] the descendants of NaphTali was numbered at 40,300.

⁵¹ Altogether, there were [a total of] 606,730 that were counted among [the army] of the children of IsraEl.

⁵² Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

⁵³ ‘This is how the land must be divided:

‘The inheritances should be allotted by [family] names, ⁵⁴ and the larger groups should be given larger inheritances, while the smaller groups should be given smaller inheritances.

‘So, use this census to divide the inheritances.

⁵⁵ ‘The land must be divided by these names and assigned by lottery, and each of the family lines and tribes must be given an assignment [of land]. ⁵⁶ So, subdivide [the land] into smaller and larger portions.’

⁵⁷ Now, the descendants of Levi and their family lines were:

• GedSon and his family of Gedsonites,

• CaAth and his family of CaAthites,

• MeraRi and his family of MeraRites, ⁵⁸ and

• Lobi and his families of LoBenites, Hebronites, Coreites, and Musites.

CaAth’s son was AmBram. ⁵⁹ His woman’s name was JoChabed, and she was a descendant of Levi. She was born to Levi in Egypt, and she gave birth to these through AmBram:

• Aaron,

• Moses, and

• Their sister, MiriAm.

⁶⁰ Aaron’s sons were:

• NaDab,

• AbiUd,

• EliEzer, and

• IthaMar.

⁶¹ But NaDab and AbiUd died when they offered unauthorized fire to Yahweh while they were in the SinAi Desert.

⁶² There were 23,000 males among [Aaron’s family line] who were a month old and older... However, they weren’t counted among the children of IsraEl, because they were to receive no inheritance among them.

[Editor note: The story resumes here.]

⁶³ This was the census that was conducted by Moses and EliEzer (the Priest) in the Plains of MoAb, near the JorDan River and JeriCho. ⁶⁴ However, none among them had been counted in the [earlier] census of the children of IsraEl that was taken by Moses and Aaron in the SinAi Desert, ⁶⁵ for Yahweh told them that they were going to die in the desert.

So [the only ones left of that generation who entered the Promised Land] were Caleb (son of JePhonNe) and JoShua (son of NaWeh).

Numbers 27

←26 | All books | All chapters | 28→

¹ Well, the daughters of SalpaAd (son of Opher, grandson of GalaAd, and great-grandson of MachIr of the Tribe of ManasSeh, one of the sons of JoSeph) [were named:]

• MaAla,

• Nua,

• Egla,

• Melcha, and

• Thersa.

² [And they] came before Moses, EliEzer the Priest, all of the leaders and the whole gathering at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs, and they said:

³ ‘Our father died in the desert, but he wasn’t among those in the gathering who rebelled against Yahweh by joining with KorAh. Rather, he died for his own sins… And he had no sons. [So, please] don’t allow the name of our father to be blotted out from among his people just because he had no sons!

‘Give us an inheritance among our father’s brothers!’

⁴ So Moses brought their case before Yahweh.

⁵ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

⁶ ‘The daughters of SalpaAd are right. You should assign them an inheritance among their father’s brothers as their father’s inheritance.

⁷ ‘So, speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them this:

⁸ ‘If a man dies without any sons, you must give his inheritance to his daughters.

⁹ ‘If he has no daughters, you must give his inheritance to his brother. ¹⁰ However, if he has no brothers, you must give his inheritance to his father’s brother. ¹¹ And if his father has no brothers, you must give the inheritance to the nearest relative in his tribe.’

These were the laws concerning the inheritance of possessions among the children of IsraEl that Yahweh gave to Moses.

¹² Then the Lord said to Moses:

‘Go to the Mountain in the country beyond the JorDan, Mount Nabau, and gaze upon the land CanaAn, which I’m giving to the sons of IsraEl. ¹³ Then you’ll be added to your people, just as your brother Aaron was added to them on Mount Hor.

¹⁴ ‘For you failed in My commandments while [you were] in the desert of Sin... When the whole gathering opposed Me and refused to consider Me holy, because you failed to [speak of] Me as being holy when you brought the water out [of the rock] before them… From the Waters of Rebellion at KaDesh in the Sin Desert.’

¹⁵ Then Moses said to the Lord:

¹⁶ ‘May Yahweh, the God of all that’s spirit and all that’s flesh, provide a man who’ll watch over this gathering… ¹⁷ Don’t leave the gathering of Yahweh as sheep without a shepherd!

‘[Assign someone] to travel before them as their leader, who’ll lead them in and lead them back out.’

¹⁸ And the Lord said to Moses:

‘Choose and lay your hands upon JoShua, son of NaWeh, for he’s a man who will have [God’s] Breath upon him!

¹⁹ ‘Take him before EliEzer the Priest and give him all his instructions before the entire gathering… ²⁰ Then put all of your glory upon him, so that the children of IsraEl will listen to him.

²¹ ‘Thereafter, he must stand beside EliEzer the Priest; and whenever they come before Yahweh to ask for the judgments of the Revelation, they must do whatever [JoShua] says… They must follow his instructions and the entire gathering of the children of IsraEl must unite behind him!’

²² So Moses did just as Yahweh commanded him… He took JoShua and stood him before EliEzer the Priest and the entire gathering. ²³ Then he laid his hands on him and promoted him, just as the Lord had instructed Moses.

Numbers 28

←27 | All books | All chapters | 29→

[Editor note: Now follows instructions for the offerings and festivals. The story resumes in Numbers 31:1.]

¹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

² ‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them to be sure to offer their gifts and presents to Me… The burnt offerings that provide a sweet-smelling odor during My feasts.

³ ‘Tell them that throughout the coming ages, they’re to bring two perfect yearling lambs each day as whole-burnt offerings to Me. ⁴ They must offer one lamb in the morning, and the second in the evening.

⁵ ‘They must also offer 3 quarts (2.8l) of fine flour mixed with a quart of oil as a food offering. ⁶ This whole-burnt offering is to be sacrificed down throughout the ages as a sweet-smelling odor to Yahweh, just as it was offered at Mount SinAi.

⁷ ‘[They must also bring] a drink offering – a quart for each lamb – and pour it out in the holy place as an offering to Yahweh.

⁸ ‘As for the second lamb, the one that’s to be [sacrificed] in the evening, it should also be presented along with a food offering and a drink offering, as a sweet-smelling odor to Yahweh.

⁹ ‘And on each Sabbath day, they must offer 2 perfect yearling lambs with 2 quarts (1.9l) of fine flour mixed with oil as a food offering, plus a drink offering. ¹⁰ So, a whole-burnt offering [must be sacrificed] on each Sabbath day, in addition to the regular whole-burnt offerings and drink offerings.

¹¹ ‘And on each New Moon, they must bring these whole-burnt offering to Yahweh:

• 2 calves from the herd,

• 1 ram, and

• 7 perfect yearling lambs,

¹² ‘Plus:

• 3 quarts (2.8l) of fine flour mixed with oil for each calf,

• 2 quarts (1.9l) of fine flour mixed with oil with each ram, ¹³ and

• A quart of fine flour mixed with oil with each lamb...

‘...as food offerings and as a sweet-smelling odor to Yahweh.

¹⁴ ‘Their drink offerings must consist of:

• 1/2 a gallon (1.9l) with each calf,

• 1/3 of a gallon (1.25l) with each ram, and

• A quart of wine with each lamb.

‘These whole-burnt offerings must be brought in on every month of the year.

¹⁵ ‘Also, 1 kid goat must be brought to Yahweh as a sin offering, in addition to the regular whole-burnt offerings and drink offerings.

¹⁶ ‘Then on the 14th day of the 1st month [they must start celebrating] the Passover to Yahweh. ¹⁷ And on the 15th day of the month, there’s to be a feast.

‘So, they must eat fermentation-free bread for 7 days.

¹⁸ ‘That 1st day is to be a holy day of rest during which they may not do any physical labor. ¹⁹ Thereafter, these whole-burnt offerings must also be sacrificed to Yahweh:

• 2 calves from the herd,

• 1 ram, and

• 7 yearling lambs...

‘...which must all be perfect, ²⁰ as well as a food offering of fine flour mixed with oil:

• 3 quarts (2.8l) per calf,

• 2 quarts (1.9l) per ram, ²¹ and

• A pint for each of the 7 lambs...

²² ‘...plus a kid goat as a sin offering, to pay for their sins.

²³ ‘This is in addition to the whole-burnt offerings that must be brought each morning as a continuous whole-burnt sacrifice ²⁴ 7 days a week as a gift and a sweet-smelling odor to Yahweh, along with a drink offering.

²⁵ ‘Then the following 7th day must be a holy day of rest, during which they must do no hard labor.

²⁶ ‘Also, the day when the new grain is offered to Yahweh must be a holy day of rest, during which they may do no hard labor.

²⁷ ‘And these whole-burnt offerings must be brought as a sweet-smelling odor to Yahweh:

• 2 calves from the herd,

• 1 ram, and

• 7 perfect lambs...

²⁸ ‘...along with food offerings of fine flour mixed with oil:

• 3 quarts (2.8l) per calf,

• 2 quarts (1.9l) per ram, ²⁹ and

• A pint for each lamb (which is to be offered separately for each of the 7 lambs).

‘ A kid goat must also be brought ³⁰ as a sin offering to pay for your sins, in addition to the regular whole-burnt offerings and ³¹ the food offerings that you bring to Me.

‘They must all be perfect and each must have its own drink offering.’

Numbers 29

←28 | All books | All chapters | 30→

¹ ‘And the 1st day of the 7th month must be a holy day of rest for you, during which you may not do any manual labor, for that’s when the trumpets are to be blown.

² ‘At that time, you must offer these whole burnt offerings as a sweet odor to Yahweh:

• 1 calf from the herd,

• 1 ram, and

• 7 perfect yearling lambs.

³ ‘As food offerings, you must bring fine flour mixed with oil:

• 3 quarts (2.8l) per calf,

• 2 quarts (1.9l) per ram, ⁴ and

• A quart for each of the 7 lambs.

⁵ ‘You must also bring a kid goat as a sin offering, to pay for your sins.

⁶ ‘This is in addition to the whole-burnt offerings for the New Moon Festival and their food and drink offerings, and the regular whole-burnt offerings with their food and drink offerings (according to their laws), which must be offered as a sweet-smelling odor to Yahweh.

⁷ ‘And the 10th day of that month must also be a holy day of rest for you… You may do no work, for you must then closely examine your lives! ⁸ And you must bring these whole-burnt offerings as a sweet-smelling odor to Yahweh:

• 1 calf from the herd,

• 1 ram, and

• 7 yearling lambs...

‘...each of which must be perfect.

⁹ ‘Their food offerings must be fine flour mixed with oil:

• 3 quarts (2.8l) for the calf,

• 2 quarts (1.9l) per ram, ¹⁰ and

• A quart for each of the 7 lambs.

¹¹ ‘You must also bring a kid goat as a sin offering, to pay for your sins.

‘All of this is in addition to the other sin offerings and the regular whole-burnt offerings, along with their food and drink offerings (according to their laws), which must be offered as a sweet odor and as a burnt sacrifice to Yahweh.

¹² ‘Then the 15th day of the 7th month must also be a holy day of rest during which you must do no hard labor; for you are to hold a feast to Yahweh for the next 7 days.

¹³ ‘And you must bring these whole-burnt offerings as a sacrifice and as a sweet odor to Yahweh:

‘On the 1st day, you must bring:

• 13 calves from the herd,

• 2 rams, and

• 14 yearling lambs...

‘...all of which must be perfect.

¹⁴ ‘The food offerings must be fine flour mixed with oil:

• 3 quarts (2.8l) for each of the 13 calves,

• 2 quarts (1.9l) for each of the 2 rams, ¹⁵ and

• A quart for each of the 14 lambs.

¹⁶ ‘Also, one kid goat must be offered as a sin offering, in addition to the regular whole-burnt offerings, food offerings, and drink offerings.

¹⁷ ‘On the 2nd day, bring:

• 12 calves,

• 2 rams, and

• 14 perfect yearling lambs.

¹⁸ “The amount of food and drink offerings for the calves, rams, and lambs must be according to the Law. ¹⁹ And one kid goat must be brought as a sin offering, in addition to the regular whole-burnt offerings, food offerings, and drink offerings.

²⁰ ‘On the 3rd day, bring:

• 11 calves,

• 2 rams, and

• 14 perfect yearling lambs.

²¹ ‘The amount of food and drink offerings for the calves, rams, and lambs must be according to the Law. ²² And one kid goat must be brought as a sin offering, in addition to the regular whole-burnt offerings, food offerings, and drink offerings.

²³ ‘On the 4th day, bring:

• 10 calves,

• 2 rams, and

• 14 perfect yearling lambs.

²⁴ ‘The amount of food and drink offerings for the calves, rams, and lambs must be according to the Law. ²⁵ And one kid goat must be brought as a sin offering, in addition to the regular whole-burnt offerings, food offerings, and drink offerings.

²⁶ ‘On the 5th day, bring:

• 9 calves,

• 2 rams, and

• 14 perfect yearling lambs.

²⁷ ‘The amount of food and drink offerings for the calves, rams, and lambs must be according to the Law. ²⁸ And one kid goat must be brought as a sin offering, in addition to the regular whole-burnt offerings, food offerings, and drink offerings.

²⁹ ‘On the 6th day, bring:

• 8 calves,

• 2 rams, and

• 14 perfect yearling lambs.

³⁰ ‘The amount of food and drink offerings for the calves, rams, and lambs must be according to the Law. ³¹ And one kid goat must be brought as a sin offering, in addition to the regular whole-burnt offerings, food offerings, and drink offerings.

³² ‘On the 7th day, bring:

• 7 calves,

• 2 rams, and

• 14 perfect yearling lambs.

³³ ‘The amount of food and drink offerings for the calves, rams, and lambs must be according to the Law. ³⁴ And one kid goat must be brought as a sin offering, in addition to the regular whole-burnt offerings, food offerings, and drink offerings.

³⁵ ‘The 8th day is when [IsraElite slaves] are to be set free, so no manual labor may be done then. ³⁶ You must also bring:

• 1 calf,

• 1 ram, and

• 7 perfect yearling lambs...

‘...as whole-burnt-offering sacrifices to Yahweh.

³⁷ ‘The amount of food and drink offerings for the calves, rams, and lambs must be according to the Law. ³⁸ And one kid goat must be brought as a sin offering, in addition to the regular whole-burnt offerings, food offerings, and drink offerings.’

³⁹ These are the things that you must offer to Yahweh during your feasts, in addition to those things that you offer in your vows as free-will offerings and as your whole burnt offerings, food offerings, drink offerings, and peace offerings.

Numbers 30

←29 | All books | All chapters | 31→

¹ So Moses spoke to the children of IsraEl and told them everything that Yahweh had commanded.

² Then Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the children of IsraEl and said:

‘This is what Yahweh has commanded:

³ ‘Whenever a man makes a vow to Yahweh, or swears an oath, or accepts a responsibility, he must not break his word… He must do whatever he says!

⁴ ‘And the same is true of a woman. She must do whatever she vows to Yahweh.

‘If she says that she will do something while she is young and still living in her father’s house, and her father hears her say it – as long as he doesn’t disagree with her making [such a vow] – all her vows must be fulfilled, ⁵ and she is bound to any obligations that she has taken upon her life.

⁶ ‘However, if her father forbids [her vow] (or any other obligation that she agrees to) on the same day that he hears it, she isn’t bound to it, and Yahweh won’t hold her accountable, because it was forbidden by her father.

⁷ ‘And if she’s married and speaks a vow to accept an obligation upon her life, ⁸ and her husband hears it – as long as he doesn’t disagree with her making it – all her vows must be fulfilled and she is bound to any obligations that she has taken upon her life.

⁹ ‘However, if her husband forbids [her vow] (or any other obligation that she agrees to) on the same day that he hears it, she isn’t bound to it and Yahweh won’t hold her accountable, because it was forbidden by her husband.

¹⁰ ‘Also, whatever a widow or divorced woman vows to do with her life must be done. ¹¹ And if she made the vow when she was still [living] with her man, ¹² and he heard it and didn’t object; then, all her vows must be fulfilled and she is bound to any obligations that she has taken upon her life.

¹³ ‘However, if her man cancels [her vow] (or any other obligation that she agrees to) on the same day that he hears it, she isn’t bound to it and Yahweh won’t hold her accountable, because her man forbade it.

¹⁴ ‘So, any vow [that a woman] makes which will affect her life must be heard by her man, and he must either agree to it or disallow it. ¹⁵ And if he chooses to say nothing, then she’s bound to it, and he must agree to any obligations that she has accepted, because he didn’t disagree with it on the day that he heard it.

¹⁶ ‘But if her man – for any reason – should choose to cancel a vow after that, he’s guilty of a sin.’

¹⁷ These were the laws that Yahweh gave to Moses regarding a man and his woman, and regarding a father and his young daughter who’s still living in his home.

Numbers 31

←30 | All books | All chapters | 32→

[Editor note: The story resumes here.]

¹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

² ‘I want you to avenge the wrongs that the MidiAnites have committed against the children of IsraEl. And after that, you’ll be added to your people.’

³ So Moses spoke to the people and said:

‘Arm yourselves, then stand before Yahweh in battle lines and [prepare yourselves] to bring the Lord’s vengeance upon MidiAn… ⁴ Select 1,000 from each of the tribes of the children of IsraEl to go to war!’

⁵ So they counted off the 1,000 from each Tribe of IsraEl – 12,000 men – and armed them for war.

⁶ Then Moses sent them off, along with PhineAs (son of EliEzer the Priest and the grandson of Aaron) carrying the holy instruments and the signal trumpets, ⁷ and they arranged themselves in battle lines against MidiAn, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses… And they went and destroyed them!

⁸ Thereafter, they killed the 5 kings of MidiAn (Evi, Rocon, Sur, Ur, and Roboc)… And they even killed BalaAm (son of BeOr) with a sword, along with all the rest!

⁹ Then (after they’d destroyed their army) they took all the women of MidiAn as captives, along with their food, cattle, and all their possessions, ¹⁰ and they burned all their cities, villages, and homes with fire… ¹¹ They plundered everything, including the people and their animals.

¹² So they carried all the captives, spoils, and loot (planning to give them to Moses, EliEzer the Priest, and to divide them among the children of IsraEl) back to their camp in the plains of MoAb, which was near the JorDan River [across from] JeriCho.

¹³ Then Moses, EliEzer (the Priest), and all the leaders of the gathering went to their camp to meet their army. ¹⁴ But Moses was furious with the captains of the army (the leaders of thousands and of hundreds) that had returned from the battle, ¹⁵ for he asked them:

‘Why have you kept these women alive?

¹⁶ ‘They were the ones [who listened to] BalaAm and misled the children of IsraEl by inciting their revolt and by teaching them to despise the word of Yahweh at PhoGor… And that’s why Yahweh sent a plague on the gathering!

¹⁷ ‘So now, kill all the men, destroy all their food, and kill all the women whom you know aren’t virgins… ¹⁸ You may spare any women whom you suspect are virgins.

¹⁹ ‘Then, all who have killed or touched dead bodies must stay outside of our camp for 7 days; and thereafter, you and those whom you’ve captured must be purified on the 3rd day and on the 7th day.

²⁰ ‘You must also purify all your clothes, all your leather utensils, all your goatskin items, and all your wooden bowls.’

²¹ Then EliEzer (the Priest) said to the men from the army that had just returned from battle:

‘This is what the Law that Yahweh gave to Moses says:

²² ‘The items of gold, silver, brass, iron, lead, and tin ²³ must be passed through fire to be cleansed. And whatever can’t be passed through a fire must be sprinkled with the purifying water to be made clean.

²⁴ ‘Then on the 7th day, you must be cleansed and you must wash your clothes.

Only after that, may you enter our camp.’

²⁵ Well, the Lord then spoke to Moses again and said:

²⁶ ‘I want you and EliEzer the Priest to take an inventory of the captured people and animals. ²⁷ Then you must divide them among the soldiers that went out to battle and with the rest of the gathering.

²⁸ ‘Also, as a tribute to Yahweh from the warriors that went out to battle; take 1 out of every 500 of the people, oxen, sheep, and burros, ²⁹ and give them to EliEzer the Priest as the first fruits of Yahweh.

³⁰ ‘Then, from among those things that are given to the children of IsraEl, you should take 1 out of 50 of the people, oxen, sheep, and burros, and give them to the Levites who teach at the Tent of Yahweh.’

³¹ So Moses and EliEzer (the Priest) did just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

[Editor note: Now follows records of the plunder. The story continues in Numbers 32:1.]

³² The plunder that was given to the soldiers included:

• 675,000 sheep,

• ³³ 72,000 oxen, ³⁴ and

• 61,000 burros.

³⁵ There were also 32,000 virgins who were given to them… ³⁶ Half of everything was given to the soldiers that went to war.

And of the 337,500 sheep, ³⁷ they offered 675 sheep as a tribute to Yahweh.

³⁸ Of their 36,000 oxen, they gave 72 as a tribute to Yahweh.

³⁹ Of their 30,500 burros, they gave 61 as a tribute to Yahweh.

⁴⁰ And of the 16,000 people, they gave 32 of them as a tribute to Yahweh.

⁴¹ For Moses presented all the tributes as a wave offering to Yahweh God, [and they were given] to EliEzer the Priest (just as the Lord had commanded Moses) ⁴² from the half that belonged to the children of IsraEl whom Moses had separated as soldiers.

⁴³ Thereafter, 337,500 sheep were divided among the gathering as their half, ⁴⁴ plus:

• 36,000 oxen,

• ⁴⁵ 30,500 burros, ⁴⁶ and

• 16,000 people.

⁴⁷ And from their half, Moses took a 1/50th of the people and the cattle, and gave them to the Levites who teach at the Tent of Yahweh, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

⁴⁸ Well then, all those who’d been appointed as officers over the army (the captains of thousands and of hundreds) approached Moses and said:

⁴⁹ ‘Your servants have counted the men of war among us, and none have been lost.

⁵⁰ ‘So, those among us who found things that were made of gold, such as armlets, chains, rings, bracelets, and hair clasps have brought them as our gift to Yahweh, to pay for our sins.’

⁵¹ And when Moses and EliEzer (the Priest) accepted all the items of gold from them, ⁵² [they found that] the gold that the captains of thousands and of hundreds offered to Yahweh was valued at 16,750 silver coins.

⁵³ However, the soldiers kept the rest of the loot for themselves.

⁵⁴ Then Moses and EliEzer (the Priest) took all the gold items that the captains of thousands and hundreds had contributed and placed it all in the Tent of Proofs to serve as a reminder to the children of IsraEl, there in front of Yahweh.

Numbers 32

←31 | All books | All chapters | 33→

[Editor note: The story resumes here.]

¹ Now, the [tribes] of ReuBen and Gad both had huge herds of cattle, and when they saw that the area of JaZer and GalaAd had good grazing land, ² they went to Moses, EliEzer the Priest, and the leaders of the gathering, and said to them:

³ ‘The areas of:

• AtarOth,

• DaEbon,

• JaZer,

• NamRa,

• Hesh-EbonEh,

• ElAle,

• Sebama,

• Nabau, and

• BaeAn...

⁴ ‘...which Yahweh has delivered into the hands of the children of IsraEl, is pasture land, and we (your servants) have many cattle!

⁵ ‘So, if it pleases you, may your servants be given this land as our inheritance. Don’t make us cross the JorDan River.’

⁶ But Moses asked:

‘Then when your brothers go to war, are you just going to sit here?

⁷ “Why are you twisting the minds of the children of IsraEl by encouraging them not to cross into the land that Yahweh is giving to them?

⁸ ‘Isn’t this the same thing that your fathers did when I sent them from KaDesh-Barne to spy in the land? ⁹ For, after they went into the Valley of Grape Clusters as spies, they twisted the hearts of the children of IsraEl so that they didn’t want to enter the land that Yahweh gave to them, ¹⁰ and this made Yahweh very angry!

‘So He swore and said:

¹¹ ‘All these men who were 20 years old and older when they left Egypt and that knew the difference between good and evil won’t see the land that I swore to give to AbraHam, IsaAc, and Jacob, because they’ve chosen not to follow Me!

¹² ‘The only exceptions are Caleb son of JePhonNe, and JoShua son of NaWeh… They were the only ones who followed Me closely.’

¹³ ‘And because this made Yahweh so angry with IsraEl, He forced them to wander in the desert for 40 years, until the whole generation that did this evil thing before Him was gone.

¹⁴ ‘Look! Now you’re following in the same footsteps as your fathers and you’ve allied yourselves as sinful people so as to make Yahweh even angrier with IsraEl; ¹⁵ for you want to turn away from Him and stay in the desert again!

‘By choosing to do this, you’re sinning against the whole gathering!’

¹⁶ But they came to him and said:

‘If we can build pens for our cattle here and have these cities as our possessions, ¹⁷ we’ll arm ourselves and march ahead of the children of IsraEl to lead them into their land.

‘We’ll leave our possessions inside the walled cities (because of the people who live in this land), ¹⁸ and we won’t return to our homes until after the children of IsraEl have each been given their own inheritance and are settled there... ¹⁹ Then, we won’t take any of the land on the other side of the JorDan as our inheritance, because we’ll have taken our full inheritance here on the east side.’

²⁰ So Moses said to them:

‘If you’ll do everything that you’re saying… If you’ll arm yourselves and march in battle before Yahweh, ²¹ and if you’ll cross the JorDan and stay there until our enemies are destroyed ²² and our land has been totally settled before you return home... You will be free of guilt before Yahweh and this land can be yours.

²³ ‘But if you don’t do that, you’ll be sinning against Yahweh and you’ll see the results of your sin when bad things happen to you!

²⁴ ‘So now, go on and build the cities in which you can store your things, along with the pens for your cattle; and thereafter, you must do everything that you’ve proposed.’

²⁵ And the [tribes] of ReuBen and Gad replied:

‘Your servants will do as our lord commands.

²⁶ ‘We will leave all our possessions, our women, and our cattle in the cities of GalaAd. ²⁷ And after that, we’ll march ahead [of IsraEl] all armed and ready for battle before Yahweh, as you said.’

²⁸ Then Moses gave these instructions to EliEzer the Priest, JoShua (son of NaWeh), and all the heads of the families and tribes of IsraEl.

²⁹ He said:

‘If the sons of ReuBen and Gad cross the JorDan armed and ready for war before Yahweh and they help to conquer the land before you, you must give them the land of GalaAd as theirs.

³⁰ ‘However, if they don’t cross [the JorDan] all armed and ready for war, you must make them bring their possessions, women, and cattle into the land of CanaAn, where they’ll receive their inheritance among you.’

³¹ And the sons of ReuBen and Gad answered:

‘We will do whatever Yahweh tells his servants!

³² ‘We’ll arm ourselves and march into the land of CanaAn before Yahweh, and you must give us our inheritance on this side of the JorDan.’

³³ So Moses gave the sons of Gad, the sons of ReuBen, and half of the Tribe of ManasSeh (one of the sons of JoSeph) the land of the Amorite king SeOn, the land of Og the king of BaShan, and all their cities and borders, as well as the cities and lands around them.

[Editor note: Now follows lists of cities inhabited by the 2-1/2 tribes, and records of where they travelled. The story continues in Numbers 33:50.]

³⁴ Thereafter, the sons of Gad built and fortified:

• DaEbon,

• AtarOth,

• AroEr,

• ³⁵ Sophar, and

• JaZer.

³⁶ And they also built and fortified NamBran and BaethAran, where they then made pens for their sheep.

³⁷ The sons of ReuBen built:

• Hesh-EbonEh,

• ElAle,

• KariathAm,

• ³⁸ BeElMeon (which they surrounded with walls), and

• [the town of] Sebama.

Then they named each of the cities after themselves.

³⁹ Also, the family of MachIr (of the Tribe of ManasSeh) went to GalaAd and captured it, destroying all the Amorites who lived there. ⁴⁰ So Moses gave GalaAd to MachIr, and they started living there.

⁴¹ JaIr (of the Tribe of ManasSeh) also captured many villages, which he then called the Villages of JaIr.

⁴² And NabOth went and captured the villages of CaAth, which he renamed after himself (NabOth).

Numbers 33

←32 | All books | All chapters | 34→

¹ These are the places where the children of IsraEl and their army stayed (under the direction of Moses and Aaron) after they left the land of Egypt. ² For, following the instructions of Yahweh, Moses wrote down the places where they moved and where they’d stayed.

So, here are the stages of their journey:

³ They left RamesSe on the 15th day of the 1st month.

Then after the Passover, the children of IsraEl proudly walked away from the Egyptians, ⁴ since the Egyptians were burying all the dead that Yahweh had struck down – all the firstborn in the land of Egypt – and He also brought vengeance upon their gods.

⁵ The children of IsraEl left RamesSe and camped in SocChoth.

⁶ Then they left SocChoth and camped in BuThan, near the desert.

⁷ After that, they left BuThan and camped at the mouth of the IrOth, which is across from BeEl SepPhon and opposite MagDol.

⁸ It was when they left IrOth that they crossed through the middle of the sea and into the desert. Thereafter, they traveled through the desert for three days and camped in PicriAe.

⁹ When they left PicriAe, they went to AiLim (where there were 12 springs of water and 70 palm trees), and they camped next to the water.

¹⁰ When they left AiLim, they camped next to the Red Sea.

¹¹ And when they left the Red Sea, they camped in the Sin Desert.

¹² After they left the Sin Desert, they camped in RaPhaca.

¹³ And when they left RaPhaca, they camped in AiLus.

¹⁴ When they left AiLus, they camped in RaphiDin (where there was no water for the people to drink).

¹⁵ Then they left RaphiDin and camped in the SinAi Desert.

¹⁶ When they left the SinAi Desert, they camped at the Graveyard of the Greedy.

¹⁷ Then they left the Graveyard of the Greedy and camped in AsherOth.

¹⁸ And after AsherOth, they camped in RathAma.

¹⁹ When they left RathAma, they camped in RemMon Phares.

²⁰ And when they left RemMon Phares, they camped in Lebona.

²¹ After leaving Lebona, they camped in ResSan.

²² Then they left ResSan and camped in MakelLath.

²³ After MakelLath, they camped in Saphar.

²⁴ When they left Saphar, they camped in CharaDath.

²⁵ Then they left CharaDath and camped in MakelOth.

²⁶ When they left MakelOth, they camped in KataAth.

²⁷ Then they left KataAth and camped in TarAth.

²⁸ After leaving TarAth, they camped in MathecKa.

²⁹ Then they left MathecKa and camped in SelMona.

³⁰ After SelMona, they camped in MasurUth.

³¹ After camping in MasurUth, they went to BanaYa.

³² And after leaving BanaYa, they camped at Mount GadGad.

³³ Then after leaving Mount GadGad, they camped in EteBatha.

³⁴ When they left EteBatha, they camped in Ebrona.

³⁵ After Ebrona, they camped in GesiOn Gaber.

³⁶ Then they left GesiOn Gaber and camped in the Sin Desert.

Then they left the Sin Desert and camped in the Pharan Desert at KaDesh.

³⁷ And when they left KaDesh, they camped at Mount Hor, near the land of Edom.

³⁸ It was at Mount Hor that Aaron the Priest climbed the mountain (following Yahweh’s instructions) and died on the 1st day of the 5th month, 40 years after they left the land of Egypt. ³⁹ Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor.

⁴⁰ And after the CanaAnite king Arad heard that the children of IsraEl were in his land, ⁴¹ they left Mount Hor and camped in SelMona.

⁴² Then from SelMona, they went to Phino.

⁴³ And after leaving Phino, they camped in ObOth.

⁴⁴ When they left ObOth, they camped in Gai at the border of MoAb.

⁴⁵ Then they left Gai and camped in DaEbon Gad.

⁴⁶ When they left DaEbon Gad, they camped in Gelmon DeblaThaim.

⁴⁷ After leaving Gelmon DeblaThaim, they camped on the Mountains of Abarim, which border Nabau.

⁴⁸ Then when they left the Mountains of Abarim, they camped on the west side [of the land] of MoAb by the JorDan River near JeriCho.

⁴⁹ There they stayed camped by the JorDan (from AiSimOth to Belsa, west of MoAb).

[Editor note: The story resumes here.]

⁵⁰ It was there (west of MoAb by the JorDan River, close to JeriCho) that the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

⁵¹ ‘Now tell the children of IsraEl that they are to cross the JorDan into the land of CanaAn, ⁵² where they must destroy everyone who lives in that land.

‘They must tear down their altars, destroy all their molded images, and demolish all their [sacred] columns! ⁵³ All the inhabitants of the land must be destroyed so they can live there... For I have given them this land as their inheritance.

⁵⁴ ‘The land that each tribe inherits must thereafter be divided in a lottery. The more people there are in each tribe, the larger their inheritance must be; and the smaller the tribe, the smaller its inheritance… The inheritances must be divided by [the sizes of] their tribes and families.

⁵⁵ ‘Now, if you don’t destroy the people who live in that land; those who are left over will eventually become thorns in your eyes and darts in your sides! They’ll always be your enemies in this land... ⁵⁶ And the things that I had planned to do to them, I’ll do to you!’

Numbers 34

←33 | All books | All chapters | 35→

[Editor note: Now follows descriptions of the borders, the cities for the Levites, and more laws. The story resumes in Numbers 36:1.]

¹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

² ‘Tell the children of IsraEl that when they enter the land of CanaAn that they’re going to inherit, ³ their southern border will run southward from the Sin Desert along the borders of Edom, then east to the [Dead] Sea.

⁴ ‘The border will thereafter run from the south to the base of AcraBin and on to EnNac, and on southward to KaDesh Barne. It will run to the village of Arad and on past AseMona.

⁵ ‘From AseMona it will run to the [Nile] River, and end at the sea.

⁶ ‘The western border will be the [MediTerranean] Sea.

⁷ ‘They’ll have to measure their northern border themselves, but it will run from the [MediTerranean] Sea along the edge of the mountains. ⁸ They’ll have to measure from the mountains at the entrance to Emath to where they end along the border of SaraDac.

⁹ ‘Then the border must go on to DephRona and end at ArseNain… This is their northern border.

¹⁰ ‘The eastern border will run from ArseNain to SepPhamar, ¹¹ then over to the springs east of Bela and down along the east side of the Sea [of Galilee].

¹² ‘From there it will run down the JorDan River and end at the [Dead] Sea.

‘This will be their land and their borders.’

¹³ Then Moses gave the children of IsraEl these instructions.

[And] he said:

‘This is the land that you’re going to inherit by lottery, as Yahweh commanded it to be given to the 9 tribes and the half Tribe of ManasSeh, ¹⁴ because the tribes of ReuBen, Gad, and the half Tribe of ManasSeh have already received their inheritances.

¹⁵ ‘The inheritance that these 2-1/2 tribes have received is on the other side of the JorDan, southeast of JeriCho.’

¹⁶ And the Lord told Moses:

¹⁷ ‘These are the men who will divide the inheritances of land:

• EliEzer the Priest, JoShua (son of NaWeh), ¹⁸ and one ruler from each of the tribes...

• ¹⁹ From the Tribe of Judah, Caleb (son of JePhonNe),

• ²⁰ From the Tribe of SymeOn, SalamiEl (son of SemiUd),

• ²¹ From the Tribe of BenJamin, ElDad (son of ChasLon),

• ²² From the Tribe of Dan, BacChir (son of Egli),

• ²³ From the sons of JoSeph:

The leader of the Tribe of ManasSeh should be AniEl (son of Suphi), and

²⁴ From the Tribe of Ephraim, the leader must be CamuEl (son of SabaThan).

• ²⁵ From the Tribe of ZebuLon, EliShaphan (son of Pharnac),

• ²⁶ From the Tribe of IshSachar, PhaltiEl (son of Oza),

• ²⁷ From the tribe of Asher, AchiOr (son of Selemi), and

• ²⁸ From the Tribe of NaphTali, PhadaEl (son of JamiUd).’

²⁹ These were the ones whom Yahweh commanded to do the distributing to the children of IsraEl within the land of CanaAn.

Numbers 35

←34 | All books | All chapters | 36→

¹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses by the JorDan River near JeriCho (west of MoAb) and said:

² ‘Now, give orders to the children of IsraEl and tell them that they must allot cities for the Levites to live in and own. They must provide them with suburbs around their cities to live in, ³ which have pens for their cattle and all their animals.

⁴ ‘These suburbs that they are to give to the Levites must run out and around their city walls for 3,000 feet (914m). ⁵ So, they must measure out:

• 3,000 feet (914m) on the east side,

• 3,000 feet (914m) on the south side,

• 3,000 feet (914m) on the west side, and

• 3,000 feet (914m) on the north side...

‘...and their cities must be in the center.

⁶ ‘They must also give the Levites 6 refuge cities, which will become havens for those who kill someone [accidentally]. In addition, they must provide them 42 more cities.

⁷ ‘So altogether, they must give the Levites 48 cities, in addition to their suburbs.

⁸ ‘[As to the size and location] of these cities that the children of IsraEl are to give them; those who have much must give much, and those who have less may give less... But all [the tribes] must give some of the cities that they’re going to inherit to the Levites.’

⁹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

¹⁰ ‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them that when they cross the JorDan into the land of CanaAn, ¹¹ they must assign refuge cities to which those who accidentally kill someone may run.

¹² ‘These cities must be havens of refuge from those who would avenge the blood [of the one who was killed]. And there, no killer may be executed before he stands trial in a court.

¹³ ‘There must be six of these cities that you are to set aside as places of refuge:

• ¹⁴ Three on the east side of the JorDan, and

• Three in the land of CanaAn.

¹⁵ ‘They must serve as places of refuge for the children of IsraEl, for aliens, and for those who are just visiting in your land. These cities must be places of refuge where anyone may run who’s killed a man unintentionally.

¹⁶ ‘However, if [a man] strikes [and kills a person] with something that’s made of iron, the man must die, for he is a murderer and all murderers must be put to death! ¹⁷ And if he throws a rock in an attempt to kill him and the person dies, he’s a murderer and all murderers must be put to death. ¹⁸ And if he hits him with a wooden instrument that he’s holding in his hands and kills him, he’s a murderer and all murderers must be put to death.

¹⁹ ‘Those who would avenge the blood [of the one who was killed] must execute the murderer… When they catch him, they must kill him!

²⁰ ‘If someone is angry and stabs another, or throws something at him from ambush, ²¹ or if he beats him in anger and the man dies; the one who struck him must be put to death, for he is a murderer. The blood avenger must absolutely kill the murderer when he finds him.

²² ‘However, if someone is accidentally stabbed (where no anger is involved), or something hits him (other than from ambush), ²³ or he’s accidentally hit with a rock and he dies when no enemy was looking to harm him... ²⁴ Then the court must use these rules to judge between the one who did the striking and the blood avenger.

²⁵ ‘And [if he’s found innocent], the gathering must save the slayer from the blood avenger and allow him to stay in the refuge city that he ran to. And he must live there until the High Priest (the one who was anointed with the holy oil) dies.

²⁶ ‘But if the person who did the killing should ever leave the city that he ran to for refuge, ²⁷ and the blood avenger should find him outside the refuge-city limits, and the blood-avenger kills him, he has done no wrong.

²⁸ ‘For the man should have stayed in the refuge city until the High Priest died. Only after the death of the High Priest may the slayer return to his homeland.

²⁹ ‘These are the rules of judgment that are to be used throughout all your generations and wherever you live. ³⁰ You must execute someone as a murderer whenever there’s enough evidence. But, one piece of evidence against a person isn’t enough to have him put to death.

³¹ ‘Also, you may not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who has been condemned to death… He absolutely must die. ³² And you may not accept a ransom to keep a man from having to stay in a refuge city and live there until the death of the High Priest.

³³ ‘So, you must not pollute the land that you live in with murder, because blood pollutes the land. And the only way that the land may be purged of shed blood is with the blood of the one who shed it.

³⁴ ‘You must not dirty the land where you’re living and where I’m living among you!

‘For I am Yahweh, who dwells in the midst of the children of IsraEl.’

Numbers 36

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[Editor note: The story resumes here.]

¹ Then the heads of the tribe of the sons of GalaAd (son of MachIr, grandson of ManasSeh of the tribe of the sons of JoSeph) spoke before Moses, EliEzer the Priest, and the heads of the houses and families of the children of IsraEl.

² They said:

‘Yahweh commanded our lord to assign the land that the children of IsraEl will inherit by lottery... Then Yahweh told our lord to give our brother SalpaAd’s inheritance to his daughters.

³ ‘But, if they marry into one of the other tribes of IsraEl, their inheritance must then be taken away from them. Then, what belongs to our fathers won’t be inherited by the tribe they marry into, and we won’t lose any part of our inheritance.

⁴ ‘For, during [the year of] Releasing of the children of IsraEl, their inheritance would be considered as being part of the tribe that the women married in to, and it wouldn’t be returned to our family’s tribe.’

⁵ So, following Yahweh’s instructions, Moses told the children of IsraEl:

‘In accordance with [the request of] the tribe of the children of JoSeph, ⁶ this is what Yahweh has said concerning the daughters of SalpaAd:

‘They may marry whomever they wish, but they may only marry among their father’s tribe ⁷ so that the inherited [lands] of the children of IsraEl aren’t moved from one tribe to another tribe. For the inherited lands of the children of IsraEl must remain in the same family’s tribe.

⁸ ‘And whenever a daughter is heir to a property among the tribes of the children of IsraEl, she must marry someone in her father’s tribe so that the sons of IsraEl may each inherit property in their father’s tribe… ⁹ For, the inheritance must not be passed from one tribe to another. Rather, the children of IsraEl must each hold onto their own inheritances.’

¹⁰ Well thereafter, the daughters of SalpaAd did just as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

¹¹ Thersa, Egla, Melcha, Nua, and MalaA (SalpaAd’s daughters) married their cousins ¹² who were from the tribe of ManasSeh (of the sons of JoSeph), and their inheritance remained part of their father’s family tribe.

¹³ These are the commandments, laws, and decisions that Yahweh gave to Moses west of MoAb, by the JorDan River, near JeriCho.

Deuteronomy

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Deuteronomy is a history book and law book.

It’s mostly a compilation of speeches given by Moses directly before they entered the Promised Land, in which he recaps the events that took place in Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, also recapping the laws and instructions given by God.

It was compiled by Moses, probably with the help of secretaries, immediately prior to the IsraElites entering the Promised Land (about 1515 BCE by our reckoning), with the final part added after Moses’ death.

Difficult portions

This book contains many long descriptions of sacrificial procedures and laws that may be too dry for casual reading. So if you only wish to read the story, we’ve added editor notes to show you where it begins and ends.

Bold texts

The main topics of each law and procedure are marked in bold.

Deuteronomy 1

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¹ These are the things that Moses said to all the IsraElites while they were in the desert on the east side of the JorDan near the Red Sea (between Pharan-Tophol, Lobon, Aulon, and the gold works), ² 11 day’s journey from the Dry Place (Horeb) on the road between Mount SeIr and KaDesh Barne.

³ It was the 1st day of the 11th month of the 40th year that Moses spoke to the children of IsraEl, and [he recounted] all the instructions that Yahweh had given to Him concerning them. ⁴ This was after he had cut down SeOn, the king of the Amorites (who lived in Hesh-EbonEh), as well as Og, the king of BaShan (who lived in AstarOth and EdraIn) ⁵ in the land of MoAb.

Moses said this about [God’s] Law:

⁶ ‘It was while we were in the Dry Place (Horeb) that Yahweh our God spoke to us and said:

‘You have stayed at this mountain long enough. ⁷ Now, turn around and go!

‘Enter the mountains of the Amorites and of those who live next to the desert… From their mountains and valleys in the south to the coast of the land of the CanaAnites, to [the borders] of Lebanon, and on to the great EuPhrates River.

⁸ ‘Look! God has given you all the land that is before you!

‘So, go there and inherit the land that I swore that I’d give to your ancestors AbraHam, IsaAc, and Jacob, and to their offspring.’

⁹ ‘As I told you before... I was unable to lead you all by myself, ¹⁰ for Yahweh your God has made you grow.

‘Just look at how many you’ve become… Like the stars in the skies in number!

¹¹ ‘For Yahweh the God of your ancestors has made you grow a thousand-times more, and He has spoken to you and blest you! ¹² So, how could I handle all the work, burdens, and your complaints by myself?

¹³ ‘Therefore, [I told you to] select some wise, understanding, and sensible men from your tribes whom I would appoint as your leaders.

¹⁴ ‘Then you answered me and said:

‘What you’ve told us to do is good!’

¹⁵ ‘So, I took your wise, understanding, and sensible men and assigned them to be the rulers of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens, to serve as your officers and judges... ¹⁶ And at the time, I told your judges to hear the cases between your brothers and to judge honestly, whether it’s [a dispute] between a man and his brother, or with him and the converts who are living among you…

¹⁷ ‘And they were not to favor one over the other when it came to their judgments. Rather, they were to judge both the rich and the poor in the same way. Nor were they to fear anyone, because the judgment is God’s.

¹⁸ ‘And whenever a case was too hard for them, they were to bring it to me and then I’d hear it.’

¹⁹ ‘So, just as Yahweh our God had instructed us, we left that Dry Place (Horeb) and traveled through the desert (which you saw was vast and terrible), and on through the mountains of the Amorites to KaDesh Barne.

²⁰ ‘Then, as we were approaching the mountains of the Amorites, I told you:

²¹ ‘{Look!} Yahweh your God has given you all the land that lies before you.

‘So, go there and inherit it… And just as Yahweh the God of your ancestors said to you: Don’t be afraid!’

²² ‘But then you all came to me and said:

‘Let’s send some men ahead of us into the land and have them bring back a report about which way we should travel and which of the cities we should enter.’

²³ ‘Well, that sounded good to me, so I chose 12 men, one from each tribe.

²⁴ ‘Then they turned and ascended the mountains and traveled as far as the Valley of the [Grape] Clusters to survey it... ²⁵ There they gathered some of the fruit of the land and brought it back to you, and they said:

‘The land that Yahweh our God is giving to us is good!’

²⁶ ‘However, you refused to enter it and you rebelled against the words of our God Yahweh. ²⁷ For you went back to your tents and started complaining, saying:

‘Yahweh hates us, because he’s brought us out of the land of Egypt just to put us into the hands of the Amorites – who’ll destroy us!

²⁸ ‘So, why would we want to go there?’

‘Then your brothers grabbed at your heart strings when they said:

‘It’s a big country, and they have many more people who are stronger than us… Their cities are huge, with walls that reach into the sky, and we saw the sons of the giants there!’

²⁹ ‘But I told you:

‘Don’t be afraid and don’t fear them, ³⁰ because Yahweh your God is traveling before you and He will fight them for you and win, just as He did for you in the land of Egypt!

³¹ ‘You have already seen Him do this [many times] while you were in this desert on the way to the mountains of the Amorites, because Yahweh your God carried you as dearly as any man could nurse his own children throughout all your travels on the way to this place.’

³² ‘But you didn’t believe Yahweh your God ³³ who traveled before you, who chose the places where you would stay, and who guided you with a fire each night and showed you the way to go with a cloud each day.

³⁴ ‘And when the Lord heard the things you were saying, He became very angry!

‘So He swore and said:

³⁵ ‘None of these men will be allowed to see the good land that I swore to give to their ancestors, ³⁶ except Caleb, son of JephonNe… He will see it and I’ll give this land that he traveled to, to him and to his sons, because he did what Yahweh said!’

³⁷ ‘Then Yahweh became very angry with me because of you!

‘For he told me:

‘You won’t enter the land either. ³⁸ Rather, JoShua son of NaWeh, who stands at your side, will enter [the land]. So, you must give him [your] strength, because he will help IsraEl to inherit it.

³⁹ ‘However, only the young children that haven’t yet come to know good from evil will enter [the land with him]… I’m going to give it to them and they’ll inherit it!’

⁴⁰ ‘Thereafter, you turned around and marched back into the desert, along the banks of the Red Sea.

⁴¹ ‘But later, you said:

‘We have sinned against Yahweh our God, so now we’re going to go back and fight, just as our God Yahweh had commanded!’

‘So, everyone picked up his weapons of war and they gathered to return to the mountain.

⁴² ‘However, Yahweh said to me:

‘Tell them not to go and fight, because I’m not with them, so their enemies will destroy them!’

⁴³ ‘And that’s what I told you… But you wouldn’t listen to me!

‘You disobeyed Yahweh’s commandments and you forced your way up the mountain... ⁴⁴ Then the Amorites who lived there came out to meet you and chased you like bees all the way from [Mount] SeIr to [Mount] Herman!

⁴⁵ ‘And thereafter, you sat down and bawled before our God Yahweh, but He wouldn’t listen to you or pay any attention to you.

⁴⁶ ‘Well, following that, you spent a long time living in KaDesh.’

Deuteronomy 2

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¹ ‘After that, we turned left and [traveled] through the desert, following the Red Sea, just as Yahweh had told me, and we circled Mount SeIr for many days.

² ‘And finally, the Lord said to me:

³ ‘You have circled these Mountains long enough; now turn and head north.

⁴ ‘Tell the people that you’re now going to cross the borders of your brothers, the children of Esau who live in SeIr, and that will really make them fear you! ⁵ But don’t fight with [the children of Esau], because I won’t give you enough of their land to stand on, since I’ve given Mount SeIr to the children of Esau as their inheritance.

⁶ ‘Rather, you’ll have to pay for any food that you buy from them to eat, and for any water that you’ll drink.’

⁷ ‘Yet, Yahweh our God has continued to bless you in everything that you’ve done… Just think of how you were able to travel through that great and terrible desert!

‘For {Look!} during those 40 years under Yahweh your God, you haven’t lacked for anything!’

⁸ ‘Then we passed by our brothers, the children of Esau who lived in SeIr, walking through the desert between AiLon and GesiOn Gaber. And after that, we turned and walked through the deserts of MoAb.

⁹ ‘It was then that Yahweh said to me:

‘Don’t argue with the MoAbites and don’t fight with them, for I won’t give you their land as an inheritance either, since I’ve given AroEr to the children of Lot as their inheritance.’

¹⁰ ‘The OmMin, a nation that was as large and powerful as the Anakim, used to live there ¹¹ (they were once known as the RaphaIn), as did the Anakim (whom the MoAbites called the OmMin). ¹² The ChorRhites also used to live in SeIr before the sons of Esau destroyed them and wiped them out. For then they took possession of the land, like IsraEl will take possession of this land that Yahweh is giving to them as an inheritance.

¹³ ‘After that, I was told that we should leave and cross the Zaret Valley.

¹⁴ ‘So, we spent the next 38 years traveling between KaDesh-Barne and the Zaret Valley, until the whole generation of the men of war had died (as Yahweh God had sworn to them). ¹⁵ For it was Yahweh’s hand that wiped them out of our camp until they were all gone.’

¹⁶ ‘Then after all the men of war had died, ¹⁷ the Lord spoke to me and said:

¹⁸ ‘Now, cross the borders of MoAb and go on to AroEr today, ¹⁹ but don’t approach the children of AmMon… Don’t argue with them or war with them, for I won’t give you the children of AmMon’s land as an inheritance, since I’ve already given it to the children of Lot as their inheritance.’

²⁰ ‘It’s also called the land of the RaphaIn, because the RaphaIn (whom the AmMonites call the ZochomMin) also used to live there.

²¹ ‘They were once a great nation with many more people and were mightier than you are (as were the Anakim), but Yahweh destroyed them and [the AmMonites] inherited their land, where they live to this day. ²² [In the same way,] the children of Esau who live in SeIr destroyed the ChorRhites and inherited their land, where they live to this day. ²³ Also [like how] the Evites (who lived between AsedOth and Gaza) were conquered by the Cappadocians… They came from CappaDocia to destroy them, and now they live in their land.

²⁴ ‘So [then the Lord told us]:

‘Get up and cross the Arnon Valley; for {Look!} I’ve given SeOn (the Amorite king of Hesh-EbonEh) and his land into your hands!

‘Fight with him and inherit his land today. ²⁵ Start putting fear and terror into the faces of all the nations under the sky! For they’ll be disturbed whenever they hear your name, and they’ll become very sad when they hear that you’re heading towards them!’

²⁶ ‘Then, from the KedamOth Desert, I sent ambassadors to SeOn the king of Hesh-EbonEh with words of peace, saying:

²⁷ ‘I wish to pass through your land. I will just travel along the roads and I won’t turn to the right or to the left. ²⁸ We’ll pay for any food that we eat with money, and we’ll pay for any water that we drink.

‘We’ll pass through on foot, ²⁹ like we did with the sons of Esau who live in SeIr, and with the MoAbites that live in AroEr, until we reach the JorDan and the land that Yahweh our God is giving to us.’

³⁰ ‘But SeOn (the king of Hesh-EbonEh) wouldn’t allow us to pass through his land, because Yahweh our God hardened his spirit and gave him a stubborn heart so that he would be delivered into our hands on that day.

³¹ ‘For the Lord said to me:

‘Look! I’m putting SeOn (the Amorite king of Hesh-EbonEh) and his land into your hands!

‘So now, inherit his land!’

³² ‘Well, SeOn (the king of Hesh-EbonEh) came out with all his people to fight us at JasSa... ³³ But our God Yahweh handed him over to us and we cut them all down (him, his sons, and all of his people)!

³⁴ ‘Then we took all of his cities, destroying each one in succession, along with their women and children… We left no one alive. ³⁵ However, we took their cattle and we looted their cities.

³⁶ ‘And all the way from AroEr (which lies at the edge of the brook of Arnon) to the cities in the valley to Mount GileAd, there wasn’t a town that escaped us! Yahweh our God gave them all into our hands.

³⁷ ‘However, following Yahweh’s instructions, we didn’t go near the children of AmMon or even get close to their border along the JaBoc Wadi and their cities in the mountains.’

Deuteronomy 3

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¹ ‘Then we turned and traveled towards BaShan, and Og the king of BaShan came out to fight us with all of his people at Edraim.

² ‘So the Lord said to me:

‘Don’t be afraid of him, because I’m giving him, all of his people, and all of his land into your hands.

‘Therefore, do to him as you did to SeOn, the king of the Amorites that lived in Hesh-EbonEh.’

³ ‘So Yahweh our God did give him into our hands, as well as all of his people... We cut them down until none of their offspring was left; ⁴ and then we captured all of their cities.

‘For at that time, there were 60 cities all around the country of ArGob that belonged to King Og. ⁵ They were all strong cities with high walls, high gates, and strong locks.

‘[We also captured] many Pherezite cities ⁶ and we destroyed everything, as we’d done to SeOn the king of Hesh-EbonEh. We destroyed each city in its order, as well as all the women and children. ⁷ However, we took all their cattle and we looted the cities.

⁸ ‘At that time, we also captured land that belonged to two Amorite kings who [lived on] the other side of the JorDan. Their land ran from the brook of Arnon to HerMon ⁹ (The Phoenicians call HerMon ‘SaniOr,’ but the Amorites called it ‘SanIr’).

¹⁰ ‘We captured all the cities of Misor, all of GileAd, and all of BaShan as far as ElCha and Edraim, which were cities of the kingdom of Og in BaShan.

¹¹ ‘Og, the king of BaShan was the last of the RaphaIn.

‘{Look!} His bed (which was found in the capital city of the children of AmMon) was made of iron. {Look!} It was 13 feet (4m) long and 6 feet (1.8m) wide!

¹² ‘So at that time, we inherited all the land from AroEr (along the border of the Arnon), plus half of Mount GileAd, which cities I gave to ReuBen and Gad. ¹³ Then I gave the rest of GileAd and all of Og’s kingdom of BaShan to the half-tribe of ManasSeh, which includes all the country around ArGob (which [used to be] the land of the RaphaIn).

¹⁴ ‘Then JaIr (son of ManasSeh) took all the country around ArGob, as far as the borders of GarGasi and MachAthi, and he named them after himself – BaShan, ThavOth, and JaIr – which is what they’re still called today.

¹⁵ ‘Then I gave GileAd to MachIr, ¹⁶ and I gave the land below GileAd – from the middle of the Arnon Wadi, which borders the children of AmMon, all the way to JaBoc – to ReuBen and Gad.

¹⁷ ‘So, the Araba and the JorDan are the boundaries of MachanAreth, running east from the Sea of [Galilee] to the [Dead] Sea below AsedOth Phasga.’

¹⁸ ‘At that time, I told [the men of the tribes of ReuBen, Gad, and the half-tribe of ManasSeh] that Yahweh their God had given them this land [to be assigned] by lottery, and that all the mighty [men] should then arm themselves and march ahead of their brothers, the children of IsraEl.

¹⁹ ‘However, they were to leave their women, children, and cattle (I know that they have many cattle) in the cities that I’d given to them, ²⁰ until Yahweh our God provides their brothers a haven (the same as He’s given to them) and they inherit the land that Yahweh is giving to them on the other side of JorDan…

‘Yes, that’s when each one will have his own inheritance.

²¹ ‘That’s also when I told JoShua:

‘You’ve seen everything that Yahweh our God did to these two kings, and that’s what He’s going to do to all the kingdoms that you are crossing over to there. ²² So, you must not be afraid of them, because Yahweh our God will fight for you!’

²³ ‘Then I went before Yahweh and asked:

²⁴ ‘Lord God,

‘You’ve just begun to show Your strength, Your power, Your mighty hand and mighty arm to Your servants... For, what God is there in heaven or on earth who can do as You have done by Your might?

²⁵ ‘So, [please] allow me to cross into this good land and see what’s beyond the JorDan… Its wonderful mountains and the borders of Lebanon!’

²⁶ ‘But Yahweh replied:

‘Because you didn’t show respect or listen to Me, don’t ask Me about this anymore!

²⁷ ‘Now, climb to the top of the rocks and look west, north, south, and east… Look with your eyes. However, you may not cross the JorDan.

²⁸ ‘Then speak to JoShua… Give him strength and encourage him, because he’s going to lead these people, and he’s the one who’ll give them their inheritance in the land that you’ve seen.’

²⁹ ‘Well thereafter, we camped in the valley near the house of PhoGor.’

Deuteronomy 4

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¹ ‘And now, O IsraEl,

‘Listen to the rules and decisions – everything that I’m going to teach you today – so that you can live, grow, and inherit the land that Yahweh the God of your ancestors is giving to you!

² ‘Don’t add anything to or take anything away from these Commandments that I’m giving you today. Just obey the Commandments of Yahweh our God and do everything that I’m commanding you.

³ ‘For, you’ve seen everything that Yahweh our God did to the men [who started worshiping] BeEl PhoGor… Yahweh destroyed them all from among you! ⁴ And it’s only because you stayed close to your God that you’re all still alive today!

⁵ ‘{Look} I’ve shown you all the rules and decisions, just as Yahweh gave them to me... So you must follow them in the land that you’re traveling to and which you’ll inherit. ⁶ Obey them, and do them... Because this is what will brand you as a wise and understanding people to the nations!

‘For when they hear all these rules they’ll say:

‘Look! They’re a great nation of wise and understanding people!’

⁷ ‘What other nation is there that’s so great that they have a God as close to them as our God Yahweh is [to us], and to whom we may call about anything?

⁸ ‘And what other nation has rules and decisions that are as righteous as all these laws that I’m setting before you today?

⁹ ‘So, keep an eye on yourselves and carefully guard your hearts! Don’t forget any of the things that you’ve seen… Keep them in your hearts throughout the rest of your lives!

‘You must teach your sons and your grandsons ¹⁰ the things that happened when you gathered before Yahweh our God at Horeb… When the Lord said to me:

‘Gather the people to Me and have them listen to My words, so they can learn to fear Me for as long as they live in the land, and then teach this to their sons.’

¹¹ ‘You yourselves went and stood at the base of the mountain as it burned with fire all the way into the heavens… And there was darkness, blackness, and wind. ¹² Then the Lord spoke to you from the midst of the fire with a voice and with words that you heard… Yes, although you saw no shape, you heard the voice!

¹³ ‘Then He proclaimed His Sacred Agreement with you, and He ordered you to keep the Ten Commandments that He wrote on the two tablets of stone.

¹⁴ ‘And then Yahweh commanded me to teach you His rules and decisions, which you should obey in the land that you’re going to inherit.

¹⁵ ‘Yes, keep them in your hearts! For you’ve never seen another day like the one when Yahweh spoke to you on Mount Horeb from the midst of the fire!

¹⁶ ‘So, don’t sin by carving images of any kind… No, not in the shape of males or females, ¹⁷ of any animals on the ground, of any winged creatures that fly in the sky, ¹⁸ of any slithering animals that crawl on the ground, or of any creatures that live in the waters below the ground.

¹⁹ ‘Nor should you look up into the sky and see the sun, moon, stars, or any of the other heavenly bodies that Yahweh your God provided to all the nations under the heavens, and then go off and worship and serve them.

²⁰ ‘For God took you and led you out of the land of Egypt – out of that iron furnace – to be His people and His inheritance today.

²¹ ‘Then Yahweh God became very angry with me over things that you said, and He swore that I wouldn’t cross the JorDan and enter the land that He’s giving to you as your inheritance!

²² ‘So, I will now die in this land and I won’t [be allowed to] cross the JorDan… But you will cross it and inherit that good land.

²³ ‘Therefore, pay attention to yourselves and don’t forget the Sacred Agreement that Yahweh our God made with you.

‘Don’t sin by carving images of any of the things that Yahweh your God told you not to [worship]. ²⁴ For Yahweh your God is zealous, and He can be a consuming fire!

²⁵ ‘Then, after you’ve fathered sons and they’ve grown old and had grandchildren… If they sin and carve images of things and start acting wickedly towards Yahweh your God and anger Him... ²⁶ I swear before heaven and earth that they’ll be destroyed from the land that you’re going to inherit across the JorDan… They won’t live to get any older and they’ll be cut off!

²⁷ ‘Then Yahweh will scatter them among all the nations and they’ll become the minority among all the [people] wherever Yahweh sends them. ²⁸ There they’ll serve other gods… Things that men make with their hands from wood and stone… Gods who can’t see, hear, eat, or smell.

²⁹ ‘But if they’ll search for Yahweh their God in that place, they’ll find Him!

‘For, whenever you’re oppressed and you search for Him with your whole hearts and souls, [you’ll find Him]… ³⁰ And that’s what’ll happen to [your people] in the last days.

‘They must turn to Yahweh their God and listen to His voice... ³¹ Because, Yahweh your God is also a God of pity, so He won’t forget the Sacred Agreement that He made with your ancestors, and He won’t leave you or destroy you.

³² ‘Ask from one end of the sky to the other… Since the time that God created man on the earth, has anyone ever heard of such a great thing happening?

³³ ‘Has any other nation ever heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of fire, as you’ve heard it and experienced it?

³⁴ ‘What [other] nation has God elevated and taken as His own with trials, signs, wonders, and war (with His mighty hand and mighty arm)… Yes, with all these great things that we saw Yahweh our God do in Egypt?

³⁵ ‘So, you should know that Yahweh your God is The God, and that there’s no other, than just Him!

³⁶ ‘For it was His voice that you heard coming from the sky and teaching you when He showed you His great fire and when you heard His words from the midst of that fire!

³⁷ ‘It was only because He loved your ancestors that He chose you (because you’re their offspring) and drew you to Him; and then with His great strength, He brought you out of Egypt... ³⁸ Thereafter, He destroyed nations that were much greater and stronger than you are – right in front of you – to bring you here today and to give you their land as your inheritance.

³⁹ ‘So, recognize all of this and consider it in your hearts. For Yahweh your God is the God of the skies above and of the lands below them… And there’s no other!

⁴⁰ ‘So if you keep His Commandments and rules – all that I’m giving you today – it will go well for you and your descendants, and you may live on the land that Yahweh your God is giving to you for a long time… Throughout the ages!’

⁴¹ Then Moses set aside these three towns on the east side of the JorDan ⁴² as refuge cities where men who have unintentionally killed a neighbor (someone whom they’ve never hated) can run to and live:

• ⁴³ Bosor in the plains of ReuBen,

• RamOth in GileAd (Gad’s land), and

• GauLon in BaShan (ManasSeh’s land).

⁴⁴ These were the laws that Moses laid out before the children of IsraEl…
⁴⁵ They are the testimonies, rules, and decisions that Moses told the sons of IsraEl after they left Egypt ⁴⁶ and while they were on the other side of the JorDan in the valley near the house of PhoGor in the land of SeOn (the king of the Amorites who lived in Hesh-EbonEh) and whom Moses and the sons of IsraEl destroyed.

⁴⁷ So they inherited this land; the land of Og (the king of BaShan) and that of the two Amorite kings, which is east of the JorDan ⁴⁸ and runs from from AroEr (which borders the Arnon Wadi) to Mount SeOn (or HerMon)… ⁴⁹ All the plains from the JorDan east and down to [Mount Pisgah].

Deuteronomy 5

←4 | All books | All chapters | 6→

¹ Then Moses gathered all of IsraEl and said to them:

‘Listen to the rules and decisions… All that I’m going to tell you today!

‘Learn them and obey them, O IsraEl; ² for your God Yahweh made a Sacred Agreement with you at the Dry Place (Horeb)… ³ He didn’t make it with your ancestors, He made it with you… Yes you who are all here and living today!

⁴ ‘He spoke to you face to face at the mountain from the midst of the fire ⁵ as I stood between you and the Lord, and then I reported His words to you, because you were afraid of the fire and you didn’t want to get any closer to the mountain.

⁶ ‘He said:

‘I am Yahweh your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of slavery. ⁷ So, you must have no gods other than Me, ⁸ and you must not make images for yourselves of anything in the skies above, on the ground below, or of things that live in the water under the ground.

⁹ ‘You must not bow before them or serve them, for I (Yahweh your God) am a zealous God, and I bring the sins of the ancestors upon the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of those who hate Me, ¹⁰ while I’m merciful to the thousands who love Me and keep My Commandments.’

¹¹ ‘Therefore:

‘You must not misuse the Name of your God, Yahweh... For your God Yahweh won’t forgive those who misuse His Name.

¹² ‘Keep the Sabbaths and make them holy, just as Yahweh your God has commanded you! ¹³ You may work and get everything done in 6 days, ¹⁴ but the 7th day is the Sabbath of your God Yahweh, when you must do no work… Not you, your sons or daughters, your male or female servants, your oxen, your burros, any of your cattle, or any converts that are visiting among you.

‘Both you and your servants must rest... ¹⁵ Remember that you were once slaves in the land of Egypt before Yahweh your God brought you out of there with His strong hand and mighty arm.

‘So, Yahweh has instructed you to keep the Sabbaths and to make them holy!’

¹⁶ ‘Honor your father and mother, as Yahweh your God commanded you, so that things may go well for you and that you may live a long time in the land that Yahweh your God is giving to you.’

¹⁷ ‘You must not commit murder.’

¹⁸ ‘You must not commit adultery.’

¹⁹ ‘You must not steal.’

²⁰ ‘You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.’

²¹ ‘You must not desire your neighbor’s woman, his house, his field, his male servant, his female servant, his ox, his burro, any of his other animals, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.’

²² ‘Yes, these are the words that Yahweh spoke to the gathering with a loud voice at the mountain from the midst of the fire, darkness, blackness, and storms… And He didn’t add anything more.

‘He then wrote them on two tablets of stone and He gave them to me.

²³ ‘Then after you heard his voice from the midst of the fire (for the mountain was burning with fire when all of you went there with the heads of your tribes and your elders), ²⁴ you said:

‘{Look!} Yahweh our God has now shown us His glory and we’ve heard His voice coming from the midst of the fire.

‘We’ve also seen that when God speaks to men, we can still live! ²⁵ However, we were all [afraid] that we would die… That this great fire would burn us up and kill us if we listened to the voice of Yahweh our God any longer!

²⁶ ‘For, what flesh has ever heard the voice of the living God speaking from a fire as we have, and still lived?’

²⁷ ‘[So you told me]:

‘We want you to go up to Him and listen to whatever Yahweh our God has to say, then come back and tell us whatever Yahweh our God has said… For we’ll do [whatever He tells you that we must do]!’

²⁸ ‘Well, when the Lord heard what you said to me, He told me this:

‘I’ve heard everything that these people have said to you… And everything that they’ve said is good... ²⁹ However, I just wish that they had the types of hearts in them that would cause them to fear Me and to keep My commandments, so that things would continue to go well for them and their descendants throughout the ages!

³⁰ ‘So now, go back and tell them to return to their homes.

³¹ ‘Then you can stand here with Me and I’ll give you all the Commandments, rules, and decisions that you must then teach to them, and they must obey all of them when they enter the land that I’m giving to them as their inheritance.

³² ‘They must pay close attention and do everything that Yahweh their God commands them to do… They must not stray to the right or to the left.

³³ ‘Rather, they must follow the path that Yahweh their God will tell them to walk so that He may provide them with rest, so that things may go well for them, and so that they may live even longer in the land that they’re going to inherit.’

Deuteronomy 6

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¹ ‘These are all the Commandments, rules, and decisions that Yahweh your God gave to you and taught you to obey in the land that you will inherit.

² ‘So, fear Yahweh your God and follow all the rules and Commandments that I’m giving to you, to your sons, and to your grandsons for as long as you all may live!

³ ‘Now, listen to them, O IsraEl, and obey them so that things may go well for you and so that your [families] will grow, just as Yahweh the God of your ancestors promised that He would do for you when He gives you a land flowing with milk and honey.

‘Yes, these are the rules and decisions that the Lord gave as Commandments to the children of IsraEl while they were in the desert, after they left the land of Egypt.

⁴ ‘[He said]:

‘Listen, O IsraEl!

‘Yahweh your God is the only Lord, ⁵ and you must love Him with your whole mind, with your whole life, and with your whole strength.

⁶ ‘And these words that I am commanding you today must stay in your hearts and in your lives… ⁷ then you must teach them to your children. Speak of them while you’re sitting at home, while you’re out walking, before you go to bed and when you get up.

⁸ ‘You must tie them to your hands as a sign and keep them before your eyes… ⁹ Write them on the doorposts of your homes and on your gates!’

¹⁰ ‘And when Yahweh your God brings you into the land that He promised your ancestors AbraHam, IsaAc, and Jacob that He would give to you, along with:

• Great and beautiful cities (that you didn’t build),

• ¹¹ Houses that are full of all sorts of good things (that you didn’t put there),

• Wells dug in rock (that you didn’t dig),

• Vineyards and olive groves (that you didn’t plant)...

‘...[places] where you’ll eat and be filled, ¹² you must be careful not to forget Yahweh your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of slavery!

¹³ ‘So, you must fear Yahweh your God and serve only Him!

‘You must stick to Him and swear by His Name!

¹⁴ ‘Don’t follow other gods, such as the gods of the nations around you, ¹⁵ for Yahweh your God (who is among you) is a zealous God! Otherwise, Yahweh your God will be very angry with you and [He will] destroy you from the face of the ground!

¹⁶ ‘You must not test Yahweh your God as you tested Him in the [desert]!

¹⁷ ‘You must absolutely keep all the Commandments, decisions, and rules that He gave to you, ¹⁸ and you must do everything that’s pleasing and good before Yahweh, so that things will go well for you and you may enter and inherit the good land that Yahweh promised to your ancestors, ¹⁹ from which He promised to chase all of your enemies away ahead of you.

²⁰ ‘Then if your son should ever ask you:

‘What are the words, rules, and decisions that Yahweh our God has given to us?’

²¹ ‘You must tell him:

‘We were once slaves to PharaOh in the land of Egypt; then Yahweh brought us out of there with His strong hand and mighty arm! ²² For Yahweh performed signs and great miracles on our behalf there in Egypt, before PharaOh and His house.

²³ ‘Then He brought us out of there to give us this land, which He promised our ancestors that He would give to us. ²⁴ Then the Lord taught us to obey all His rules and to fear our God, so that things will go well for us throughout the ages that we’ll live here, [starting from] today.

²⁵ ‘For, Yahweh our God will be merciful to us if we pay attention and obey all these Commandments that He gave to us.’

Deuteronomy 7

←6 | All books | All chapters | 8→

¹ ‘And when Yahweh your God brings you in and gives you the land where you’re going; [He] will remove great nations from before you – the Hittites, Gergesites, Amorites, CanaAnites, Pherezites, Evites, and Jebusites – 7 nations that are larger and stronger than you are.

² ‘Yahweh your God will give them into your hands and you must cut them down… Destroy them!

‘You must not make any treaties with them or feel pity for them, ³ nor may you marry among them or give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. ⁴ Otherwise, they’ll draw your sons away to serve other gods, and Yahweh will be very angry with you and quickly destroy you.

⁵ ‘This is what you should do to them:

‘Destroy their altars and break down their [sacred] columns, then cut down their sacred poles and burn the carved images of their gods with fire… ⁶ For you are a holy people to Yahweh your God, and He chose you to be His people over all the other nations on the face of the earth!’

⁷ ‘But, Yahweh didn’t prefer and choose you because there are more of you than there are in other nations… For you’re smaller than the rest. ⁸ Rather, He chose you because He loves you and because He wants to keep the promise that He made to your ancestors. So He brought you out of the house of slavery – out of the hand of PharaOh, the king of Egypt – with His strong hand.

⁹ ‘Therefore, you should know that Yahweh your God is a faithful God who keeps promises, and that He’s merciful to those who love Him and keep His Commandments through thousands of generations... ¹⁰ Yet, He pays back those who hate Him to their faces by destroying them… He doesn’t cut any slack for those who hate Him.

¹¹ ‘So you must keep His Commandments, rules, and these decisions that I’m giving to you today. ¹² And after you hear them (and if you decide to keep them), Yahweh your God will keep His Sacred Agreement with you and show you the mercy that He promised to your ancestors.

¹³ ‘He will love you, bless you, and make you grow.

‘He will also bless the children who come from you, as well as the fruitage of your [fields] – your grain, wine, oil, herds of oxen, and flocks of sheep – in the land that Yahweh swore to your ancestors that He would give to you.

¹⁴ ‘You’ll be blest beyond all other nations, and neither you nor your cattle will be impotent or sterile.

¹⁵ ‘Yahweh your God will also take away all illnesses… He won’t bring any of the terrible diseases that you saw in Egypt upon you, but He will send them upon all those who hate you.

¹⁶ ‘You may eat whatever you take from the nations that Yahweh your God is giving to you. But you must not spare them, nor may you serve their gods, because that would be a sin!

¹⁷ ‘Now, if you start thinking that some nation is stronger than you are, and you wonder if it’s even possible for you to destroy them... ¹⁸ Just remember all that Yahweh your God did to PharaOh and to the Egyptians! ¹⁹ For you’ve seen all the great signs, wonders, and the strong hand and mighty arm that Yahweh your God used to bring you out of there; and that’s the same thing that He will do to those nations… They’ll [shake in] fear when they see you!

²⁰ ‘Yahweh your God will send hornets against them until all that are left and hiding from you are destroyed. ²¹ Yet, none of you’ll even be wounded, because Yahweh your God who’s among you is a great and powerful God.

²² ‘However, Yahweh your God will only destroy these nations a little at a time… You won’t be able to destroy them quickly; otherwise, the land would become desert again and there would be too many wild animals in your fields. ²³ Yet, Yahweh your God will give them all into your hands… So you must [keep on] destroying them until they’re all gone.

²⁴ ‘He will deliver their kings into your hands and you’ll wipe away their names… No one will be able to stand before you until you’ve destroyed them all!

²⁵ ‘Then you must burn all the carved images of their gods in fires… You must not loot their [images] of silver or gold, for that would offend Yahweh your God, since these things are disgusting to Him! ²⁶ So, don’t bring their disgusting things into your homes… Hate them and consider them as cursed, because they really are cursed!’

Deuteronomy 8

←7 | All books | All chapters | 9→

¹ ‘You must be careful to obey all the Commandments that I’m giving you today so you can live and grow, and then enter and inherit the land that Yahweh your God has promised to your ancestors.

² ‘Don’t forget how Yahweh your God led you through the desert where He tested and tried you in order to show what’s in your hearts… Whether you’d keep His Commandments, or not.

³ ‘For He tested you and corrected you with hunger, and then He fed you with manna (something that your ancestors had never heard of) to show you that men don’t only need bread to live, but [they also need] all the words that come from The God’s mouth.

⁴ ‘Then your clothes didn’t wear out, nor did your shoes… And your feet never grew hard during these past 40 years!

⁵ ‘In your hearts, you must realize that Yahweh your God has been disciplining you in the same way that any man should be disciplining his sons. ⁶ So, you must keep His Commandments, follow His paths, and fear Him. ⁷ For Yahweh your God will bring you into a large and good land where there are deep springs and rivers that flow down the mountains and into the plains.

⁸ ‘It’s a land where there’s wheat, barley, vines, figs, and pomegranates… A land of olive oil and honey, ⁹ where no one will go hungry and nobody will be [poor]… A land where stones are made of iron and copper is mined in the mountains!

¹⁰ ‘Then, after you’ve eaten and are filled, you must praise Yahweh your God in the good land that He’s giving to you! ¹¹ Pay attention to yourselves and don’t forget Yahweh your God or overlook His Commandments, decisions, and rules, which I’m giving to you today.

¹² ‘So, after you’ve eaten and are full, and have built good houses and are living in them, ¹³ and your herds of oxen and sheep have increased, and you’ve become wealthy and have many possessions... ¹⁴ Don’t become too proud in your hearts and then forget Yahweh your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of slavery, ¹⁵ and whom thereafter led you through that great and terrible desert where there were scorpions, biting snakes, and drought.

‘For when there was no water, He brought you a fountain of water out of flinty rock. ¹⁶ Then He fed you with manna in the desert, which was something of which you and your ancestors have never heard. He did all of this to [discipline] you, so He could do good things for you in the future.

¹⁷ ‘Therefore, you must never say in your hearts:

‘I’ve gained all this wealth with my own hands and by my own power!’

¹⁸ ‘You must remember that it was Yahweh your God who has given you the power to gain your wealth… And this is because of the Promise that He swore to your ancestors.

¹⁹ ‘And if you should ever forget Yahweh your God and choose to follow, bow before, and serve other gods... Then I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today, that you’ll be destroyed!

²⁰ ‘For, just as Yahweh is destroying the nations before you; that’s how you’ll be destroyed if you fail to listen to the voice of your God!’

Deuteronomy 9

←8 | All books | All chapters | 10→

¹ ‘Listen [to me], O IsraEl!

‘Today you’re going to cross the JorDan and you’ll inherit nations that are greater and stronger than you are, as well as large cities with walls that ‘reach into the skies.’

² ‘The people there are great, numerous, and tall… People like the sons of Enac, with whom you’re familiar and of whom you’ve heard it said:

‘Who can stand before Enac’s children?’

³ ‘But I want you to know today, that your God Yahweh will go ahead of you! For He is a consuming fire and He will destroy them… He will move them back before you and destroy them all quickly, just as He promised.’

⁴ ‘Now, after Yahweh your God has destroyed all these nations before you, don’t say in your hearts:

‘Yahweh brought me here to inherit this good land because I’m so righteous.’

⁵ ‘For it isn’t because of your righteousness or due to the holiness in your hearts that you’re inheriting their land! Rather, it’s because these nations are so wicked that Yahweh will destroy them… And [He’s doing it] so that He may fulfill the Promise that He swore to our ancestors AbraHam, IsaAc, and Jacob.

⁶ ‘No, it isn’t because of your righteousness that Yahweh your God is giving you this good land as an inheritance; for you’re a [rebellious] people! ⁷ Don’t forget how much you angered Yahweh your God in the desert, starting from the day that you left Egypt until you arrived here, because you’ve continued to disobey Him!

⁸ ‘[Do you remember how] you made Yahweh so angry in the dry place (Horeb) that He wanted to destroy you?

⁹ ‘Back when I went up the mountain to receive the stone tablets of the Sacred Agreement that Yahweh made with you (the mountain that I was on for 40 days and 40 nights, and during which I had nothing to eat or drink), ¹⁰ and the Lord gave me the two stone tablets that had been written on by the finger of God (yes, all those words that Yahweh said to you on the day that you gathered at the mountain)… ¹¹ At the end of those 40 days and 40 nights, when Yahweh gave me the two stone tablets containing the Sacred Agreement, ¹² He said to me:

‘Now, get up and hurry down the mountain, because the people you brought out of the land of Egypt have sinned! They’ve already left the Commandments that I gave to them and they’ve made an image for themselves against Me!’

¹³ ‘Then the Lord said to me:

‘As I told you before, I’ve seen these people and {Look!} they’re rebellious. ¹⁴ So, now I’m going to destroy them – blot their names out from under the sky – and make a great and mighty nation of you… One that’ll be greater than them!’

¹⁵ ‘So, as the mountain was burning with fire that reached into the heavens, I turned around and went back down the mountain carrying the two tablets of Proofs, one in each hand... ¹⁶ And when I saw that you had sinned against Yahweh your God and made yourselves an idol – something that Yahweh had commanded you not to do – ¹⁷ I took the two tablets and threw them out of my hands and broke them there before you!

¹⁸ ‘Then I prayed and begged before the Lord (during another 40 days and 40 nights when I didn’t eat or drink anything), because of all your sins and the evil things that you did before Yahweh your God to anger Him.

¹⁹ ‘And [this time] I was really frightened, because He was so angry with you that He wanted to destroy all of you! However, Yahweh listened to me one more time.

²⁰ ‘He was also so angry with Aaron that He wanted to destroy him… So I also prayed for Aaron. ²¹ Then, because of your sins, I took that [gold] calf and burned it in a fire… I beat it down and ground it into dust, then I threw the dust into the brook that runs down the mountain!

²² ‘You also angered Yahweh at the Burning, at the Temptation, and at the Graveyard of the Greedy.

²³ ‘And when Yahweh sent you from KaDesh Barne and said:

‘Go and inherit the land that I am giving to you...’

‘...you disobeyed Yahweh your God again! You didn’t believe Him and you wouldn’t do what He told you to do!

²⁴ ‘You’ve disobeyed everything that Yahweh has said since the day that you first came to know Him!

²⁵ ‘So I prayed to Yahweh for 40 days and 40 nights… That’s how long I prayed to Yahweh, begging Him not to destroy you!

²⁶ ‘I prayed this to God:

‘O Lord,

‘King of gods,

‘Don’t destroy Your people… Your inheritance whom You purchased and whom You brought out of the land of Egypt with Your great power, strong hand, and mighty arm.

²⁷ ‘Remember Your servants AbraHam, IsaAc, and Jacob, to whom You swore an oath by Your [Name]. Don’t look at the hard hearts of these people, at their lack of respect, and at their sins... ²⁸ Otherwise, those who live in that land from which You carried us away will say,

‘Yahweh was unable to bring them into the land that He promised to them, because He didn’t care for them! So He carried them away from here just to kill them in the desert!’

²⁹ ‘But, these are Your people… Those whom You brought out of the land of Egypt with Your great strength, Your mighty hand, and Your mighty arm, because they’re Yours!’

Deuteronomy 10

←9 | All books | All chapters | 11→

¹ ‘Then the Lord said to me:

‘Cut two stone tablets for yourself just like the first ones; then come up here to Me on the mountain... Also make a wooden chest for yourself, ² [and I’ll] write the same words on these tablets that [I wrote] on the first tablets, and then you must put them into the chest.’

³ ‘So I made a chest from boards of durable wood, and I cut stone tablets that were like the first ones; then I climbed the mountain with the two tablets in my hands, ⁴ and there He wrote the Ten Commandments (which Yahweh spoke to you about from the midst of the fire on the mountain) on the tablets, the same as He did on the first ones, and then He gave them back to me.

⁵ ‘So I turned and came down the mountain, and I put the tablets into the chest that I had made, just as Yahweh commanded.

⁶ ‘Well from there, the children of IsraEl left BeerOth (of the sons of JaKim) and they traveled to MisadAi, where Aaron died and was buried, then his son EliEzer replaced him as the Priest.

⁷ ‘And after that, we left and headed to GadGad.

‘Then from GadGad [we went] to EteBatha, which is a land where there’s a lot of running water. ⁸ It was there that Yahweh assigned the tribe of Levi to carry the Chest of Yahweh’s Sacred Agreement and to stand before Yahweh to serve and praise His Name down to this day.

⁹ ‘And from that point on, the Levites were to have no part in the inheritance of their brothers; for He told them:

‘Yahweh is your inheritance.’

¹⁰ ‘Well, I stayed on the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights, and Yahweh listened to me and decided not to destroy you.

¹¹ ‘Then He told me:

‘Now, lead these people… Let them enter and inherit the land that I promised their ancestors that I’d give to them.’

¹² ‘So now, O IsraEl...

‘What does Yahweh your God require of you other than that you fear Him, walk in His paths, love Him, and serve Him with your whole hearts and souls?

¹³ ‘Therefore, you should obey the Commandments of your God Yahweh and follow all His rules that I’m telling you today, so that things will go well for you. ¹⁴ Look into the skies and into the heavens of heavens; for they, all the lands, and everything that’s in them belong to your God Yahweh.

¹⁵ ‘It’s Yahweh who chose your ancestors and their offspring (which includes you) over all the other nations, to be loved by Him. ¹⁶ So, circumcise the hardness from your hearts and don’t be [rebellious], ¹⁷ for Yahweh your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords!

‘He’s the great, strong, and terrifying God who doesn’t [show special] favor to anyone or accept bribes. ¹⁸ He brings justice to converts, orphans, and widows… Yes, He loves the converts and He provides them with food and clothing. ¹⁹ Therefore, you must also love the converts, since you were once [aliens] in the land of Egypt.

²⁰ ‘You must fear Yahweh your God… Serve Him, stick to Him, and swear your oaths by His Name! ²¹ He’s the One about whom you can boast, because He’s your God who did all these great and glorious things that you’ve seen while He’s been among you.

²² ‘Remember that there were only 75 people among your ancestors who went down to Egypt… But now Yahweh your God has made you like the stars in the skies in numbers!’

Deuteronomy 11

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¹ ‘So, you must love your God Yahweh and follow His decrees, laws, commandments, and decisions throughout your lives.

² ‘Now, recognize that I’m not [addressing] your children here today; those who don’t know, and haven’t seen, [things like] the discipline of your God Yahweh, or:

• His wonderful works, strong hand, mighty arm, ³ miracles, and the wonders that He performed before PharaOh (the king of Egypt) and upon his whole land, or...

• ⁴ What He did to the Egyptian army and their chariots and cavalry when He made the waters of the Red Sea cover them and destroy them as they were chasing us, or

• ⁵ All the things that He did for us in the desert as we were coming here, or

• ⁶ The things that he did to Dathan and AbiRam (the sons of EliAb and grandsons of ReuBen) when the ground opened her mouth and swallowed them, their families, their tents, and all their belongings there in the midst of all IsraEl.

⁷ ‘Rather, [I’m addressing you]! For it was your eyes which saw all these mighty deeds that Yahweh performed among us.

⁸ ‘As I’ve told you before...

‘You must keep all His Commandments so you can live, grow, and inherit the land across the JorDan ⁹ that’s flowing with milk and honey, and then live a long time on this land that Yahweh promised your ancestors that He’d give to them and to their offspring.

¹⁰ ‘For the land that you’re going to inherit isn’t like the land of Egypt that you left, where you planted the seeds and then watered them under your feet as in an herb garden... ¹¹ Rather, the land that you’re going to inherit is a land of mountains and plains; so it’ll drink its water from the skies! ¹² It’s a land that Yahweh your God will keep an eye on and watch over throughout the whole year.

¹³ ‘Now, if you’ll listen to all the Commandments that I’m telling you today and love and serve Yahweh your God with your whole hearts and souls, ¹⁴ He will bring the rains to your land (early rains and late rains in their seasons); you’ll have a full harvest of grain, wine, and oil; ¹⁵ and He will put food into the fields for your cattle.

‘But after you’re full and satisfied, ¹⁶ be careful not to allow your hearts to become proud and cause you to sin by worshiping and serving other gods!

¹⁷ ‘For if Yahweh becomes angry with you, He will bind up the skies and there won’t be any rain, the earth won’t produce its fruit, and you’ll soon be destroyed from the good land that Yahweh’s giving to you.

¹⁸ ‘Keep these words in your hearts and souls… Tie them on your hands as a sign, and keep them in front of your eyes, ¹⁹ then teach them to your children… Talk to your children about them while you’re sitting at home, while you’re walking along, before you go to sleep, and when you get up.

²⁰ ‘Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates, ²¹ so that your days and the days of your children will last a long time in the land that Yahweh swore to your ancestors that He would give to them for as long as the skies cover the ground.

²² ‘Now, if you’ll listen to all these Commandments that I’m telling you today, and you’ll love Yahweh your God, walk in all His ways, and stick close to Him... ²³ He will drive out all these nations that are before you and you’ll inherit nations that are greater and stronger than you are.

²⁴ ‘Then everywhere that the soles of your feet touch the ground will become yours, from the desert to the borders of Lebanon, and from the great River EuPhrates to the [MediTerranean] Sea… These will all be your borders.

²⁵ ‘Then no one will be able to oppose you, and your God Yahweh will put the fear and dread of you over all the ground that you walk on, just as He promised.

²⁶ ‘Look, I’m putting a blessing and a curse on you today.

²⁷ ‘The blessing will come if you listen to all the Commandments of your God Yahweh that I’m giving to you today... ²⁸ And the curse will come if you don’t listen to the Commandments of your God Yahweh that I’m giving to you today, so that you stray from the path that I’m setting out, and then start serving other gods whom you don’t know.

²⁹ ‘Now, after our God Yahweh has brought you into the land that you’re going to inherit, you must put the blessings on Mount GiriZim and the curses on Mount Ebal.

³⁰ ‘{Look!} These [mountains] are on the other side of the JorDan, to the west in the land of CanaAn near GolGol and the big oak tree.

³¹ ‘So, as you cross the JorDan to enter the land that Yahweh our God is giving you to live in and inherit throughout the rest of your lives, ³² pay attention and obey all His rules and decisions… All that I’m setting before you today!’

Deuteronomy 12

←11 | All books | All chapters | 13→

¹ ‘Now, these are the rules and decisions that you must be sure to follow in the land that Yahweh the God of your ancestors is giving to you as your inheritance and during the entire time that you’ll live in the land:

² ‘You must destroy all the places where they serve their gods, whether on high mountains, on hills, or under the trees. ³ You must destroy their altars, break their [sacred] columns into pieces, then cut down their sacred poles and burn the carved images of their gods with fire… You must erase their names from the land!

⁴ ‘However, you must never do that to [the Name of] your God.

⁵ ‘For your God Yahweh will choose one of your cities where He will put His Name… And that’s where He’ll call for you, and where you must go to search for Him.

⁶ ‘That’s where you’ll carry:

• Your whole burnt offerings,

• Your sacrifices,

• Your first fruitage,

• Your vow offerings,

• Your freewill offerings,

• Your thanksgiving offerings, and

• The firstborn of your herds and flocks.

⁷ ‘Then you must eat [the sacrifices] there before Yahweh your God, as you rejoice over all the things that Yahweh your God has touched and with which He’s blest you and your families.

⁸ ‘At that time, you won’t be doing the same things as we’re doing here today… Where every man does as he wishes. ⁹ For until now, you haven’t arrived at the resting place and the inheritance that Yahweh our God is giving to you. ¹⁰ But soon you’ll cross the JorDan to live in the land that Yahweh our God is taking as an inheritance for you. And soon He will provide you with rest from all your enemies round about you, and you’ll live in security.

¹¹ ‘So, there’s going to be a place where Yahweh your God will choose to be called by His Name. And it’s there that you must bring all the things that I’m telling you to bring today… Your whole burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the first fruitage of your hands, and any gifts that you choose to offer as a freewill vow to Yahweh your God.

¹² ‘And it’s there that you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites who live outside of your [city] gates (since they won’t have their own inheritance among you) must rejoice before Yahweh your God.

¹³ ‘So, pay attention to yourselves and make sure that you don’t offer your whole burnt offerings in just any place that you may see fit to choose… ¹⁴ Only in the place that Yahweh your God will choose from among one of your tribes! That’s [the only place] where you may offer your whole burnt offerings, and that’s where you must do all the things that I’m telling you today.’

[Editor note: Moses now begins to summarize and paraphrase the laws given earlier by God. The main subjects of these will be marked in bold. The story resumes in Deuteronomy 27:1.]

¹⁵ ‘Now, you may kill and eat any flesh (which has the blessings of your God Yahweh) that you may desire (such as male and female antelope) in any city that you may wish; both the clean and the unclean may eat it there.

¹⁶ ‘But – you may not eat its blood… You must pour it out on the ground like water!’

¹⁷ ‘And you may not eat any tithes of grain, wine, oil, or the firstborn of your herd or flock that you’ve offered as a vow, or as offerings of thanks, or as the first fruitage of your hands, in your own cities. ¹⁸ You, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the strangers who are staying inside your [city] gates may only eat such things before Yahweh your God in the place that He will choose for Himself; and it’s there that you must rejoice before Yahweh your God with whatever you’re bringing to Him.’

¹⁹ ‘Also, be sure that you never abandon the Levites for as long as you live on the ground!’

²⁰ ‘Now, when Yahweh your God enlarges your borders, as He told you He would do, and you desire to eat flesh, you may eat all the flesh that your soul desires.

²¹ ‘And if the place that Yahweh your God chooses for Himself (where His Name will be called) is far away from you; you may slaughter any [animals] from your herd or flock that God has given to you (just as I’ve told you), and you may eat as much of it as you want in your own cities.’

²² ‘Also, everyone among you may eat male and female antelope, whether you’re clean or unclean. ²³ Just make sure that you don’t eat any of their blood, because their blood is their life, and the life can’t be eaten with the flesh. ²⁴ You must not eat it… You must pour it out on the ground like water!

²⁵ ‘No, you must not eat it if you want things to go well for you and for your descendants. Always do what’s good and pleasing before Yahweh your God!’

²⁶ ‘But whenever you have holy things, you must take them and your vow offerings to the place where Yahweh your God will choose to put His Name. ²⁷ It’s there that you must sacrifice the flesh of your whole burnt offerings on the Altar of your God Yahweh.

‘The blood of your sacrifices must be poured out at the foot of the Altar of your God Yahweh, and then you may eat the flesh.’

²⁸ ‘Be careful!

‘Listen to and obey all the Commandments that I’m telling you, and then things will go well for you and for your descendants throughout the ages… That is, as long as you do all that’s pleasing and good before Yahweh your God.’

²⁹ ‘Now, after Yahweh your God destroys the nations where you’re going and you inherit their land and start living there, ³⁰ be careful not to become like them after you’ve destroyed them and then say:

‘How did those nations worship their gods? I think I’ll start doing the same thing!’

³¹ ‘No, don’t do this to your God!

‘For the things that they sacrifice to their gods are disgusting to Yahweh, and He hates those who offer their sons and daughters to their gods in fires!

³² ‘So, obey every word that I’m commanding you today, and don’t add anything to them or take anything away from them!’

Deuteronomy 13

←12 | All books | All chapters | 14→

¹ ‘And if a prophet or someone who [has visions] in dreams should arise among you and foretell a sign or a miracle, ² and the sign or miracle that he foretells comes true; and then he comes to you and says:

‘Let’s go and serve other gods...’

³ ‘Don’t listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer, because Yahweh your God may be testing you to find out whether you love your God with your whole heart and soul!

⁴ ‘Rather, you must follow Yahweh your God and fear Him! You must listen to His voice and trust in Him alone!

⁵ ‘Then that prophet or dreamer of dreams must be put to death for what he said in trying to make you turn from your God Yahweh who brought you out of the land of Egypt and purchased you from slavery, and for trying to lead you away from the direction that Yahweh your God has commanded you to walk.

‘So, you must remove any evil that’s among you!

⁶ ‘Even if your own brother (by your father or mother), your son or daughter, your beloved woman, or a friend whom you love as your own life should come to you and say:

‘Let’s go and serve gods that our ancestors haven’t known…’

⁷ ‘Or:

‘The gods of the nations that live around us…’

‘Or even:

‘Those at the ends of the earth...’

⁸ ‘...you must not agree with them or listen to them!

‘Then your eyes shouldn’t spare them and you mustn’t feel sorry for them or try to protect them in any way. ⁹ Rather, you must report them and you must be among the first to kill them, so that all the rest of the people don’t become involved in it.

¹⁰ ‘They must stone him with rocks until that person dies, because he’s tried to draw you away from Yahweh your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of slavery. ¹¹ And by doing this, all IsraEl will come to hear of it and be afraid to do such evil things among you.

¹² ‘Also, if you should hear people in one of the cities (which Yahweh God is giving you to live in) ¹³ say that evil men have caused all the inhabitants of a land to fall away by saying:

‘Let’s go and worship other gods!’

¹⁴ ‘You must ask about it and see if this is true. And {Look!} if it’s true and this disgusting thing has really happened among you, ¹⁵ you must destroy all those who live in that land with swords. Then you must pronounce the land and everything in it as cursed!

¹⁶ ‘You must take all its valuable things into the streets and burn the city and its things with fire before Yahweh your God, and it must remain uninhabited throughout the ages, never to be rebuilt.

¹⁷ ‘Don’t allow any of their cursed things to stick to your hands, so that Yahweh’s rage may be turned away from you and so that He may show mercy upon you.

‘He will care for you and cause you to grow, just as He swore to your ancestors that He’d do ¹⁸ if you’ll listen to the voice of your God Yahweh, keep His Commandments that I’m telling you today, and do everything that’s good and pleasing before Yahweh your God.’

Deuteronomy 14

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¹ ‘Because you’re the sons of your God Yahweh, you must not shave your heads when someone dies, ² since you’re a holy people to Yahweh your God and He’s chosen you as His alone from among all the nations on the face of the earth.’

³ ‘Also, you must not eat anything that’s disgusting.

⁴ ‘These are the animals that you may eat:

• From the herd, calves;

• From the flocks, lambs;

• From the goats, kids;

• ⁵ Male and female deer;

• Antelope;

• Wild goats;

• Wild sheep.

⁶ ‘You may eat all animals that have split hooves and chew the cud.’

⁷ ‘You may not eat these animals:

‘Those that chew the cud but don’t have split hoofs, such as camels, hares, and rabbits… They’re unclean because they chew the cud but they don’t have split hooves.

⁸ ‘And the same is true of pigs. They have split hooves, but they don’t chew the cud, so you must consider them unclean, and you may not eat their flesh or touch their dead bodies.

⁹ ‘You may eat anything that lives in the water and has fins and scales... ¹⁰ But anything that doesn’t have fins and scales must be considered unclean and may not be eaten.

¹¹ ‘You may eat all clean flying creatures. ¹² However, these are the ones that you may not eat:

• Eagles,

• Vultures,

• Ospreys,

• ¹³ Falcons

• Kites and the like,

• ¹⁴ Crows and the like,

• ¹⁵ Terns,

• Owls,

• Seagulls,

• ¹⁶ Herons,

• Swans,

• Storks,

• ¹⁷ Cormorants,

• Hawks and the like,

• Hoopoes,

• Ravens,

• ¹⁸ Pelicans,

• Diving birds,

• Red bills, and

• Bats.

¹⁹ ‘Also, you may not eat winged creatures that slither[, that is, insects], for they’re unclean.’

²⁰ ‘You may eat any sort of clean winged creatures, ²¹ but you may not eat anything that dies on its own. You may give them to people who are visiting in your cities and they can eat it, or you may sell it to strangers… But not you, for you’re a holy people to Yahweh your God.’

‘You must not boil a lamb in its mother’s milk.’

²² ‘You must bring 1/10th of all the grain and fruit of your fields as a tithe each year, ²³ and you must eat it in that place where Yahweh your God will choose to have His Name called. That’s where you must bring your tithes of grain, wine, oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks.

‘So, learn to always fear Yahweh your God!

²⁴ ‘Now, if the journey to that place where Yahweh your God will choose to have His Name called is too far for you, and you’re unable to take [your offerings] there because of the distance... ²⁵ Jehovah will bless you if you sell them for money and take the money to the place that Yahweh will choose. ²⁶ And there, you may use the money to buy whatever your soul desires, such as oxen, sheep, wine, liquor… Anything that your soul desires.

‘Then you must eat it there before Yahweh your God, and you and your family must rejoice ²⁷ along with the Levites who live in your cities. For since they won’t have a share in your inheritance, they’ll have nothing to bring.

²⁸ ‘You may store the tithes in your cities; but, every three years, you must bring them all! ²⁹ Then you must invite all the Levites and all the strangers, orphans, and widows in your cities (those who don’t have anything to bring) to come with you, and they may eat until they’re full.

‘Then Yahweh your God will bless you in everything that you do.’

Deuteronomy 15

←14 | All books | All chapters | 16→

¹ ‘Every 7 years you must cancel all debts… ² And these are the rules:

‘You must cancel any debts that your neighbor owes you personally, and you must not ask to have them paid back, because this is a cancellation [of debts] to Yahweh your God.

³ ‘You may ask strangers to pay whatever they owe you, but not your brothers… You must cancel their debts! ⁴ That way, there won’t be any poor people among you and Yahweh your God will surely bless you in the land that He’s giving to you as your inheritance.

⁵ ‘Now, if you listen to the voice of your God Yahweh and obey all these Commandments that I’m giving you today, ⁶ Jehovah your God will bless you (as He told you), and then you’ll lend to many nations. However, you must never borrow from them, nor may you rule over them… But then, they won’t rule over you either.

⁷ ‘If you find a poor man among your brothers in your city in that land which Yahweh your God is giving to you, you must not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted with your brother who’s in need… ⁸ You must reach out to him and lend him as much as he needs!

⁹ ‘Now, be careful not to secretly say in your hearts:

‘The 7th year (the Year of Release) is getting close!’

‘...then allow your eyes to look wickedly at your brother who’s in need and not lend him anything. For then he’ll call out to Yahweh about you, and you’ll be guilty of a serious sin!

¹⁰ So, you must be sure to lend Him as much as he needs with no grudge in your hearts. For, because of your good deeds, Yahweh your God will bless everything that you do and everything that you touch.

¹¹ ‘There’ll always be poor people in your land, and that’s why I’m telling you to do this. You must reach out to your poor brothers and to anyone who’s having a hard time in your land.’

¹² ‘And if your brother (a Hebrew man or woman) should be sold to you, he may serve you for 6 years; but in the 7th year, you must set him free. ¹³ And when you set him free, don’t send him away empty-handed!

¹⁴ ‘You must give him provisions from your flock, from your grain, and from your wine… As Yahweh your God has blest you, that’s how you must treat him! ¹⁵ Don’t forget that you were once slaves in the land of Egypt before Yahweh your God brought you out of there… That’s why I’m telling you to do this!

¹⁶ ‘However, if [the slave] should tell you that he doesn’t want to leave you because he loves you and your family... If you approve of this, ¹⁷ you must take an awl and punch a hole through his ear against the door. Then he will be your servant throughout the age… And female servants should be dealt with in the same way.

¹⁸ ‘[None of] this will create hardship for you.

‘For even though such people will only serve you for 6 years as hired hands, Yahweh your God will bless you in everything that you do.’

¹⁹ ‘Now, when it comes to the firstborn among your oxen and sheep, you must offer the males as holy to Yahweh your God. You may not work a firstborn calf, and you may not shear a firstborn sheep.

²⁰ ‘You and your household must eat them before Yahweh each year in the place that Yahweh your God will choose. ²¹ However, if it’s lame, or blind, or deformed, you must not sacrifice it to Yahweh your God.

²² ‘Both the clean and the unclean among you may eat it in your cities, the same as you’d a male or female deer. ²³ But you must not eat its blood… You must pour it out on the ground like water!’

Deuteronomy 16

←15 | All books | All chapters | 17→

¹ ‘You must celebrate the month of New Grain and sacrifice the Passover to Yahweh your God, because that’s the month when you left Egypt during the night.

² ‘You must sacrifice your Passover sheep and oxen in that place where Yahweh your God will select to have His Name called, ³ and you may not eat bread that’s fermenting for 7 days. You may only eat fermentation-free bread, which is the bread of hard times, because you left Egypt in a hurry.

‘You must remember the day when you left the land of Egypt for as long as you live.

⁴ ‘Fermentation must not be seen anywhere inside your borders for 7 days, and none of the flesh that you sacrifice in the evening may be left over until the next morning. ⁵ Nor are you allowed to sacrifice the Passover in just any of the cities that Yahweh your God is giving to you.

‘⁶ The Passover may not be sacrificed anywhere other than in the place that Yahweh your God will choose to have His Name called, in the evening, after sunset… Which is the day that you left Egypt.

⁷ ‘You must boil or roast [the meat] and then eat it in the place that Yahweh your God will choose; and then you should go back to your homes the next morning!

⁸ ‘You must eat fermentation-free bread for 6 days, and then the 7th day is to be a holiday and a feast to Yahweh your God, during which you may not do any work other than that which is common to everyone.

⁹ ‘Then, start counting off 7 weeks from the time that you first cut the grain with a sickle, ¹⁰ and you must celebrate the Festival of Weeks (Pentecost) to Yahweh your God with as much strength and with as many things as Yahweh your God has given to you.

¹¹ ‘You must rejoice before Yahweh your God with your sons and daughters, with your male and female servants, and with the Levites, strangers, orphans, and widows that live among you in that place where Yahweh your God will choose to have His Name called.

¹² ‘For you must show that you remember the [time] when you were slaves in the land of Egypt by doing all these things and by obeying these Commandments.

¹³ ‘You must also celebrate the Festival of Temporary Dwellings for 7 days, after you’ve stored away your grain and made your wine. ¹⁴ Then you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites, strangers, orphans, and widows in your cities should rejoice.

¹⁵ ‘You must hold a feast to Yahweh your God for 7 days in the place that Yahweh your God will choose for Himself. And you must rejoice over all the harvest that Yahweh your God has blest you with, and for all the things that you’ve accomplished.’

¹⁶ ‘All your males must appear before Yahweh your God three times each year in the place that Yahweh will choose, for these festivals:

• The Festival of Fermentation-free Bread,

• The Festival of Weeks, and

• The Festival of Temporary Dwellings.

‘And don’t appear before Yahweh your God empty handed! ¹⁷ Each one must bring whatever he can, as Yahweh your God has blest him.’

¹⁸ ‘You must appoint judges and officials in the cities that Yahweh your God is giving to each of your tribes, and they must judge the people righteously... ¹⁹ They must not be unfair, show anyone special favor, or accept gifts, because gifts blind the eyes of the wise and twist the words of the righteous.

²⁰ ‘You must always work at being just, so you may live and inherit the land that Yahweh your God is giving to you.’

²¹ ‘You must never erect poles or plant any trees for yourselves near the Altar of your God, ²² nor may you erect sacred columns for yourselves, because Yahweh your God hates such things!’

Deuteronomy 17

←16 | All books | All chapters | 18→

¹ ‘You must not sacrifice a calf or a sheep to Yahweh your God that’s scarred or deformed in any way, for that would be disgusting to Yahweh your God.’

² ‘And if a man or a woman should ever be found among you (in any of the cities that Yahweh your God is giving to you) who chooses to do what’s evil before Yahweh and sins against His Sacred Agreement ³ by going and serving other gods, or by worshiping the sun, moon, or any of the stars in the skies (something that He’s commanded you not to do), ⁴ and someone tells you about it...

‘You must inquire about it and investigate to see if this disgusting thing has really happened in IsraEl. ⁵ [If so], you must bring that man or woman outside [the city] and stone them to death with rocks.

⁶ ‘The person must be put to death if there are two or three witnesses to testify against him. But, no one should be put to death on the testimony of just one witness.

⁷ ‘And then, those who testify against him must be the first to put them to death… They must [throw their rocks] in front of the rest, and you must remove the evil person from among yourselves.’

⁸ ‘Now, whenever a matter is too difficult for you to judge in your cities (as between blood and blood, cause and cause, stroke and stroke, and contradiction and contradiction)... ⁹ You must take the matter before the Levite priests who’ll then be at the place which Yahweh your God will choose, and they must judge the case.

‘They must perform their own investigation and then report their findings to you, ¹⁰ and you must do whatever they’ve decided in the place that Yahweh your God will choose.

‘You must be sure to do whatever the Law tells you to do.

¹¹ ‘Yes, you must always follow the Law and abide by any judgments that are handed down. Don’t deviate to the right or to the left from any of the decisions that are reached.

¹² ‘For any man who acts so haughtily that he won’t listen to the Priests who stand and serve in the Name of your God Yahweh or to a presiding judge, must be put to death.

‘You must remove that evil person from IsraEl, ¹³ so that everyone who hears about it will thereafter be afraid to show so little respect in the future!’

¹⁴ ‘And when you enter the land that Yahweh your God is giving to you (after you’ve inherited it and are living there), and you decide that you want a king to rule over you like the other nations around you...

¹⁵ ‘He must be chosen by Yahweh your God.

‘Kings may only be selected from among your brothers...

So, don’t empower yourselves to select a king who isn’t a brother.

¹⁶ ‘[And no king should] accumulate horses for himself, nor may he send [My] people back to Egypt! He may [decide to] do this if he starts collecting horses for himself… But Yahweh has told you not to go back there again!

¹⁷ ‘Nor may he start accumulating many women for himself, for they’ll change his heart… And he shouldn’t collect a lot of silver and gold for himself.’

¹⁸ ‘And when [such kingships] are established and they start to rule, the [kings] must each write their own copy of these Laws in a scroll with the help of the Levite priests.

¹⁹ ‘Thereafter, they must keep [the scroll] and read from it all the days of their lives, so they’ll learn to fear Yahweh their God and keep and observe all these Commandments and rules.

²⁰ ‘By doing this, they won’t consider themselves more important than their brothers in their hearts, nor will they swerve to the right or to the left of the Commandments, so that they and their sons will continue to reign for a long time in their land among the children of IsraEl.’

Deuteronomy 18

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¹ ‘None of the Priests, including the whole tribe of Levi, will have any inheritance in IsraEl, because the burnt offerings of Yahweh are their inheritance and their food.

² ‘They’ll have no inheritance among their brothers, because Yahweh is their portion, just as He told them.

³ ‘The Priests will get the things that the people offer as sacrifices, such as [a portion of] the calves and sheep (the shoulder, cheeks, and bellies), ⁴ and the first-fruitage of your grain, your wine, your oil, and the fleece from your sheep... ⁵ Because, Yahweh has chosen them from among all your tribes to stand before Yahweh your God to serve and praise His Name on behalf of His sons, the children of IsraEl.’

⁶ ‘Also, if a Levite is living in any of the cities of the children of IsraEl (for he can live wherever he chooses), ⁷ he must serve the Name of His God Yahweh.

‘And he and all His brothers (the Levites who stand before Yahweh your God) ⁸ must still be given their portion… Even if they’ve inherited any proceeds from property that was left to them by their fathers, which they’ve chosen to sell.’

⁹ ‘And once you’ve entered the land that Yahweh your God is giving to you, you must not learn [any of] the disgusting things that those nations are doing, such as:

• ¹⁰ Offering their sons or daughters in fire,

• Using occult powers to tell the future,

• Looking for omens,

• ¹¹ Serving as witches,

• Speaking incantations,

• Consulting spirits to tell the future,

• Looking for signs, and

• Asking [questions of] the dead.

¹² ‘For, throughout the ages, those who’ve done such things have been disgusting to Yahweh your God!

‘And if you do such disgusting things, Yahweh will destroy you from before His face… ¹³ You must be perfect before Yahweh your God! ¹⁴ So, although all those nations whose land you’ll inherit have paid attention to omens and [followed] occult practices, Yahweh your God doesn’t allow you to do that!’

¹⁵ ‘Then Yahweh your God will raise a Prophet like me from among your brothers, and you must listen to him.

¹⁶ ‘Remember that, after you’d received everything you desired from Yahweh your God in the dry place (Horeb), the whole gathering said:

‘We don’t want to listen to the voice of your God Yahweh again or to see His great fire, so we won’t die!’

¹⁷ And then the Lord said to me:

‘What they’re saying is good; ¹⁸ so, I’ll raise a Prophet like you from among their brothers, and I’ll put My words into his mouth and he will tell them whatever I command him to say… ¹⁹ ‘Then I’ll bring My vengeance upon anyone who doesn’t listen to what that Prophet says in My name.

²⁰ ‘But, any prophet that uses My Name in an irreverent way by saying things that I didn’t tell him to say, or speaks in the name of other gods, must die!’

²¹ ‘Now, if you ever start wondering in your hearts which words weren’t said by Yahweh, ²² [remember that] anything a prophet says in the Name of the Lord that doesn’t come true, is something that wasn’t said by Yahweh…

‘So that prophet has spoken wickedly! Don’t have anything to do with him!’

Deuteronomy 19

←18 | All books | All chapters | 20→

¹ ‘And when Yahweh your God has destroyed the nations that He’s giving to you, along with their lands, cities, and houses that you’ll inherit and live in, ² you must set aside three cities in the midst of the land that Yahweh your God is giving to you... ³ Perform a survey and divide the borders of your land into three parts, [then assign central cities as] places of refuge for those who’ve [unintentionally] killed someone.

⁴ ‘And this is the rule:

‘Those who are guilty of manslaughter (anyone who’s accidentally struck his neighbor; someone whom he’s never disliked) may run to [one of these cities] and stay there.

⁵ ‘For example:

‘If someone should go into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and his ax head flies off its handle and hits his neighbor, killing him... He must then flee to one of these cities and live there, ⁶ so that the angry blood avenger doesn’t chase him down and kill him (because he isn’t worthy of death, since he hasn’t hated his [neighbor] in the past)…

But, that’s what will happen if [the refuge cities] are too far away.

⁷ ‘This is why I’m telling you to set these three cities aside!’

⁸ ‘And if Yahweh enlarges your borders (as He promised your ancestors that He would do), and if He gives you all the land that He said He would give to you, ⁹ you must obey these Commandments that I’m giving to you today.

‘[Since you must] love Yahweh your God and always walk in His ways, you must choose three cities within your borders, ¹⁰ so that the blood of those who are innocent won’t be spilled in the land that Yahweh your God is giving to you as your inheritance, and none of you will ever be found guilty of [spilling innocent] blood.’

¹¹ ‘However, if someone truly hates his neighbor and lies in wait for him, then sneaks up and kills him, and he thereafter flees to one of these cities, ¹² the local elders must hand him over to the blood avenger, who must kill him.

¹³ ‘Don’t feel sorry for him, because you must cleanse the [spilled] innocent blood from IsraEl, so that things may go well for you.’

¹⁴ ‘Also, don’t move your neighbor’s property markers that were set by your ancestors as their inheritance… Those who’ll be assigned to you in the land that Yahweh your God is giving to you as your inheritance.’

¹⁵ ‘In addition:

‘The testimony of a single witness may never be used against a person for any sins that he may commit… It requires two or three witnesses to prove anything.’

¹⁶ ‘And if someone brings a charge against a person [that can’t be proven], ¹⁷ both people in the controversy must stand before Yahweh and before the priests or judges in those days.

¹⁸ ‘Then the judges must seriously investigate the matter to see if the person has brought a false charge against his brother... ¹⁹ And if he has – you must do the same wicked thing that he wanted to do to his brother, to him!

‘You must remove the evil from among yourselves, ²⁰ so that the rest will hear about it and be afraid to do such bad things among you.

²¹ ‘Don’t forgive this person…

‘It must be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot!’

Deuteronomy 20

←19 | All books | All chapters | 21→

¹ ‘And when you go to war against your enemies and find that they have a larger army and more horsemen than you do, don’t be afraid of them, for Yahweh your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt will be with you!

² ‘But, before you go out to fight, the Priests must come and speak to the people, and tell them this:

³ ‘Listen, O IsraEl!

‘Today you’re going to fight against your enemies, so you must be courageous!

‘Don’t be afraid, don’t get confused, and don’t retreat, ⁴ because Yahweh your God is with you and He will fight against your enemies and save you!’

⁵ ‘The scribes must also speak to the people and say:

‘If any man has built a new house and he hasn’t consecrated it yet, he should go back home. For he might die in the war, and then someone else would be able to consecrate it.

⁶ ‘And any man who’s planted a vineyard and not yet [enjoyed its wine] should go back home. For he might die in the battle and then someone else would get to enjoy it.

⁷ ‘Also, if any man is engaged [to marry] and he’s not yet taken his woman, he should go back home. For he might die in the battle and then someone else would take her.’

⁸ ‘The scribes should also say to the people:

‘If there’s any man who isn’t [brave] and is afraid, he too should go back home, so his fear doesn’t discourage his brothers.’

⁹ ‘And after the scribes have finished speaking to the people, they must appoint generals over the army to lead them.’

¹⁰ ‘Now, whenever you approach a city (before you go to battle against them) you must call out to them peacefully. ¹¹ And if they answer you peacefully and open [their gates] to you, all the people who are found there must become your subjects and serve you.

¹² ‘But if they don’t listen to you and they choose to fight a war against you, then you must [lay siege to the city] ¹³ until Yahweh your God gives it into your hands. And thereafter, you must kill all the men with swords.

¹⁴ ‘You may spare the women, their possessions, all their cattle, and anything else that’s in that city… You may loot it and take whatever you wish and eat whatever your enemies may have, because Yahweh your God has given it to you.

¹⁵ ‘Now, that’s what you must do to the distant cities, but not to the cities of these nations that Yahweh your God is giving to you and whose land you’ll inherit... ¹⁶ You must not leave anything alive there!

¹⁷ ‘You must curse the:

• Hittites,

• Amorites,

• CanaAnites,

• Pherezites,

• Evites,

• Jebusites, and

• Gergesites...

‘...just as Yahweh your God has commanded you, ¹⁸ so that they don’t teach you to do all the disgusting things that they’re doing before their gods and cause you to sin before Yahweh your God.’

¹⁹ ‘And whenever you lay siege to a city and you don’t succeed in capturing it right away, you must not cut down and destroy any of its [fruit] trees.

‘Rather, [pick the fruit] and eat it… For the trees in the fields aren’t men who must be cut down to capture [the city].

²⁰ ‘However, you must cut down and destroy any trees that you know aren’t fruit bearing, and then use them to build a mound against the [walls] of the city that has chosen to battle with you, until it’s captured.’

Deuteronomy 21

←20 | All books | All chapters | 22→

¹ ‘If anyone is found murdered with a knife and [his body is] left in a field in the land that Yahweh your God is giving to you as an inheritance, and no one knows who did it... ² Your elders and judges must go there and measure the distances from the slain man to the cities round about.

³ ‘Then, from whichever city is nearest to him, the elders of that city must choose a heifer from the herd that has never worn a yoke or been worked, ⁴ and lead it into a valley that has never been tilled or planted, and you must slaughter the heifer there.

⁵ ‘Thereafter, the Levite priests must go there (because they’re the ones whom Yahweh has chosen to represent Him and to praise His Name), and whatever they decide must stand.

⁶ ‘Thereafter, all the elders of the city that went out to the murdered man must wash their hands over the head of the heifer that was slaughtered in the valley and say:

⁷ ‘Our hands didn’t shed this blood and our eyes didn’t witness it.’

⁸ ‘So, please be merciful to Your people IsraEl whom You have redeemed, O Lord, so that Your people IsraEl aren’t held responsible for this innocent blood.’

‘And by doing this, the blood will have been paid for by them. ⁹ For you must remove all innocent blood from among yourselves if you wish to do what’s good and pleasing before Yahweh your God.’

¹⁰ ‘And when you’re going to fight a war against your enemies and Yahweh your God allows you to conquer them and carry away loot, ¹¹ and if you then notice a woman with a pretty face among the captives whom you wish to take as your woman...

¹² ‘When you bring her home, you must shave her head, cut her nails, ¹³ and remove all the clothes that she was wearing when she was captured.

‘Thereafter, she must be allowed to mourn for her father and mother in your home for a month. And only after that may you have sex with her, live with her, and take her as your woman.

¹⁴ ‘But if you thereafter find that you’re unhappy with her, you must then send her away free… She can’t be sold, nor may you mistreat her, because you’ve dishonored her!’

¹⁵ ‘Also, if a man has two women and he loves one and doesn’t care as much for the other, and both women have given birth and the son of the one he cares for less is the firstborn...

¹⁶ ‘When he divides his property among his sons as their inheritance, he may not give the rights of the firstborn to the son of the woman whom he loves more! ¹⁷ He must recognize the rights of the firstborn and give him twice as much of the things he owns, because he’s the first of his children, and he owns that birthright.’

¹⁸ ‘Now, if any man has a son who’s disobedient, likes to argue, and refuses to obey his father and mother or to listen when they correct him...

¹⁹ ‘They must take him before the elders at their city gate ²⁰ and tell them:

‘This is our disobedient son. He won’t listen to us and he’s become a drunk and a partier!’

²¹ ‘Then the men of the city must stone him to death with rocks; for you must remove those who are evil from among yourselves, so that the rest will hear about it and fear.’

²² ‘And if someone sins and is sentenced to death, and you choose to execute him by hanging him on a tree...

²³ ‘Don’t allow his body to remain on the tree overnight. You must bury it on that same day.

‘Because, throughout the ages, anyone who’s hanged on a tree is cursed before God, and you must not [allow his body to] dirty the land that Yahweh your God is giving to you as your inheritance.’

Deuteronomy 22

←21 | All books | All chapters | 23→

¹ ‘Whenever you see your brother’s calf or sheep wandering loose in the road, don’t just pass it by; rather, you must lead it back to your brother and give it to him.

² ‘However, if your brother doesn’t live near you and you don’t know [who owns the animal], you must take it home with you and keep it until your brother comes searching for it, and then you must give it back to him.

³ ‘That’s what you must do for his burro, his clothing, or anything else that your brother may have lost… Don’t overlook anything!

⁴ ‘And if you see your brother’s burro or ox fallen on the road, don’t just pass it by; be sure to help him get it back on its feet.’

⁵ ‘A woman should never wear men’s clothing, nor should a man ever wear women’s clothing. For, throughout the ages, such a thing has been considered disgusting by Yahweh your God.’

⁶ ‘And if you should find a bird’s nest where the bird is brooding eggs or chicks in the road, or in a tree, or on the ground, you must not take the nest with its young.

⁷ ‘You may take the [eggs], but you must let the mother go, so things will go well for you and so that you may have a long life.’

⁸ ‘Whenever you build a new house, you must build a wall around [the roof] to keep anyone from falling from it, so you don’t bring the guilt of someone’s blood upon your home.’

⁹ ‘You must not plant different types of seeds in your vineyard; for the [plants] could [cross-pollinate] and make your vineyard unholy.’

¹⁰ ‘You must not hitch an ox and a burro together to [pull] the same plow.’

¹¹ ‘You must not wear clothing made of both linen and wool.’

¹² ‘You must put twisted fringes on all four sides of your viel covering, no matter how you may dress yourselves.’

¹³ ‘If any man should take a woman that he comes to dislike after he’s lived with her, ¹⁴ and then he starts saying bad things about her and calling her bad names, saying:

‘When I took this woman and had sex with her, she didn’t prove to be a virgin!’

¹⁵ ‘Her father and mother must bring the girl’s proof of virginity to the elders at the city gate, ¹⁶ and the girl’s father should tell the elders:

‘I gave my daughter to be this man’s woman, ¹⁷ and now he no longer cares for her and he’s saying that he found no indication of my daughter’s virginity. But here’s the proof...’

‘And he must unfold the sheet with her [blood] before the city’s elders.

¹⁸ ‘[If he can do this], the elders of that city must take the man and discipline him, ¹⁹ then fine him 100 small silver coins and give it to the girl’s father for slandering the name of a virgin of IsraEl.

‘Thereafter, she must continue to be his woman and he may never divorce her.

²⁰ ‘However, if what he says proves to be true and no proof of the girl’s virginity can be found... ²¹ They must take her in front of her father’s house and stone her to death with rocks, because she has dishonored the children of IsraEl and the house of her father by her immorality.

‘You must remove the evil person from among yourselves!’

²² ‘Also, if [you find] a man having sex with another man’s woman, you must kill both the man and the woman…

‘You must remove those who are wicked from IsraEl!’

²³ ‘And if a young woman is already engaged to a man and another man in the city has sex with her, ²⁴ you must take both of them outside the city gate and stone them to death with rocks… Her, because she didn’t scream, and him, because he dishonored the woman of his neighbor.

‘You must remove the evil ones from among yourselves!’

²⁵ ‘However, if a man catches an engaged woman out in a field and uses force to have sex with her, you must put the man who did this to death, ²⁶ since, the woman hasn’t committed a sin for which she should be killed.

‘Something like this is just as serious as when one man murders another, ²⁷ because he found an engaged woman out in the field who screamed, but no one was around to help her.’

²⁸ ‘And if any man should use force on a young virgin who isn’t engaged and has sex with her, and this can be proven, ²⁹ the man who assaulted her must pay her father 50 silver coins, then he must marry her and never be allowed to divorce her, because he dishonored her.

³⁰ ‘Also, no man may lay his father bare by having sex with his father’s woman.’

Deuteronomy 23

←22 | All books | All chapters | 24→

¹ ‘No man who’s been castrated, or whose sexual parts have been damaged, ² or any son of a whore may enter the gathering of Yahweh.’

³ ‘AmMonites and MoAbites may not enter the gathering of Yahweh… Not through the 10th generation or throughout the ages, ⁴ because they didn’t meet you and bring you bread and water as you were coming from Egypt, and because they hired BalaAm son of BeOr from MesoPotamia to curse you.

⁵ ‘Yahweh your God didn’t listen to BalaAm and He changed the curses into blessings, because He loved you.

⁶ ‘So, you must not speak to them in peace or for profit for as long as you live, and throughout the ages.’

⁷ ‘You must not hate Edomites, because they’re your brothers; and you must not hate Egyptians, because you were once strangers in their land.

⁸ ‘So, their 3rd-generation sons may enter the gathering of Yahweh.’

⁹ ‘Also, whenever you go out to fight with your enemies, you must refrain from doing anything that’s wicked.’

¹⁰ ‘If any man happens to be unclean because of a release [of semen] during the night, he must leave the camp, or not return to it. ¹¹ Then that evening, he must wash his body in water and return to the camp after sundown.

¹² ‘So, you must set aside a place outside of the camp where [the unclean] may go.’

¹³ ‘And [each of] you must carry a spade in your belts, so that when you need to relieve yourselves somewhere [outside of the camp], you may use it to dig [a hole] in the ground and then cover your excrement.

¹⁴ ‘[You must do this] because Yahweh your God walks in your camp to save you and to give your enemies [into your hands]; therefore, your camp must be holy and nothing disgusting may be seen that will make Him turn away from you!’

¹⁵ ‘You must not return a slave to his master after he has run away and come to serve you. ¹⁶ He must live with you and among you, and you must not mistreat him for as long as he continues to please you.’

¹⁷ ‘There may be no whores among the daughters of IsraEl, nor may there be any [men] among the sons of IsraEl who are whoremongers.’

‘There may be no idol worshipers among the daughters of IsraEl or among the sons of IsraEl.’

¹⁸ ‘You may not bring the wages of a prostitute or the price of a ‘dog’ into the House of your God Yahweh to pay any vow, because these things are disgusting to Yahweh.’

¹⁹ ‘You must not charge your brother interest for borrowing silver, or meat, or anything else that you may lend to him.

²⁰ ‘You may charge interest on loans to strangers, but not to your brothers, so that Yahweh your God will bless everything you do in this land that you’re entering and will inherit.’

²¹ ‘Whenever you swear an oath to your God Yahweh, you must be quick about paying it, because your God requires that you do this... And if you don’t, this will be held as a sin against you!

²² ‘If you’re unwilling to offer anything, that isn’t a sin. ²³ But whatever you vow to offer as a gift to Yahweh God must be [paid] as promised.’

Deuteronomy 24

←23 | All books | All chapters | 25→

¹ ‘If you take a woman and live with her, and then find that you don’t care for her because of some indecent thing that she’s done, you may write out a divorce certificate and put it into her hands, then send her away from your home.

² ‘And after leaving, if she becomes another man’s woman ³ and he also finds that he dislikes her and writes a certificate of divorce and puts it into her hands and sends her out of his home, or if this last man who took her as his woman should die... ⁴ The former husband may not take her back after she’s been defiled. For that’s a disgusting thing before Yahweh your God.

‘You must not dirty the land that Yahweh your God is giving to you as your inheritance.

⁵ ‘And whenever a man has recently married, he must not go to war, nor may anyone require him to do so. Rather, he must live free in his house for 1 year as a joy to the woman whom he’s taken.

⁶ ‘You may not take another man’s millstone as collateral for a loan, because those who do this are requiring a life as part of the agreement.

⁷ ‘Any man who’s caught kidnapping and selling one of his brothers of the children of IsraEl must die… You must remove those who are evil from among yourselves.’

⁸ ‘Pay special attention when it comes to the plague of leprosy… You must be very careful to obey all the laws that the Levite priests may give you and you must do as I’ve instructed you.

⁹ ‘For, remember all that Yahweh your God did to MiriAm while you were traveling from Egypt!

¹⁰ ‘If your neighbor owes you a debt (no matter what kind), you may not enter his house to collect it! ¹¹ You must stand outside, and the man who owes you the debt should bring it out to you.

¹² ‘However, if the man is too poor [to pay it]; you may not go to sleep while you’re holding the thing that he pledged [as collateral]. ¹³ You must return it before sunset, so he can sleep in his clothes… Then he will praise you, and Yahweh your God will be merciful to you.

¹⁴ ‘You must not be unfair and withhold the wages of those who are poor and needy among your brothers, or [the wages] of strangers who come to live in your cities.

¹⁵ ‘You must pay them their wages on the same day [that they do the work]… Don’t allow the sun to set before [paying them], because they’re poor and they need it... For if you do, they’ll call out to Yahweh about you, and this will be a sin for you.

¹⁶ ‘Fathers shouldn’t be put to death for what their children may do, nor may sons be put to death for what their fathers may do.

‘Rather, each person must be put to death for his own sins.

¹⁷ ‘You must not be unjust to strangers, orphans, or widows; and you must never take a widow’s clothing as collateral. ¹⁸ For, remember that you were once slaves in the land of Egypt, and Yahweh your God bought you out of there.

‘So, do what I’m telling you to do!

¹⁹ ‘And when you’re harvesting the grain in your fields and you realize that you’ve missed some, you must not return to get it.

‘Such things must be left for the strangers, orphans, and widows, so that Yahweh your God will bless you in everything you do.

²⁰ ‘And when you’re picking your olives, you must not go back and pick them all… Some must be left for the strangers, orphans, and widows.

‘Don’t forget that you were once slaves in the land of Egypt, so I’m commanding you to do this!

²¹ ‘And whenever you pick the grapes in your vineyard, you must not glean everything... Rather, you must leave some for the strangers, orphans, and widows.

²² ‘Don’t forget that you were once slaves in the land of Egypt, so I’m commanding you to do this!’

Deuteronomy 25

←24 | All books | All chapters | 26→

¹ ‘Whenever there’s a dispute between two men, they should carry it to the judges and allow them to decide who’s right and who’s guilty.

² ‘And if the guilty one is sentenced to be beaten with a whip, he must be held down in front of the judges and they must have him whipped there before them for his sin... ³ However, they must not have him lashed more than 40 times; for if you whip your brother more than that, he will be disgraced.

⁴ ‘You must not muzzle the ox that [is used to] thresh the grain.

⁵ ‘If brothers should live together and one of them dies without producing an offspring, his woman may not marry someone who isn’t related to her husband. Rather, her husband’s brother must go and take her as his woman and live with her.

⁶ ‘Then, any children whom she gives birth to thereafter will carry her deceased husband’s name, so his name won’t be blotted out of IsraEl.

⁷ ‘However, if the man isn’t willing to take his brother’s woman, she should go to the elders at the [city] gate and say:

‘My husband’s brother has refused to keep my husband’s name alive in IsraEl.’

⁸ ‘Then the city elders should call him and make him stand before them and tell them why he refuses to take her. ⁹ And thereafter, his brother’s woman must come up before the elders and remove one shoe from his foot, then spit in his face and say:

‘This is how they treat the man who won’t build his brother’s house in IsraEl.’

¹⁰ ‘And from then on, everyone in IsraEl must speak of his house as being, The house of the man whose shoe was removed.

¹¹ ‘Also, if a man gets into a fight with a brother and then one of his women should come and try to stop the other man from beating her husband by grabbing him by the testicles, ¹² you must cut off her hand… Don’t allow your eyes [to feel sorry for] her!

¹³ ‘You must not carry [dishonestly] oversized and undersized weights in your bag, ¹⁴ nor may you keep oversized and undersized units of measure in your house.

¹⁵ ‘You must have accurate weights and units of measure, so that you may live a long time in the land that Yahweh your God is giving to you as your inheritance.

¹⁶ ‘For, throughout the ages, all who have done such unrighteous things have been disgusting to Yahweh your God.

¹⁷ ‘Don’t forget what the AmaLechites did to you as you were traveling from the land of Egypt... ¹⁸ For they got in your way and harassed those who were worn out at your rear, leaving you hungry and tired, and they didn’t fear God.

¹⁹ ‘So, when Yahweh your God finally provides you rest from your enemies in the land that He’s giving you to inherit, you must wipe the name of the AmaLechites out from under the skies…

‘Don’t forget to do this!’

Deuteronomy 26

←25 | All books | All chapters | 27→

¹ ‘Once you’ve entered the land that Yahweh your God is giving to you as your inheritance and you’ve each received your individual inheritance and started living there, ² you must collect the first fruitage [from the harvest] in the land that He’s giving to you and put it into a basket, then carry it to the place where Yahweh your God will choose to have His Name called.

³ ‘And when you bring it to the Priest (whomever it may be then), you must say to him:

‘I’m testifying before My God Yahweh today, that I’ve come to this land which the Lord swore to our ancestors that He would give to us.’

⁴ ‘Then the Priest must take the basket from your hands and set it before the Altar of your God Yahweh, ⁵ and you must say this before Yahweh:

‘A small group of my ancestors (who came from Syria) went down to Egypt and stayed there, where they grew into a large number and a mighty nation... ⁶ But the Egyptians made life difficult for us, humiliated us, and put us to work at hard labor.

⁷ ‘However, when we called out to Yahweh our God, He heard us. And when He saw our humiliation, our hardships, and how hard we were working, ⁸ He brought us out of Egypt with His great strength, strong hand, and mighty arm through great miracles, signs, and wonders.

⁹ ‘Then He brought us into this place and gave us this land… A land flowing with milk and honey!

¹⁰ ‘So now {Look!} I’m bringing the first fruits of the land that You gave to us, O Lord, from this land that flows with milk and honey.’

‘Then you must leave [the basket there] before Yahweh your God and bow low before Him, ¹¹ as you rejoice over all the good things that Yahweh your God has given to you, to your family, and to the Levites and strangers that are living among you.

¹² ‘And in the 3rd year, after you’ve brought in all the tithes of your harvest, you must bring a second tithe for the Levites, strangers, orphans, and widows, so that they may eat it and enjoy themselves in your cities.

¹³ ‘At that time, you must come before Yahweh your God and say this:

‘I’ve collected a full measure of the holy things from my home and given them to the Levites, strangers, orphans, and widows, just as You commanded. I didn’t sin against Your Commandments and I didn’t forget them, ¹⁴ nor did I eat any of it during difficult times, or use it for any unclean purpose, or offer it to the dead.

‘I’ve listened to the voice of our God Yahweh, and I’ve done just as He commanded me.

¹⁵ ‘So now, look down from your Holy House in the heavens and bless Your people IsraEl, as well as this land that flows with milk and honey, which You swore to our ancestors that You’d give to us.’

¹⁶ ‘Yes, today Yahweh your God is instructing you to keep all of His rules and decisions… You must obey them and follow them with your whole hearts and souls!

¹⁷ ‘For on this day, you’re choosing Him to be your God, and [you’re agreeing] to walk in His ways, follow His rules and decisions, and listen to His voice... ¹⁸ And today Yahweh has chosen you to be His people exclusively – as He promised in His Commandments – ¹⁹ to be above all the other nations.

‘For He has made you famous, glorious, and something to brag about… A holy people to Yahweh your God, just as He promised.’

Deuteronomy 27

←26 | All books | All chapters | 28→

[Editor note: Moses has mostly finished his summary of the laws, and the story continues here.]

¹ Then Moses addressed the elders of IsraEl and said:

‘You must keep all these Commandments that I’m giving to you today!

² ‘And after you’ve crossed the JorDan and entered the land that Yahweh your God is giving to you, you must erect [two] huge stone [monuments] and cover them with plaster.

³ ‘Then, write all the words of this Law upon them as soon as you’ve crossed the JorDan into the land that Yahweh the God of your ancestors is giving to you… The land that’s flowing with milk and honey, which Yahweh the God of your ancestors promised to you.

⁴ ‘And after you’ve crossed the JorDan, you must erect these stones with the Commandments that I’m giving you today upon Mount Ebal, then coat them with plaster.

⁵ ‘Also, build an altar there to Yahweh your God from rocks that haven’t been cut with an iron tool. ⁶ Use whole stones and build an altar to Yahweh your God, then place whole burnt offerings to Yahweh your God upon it…

⁷ ‘You must sacrifice them as peace offerings, which you must eat until you’re full, as you rejoice before Yahweh your God… ⁸ Be sure that the Law is clearly inscribed on the [monuments]!’

⁹ Then Moses addressed the Levite priests of IsraEl and said:

‘Be quiet and listen, O IsraEl!

‘For today you’re becoming the people of your God, Yahweh. ¹⁰ Listen to His voice and obey all His Commandments and rules… All those whom I’ll be [giving] to you today.’

¹¹ And on that same day, Moses addressed the people and said:

¹² ‘After you’ve crossed the JorDan, these [tribes] must assemble on Mount GiriZim [to pronounce the blessings]:

• Levi,

• Judah,

• IsSachar,

• [both tribes of] JoSeph, and

• BenJamin.

¹³ ‘And these [tribes] must assemble on Mount Ebal to pronounce the curses:

• ReuBen,

• Gad,

• Asher,

• ZebuLon,

• Dan, and

• NaphTali.

¹⁴ ‘And from there, the Levites must shout to all IsraEl:

¹⁵ ‘Any man who carves an idol or any other disgusting thing or has one which has been manufactured and puts it in a secret place, is cursed!’

‘And all the people must answer and say:

‘May it be so!’

¹⁶ [‘And the Levites must then shout:]

‘Any man who shows disrespect to his father or mother is cursed!’

‘And all the people must answer and say:

‘May it be so!’

¹⁷ [‘And the Levites must then shout:]

‘Any man who moves his neighbor’s property markers is cursed!’

‘And all the people must answer and say:

‘May it be so!’

¹⁸ [‘And the Levites must then shout:]

‘Any man who misleads a blind person is cursed!’

‘And all the people must answer and say:

‘May it be so!’

¹⁹ [‘And the Levites must then shout:]

‘Any man who’s unfair to a stranger, orphan, or widow is cursed!’

‘And all the people must answer and say:

‘May it be so!’

²⁰ [‘And the Levites must then shout:]

‘Any man who uncovers his father’s [naked body] by having sex with his father’s woman is cursed!’

‘And all the people must answer and say:

‘May it be so!’

²¹ [‘And the Levites must then shout:]

‘Any man who has sex with an animal is cursed!’

‘And all the people must answer and say:

‘May it be so!’

²² [‘And the Levites must then shout:]

‘Any man who has sex with [his sister] is cursed!’

‘And all the people must answer and say:

‘May it be so!’

²³ [‘And the Levites must then shout:]

‘Any man who has sex with his daughter-in-law is cursed!’

‘And all the people must answer and say:

‘May it be so!’

[‘And the Levites must then shout:]

‘Any man who has sex with his woman’s sister is cursed!’

‘And all the people must answer and say:

‘May it be so!’

²⁴ [‘And the Levites must then shout:]

‘Any man who secretly [murders] his neighbor is cursed!’

‘And all the people must answer and say:

‘May it be so!’

²⁵ [‘And the Levites must then shout:]

‘Any man who’s paid to kill an innocent man is cursed!’

‘And all the people must answer and say:

‘May it be so!’

²⁶ [‘And the Levites must then shout:]

‘Any man who doesn’t observe and obey all the words of this Law is cursed!’

‘And all the people must answer and say:

‘May it be so!’

Deuteronomy 28

←27 | All books | All chapters | 29→

¹ ‘Now, if you listen to the voice of your God Yahweh and follow and obey all these Commandments that I’m giving to you today, you’ll be raised higher than all the other nations on the earth by Yahweh your God, ² and then these blessings will search for you and find you.

‘For if you listen to the voice of your God Yahweh:

• ³ Your fields and your cities will be blest.

• ⁴ The offspring that comes from your bodies, the fruit of your land, your herds of oxen, and your flocks of sheep will be blest.

• ⁵ Your barns and your storage bins will be blest.

• ⁶ You’ll be blest when you leave and blest when you return.

• ⁷ Jehovah will give your enemies [into your hands], and those who oppose you’ll fall before you... If they come against you from one direction, they’ll run from you in 7 directions.

• ⁸ Jehovah will put His blessings on your barns and on everything that you do in the land that He’s giving to you.

• ⁹ Jehovah will raise you as a holy people to Himself, just as He promised your ancestors that He would do – if you would listen to His voice and walk in all of His ways. ¹⁰ Then, all the nations on the earth will see that you’re called by the Name Yahweh, and they’ll stand in awe of you.

• ¹¹ Jehovah your God will bring [many children] from your bodies, many young from your cattle, and much fruit from your land… This land that Yahweh swore to your ancestors that He would give to you.

• ¹² Jehovah will open His treasures in the skies and bring rain to your land in [the proper] seasons, and He’ll bless everything that you do.

• You’ll lend to many nations and not borrow, and you’ll rule over many nations and not be ruled. ¹³ For, Yahweh your God will make you the head not the tail, putting you on the top… You’ll never be on the bottom if you’ll listen to the voice of your God Yahweh and obey all the things that I’m telling you today.

• ¹⁴ You must not swerve to the right or to the left from any of the Commandments that I’m giving to you today, or follow and serve other gods.’

¹⁵ ‘However, if you don’t listen to the voice of your God Yahweh and obey all His Commandments that I’m giving to you today, these curses will come here and catch up with you:

• ¹⁶ You will be cursed in your cities and in your fields.

• ¹⁷ Your barns and your storage sheds will be cursed.

• ¹⁸ [The children] who come from your bodies, the fruit from your land, your herds of oxen, and your flocks of sheep will be cursed.

• ¹⁹ You’ll be cursed when you leave and when you return.

• ²⁰ Jehovah will send shortages and famines [among you], and everything you do will be consumed until He’s totally destroyed you... Yes, if you leave Him and start doing evil things, you’ll be quickly exterminated.

• ²¹ Jehovah will bring plagues among you until you’ve all been wiped from this land that you’re going to inherit.

• ²² Jehovah will strike you with dysentery, fever, chills, inflammations, sores, and paleness.

• They will chase you down and destroy you.

• ²³ He will turn the sky above you into brass and the ground beneath you into iron.

• ²⁴ Jehovah your God will turn the rain that falls from the skies into dust, until it destroys you and quickly consumes you.

• ²⁵ Jehovah will hand you over to your enemies and they’ll slaughter you. You’ll attack them from one direction, but you’ll run from them in 7 directions, and then you’ll be scattered throughout all the kingdoms of the earth.

• ²⁶ Your dead will become food for the flying creatures in the skies and the animals on the ground… And nothing will scare them away.

• ²⁷ Jehovah will strike your bottoms with the sores of Egypt… And the scabs will itch and never heal.

• ²⁸ Jehovah will strike you with mental illnesses, blindness, and anxiety, ²⁹ so you’ll grope around in the daytime like the blind grope around in their darkness.

• Nothing you do will prosper... You’ll be treated unfairly; you’ll be looted continuously, and no one will come to your aid.

• ³⁰ You’ll take women for yourselves, but other men will have them.

• You’ll build houses and not live in them.

• You’ll plant vineyards and not gather their grapes.

• ³¹ Your calves will be butchered before you, but you won’t eat any of the [meat].

• Your burros will be taken from you and never be returned.

• Your sheep will be given to your enemies, and no one will get them back for you.

• ³² Your sons and daughters will be given to other nations, then you’ll search for them as your eyes are wasting away and your hands are growing feeble.

• ³³ A nation that you’re unfamiliar with will eat the produce of your land, and all your hard work will be crushed and done away with… ³⁴ You’ll be amazed by the things that you’ll see!

• ³⁵ Jehovah will strike you with bad sores on you knees and legs that won’t heal… From the soles of your feet to the tops of your heads.

• ³⁶ Jehovah will drive you and the leaders whom you’ll set over yourselves away, and you’ll be sent to a nation that neither you nor your ancestors have ever known... There you’ll serve gods made of wood and stone. ³⁷ And there, [the things that happened to you] will be used as amazing examples and illustrations among all the nations where Yahweh your God will send you.

• ³⁸ You’ll plant many seeds in your fields but harvest little, because the locusts will eat whatever you plant.

• ³⁹ You’ll plant vineyards and cultivate them, but you won’t drink the wine or enjoy any of it for yourselves, because worms will eat them.

• ⁴⁰ You’ll plant olive trees all around your land, but you won’t receive any oil to anoint yourselves, because your trees will drop their fruit.

• ⁴¹ Sons and daughters will be born to you, but they’ll never be yours, because they’ll be carried away as captives.

• ⁴² All the trees and produce of your land will be consumed by blight.

• ⁴³ The strangers who live among you will be lifted high, while you’ll be dragged down... ⁴⁴ Then they’ll lend to you but you won’t be able to lend to them, for they’ll be the heads and you’ll be the tails.

⁴⁵ ‘All of these curses will come upon you and chase you down until they’ve consumed and destroyed you, if you don’t listen to the voice of your God Yahweh and keep the Commandments and rules that He’s given to you.

⁴⁶ ‘They’ll serve as signs and wonders among you and among your offspring throughout the ages, ⁴⁷ if you fail to serve Yahweh your God happily and with a [cheerful] heart, because of all the many [good] things that you’ll have received.

⁴⁸ ‘Then you must serve the enemies whom Yahweh will send against you. You’ll be hungry, thirsty, naked, in need of everything, and you’ll have to wear iron yokes on your necks until they’ve destroyed you.

⁴⁹ ‘Yahweh will bring a nation against you from the ends of the earth that will come like fast-flying eagles, and you won’t understand their language... ⁵⁰ They’ll be a fearsome people who won’t respect your old people or pity your young.

⁵¹ ‘They’ll eat the young of your cattle and the fruit of your land, and they won’t leave any grain, wine, oil, herds of oxen, or flocks of sheep for you, until they’ve destroyed you ⁵² and totally crushed your cities.

‘For even your highest and strongest walls will be destroyed, and all your land and all the cities that He’s given to you [will be theirs].

⁵³ ‘Then you’ll eat the fruit of your bodies… The flesh of all the sons and daughters that He’s given to you. For your enemy will bring a great time of stress and difficulty upon you. ⁵⁴ And even those who are kind and gentle among you will look at their brothers, their loved women, and any children that may be left in an evil way, ⁵⁵ and they won’t offer them any of the flesh of their children to eat, because they wouldn’t have enough for themselves.

‘That’s how your enemies will pressure you and make life difficult for you in all of your cities!

⁵⁶ ‘Then, even the tender, gentle women among you – those who’ve never searched the ground for delicacies – will look at their loved husbands, sons, and daughters in an evil way. ⁵⁷ For they’ll eat the newborn that come from between their legs secretly in their [hunger].

‘Yes, that’s how your enemies will make life difficult for you in your cities!

⁵⁸ ‘So, if you won’t listen to and obey all the words of the Law that have been written in this scroll and fear the glorious and wonderful Name of your God Yahweh, ⁵⁹ He will bring these horrible plagues and unending illnesses upon you and your offspring.

⁶⁰ ‘He will bring all the pain of Egypt that you were so afraid of, and make it stick to you.

⁶¹ ‘And Yahweh will even bring sicknesses and plagues that haven’t been written about in the scroll of this Law, until He’s destroyed you.

⁶² ‘Then, although you were once as many as the stars of the sky, there won’t be many left, due to the fact that you didn’t listen to the voice of your God Yahweh!

⁶³ ‘And as Yahweh once rejoiced over you, did good things for you, and made you grow... He will rejoice over destroying you and in quickly removing you from the land that you’re going to inherit!

⁶⁴ ‘Then Yahweh your God will scatter you among all the nations – from one end of the earth to the other – and you must serve other gods there, which are made of wood and stone, and of whom you and your ancestors have never heard.

⁶⁵ ‘In addition...

‘[In the places where you’ll be living] among those nations, He won’t provide any quiet, nor will the soles of your feet find any rest. For there, Yahweh will give you weak hearts, failing eyes, and wasted lives.

⁶⁶ ‘You won’t know [what each day will bring], and you’ll be afraid both night and day; for nothing in your lives will be sure.

⁶⁷ ‘In the morning, you’ll say:

‘I wish it were evening!’

‘And in the evening, you’ll say:

‘I wish it were morning!’

‘You’ll have fear in your hearts and you’ll be afraid of everything you see.

⁶⁸ ‘Then Yahweh will take you back to Egypt in ships – back to the place that He said you should never see again – where you’ll be offered for sale to your enemies as slaves…

‘And nobody will [wish to] buy you!’

Deuteronomy 29

←28 | All books | All chapters | 30→

¹ These are the words of the Sacred Agreement that Yahweh commanded Moses to make with the children of IsraEl in the land of MoAb, which were added to the Sacred Agreement that He’d made with them at the dry place (Horeb).

² Moses then called all the sons of IsraEl and said to them:

‘You’ve seen all the things that Yahweh did to PharaOh, to his servants, and to his entire land of Egypt. ³ Yes, you’ve seen the great signs and wonders with your eyes.

⁴ ‘Yet, down to this day, Yahweh God hasn’t given you the heart to understand, the eyes to see, or the ears to hear. ⁵ However, as He was leading you through the desert during [the past] 40 years, your clothes didn’t wear out, your sandals didn’t wear off your feet, ⁶ and you didn’t eat bread, or drink wine or liquor.

‘[He did this] so you’d know that He is Yahweh your God!

⁷ ‘Then when we got to this place and SeOn (the king of Hesh-EbonEh) and Og (the king of BaShan) came out to meet us in war, ⁸ we cut them down and took their lands, which I gave to ReuBen, Gad, and half of the tribe of ManasSeh, as their inheritance.

⁹ ‘So now, pay attention to all the words of this Sacred Agreement and understand all the things that you must do.

¹⁰ ‘Here you stand before Yahweh your God today… The heads of your tribes, your elders, your judges, your officers – every man of IsraEl – ¹¹ as well as your women, children, and the converts who’ve come to live in your camps (from the wood cutters to those who draw the water).

¹² ‘And now, you must conclude a Sacred Agreement with your God Yahweh and swear as many oaths as Yahweh your God will be asking of you today, ¹³ so that He may appoint you to be His people and for Him to be your God, as He told you and as He swore to your ancestors, AbraHam, IsaAc, and Jacob.

¹⁴ ‘Understand that this Sacred Agreement and these oaths aren’t just for you… ¹⁵ They apply to everyone who’s here before Yahweh your God today, as well as to anyone who isn’t here with you today.

¹⁶ ‘For you know how we lived in the land of Egypt and how we came through the midst of [several] nations, ¹⁷ where you saw their disgusting things and their idols of wood, stone, silver, and gold.

¹⁸ ‘So, if the hearts of any man, woman, family, or tribe here aren’t with Yahweh your God, they should leave you now and go to serve the gods of those nations, so that there’ll be no root that’s filled with gall and bitterness among you!

¹⁹ ‘And if there’s anyone who listens to these words and their curses and then chooses to flatter himself by saying in his heart:

‘Good things will happen to me even if I keep on walking in the errors of my heart!’

‘...[he should also leave]! Otherwise, the innocent may be destroyed along with the sinners… ²⁰ For God won’t pardon him.

‘Rather, Yahweh’s rage and zeal will blaze against that man, and all the curses of this Sacred Agreement that are written in this scroll will come upon him… Yahweh will blot his name out from under the skies!

²¹ ‘Yahweh will also hold the children of IsraEl responsible for all their evil [and bring] all the curses of the Sacred Agreement that are written in this scroll of Law upon them.

²² ‘Then, future generations – your descendants who come after you and strangers who come from far away lands – will see the plagues on your land and the diseases that Yahweh has sent here... ²³ For then there’ll be sulfur rocks and burning salt, and the entire land won’t be cultivated, nor will anything green grow there. It’ll become like [the cities of] Sodom, GomorRah, Adama, and Seboim, which Yahweh destroyed in His anger and rage.

²⁴ ‘Then all the nations will ask:

‘Why has Yahweh done this to His land… What made Him so fierce and so angry?’

²⁵ ‘And others will answer:

‘It’s because they broke the Sacred Agreement of Yahweh, the God of their ancestors. For, this is what He warned their ancestors that He would do to them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt!

²⁶ ‘However, they still went and served other gods… And this is [how He showed] His disapproval!

²⁷ ‘So Yahweh became very angry with that land and He brought all the curses upon it that are written about in the scroll of this Law.

²⁸ ‘Then, in His rage, anger, and indignation, He removed them from their land and threw them into other lands… It’s why all these things have happened to them!’

²⁹ ‘Remember that even the things that are done in secret [are known by Yahweh] our God, and He uncovers them. So, the responsibility of our children and us is to obey all the words of this Law throughout the ages.’

Deuteronomy 30

←29 | All books | All chapters | 31→

¹ ‘And after all these things have happened to you, you must recall to mind the blessings and the curses that I’ve set before you today, wherever [you may be] among all the nations where Yahweh will have scattered you.

² ‘Then you must return to Yahweh your God, listen to His voice, and [obey] everything that I’m telling you today with your whole hearts and souls, ³ so that Yahweh may heal you from your sins, feel pity for you, and gather you back from all the nations to which He will have scattered you.

⁴ ‘It won’t matter whether you’ve been dispersed from one end of the skies to the other... Yahweh will gather you from there and take you ⁵ back to the land that your ancestors inherited, and you’ll inherit it once again.

‘Then He will do good things for you and cause you to grow greater than your ancestors.

⁶ ‘For Yahweh will purge your hearts and those of your offspring, and then you must love Yahweh your God with your whole hearts and souls, so you may live!

⁷ ‘And after that, Yahweh your God will put all these curses on your enemies (on those who’ve hated and persecuted you), ⁸ if you’ll turn back and listen to the voice of your God Yahweh and keep all His Commandments that I’m telling you today.

⁹ ‘Yahweh your God will bless everything that you do, as well as the offspring of your bodies, of your cattle, and of the crops in your fields. Then Yahweh your God will be happy over you once again… But [this time], in even a better way than He was happy with your ancestors.

¹⁰ ‘[This will all happen] if you’ll just listen to the voice of your God Yahweh and keep His Commandments, rules, and decisions that are written in the scroll of this Law, and if you’ll return to Yahweh your God with your whole hearts and souls.

¹¹ ‘For these Commandments that I’m giving you today really aren’t a burden, nor are they far away from you.

¹² ‘They aren’t in the skies above, so you’d have to say:

‘Who’ll go up into the sky and get them for us so we can hear them and obey them?’

¹³ ‘Nor are they beyond the sea, so you’d have to say:

‘Who’ll cross the sea and fetch them for us so we can hear them and obey them?’

¹⁴ ‘These words are near to you… In your mouths, in your hearts, and in your hands!

¹⁵ ‘Look, I’m setting life and death, as well as good and evil before you today.

¹⁶ ‘If you’ll listen to the Commandments of your God Yahweh that I’m giving to you today… If you’ll love Yahweh your God, walk in His ways, and follow all His rules and decisions; you’ll live, grow in numbers, and Yahweh your God will bless you throughout the land where you’re going and which you’ll inherit.

¹⁷ ‘But if you have a change of heart and choose not to listen to Him, and then go to worship and serve other gods... ¹⁸ I’m warning you today that you’ll be destroyed and you won’t live long on the land that you’re crossing the JorDan to inherit!

¹⁹ ‘So I now call the land and the sky as witnesses against you today, that I’ve set life and death, the blessings and the curses, before you.

‘Choose life so that you and your offspring may live!

²⁰ ‘Love Yahweh your God!

‘Listen to His voice and stick to Him, for He is your life, and [He’s] the length of the number of days that you’ll live in the land that Yahweh promised your ancestors AbraHam, IsaAc, and Jacob that He would give to you.’

Deuteronomy 31

←30 | All books | All chapters | 32→

¹ Well, after Moses had finished telling the children of IsraEl all these things, he said:

² ‘I’m 120 years old today, and I won’t be able to [lead] you anymore. For Yahweh has told me that I may not cross the JorDan.

³ ‘However, Yahweh your God will continue to walk before you… He will destroy the nations before you and you’ll inherit them.

‘And He told me that JoShua will now lead you.

⁴ ‘Yahweh your God will do the same things to [those nations] that He did to the two Amorite kings, SeOn and Og, and to their land on [this side] of the JorDan, when He destroyed them... ⁵ Jehovah has given them to you, and you must do all that I’ve said you must do to them.

⁶ ‘So, be courageous and strong! Don’t be afraid or act cowardly… Don’t let them scare you!

‘For Yahweh your God is marching with you and among you, and He won’t forget you or leave you!’

⁷ Then Moses called JoShua and said to him before all IsraEl:

‘You must be courageous and strong, for now you must lead these people into the land that Yahweh swore to your ancestors that He would give to them as their inheritance.

⁸ ‘Yahweh will be going with you, and He won’t forsake you or abandon you – so, don’t be timid or afraid!’

⁹ Then Moses wrote the words of this Law in a scroll and gave it to the priests (those sons of Levi who bear the Chest of Yahweh’s Sacred Agreement) and to the elders of the sons of IsraEl.

¹⁰ And then Moses told them this:

‘After 7 years, during the Year of Release and on the Feast of Temporary Structures ¹¹ when all IsraEl assembles before Yahweh your God in the place that Yahweh will choose; you must read this Law so that all IsraEl can hear it.

¹² ‘The whole assembly – the men, the women, the children, and any converts who are living in your cities – must all hear it, so that they may learn to fear Yahweh your God and to obey all the words of this Law.

¹³ ‘Also, the sons that haven’t [been born yet] must hear it and learn to fear Yahweh your God for as long as they live in the land that you’re crossing the JorDan to inherit.’

¹⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses:

‘Look; the day of your death has arrived.

‘Now, call JoShua and go stand at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs, where l can [explain things] to him.’

So, Moses and JoShua went to the Tent of Proofs and stood at the entrance... ¹⁵ Then the Lord descended in a cloud and stood next to the entrance in a column of clouds.

¹⁶ And He said to Moses:

‘{Look!} [It’s time] for you to go to sleep with your ancestors.

‘However, from among these people [some] will arise who will commit adultery with the strange gods of the land that they’ll be entering… They’ll leave Me and break the Sacred Agreement that I made with them.

¹⁷ ‘And when that happens, I’ll be very angry with them and I’ll leave them… I’ll turn My face away from them and they’ll thereafter be devoured.

‘But, after many bad things and plagues have come upon them, they’ll [finally] say:

‘These bad things have happened to us because Yahweh our God isn’t with us!’

¹⁸ ‘However, I’ll still just look away, because of all the wicked and evil things that they’ll do, and because they’ll have turned to other gods.

¹⁹ ‘Now, write the words of this song and teach it to the children of IsraEl… Have them learn to sing it, so this song may testify about Me to the faces of the children of IsraEl. ²⁰ For I’m bringing them into the good land that I swore to their ancestors that I’d give to them… A land flowing with milk and honey.

‘But, after they’ve eaten and are full and satisfied, they’ll turn and follow other gods and serve them… They’ll break their Sacred Agreement with Me and anger Me. ²¹ And it’s this song that will stand as a witness against them, because they won’t forget it, nor will their offspring ever forget it!

‘For, I’ve known how wicked they are and of the wicked things that they’ll do long before I brought them to this good land that I promised to their ancestors.’

²² So Moses wrote the song that day, which he would thereafter teach to the children of IsraEl. ²³ Then he spoke to JoShua and said:

‘Be courageous and strong, because you’re now going to lead the sons of IsraEl into the land that Yahweh promised to them… And He will be with you!’

²⁴ It was then that Moses finished writing the words of this Law all the way to the end. ²⁵ And thereafter, he gave these instructions to the Levites who bear the Chest of the Sacred Agreement of Yahweh, saying:

²⁶ ‘Take this scroll of the Law and put it inside the Chest of the Sacred Agreement of your God Yahweh, so it’ll [always] be there among you as a testimony.

²⁷ ‘Oh, I know how irritating and rebellious [these people] can be; for, throughout my life with them – down to this day – they’ve been provoking God by the ways that they act.

‘So, how can I expect them to be any different after my death?

²⁸ ‘Now, gather all the heads of your tribes, as well as your elders, judges, and officers, so that I can speak all these words into their ears as I call the land and the sky as witnesses against them.

²⁹ ‘For I know that after my death they’ll become very sinful and turn from the ways that I’ve commanded them [to follow]… Then bad things will eventually happen to them because they’ll make their God Yahweh angry with all the evil things that they’ll do.’

And thereafter, Moses spoke the words of this song, teaching it to the whole gathering:

Deuteronomy 32

←31 | All books | All chapters | 33→

¹ ‘Listen, O heavens, and I’ll speak…

May even the ground hear the words from my mouth.

² May the things that I say be looked for like rain,

And may my words fall like dew…

Like a shower on the plants and snow on the grass.

³ ‘For, I’ve called on the Name of the Lord,

And I’ve spoken of the greatness of God.

⁴ His works are true and His ways are all just…

He isn’t unrighteous, but faithful…

Jehovah is holy and fair.

⁵ ‘Against Him, they’ve all sinned,

For they’re children with spots…

A generation of the pushy and perverted.

⁶ Is this how they pay back Yahweh?

‘Are these people all foolish and stupid?

Didn’t He become their own Father?

Didn’t He purchase them back?

Didn’t He form them and make them?

⁷ ‘Remember the days of long ago…

Think of the years of past ages.

Ask your fathers and they’ll remind you…

Ask your elders and they’ll explain.

⁸ ‘When the Most High divided the nations…

When the sons of Adam, He moved apart,

He set the borders for all of the nations

By the numbers of the messengers from God.

⁹ ‘Jacob (His people), became the Lord’s portion;

IsraEl was what He’d inherit.

¹⁰ So He kept them alive in land that was dry,

And in the desert, [He sated] their thirst.

Thereafter, He led them and taught them,

And He kept them as the apple of His eye.

¹¹ ‘As an eagle that watches over his brood,

And as one that yearns for his young;

They were chosen by Him.

So [for them], He spread out His wings

And He lifted them onto His back.

¹² ‘It was only Yahweh who led them,

When no other gods had they known.

¹³ He raised them on the strength of the land,

And fed them with the fruit of the fields.

So, out of rocks, they sucked honey,

And out of boulders, sucked oil.

¹⁴ ‘With the butter of cows and the milk of their sheep…

With the fat of their lambs and their rams, calves, and kids…

With the fat of kidneys and wheat.

They also drank wine… The ‘blood’ of the grape.

¹⁵ So, Jacob ate and was filled.

‘Then this loved one kicked and grew fat…

He soon became thick and broad.

And from the God who made him, he turned…

From the God who’d saved him, he strayed.

¹⁶ ‘With strange gods, they enraged Me,

And with loathsome things, made Me mad.

¹⁷ To demons unknown, they then sacrificed,

And not to the God [of all] gods.

‘Then they turned to things that were new…

[Things] of which their fathers knew not,

¹⁸ And they left the God who gave them birth…

They forgot the God who provided their food.

¹⁹ ‘Yahweh was jealous when He saw this…

By His sons and daughters, He was enraged.

²⁰ So He said:

‘From them, I’ll now turn My face,

And I’ll show them what the last days will bring.

For, they’re a perverted generation,

And they’re unfaithful sons.

²¹ ‘They’ve made Me angry and jealous,

With gods that are nothing at all,

And they also disturbed Me with idols.

So I’ll make them angry and jealous

Over others that are not [of your] nation…

I’ll enrage them with people whom they never knew.

²² ‘For a fire has been started by My rage,

Which will burn to the place of the dead down below.

It’ll devour their land and its fruitage,

And burn to the bottoms of their hills.

²³ ‘Evil things, I’ll now bring upon them…

I’ll fight them with all of My weapons.

²⁴ With hunger, they’ll be consumed,

And their [bodies] will be eaten by birds…

Their destruction won’t be repaired.

‘I’ll send against them the teeth of wild beasts,

And the rage of things that crawl on the ground.

²⁵ ‘Their children will be taken from them without swords,

And in their beds, they’ll know terror.

Young men will be killed with the virgins,

As well as the newborn and those who’ve grown old.

²⁶ For I told them that they’d be scattered,

As their memory is erased among men.

²⁷ ‘Were it not for their enemies’ rage,

They’d have lived a long time.

But their enemies will have gathered to attack them.

‘Yet, may their enemies never be able to say:

‘I did this with my own mighty arm.

For, it’s Yahweh that will do all these things.’

²⁸ ‘They’re a nation that has lost its direction,

And there’s no understanding among them…

²⁹ They have no sense, so they won’t understand,

That after they’ve made such a choice,

This is what will happen to them.’

³⁰ ‘How can one man chase a thousand,

Or two men route tens of thousands,

Unless they’d been sold by their God…

If Yahweh hadn’t handed them over?

³¹ ‘Since their [new] gods are not like our God,

Our enemies won’t understand.

³² For, their vine is like that of Sodom,

And the branch of their vines are GomorRah.

All their grapes are like gall,

And all their clusters are bitter.

³³ Like the rage of snakes is their wine…

Like the deadly anger of asps.

³⁴ ‘{Look!} Weren’t they all assembled by Me?

Weren’t they sealed with My treasures?

³⁵ So, in the time of My vengeance, I’ll pay them back,

And their feet will be tripped in that day

When their destruction has arrived,

And My decisions have fallen upon them.’

³⁶ ‘For, Yahweh will judge all His people,

And take comfort [in the fall of] His servants.

Because He saw they were failing and weak;

In a hostile invasion, they’ll [fall].

³⁷ ‘So, where are these gods in whom you’ve put trust?

³⁸ Where is the fat that they ate?

And the wine that you offered, which they drank?

Let them arise and come to your aid!

Let them become your protectors!

³⁹ ‘Look! I am… There are no gods other than Me!

I alone can kill or make it alive…

Only I can strike down or heal…

They can’t wrest this power from My hands!

⁴⁰ ‘So I’ll lift My hand to the heavens and swear;

Yes, by My right hand, I can say:

I am alive throughout the ages!

⁴¹ ‘Then, I’ll grab hold of My sword,

And make it like lightning, there in My hand.

I’ll grab My enemies and judge them in justice,

And pay back all those who hate Me.

⁴² ‘My weapons will then be drunk on their blood,

And My sword will devour much flesh…

With the blood of the wounded and captured,

And the heads of My enemies who ruled them.’

⁴³ ‘So, rejoice with Him, O you heavens,

And may God’s messengers all bow low before Him.

Rejoice with His people, you nations,

And may all of God’s sons be strengthened by Him.

‘For, He will avenge the blood of His sons,

And on His enemies, bring vengeance and justice.

He’ll bring what’s due to all those who hate Him,

When they’re purged from the land of His people.’

⁴⁴ This was the song that Moses wrote on that day, and which he then taught to the children of IsraEl.

And thereafter, Moses and JoShua (son of NaWeh) [stood up] and [read] all the words of this Law where the people could hear it.

⁴⁵ And when they’d finished, ⁴⁶ [Moses] added:

‘Pay whole-hearted attention to these words that I [read] to you today, and command your sons to follow and obey all the words of this Law.

⁴⁷ ‘Don’t allow these just to be words to you, for they’re your life… They’ll allow you to live for a long time in the land that you’re crossing the JorDan to inherit!’

⁴⁸ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said:

⁴⁹ ‘Now, go to the mountains of your forefathers and climb Mount Nebo, which is in the land of MoAb near JeriCho, and gaze at the land of CanaAn that I’m giving to the sons of IsraEl.

⁵⁰ ‘Then you’ll die in those mountains and be added to your people, just as Aaron your brother died on Mount Or and was added to his people. ⁵¹ For, you disobeyed [Me before] the children of IsraEl at the Waters of Rebellion at KaDesh in the Sin desert, when you failed to [speak of] Me in a holy way among the sons of IsraEl.

⁵² ‘However, [I want you to] see this land that’s before you, which you won’t be allowed to enter.’

Deuteronomy 33

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¹ Then Moses, the man of God, gave this blessing to the children of IsraEl before he died.

² He said:

‘Yahweh came down from Mount SinAi,

And He appeared to us at Mount SeIr.

Then He quickly moved to Mount Pharan

With 10,000 Holy Ones at His right,

And [all] of His messengers with him.

³ ‘To His people, He then brought salvation…

His holy ones, [He kept] in His hands.

Below Him, they [all heard] His words…

⁴ The Law, which Moses gave as their own

To the whole gathering of Jacob.

⁵ ‘He will be with the leader He loves,

And the rulers of the peoples, among IsraEl’s tribes.

⁶ ‘May ReuBen live and never die out,

And may he grow into a crowd.’

⁷ And this is the blessing of Judah:

‘O Yahweh,

‘Listen to what Judah asks,

And pay attention to his people.

With his hands, he will wage war,

And against his enemies, You’ll give him aid.’

⁸ And for Levi he said:

‘Give Levi the signs and the truth

Of a man who’s been very holy.

For they tested him at the Temptation,

And spoke against him at the Waters of Rebellion.

⁹ ‘He’s the one who must say to his father and mother,

‘[Sorry], but I can’t [come to] visit.’

He knows not his brothers, and he knows not his sons,

But he’s kept Your words and Your Sacred Agreement.

¹⁰ ‘[Levi] will proclaim Your rules among Jacob,

And Your Laws among IsraEl.

They’ll always burn incense on Your Altar,

Even in times of Your rage.

¹¹ ‘O Yahweh,

‘Please keep on blessing his strength,

And accept the things that he offers.

Break all the enemies who may come against him,

And don’t allow those who hate him to stand.’

¹² And to BenJamin he said:

‘Yahweh’s beloved, in safety will live;

For, God’s shadow will always be with him,

And between [God’s] shoulders, he will rest.’

¹³ And to JoSeph he said:

‘His land is the blest of Yahweh…

[A land of] seasons, sky, dew, and deep wells…

¹⁴ Of the fruitage of the changes in the seasons and sun,

And the produce of [each of] the months.

¹⁵ ‘[Water runs down] from the tops of old mountains…

From the tops of the hills of the ages,

¹⁶ To produce full crops in their seasons.

‘May the things that please him be poured on his head;

On the crown of this one who’s been glorified

Above all of His brothers.

¹⁷ Like a first-born bull, is his beauty,

And as a rhinoceros, are his horns.

‘He will use them to thrust out at nations

To the ends of the earth.

For, his are Ephraim’s tens of thousands,

As well as the thousands of ManasSeh.’

¹⁸ And to ZebuLon [and IsSachar] he said:

‘Rejoice O ZebuLon, as well as all those

Who dwell in IsSachar’s tents.

For, you’ll arise ¹⁹ and destroy many nations.

‘Many men, you’ll call that will gather

To offer sacrifices that are righteous.

The wealth of the sea will be your provisions…

The stores of those living by water.’

²⁰ And to Gad he said:

‘Praise the One who’s given Gad more;

For, he will rest like a lion

That has crushed many arms along with their their kings.

²¹ ‘He will see that his land bears the first fruits,

And leaders will gather with his people’s chiefs.

For [he will do what the Lord says is] righteous,

And to IsraEl, he will bring justice.’

²² And to Dan he said:

‘Dan is the cub of a lion,

And he will leap out of BaShan.’

²³ And to NaphTali he said:

‘NaphTali will be filled with good things,

And he will receive the blessings from God.

For, he will inherit the west and the south.’

²⁴ And to Asher he said:

‘With many children, Asher is blest,

And he will be approved by his brothers.

With oil, his feet are anointed,

²⁵ And his sandals are like both iron and brass.

‘He will be strong for as long as he lives,

²⁶ Since his helper is the God whom he loves…

The One who rides throughout the firmament…

The Magnificent One of the cosmos.

²⁷ ‘[And as long as he stays under] God’s rule,

He will [be there] to protect you.

He will drive your enemies away

By the great might of His arm.

He will drive them away throughout the ages,

Saying to them, ‘Be destroyed!’

²⁸ [And Moses continued:]

‘So, IsraEl will live by themselves

In safety, within Jacob’s land;

With grain, and wine, and the clouds in the sky,

And with plenty of dew.

²⁹ ‘You’re blest, O IsraEl, for who else is like you…

You who’ve been saved by your helper, God.

‘He will hold His shield over you,

And of His sword, you’ll boast.

Then, you’ll tred on the necks

Of the enemies who’ve dared to lie before you.’

Deuteronomy 34

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¹ Finally, Moses went from ArabOth in MoAb to the Nabau Mountains, and climbed to the top of Mount Pisgah (near JeriCho)... There Yahweh showed him all of GileAd to the land of Dan, the land of NaphTali, ² the lands of Ephraim and ManasSeh, the land of Judah all the way to the Sea, ³ the whole desert, the country around JeriCho, and the land between the City of Palm Trees and Segor.

⁴ Then Yahweh said to Moses:

‘This is the land that I swore that I’d give to the offspring of AbraHam, IsaAc, and Jacob.

‘And now that you’ve seen it, you may not go there.’

⁵ So Moses, the servant of Yahweh, died there in the land of MoAb, as Yahweh said, ⁷ When he died, Moses was 120 years old.

Yet his eyes were still sharp and he still had all of his natural functions.

⁸ Thereafter, the children of IsraEl cried for Moses (in ArabOth of MoAb at the JorDan near JeriCho) for 30 days, which was the [maximum traditional] period for mourning.

⁹ Then JoShua (son of NaWeh) became filled with the spirit of knowledge, because Moses had laid his hands upon him. So, the children of IsraEl listened to him as they did when Yahweh was commanding Moses.

¹⁰ But there was never again a Prophet in IsraEl like Moses, whom the Lord knew face-to-face, ¹¹ whom Yahweh sent to perform all the signs and wonders to Egypt (to PharaOh, his servants, and his entire land), ¹² and who displayed before all IsraEl the other great wonders and powers that He had.

Joshua

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Joshua is a history book.

It covers the time period between the IsraElites entering the Promised Land until JoShua’s death. These events probably happened somewhere between 1510 BCE and 1480 BCE.

It was likely originally written by JoShua, but later added to or recompiled into a group of writings by someone else (possibly SamuEl or even Ezra), since there are some references to King David’s time.

The book seems to begin as a continuation of the previous book of Deuteronomy, and the opening words of the following book of Judges picks up the narrative.

Difficult portions

Joshua also contains long lists of the conquered cities, plus descriptions of the geographic borders of each tribe. In case you wish to skip over these more difficult sections, editor notes will tell you where they begin and end.

Bold text

We’ve put some words and phrases in bold to help identify major events and important lists.

Joshua 1

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¹ After the death of Moses, the Lord spoke to Moses’ servant JoShua (son of NaWeh) and said:

² ‘My servant Moses is now dead; so I want you and all of these people to get up and cross the JorDan [River] into the land that I’m giving to them.

³ ‘I’m giving you every place that you step as yours, just as I told Moses, ⁴ from the desert and the borders of Lebanon to the great River EuPhrates and to the Sea…

‘Your borders will run to the sunset.

⁵ ‘No man will be able to stand against you during all the days of your life; for, as I was with Moses is how I’ll be with you…

‘I won’t fail you and I won’t leave you.

⁶ ‘Therefore, be strong and act like a man, because, now you must divide up the land among these people, [a land] that I swore to their ancestors that I’d give them. ⁷ So, you must be strong, behave like a man, and pay attention and obey, just as My servant Moses instructed you…

‘Don’t swerve to the right or to the left, so that you may prove to be wise in everything that you do.

⁸ ‘And don’t allow the Law that has been written on the scroll to leave your mouth… You must think about it day and night, so that you’ll know how to do everything that’s written in it.

‘Then you’ll be blessed, you’ll succeed, and you’ll be wise.

⁹ ‘Look; I’m commanding you to be strong and courageous! Don’t be a coward or fearful, for Yahweh your God will be with you no matter where you may go.’

¹⁰ Then JoShua gave this commandment to the people’s scribes:

¹¹ ‘Go throughout the camp and tell the people to get ready, for in three days we’ll cross the JorDan to enter and take possession of the land that Yahweh the God of your ancestors is giving to you.’

¹² And thereafter, JoShua said this to [the tribes of] ReuBen, Gad, and the half tribe of ManasSeh:

¹³ ‘Remember what Moses the servant of Yahweh told you to do.

‘He said:

‘Yahweh your God has allowed you to rest by giving you this land. ¹⁴ So now, settle your wives, children, and cattle here in the land that He’s given to you; then, all who are strong and willing to fight must arm themselves to cross [the JorDan] before their brothers.

¹⁵ ‘[You must be willing to do this] until Yahweh your God has allowed your brothers to rest, just as He’s [allowed] you [to rest], after they’ve inherited the land that Yahweh your God is giving to them.

‘Only then may you each return to the inheritance that Moses allotted to you east of the JorDan!’

¹⁶ So they answered JoShua and said:

‘We’ll do everything that you’ve commanded and we’ll go wherever you may send us. ¹⁷ For, just as we listened to Moses, we’ll listen to you… And may our God Yahweh be with you as He was with Moses!

¹⁸ ‘If anyone chooses to disobey you, or doesn’t listen to you and obey whatever you tell him to do, he must die… But you must be strong and courageous!’

Joshua 2

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¹ Then from SatTin, JoShua (son of NaWeh) sent two young men as spies into the land, saying:

‘Go there and look at the land… And [specifically] at JeriCho.’

So, the two young men went and entered JeriCho and stayed at the house of a prostitute named RaHab. ² However, [someone] reported this to the king of JeriCho, saying:

‘Men of the sons of IsraEl have come here as spies!’

³ Then the king of JeriCho sent [men to the house of] RaHab, that said:

‘Bring out the men who entered your house this evening, for they’ve come to spy in our land!’

⁴ But the woman had hidden the two men, and she told [the king’s] messengers:

‘The men came here, ⁵ but before the [city] gate was closed this evening, they left… And I don’t know where they went.

‘You should chase after them to see if you can catch them!’

⁶ However, she’d taken them up on the [roof] and hidden them under some hay that she’d spread there.

⁷ So the [king’s] men left and traveled towards the fords in the JorDan, and the [city] gate was closed once again.

⁸ Then, after the men who were chasing them had left (and before the spies had fallen asleep), she went up to them on the roof of her house and said:

⁹ ‘I know that Yahweh has given you this land, so we’re all afraid [of you]... ¹⁰ We’ve heard how your God Yahweh dried up the Red Sea before you when you left the land of Egypt, and of the things that He did to the two Amorite kings across the JorDan… To SeOn and Og whom you destroyed.

¹¹ ‘When we heard about this, our hearts were stunned and we were barely able to breathe because of you; for Yahweh your God is truly the God of the skies above and of the lands below!

¹² ‘So now, swear to me by Yahweh your God that, since I’ve been merciful with you, you’ll be merciful to the house of my father, ¹³ and that you’ll allow the house of my father – my mother, my brothers, myself, and everyone in my home, as well as everything that we own – to be saved from death.’

¹⁴ And the men replied:

‘[We will offer] our lives for yours, even to death.’

Then she said:

‘When Yahweh gives this city to you, you must be merciful and true to me!’

¹⁵ And at that, she lowered them [outside the city gate] through her window ¹⁶ with instructions to head towards the hill country where they should hide for three days before returning, for fear that they would run into the men who were chasing them.

¹⁷ And the [spies] said:

‘We promise to do what you’ve asked.

¹⁸ ‘{Look!} But because we’re going to [destroy] this city, you must give us a sign... Tie this scarlet cord in the window from which you let us down, then bring everyone – your father, mother, brothers, and your father’s entire family – into your house.

¹⁹ ‘However, if anyone goes outside the door of your house, they’ll be guilty and no part of our promise. We’ll just be responsible for those found inside your home.

²⁰ ‘And if anyone harms us or betrays us, the promise is broken.’

²¹ Then she told them:

‘May it be as you said.’

And at that, she sent them away.

²² Then they headed towards the hill country where they remained for three days… So although the people who were chasing them searched all the roads, they couldn’t find them.

²³ Then the two young men left the mountains and returned to JoShua (son of NaWeh) and told him everything that had happened to them.

²⁴ They said:

‘Yahweh has put the entire land under our power, because everyone who lives there is shaking in fear of us.’

Joshua 3

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¹ Well, JoShua got up early the next morning, and thereafter, [the whole camp] left SatTin. Then when they reached the JorDan, they stayed there [until it was time to] cross.

² And [for the next] three days, the scribes went throughout the entire camp ³ telling the people that as soon as they saw the Levite Priests bearing Yahweh God’s Chest of the Sacred Agreement, they were to follow behind it…

⁴ But at a distance of as much as 3,000 feet (914m), because they weren’t to get near it. And that’s when everyone started to realize that things weren’t going to be the same as they’d been in the past.

⁵ Thereafter, JoShua said to the people:

‘Now, make yourselves holy, because tomorrow Yahweh will perform a miracle among you!’

⁶ And [on the next day], JoShua told the Priests to pick up Yahweh’s Chest of the Sacred Agreement and lead the people onward. So, the Priests picked it up and walked ahead of the people.

⁷ Then Yahweh said to JoShua:

‘Today I’m going to start [raising your prestige] before all the children of IsraEl, so they’ll know that I’m with you, just as I was with Moses... ⁸ Therefore, tell the Priests who are carrying the Chest of the Sacred Agreement that as soon as they get to the edge of the water, it’ll part! And then they are to go down and stand still in the middle of the JorDan.’

⁹ So JoShua gathered the children of IsraEl and said:

‘Come here and listen to the words of our God Yahweh, ¹⁰ for this is how you’ll know that the living God is among you and that He will destroy the CanaAnites, Hittites, Pherezites, Evites, Amorites, Gergesites, and the Jebusites ahead of you:

¹¹ ‘Watch what happens when the Chest of the Sacred Agreement of the Lord of the whole earth [is being carried] into the JorDan!

¹² ‘You must choose 12 men, one from each of your tribes, ¹³ and these will [serve as witnesses] to the fact that when the feet of the Priests that are carrying the Chest of the Sacred Agreement [step into] the JorDan, the water will [move away], and that which is pouring down from higher up will stop flowing.’

¹⁴ So then, the people packed up their tents to cross over the JorDan, as the Priests walked ahead of them carrying the Chest of Yahweh’s Sacred Agreement... ¹⁵ And when the feet of the Priests who were carrying the Chest entered the JorDan, the water parted – even though it was harvest time and the river was at flood stage!

¹⁶ The water that was flowing down from higher up stopped in a solid wall – backing up all the way to the region of KiriAth JaiRim, and the water that flowed down to the Salt Sea dried up!

So, there the people were, standing across from JeriCho.

¹⁷ Then the Priests who were carrying the Chest continued on and they stopped in the middle of the JorDan and just stood there until all the children of IsraEl had passed through it on dry ground.

Joshua 4

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¹ Well, after everyone had crossed the JorDan, the Lord spoke to JoShua and said:

² ‘Now, select one man from each tribe, ³ then tell them to go out to the middle of the JorDan and pick up 12 appropriate rocks and carry them back to the place where you’ll be camping tonight.’

⁴ So JoShua selected 12 important men from among the children of IsraEl, one from each tribe, ⁵ and he told them:

‘Now, walk in front of me to the middle of the JorDan, and there in the presence of the Lord, each of you must pick up a rock and carry it on your shoulders – one [rock] for each of the 12 tribes of IsraEl.

⁶ ‘These will serve as signs to future [generations], so that when your sons ask you:

‘What do these rocks mean to us?’

⁷ ...you can tell them:

‘The JorDan River dried up in front of the Chest of the Sacred Agreement of the Lord of the whole earth as it started passing through.’

‘So, these rocks are to serve as reminders of this event to the children of IsraEl throughout the ages.’

⁸ And that’s what the children of IsraEl did… They did just as the Lord had commanded JoShua. They picked up 12 rocks from the middle of the JorDan (after all the children of IsraEl had finished crossing), then they carried them into their camp and laid them there.

⁹ And JoShua also had 12 further rocks placed in the JorDan where the feet of the Priests who carried the Chest of the Sacred Agreement of Yahweh had entered… And they’re still there today!

¹⁰ Well, the Priests who were carrying the Chest of the Sacred Agreement just kept on standing there in the middle of the JorDan until JoShua had finished doing everything that the Lord had commanded, and until everyone had crossed.

¹¹ Then, after all the people had crossed, they carried Yahweh’s Chest of the Sacred Agreement and the rocks [to the other side]. ¹² Also, the sons of ReuBen, Gad, and the half tribe of ManasSeh led the way for the children of IsraEl, just as Moses had commanded them… ¹³ 40,000 of their armed men crossed [the river] before Yahweh so as to join in the attack against the city of JeriCho.

¹⁴ As a result, on that day, Yahweh raised JoShua’s prestige [in the eyes of] all the people of IsraEl, and they started fearing him as they [had once feared] Moses!

¹⁵ Then the Lord spoke to JoShua and said:

¹⁶ ‘Now, tell the Priests who are carrying the Chest of the Sacred Agreement [that it’s time for them to] to come up out of the JorDan!’

¹⁷ So JoShua told the Priests to come from the JorDan... ¹⁸ And as soon as the Priests carrying the Chest stepped out of the JorDan and put their feet on dry ground, the water quickly returned and overflowed its banks, like it’d been doing before.

¹⁹ It was on the 10th day of the 1st month that the children of IsraEl crossed the JorDan, and they set up camp at GilGal, east of JeriCho. ²⁰ It was there at GilGal that JoShua set up those 12 rocks that they’d taken from the JorDan.

²¹ And he said:

‘When your sons ask you what these rocks are, ²² tell them that IsraEl walked over them while they crossed the JorDan on dry ground, ²³ back when our God Yahweh dried up the JorDan’s waters in front of them until they’d all crossed... The same as He did at the Red Sea, when He dried up its waters until we’d all crossed.

²⁴ ‘[They’re here] to remind every nation on earth of the mighty power of Yahweh, and that you should always be bowing low before Yahweh your God!’

Joshua 5

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¹ Well, when the kings of the Amorites on the [west] side of the JorDan and the kings of Phoenicia heard that Yahweh God had dried up the JorDan River in front of the children of IsraEl as they crossed it, their hearts dropped, they were terrified, and they were beside themselves because of the children of IsraEl!

² And thereafter, the Lord said to JoShua:

‘You must now make yourself some knives out of sharp stones, then sit down and circumcise the children of IsraEl.’

³ So JoShua made some very sharp knives out of stone, and he circumcised the children of IsraEl at a place [that came to] be known as, ‘The Hill of Foreskins.’

⁴ By doing this, JoShua cleansed all the children of IsraEl that had been born along the way, as well as all the uncircumcised that had come with them from Egypt. ⁵ He circumcised all [the males] that had wandered in the MabDaris Desert for the past 40 years.

⁶ [Of course, this didn’t include] the uncircumcised fighting men who’d left the land of Egypt but then disobeyed the commandments of God, for God had decided that they wouldn’t see the land that He’d sworn to their ancestors that He would give to them… A land flowing with milk and honey.

⁷ But in their place, He elevated their sons… These were the ones whom JoShua circumcised, since those who had been born along the way hadn’t been circumcised.

⁸ So, after they were circumcised, they had to stay there in the camp and rest until they’d all healed.

⁹ It was then that the Lord said to JoShua (son of NaWeh):

‘On this day, I’ve removed all the shame of Egypt from you.’

And that’s when He named the place GilGal (Circle of Stones).

¹⁰ It was on the 14th day of the month, in the evening, in a field to the west of JeriCho on the [west] side of the JorDan, that the children of IsraEl then celebrated the Passover.

¹¹ There they ate the yeast-free new grain [that they’d found] in the land; ¹² and after they’d eaten the grain, the manna stopped coming.

So, the children of IsraEl no longer had the manna, and they went on to eat the fruitage from the land of the Phoenicians for the rest of that year.

¹³ Well, as JoShua was approaching JeriCho, he looked up and he saw a person standing in front of him that had a drawn sword in his hand.

So he went up to him and asked:

‘Are you for us or are you on the side of our enemies?’

¹⁴ And he replied:

‘I have come here as the leader of the army of Yahweh!’

Well at that, JoShua fell with his face to the ground and he asked:

‘Lord, what would you command your servant to do?’

¹⁵ And the leader of Yahweh’s army said to JoShua:

‘Untie the sandals from your feet, for the place where you’re standing is holy ground!’

Joshua 6

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¹ Well, by this time, JeriCho was all closed up and ready for a siege, so nobody could enter or leave.

² But then the Lord said to JoShua:

‘{Look!} I’m giving JeriCho to you, along with its king and all its mighty men. ³ So, station your army around the city, ⁴ and when they hear the trumpets blowing, all the people must shout.

⁵ ‘For it is this shouting that will bring down the walls of the city. And thereafter, everyone must rush straight into it.’

⁶ So JoShua (son of NaWeh) went to the Priests and said:

⁷ ‘Give the sacred trumpets to 7 of the Priests, and have them blow [the trumpets] loudly as they walk before Yahweh, followed by the Lord’s Chest of the Sacred Agreement.

⁸ ‘Also tell the people to walk in a circle around the city with the men all armed and ready for war before Yahweh. ⁹ The army is to walk ahead of the Priests, who must keep blowing the trumpets, [and they’ll] be followed by the Lord’s Chest of the Sacred Agreement.’

¹⁰ Then JoShua told the people:

‘Don’t shout or say a word until [God] Himself tells you it’s time to shout.

¹¹ ‘For, the Chest of the Sacred Agreement of God will circle the city, and then it must immediately be returned to the camp and be left there.’

¹² So on the next day, JoShua got up in the morning and the Priests picked up the Chest of the Sacred Agreement of Yahweh. ¹³ Then the 7 Priests who had the 7 trumpets walked ahead, followed by the men of war, then the rest of the group, and finally by the Chest of the Sacred Agreement of Yahweh, as the Priests were blowing the trumpets.

¹⁴ The group circled the city closely 6 times, then they returned to the camp… And they did this for 6 days.

¹⁵ Then on the 7th day, they all arose early and circled the city 7 times…

¹⁶ And on the 7th round, the Priests blew their trumpets.

Then JoShua told the children of IsraEl:

‘Now shout, for Yahweh has given you the city!

¹⁷ ‘You must dedicate it and everything that’s in it to Yahweh of Armies, except for the prostitute RaHab and the things in her house.

¹⁸ ‘You must stay free from the cursed things that are there, for fear that you might be tempted to take some and bring a curse upon the camp of the children of IsraEl, which would cause us [all] to be destroyed!

¹⁹ ‘Also, all the gold, silver, brass, and iron there is to be considered as holy to Yahweh, so it must be taken to the Lord’s treasury!’

²⁰ [Well, on the 7th round], the Priests blew their trumpets; and when the people heard that, they all started shouting together as loudly as they could… And all the walls around the city collapsed.

So the people rushed in.

²¹ Thereafter, JoShua dedicated it and everything in it (the men and the women, both the young and the old, as well as their cattle and burros) to destruction by the edge of the sword.

²² However, JoShua told the two young men who’d served as spies to go to the house of the woman [that had sheltered them] and bring her and everything that was hers out of it. ²³ So, the two young men went to her house and brought out the prostitute RaHab, along with her father, mother, brothers, all of her relatives and everything she owned, and set her up outside of the camp of IsraEl.

²⁴ And thereafter, they burned the city along with everything in it, except for the gold, silver, brass, and iron, which they carried into the treasury of Yahweh.

²⁵ However, JoShua allowed RaHab the prostitute and all the house of her father to live… And she still lives in IsraEl today, because she had hidden the spies that JoShua sent to JeriCho.

²⁶ Also on that day, JoShua made everyone swear before Yahweh that any man who rebuilt the city would be cursed… The one who laid its foundation would lose his firstborn, and the one who rebuilt its gates would lose his youngest son.

Yet, that’s what Hozan of BethEl did! He laid the foundation [with the body of] AbiRom his firstborn, and he set up its gates [with the body of] his youngest son.

²⁷ Thereafter, because Yahweh was with JoShua, his name became [famous] throughout all the lands.

Joshua 7

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¹ However, the children of IsraEl committed a serious sin by taking some of the things that had been cursed. It was Achar (son of CharMi, son of ZamBri, and grandson of ZaRa) of the tribe of Judah that took the cursed things, which made Yahweh very angry with the children of IsraEl.

² Well, [after JeriCho had been destroyed], JoShua had sent men as spies to Gai (which was close to BethEl). ³ And when they returned, they told him:

‘We won’t need the whole army. All we’ll need is two or three thousand men to take the city, because not many of our enemies are there.’

⁴ Therefore, they sent about 3,000 there to fight…

But these had to turn and run from the people of Gai, ⁵ and the [people there] killed 36 of their men as they chased them away from their [city] gate, destroying them as they were running down the steep hill.

Of course, this upset the [IsraElites], and it caused their hearts to become as [weak as] water. ⁶ So, JoShua started ripping his clothes, and he and the elders of IsraEl threw dust on their heads and fell with their faces to the ground before Yahweh, [just lying there] until the evening.

⁷ Then JoShua prayed:

‘O Lord,

‘Why did You have Your servant bring these people across the JorDan and then allow the Amorites to destroy us? We would’ve been better off if we’d stayed on the other side of the JorDan and settled there!

⁸ ‘What can I tell them now that IsraEl has [been forced to] flee from our enemies? ⁹ And when the CanaAnites and all the other inhabitants of the land hear about this, they’ll surround us and wipe us out of their land…

‘And then, what will You do for Your great Name?’

¹⁰ But the Lord said to JoShua:

‘Why have you fallen to your face? Get up!

¹¹ ‘[I allowed this because] the people have sinned and broken the agreement that I made with them by stealing things that are cursed and hiding them among their possessions.

¹² ‘Because of this, the children of IsraEl won’t be able to stand before their enemies… They’ll have to run from them, because they’ve brought a curse upon themselves. So, I won’t be with you anymore until you remove those cursed things from among yourselves!

¹³ ‘Now, get up and make the people holy… Yes, tell them to make themselves holy! Then explain to them that Yahweh the God of IsraEl says that there are cursed things among them and that they won’t be able to stand before their enemies until they’ve removed these cursed things.

¹⁴ ‘You must gather all the tribes in the morning, and Yahweh will indicate which tribe, which family line, which household, and which man [is guilty] of doing this. ¹⁵ Then, those to whom He points must be burned with fire for breaking the agreement with Yahweh and bringing wickedness upon all IsraEl!’

¹⁶ So JoShua got up early [the next morning] and he assembled the people by their tribes.

Well, the tribe of Judah was the first to be indicated; ¹⁷ so, all of their families [were set aside].

Next the family of the Zaraites was indicated; ¹⁸ and all of their people were set aside.

[And finally], Achar (son of ZamBri and grandson of ZaRa) was indicated.

¹⁹ So JoShua said to Achar:

‘Give glory to Yahweh the God of IsraEl today and confess.

‘Tell me what you’ve done… Don’t [try to] hide it from me!’

²⁰ And at that, Achar said to JoShua:

‘Yes, I have sinned against Yahweh the God of IsraEl… This is what I did:

²¹ ‘I noticed an embroidered shawl, 200 silver coins, and a piece of gold among the treasures. So because I wanted them, I took them and hid them inside my tent [under the shawl].’

²² Well at that, JoShua sent messengers who ran to his tent in the camp, and they found those things hidden under the shawl. ²³ Then they brought them to JoShua and the elders of IsraEl and laid them before Yahweh.

²⁴ As a result, JoShua took Achar (son of ZaRa), along with his sons, daughters, calves, burros, sheep, tent, all his belongings, and all the people who lived with him, and he brought them to the Valley of Achar at Emec.

²⁵ There, JoShua said to Achar:

‘You’ve destroyed us, so today Yahweh is going to destroy you!’

Then all IsraEl stoned him along with all who were with him with rocks, and they burned [their bodies] in a fire, ²⁶ after which they covered [their bones] with a huge pile of rocks… Which are still there today.

This brought an end to Yahweh’s rage, and it’s why that place is still called The Valley of Achar (the Troublemaker) to this day.

Joshua 8

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¹ Then Yahweh said to JoShua:

‘Don’t be afraid or tremble anymore; for, now you must take all the men of war and return to Gai. Look; I’ve given the king of Gai and his land into your hands!

² ‘So you must do to Gai as you did to JeriCho and its king; however, [this time] you may take their cattle.

‘Now, go and set up an ambush behind the city.’

³ Therefore, JoShua got the men of war ready to go to Gai. He chose 30,000 mighty men and sent them during the night, ⁴ giving them these orders:

‘Wait in ambush behind the city… Don’t go too far, and everyone must be ready.

⁵ ‘Then I’ll take [a group] up to the city [gate]; And when the people of Gai come out to meet us, we’re going to turn and run from them, ⁶ so they’ll chase after us and leave the city… For they’ll think that we’re running from them as we did before.

⁷ ‘That’s when those lying in ambush must get up and enter the city. ⁸ You must do exactly as I’ve commanded you!’

⁹ So JoShua sent them on, and they waited in ambush to the west of Gai, between BethEl and Gai.

¹⁰ Well, early the next morning, JoShua got up and counted off the people. Then he and the elders went up to face the people of Gai, ¹¹ approaching it from the east, ¹² as the rest hid in ambush to the west of the city.

¹³ [verse 13 not present in LXX source]

¹⁴ And when the king of Gai saw them, he and all his people rushed out to meet them head on, not realizing that an ambush had formed behind their city. ¹⁵ Then JoShua and IsraEl turned and retreated from them, ¹⁶ and they chased the children of IsraEl for some distance, ¹⁷ which left very few people inside Gai… They’d left the city wide open as everyone was out chasing IsraEl.

¹⁸ Then Yahweh said to JoShua:

‘Now, raise the spear that’s in your hand towards the city, for I’ve given it into your hands.

‘Those who are hiding must quickly get up and enter it.’

¹⁹ So then JoShua raised his spear towards the city, and when those who were hiding in ambush saw him raise his spear, they quickly arose and entered the city, capturing it and setting it on fire.

²⁰ Well, when the inhabitants of Gai turned around and looked back, they saw the smoke from their city rising high into the sky, and they [realized] that they then had nowhere to run.

²¹ And when JoShua and all IsraEl saw that the city had been taken and its smoke was rising into the sky, they turned around and started cutting down the men of Gai. ²² Then the men [who were burning] the city came out and attacked them from their rear, cutting them all down until no one was left… Not a survivor or an escapee!

²³ They also captured the king of Gai and brought him before JoShua.

²⁴ Well, after the children of IsraEl had finished killing everyone in Gai in the fields and on the descent from its mountain where they’d started chasing them, JoShua returned to Gai and cut down all those who remained with his sword. ²⁵ So, 12,000 inhabitants of Gai fell and were destroyed that day (both the men and the women).

²⁶ [verse 26 not present in LXX source]

²⁷ Then the children of IsraEl took all their cattle and they looted the city for themselves, following the instructions that Yahweh had given to JoShua.

²⁸ Thereafter, JoShua finished burning the city. He turned it into an uninhabitable pile of rubble, which is how it’s remained throughout the ages down to today.

²⁹ Then he hung the king of Gai [on a tree] and left [his body] there until the evening. But after the sun set, JoShua gave instructions to take his body down, and they threw it into a pit and piled a heap of rocks over it, [which can still be seen] today.

³⁰ Then JoShua built an altar to Yahweh the God of IsraEl on Mount Ebal, ³¹ just as Moses (Yahweh’s servant) had commanded the children of IsraEl, like it’s written in the Law of Moses... It was an altar made of rocks that hadn’t been cut or touched by iron. And there he sacrificed whole burnt offerings and a peace offering to Yahweh.

³² Thereafter, JoShua inscribed the Law of Moses on those rocks in front of all the children of IsraEl.

³³ Then everyone in IsraEl (including their elders, judges, and scribes) filed past the [Sacred] Chest, passing on either side, as the Levite Priests were carrying the Chest of the Sacred Agreement of Yahweh.

And after that, all the native [IsraElites] and the aliens were divided into two groups:

Half were stationed near Mount GiriZim, and the other half were stationed near Mount Ebal, just as Moses (Yahweh’s servant) had commanded, so as to receive the first blessings on the people.

³⁴ Then JoShua read all the words of the Law… all the blessings and curses that were written in the Law of Moses.

³⁵ There wasn’t a word that Moses had said to JoShua that wasn’t read within the hearing of the entire assembly of the children of IsraEl… The men, the women, the children, and all the aliens that had joined themselves to IsraEl.

Joshua 9

←8 | All books | All chapters | 10→

¹ Well when the kings of the Amorites on the [west] side of the JorDan (all those in the mountain country, those in the plains by the [MediTerranean] Sea, and those near the borders of Lebanon), as well as the Hittites, CanaAnites, Pherezites, Evites, Amorites, Gergesites, and the Jebusites heard what had happened there, ² they all banded together to fight against JoShua and IsraEl.

³ However, when the inhabitants of GibeOn heard what Yahweh had done to JeriCho and Gai, ⁴ they craftily made [a plan to save themselves]...

They put old sacks over their shoulders, they carried old torn and patched wine skins, ⁵ and they tore off the upper parts of old shoes and sandals and put them on their feet. Then they dressed themselves in old clothes and carried along some bread that was dry, moldy, and rotting; ⁶ and they went to JoShua at the camp of IsraEl at GilGal, and said:

‘We’ve come from a faraway land, [and we want you to] make a treaty with us.’

⁷ But [JoShua] asked the GibeOnites:

‘How can I sign a treaty with you if you live near to us?’

⁸ And they told JoShua:

‘We’re [coming here to be] your servants!’

Then JoShua asked:

‘So, who are you and where have you come from?

⁹ And they replied:

‘Your servants have come from a far away country in the Name of your God, Yahweh.

‘For we’ve heard of His Name and of all that He did in Egypt, ¹⁰ as well as of the things He did to the kings of the Amorites across the JorDan, and of what He did to SeOn the king of the Amorites and to Og the king of BaShan who lived in AstarOth and in EdraIn. ¹¹ And when our elders and the people who live in our land heard of this, they spoke to us and said:

‘Take along enough provisions for the trip and travel to meet with them; then tell them that we’ll be their servants and that [we want to] make a treaty with them.’

¹² ‘Look at our bread! On the day that we started our journey to come here, it was hot. But now it’s all dry and moldy. ¹³ And look at these wine skins! When we filled them they were new, but now they’re torn… And our clothes and shoes are worn out because of the long journey!’

¹⁴ So the leaders [of IsraEl] shared their provisions with them. And because they’d failed to ask Yahweh’s direction, ¹⁵ JoShua concluded a peace treaty with them and agreed to allow them to live… And the leaders of the gathering also swore to this.

¹⁶ Well, it was three days after they’d made the treaty [with the GibeOnites] that [the IsraElites] found out that they were [actually] close neighbors who lived in their midst!

¹⁷ So the children of IsraEl went to their cities (GibeOn, KePhira, Berot, and the cities around JaRim). ¹⁸ However, they didn’t fight against them, because all the leaders had sworn not to do this in an oath that they’d made before Yahweh the God of IsraEl… And this caused the whole gathering to start grumbling against their leaders.

¹⁹ So the leaders spoke to the gathering and said this:

‘Because we’ve sworn [an oath] to them by Yahweh the God of IsraEl, we can’t touch them!

²⁰ ‘However, we will do this:

‘We’ll let them live and we’ll protect them, so [God] won’t be angry with us for [breaking] the oath that we swore to them. ²¹ But they’ll have to serve our entire gathering as woodcutters and water bearers, just as our leaders have told them.’

²² Well thereafter, JoShua assembled the [GibeOnites] and he asked them:

‘Why did you deceive me?

‘Why did you say that you live far away from us, when you’re really the fellow countrymen of the other people who live here? ²³ Because you did this, you are cursed! And you’ll always have to serve as slaves, woodcutters, and water drawers for me and for my God!’

²⁴ And they replied to JoShua:

‘We were told that Yahweh your God ordered his servant Moses to [take] this land and to destroy us, along with everyone else who lives here.

‘So it was because we feared for our lives that we did this thing! ²⁵ And now look… We’ve surrendered to you, so you may do to us whatever pleases and seems good to you.’

²⁶ Well, that’s what they did.

JoShua saved them from the hands of the children of IsraEl, and he didn’t allow them to be killed. ²⁷ Then JoShua made them woodcutters and water bearers to the whole gathering and for the Altar of God.

[And he said]:

‘The inhabitants of GibeOn will continue to serve as the woodcutters and water bearers for the Altar of God even in that [future] place that will be chosen by Yahweh.’

Joshua 10

←9 | All books | All chapters | 11→

¹ Well, when Lord Bezek (the king of Salem) heard that JoShua had taken Gai and destroyed it in the same way as JeriCho and its king, and that the inhabitants of GibeOn had gone over to JoShua and IsraEl, ² this frightened him. For he knew that the cities of GibeOn were large… They were some of [the land’s] primary cities, and [were widely-known] for their mighty men.

³ So Lord Bezek sent [messages] to ElAm (the king of HebRon), PhiDon (the king of JeriMuth), JephTha (the king of LachIsh), and Dabin (the king of OdolLam) which said:

⁴ ‘Come and help us to conquer GibeOn, because the GibeOnites have gone over to JoShua and the children of IsraEl!’

⁵ And at that, the five kings of the Jebusites joined with the king of Salem (this included the kings of HebRon, JeriMuth, LachIsh, and OdolLam). Then they and all their people went and camped around GibeOn, laying siege against them.

⁶ So the GibeOnites sent [a message] to JoShua at his camp at GilGal, which said:

‘Hurry and send your servants to help us!

‘Save us from the Amorite kings of the hill country, for they’ve all united against us!’

⁷ Well at that, JoShua collected the best of his army [and marched them] from GilGal.

⁸ And the Lord told JoShua:

‘Don’t be afraid, for I’m giving them into your hands… There won’t be anyone left to oppose you!’

⁹ Then, because JoShua had marched all night from GilGal, he caught them by surprise, ¹⁰ and Yahweh struck them with terror before the children of IsraEl. So they destroyed them all with a great slaughter there at GibeOn.

He chased them to the road that leads to OroNin, Azeca, and MakeDa, ¹¹ and as they were fleeing the children of IsraEl along the descent from OroNin, the Lord threw hailstones from the sky at them – all the way to Azeca!

And more died from the hailstones than were killed in battle by the children of IsraEl.

¹² JoShua spoke to Yahweh that day while He was delivering the Amorites into the [hands] of IsraEl, and while they were destroying [their enemies] at GibeOn.

JoShua said:

‘May the sun stand still over GibeOn and may the moon [stand still] over the valley of AiLon!’

¹³ And at that, the sun and the moon actually stood still as God brought vengeance on their enemies… The sun stood still in the midst of the sky and it didn’t move for a whole day!

¹⁴ There’s never been a day like that before or since. For God listened to a man and He fought on the side of IsraEl! ¹⁵ And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal. [spurious words]

¹⁶ Well, the five kings had all run away and hidden themselves in a cave at MakeDa. ¹⁷ And when JoShua was told that the five kings had been found hiding in the cave at MakeDa, ¹⁸ he said:

‘Roll boulders to cover the mouth of the cave, and then appoint men to guard them. ¹⁹ But don’t stop there; just keep on chasing your enemies and attacking them from the rear.

‘Don’t allow them to go back into their cities, for Yahweh our God has given them into our hands!’

²⁰ However, although JoShua and IsraEl wiped most of them out, those who escaped finally did take refuge in their fortified cities.

²¹ Well, after the battle, all the people returned safely to JoShua at MakeDa, and none of the children of IsraEl grumbled against him after that.

²² Then JoShua said:

‘Now, open the cave and bring out those five kings!’

²³ So they brought the five kings out of the cave… The king of Salem, the king of HebRon, the king of JeriMuth, the king of LachIsh, and the king of OdolLam.

²⁴ And when they brought them out to JoShua, he assembled all IsraEl and said to the chiefs of the army that went with him:

‘Now, come here and put your feet on their necks.’

So they came and put their feet on the necks [of the kings], ²⁵ and JoShua said:

‘You must not be afraid or cowardly… You must be courageous and strong!

‘For this is what Yahweh will do to all the enemies you’re going to fight against!’

²⁶ Then JoShua killed them and hung their bodies on five trees, where they remained until the evening.

²⁷ It was about sunset when JoShua commanded them to be taken down from the trees, and their [bodies] were thrown into the cave where they’d run for refuge. Then stones were rolled back over the cave, and [their bodies] are still there today.

²⁸ Also on that same day, they captured MakeDa and destroyed its inhabitants with swords… They destroyed every living thing that was there… No one was left or escaped. Then they did the same thing to the king of MakeDa as they’d done to the king of JeriCho.

²⁹ Well, after MakeDa, JoShua and all IsraEl left and laid siege against LebNa, ³⁰ and Yahweh gave it into their hands... They captured it and its king, then they killed all the inhabitants with swords. They killed everything that breathed there… No one survived or escaped. Then they did the same thing to its king as they’d done to the king of JeriCho.

³¹ Thereafter, JoShua and IsraEl left LebNa and went on to LachIsh, where they camped around the city and laid siege to it... ³² Then Yahweh handed LachIsh over to IsraEl.

They captured it on the 2nd day and put all the inhabitants to death with swords, after which they destroyed [the city], just as they’d done to LebNa.

³³ Well, because ElAm (the king of GaZer) had gone to help LachIsh, JoShua also cut him and his people down with swords until there were none left and none had escaped.

³⁴ And from LachIsh, JoShua and all IsraEl went on to OdolLam, laid siege to it, and took it. ³⁵ Yes, Yahweh gave it into the hands of IsraEl on that same day, and they killed all the inhabitants as well as every breathing thing that was there with swords, as they’d done at LachIsh.

³⁶ Thereafter, JoShua and all IsraEl went on to HebRon and camped around it. ³⁷ Then they cut it down along with all the living creatures in it with swords, leaving nothing alive there. They destroyed the [city] and everything in it, as they’d done to OdolLam.

³⁸ After that, JoShua and IsraEl returned to DabIr and camped around it. ³⁹ Then they took it, its king, and its villages, cutting them down with swords… They destroyed everything that breathed there. They left nothing alive! And what they’d done to HebRon and her king is what they did to DabIr and its king.

⁴⁰ Then JoShua attacked all the hill country, the Negev, the plain country, and AsedOth and all their kings… They didn’t spare anything. They destroyed everything that had the breath of life (just as Yahweh the God of IsraEl had commanded), ⁴¹ from KaDesh BarNea to the Gaza, and all of Goshen as far as GibeOn.

⁴² JoShua struck down all of their kings and he took their lands, because Yahweh the God of IsraEl was fighting on his side.

⁴³ [verse 43 not present in LXX source]

Joshua 11

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¹ And when JabIsh (the king of Asor) heard about this, he sent for:

• Jobab (the king of MaRon),

• The kings of SymoOn and Aziph,

• ² The kings around Sidon,

• Those in the hill country,

• Those in the Araba across from KenerOth,

• Those in the plains,

• Those in PhenaEdDor,

• ³ The CanaAnites along the eastern border,

• The Amorites along their borders,

• The Hittites,

• The Pherezites,

• The mountain Jebusites,

• The Evites,

• All those living near Mount HerMon in the land of MasSyma.

⁴ And when all those kings and their armies came together, they were like the sands on the seashore in numbers, with multitudes of horses and chariots! ⁵ All the kings were there in person, and they camped at the waters of MaRon to prepare for war with IsraEl.

⁶ Then Yahweh said to JoShua:

‘Don’t be afraid of them, for tomorrow at this same time I’ll make them flee before IsraEl. Then you must hamstring their horses and burn their chariots.’

⁷ So JoShua and all the men of war made a surprise attack on them at the waters of MaRon and in the hill country, ⁸ and Yahweh gave them into IsraEl’s hands. They struck them down and chased them all the way to Sidon, MasEron, and eastward to the plains of MasSoch… They kept destroying them until there were no more.

⁹ Then JoShua did as Yahweh commanded, he hamstrung the horses and burned their chariots in a fire.

¹⁰ Next, JoShua went back and took Asor and her king (back then, Asor was the capital city of those kingdoms), ¹¹ and they killed everything that breathed with swords… They destroyed them all and nothing was left alive there. Then they burned Asor with fire.

¹² Thereafter, JoShua conquered all the cities that belonged to those kings, and he had everyone put to death by the sword. He left no survivors, just as Moses (the servant of Yahweh) had commanded.

¹³ However, they didn’t burn down all the walled cities, just Asor. ¹⁴ This time, the children of IsraEl looted the cities and killed all the people with swords, leaving no breathing survivors, ¹⁵ for this is what Yahweh had commanded His servant Moses to do, and it’s what Moses commanded JoShua to do.

So JoShua did everything that Moses had commanded.

¹⁶ Next, JoShua took all the hill country, all the Negev, all the land of Goshen, the plain country, all the [country] to the west, the mountains of IsraEl, the low country near the mountains ¹⁷ from Mount ChelCha to SeIr (all the way to BalaGad), and the plains to the borders of Lebanon near Mount HerMon.

He captured all their kings and he destroyed everyone.

¹⁸ This war that JoShua waged with those kings went on for quite some time, ¹⁹ and there was no city that IsraEl warred against which they failed to conquer. ²⁰ For Yahweh had hardened all the hearts [of the people in those cities] when they went to war against IsraEl, so that they might be destroyed without mercy, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

²¹ Then JoShua went and destroyed the Enakim in the hill country from HebRon, to DabIr, to AnabOth, as well as all the other races in the land of IsraEl, including those in the mountains of Judea and their cities… JoShua destroyed them all, ²² for the children of IsraEl left no one. And among the Enakim, the only survivors were found in Gaza, Gath, and AselDo.

²³ Thereafter, JoShua took all their land, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses, and he and [divided] it among IsraEl by their tribes as their inheritance.

And that’s when the wars ended.

Joshua 12

←11 | All books | All chapters | 13→

[Editor note: Now begins a series of lists of conquered kings, cities, and the geographic borders of the 2½ tribes east of the JorDan. The narrative resumes at Joshua 14:1]

¹ These are the kings in that land whom the children of IsraEl killed and whose land they inherited [on the east side] of the JorDan, which ran from the Arnon Valley to Mount HerMon, and all the land of the Araba in the east:

² SeOn, the king of the Amorites.

He lived in Hesh-EbonEh and ruled [over the area] from the Arnon (which is on the side of the valley) and half of GileAd as far as the JaBoc, to the borders of the children of AmMon ³ and the Araba, up to the Sea of [Galilee], then down to the [Dead] Sea and along the road to AsimOth, from ThaEman to AsedOth Phasga.

⁴ Og, the king of BaShan.

He lived in AstarOth near EdraIn, which was [inhabited by] giants.

⁵ He ruled over all the land of BaShan from Mount HerMon and SecChai to the borders of GerGesi, Machi, and half of GileAd, up to the borders of SeOn, the king of Hesh-EbonEh.

⁶ They were the ones whom Moses (the servant of Yahweh) and the children of IsraEl had struck down, and whose [land] Moses gave as an inheritance to ReuBen, Gad, and the half tribe of ManasSeh.

⁷ These are the kings of the Amorites whom JoShua and the children of IsraEl killed [on the west side of] the JorDan along the [MediTerranean] Sea, from the plains of Lebanon to Mount ChelCha and along the road to SeIr (which JoShua gave to the tribes of IsraEl as their inheritance), ⁸ to the mountains and plains, in the Araba and AsedOth, and to the desert and the Negev…

The [lands] of the Hittites, Amorites, CanaAnites, Pherezites, Evites, and Jebusites:

• ⁹ The king of JeriCho,

• The king of Gai (near BethEl),

• ¹⁰ The king of JeruSalem,

• The king of HebRon,

• ¹¹ The king of JeriMuth,

• The king of LachIsh,

• ¹² The king of ElAm,

• The king of GaZer,

• ¹³ The king of DabIr,

• The king of Gader,

• ¹⁴ The king of HerMath,

• The king of Ader,

• ¹⁵ The king of LebNa,

• The king of OdolLam,

• ¹⁶ The king of ElAth,

• ¹⁷ The king of Taphu,

• The king of Opher,

• ¹⁸ The king of Ophec and Aroc,

• ¹⁹ The king of Asom,

• ²⁰ The king of SymoOn,

• The king of MamBroth,

• The king of Aziph,

• ²¹ The king of KaDesh,

• The king of ZachAc,

• ²² The king of MaredOth,

• The king of Jecom and CarMel,

• ²³ The king of OdolLam [who was] under...

• PhenNeAldor, the king of Gei of Galilee, and [lastly]

• ²⁴ The king of Thersa.

A total of 29 kings.

Joshua 13

←12 | All books | All chapters | 14→

¹ Well by then, JoShua had grown very old, so the Lord said to him:

‘You’re getting very old and there’s still a lot of land to [divide as] inheritances...

² ‘For all of this is still left:

• The borders of the Philistines, Gesirites, and CanaAnites ³ from the desert across from Egypt to the borders of AcCaron (the CanaAnites are thought to have had five principalities among the Philistines), they’re the inhabitants of Gaza, including Azotus, AshCalon, Geth, and AcCaron.

• The Evites ⁴ from ThaEman through the land of CanaAn to the Gaza.

• The Sidonians from Aphec to the borders of the Amorites.

• ⁵ The Philistine land of GoliAth from the border of Lebanon east of GilGal at Mount HerMon and the road to Emath.

• ⁶ All those who inhabit the hill country from Lebanon to MaserEth-MemphoMaim, and all the Sidonians.

‘I’m going to destroy them all before IsraEl... So, divide their land as an inheritance among IsraEl, as I told you. ⁷ Divide it [and let it be offered] in a lottery to the 9 tribes and to the half tribe of ManasSeh.

⁸ ‘Its boundaries will run west from the JorDan to the [MediTerranean] Sea.’

Now, Moses (the servant of Yahweh) had already given the tribes of ReuBen, Gad, and the half tribe of ManasSeh their inheritance in the east across the JorDan.

⁹ [It went] from:

AroEr (at the brook of Arnon) to the city in the middle of the valley, as well as all of Misor to MaEdAban ¹⁰ and all the cities of SeOn (the king of the Amorites who reigned from Hesh-EbonEh) to the borders of the children of AmMon.

¹¹ Also, the region of GileAd, the borders of the Gesirites and Machatites all around Mount HerMon, the land of BaShan to Acha, ¹² and the entire kingdom of Og in the region of BaShan (he reigned in AstarOth and in EdraIn near the giants before Moses struck him down and destroyed him).

¹³ But the children of IsraEl didn’t destroy the Gesirites, Machatites, and CanaAnites; so the king of the Gesiri and the Machatites are still living among the children of IsraEl to this day.

¹⁴ However, no inheritance was given to the tribe of Levi, since Yahweh the God of IsraEl is their inheritance, like He told them.

This is how Moses divided the land among the children of IsraEl at ArabOth in MoAb on the other side of the JorDan near JeriCho:

¹⁵ To the tribe of ReuBen and their families he gave all of this:

¹⁶ Their borders ran from AroEr across from the Brook of Arnon (which includes the cities in the valley of Arnon and all of Misor) ¹⁷ to Hesh-EbonEh.

So theirs included all the cities in:

• Misor,

• DaEbon,

• BaEmonBaAl,

• BethMeElBoth,

• ¹⁸ BaShan,

• BakedMoth,

• MaEphaAd,

• ¹⁹ KiriAth JaiRim,

• Sebama,

• Serada,

• Sion (on Mount Enab),

• ²⁰ BaethPhogor,

• AsedOth,

• Phasga,

• BaethThasinOth,

• ²¹ All the cities of Misor, and

• All the kingdom of [king] SeOn.

[Now, this man SeOn was] the king of the Amorites whom Moses struck down, along with the leaders of MidiAn – Evi, Roboc, Sur, Ur, and Robe, who was the leader of the looters in Sion, all the inhabitants of Sion, ²² and BalaAm son of BeOr, yes, they also killed this prophet in the battle.

²³ The [western] border of ReuBen started at the JorDan.

So, those are the boundaries and inheritance of the children of ReuBen, which were divided among all their families, as well as their cities and villages.

²⁴ He gave this inheritance to the sons of Gad and to their families:

²⁵ Their borders run from JaZer (they include all the cities of GileAd and half the land of the children of AmMon) to the Araba near Arad.

²⁶ Then on from Hesh-EbonEh to ArabOth through MasSepha, Botanim, and MaAn, to the borders of DaEbon, ²⁷ EnAdom, OtharGai, BaenThanabra, SocCotha, and Saphan, and the rest of the kingdom of SeAn (the king of Hesh-EbonEh) to the JorDan, then up to the Sea of Galilee on the east side of the JorDan.

²⁸ This is the inheritance of the children of Gad and their cities, which was divided among their families. They had to [stick together when facing] their enemies, because those cities and villages were to be distributed among their families.

²⁹ He gave this inheritance to half the tribe of ManasSeh and their families:

³⁰ Their borders ran from MaAn, through the kingdom of BaShan, and the entire kingdom of Og (the king of BaShan), all the villages of JaIr that are in the region of BaShan (some 60 cities), ³¹ half of GileAd, and AstarOth and EdraIn (the royal cities of Og in the land of BaShan).

That’s what Moses gave to the sons of MachIr (the son of ManasSeh) and their families, which comprised the half tribe of ManasSeh ³² (they’re the ones who urged Moses to give them all the land east of the JorDan at ArabOth MoAb).

Joshua 14

←13 | All books | All chapters | 15→

[Editor note: The narrative resumes here.]

¹ And these were the children of IsraEl who received their inheritance in the land of CanaAn – those to whom EliEzer the Priest, JoShua (son of NaWeh), and the family heads of the tribes of the children of IsraEl gave an inheritance.

² The 9-1/2 tribes received their inheritances in a lottery, just as Yahweh had commanded JoShua. ³ But the Levites received no inheritance among them ⁴ other than their own cities and suburbs, where their cattle were kept separate from those of the rest.

⁵ So the children of IsraEl did just as Yahweh commanded Moses, and they divided up the land.

⁶ Then, [one of] the sons of Judah (Caleb, son of JephoNe the Kenite) went to JoShua at GilGal and said to him:

‘You know what Yahweh said to Moses (the man of God) about me at KaDesh BarNea. ⁷ For I was 40 years old when Moses (the servant of God) sent me from KaDesh BarNea to spy in this land, and I returned to him and gave him an answer that pleased him.

⁸ ‘Although my brothers who went with me preferred to listen to the people, I kept following my God Yahweh...

‘⁹ So Moses swore on that day, saying:

‘The land where you went will become the inheritance of you and your children throughout the ages, because you made sure that you followed our God, Yahweh.’

¹⁰ ‘Well, Yahweh has kept me alive until now, and it has been 45 years since Yahweh said that to Moses back when IsraEl [lived] in the desert. So today, {Look!} I’m 85 years old! ¹¹ Yet, I’m still as strong as when Yahweh sent me!

‘In fact, I’m still strong enough to fight as a soldier!

¹² ‘So now I’m asking you for this mountain [in order to fulfill Yahweh’s promise] which you heard on that day. And although the Enakim are here in large fortified cities... If Yahweh is with me, I’ll destroy them just as Yahweh has instructed me!’

¹³ So JoShua blessed him and gave HebRon to Caleb (son of JephoNe and grandson of Kenez) as his inheritance. ¹⁴ And since then, HebRon has been the inheritance of Caleb, because he followed the commandments of Yahweh, the God of IsraEl.

¹⁵ The name of that city used to be ArGob when it belonged to the Enakim, but after the war, it was renamed HebRon.

Joshua 15

←14 | All books | All chapters | 16→

[Editor note: Now begins the geographic description of the borders of the 9½ tribes west of the JorDan. The narrative resumes at Joshua 15:13.]

¹ The border of the tribe of Judah (which land was divided among their families) runs south from Idumea and the Sin Desert, as far as KaDesh ² in the south.

It runs from part of the Dead Sea into the high country, ³ then it goes towards the base of Mount AcraBin, around Sena, then south to KaDesh BarNea, over to AsoRon, up to SaraDa, then along the road west of KaDesh, ⁴ out to SelMona towards the valley of Egypt, and it ends at the Sea.

These are their southern borders.

⁵ Their borders on the east run from the Dead Sea and up the JorDan.

Their borders in the north run from the Sea over to part of the JorDan. ⁶ They run from BethLehem in the north to the House in the Plains, along the stone [wall] of BaeOn to the borders of the sons of ReuBen.

⁷ The border continues through a quarter of the Valley of Achor and goes down towards GilGal to the approach to AdamMin (on the south side of the valley), and terminates at the water [that flows from] the Spring of the Sun and the Spring of RogEl.

⁸ Then it runs southward to the valley of EnNom behind Jebus (which is now JeruSalem), and ends at the top of the mountain facing the seaward side of the valley of EnNom, with the land of the RaphaIn in the north.

⁹ Then the border runs from the top of the mountain to the spring water of NaphTho, and on to Mount EphRon along the [road] that leads to BaAl (which is now the city of JaRim). ¹⁰ Then it runs from BaAl to the sea across Mount AsSar, which is behind the city of JaRim to the north (ChasLon), and down to the City of the Sun. From there, it heads south.

¹¹ This border terminates behind AcCaron (to the north), then it runs on to SocChoth and southward to LebNa, then over to the Sea. The [MediTerranean] Sea is their [western] border.

¹² These are the borders of the [land that was distributed among] the families of the children of Judah.

[Editor note: The narrative resumes here.]

¹³ And to Caleb (son of JephoNe), JoShua set aside a [special] portion in the midst of the children of Judah, as God had commanded JoShua. He gave him the city of ArBoc and the metropolis of Enac, which is now called HebRon.

¹⁴ So, Caleb (son of JephoNe) destroyed the three sons of Enac (Susi, Tholami, and Achima) there, ¹⁵ then he [attacked] DabIr, which used to be called The City of Letters.

¹⁶ Then Caleb swore:

‘To whoever takes, conquers, and destroys the City of Letters, I’ll give my daughter AsCha to be his woman.’

¹⁷ And it was GothoniEl (son of Chenez, Caleb’s brother) who took [the city], so [Caleb] gave him AsCha his daughter to be his woman. ¹⁸ But as she was leaving [her father], she said to [Chenez]:

‘I’m going to ask my father for a field.’

So she got off her burro and started crying.

And Caleb asked her:

‘What’s wrong?’

¹⁹ Then she said:

‘Give me a blessing, for you’re sending me into the land of Negev… Give me [a place where there are] springs!’

So he gave her both the upper and lower springs.

[Editor note: Now the geographic descriptions resume. The narrative resumes at Joshua 17:12, although there’s an important brief account about daughters receiving inheritance in Joshua 17:3-4.]

²⁰ This is all the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah.

²¹ Their cities on the border of Edom next to the BaeSeleEl desert are:

• Ara,

• Asor,

• ²² Icam,

• RegMa,

• AruEl,

• ²³ KaDesh,

• AsoriOnain,

• MaEnam,

• ²⁴ BalmaEnan and its suburbs,

• ²⁵ The cities of AseRon (which are now called Asor),

• ²⁶ Sen,

• SalmaA,

• MoLada,

• ²⁷ Seri,

• BaePhalath,

• ²⁸ CholaseOla,

• BeerSabee (and its suburbs and villages),

• ²⁹ Bala,

• Bacoc,

• Asom,

• ³⁰ ElBoudad,

• BethEl,

• Herma,

• ³¹ SekeLac,

• Macharim,

• SethenNac,

• ³² Labos,

• Sale, and

• EroMoth.

[A total of] 29 cities and their villages.

³³ In the plain country, [the cities are]:

• AstaOl,

• RaA,

• AsSa,

• ³⁴ Ramen,

• Tano,

• IluthOth,

• MaeAni,

• ³⁵ JerMuth,

• OdolLam,

• MemBra,

• SaoCho,

• Jazeca,

• ³⁶ SacArim, and

• GadeRa with its villages.

[A total of] 14 cities and their villages.

³⁷ Also:

• SenNa,

• AdaSan,

• MagadalGad,

• ³⁸ Dalad,

• MasPha,

• JaChareEl,

• ³⁹ Lachish,

• BasedOth,

• IdeaDalea,

• ⁴⁰ Chabra,

• Maches,

• MaAchos,

• ⁴¹ GedDor,

• BagadiEl,

• Noman, and

• MacheDan.

[A total of] 16 cities and their villages.

⁴² Also:

• LebNa,

• Ithac,

• Anoch,

• ⁴³ Jana,

• Nasib,

• ⁴⁴ KeILam,

• AkiEzi,

• Kezib,

• BethEsar, and

• AiLom.

[A total of] 10 cities and their villages.

⁴⁵ Also:

• AcCaron and her villages and towns,

• ⁴⁶ AcCaron-Gemna,

• All the cities near AsedOth and their villages,

• ⁴⁷ AsiedOth and her villages and towns,

• Gaza and its villages and towns, which run to the river of Egypt and along the [MediTerranean] Sea.

⁴⁸ In the hill country, [the cities are]:

• SamIr,

• JeTher,

• Socha,

• ⁴⁹ RenNa,

• The City of Letters (DabIr),

• ⁵⁰ Anon,

• EskaiMan,

• AiSam,

• ⁵¹ Goshen,

• Chalu, and

• ChanNa.

[A total of] 11 cities and their villages.

⁵² Also:

• AiRem,

• RemNa,

• Soma,

• ⁵³ JemaIn,

• BaethAchu,

• Phacua,

• ⁵⁴ Euma,

• the city ArBoc (HebRon), and

• SoraIth.

[A total of] 9 cities and their villages.

⁵⁵ Also:

• MaOr,

• CarMel,

• Ozib,

• Itan,

• ⁵⁶ JariEl,

• AriCam,

• Zacanaim,

• ⁵⁷ GabaA, and

• ThamNatha.

[A total of] 9 cities and their villages.

⁵⁸ Also:

• AiLua,

• BethSur,

• GedDon,

• ⁵⁹ MagarOth,

• BethAnam, and

• Thecum.

[A total of] 6 cities and their villages.

⁶⁰ Also:

• Theco,

• EphRatha (BethLehem),

• Phagor,

• AiTan,

• Culon,

• Tatam,

• Thobes,

• Carem,

• Galem,

• Thether, and

• ManoCho.

[A total of] 11 cities and their villages.

⁶¹ Also:

• KariAth-BaAl (JaiRim) and,

• SoTheba.

[A total of] 2 cities and their villages.

⁶² Also:

• BadDargeIsh,

• ThaRabaAm,

• AiNon,

• AiOchiOza,

• NaphLazon,

• Sadon, and

• AnKadesh.

[A total of] 7 cities and their villages.

⁶³ Well, the Jebusites lived in JeruSalem, because the children of Judah couldn’t destroy them… And they still live there today.

Joshua 16

←15 | All books | All chapters | 17→

¹ The borders of the children of JoSeph[, that is Ephraim and ManasSeh] run from the JorDan past JeriCho on the east, and from JeriCho to the hill country, to the desert, then up to BethEl Luza.

² And from BethEl they proceed on to the borders of AchaTarOthi, ³ then they go across towards the sea along the borders of ApTalim, and to the borders of Lower BethOron, then on to the sea.

⁴ [And that’s where] the sons of JoSeph (Ephraim and ManasSeh) claimed their inheritance.

⁵ The borders of the children of Ephraim that were divided among their families as their inheritance run eastward to AtarOth and Eroc, then on to Upper BethOron and Gazara.

⁶ They run from the sea to IcasMon north of TherMa, then east to TheNasa and SelLes, and on to JaNoca, ⁷ Macho, and AtarOth (which are their villages), then towards JeriCho, ending at the JorDan. ⁸ From there they run on to Tapho, to ChelCana, and back to the sea.

This is the inheritance of the tribe of Ephraim and their families.

⁹ Many of the cities and their villages that were given to the sons of Ephraim were in inside [the land] inherited by the sons of ManasSeh. ¹⁰ And Ephraim failed to destroy the CanaAnites who lived in GaZer; so the CanaAnites lived in Ephraim until PharaOh, the king of Egypt [possibly Ramses the Great] went there, took it, and burned it with fire.

Then PharaOh gave the CanaAnites, Pherezites, and those who live in Gaza to his daughter as her dowry.

Joshua 17

←16 | All books | All chapters | 18→

¹ Now, these are the borders of the tribe of the children of ManasSeh (JoSeph’s firstborn):

MachIr was the firstborn of ManasSeh and the father of GileAd, who [took] the land of GileAd and BaShan. ² And the other sons of ManasSeh were also given land, which was divided among their families, [which are] the sons of:

• Jezi,

• Kelez,

• JeziEl,

• SheChem,

• Symarim, and

• Opher.

[These were] the family heads.

³ SalpaAd (son of Opher) had no sons, just daughters, and these are their names:

• SalpaAd,

• MaAla,

• Nua,

• Egla,

• Melcha, and

• Thersa.

⁴ They’d gone before JoShua, EliEzer the Priest, and the rulers and said:

‘God commanded Moses to give us an inheritance in the midst of our family.’

So at the command of Yahweh, they were given an inheritance among their uncles. ⁵ In the lottery, these women were assigned all [the land] from AnasSa to the plain of Labec in the land of GileAd [west of] the JorDan.

⁶ And because these daughters of the sons of ManasSeh inherited land inside of GileAd, the rest of it was assigned to the other sons of ManasSeh.

⁷ Thus, the borders of the sons of ManasSeh start at DelAnath (close to the sons of Anath) and proceed to the edge of JaMin and JasSib, to the spring of ThaphThoth. ⁸ It all belongs to ManasSeh – but ThaphEth on its border belongs to the sons of Ephraim.

⁹ Then the borders go down to the valley of CaraNa, and southward past the valley of JariEl where there’s a pine tree that belongs to Ephraim near the city of ManasSeh. Then its border runs northward to the brook and over to the sea.

¹⁰ The land to ManasSeh’s south belongs to Ephraim, and it runs along their border from the seacoast, then northward along the border of Aseb, and eastward up to [the land of] IsSachar.

¹¹ And in the land of IsSachar, ManasSeh owns:

• Asher,

• BethSan and their villages,

• The inhabitants of Dor and its villages,

• The inhabitants of MegidDo and its villages, and

• A third of MaphEta and its villages.

[Editor note: The narrative resumes here.]

¹² However, the sons of ManasSeh weren’t able to destroy those cities, so the CanaAnites started living there. ¹³ But when the children of IsraEl were strong enough, they made the CanaAnites their subjects (they didn’t destroy them).

¹⁴ Then the sons of JoSeph went to JoShua [and complained]:

‘Why did you just give us just one inheritance and one border? For God has blessed us and made us a large group of people!’

¹⁵ But JoShua replied:

‘If you have a lot of people and the hills of Ephraim are too small for you, then go up to the forest and clear more land for yourselves.’

¹⁶ However, they replied:

‘We don’t like the hills of Ephraim, and the CanaAnites are living there in BethSan and its villages, as well as in the JezreEl Valley… And they have many horsemen and iron [weapons]!’

¹⁷ But JoShua told the sons of JoSeph:

‘If you have lots of people and you’re very strong, you may claim more inheritance. ¹⁸ Also, if you need wood, there’s [plenty of] wood there. Clear it and the land will be yours!

‘Then destroy the CanaAnites; for even if they’ve got good horsemen, you are stronger than they are!’

Joshua 18

←17 | All books | All chapters | 19→

¹ Well, the entire gathering of the children of IsraEl assembled at ShiLoh, and there they set up the Tent of Proofs (since they’d already conquered that land)… ² And the sons of IsraEl that hadn’t received their inheritance yet (7 tribes), stayed there.

³ Then JoShua asked the sons of IsraEl:

‘How much longer are you going to hold back from inheriting the land that our God Yahweh has given to you?

⁴ ‘Now, appoint three men from each tribe and have them travel throughout the land. Then come and describe it to me so it can be properly divided.’

⁵ And thereafter, they came to him and he [arranged for them to] divide it into 7 sections.

For he said:

‘Judah’s borders to the south will stand, as will [the land of] the sons of JoSeph to the north. ⁶ But now you must divide the [rest of] the land into 7 parts and then bring the descriptions here to me, so I can parcel them out in a lottery before Yahweh our God.

⁷ ‘However, the sons of Levi won’t receive a share among you; for the Priesthood of Yahweh is their portion.

‘Also, Gad, ReuBen, and the half tribe of ManasSeh have already received their inheritance east of the JorDan, which was given to them by Yahweh’s servant Moses.’

⁸ Then as the men got up to leave, JoShua gave these orders to those who were to explore the land:

‘Go and survey the land, then come to me and I’ll divide it in a lottery here in ShiLoh, before Yahweh.’

⁹ So they went and explored the land. And after examining it, they divided it into 7 parts by cities, and [they drew a map], which they brought back to JoShua. ¹⁰ Then JoShua threw lots for them before Yahweh there at ShiLoh.

[Editor note: Now follows long geographic descriptions of the tribal borders. The narrative resumes at Joshua 19:47.]

¹¹ It was the tribe of BenJamin and their families that came first, and the borders they received were between the children of Judah and the children of JoSeph[, that is, Ephraim and ManasSeh].

¹² Their borders to the east went up the JorDan behind JeriCho, northward to the mountains in the west, and to BethOn of MabDara.

¹³ It runs around the south side of Luz (BethEl), and down to MaAtarob-Orech into the hill country that’s south of Lower BethOron.

¹⁴ Then it proceeds to the part that faces the sea, south of the mountain in front of BethOron, and ends at KariAth-BaAl (KiriAth JaiRim), a city of the children of Judah. This was their boundary on the west.

¹⁵ On the south side, it runs from the border of KiriAth-BaAl across to Gasin, and to the Spring of NaphTho.

¹⁶ Then it runs in front of the forest of SonNam (which is east of Emec-RaphaIn) in the north, and comes down to the EnNa Valley behind JebuSai; Then it runs south to the Spring of RogEl ¹⁷ and over to the Spring of BethSamys.

¹⁸ From there, it goes in front of GalilOth by way of AiThamin, then down to the stone of BaeOn (of the sons of ReuBen), where it passes behind the north side of BethAraba to the sea in the north.

¹⁹ These borders end at the creek of the Dead Sea and run north along the JorDan (which is their southern border)… ²⁰ So the JorDan is their boundary on the east.

This is the inheritance of the children of BenJamin and their families, and these are their borders.

²¹ The cities of the children of BenJamin and their families are:

• JeriCho,

• BethAgaeo,

• the AmeCasis,

• ²² BethAbara,

• Sara,

• BesAna,

• ²³ AiEin,

• Phara,

• EphRatha,

• ²⁴ CarApha,

• Cephira, and

• Moni.

[A total of] 12 cities and their villages.

²⁵ [Also:]

• GibeOn,

• Rama,

• BeerOtha,

• ²⁶ MasSema,

• Miron,

• Amoke,

• ²⁷ Phira,

• Caphan,

• Nacan,

• Selecan,

• ThareEla,

• ²⁸ Jebus (JeruSalem), and

• GabaOth JaiRim.

[A total of] 13 cities and their villages.

This is the inheritance of the sons of BenJamin and their families.

Joshua 19

←18 | All books | All chapters | 20→

¹ The 2nd lot fell to the children of SymeOn, so their inheritance is within the land of the children of Judah.

² They were given:

• BeerSabee,

• SamaA,

• CalaDam,

• ³ ArSola,

• Bola,

• Jason,

• ⁴ ErThula,

• Bula,

• Herma,

• ⁵ SikElac,

• BethMachereb,

• SarSusin, and

• ⁶ BathAroth.

[A total of] 13 cities and their villages.

⁷ Also:

• EremMon,

• Thalcha,

• JeTher, and

• Asan.

[A total of] 4 cities and their villages.

⁸ Their cities run from Balec and the road to Bameth southward. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of SymeOn and their families. ⁹ It’s part of the lot of Judah, because Judah’s portion was very large, so the inheritance of the children of SymeOn is within [the borders of] theirs.

¹⁰ The 3rd lot fell to ZebuLon and their families.

The boundaries of their inheritance run from EsedekGola ¹¹ to the sea and on to MagelDa, then it reaches to BethAraba in the valley across from JekMan. ¹² From there it goes back to SedDuc and heads east to BethSamys along the border of ChaShilohThaith, and passes on to DabIrOth, then it goes up to PhanGai.

¹³ From there it goes back eastward to GeBere and the city of CataSem, and on to RemMonaA-MatharaOza. ¹⁴ Then it goes north to AmOth and ends at:

• GaEphaEl,

• ¹⁵ CataNath,

• NaBaAl,

• SymoOn,

• JeriCho, and

• BethMan.

¹⁶ This (and these cities and their villages) is the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of ZebuLon and their families.

¹⁷ The 4th lot fell to IsSachar.

¹⁸ Their borders include:

• Jazel,

• ChasalOth,

• Sunam,

• ¹⁹ Agin,

• Siona,

• ReErOth,

• ²⁰ AnaChereth,

• DabIron,

• Kison,

• Rebes,

• ²¹ RemMas,

• Jeon,

• TomMan,

• AiMarec, and

• BerSaphes.

²² They border on GaethBor, Salim, and BethSamys in the west, and then the border runs to the JorDan. ²³ This (and these cities and their villages) is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of IsSachar and their families.

²⁴ The 5th lot fell to Asher and their families.

²⁵ Their borders include:

• ExelEketh,

• Aleph,

• BethOk,

• KeAph,

• ²⁶ EliMelech,

• AmiEl, and

• MaAsa.

Their border runs west from CarMel and on to Zion and LabaNath. ²⁷ Then it runs west from BethEgeneth to where it joins ZebuLon (EkGai and PhthaeEl), then northward to SaphthaeBethMe and InaEl; then it goes on to:

• ChobaMasomEl,

• ²⁸ ElBon,

• RaHab,

• EmeMaon,

• CanThan, and

• Sidon.

²⁹ From there, it turns back and runs to Rama, to the Spring of MasPhasSat and the border of Tyre. Then it returns to JaSiph and ends at the sea (it includes ApoLeb, EchoZob, ³⁰ ArchOb, Aphec, and RaAu).

³¹ This (and these cities and their villages) is the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Asher and their families.

³² The 6th lot fell to NaphTali.

³³ Their borders include:

• MoOlam,

• Mola,

• BesemiIn,

• Arme,

• Naboc,

• JephThamai (as far as Dodam),

...and then end at the JorDan.

³⁴ Then it runs west at AthAbor and goes on to JaCana. It borders on ZebuLon in the south, Asher in the west, and the JorDan in the east.

³⁵ Theirs includes the walled cities of the Tyrians:

• Tyre,

• OmaThadakEth,

• KenerEth,

• ³⁶ ArmaIth,

• AreAl,

• Asor,

• ³⁷ KaDesh,

• AsSari,

• The well of Asor,

• ³⁸ Keroe,

• MegalaArim,

• BeatThame, and

• BethSamus.

³⁹ This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of NaphTali.

⁴⁰ The 7th lot fell to Dan.

⁴¹ Their territory includes:

• SarAth,

• Asa,

• the cities of SamMaus,

• ⁴² SalaMin,

• AmMon,

• SilAtha,

• ⁴³ Elon,

• ThamNatha,

• AcCaron,

• ⁴⁴ AlCatha,

• BegEthon,

• GebeElan,

• ⁴⁵ Azor,

• BanaeBacat,

• GethRemMon, and

• ⁴⁶ Towards the west of HierAcon (whose border is near JopPa).

[Editor note: The narrative resumes here.]

⁴⁷ This (including these cities and their villages) is the inheritance of the children of Dan and their families.

However, the children of Dan didn’t drive out the Amorites. So, they constantly harassed them in their mountains and wouldn’t allow them to come down into the valley... They also forcibly took a portion of their land.

⁴⁸ Then the sons of Dan went and fought against LachIsh and took it. They cut [the people] down with swords and started living there, and they renamed the city LasenDan. However, the Amorites continued to live in Edom and in SalamIn, but the Ephraimites held them down and forced them to pay a tribute.

⁴⁹ So the children of IsraEl proceeded to take possession of the land inside their borders, and they gave an inheritance to JoShua (son of NaWeh) among them. ⁵⁰ Following the command of God, they gave him the city that he asked for, ThamnaSarach in the hills of Ephraim. So, he built the city and lived there.

⁵¹ These are the divisions that EliEzer the Priest, JoShua (son of NaWeh), and the family heads of the tribes of IsraEl assigned in a lottery before Yahweh at ShiLoh, at the entrance to the Tent of Proofs.

And thereafter, they each went out to take possession of their lands.

Joshua 20

←19 | All books | All chapters | 21→

¹ Then the Lord spoke to JoShua and said:

² ‘Speak to the children of IsraEl and tell them to assign the refuge cities that I spoke to you about through Moses. ³ They are to be havens for those who accidentally kill another person…

‘Cities to run to, so the one who killed the other won’t be put to death by the person acting as next-of-kin (over the blood).

⁴ ‘He must flee to one of these cities and go to the city gate to speak to the city elders about his case. Thereafter, he’s to be handed over [to those who are living there] and given a place where he can stay among them.

⁵ ‘And when the person acting as the next of kin over the blood (the one who is pursuing him) arrives, they’re not to hand him over for unintentionally striking his neighbor (someone whom he didn’t dislike on the previous days).

⁶ ‘The person must continue to dwell in that city until he stands trial before the congregation, and thereafter, he must stay there until the death of the High Priest (whomever it may be in that day).

‘So then, the blood-avenger must just return to his city and home (the place they fled from).’

⁷ Therefore, [JoShua] set aside:

• KaDesh, in the hills of NaphTali in Galilee,

• SheChem, in the hills of Ephraim, and

• The city of ArBoc (HebRon), in the hills of Judah.

⁸ And across the JorDan, he set aside:

• Bosor, in the desert plain of the tribe of ReuBen,

• AremOth in GileAd, of the tribe of Gad, and

• Golan in the country of BaShan, of the tribe of ManasSeh.

⁹ These were the cities selected for the sons of IsraEl (and for the aliens who lived among them), where those who unintentionally killed another could run, so they wouldn’t be put to death by the blood avenger before they stood trial in front of the gathering.

Joshua 21

←20 | All books | All chapters | 22→

¹ Then the heads of the families of the sons of Levi came to EliEzer the Priest, JoShua (son of NaWeh), and the heads of families of the tribes of IsraEl ² at ShiLoh in the land of CanaAn, and said:

‘[Remember that Yahweh] gave the commandment through Moses that we should be given cities to live in, as well as land roundabout them for our cattle.’

³ So, following the commands of Yahweh, the children of IsraEl gave the Levites cities and their surrounding countrysides as their inheritance.

[Editor note: Here follows a list of Levite cities. The narrative resumes below at Joshua 21:39.]

⁴ The first lot fell to the children of CaAth:

So the sons of Aaron (the Levite Priests) received 13 cities from the tribes of Judah, SymeOn, and BenJamin, which were divided among their families in a lottery. ⁵ And then the remaining sons of CaAth were given 10 cities from the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and the half tribe of ManasSeh.

⁶ The sons of GedSon received 13 cities, which were divided [among their families] by lottery from the tribes of IsSachar, Asher, NaphTali, and the half tribe of ManasSeh in BaShan.

⁷ The sons of MeraRi received 12 cities, which were divided among their families by lottery from the tribes of ReuBen, Gad, and ZebuLon.

⁸ The children of IsraEl also gave the Levites the land around their cities, as Yahweh had commanded Moses, which were divided in a lottery.

⁹ These are the cities that the tribes of the children of Judah, SymeOn, and part of the tribe of the children of BenJamin assigned ¹⁰ to the sons of Aaron (the family of CaAth of the sons of Levi), for whom the first lot fell.

¹¹ [There was] KiriAth-ArBoc and the metropolis of the sons of Enac (HebRon) in the Mountain country of Judah and the surrounding suburbs... ¹² However, JoShua gave the city itself and its villages to the sons of Caleb (son of JephoNe) as his [family’s] possession.

¹³ He also assigned:

• HebRon and its suburbs (as a refuge city for unintentional killers),

• LemNa and its suburbs,

• ¹⁴ AiLom and its suburbs,

• Tema and its suburbs,

• ¹⁵ GelLa and its suburbs,

• DabIr and its suburbs,

• ¹⁶ Asa and its suburbs,

• Tany and its suburbs, and

• BethSamus and its suburbs.

[A total of] 9 cities from these two tribes.

¹⁷ And from the tribe of BenJamin, they were given:

• GibeOn and its suburbs,

• GathEth and its suburbs,

• ¹⁸ AnathOth and its suburbs, and

• Gamala and its suburbs.

[A total of] 4 cities.

¹⁹ So all together, the sons of Aaron (the Priests) were given these 13 cities.

²⁰ And the remaining families of the sons of CaAth (the Levite Priests) were given ²¹ these cities from the tribe of Ephraim:

• SheChem and its suburbs (which was also a refuge city),

• Gazara and its appendages and suburbs,

• KibZaim and its suburbs,

• ²² BethOron and its suburbs.

[A total of] 4 cities.

²³ And from the tribe of Dan [they were given]:

• HelcoThaim and its suburbs,

• GethEdan and its suburbs,

• ²⁴ AiLon and its suburbs, and

• GethEremMon and its suburbs.

[A total of] 4 cities.

²⁵ And from the half tribe of ManasSeh [they were given]:

• Tanach and its suburbs, and

• JeBatha and its suburbs.

[A total of] 2 cities.

²⁶ So in all, 10 cities and their suburbs were assigned to the remaining families of the sons of CaAth.

²⁷ And JoShua gave the sons of GedSon (the Levites) these cities from the other half-tribe of ManasSeh:

• Golan in the country of BaShan and its suburbs (which was also a refuge city),

• Bosora and its suburbs.

[A total of] 2 cities.

²⁸ And from the tribe of IsSachar [they were given]:

• Kison and its suburbs,

• DebBa and its suburbs,

• ²⁹ RemMath and its suburbs, and

• The Well of Letters and its suburbs.

[A total of] 4 cities.

³⁰ And from the tribe of Asher [they were given]:

• BaselLa and its suburbs,

• DabBon and its suburbs,

• ³¹ Chelcat and its suburbs, and

• RaHab and its suburbs.

[A total of] 4 cities.

³² And from the tribe of NaphTali [they were given]:

• KaDesh in Galilee and its suburbs (which was a refuge city),

• NemMath and its suburbs, and

• ThemMon and its suburbs.

[A total of] 3 cities.

³³ All together, the families of GedSon received 13 cities.

³⁴ The remaining families of the sons of MeraRi (the Levites) received these cities from the tribe of ZebuLon:

• MaAn and its suburbs,

• KaDesh and its suburbs, and

• ³⁵ SelLa and its suburbs.

[A total of] 3 cities.

³⁶ Then on the other side of the JorDan near JeriCho, they received these cities from the tribe of ReuBen:

• Bosor in the Miso Desert and its suburbs (which was a refuge city),

• JaZer and its suburbs,

• DecMon and its suburbs, and

• Mapha and its suburbs.

[A total of] 4 cities.

³⁷ Then from the tribe of Gad [they received]:

• RamOth in GileAd and its suburbs (which was a refuge city),

• Camin and its suburbs,

• Esbon and its suburbs, and

• JaZer and its suburbs.

[A total of] 4 cities.

³⁸ So the families of the sons of MeraRi of the tribe of Levi received a total of 12 cities and their outlying land.

[Editor note: The narrative resumes here.]

³⁹ The Levites received [a total of] 48 cities ⁴⁰ and all their surrounding land and suburbs.

Then after JoShua stopped dividing the land and setting their borders, the children of IsraEl gave JoShua his portion, because this is what Yahweh had commanded them. They gave him the city that he asked for, ThamnaSarach in the hills of Ephraim. Then JoShua built the city and lived there.

Thereafter, JoShua took stone knives and circumcised all the children of IsraEl who had been born along the way, and he let [them recuperate] at ThamnaSarach.

⁴¹ So, Yahweh gave IsraEl all the land that He’d promised to their ancestors… They inherited it all and lived there.

⁴² He also gave them a time of peace, as He had promised to their ancestors;
For, none of their enemies could stand against them and He gave them all into their hands.
⁴³ As a result, all the good things that Yahweh had promised to the children of IsraEl started to be realized.

Joshua 22

←21 | All books | All chapters | 23→

¹ Then JoShua called the sons of ReuBen, the sons of Gad, and the half tribe of ManasSeh together ² and said to them:

‘You’ve [obeyed] all that Moses (the servant of Yahweh) commanded you to do, and you’ve paid attention to everything that I told you about his instructions, ³ for you haven’t deserted your brothers during all this time and you’ve followed the commandments of your God Yahweh.

⁴ ‘So, now that our God Yahweh has given our brothers [a place] where they can rest (as He promised), you can return to your land and to the homes that Moses gave to you on the other side the JorDan.

⁵ ‘However, be careful to obey the Commandments and the Law that Moses (the servant of Yahweh) gave you… Love Yahweh your God, walk in all His paths, keep His commandments, stick with Him and serve Him with your whole minds and souls.’

⁶ Then JoShua blessed them and dismissed them, and they returned to their homes.

⁷ Now, Moses had given a portion of the land of BaShan to half of the tribe of ManasSeh, and JoShua gave the other half a portion with their brothers on the west side of the JorDan... And when JoShua sent them home, he blessed them ⁸ with much wealth; For he divided the loot that they’d plundered from their enemies among them and their brothers, which included great numbers of cattle, as well as silver, gold, iron, and clothing.

⁹ So at that, the sons of ReuBen, Gad, and the half tribe of ManasSeh left the children of IsraEl in ShiLoh (in the land of CanaAn) and they headed towards GileAd and the land that they’d inherited at the command of Yahweh through Moses.

¹⁰ Then, when they got to GileAd near the JorDan (in the land of CanaAn), they built a huge altar there next to the JorDan. ¹¹ And when the [other] children of IsraEl heard about it, they said,

‘Look! The sons of ReuBen, Gad, and the half tribe of ManasSeh have built an altar at the border of the land of CanaAn – at GileAd next to the JorDan – directly across from [the rest] of the children of IsraEl!’

¹² And as a result, they[, that is, the tribes west of the Jordan] all gathered at ShiLoh to go and fight against them.

¹³ But first, the children of IsraEl sent PhiNeas (son of EliEzer and grandson of Aaron the Priest) to talk to the sons of ReuBen, Gad, and the half tribe of ManasSeh in the land of GileAd, ¹⁴ along with 10 of the chiefs... One chief from each of the households of the rest of the tribes of IsraEl, who were generals over thousands in IsraEl.

¹⁵ So when they got to the sons of ReuBen, Gad, and the half tribe of ManasSeh in the land of GileAd, they said:

¹⁶ ‘This is what the whole gathering of Yahweh wants to know:

‘What is this sin that you’ve committed before the God of IsraEl by building yourselves an altar? Did you do this so that you could turn away from Him?

¹⁷ ‘Was the sin at PhoGor – from which we’ve yet to be cleansed – that insignificant to you, despite the fact that it brought a plague among the entire gathering of Yahweh?

¹⁸ ‘So, now that you’ve revolted against Yahweh, you’ll come to know the wrath of all IsraEl!

¹⁹ ‘If your land has become too small for you, then you should cross [the JorDan] and come into into the land that Yahweh [has given to us] and where the Tent of Yahweh stays, so you can receive an inheritance here among us... You must not turn away from God by building an altar apart from the Altar of Yahweh!

²⁰ ‘For look! Didn’t Achar (son of ZaRa) sin by taking things that were cursed and bring the wrath [of God] on the whole gathering of IsraEl? And [remember] that he died for his sin!’

²¹ However, the sons of ReuBen, Gad, and the half tribe of ManasSeh replied to the generals of the thousands of IsraEl:

²² ‘God – our God – is Yahweh.

‘As God Himself knows, and as IsraEl knows; if we’ve broken away from Yahweh and become apostates, He won’t save us today.

²³ ‘But we didn’t build an altar for ourselves to turn away from Him or to sacrifice whole burnt offerings or peace offerings on it (those things that Yahweh requires). ²⁴ Rather, we [built this Altar] as a testimony… We did it because we were afraid that sometime in the future, your sons might ask our sons what portion we have in Yahweh, the God of IsraEl!

²⁵ ‘For now that Yahweh has set a boundary between you and us (the JorDan), we don’t want your sons to alienate our sons and keep them from worshiping Yahweh. ²⁶ So, this is why we gave orders to build this altar… Not for burnt offerings or for meat offerings, ²⁷ but as a witness between you and us and between our children, that we do serve Yahweh, and that we’ll sacrifice our burnt offerings, meat offerings, and peace offerings to Him.

‘Then your sons won’t be able to say to our sons that we don’t [belong to] Yahweh.

²⁸ ‘Therefore, it was in order to prevent them from ever saying such a thing to us and our descendants [that we want them to] see our representation of the altar of Yahweh. It wasn’t built for the sake of burnt offerings or meat offerings, but as a witness between you and us and between our sons.

²⁹ ‘Far be it from us to turn away from Yahweh today by building an altar for burnt offerings or peace offerings separate from the Altar of Yahweh that stands before His Tent.’

³⁰ And when PhiNeas the Priest and all the chiefs of the gathering of IsraEl that were with him heard what the children of ReuBen, Gad, and the half tribe of ManasSeh said, they were pleased.

³¹ Then PhiNeas the Priest said:

‘Today we know that Yahweh is with us, because you aren’t guilty of a serious sin against Yahweh and you’ve saved the children of IsraEl from the hand of Yahweh.’

³² So, PhiNeas (the Priest) and the leaders left the children of ReuBen, Gad, and the half tribe of ManasSeh at GileAd and they all returned to the land of CanaAn, where they reported what was said to the children of IsraEl, ³³ and everyone was very pleased.

Then they spoke to the children of IsraEl and praised them [for their zeal], and told them not to go to war against the children of ReuBen, Gad, and the half tribe of ManasSeh, or to destroy their land… And they all agreed.

³⁴ Thereafter, JoShua named the altar of the children of ReuBen, Gad, and the half tribe of ManasSeh, and said:

‘It’s their testimony that Yahweh is their God.’

Joshua 23

←22 | All books | All chapters | 24→

¹ Well, Yahweh had allowed IsraEl to rest from all their enemies [living] around them for a considerable time, until JoShua was old and up in years.

² Then JoShua called all the children of IsraEl together – their elders, leaders, judges, and their officers – and said to them:

‘I’m old and up in years, ³ and you’ve seen all that Yahweh our God has done to these nations around us and how your God fought for you.

⁴ ‘Now look... I’ve given all these remaining nations to your tribes in a lottery; for even though I’ve destroyed some of them, our borders run from the JorDan to the [MediTerranean] Sea in the west, ⁵ and Yahweh our God will keep on destroying them before us until they’re all gone.

‘Then He will send wild animals against them until He’s wiped out them and their kings! So you’ll inherit their land, just as Yahweh our God has promised.

⁶ ‘However, you must be sure to observe and do all the things that are written in the book of the Law of Moses… Don’t stray to the right or to the left!

⁷ ‘And don’t associate with the remaining nations, nor should the names of their gods even be mentioned among you… Don’t serve them or bow before them!

⁸ ‘Rather, you must stick to Yahweh your God, just as you’ve been doing until now. ⁹ Then Yahweh will destroy even the great and strong nations from among you – for no one has been able to stand against us so far! ¹⁰ Each one among you has been able to chase thousands, for our God Yahweh has fought for you just like He promised.

¹¹ ‘So, be sure to love our God Yahweh.

¹² ‘But if you turn away from Him and start associating with these nations that still remain, then marry among them and get mixed up with them (and them with you)... ¹³ Realize that Yahweh won’t destroy them. Rather, they’ll become snares and stumbling blocks – nails in your heels and darts in your eyes – until they’ve wiped you out of this good land that Yahweh your God has given to you.

¹⁴ ‘And now I’m getting ready to die, as everyone on this earth does...

‘But, know in your hearts and souls that not a single word has failed of all the things that Yahweh our God has [promised] about us. ¹⁵ And after all the good things that Yahweh God will bring upon you are completed, remember: He will also do bad things until He wipes you off of this good land that He’s given to you ¹⁶ if you break the Sacred Agreement of our God Yahweh, then go and serve other gods by bowing before them.’

Joshua 24

←23 | All books | All chapters

¹ So JoShua gathered all the tribes of IsraEl at ShiLoh, where he summoned their elders, officers, and judges; then he stood them there before God.

² And JoShua spoke to all the people and said:

‘This is what Yahweh the God of IsraEl said:

‘Your ancestors (such as Terah, the father of AbraHam and NaHor) once stayed beyond the [JorDan] river and served other gods... ³ But I took AbraHam (your ancestor) from the other side of the river and guided him throughout this entire land. Then I made his offspring grow…

⁴ ‘I gave him IsaAc, and to IsaAc [I gave] Jacob and Esau. Then I gave Mount SeIr to Esau as his inheritance, as Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt, where they became a great and mighty nation.

‘But then, the Egyptians started oppressing them, ⁵ so I struck down Egypt with the miracles that I sent among them. ⁶ And afterwards, I brought your fathers out of Egypt.

‘Then when they approached the Red Sea, the Egyptians chased them into the Sea with their chariots and horses. ⁷ But when they called out to Yahweh, I put a cloud and darkness between [them and] the Egyptians, and brought the Sea down upon [the Egyptians] and covered them.’

[And JoShua continued:]

‘So with your own eyes, you’ve seen all that Yahweh did in the land of Egypt, and of how you spent a long time in the desert. ⁸ And now He’s brought us into the land of the Amorites that lived across the JorDan, and Yahweh has given them into our hands…

‘You have inherited their land and destroyed them!

⁹ ‘[Do you remember when] Balak, the king of MoAb, son of SepPhor, went to war against IsraEl, and of how he called BalaAm to curse us?

¹⁰ ‘Yet, Yahweh your God wouldn’t destroy you; he blessed us and saved us from their hands, then He handed them over to us!

¹¹ ‘Thereafter, you crossed the JorDan and came to JeriCho, where the people of JeriCho fought against us – as did the Amorites, CanaAnites, Pherezites, Evites, Jebusites, Hittites, and the Gergesites – and Yahweh gave them all into our hands.

¹² ‘You didn’t chase them with swords or bows; instead, He sent hornets ahead of you and drove them away… The 12 kings of the Amorites!

¹³ ‘Now He’s given you a land that you didn’t clear and cities that you didn’t build, where you’ve now settled and where you’re eating from vineyards and olive groves that you didn’t plant.

¹⁴ ‘So, fear Yahweh and serve Him righteously and justly… Get rid of all the strange gods that our ancestors served across the river and in Egypt, and serve Yahweh!

¹⁵ ‘However, if you don’t wish to serve Yahweh, then choose whom you’ll serve today… Whether it’s the gods whom your ancestors [served] while they were on the other side of the [JorDan] river, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you’re now living.

‘But as for me and my household, we will serve Yahweh, because He alone is holy!’

¹⁶ And the people answered:

‘We won’t leave Yahweh and serve other gods, ¹⁷ because our God Yahweh is The God!

‘He was the One who brought our ancestors and us out of Egypt, and that protected us from all the nations that we passed along the way that we walked.

¹⁸ ‘And it was Yahweh who threw out the Amorites and all the other nations that lived in this land.

‘Yes, we’ll serve Yahweh, for He is our God!’

¹⁹ Then JoShua said to the people:

‘You won’t really be able to serve Yahweh, because He’s holy.

‘And because He’s very zealous, He won’t forgive your sins and your errors.

²⁰ ‘So when you leave Yahweh to serve other gods, He will come against you, oppress you, and consume you, because He’s the One who did all these good things for you.’

²¹ Then the people replied:

‘No! We will serve Yahweh!’

²² And JoShua said:

‘Then, you’re witnesses against yourselves that you’ve chosen to serve Yahweh.

²³ ‘So now, get rid of all the strange gods that you have and set your hearts right with Yahweh the God of IsraEl.’

²⁴ And the people replied:

‘We will serve Yahweh and listen to His voice!’

²⁵ So JoShua made a sacred agreement with them that day, and he gave them the laws and rules there in front of the Tent of the God of IsraEl, in ShiLoh. ²⁶ And then he wrote those words in the Scroll of the Laws of God.

Thereafter, JoShua took a large block of stone and erected it under the oak tree before Yahweh.

²⁷ Then he told the people:

‘Look, this stone will serve as a witness among you, for it has ‘heard’ all the words that you’ve spoken before Yahweh... And because He’s spoken to you on this day, this stone will serve as a witness against you in the last days when you deal treacherously with my God Yahweh.’

²⁸ Then JoShua dismissed the people and they each returned to their homes.

²⁹ Thereafter, JoShua (son of NaWeh), the servant of Yahweh, died at the age of 110, ³⁰ and they buried him in the land that he’d inherited in ThamNa Sarach in the hills of Ephraim north of Mount GileAd.

They put his [body] in a tomb, along with the stone knives that he’d used to circumcise the children of IsraEl at GilGal after Yahweh had brought them out of Egypt… And they’re all still there today.

³¹ Well, IsraEl served Yahweh for as long as JoShua and the elders of JoShua’s era (who knew all that Yahweh had done for IsraEl) were still alive.

³² And thereafter, the children of IsraEl brought the bones of JoSeph ([which they’d carried from] Egypt) and buried them in Sicima, in the tract of land that Jacob bought from the Amorites in Sicima for 100 ewes, and which was given to JoSeph as his property.

³³ Shortly thereafter, EliEzer (Aaron’s son) the High Priest also died and was buried in GabaA in the hills of Ephraim (which had been given to his son PhiNeas). And on that day, the children of IsraEl took the Chest of God and carried it among the people.

Then, after EliEzer’s death and burial at GabaA, PhiNeas was appointed as [High] Priest in place of his father.

Well, the children of IsraEl each left and returned to their own cities and homes, and then they started worshiping Astarte, AstarOth, and the gods of the nations roundabout them.

So Yahweh handed them over to Eglom, the king of MoAb, who ruled over them for the next 18 years.

Judges

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Judges is a history book.

It covers the history of IsraEl from the death of JoShua to just prior to SamuEl’s birth.

Most of it was likely written by SamuEl, with at least Judges 18:30 added after the Babylonian exile, perhaps by Ezra.

Judges is clearly a continuation of the book of JoShua, because it picks up the narrative where that book ended.

Judges 1

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¹ After the death of JoShua, the sons of IsraEl asked Yahweh:

‘Who’ll lead us in battle against the CanaAnites now?’

² And the Lord replied:

‘The Judeans must take the lead, for I’ve delivered this land into their hands!’

³ Then the Judeans said to their brothers [of the tribe of] SymeOn:

‘Come join us, and we’ll go to war with the CanaAnites… We’ll all go together!’

So the SymeOnites joined the Judeans, ⁴ and Yahweh delivered the CanaAnites and Pherezites into their hands… Cutting down 10,000 men at Bezek.

⁵ For they caught up with AdoniBezek at [the city of] Bezek and fought against him, and there they cut down the CanaAnites and the Pherezites. ⁶ However, AdoniBezek escaped, so they chased after him, and when they caught him, they cut off his thumbs and big toes… ⁷ After which AdoniBezek said:

‘70 kings whose thumbs and big toes were cut off have gathered under my table.

‘So, God has now repaid me for the things that I did to them.’

Thereafter, they carried him to JeruSalem, and that’s where he died... ⁸ For the sons of Judah had fought against the people of JeruSalem and captured the city, and then they cut down [all who lived there] with swords and burned it with fire.

⁹ Then the sons of Judah went down to fight with the CanaAnites who lived in the plains, in the hill country to the south, ¹⁰ and with those who lived in HebRon (formerly KiriAth Arbo-Sepher). There the people came out to fight with them, and that’s when they cut down SesSi, AchiMan, and TholMi (the sons of Anak).

¹¹ From there, they went on to fight the inhabitants of DabIr (formerly KiriAth-Sepher, or, The City of Letters).

¹² And Caleb said:

‘I’ll give my daughter Ascha to be the woman of the first one who can take and destroy The City of Letters.’

¹³ Well, it was GothoniEl (the youngest son of Kenez, Caleb’s brother) who captured it; So Caleb gave his daughter AsCha to be GothoniEl’s woman.

¹⁴ Then when he came to claim her, GothoniEl urged her to ask her father for a plot of land. So, as she was sitting on her burro, she started complaining and crying, saying:

‘You’re sending me away into that land in the south!’

And Caleb asked her:

‘What else do you want?’

¹⁵ And AsCha replied:

‘I beg you to give me a blessing. For, since you’re sending me into a land in the south, you must also provide me with watered [land] as my ransom.’

So Caleb gave her what her heart desired as a ransom… The upper and lower [springs].

¹⁶ Meanwhile, the descendants of Moses’ father-in-law (‘His Excellence’ the Kenite) had left the City of Palm Trees with the sons of Judah, and they traveled into the desert south of Judah, to the edge of Arad, where they took up living among the people there.

¹⁷ Thereafter, the Judeans went with their brothers the SymeOnites, and they cut down and killed all the CanaAnites that lived in SephEth, then they renamed their city, AnaThema.

¹⁸ However, the Judeans didn’t claim anything within the borders of Gaza, AshKalon, AcCaron, Azotus, or any of the lands around them as their inheritance.

¹⁹ But because Yahweh was with the Judeans, they inherited all the hill country, although they weren’t able to destroy the inhabitants in the valley, because they had iron chariots.

²⁰ Then they gave HebRon to Caleb, just as Moses had instructed, and he inherited the three cities of the sons of Anak.

²¹ The sons of BenJamin didn’t take JeruSalem from the Jebusites as their inheritance either... So the Jebusites [reinhabited the destroyed city and] still live among the sons of BenJamin in JeruSalem to this day.

²² Then the sons of JoSeph went up to BethEl, and Yahweh was with them. ²³ So they camped there and [sent spies] into the city (which was then called Luza).

²⁴ And when the spies noticed a man leaving the city, they captured him and said:

‘If you’ll show us a way into the city, we’ll be merciful to you.’

²⁵ So he showed them how to get into the city, and they cut down everyone there with swords. And thereafter, they set the man and his entire family free, ²⁶ so he went to the land of ChetTin and built a city there, which he named Luza… And it’s still called that today!

²⁷ ManasSeh also failed in their drive against BethSan (in Skythia) and against its towns and suburbs, as well as against Thanac and its towns, Dor and its suburbs and towns, Balak and its suburbs and towns, MegidDo and its suburbs and towns, and JeblaAm and its suburbs and towns.

So, the CanaAnites continued living in their land.

²⁸ But after IsraEl became strong enough (although they failed to drive them out), they made the CanaAnites pay tributes to them.

²⁹ Nor did Ephraim drive out the CanaAnites that lived in GaZer. So the CanaAnites also lived in their midst, but they were forced to pay tributes [to Ephraim].

³⁰ ZebuLon too failed to drive out the inhabitants of Kedron and Domana; so the CanaAnites lived in their midst and paid tributes to them.

³¹ Also, Asher didn’t drive out the inhabitants of AcCho (who thereafter paid tributes to them), or those of Dor, Sidon, DalAph, AsChazi, ChebDa, Nai, or EreO.

³² So Asher lived in the midst of the CanaAnites, because they couldn’t drive them out.

³³ And because NaphTali didn’t drive out the inhabitants of BethSamus or BethAnath, NaphTali too had to live in the midst of the CanaAnites; but the inhabitants of BethSamus and BethAnath had to pay tributes to them.

³⁴ Also, the Amorites drove the sons of Dan into the mountains and kept them from moving down into the valley. ³⁵ So Dan took up living on Shell Mountain (in MyrSinon and ThalaBin), where there are bears and foxes.

Yet, the house of JoSeph [made life difficult] for the Amorites and made them pay tributes. ³⁶ So at the time, the Amorite border ran from AcraBin into the hill country.

Judges 2

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¹ Well, a messenger of Yahweh had traveled from GilGal to The Place of Tears at BethEl, to address the house of IsraEl.

There he told them:

‘This is what Yahweh has said:

‘I brought you out of Egypt and into the land that I promised to your ancestors, and I said that I’d never break the Agreement that I made with you. ² However, I told you not to make any agreements with [the people] who live in this land, and that you were not to worship their gods!

‘Rather, [I told you to] destroy their carved images and to pull down their altars!

‘However, you haven’t listened to My voice, and you’ve done [many bad] things... ³ Therefore, just as I told you, I won’t drive them out from in front of you, so they’ll harass you, and their gods will oppress you!’

⁴ Well, after the messenger of Yahweh said all of this to the sons of IsraEl, the people started shouting and crying... ⁵ And that’s why they named it The Place of Tears.

Then they offered sacrifices to Yahweh there, ⁶ and thereafter, JoShua dismissed the people and they each returned to the lands that they were given as their inheritances.

⁷ So the people served Yahweh [faithfully] for as long as JoShua and all the elders who knew of the great things that Yahweh had done in IsraEl were still alive... ⁸ But then JoShua (the son of NaWeh), the servant of Yahweh, died at 110 years old, ⁹ and they buried him along the border of his inheritance in ThamNa-Thares in the hills of Ephraim, on the north side of Mount GaAs.

¹⁰ Also, the rest of that generation was laid to rest with their ancestors. So, another generation came along that didn’t know Yahweh or of the things that He had done for IsraEl. ¹¹ Therefore, the sons of IsraEl started doing evil things before Yahweh, and they started serving the BaAls!

¹² Yes, they left Yahweh (the God of their ancestors) who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and started following and worshiping other gods – the gods of the nations roundabout them – ¹³ and this made Yahweh very angry… They left Him and started serving BaAl and the stars!

¹⁴ Well, because Yahweh was very angry at IsraEl, He handed them over to looters who plundered them… He sold them into the hands of their enemies [who lived] roundabout them, and they were no longer able to stand against their enemies.

¹⁶ Also, even though Yahweh had appointed Judges to save them from the hands of those who were looting them, they wouldn’t listen to the Judges! ¹⁷ They just continued in their immoral relations with other gods by worshiping them, and they quickly turned from the way that their ancestors had walked, refusing to listen to the words of Yahweh.

¹⁸ But because Yahweh had appointed those Judges, He blest them and continued to save [IsraEl] from the hands of their enemies during the entire era of the Judges; for Yahweh was moved by all their groaning about those who were attacking and looting them.

¹⁹ Yet, after each Judge died, they’d just go right back to being corrupt – even worse than their ancestors – by worshiping and serving other gods... And they stubbornly refused to abandon their evil ways, ²⁰ which made Yahweh very angry with IsraEl.

So He told them:

‘Because this nation has broken the Sacred Agreement that I made with their ancestors and refused to listen to My voice, ²¹ I will no longer drive away a single man from those nations among them who were allowed to stay in the land by JoShua, son of NaWeh.

²² ‘[I’m doing this] to see whether IsraEl will ever choose to follow and walk in My ways, as did their ancestors.’

²³ So, Yahweh didn’t bother all those nations that JoShua didn’t conquer, and He didn’t drive them away.

Judges 3

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¹ These are the nations that Yahweh left [in the land] to test those in IsraEl who didn’t know about the wars in CanaAn ² (because that generation of IsraEl hadn’t fought in the wars):

• ³ The five kingdoms of the Philistines and,

• All the CanaAnites,

• Sidonians, and

• Evites who lived south of Lebanon from Mount HerMon to LaboEmath.

⁴ He used them to test IsraEl and to find out whether they’d obey the commands that He’d given their ancestors through Moses.

⁵ So, the sons of IsraEl lived in the midst of the CanaAnites, Hittites, Amorites, Pherezites, Evites, and Jebusites, ⁶ and they married their daughters, gave their daughters to their sons, and they started serving the gods [of these nations].

⁷ [Of course], this was all evil in the eyes of Yahweh, for they had forgotten Yahweh their God and were serving the BaAls and the sacred poles.

⁸ As a result, Yahweh became very angry with IsraEl and He sold them into the hands of Chushan RishaThaim, the king of Syrian MesoPotamia, and the sons of IsraEl served him for 8 years.

⁹ It was then that the sons of IsraEl once again started calling to Yahweh, so Yahweh appointed a savior for IsraEl who delivered them… [Judge #1] GothoniEl (son of Kenez), Caleb’s younger brother.

¹⁰ Jehovah poured His Breath upon him, and this man served as IsraEl’s Judge. Then when he went to war against Chusar Sathaim, Yahweh gave the king of Syrian MesoPotamia into his hands, and he was conquered.

¹¹ So thereafter, the land was quiet for 40 years… Until GothoniEl (son of Kenez) died.

¹² However, the sons of IsraEl kept doing evil things before Yahweh... So, because of their evil ways, He allowed Eglom (the king of MoAb) to grow stronger and then come against IsraEl.

¹³ First, he brought together all the sons of AmMon and Amalec, and then he went and cut down IsraEl, capturing The City of Palm Trees. ¹⁴ So, the sons of IsraEl served Eglom (the king of MoAb) for the next 18 years.

¹⁵ Well, once again the sons of IsraEl called to Yahweh and He provided them a savior, [Judge #2] Aod (son of Gera and grandson of JeMeni), who was just as strong with his left hand as he was with his right.

And when the sons of IsraEl sent him to carry tributes to Eglom, ¹⁶ Aod made himself a two-edged dagger that was 8 inches (20cm) long, which he hid on his right thigh under his robe. ¹⁷ And thereafter, he went and carried the tributes to Eglom, who was a very fat man.

¹⁸ So, after he had presented all the tributes, he sent those who had carried the gifts away ¹⁹ (he did this after they’d all returned from the quarries at GilGal).

And he said:

‘I have a secret message for you O king!’

Then Eglom told him not to say anything further until he’s dismissed all of his attendants.

²⁰ So, later, Aod went to see Eglom while he was sitting in his upper summer chamber all by himself.

And Aod said:

‘I have a message for you from God, O king.’

Then, as Eglom rose from his throne, ²¹ Aod reached in with his left hand and grabbed the dagger from his right thigh, and he plunged it into [Eglom’s] belly… ²² He drove it in so far that the handle went in and the fat closed over it… And he left the whole dagger inside his belly!

²³ Then Aod just walked out on the porch, passing the guards on the way, and he closed and locked the chamber doors as he left.

²⁴ Well when Eglom’s servants came and saw that the doors to the upper chamber were locked, they said:

‘Doesn’t he usually [lie undressed] in the summer chamber?’

²⁵ Then they waited so long that they finally became embarrassed. And when they saw that no one had opened the doors to the upper chamber [for a long time], they got the keys and opened them…

And that’s when they found their lord lying dead on the floor!

²⁶ Meanwhile, Aod had escaped during the confusion, for nobody had paid any attention to him. So he passed the quarries and ran to Setir Otha.

²⁷ Then when Aod got back to the land of IsraEl, he blew his horn in the hills of Ephraim, and the sons of IsraEl came down from the mountains to him.

So he he stood before them and said:

²⁸ ‘Now follow me! For Yahweh God has given our enemies the MoAbites into our hands!’

Well, they all followed him and they captured the fords of the JorDan near the land of MoAb, and they wouldn’t allow anyone to cross it.
²⁹ Thus, they cut down MoAb that day, killing about 10,000 mighty men, and no one escaped.

³⁰ As a result, MoAb was put back into the hands of IsraEl, and the land rested for the next 80 years… And Aod judged them, until he died.

³¹ Well after him, Yahweh appointed [Judge #3] SamEgar (son of DiNach).
He’s the one who cut down 600 Philistines with an ox plow.

And he too delivered IsraEl.

Judges 4

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¹ But once again, after Aod died, the sons of IsraEl went back to doing evil things against Yahweh, ² so He sold them into the hands of JaBin (the king of CanaAn) who ruled from Hazor. The leader of his army was SiSara, and he lived in The Ironworks-of-the-Nations.

³ Then the sons of IsraEl started calling to [Yahweh again], because [SiSara] had 900 iron chariots, which [he used to] oppress IsraEl for 20 years.

⁴ Well, [Judge #4] DeborAh (the wife of LapidOth) was a Prophetess, and she was the Judge of IsraEl at the time. ⁵ She would sit under [what came to be known as] ‘The Palm Tree of DeborAh,’ which was located between Rama and BethEl in the hills of Ephraim, and the sons of IsraEl would come to her for judgment.

⁶ Then DeborAh sent for BarAk (son of AbiNeEm) who was in Cades of NaphTali, and she asked him:

‘Hasn’t Yahweh the God of IsraEl given you any instructions?

‘Take 10,000 men from among the sons of NaphTali and ZebuLon, and go to Mount Tabor!

⁷ ‘There He will send SiSara (JaBin’s general) against you with his army and chariots at the Kison Wadi, and He will give them into your hands!’

⁸ But BarAk replied:

‘I’ll go if you’ll go with me. But if you won’t go, I’m not going!

‘For I’m not sure on which day Yahweh will bless me [by sending] His messengers.’

⁹ So she said:

‘Then I’ll go with you, but understand this:

‘You won’t be honored by this expedition, for Yahweh will give SiSara into the hands of a woman!’

As a result, DeborAh then left Cades and went with BarAk.

¹⁰ He also called [for help from] ZebuLon and NaphTali there at Cades, and 10,000 men showed up who all then traveled with DeborAh.

¹¹ Now, Heber (the Kenite) had moved away from the sons of Jobab (Moses’ brother-in-law) at Cana and pitched his tent beside the Oak-of-the-Envious, which is near KaDesh.

¹² And when SiSara was told that BarAk (son of AbiNeEm) had left for Mount Tabor, ¹³ he called for all his iron chariots (all 900 of them) and for all the people [who lived between] the Ironworks-of-the-Nations and the Kison Wadi.

¹⁴ Then DeborAh told BarAk:

‘Now [get ready], for this is the day that Yahweh will give SiSara into your hands…

‘Yes, the Lord will travel before you!’

So BarAk descended Mount Tabor with 10,000 men, ¹⁵ and because Yahweh had created problems for SiSara, his chariots, and his army, BarAk cut them down with swords.

Meanwhile, SiSara had jumped from his chariot and run away!

¹⁶ Well, BarAk pursued the chariots and SiSara’s army [all the way] to Ironworks-of-the-Nations and cut them all down, leaving no survivors. ¹⁷ But, SiSara had run towards the tent of JaEl, the woman of Heber the Kenite (because [Heber] was his friend, and there was peace between JaBin the king of Hazor and Heber’s family).

¹⁸ So, JaEl went out to meet SiSara and said to him:

‘Hide in here, my lord… Come here to me and don’t be afraid.’

Therefore, he turned to her and entered her tent, then she covered him with a blanket.

¹⁹ There SiSara said to her:

‘I’m very thirsty… Please give me some water to drink.’

So she opened a jar of milk, gave it to him to drink, and then she covered him again.

²⁰ Then SiSara said to her:

‘Now, stand by the entrance to the tent, and if anyone comes and asks if you’ve seen me, tell him that you haven’t.’

²¹ Well, JaEl (Heber’s woman) thereafter grabbed a tent pin and a hammer, and she crept up to him and drove the pin through his temple… Driving it all the way into the ground!

So he passed out, everything went dark, and he died.

²² And when JaEl finally saw BarAk (who was pursuing SiSara), she went out to meet him and said:

‘Come in here and I’ll show you the man you’re looking for.’

Then he entered [her tent] and saw SiSara lying dead with the pin through his temple!

²³ So God drove JaBin (the king of CanaAn) away from before the sons of IsraEl that day, ²⁴ and they kept attacking JaBin until they had finally destroyed him.

Judges 5

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¹ Well, on that day, DeborAh and BarAk (son of AbiNeEm) sang this song:

² ‘IsraEl was shown what to do,

And the people were made willing… Praise Yah!

³ ‘Hear, O you kings and listen you rulers;

For, this is what I’ll sing…

It’s the song that I’ll sing to Yahweh…

A psalm to IsraEl’s Lord and their God.

⁴ ‘O Yahweh,

‘You went up to SeIr…

With You, we approached Edom’s land.

Then the ground started shaking and the skies dripped with dew,

And from clouds up above, poured the rain.

⁵ ‘The ground shook before the face of Yahweh…

SinAi [trembled] before the face of the Lord

⁶ In the days of SamEgar, son of Anath,

And in the days of JaEl.

‘For, [IsraEl] had strayed from their way

And followed in paths that were crooked.

⁷ In IsraEl, there were no more mighty men;

They’d failed until DeborAh arose…

A mother within IsraEl.

⁸ ‘For, because they had chosen new gods;

When their cities and rulers went out to fight,

There wasn’t a spear or a shield to be seen

Among the 40,000 of IsraEl.

⁹ ‘But, my heart had so yearned

For IsraEl to see order again

Among those who still praised Yahweh…

¹⁰ To have someone mount a burro at noon,

And go sit on the seat of judgment once more,

For the sake of those who travel the roads…

Someone to sit and judge on the way.

¹¹ ‘Now, you should proclaim that you’ve been saved

From those who once brought disturbance to us.

‘O Lord,

‘May those who go out to draw water,

Speak of the righteous things that You’ve done.

May Your righteous deeds in IsraEl grow,

And may Yahweh’s people return to their towns.

¹² ‘Awaken… Yes, wake up, O DeborAh!

Awaken and sing us a song.

Arise O BarAk… Lead your captives away!

O son of AbiNeEm; lead them away.

¹³ ‘A small group of [God’s] mighty went with him…

These mighty ones came from among us.

¹⁴ Ephraim used them to pry Amalec’s roots,

As BenJamin and others traveled behind.

‘The sons of MachIr also arrived,

To search for the rest of our foes.

And from ZebuLon also came those

Who recorded it all with the pens of their scribes.

¹⁵ ‘With DeborAh and BarAk, came IsSachar’s leaders.

Then, to the valleys of ReuBen,

BarAk made him run for his life.

‘With fluttering hearts, ¹⁶ they then sat between pens,

Where they heard the bleating of Ruben’s flocks,

As each man searched through the things in his heart.

¹⁷ ‘Yet, the GileAdites stayed in their tents

On the other side of the JorDan,

And the [men of] Dan remained in their ships.

‘Those of Asher just sat by the shore,

And they stayed in their tents at the ports,

¹⁸ While ZebuLon’s men [laid] their lives [on the line],

And NaphTali marched ‘cross the hills of their land.

¹⁹ ‘Then the kings of CanaAn formed to wage war,

And fought ThanaAch at MegidDo’s waters.

²⁰ Yes, the stars in the heavens formed for war,

As they traveled to beat SiSara.

²¹ ‘So, the Kison Wadi then swept them away…

The ancient brook Kison (my mighty soul),

[Is what] really trampled them down.

²² For in it, the hoofs of their horses got mired,

So those mighty men had to flee.

²³ ‘May you be cursed, O Meroz;

For God’s angel then cursed all who lived there,

Since they didn’t [fight] for Yahweh,

And they failed to give aid to His mighty.

²⁴ ‘Bless JaEl, the woman of Heber the Kenite…

May she be praised above female tent-dwellers.

²⁵ For he asked for water and she gave him milk…

In a bowl, she brought butter for a leader.

²⁶ ‘Then, she leaned with a nail in her left hand,

And hit it with the hammer in her right.

She cut SiSara down with a nail through his head…

She pinned him with a nail through his temples.

²⁷ ‘Beneath her feet, he fell and he rolled.

But after that, he just lay there…

He bowed and fell where he bowed, lying dead.

²⁸ ‘SiSera’s mother then looked through her window…

She looked out of her peephole and asked:

‘Why has his chariot been shamed…

Why did the wheels of his chariots stop?’

²⁹ ‘But, thus replied her wise ladies:

‘You answered yourself when you said,

³⁰ ‘They’ll find him dividing the loot…

He’s dividing dyed clothes with his men…

For SiSara, are the spoils of many dyed clothes…

Embroidered dyed clothes are the spoils for his neck.’

³¹ ‘O Yahweh,

‘May Your enemies all perish this way,

And may those who love You become just as strong

As the journeys of the sun as it’s [crossing the skies].’

³² Well after that, the land rested [for the next] 40 years.

Judges 6

←5 | All books | All chapters | 7→

¹ However, the sons of IsraEl kept doing evil things in the eyes of Yahweh, so He put them under the hand of the MidiAnites for 7 years. ² They proved to be so strong against IsraEl that the IsraElites took up living in mountain caves, in [animal] dens, and in holes in the rocks.

³ And whenever the sons of IsraEl would plant anything, the MidiAnites, AmaLechites, and sons of the east would get together ⁴ to [fight] against them and destroy their crops.

Also in Gaza, they stole all their [cattle], leaving nothing to support life in the land.

⁵ So [the IsraElites] moved into temporary shelters along with their livestock and camels, living like locusts, as their land was being destroyed... ⁶ And because they’d been driven into such an impoverished state by MidiAn, ⁷ the sons of IsraEl once again started calling to Yahweh.

⁸ As a result, Yahweh sent a Prophet to the sons of IsraEl, who told them:

‘This is what Yahweh the God of IsraEl says:

‘I’m the One who brought you out of the land of Egypt… Out of that house of slavery!

⁹ ‘Yes, I saved you from the hands of the Egyptians, then I saved you from these people who are now persecuting you… These whom I once drove away and whose land I gave to you.

¹⁰ ‘Then I told you that because I am Yahweh your God, you shouldn’t fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live…

‘But you refused to listen to Me!’

¹¹ Well thereafter, a messenger from Yahweh came and sat down under the fir tree at EphRatha (BethLehem) in the land of JoAs (of the line of ObiEzri) where his son [Judge #5] GideOn was threshing wheat in a wine press, so that the MidiAnites wouldn’t notice [what he was doing].

¹² The messenger appeared to him and said:

‘Yahweh is with you, you mighty [man].’

¹³ And GideOn replied:

‘Please be patient with me, my lord; for if Yahweh is really with us, then, why are all these bad things happening to us?

‘Where are all His miracles that our ancestors told us about, as when He brought them out of Egypt?

‘But He’s obviously rejected us now, for He’s given us into the hands of the MidiAnites!’

¹⁴ Then the messenger of Yahweh turned to him and said:

‘Go and use your strength to save IsraEl from the hands of MidiAn...

‘Look! I’m sending you!’

¹⁵ But GideOn replied:

‘Be patient with me my lord... How can I save IsraEl?

‘For look, even though there are thousands in [the tribe of] ManasSeh, they’re all weak… And I’m the very least one in the house of my father!’

¹⁶ And the messenger of Yahweh said to him:

‘Because Yahweh will be with you, you’ll cut the MidiAnites down like [they’re] just one man.’

¹⁷ But GideOn said:

‘If I’ve found mercy in your eyes and if you’re really going to do all these things that you told me about today... ¹⁸ Don’t leave this place until I return with an offering and lay it before you.’

And [the messenger] replied:

‘I’ll stay here until you return.’

¹⁹ So, GideOn went back and prepared a kid goat and a quart of fine fermentation-free flour. Then he put the [cooked] meat in a basket, poured its gravy into a jar, and he carried it to [the messenger, who was still sitting] under the fir tree.

²⁰ And God’s messenger said to him:

‘Now, take the meat and the fermentation-free cakes and lay them on that rock, then pour the gravy over it.’

So that’s what he did.

²¹ Then Yahweh’s messenger stuck out the walking stick that was in his hand and touched the meat and the fermentation-free bread, and fire came out of the rock, which consumed it all!

And at that, the messenger of Yahweh vanished from his sight!

²² Well, that was when GideOn realized that this [really] was a messenger from Yahweh.

So he said:

‘Ah… Ah… Yahweh my God!

‘I’ve seen a messenger from Yahweh face to face!’

²³ And the Lord replied:

‘May you have peace.

‘Now, don’t be afraid, for you’re not going to die.’

²⁴ And so GideOn built an altar to Yahweh there and called it, ‘The Peace of Yahweh.’ It’s still there today in EphRatha, [at the home of his] father EsDri.

²⁵ Then that night, the Lord said to him:

‘Now, take the [second bull] that belongs to your father, the seven year old one. And thereafter, you must destroy your father’s altar to BaAl along with his sacred poles.

²⁶ ‘Then you must build an altar to Yahweh your God on the top of this hill, and get everything ready… Then, take the calf and sacrifice it as a whole burnt offering, using the wood from the sacred poles that you are to cut down.’

²⁷ So GideOn took 10 of his servants and did just as the Lord said. However, because he was afraid of the house of his father and the men of the city, he did it at night.

²⁸ Well, when the men of the city woke up early the next morning and saw that the altar of BaAl and the nearby sacred poles had been demolished, and they saw the calf that GideOn had offered on an altar that he had built, ²⁹ they each started asking their neighbors:

‘Who did this?’

So after asking around, they found out that it was GideOn (son of JoAs).

³⁰ Then the men of the city went and told JoAs to send out his son so they could kill him for destroying their altar of BaAl and their sacred poles.

³¹ But GideOn asked the men who had come for him:

‘Are you now pleading for BaAl, and are you trying to save him?

‘If so, may all those who have come to plead on his behalf die this morning!

‘Yes, if he’s really a god, let him plead for himself [before the one] who’s torn down his altar!’

³² Well, from that day on, [they started calling GideOn] JeroBaAl [meaning, May BaAl Plead], since he said:

‘Let BaAl plead for himself [before the one] that has torn down his altar.’

³³ Meanwhile, all the MidiAnites, AmaLechites, and sons of the east had gathered and set up camp in the JezreEl Valley.

³⁴ Then the Breath of Yahweh came over GideOn and he blew his [battle] horn, and he called for the AbiEzerites to come with him.

³⁵ GideOn also sent messengers throughout [the lands of] ManasSeh, Asher, ZebuLon, and NaphTali, calling for them to join him.

³⁶ And GideOn said to God:

‘If You’re really going to use me to save IsraEl, as You said...

³⁷ ‘Look, I’ve put some wool fleece on the threshing floor.

‘If only this fleece is covered with dew and the ground all around it’s dry [in the morning], I’ll know that You’re going to use me to save IsraEl, as You said.’

³⁸ Well, when he got up early the next morning, he wrung out the fleece, and a full bowl of water poured from it!

³⁹ But GideOn then said to God:

‘Please don’t be angry, but allow me to ask for just one more thing...

‘So I can be sure, let the fleece be dry [in the morning], while dew is all over the ground.’

⁴⁰ And this is what God did that night… There was dew all over the ground, but the fleece was dry!

Judges 7

←6 | All books | All chapters | 8→

¹ So, JeroBaAl (GideOn) got up early and camped his army at the Spring of Harad, with the camp of MidiAn to the north… [Their camp] stretched from BabaAh and ThamorAi down into the valley.

² And the Lord said to GideOn:

‘There are too many people with you, so I won’t deliver MidiAn into your hands; for then IsraEl would boast before Me and claim that they’d saved themselves!

³ ‘So, tell the people this:

‘All that are nervous or afraid may now leave Mount GileAd.’

Well, of the 22,000 that came with him, only 10,000 remained.

⁴ Then the Lord said to GideOn:

‘There are still too many people!

‘So now, lead them all down to the water, and I’ll reduce their numbers for you. Then, whichever ones I select and say:

‘This one must go with you.’

‘...you must take.

‘And those whom I tell you not to take must not go with you… Make sure that they don’t come along!’

⁵ So GideOn led the people down to the water, and the Lord said to GideOn:

‘Now, I want you to set aside all those who lap the water like a dog from those who get down on their knees to drink.’

⁶ Well, 300 men lapped water with their hands to their mouths, while all the rest got down on their knees to drink.

⁷ Then the Lord said to GideOn:

‘Now I’m going to save you and give MidiAn into your hands with these 300 men who lapped the water... All the rest must leave.’

⁸ So, they gathered the provisions from the rest of the people and took their trumpets before sending them back to their tents.

And after that, he armed the 300 and got them ready; for the army of MidiAn was camped just below them in the valley.

⁹ And that night, the Lord told {GideOn]:

‘Now, get up and go down into their camp, for I’ve given it into your hands!

¹⁰ ‘However, if you’re still afraid, I want you and your servant Phara to go down into their camp ¹¹ and listen to what they’re saying…

‘Then you won’t be afraid anymore!’

So he went down to the edge of where the companies of fifties were camped, along with his servant Phara... ¹² For MidiAn, Amalec, and all the sons of the east were scattered throughout the valley like locusts, and their camels were like the sands on the seashore.

¹³ Then GideOn overheard a man telling his comrade about a dream he had, saying:

‘{Look} I had a dream! And in it, I saw a cake of barley bread roll into [our] camp; then, when it reached a tent, it knocked it down.

‘And as [the tent] fell, it turned upside down!’

¹⁴ And his comrade said to him:

‘This was none other than the sword of GideOn, son of JoAs, an IsraElite man... For God has given MidiAn and our entire army into his hands.’

¹⁵ So when GideOn heard the story of the dream and its interpretation, he thanked Yahweh.

Then he returned to the camp of IsraEl and said:

‘Now get up, for Yahweh has given the camp of MidiAn into our hands!’

¹⁶ So he divided his 300 men into three companies, and he gave each of them trumpets, torches, and empty pitchers. He had them put their torches inside the pitchers, ¹⁷ and he said:

‘Now, watch me and do what I do!

‘For I’m going down to the edge of their [camp]... ¹⁸ Then I’ll blow my trumpet, and at the same time, you must each start blowing your trumpets all around their camp and shout:

‘For Yahweh and for GideOn!’

¹⁹ So GideOn and his company [crept] down to the edge of their army towards the start of the middle watch, and he aroused the guards by blowing his trumpet and breaking the pitcher that was in his hands.

²⁰ Then all three companies blew their trumpets and broke their pitchers, and they held the torches in their left hands as they blew their trumpets with their right hands and shouted:

‘A sword for Yahweh and for GideOn!’

²¹ Well, all [that GideOn’s people] really did after that was just stand around the camp while the [MidiAnite] army sounded alarms and everyone started running about!

²² For, after the 300 blew their trumpets, Yahweh caused the entire [MidiAnite] army to start attacking each other with swords! ²³ And then they started running away, retreating as far as BethSeEd and TagaraGatha, from AbelMeula to TaBath.

Then the men of IsraEl (those from NaphTali, Asher, and everyone from ManasSeh) also came to chase after MidiAn. ²⁴ So, GideOn sent messengers throughout the mountains of Ephraim, telling them:

‘Come down to join [in my fight against] against MidiAn… Take [control of] all the water and the JorDan as far as BethEra!’

Well, all the men of Ephraim started shouting, and they took control of all the water along the JorDan up to BethEra, ²⁵ where they captured the leaders of MidiAn, Oreb and Zeb.

Then they killed Oreb at Oreb’s Rock, and they killed Zeb at Zeb’s Winepress. And after they chased down MidiAn, they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeb back to GideOn from across the JorDan.

Judges 8

←7 | All books | All chapters | 9→

¹ But then, the men of Ephraim asked GideOn:

‘What were you doing?

‘Why didn’t you call us when you went to fight against MidiAn?’

They were very angry with him.

² And he replied:

‘What have I done in comparison to you? For, aren’t the gleanings of Ephraim better than the full harvest of AbiEzer?

³ ‘It was Yahweh who delivered the leaders of MidiAn (Oreb and Zeb) into your hands… And what did I do to compare to that?’

Well, after he said that, they calmed down.

⁴ Then GideOn went to the JorDan and crossed it all by himself, as his 300 men (who were very hungry) lagged behind. ⁵ He went on to SokChoth, and he said to the men there:

‘Please give me some bread to feed these men who are arriving after me, because they’re starting to get weak... For look! We’re in pursuit of ZebeE and SalMana, the kings of MidiAn.’

⁶ But the leaders of SokChoth replied:

‘Have you already captured ZebeE and SalMana, so that we should now have to feed your army?’

⁷ And GideOn said,

‘Okay then... But when Yahweh gives ZebeE and SalMana into my hands, [I will come back here] and then I’ll tear your flesh with thorns in the Desert of the Sons of Kainan.’

⁸ Well from there, he went up to PeniEl and he made the same request of them… But they answered in the same way as did the men of SokChoth.

⁹ So GideOn told them:

‘When I return in peace, I’m going to tear down your fortifications!’

¹⁰ Meanwhile, ZebeE and SalMana were in CarCar with their army, but there was only about 15,000 left of their mercenary army, for 120,000 of their soldiers had already been killed.

¹¹ Then GideOn traveled past the tent dwellers east of NabAi and JegEbal, and he cut down and captured their army. ¹² But ZebeE and SalMana fled... So he chased after them and caught the two kings of MidiAn after he’d routed their army.

¹³ Well, as GideOn (son of JoAs) was returning from the battle, ¹⁴ he questioned a young man among the captives who was from SokChoth, and he got him to write down the names of the leaders and elders of SokChoth… All 77 men.

¹⁵ Then GideOn went to those leaders of SokChoth and said:

‘Look! Here are ZebeE and SalMana about whom you so rudely asked:

‘Are ZebeE and SalMana now in your hands, so that we should have to give your hungry men bread?’

¹⁶ So thereafter, he took those elders [and had them dragged through] the thorns of the Desert of the Sons of Kainan, tearing them to pieces! ¹⁷ And then from there, he went and tore down the fortifications of PhanuEl and killed all the men in that city!

¹⁸ Well, after that, he asked ZebeE and SalMana:

‘Who were those men whom you killed in Tabor?’

And they replied:

‘They looked like you… Like the sons of a king!’

¹⁹ And GideOn said:

‘Those were my brothers… The sons of my mother.

‘So, as Yahweh lives, if you’d left them alive, I wouldn’t have to kill you!’

²⁰ Then he said to JeTher (his firstborn):

‘Take them out and kill them!’

But the young man wouldn’t draw his sword, because he was young and afraid.

²¹ And ZebeE and SalMana said:

‘If you’re a man, then why don’t you kill us yourself?’

So GideOn got up and killed ZebeE and SalMana... Then he took all the round ornaments that were hung around the necks of their camels.

²² Well thereafter, the men of IsraEl [came to him] and said to GideOn:

‘Our lord; become our ruler… You, your sons, and the sons of their sons, for you’ve saved us from the hands of MidiAn.’

²³ But GideOn replied:

‘I’m not going to rule over you, nor will any of my sons; for Yahweh alone must be your ruler!’

²⁴ And GideOn added:

‘All I ask from you is one thing: I want each man to give me an earring from his loot.’

[He asked this] since [the people they’d conquered] were IshMaElites, [and] he knew they all had gold earrings.

²⁵ And they replied:

‘Yes we’ll give them to you.’

So he unfolded his robe and each man tossed one of the ear rings that they’d looted into it.

²⁶ Well, the weight of these gold earrings that he’d asked for amounted to about 40 pounds (18kg)… So he had this in addition to the purple robes of the kings of MidiAn and the collars that were around the necks of their camels!

²⁷ Then GideOn took the ornaments and robes and made a sacred vest, which he then placed in his city of Ophrah. However, later on, all IsraEl came and committed immoral acts before it there. So it became a snare to GideOn and to his house.

²⁸ Meanwhile, MidiAn had been so shamed by the sons of IsraEl that they were couldn’t even raise their heads! And everything was peaceful in IsraEl during the 40 years that GideOn [judged the land].

²⁹ JeroBaal (GideOn), son of JoAsh, lived in his own home, ³⁰ and 70 sons came from him, because he’d taken many women. ³¹ In addition, he also had a son born to his concubine in SheChem, whom he named AbiMelech.

³² Well eventually, GideOn (son of JoAsh) died (with a good head of grey hair), and he was entombed with his father JoAsh in Ophrah of the AbiEzerites.

³³ And after GideOn died, the sons of IsraEl turned around and started having immoral relations with the BaAls once again, agreeing that [a] BaAl would be their god. ³⁴ So the sons of IsraEl forgot their God Yahweh who’d saved them from the hands of their neighbours who had oppressed them. ³⁵ And they no longer treated the house of JeroBaAl (GideOn) well, despite all the good things that he’d done for them.

Judges 9

←8 | All books | All chapters | 10→

¹ Well, [one day], AbiMelech son of JeroBaAl [or GideOn] went to see his mother’s brothers in ShiKima, and he spoke to them and all his relatives in his grandfather’s house, saying:

² ‘Please speak to all the men of ShiKima and ask them:

‘Which is better for you... To have 70 men –all the sons of JeroBaAl– rule over you, or just one man?

‘And remember that I’m your own flesh and [blood]!’

³ So his uncles spoke about him to all the men of ShiKima and told them all the things that he said. And this moved their hearts [to follow] AbiMelech... For they said that he was their brother.

⁴ Then they gave him 70 silver coins from the [temple] of BaAl Berith, which AbiMelech thereafter used to hire some vain and cowardly men to be his followers.

⁵ So, he went to the house of his father in EphRatha and killed all of the legitimate sons of JeroBaAl [or Gideon], his own brothers, on a rock… That is, all except JoAtham the youngest, because he ran away and hid!

⁶ So after that, all the men of ShiKima and the house of BethMaAlo got together and appointed AbiMelech to be their king at the Oak of Sedition in ShiKima. ⁷ But when [GideOn’s surviving son] JoAtham heard about this, he went and stood on top of Mount GiriZim and shouted to them:

‘Listen to me, you men of ShiKima; for God is listening also!

⁸ ‘The trees once went out to anoint a king over them, and they asked the olive tree to be their ruler.

⁹ ‘But the olive tree replied:

‘Must I now give up my oil that men use to glorify God in order to be promoted over the [rest of the] trees?’

¹⁰ ‘Then they said to the fig tree:

‘Come rule over us!’

¹¹ ‘But the fig tree replied:

‘Must I leave all my sweetness and good fruit to be promoted over the [rest of the] trees?’

¹² ‘Then they said to the [grape] vine:

‘Come rule over us!’

¹³ ‘And the vine replied:

‘Must I leave my wine that brings happiness to God and to men just to be promoted over the [rest of the] trees?’

¹⁴ ‘And finally, all the trees said to the brier bush:

‘Come rule over us!’

¹⁵ ‘And the brier bush replied:

‘If you’ll really anoint me to be your king, [all of you] must come and stand under my shadow. But if you refuse to do this, I’ll send out fire that’ll burn down the cedars of Lebanon!’

¹⁶ ‘Now, [judge for yourselves whether] what you’ve done was the right thing when you made AbiMelech your king!

‘And ask if you’ve been fair with JeroBaAl and his house… Whether you’ve given him the reward that he deserves...

¹⁷ ‘Even though my father fought for you and put his life on the line when he saved you from the hands of MidiAn, ¹⁸ you’ve risen against the house of my father today and you’ve murdered his sons, who had [once] numbered 70 men, on a stone!

‘Then you made this AbiMelech, son of his slave [woman], the king over the men of ShiKima, just because he’s your brother!

¹⁹ ‘Now, if you think that you’ve dealt with JeroBaAl and his house faithfully and righteously, then find joy in AbiMelech, and may he rejoice over you!

²⁰ ‘But if you don’t do that, may fire come from AbiMelech to devour the men of ShiKima and the house of BethMaAlo… And may fire come from the men of ShiKima and the house of BethMaAlo to devour AbiMelech!’

²¹ Thereafter, JoAtham ran away and lived at BaeEr, to get way from his brother AbiMelech.

²² Well, it turned out that AbiMelech reigned over IsraEl for just 3 years, ²³ for God created a bad relationship between AbiMelech and the men of ShiKima, and the men of ShiKima started dealing treacherously with the house of AbiMelech… ²⁴ [Which is what he was due] for the bad things that he’d done to the 70 sons of JeroBaAl [or Gideon].

[God] had laid the blood of his brothers upon AbiMelech who’d murdered them, as well as on the men of ShiKima, since they were the ones who had empowered him to kill his brothers.

²⁵ So the men of ShiKima made trouble for [AbiMelech] by sending highwaymen into the mountains, where they robbed everyone who passed that way… And all of this was reported to King AbiMelech.

²⁶ Well, GaAl (a son of JoBel) and his brothers had moved to ShiKima. And because the men of ShiKima trusted him, ²⁷ they all went into his field where they gathered grapes and had a good time pressing them [into wine].

Then they brought the [wine] into the temple of their god, where they ate, drank, and cursed AbiMelech.

²⁸ It was GaAl (son of JoBel) that asked:

‘Just who’s this AbiMelech? Just who is this son of ShiKima that we should serve him?

‘Isn’t he JeroBaAl’s son, and isn’t ZeBul his steward EmMor’s son? Why should we be serving him?

²⁹ ‘If these people would [start serving] me, I’d remove AbiMelech… I’d say to him:

‘Gather your army and come here!’

³⁰ Well, when ZeBul (the ruler of the city) heard what GaAl (son of JoBel) said, it made him very angry. ³¹ So he sent messengers to AbiMelech secretly, who said:

‘Look! GaAl (son of JoBel) and his brothers have come to ShiKima and they [are stirring up] the city against you!

³² ‘So, come here tonight with your army and lie in wait for them in the fields... ³³ Then at sunrise, approach the city; and when he and his people come out to confront you, you can do whatever you wish to him…

‘That is, if you’re mighty enough!’

³⁴ Therefore, AbiMelech and his army marched by night and formed an ambush against ShiKima with 4 companies. ³⁵ And when GaAl (son of JoBel) went out and stood before the city gate, AbiMelech’s army came to attack him.

³⁶ Well, when GaAl saw them coming, he said to ZeBul:

‘Look, there are people coming down from the tops of the mountains!’

And ZeBul replied:

‘You’re just seeing the shadows on the mountains [and thinking that they’re] men.’

³⁷ But GaAl kept talking. He said:

‘Look, there are people coming from the west, near the middle of the land, and another group is coming down the road from Helon-MaOnenim.’

³⁸ And ZeBul asked him:

‘Just what were you thinking when you said:

‘Who is AbiMelech that we should serve him?’

‘These men whom you showed so much disdain for, are now coming! So we’d better get ready and form battle lines!’

³⁹ So at that, GaAl gathered the men of ShiKima and set up battle lines to fight AbiMelech. ⁴⁰ But AbiMelech attacked and killed many people all the way up to the city gate! And GaAl had to retreat.

⁴¹ Then AbiMelech returned to AreMa.

But, ZeBul thereafter drove GaAl and his brothers out of ShiKima.

⁴² Then the next day, when the people [of ShiKima unlocked the gates] and went out into their fields, someone reported this to AbiMelech. ⁴³ So he gathered his army and divided them into three companies, then he once again formed an ambush out in the fields.

And when he saw the people leaving the city, he attacked them and cut them down.

⁴⁴ Meanwhile, AbiMelech and his generals rushed up and attacked the city gate, as the other two companies were outside attacking the people in the fields. ⁴⁵ So AbiMelech fought against the city all that day and captured it.
Then he killed all the people, [burned] the city, and poured salt over its land.

⁴⁶ However, when the men in ShiKima’s citadel saw what was happening, they all gathered inside the temple of their god, [BaAl] Berith.

⁴⁷ And when AbiMelech heard that all the men in the citadel had gathered in one place, ⁴⁸ he took his army up Mount SelMon. Then he grabbed an axe, cut off a tree branch and laid it on his shoulders, and he told his troops:

‘Now, do the same thing I’m doing as quickly as you can!’

⁴⁹ So they each cut a branch off of a tree and they followed AbiMelech... Then they laid the [branches] against the temple and set them on fire, burning it and killing all the people in the citadel of ShiKima (about 1,000 men and women).

⁵⁰ And after that, AbiMelech left the temple of Berith and then he attacked TheBez, and captured it. ⁵¹ It also had a citadel in the middle of the city, and all the people ran there and locked the door, then they climbed to the top of the citadel.

⁵² Well, AbiMelech attacked the citadel and laid siege to it; and when he got close to the door, he set it on fire... ⁵³ But as he was doing this, a woman dropped a piece of a millstone on his head, fracturing his skull!

⁵⁴ So he quickly called to the young man who was his armor bearer and said:

‘Draw your sword and kill me, for I don’t want anyone to say that I was killed by a woman!’

Therefore, the young man ran him through with a sword, and he died.

⁵⁵ Then when the men of IsraEl saw that AbiMelech was dead, they all just went back to their homes. ⁵⁶ And that’s how God paid AbiMelech back for the bad things that he’d done against his father, and for murdering his 70 brothers.

⁵⁷ It’s also how He paid back the men of ShiKima… God brought their guilt down on their heads, and the curse of JoAtham (son of JeroBaAl [or Gideon]) came true.

Judges 10

←9 | All books | All chapters | 11→

¹ Well, after AbiMelech [died], [Judge #6] Thola (son of Phua) arose to save IsraEl. He was from the family of IshSachar and he lived in SamIr in the mountains of Ephraim. ² He judged IsraEl for 23 years, and then he died and was buried in SamIr.

³ And after him, there was [Judge #7] JaIr from GileAd; he judged IsraEl for 22 years.

⁴ He had 32 sons, they had 32 burros, and they ruled over 32 cities in the area of GileAd… Which are still called JaIr’s cities to this day. ⁵ And when JaIr died, he was buried in RhamNon.

⁶ Then the sons of IsraEl once again started doing evil things in the eyes of Yahweh, and they [turned to the worship of] BaAl Im, the Ashtar Oths, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of MoAb, the gods of the sons of AmMon, and the gods of the Philistines.

So they abandoned Yahweh and no longer served Him.

⁷ As a result, Yahweh became enraged with IsraEl and He gave them into the hands of the Philistines and the sons of AmMon. ⁸ During this time (some 18 years), they had totally broken and crushed the sons of IsraEl who lived on the other side of the JorDan [in the east] in the land of the Amorites and in GileAd.

⁹ And after that, the AmMonites crossed the JorDan to battle with Judah, BenJamin, and the house of Ephraim. So they made life exceedingly difficult for all the sons of IsraEl.

¹⁰ And the sons of IsraEl started crying out to Yahweh once again, saying:

‘We sinned against You when we abandoned our God and started serving BaAl Im!’

¹¹ But this time, the Lord said to the sons of IsraEl:

‘Haven’t I [already] delivered you from the oppression of Egypt, and from the Amorites, the sons of AmMon, the Philistines, ¹² the Sidonians, the AmaLechites, and the MidiAnites?

‘When you called out to Me, didn’t I save you from them?

¹³ ‘But you still left Me and served other gods! So I won’t be saving you anymore... ¹⁴ Go and call to the gods that you’ve chosen for yourselves and let them save you whenever you’re in trouble!’

¹⁵ And at that, the sons of IsraEl said:

‘We have sinned!

‘Therefore, do whatever You find good in Your eyes… But just save us today!’

¹⁶ Then they got rid of all their other gods and they started serving Yahweh once again! And before long, [God] became impatient over all the wailing of IsraEl.

¹⁷ Meanwhile, the sons of AmMon went and camped around GileAd, so the sons of IsraEl got together and camped on the hill just above them.

¹⁸ Then the leaders of the people of GileAd asked each other:

‘Who will lead us in battle against the sons of AmMon?’

And they decided:

‘Whoever is willing to do so will become the head over all who live in GileAd!’

Judges 11

←10 | All books | All chapters | 12→

¹ Well, [Judge #8] JephThah (the GileAdite) was a mighty man who was the son of GileAd by a whore. ² Meanwhile, GileAd’s wife had also given birth to sons, and when they grew up, they drove JephThah out of the house, saying:

‘You aren’t going to receive an inheritance in the house of our father, because you’re the son of [his] mistress.’

³ So JephThah left his brothers and went to live in the land of Tob, where a lot of worthless men started following him and traveling with him.

⁴ Then later, when the sons of AmMon were preparing to fight against IsraEl, ⁵ the elders at GileAd sent [messengers] to call JephThah from the land of Tob, ⁶ saying:

‘Come and lead us in our fight against the sons of AmMon.’

⁷ And JephThah replied:

‘Aren’t you the ones who disliked me, drove me out of my father’s house, and banished me? So, why are you calling for me now?’

⁸ And the elders of GileAd said:

‘Well, we’re turning to you because we’re asking you to lead us in our war against the sons of AmMon. If you’ll do this, you can be the head over all the inhabitants of GileAd.’

⁹ So JephThah told the elders of GileAd that if they’d bring him back to fight against the sons of AmMon, and if Yahweh would hand them over to him, he would become their leader.

¹⁰ And the elders of GileAd replied:

‘Yahweh is our witness that we’ll do just as you said.’

¹¹ As a result, JephThah returned to GileAd, and the elders made him the head [of their army and their] ruler.

Well, JephThah first prayed to Yahweh about this (at MasSepha). ¹² And after that, he sent messengers to the king of the sons of AmMon to ask:

‘What have I done to you that you’ve come to fight against me and against my land?’

¹³ And the king of the AmMonites told JephThah’s messengers:

‘[We’re doing this because] IsraEl took all our land from the Arnon, to the JaBoc, and to the JorDan after they came from Egypt.

‘But now, if you’ll return it peacefully, we’ll withdraw.’

¹⁴ Then JephThah sent messengers to the king of AmMon again, who told him:

¹⁵ ‘JephThah says that IsraEl didn’t just take the land of MoAb or the land of the sons of AmMon. ¹⁶ For when we left Egypt, IsraEl traveled through the desert along the Red Sea until we got to Cades. ¹⁷ And there, IsraEl sent messengers to the king of Edom and asked if [he’d let us] to pass through their land. But the king of Edom wouldn’t let us do that.

‘And IsraEl asked the same thing of the king of MoAb, and he wouldn’t allow us [to cross his land] either; so, we stayed in Cades.

¹⁸ ‘Thereafter, we traveled through the desert and went around the lands of Edom and MoAb. Then when we got to the east side of MoAb, we camped in the country on the other side of the Arnon; So, we never crossed the borders of MoAb (for the Arnon is their border).

¹⁹ ‘Then IsraEl sent messengers to SeOn (the king of the Amorites and the king of HeshBon) to say:

‘Please allow us to cross your land so that we may get to our land.’

²⁰ ‘But SeOn didn’t trust IsraEl to just pass through his land, so he gathered all of his people, then he set up camp at Jasa and formed battle lines against IsraEl... ²¹ However, IsraEl’s God Yahweh gave SeOn and all of his people into the hands of IsraEl, and they cut them all down.

‘Thereafter, we inherited all the land of the Amorites that lived there, ²² from the Arnon to the JaBoc, and from the desert to the JorDan. ²³ So, now that Yahweh the God of IsraEl has removed the Amorites [and given their land to] His people IsraEl, are you trying to take it back?

²⁴ ‘Why not accept the land that your god CheMosh has given to you as your inheritance and allow us to inherit all the land that our God Yahweh has taken from you?

²⁵ ‘Are you any better than Balak (the son of SepPhor) the king of MoAb… Didn’t he start a war and fight with IsraEl? ²⁶ And after IsraEl had been living in HeshBon and its suburbs, and in AroEr and its suburbs, as well as in the cities around the JorDan for some 300 years… What [land] did he recover then?

²⁷ ‘So, I haven’t sinned against you, and you’re doing me wrong by preparing to war against me. Therefore, may Yahweh serve as the judge between the sons of IsraEl and the sons of AmMon today!’

²⁸ Nevertheless, the king of the sons of AmMon refused to listen to the words that JephThah had sent to him… ²⁹ And then the Breath of Yahweh came over JephThah, so he went up to GileAd (in ManasSeh), passed by its watchtower and the sons of AmMon, and he went to the other side of the city.

³⁰ There he made a vow to Yahweh. He said:

‘If you’ll give the sons of AmMon into my hands, ³¹ whoever is the first to come out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in peace after [conquering] the sons of AmMon must belong to Yahweh… I’ll offer him as a whole burned offering!’

³² So thereafter, JephThah advanced to meet the sons of AmMon in battle, and Yahweh gave them into his hands. ³³ He cut them down all the way from AroEr to the Arnon… 20 of their cities as far as Ebel Charmim.

It was a huge destruction and the sons of AmMon were conquered by the sons of IsraEl.

³⁴ Well, when JephThah returned to his home in MasSepha, it was his daughter whom he first saw coming out to meet him, dancing and shaking a tambourine! [She was] his only child… He didn’t have any other sons or daughters.

³⁵ And when he saw her, he ripped his clothes and shouted:

‘Oh no, my daughter! You’ve ruined me!

‘I’m so sad, because I made a promise about you to Yahweh, and now I can’t change it.’

³⁶ But she said:

‘Father, do to me whatever you’ve promised to Yahweh, for He’s given you vengeance on our enemies, the sons of AmMon.’

³⁷ And she went on to say:

‘Father, I know that you must do this thing, so allow me to have 2 months with my friends as we travel through the mountains to wail over my virginity.’

³⁸ And he replied:

‘Then go.’

So he allowed her to leave for 2 months, as she and her friends went into the mountains to weep over her virginity. ³⁹ And after 2 months, she returned to her father so that he could keep his vow concerning her… And she never [had sex with] a man.

⁴⁰ As a result, it became a rule for the daughters of IsraEl to go and cry over the daughter of JephThah (the GileAdite) for 4 days each year.

Judges 12

←11 | All books | All chapters | 13→

¹ Well after that, the men of Ephraim got together and traveled north to see JephThah, and they asked him:

‘Just why did you go over to fight with the sons of AmMon and not call for us to go with you?

‘Because you did that, we’re going to burn down your house with you in it!’

² And JephThah said to them:

‘My people and I were very busy fighting the sons of AmMon, and when I called for you, you didn’t come to save me from their hands.

³ ‘So, when I saw that you weren’t going to be any help, I put my life in my own hands and attacked the sons of AmMon… And Yahweh gave them to me.

‘So now, just why are you coming against me today?’

⁴ Well, JephThah gathered all the men of GileAd and fought against Ephraim, and the men of GileAd cut them down.

However, those who escaped warned him:

‘[Don’t forget that your town] GileAd is right in the middle of [the territory of] Ephraim and ManasSeh!’

⁵ So the GileAdites took the fords of the JorDan River before the Ephraimites could get there, and when they tried to cross [to get back home], the men of GileAd asked each one:

‘Are you an Ephraimite?’

And when they said:

‘No.’

⁶ They then told them to say ‘Stachys’ (for the Ephraimites couldn’t pronounce it properly). Then [if they couldn’t say it right,] they killed them there at the fords of the JorDan, and 40,000 men of Ephraim died that day!

⁷ Well, JephThah (the GileAdite) judged IsraEl for 6 years, and then he died and was buried in his city of GileAd.

⁸ Thereafter, [Judge #9] Papa IbSan from BethLehem judged IsraEl.

⁹ He had 30 sons and 30 daughters. He [married off his 30 daughters to men outside of his land], and he brought in 30 [women] for his sons from [outside of their land].

He judged IsraEl for 7 years, ¹⁰ then Papa IbSan died and they buried him in BethLehem.

¹¹ After him, [Judge #10] AiLom from ZebuLon judged IsraEl for 10 years. ¹² Then AiLom died and was buried in [the town of] AiLom in the land of ZebuLon.

¹³ Thereafter, [Judge #11] AbDon (son of ElLel the PhaRathonite) judged IsraEl.

¹⁴ He had 40 sons and 30 grandsons that rode upon 70 young burros. He judged IsraEl for 8 years. ¹⁵ Then AbDon (son of ElLel the PhaRathonite) died, and he was buried in PhaRathon, in the land of Ephraim on Mount Amalec.

Judges 13

←12 | All books | All chapters | 14→

¹ But then, the sons of IsraEl started sinning against Yahweh again; so He handed them over to the Philistines for the next 40 years. ² Well, during that time, a man [from the town of] SaraAh named ManoEh (of the family of Dan) who had a woman who hadn’t given birth to any sons ³ was approached by a messenger from Yahweh, that said to her:

‘I see that you have never given birth to a son.

⁴ ‘Now, you must be very careful not to drink any wine or liquor, or to eat anything that’s unclean... ⁵ For {Look!} you’re now pregnant and you’ll give birth to a son, upon whose head an iron [razor] may never [be used].

‘This child will be dedicated to God, a Nazarite, from the time that he’s born, and he will start saving IsraEl from the hands of the Philistines.’

⁶ Well at that, the woman went back inside and said this to her husband:

‘A man of God just came to me who looked very impressive… Like a messenger of God. So, I didn’t dare to ask him where he came from, and he didn’t tell me his name.

⁷ ‘But he said to me:

‘{Look!} You’re now pregnant and you’ll give birth to a son, upon whose head an iron [razor] may never [be used]. This child will be dedicated to God, a Nazarite, from the day he’s born until the day that he dies.’

⁸ So ManoEh prayed to Yahweh and said:

‘I wish to beg You, O Yahweh my Lord, concerning the man of God who you just sent. Let him come to us once again and teach us what we must do concerning this child that’s to be boon soon.’

⁹ Well, Yahweh listened to the voice of ManoEh and He sent His messenger to the woman again. But at the time, she was sitting in a field… ManoEh (her man) wasn’t with her.

¹⁰ So she ran home and said:

‘Look! The man who came the other day has appeared to me again!’

¹¹ Then ManoEh got up and followed his woman, and when they got to him, ManoEh asked:

‘Are you the person who spoke to my woman?’

And the messenger replied:

‘I am.’

¹² Then ManoEh said:

‘May [your] words come to pass… But tell us how we must raise the child and how we must deal with him.’

¹³ And the messenger of Yahweh said to ManoEh:

‘Your woman will remember all that I’ve told her…

¹⁴ ‘She must not eat anything that comes from the vine, or drink any wine or liqueur, or eat anything that’s unclean… She must follow all of these [instructions] that I’ve given to her.’

¹⁵ Then ManoEh said to the messenger of Yahweh:

‘Please stay here for a while and let us prepare a young goat as a meal for you.’

¹⁶ And the messenger of Yahweh said to ManoEh:

‘If you want me to stay, I won’t eat your bread.

‘But if you wish to sacrifice a whole burnt offering to Yahweh, you should do it.’

Well, because ManoEh didn’t realize that [this person] was really a messenger [from God], he said:

¹⁷ ‘Tell us your name, so that when your words come true, we can come to you and bow before you.’

¹⁸ And the messenger of Yahweh replied:

‘Why do you ask my name? It’s just too wonderful.’

¹⁹ So ManoEh then took a kid goat along with its grain offering, and he offered it to Yahweh on a rock. And that’s when the messenger did something that was very unusual, as ManoEh and his woman looked on...

²⁰ Suddenly, the flames on the altar rose high into the sky, and the messenger of Yahweh flew away in the flames!

And when ManoEh and his woman saw this, they both fell with their faces to the ground.

²¹ Well, the messenger never appeared to ManoEh and his woman again. But after ManoEh realized that it was a messenger of Yahweh, ²² he said to his woman:

‘We’re going to die, because we’ve seen God!’

²³ However, his woman replied:

‘If Yahweh wanted to kill us, He wouldn’t have accepted our whole burnt offering and food offering, nor would He have revealed and let us hear all these things.’

²⁴ Well thereafter, the woman did give birth to a son whom she named Samson – and Yahweh blest him as he grew. ²⁵ For the Breath of Yahweh entered him there in the camp of Dan between [the towns of] SaraAh and EsthaOl.

Judges 14

←13 | All books | All chapters | 15→

¹ [Then several years later], [Judge #12] Samson went down to ThamNatha, and he noticed a woman there that was the daughter of one of the Philistines.

² So he went and told his father and mother:

‘I saw a girl in ThamNatham, a daughter of one of the Philistines, whom I want you to take to be my woman!’

³ And his parents asked:

‘Aren’t there enough daughters among our brothers or any women among all our people? Why do you want to take a woman from among the uncircumcised Philistines?’

And Samson replied:

‘Take her, because she really appeals to me.’

⁴ Well, what his father and mother didn’t realize is that this [action] had come from Yahweh... For He wanted to bring His vengeance upon the Philistines that were dominating IsraEl at the time.

⁵ So, Samson traveled with his father and mother down to ThamNatha, and when he got to the vineyard there, a young lion roared and ran out to meet him! ⁶ Well, the Breath of Yahweh came over him in a powerful way, and he crushed the lion as though it were a kid goat, leaving nothing in his hands!

However, he didn’t tell his father and mother what he’d done, ⁷ for they were off speaking to the woman whom Samson had found so attractive.

⁸ Well, sometime later, as he was returning to take the girl, he went back to look at the carcass of the lion, and he noticed that a swarm of bees had taken up living in its mouth... ⁹ So, he took some of the honey and traveled on. He ate part of it, then he went and offered the rest to his father and mother.

They also ate it, because he didn’t tell them that he’d taken the honey out of a lion’s mouth.

¹⁰ Well thereafter, his father went [and took] the woman [for Samson], and Samson held a wedding banquet in that place that lasted 7 days (which was customary for young men to do at the time), ¹¹ to which 30 [local] guests were invited, and that stayed with him.

¹² Then Samson said to them:

‘Let me tell you a riddle, and if you can answer it correctly during the next 7 days of the banquet, I’ll give [each of you] a wrap and a new set of clothes.

¹³ ‘But if you can’t answer it, you must each give me a wrap and a new set of clothes.’

And they replied:

‘Okay, tell us your riddle.’

¹⁴ Then he told them this:

‘The eater came for the meat, but sweetness came from the strong one.’

Well, they tried to solve the riddle for three days, but they couldn’t figure it out... ¹⁵ Then on the 4th day, they went to Samson’s woman and said:

‘We want you to fool your husband. For, unless you make him explain that riddle to you, we’re going to burn down your father’s house with you in it!

‘Surely you didn’t invite us here just to [rob] us?!’

¹⁶ So Samson’s woman went to him and started crying, saying:

‘You don’t really care for me…

‘You don’t love me, because you haven’t given me the answer to the riddle that you posed to the sons of my people!’

And Samson asked her:

‘If I haven’t given the answer to my own father and mother, why should I tell it to you?’

¹⁷ Well, she just kept on crying in front of him throughout their banquet; so on the 7th day he gave her the answer, because she kept bothering him…

And then she told it to the [guests].

¹⁸ So before sunrise on the 7th day, the [guests] (who were from the city) came to him and answered:

‘What’s sweeter than honey, and what’s stronger than a lion?’

Then Samson said to them:

‘If you hadn’t been plowing with my heifer, you would have never figured out my riddle!’

¹⁹ And at that, the Breath of Yahweh came over him and he went down into the city and destroyed 30 men, then he took their clothes and gave them to the ones who had answered the riddle. And after that, Samson was so angry that he just went back to the house of his father.

²⁰ Meanwhile, [her father] gave Samson’s wife to his best man… To one of his friends!

Judges 15

←14 | All books | All chapters | 16→

¹ Well, sometime later (during the wheat harvest), Samson went to visit his wife, bringing along a kid goat.

And he said:

‘I want to go in to my woman… Into her bedroom.’

² But her father spoke to him and said:

‘Because I felt that you must surely hate her, I gave her to one of your friends. Now, isn’t her sister better than her? Let her [sister] become yours instead!’

³ And Samson said:

‘Well, I finally have a good reason to harm the Philistines, and no one can blame me.’

⁴ So Samson trapped 300 foxes. He paired the foxes and tied each pair’s tails together, and tied torches to their tails... ⁵ Then he lit the torches and released the foxes into the Philistine’s grain fields, and everything that they owned (their threshing floors, their fields of grain, their vineyards, and their olive groves) was burned.

⁶ Well, when the Philistines asked:

‘Who did this?’

They were told:

‘It was Samson, the son-in-law of the Thamnite… Because he gave [Samson’s] woman to one of his friends!’

As a result, the Philistines went and burned down the house of Samson’s father-in-law, with his woman inside it.

⁷ Then Samson went to them and said:

‘Because you did this to her, I’m going to get even… For, only then will I be satisfied!’

⁸ So he cut off all of their legs to their thighs and left… And he went down and lived in a cave in The Rock of Etam.

⁹ Well, sometime thereafter, the Philistines went into Judah and set up camp all around Lechi. ¹⁰ And when the men of Judah asked why they were getting ready to attack them, the Philistines replied:

‘We’ve come here to capture Samson; for we want to deal with him in the same way that he dealt with us!’

¹¹ So, 3,000 men of Judah went down to the Hole in The Rock of Etam and said to Samson:

‘Don’t you know that the Philistines rule this country… What have you done to us?’

And Samson replied:

‘I’ve just treated them the way that they’ve treated me.’

¹² And they said:

‘Well, we’ve come here to take you and hand you over to the Philistines.’

Then Samson told them:

‘Swear to me that you won’t do anything bad to me yourselves.’

¹³ And they promised:

‘No, we’ll just tie you up and hand you over to them… We won’t kill you.’

So they tied him up with two new ropes and led him away from the Rock.

¹⁴ Well, when they reached [the place that he later called] ‘The Jaw,’ the Philistines started shouting and they all ran to meet him. Then the Breath of Yahweh came down upon him and the ropes became like burned hemp in his arms… They just melted away!

¹⁵ And noticing the jawbone of a burro that had been tossed aside, he reached down and picked it up, and he [used it to] strike down 1,000 men.

¹⁶ Then Samson [sang this song]:

‘With a burro’s jaw, I destroyed them…

A thousand men, I cut down

With the bone of a burro.’

¹⁷ Thereafter, he threw the jawbone away… And that’s when he started calling that place,

‘Destroyed by the Jaw.’

¹⁸ Meanwhile, he’d become extremely thirsty; so he called to Yahweh and said:

‘Although it has pleased You to use Your servant’s hands to bring about this great deliverance; must I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?’

¹⁹ That’s when God broke open a hole in the ground [near] that jawbone, from which water started flowing! So he drank it, his spirit was renewed, and he regained his strength. Then he named that spring, ‘The Well of the Calling,’ which is still in Lechi today.

²⁰ Well, after that, [Samson] Judged IsraEl for 20 years (during the period of Philistine [domination]).

Judges 16

←15 | All books | All chapters | 17→

¹ Sometime later, Samson went to Gaza, and there he [met up with] a prostitute and [had sex] with her.

² Well, when this was reported to the Gazites (when they were told that Samson was there), they surrounded [the house] and quietly waited for him all night long inside the city gates... [Their plan] was to wait until he left at dawn, then [catch him] and kill him. ³ However, Samson only slept there until midnight.

For he got up and went out to the city gate, and [because it was locked], he pulled its two posts [out of the ground], lifted them (along with the locked gate) onto his shoulders, and he climbed to the top of the mountain in front of HebRon and left them there!

⁴ Well after this, he fell in love with a woman who lived by the river at Sorech, whose name was DeliLah. ⁵ So the leaders of the Philistines came to her and said:

‘Seduce him and find out where he gets all his great strength (what the real source of his strength is), so we can take him, bind him up, and humble him!

‘[If you’ll do this], we’ll give you 1,100 silver coins.’

⁶ So DeliLah said to Samson:

‘Please tell me where you get all your strength… Is there any way that you could be tied up, captured, and imprisoned?’

⁷ And Samson replied:

‘Yes; if I were tied up with 7 ropes that have been soaked in water, I’d be as weak as any ordinary man.’

⁸ So the leaders of the Philistines brought her 7 wet ropes and she used them to tie him up, ⁹ as their men hid in her bedroom.

Then she shouted:

‘The Philistines are coming, Samson!’

And he broke the ropes as though they were burned threads; for no one realized how strong he really was.

¹⁰ And then DeliLah said to Samson:

‘You’ve misled me and lied to me!

‘Now, tell me how you can really be held.’

¹¹ And he said to her:

‘I would have to be tied up with new ropes, not with ropes that have been used for work… Then I’d be as weak as any other man.’

¹² So DeliLah took new ropes and tied him up, as the men who were waiting in her bedroom [prepared themselves to] run out when she shouted:

‘The Philistines are here Samson!’

But he broke the [ropes] off his arms like threads.

¹³ And again, DeliLah said to Samson:

‘Look, you’ve deceived me and lied to me!

‘Now, please tell me how you can be held.’

And he said to her:

‘If the 7 locks on my head were woven together into a braid and then nailed to a wall, I’d be as weak as any other man.’

¹⁴ So after he fell asleep, DeliLah took the 7 locks on his head and braided them, then she nailed them to the wall and shouted:

‘The Philistines are here, Samson!’

But when he woke up, he just jerked the nail that held the braids out of the wall... ¹⁵ And DeliLah asked Samson:

‘How can you say that you love me when your heart doesn’t belong to me?

‘This is the third time that you’ve deceived me! For you haven’t really told me where you get all your strength.’

¹⁶ Well, she kept nagging him and complaining all night long, until he was exasperated to the point of dying. ¹⁷ So he told her all the things that were in his heart, saying:

‘A razor must never touch my head; for I have been a person dedicated to God since [I came from] my mother’s belly... So if [my hair] should be shaved, my strength would leave me and I’d become as weak as any other man.’

¹⁸ DeliLah realized that what he said this time came from his heart, so she sent for the Philistine rulers and said:

‘Come here one more time, for he’s told me what’s in his heart.’

And as a result, all the Philistine rulers came there and laid the silver in her hands.

¹⁹ So then DeliLah allowed Samson to fall asleep on her knees, and she [motioned to] a man who cut the 7 locks off his head… And his strength left him.

²⁰ As a result, when DeliLah shouted:

‘The Philistines are here, Samson!’

...he woke up thinking, ‘I’ll just shake myself free and leave, as I’ve done before.’ However, he didn’t know that Yahweh had left him.

²¹ So the Philistines captured him, put his eyes out, bound him in brass fetters, and took him down to Gaza, where they locked him in a dungeon.

²² However, during the time he was there, his hair started to grow back again… And soon it became as long as it had been before.

²³ Well thereafter, the leaders of the Philistines assembled to offer a big sacrifice to their god Dagon and to celebrate what they claimed their god had done by giving their enemy Samson into their hands... ²⁴ So when the people saw him, they started singing praises to their god, saying:

‘You’ve given our enemy who destroyed our land and who killed many of our people into our hands!’

²⁵ And after everyone had been worked into a joyful frenzy, they said:

‘Now, bring in Samson and have him [act the fool] before us.’

So they sent for Samson, and he was brought from the dungeon to stand as a fool before them. They led him by the hand and stood him between the [temple] columns.

²⁶ And Samson said to the young man who was holding his hand:

‘Please let me feel the columns that support the building, so I can steady myself on them.’

²⁷ Well, the building was filled with men and women, including all the leaders of the Philistines, and almost 3,000 more people had perched themselves on the roof (they’d all come to watch and to make fun of Samson).

²⁸ Then Samson called to Yahweh and said:

‘O Yahweh, my Lord,

‘Please remember me and give me strength just one last time, O God, so that I can make the Philistines pay for the loss of my eyes.’

²⁹ And at that, he braced his hands against the two columns that supported the building and pushed – one with his right hand and the other with his left.

³⁰ And Samson said:

‘Let my woman also die along with the Philistines!’

So he bent over and shoved, and the temple collapsed, killing the leaders and all the people in it! And in his death, Samson killed more than he’d killed during the rest of his lifetime.

³¹ Well thereafter, his brothers and the rest of his father’s house went there and recovered his body, then they buried it between SaraAh and EsthaOl, in the tomb of his father ManoEh.

For he had Judged IsraEl for 20 years.

Judges 17

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¹ Then there was a man from the mountains of Ephraim named MicaYas. ² He had said this to his mother:

‘Do you remember those 1,100 silver coins that you once had and which you cursed me for taking?

‘Well, here they are, for I did in fact take them.’

And his mother said:

‘May Yahweh bless you, my son.’

³ So he returned her 1,100 silver coins, and his mother said:

‘I had dedicated this money to the Lord and set it aside for [you], my son, to make a molded and carved image… So it’s yours anyhow.’

⁴ However, he went on and gave the money back to his mother. Then his mother took 200 of the silver coins and gave them to a silversmith, who used them to mold and carve an idol for the house of MicaYas.

⁵ So, the house of MicaYas was thereafter used as the temple to his god. Then [MicaYas] made a sacred vest and a religious emblem, and he anointed one of his sons to be his priest. ⁶ For back in those days, there was no king in IsraEl and everyone did whatever seemed right in his own eyes.

⁷ Well, there was a young Levite from BethLehem of Judea who happened to be passing by one day... ⁸ He’d left BethLehem in Judea, heading towards whatever place he might find. And when he got to the hills of Ephraim and to the house of MicaYas, his journey ended.

⁹ For MicaYas asked him:

‘Where have you come from?’

And he replied:

‘I’m a Levite from BethLehem of Judah, and I’m traveling to any place that I may find.’

¹⁰ So MicaYas said to him:

‘Then, live with me!

‘If you’ll become a father and a priest to me, I’ll give you 10 silver coins every year, as well as a change of clothing, and I’ll also provide you free room-and-board.’

¹¹ So the Levite lived there with MicaYas and became like one of his sons, ¹² for he’d anointed the Levite to serve as his priest, and from then on, he lived in MicaYas’ home.

¹³ MicaYas said:

‘Now I know that the Lord will treat me well, because a Levite has become my priest!’

Judges 18

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¹ Well, there was no king over IsraEl back then, and the tribe of Dan was looking for its own land to inherit, because they hadn’t received an inheritance among the tribes of the sons of IsraEl.

² So, the sons of Dan selected 5 mighty men from among their families and sent them to spy in the land around SaraAh and EsthaOl, in order to find a land [that they could inherit]. Then when they reached the hills of Ephraim and the house of MicaYas, they spent the night there... ³ For, because they’d recognized the voice of the young Levite man, they stopped and asked him questions such as:

‘Who brought you here? What do you do here?’

And:

‘Do you enjoy [living] here?’

⁴ Then he explained how MicaYas had taken him in and hired him to be his priest.

⁵ So they said:

‘Please use your powers to ask God whether the direction we’re headed in will be blest.’

⁶ And the priest told them:

‘Go your way in peace, for the direction you’re heading is the direction of the Lord.’

⁷ Well thereafter, the men traveled on, and when they got to LaiSha, they saw that the people there lived peacefully and leisurely (like the Sidonians). For there was no crime or violence in the land or any robbery, because they were a long way from the Sidonians, and they were quite isolated.

⁸ So then the 5 men returned to their brothers at SaraAh and EsthaOl and they said:

‘Why are you just sitting here? ⁹ Let’s get up and attack these people, for we’ve looked at their land and found it to be very good!

‘Don’t be silent and don’t restrain yourselves from going there and inheriting their land, ¹⁰ for we’ve found a place where the people are living in security and where the land is large enough for all of us, and God has given it into your hands…

‘It’s a place where the ground produces everything that we need!’

¹¹ So thereafter, the families of Dan sent 600 armed troops to SaraAh and EsthaOl. ¹² First they went and camped in KiriAth JaiRim in Judah (that’s why that place is still called ‘The Camp of Dan’ to this day. Look, it’s there behind KiriAth JaiRim.

¹³ Then they marched on to the mountains of Ephraim, and when they reached the house of MicaYas, ¹⁴ the 5 men who had come as spies into the land of LaIsha told their brothers:

‘There’s a sacred breast piece, a religious emblem, and a molded and carved image in this place. So, let’s think about what we should do next.’

¹⁵ Well, they stopped there and they went up to the house of the young Levite man (which was really the house of MicaYas), and they asked him how things were going. ¹⁶ But meanwhile, the 600 armed men of the sons of Dan were standing just outside of the gate!

¹⁷ Then the 5 men who had come as spies in the land [forced their way into] the house of MicaYas where the priest was standing ¹⁸ and they grabbed up the image, the breast piece, and the religious emblem... And when the priest asked them what they were doing, they said:

¹⁹ ‘Put your hand over your mouth and be quiet, for we want you to come with us to serve as our father and priest!

‘After all, which would be better for you, to be the priest of the house of one man, or to be the priest of a whole tribe and to become a house among the families of IsraEl?’

²⁰ Well, this sounded good to the heart of the priest, so he went along with the men who had taken the sacred breast piece, the religious emblem, and the molded and carved image.

²¹ Now, these men had brought all their sons, all their property, and all their baggage with them. ²² So even after they’d gone some distance from MicaYas’ house, MicaYas and his neighbors (who had seen them in his house) were able to catch up with them and they started shouting at them.

²³ But the sons of Dan then turned and faced MicaYas, and asked:

‘What’s the matter with you? Why are you shouting at us?’

²⁴ And MicaYas replied:

‘Because you’ve taken the image that I made and my priest!

‘So, what have you left for me… Why do you think I’m shouting at you?’

²⁵ And the sons of Dan said:

‘Stop shouting or you’ll make us angry and our men will kill you and your entire household.’

²⁶ Well thereafter, the sons of Dan traveled on... For MicaYas realized that they were more powerful that he was, so he just went back to his home ²⁷ and let them carry off the things that MicaYas had made along with his priest (who went with them).

Then from there, the army traveled on to LaiSha, where the people had been living peacefully and securely, and they attacked them with their broadswords and burned down their city.

²⁸ No one came to their aid, because the city was so far from Sidon that there was no way to communicate with the people there (it was located in a valley near the house of ReHob). Then [the sons of Dan] rebuilt the city and took up living there, ²⁹ renaming it, ‘the City of Dan’ (after their ancestor, the son of IsraEl), although it used to be called LaiSha.

³⁰ And it was there that the sons of Dan erected the carved image for themselves.

So from then on, JoNathan (son of GerSon and grandson of ManasSeh) and his sons continued to be the priests of the tribe of Dan until the time that the nation was captured and carried away.

³¹ Also, the carved image that MicaYas made remained there for as long as the House of God was in ShiLoh; because back then, there was no king in IsraEl.

Judges 19

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¹ Now, there was a Levite that had been staying in the hills of Ephraim, and there he took a concubine for himself who was from BethLehem of Judah.

² However, his concubine got angry and left him, returning home to her father in BethLehem. Then after 4 months, ³ he went there (along his servant and a pair of burros) to plead with her to come back to him... So she let him into her father’s house, and she and her father met with him (for she was really very happy to see him).

⁴ Then his father-in-law (the father of the young woman) urged him to stay there for three days; so, they all ate, drank, and stayed together there. ⁵ Then on the 4th day, when he got up early in the morning to leave, the girl’s father said to his son-in-law:

‘Have a bite to eat before you go.’

⁶ So the two of them sat down together and ate and drank once again.

Thereafter, the girl’s father said to her man:

‘Stick around for a while; spend another night and enjoy yourself!’

⁷ And when the man got up to leave, his father-in-law wouldn’t allow him to go, so he spent another night there.

⁸ Then when he got up early the next morning (on the 5th day) and got ready to leave, the girl’s father said:

‘Stop acting like a soldier… Stay here and build your strength until later in the day.’

So the two [sat down to] eat.

⁹ And when the man, his concubine, and his servant got ready to go, his father-in-law said to him:

‘Look, it’s almost evening… Spend the night and let’s enjoy ourselves!

‘You can leave early tomorrow morning and start your trip back home then.’

¹⁰ But he didn’t want to spend another night there, so he got up and left… He saddled his burros and set off with his concubine... ¹¹ Well, they got as far as Jebus (JeruSalem) and it was getting very late.

So the servant said to his master:

‘Let’s stop here in this Jebusite city and spend the night.’

¹² But his master replied:

‘We don’t want to stay in a city of foreigners; for there are no sons of IsraEl here. ¹³ Let’s just continue on and spend the night in GibeAh.’

¹⁴ So they traveled on and arrived at BabaAh (in the tribe of BenJamin) later that night.

¹⁵ Well, when they got to BabaAh, they prepared to stay in the street, because no one had invited them in to spend the night in their home. ¹⁶ But then an old man came in from working in the fields. He was from the mountains of Ephraim, but at the time he was living in BabaAh among the sons of BenJamin.

¹⁷ And when he saw the travelers sitting in the street, the old man asked them:

‘Where have you come from? And where are you heading?’

¹⁸ And [the Levite] replied:

‘We’re coming from BethLehem of Kudag, and we’re heading towards the side of Mount Ephraim. I live there, and I’ve gotten this far from BethLehem in my journey home… But no one has invited us into his house.

¹⁹ ‘We have enough straw and food for our burros, and enough bread and wine for me, the girl, and my servant; so your servants really won’t be deprived of anything.’

²⁰ Then the man brought them into his home, provided a place for their burros, washed their feet, ²¹ fed them, and gave them something to drink.

²² Well, as they were sitting there enjoying themselves, some men from the city (sons of criminals) surrounded the house and started banging on the door.
Then they shouted at the old man who owned the house:

‘Send out the man who came into your house, so we can [have sex] with him!’

²³ But [the old man] stepped outside and said to them:

‘No brothers; please don’t do him any harm, for he’s a guest in my home! Don’t do such a terrible thing!

²⁴ ‘Look, here’s my daughter who’s a virgin, and here’s the man’s concubine... I’ll bring them out to you and you can treat them however you wish… But, don’t mistreat this man!’

²⁵ However, because the men wouldn’t listen to him, he grabbed the concubine and brought her outside to them, and they raped and abused her all night long, releasing her in the morning.

²⁶ After that, she came and fell at the door of the house where her man [had hidden] himself. ²⁷ And when her man got up and opened the door to continue his journey the next morning, he found her lying there by the door with her hands on the threshold.

²⁸ So he spoke to her and said:

‘Get up, let’s go!’

But she didn’t answer, because she was dead.

Then he lifted [her body] onto his burro and he returned home.

²⁹ Well, [when he got home], he took his sword and cut his concubine’s body into 12 parts and sent them to [all the tribes] of IsraEl.

³⁰ And everyone who saw this said:

‘We’ve never seen such a day, nor has anyone seen such a day since the sons of IsraEl left the land of Egypt!

‘So, let’s assemble and decide what we must do.’

Judges 20

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¹ Thereafter, the whole gathering of the sons of IsraEl (from Dan to Beer SheBah) assembled to meet before Yahweh at MasSepha in the land of GileAd. ² They all stood there before Yahweh as an assembly of the people of God… 400,000 sword-carrying men!

³ Meanwhile, the sons of BenJamin learned that they had gathered there.

Well, after everyone had arrived, they asked:

‘Where did this terrible thing happen?’

⁴ And the Levite (the owner of the woman who was killed) said:

‘My concubine and I had gone into BabaAh of BenJamin to spend the night.

⁵ ‘Then men who lived there came and surrounded the house during the night, for they wanted to kill me. But they abused and raped my concubine instead, until she was dead.

⁶ ‘So I picked her up and cut her into pieces, and I sent them to all the inheritances of the sons of IsraEl… For these men have done a lewd and disgusting thing in IsraEl!

⁷ ‘Look, all you sons of IsraEl... Think about what happened and then discuss it among yourselves.’

⁸ Well, all the people agreed and said:

‘None of us will return to our tents or houses ⁹ until this thing that was done in BabaAh [is settled]. Let’s hold a lottery to choose who’ll go to fight against that city… ¹⁰ We’ll choose 10 men from among every 100 of all the tribes of IsraEl, 100 out of every 1,000, and 1,000 out of every 10,000.

‘Then we’ll gather enough provisions and send [these men] to BabaAh of BenJamin to pay them back for the disgusting things that they’ve done in IsraEl.’

¹¹ Well, all the men of IsraEl agreed, and they prepared to march on the city. ¹² So thereafter, they sent messengers throughout the whole tribe of BenJamin to say:

‘What’s this wicked thing that has been done among you?

¹³ ‘Now, surrender those sons of criminals that are in BabaAh, and we’ll execute them to purge their wickedness from IsraEl.’

However, the sons of BenJamin refused to listen to the voices of their brothers, the sons of IsraEl, ¹⁴ and [men from] all of their cities gathered at BabaAh to fight against the rest of IsraEl. ¹⁵ The sons of BenJamin sent 23,000 soldiers, along with 700 of the best men from BabaAh, all of whom were capable of fighting with both hands… ¹⁶ They could sling a stone at a hair and not miss!

¹⁷ Meanwhile, the army of IsraEl (those other than the tribe of of BenJamin) numbered 400,000 men of war. ¹⁸ But [before they went to battle], they went to BethEl to ask God:

‘Who must lead us in the fight against the sons of BenJamin?’

And Yahweh replied:

‘Judah must go first and serve as your leader.’

¹⁹ So the next morning, the sons of IsraEl went and camped around BabaAh, ²⁰ and the battle began!

²¹ Well, the sons of BenJamin came out of BabaAh and attacked, cutting down 22,000 men of IsraEl. ²² So the men of IsraEl sent for reinforcements and got ready to fight in the same place where they’d fought on the previous day.

²³ [But first] they went and spent the day crying before Yahweh; and in the evening, they asked Him:

‘Should we go to fight against our brothers the sons of BenJamin again?’

And Yahweh said:

‘Go and fight them.’

²⁴ So the sons of IsraEl advanced against the sons of BenJamin on the 2nd day. ²⁵ And again the sons of BenJamin came out of BabaAh to meet them, and they killed 18,000 more of [IsraEl’s] soldiers.

²⁶ Then, all the sons of IsraEl (the people and their troops) went to BethEl and just sat there crying before Yahweh, fasting all day long until the evening, as they offered whole burnt offerings and perfect sacrifices to Yahweh. ²⁷ For back then, the [Sacred Chest] of Yahweh God was there [in BethEl]. ²⁸ And PhineAs (son of EliEzer and grandson of Aaron) would go and stand in front of the chest whenever the sons of IsraEl wanted to ask Yahweh for anything.

So they again went to him and asked:

‘Must we go once more to fight with our brothers, the sons of BenJamin?’

And Yahweh’s reply was:

‘If you go there in the morning, I’ll give them into your hands.’

²⁹ Therefore, the sons of IsraEl [went back] and encircled BabaAh; [but this time], they set up an ambush. ³⁰ And when the sons of IsraEl went to fight the sons of BenJamin on the 3rd day, it looked like they were planning to attack BabaAh much as they had done before.

³¹ So the sons of BenJamin once again came out to meet them and they started cutting them down in the middle of the road that leads from BabaAh to BethEl, and they killed about 30 men… But this drew them all outside of the city, ³² as the sons of BenJamin were shouting:

‘They’re falling before us the same as they did before!’

However, the sons of IsraEl had planned their retreat to draw everyone out of the city and into the roads… And that’s what they did. ³³ For all the men who came to fight had assembled at BaAl Thamar, while the rest of IsraEl hid in MaraAgabe.

³⁴ So, as 10,000 of IsraEl’s best men were attacking BabaAh, and [BenJamin’s] troops were fighting them fiercely, they didn’t realize that they were doomed.
³⁵ For Yahweh allowed the sons of IsraEl to cut down BenJamin that day.

All together, the sons of IsraEl destroyed 25,000 of BenJamin’s soldiers.

³⁶ For when the sons of BenJamin thought that they were winning, the men of IsraEl turned around and attacked them, because they trusted in the ambush that they’d prepared against BabaAh. ³⁷ [The plan was that] when they pulled back, those who were hiding were to get up and attack BabaAh and cut down [everyone who was left in] the city with swords.

³⁸ The sons of IsraEl had also arranged for a battle signal from those who’d been hiding… When they captured the city, they were to send up a smoke signal. ³⁹ And when the sons of IsraEl saw that they’d taken BabaAh, that’s when they turned and attacked.

For by then, the sons of BenJamin had started killing the wounded among the men of IsraEl (about 30 of them), and they were saying:

‘Surely they’re going to fall again as they did in the first [two] battles.’

⁴⁰ But then the [smoke] signal started to arise, and it kept growing into a huge column of smoke rising into the sky.

Well, when the men of BenJamin looked behind them, they saw that their city was being destroyed. ⁴¹ So when the men of IsraEl turned back and attacked, the men of BenJamin started running, because they saw that something bad had happened.

⁴² Then they retreated all the way into the desert before the sons of IsraEl, who soon overtook them, and even people from the [surrounding] cities came to fight them… ⁴³ They chased the men of BenJamin from Nua to GibeAh in the east, ⁴⁴ and some 18,000 mighty men of BenJamin fell that day.

⁴⁵ Well, the rest [of BenJamin’s army] then turned and ran through the desert to the Rock of RemMon, where the sons of IsraEl picked off 5,000 of them; and then they chased the remaining ones as far as GeDan, where they cut down 2,000 more men.

⁴⁶ So, BenJamin lost 25,000 of their finest soldiers, ⁴⁷ and the rest (about 600 of them) turned and ran through the desert to the Rock of RemMon, where they hid out for 4 months.

⁴⁸ Meanwhile, the sons of IsraEl returned to the territory of BenJamin and cut down [everyone] in the cities around MethLa, including their cattle, burning all the cities and everything that they found there in a fire.

Judges 21

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¹ Now, while they were in MasSephath, the sons of IsraEl all swore not to give their daughters as wives to the BenJaminites. ² Then they all went to BethEl and sat before God until that evening, calling out to Him and crying:

³ ‘O Yahweh the God of IsraEl,

‘Why should one tribe of IsraEl now be missing?’

⁴ Well, the next morning, the people got up early and built an altar there, upon which they sacrificed whole burnt offerings and peace offerings.

⁵ And the sons of IsraEl started asking:

‘Who among the tribes of IsraEl failed to come here and assemble with the rest of gathering of Yahweh?’

For, they’d all sworn an oath that those who didn’t come to Yahweh at MasSephath would be put to death.

⁶ The sons of IsraEl also grieved over their brothers of [the tribe of] BenJamin, saying:

‘Today, one tribe has been cut off from IsraEl.

⁷ ‘So, what must we do to provide wives for those [among BenJamin] who have survived, since we’ve all sworn by Yahweh not to give them our daughters as their wives?’

⁸ Then they again asked:

‘Are there any among the tribes of IsraEl who failed to come to Yahweh at MasSephath?’

And they found that no one had come there from JabIsh in GileAd ⁹ (they counted all the people who were there and found that no one had come from [that city]).

¹⁰ So the gathering sent 12,000 of their mightiest men to JabIsh of GileAd, giving them the orders to take their swords and kill everyone there. ¹¹ They told them to kill every man – and every woman who’s [had sex] with a man, but not to kill the virgins… And that’s what they did.

¹² And among the inhabitants of JabIsh GileAd, they found 400 young virgins that had never [had sex] with a man, and they brought them back to ShiLoh in the land of CanaAn.

¹³ Then the entire gathering agreed to send [ambassadors] to speak to the remaining sons of BenJamin at the Rock of RemMon and invite them to make peace. ¹⁴ As a result, [the tribe of] BenJamin returned to the sons of IsraEl that day, and they gave them the women whom they hadn’t killed among the daughters of JabIsh GileAd… And they were satisfied.

¹⁵ The reason why the people made this concession to BenJamin was because Yahweh had allowed this breakup among the tribes of IsraEl.

¹⁶ Then the elders of the gathering asked,

‘What must we do to provide more women for those of BenJamin that are still alive, since all their women have been destroyed?’

¹⁷ For they all agreed that the BenJaminites that escaped must be allowed an inheritance so that a tribe wouldn’t be destroyed from IsraEl. ¹⁸ However, they couldn’t give them their daughters as wives, because the whole gathering had sworn that anyone who gave a woman to those of BenJamin would be cursed.

¹⁹ Then they said:

‘Look, there’s a feast of Yahweh that’s held each year in ShiLoh.’

Now, this is a town located north of BethEl, east of the road between BethEl and ShiKima, and south of Lebona.

²⁰ And they told the sons of BenJamin this:

‘You may go and hide in the vineyards there and watch.

²¹ ‘Then, whenever you see any of the daughters of the people in ShiLoh come out to dance, you should each run from the vineyards and grab a woman and carry her back to the land of BenJamin.

²² ‘And if their fathers or brothers should come to argue the matter with you, you should tell them:

‘You must give them to us freely, for we haven’t taken them from you in battle. Rather, we’ve taken them to keep you from sinning against the oath that you made.’

²³ And that’s what the sons of BenJamin did... They went and took women from among the dancers and brought them back to their inherited land, where they rebuilt their cities and lived in them.

²⁴ Well thereafter, all the sons of IsraEl returned home to their own tribes, families, and inheritances. ²⁵ For back in those days (since there was no king in IsraEl), every man did whatever he thought was right.

Ruth

01  02  03  04  All books

Ruth is a story about how the Great-Grandmother of King David came to IsraEl and converted to Judaism.

The events happened sometime around 1300 BCE. It was likely written by SamuEl around 1090 BCE, because it appears to have originally been a continuation of the book of Judges.

Ruth 1

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¹ Back in those days, during the time of the Judges, there was a famine that came to the land. As a result, a man from BethLehem of Judah traveled into the fields of MoAb with his wife and two sons. ² The man’s name was EliMelech, his wife’s name was NaOmi, and his two sons were named MahLon and ChiLion… They were EphRathites.

And after they’d moved there from BethLehem of Judah, ³ EliMelech (NaOmi’s husband) died, leaving just her and her two sons. ⁴ Thereafter, the sons married Moabite women; one was named Orpah, and the other was named Ruth.

Then, after [NaOmi] had been there for about 10 years, ⁵ both MahLon and ChiLion (the sons of her and her husband) also died. ⁶ So she got up and told her two daughters-in-law that she was going to return to her own country, because she’d heard (from someone in the land of MoAb) that Yahweh had turned back to His people and that He was once again providing them loaves of bread to eat.

⁷ Well, [as she was preparing] to leave the place where she was staying, both of her daughters-in-law came and met with her, because they wanted to go with her to the land of Judah.

⁸ But NaOmi said to her daughters-in-law:

‘Go back home to your mothers… And may Yahweh show as much mercy to you as you’ve shown to my dead ones.

‘Thank you for meeting with me, ⁹ but may Yahweh now provide each of you rest in the house of a husband.’

Then she kissed them and they both started to cry, ¹⁰ and they said to her:

‘We want to return with you to your people.’

¹¹ But NaOmi said:

‘No! Please, my daughters! Why do you want to go with me?

‘Do you think that I still have sons in my belly that I can give as your husbands?

¹² ‘Please go home, my daughters!

‘Go, because I’ve grown too old to have a man anymore. I’ve asked myself:

‘Might it be possible for me to marry again and to give birth to sons ¹³ for whom you should wait, and not marry again until they’ve grown into men?’

‘No, my daughters; for I’ve become very bitter since the hand of Yahweh has come against me.’

¹⁴ Then they all started to cry again, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law and returned to her family. However, Ruth continued to follow her; so NaOmi said:

¹⁵ ‘Look, Ruth,

‘Your sister-in-law has returned to her people and to her gods. So, please turn back and catch up with your sister-in-law.’

¹⁶ And Ruth replied:

‘Don’t force me to leave you and go back; for wherever you go, I’ll go, and wherever you stay, I’ll stay! Your people will be my people and your God will be my God!

¹⁷ ‘Where you die is where I’ll die, and that’s where I’ll be buried.

‘May Yahweh [curse] me and add more to it if anything other than death will separate me from you!’

¹⁸ Well when NaOmi saw that she was so determined to go with her, she no longer tried to discourage her. ¹⁹ So they both traveled on together until they arrived at BethLehem.

And when they got there, the whole city of BethLehem cheered for them, asking:

‘Is this really NaOmi?’

²⁰ And she said to them:

‘Please don’t call me NaOmi, call me Mary (Bitter), because [God] has made me very bitter.

²¹ ‘For after I left, Yahweh sent me back with nothing.

‘So, why call me NaOmi [meaning, Pleasure], when Yahweh has humbled and persecuted me?’

²² Thus NaOmi returned from the country of MoAb with her Moabite daughter-in-law Ruth, arriving in BethLehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.

Ruth 2

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¹ Well, there was a very wealthy man [in BethLehem] that NaOmi knew (because he was a relative of her husband EliMelech) whose name was BoAz.

² So Ruth (the Moabite) said to NaOmi:

‘If he approves of me, should I go into his field to glean grain?’

And NaOmi replied:

‘Go, my daughter.’

³ So she went into the field and followed behind those who were doing the harvesting... And it so happened that the portion of the field she was in was being harvested by some of BoAz’s relatives at the time.

⁴ Then {Look!} when BoAz came from the city (BethLehem), he said to those who were harvesting there:

‘May Yahweh be with you.’

And they replied:

‘May Yahweh bless you.’

⁵ Then BoAz asked the servant that was supervising the harvesting:

‘Whose young woman is that?’

⁶ And the supervisor replied:

‘She’s the Moabite servant who just came here from the country of the MoAbites along with NaOmi.’

⁷ So [Ruth] then [went up] to him and said:

‘Please, may I collect grain here… I’ll just follow behind those who are doing the harvesting.’

Well, she’d been working all day long, from morning until evening, and she hadn’t stopped at all to rest.

⁸ So BoAz said:

‘Hasn’t anyone told you, my daughter? You don’t have go into my field to just glean… [go and work] with the rest of the young women [who are my relatives].

⁹ ‘Look around the field and see where they are, and work along with them, for I’ve instructed my servants not to bother you... And when you get thirsty, you may go and drink from the water in the jugs that belong to my servants.’

¹⁰ Well at that, she bowed low before him with her face to the ground, and then she asked him:

‘What have I done to find so much favor in your eyes that you should treat me this well, since I’m just a stranger?’

¹¹ And BoAz answered:

‘All the things you’ve been doing for your mother-in-law since the death of her son, your husband, have been reported to me... I’ve heard about how you arrived in this unfamiliar land just two days ago after leaving your father, your mother, and your country.

¹² ‘So, may Yahweh repay your good deeds, and may the God of IsraEl that you’ve come here to serve shelter you under His wings.’

¹³ Then she said:

‘I [hope] that may I find your favor, my master, and [that I can prove worthy] of the comfort that you’ve given to me; for your words have touched the heart of your slave girl.

‘Look, I’m your servant!’

¹⁴ Then BoAz said to her:

‘It’s almost suppertime.

‘Here, take some of my bread… And here’s some vinegar to dip it in.’

¹⁵ And at that, Ruth sat down next to the rest of the harvesters, and BoAz gave her a large amount of toasted grain, which she ate.

Then, after she’d eaten enough, she left.

¹⁶ So, [the next day] she got up to collect [grain]. And BoAz gave orders to his servants, saying:

‘Absolutely let her collect for them middle of the sheaves – and don’t give her any trouble! Definitely reserve some of what’s heaped up for her, and leave her be! She’ll collect – and you won’t bother her.’

¹⁷ So she worked all day long... And when she beat out the grain, she found that she’d collected a heaping bushel full, ¹⁸ which she then carried back to the city.

Now, when her mother-in-law saw how much she’d collected and how much she’d been given, she asked:

‘Where did you go today, and where did you get this? May the one who recognized you be blest!’

¹⁹ Then Ruth told her mother-in-law where she did [the harvesting] and said:

‘The man who let me to do this today is called BoAz.’

²⁰ And NaOmi said:

‘Praise Yahweh!

‘For He hasn’t forgotten to be merciful [to the widows] of those who’ve died.’

Then she added:

‘This man is our next-of-kin… One of our closest relatives!’

²¹ And Ruth said to her mother-in-law:

‘He also told me to [work alongside] his servants until I’ve finished harvesting everything I need!’

²² Then NaOmi told Ruth:

‘My daughter, it’s good for you to work alongside his servants, for you likely wouldn’t have been able to meet his relatives in any other field.’

²³ So thereafter, Ruth worked along with the young women of BoAz’s family through both the barley harvest and the wheat harvest (about 50 days).

Ruth 3

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¹ Well, while she was staying there with her mother-in-law, NaOmi said to her:

‘My daughter,

‘How else can I give you some rest and allow good things to happen to you?

² ‘BoAz, the one whose young women you’re working among, is a close relative... And tonight he will be threshing barley in his barn. ³ So... Take a bath, [rub your body] with [fragrant] oils and dress up – then go to his barn.

‘However, you must not reveal yourself to him until after he’s finished eating and drinking. ⁴ But then, when you see that he’s fallen asleep, go uncover his feet and lie down there at his feet and go to sleep!

‘Thereafter, he will tell you what to do.’

⁵ And Ruth said:

‘I’ll do whatever you say.’

⁶ So she went down to the barn and did just as her mother-in-law had instructed... ⁷ [She saw] BoAz eating and drinking until his heart was quite satisfied, and then he went to sleep in the hay.

So Ruth crept up quietly and uncovered his feet, then she got down to go to sleep. ⁸ However, this woke BoAz – and when he saw the woman lying at his feet, ⁹ he asked:

‘Who are you?’

And she replied:

‘I’m Ruth, your servant girl... Wrap me in your blanket, for you’re my relative.’

¹⁰ So BoAz said:

‘May Yahweh God bless you for your goodness and mercy, my daughter, because you’ve chosen the last over the first!

‘You could have looked for a younger man, whether rich or poor.

¹¹ ‘But daughter; don’t be afraid, for I’ll do whatever you ask, since my whole tribe knows what a mighty woman you are.

¹² However, there’s someone who’s a closer relative than me. ¹³ You may spend the rest of the night here, but in the morning we’ll go and find out if he’s willing to do right by you, since he is your closest relative...

‘Now, as Yahweh is living, you may just go to sleep until the morning.’

¹⁴ So [Ruth] went back to sleep at his feet and she stayed there until the next morning.

And when she awoke (while [it was still too dark] to be seen), BoAz said:

‘Don’t tell anyone that a woman spent the night in my barn.’

¹⁵ Then he said to her:

‘Now, bring me the apron that you wore.’

So she held it out, and he poured 6 quarts (5.7l) of barley into it for her; and thereafter, she returned to the city.

¹⁶ Well, when she got back, her mother-in-law asked:

‘What happened, my daughter?’

And she told her everything that the man had done, saying:

‘He also gave me 6 quarts (5.7l) of barley, ¹⁷ and he told me to carry this to my mother-in-law.’

¹⁸ Then [NaOmi] said:

‘Now, let’s just sit here and wait, my daughter, to see how this thing works out. For the man won’t be satisfied until he’s finished everything that has to be done.’

Ruth 4

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¹ Well, the [next morning], BoAz went and sat down at the [city] gate.

Then {Look!} before long, he saw the man he’d told [Ruth] about, so he asked him to come and sit in a secluded spot. ² He also found ten of the city’s elders and asked them to come and sit with them. So, they all sat down together.

³ Then BoAz said to the relative:

‘This matter is regarding the portion of the field that belonged to our brother EliMelech, which he passed on to NaOmi...

‘Since she’s just returned from the land of MoAb, ⁴ I thought that I should whisper in your ear and urge you to purchase the field before others in the city do so, or before the elders claim it, for you’re [EliMelech’s] closest living relative.

‘However, if you aren’t interested in buying it, let me do that, since I’m next in line as his relative.’

And [the man] replied:

‘I’ll [claim it] as his next of kin!’

⁵ And BoAz said:

‘Well, on the day that you buy the field from NaOmi, you must also take the Moabite woman, Ruth. For she was the [wife] of your dead relative, and you have to keep his name alive to receive his inheritance.’

⁶ Well at that, the relative said:

‘Oh! Then I won’t be able to accept the responsibility of being his closest relative, for I’m afraid that it would ruin the rights of my own inheritors.

‘So, you may go and claim the right.’

⁷ Now, it was the custom in IsraEl at the time (when it came to establishing matters to do with inheritances and such) for the man who [was giving up his right], to untie his sandal and give it to the one who would be the acting next-of-kin, as proof that the right of inheritance was being given to him.

For this is how they testified to such things in IsraEl back then.

⁸ So when the relative told BoAz that he could buy it for himself and the right of inheritance would be his, he untied his sandal and gave it to BoAz...

⁹ Then BoAz said to the elders and to everyone else who was sitting there:

‘You people are all eye-witnesses today that I’ve acquired the right to buy everything that belonged to EliMelech, ChiLion, and MahLon from NaOmi… ¹⁰ Including Ruth, the Moabite woman.

‘So I’ve now acquired MahLon’s woman as mine, and I’ll raise a [son] in the name of the one who died, so that his inheritance won’t be lost.

‘For I’m his brother, and you and all the people at this gate are my witnesses.’

¹¹ Well, the elders all agreed, saying:

‘We are eye-witnesses. And may Yahweh make the woman who’s entering your home like RachaEl and LeAh who built the house of IsraEl!

‘May they succeed in doing that in a powerful way in EphRatha, and in making a name in BethLehem.

¹² ‘May your house become like the house of Perez, whom Thamar bore to Judah; and regarding your offspring, may Yahweh give you children from this maidservant.’

¹³ So BoAz took Ruth and she became his wife. Then he [slept with] her and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son.

¹⁴ And thereafter, she said to NaOmi:

‘May Yahweh be praised, because He didn’t rest until He provided a son for you today!

‘May [this son] speak of your name in IsraEl, ¹⁵ and may he restore life and nourishment to your grey hair; for your daughter-in-law has given birth to a good child who’s better than seven sons!’

¹⁶ Well after that, NaOmi took the boy and held him to her breasts, becoming his wet nurse. ¹⁷ Then she called the neighbors in and named him…

She said:

‘Since NaOmi has now given birth to a son, I’ll call him Obed [meaning, Servant].’

This one became the father of JesSe and the grandfather of David.

¹⁸ Now, these are the descendants of Perez:

• Perez fathered HezRon,

• ¹⁹ HezRon fathered Aram,

• Aram fathered AmiNadab,

• ²⁰ AmiNadab fathered NaShon,

• NaShon fathered SalMon,

• ²¹ SalMon fathered BoAz,

• BoAz fathered Obed,

• ²² Obed fathered JesSe, and

• JesSe fathered David.

1 Samuel

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1 Samuel is a history book.

It’s usually pronounced as ‘First Samuel,’ although some say ‘One Samuel.’

It’s the first part of a 4-part book, now known as 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, and 2 Kings. The Septuagint traditionally calls these books 1 to 4 Kings.

It was believed to be written SamuEl until it reaches chapter 25 where it records his death. At that point, tradition states that Gad and Nathan compiled or wrote the rest of the books. However, there are remarks added such as ‘to this day,’ which suggest that it was edited later on, possibly by Ezra.

1 Samuel covers the time from Samuel’s birth until the death of King Saul and his son JoNathan.

Large Septuagint differences

Interestingly, the oldest manuscripts of the Greek Septuagint don’t feature the contradictory parts of the story of David and GoliAth. This shows that the confusing parts were, in fact, later additions. Our manuscripts don’t include them, so we cross out those texts. You’ll find these corrections in chapters 17 and 18.

1 Samuel 1

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¹ There was a man from RamAh of Zophim in the Hills of Ephraim whose name was ElKanah. He was the son of JerHam, grandson of EliHu, great-grandson of ToHu, and the great-great grandson of Zuph, all of whom were from the hills of Ephraim.

² He had two women, the first was named HanNah and the second was PeninNah. Now, PeninNah had [given birth to] children, but HanNah had no children.

³ Well, each day [ElKanah] would leave his city and go up to ShiLoh to bow and offer sacrifices to Yahweh of armies, along with Eli and two of his sons, HophNi and PhineAs, who were Priests of Yahweh.

⁴ And one day, when ElKanah was there offering sacrifices, he gave his woman PeninNah and her sons and daughters their inheritances; ⁵ however, he only gave HanNah a single portion, because she didn’t have any children.

Yet, ElKanah loved HanNah more than he loved PeninNah, despite the fact that Yahweh had kept her womb locked ⁶ (for He hadn’t given her a child to love and to remove her sorrow). As a result, she became depressed and she believed that Yahweh wouldn’t allow her to have a baby.

⁷ Well, each year she would go up to the House of Yahweh to cry and fast there.

⁸ Then [one day], her husband ElKanah asked her:

‘HanNah, why are you always crying?

‘Why won’t you eat and why is your heart [so sad]?

‘For I [love you more] than ten children!’

⁹ Well, HanNah then went to ShiLoh and stood before Eli, who was the High Priest then. She’d gone without eating or drinking for some time; ¹⁰ and because her soul was in such great pain, she [just stood there] praying and crying before Yahweh.

¹¹ Then she made a vow, saying:

‘O Yahweh of Armies,

‘If You’ll just look at me, You’ll see how Your slave woman has been disgraced!

‘Please remember me and don’t forget that I’m your servant… Remember me and don’t forget me!

‘If You’ll give me a son, I’ll stand him before You and dedicate him to You throughout his entire life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.’

¹² Well, as she was praying there before Yahweh, the Priest Eli was watching her mouth, ¹³ and he recognized that she was speaking from her heart. He could see that her lips were moving, but he couldn’t hear her saying anything, so he figured that she was probably drunk.

¹⁴ So he said to her:

‘How long have you been drinking?

‘Why don’t you get rid of your wine?’

¹⁵ But HanNah said:

‘No, my lord! I’m just a woman who has seen hard times. I haven’t had any wine or liquor to drink, and I’m not drunk!

‘Rather, I’m pouring out my soul before Yahweh! ¹⁶ Please don’t consider your servant a delinquent daughter; for my worries and depression have grown into a mountain.’

¹⁷ And Eli told her:

‘Then, go in peace, for the God of IsraEl will give you all that you’ve asked from Him!’

¹⁸ And she said:

‘Your maidservant has found favor in your eyes.’

So then, she went back to her husband and she started eating and drinking again, and her face wasn’t sad anymore.

¹⁹ Then they both got up early the next morning and bowed before Yahweh, and they went back home.

And after ElKanah got back home to RamAh, he [had sex] with his woman HanNah, and Yahweh remembered her and she got pregnant.

²⁰ Well, when the time came, HanNah gave birth to a son whom she named SamuEl [meaning, God Heard], for she said:

‘He’s what I asked of the Almighty God.’

²¹ And after that, whenever ElKanah left home to go up and offer the required sacrifices at ShiLoh and pay his vows, ²² HanNah didn’t go with him, for she said:

‘I’ll wait until the boy is weaned to stand him before Yahweh.

‘Then he can spend the rest of the age there.’

²³ And ElKanah told her:

‘Do whatever you see is best until he’s weaned, but may Yahweh bring about what you vowed.’

So the woman nursed her son until the time he was weaned, ²⁴ then they took him up to ShiLoh along with:

• A 3-year-old calf,

• A quart of fine flour, and

• A skin flask of wine.

There they entered Yahweh’s House in ShiLoh, bringing the boy inside with them, ²⁵ and then they stood him before Yahweh.

Thereafter, they slaughtered the calf, and HanNah brought the child to Eli ²⁶ and said:

‘My Lord, I swear that as you’re living... I’m the woman who stood before you while praying to Yahweh; ²⁷ I prayed for this boy, and Yahweh granted my request to Him!

‘So, I now loan him to the Lord all the days of his life that he’ll live, to be used by the Lord!’

1 Samuel 2

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¹ Then HanNah prayed and sang [this song]:

‘My [faith] is now firm, O my God,

And my heart [belongs to Yahweh].

For, my horn has been raised by my God,

And against my enemies, my mouth’s opened wide.

‘I thank You for my salvation;

For, this salvation has given me joy.

² There are none as holy as Yah,

Or any as righteous as God…

No, none are more holy than You.

³ ‘So, we should never be boasting,

Or allow haughty words to come from our mouths.

For, Yahweh is a God of [great] knowledge,

And a God who accomplishes all that He plans.

⁴ ‘He weakens the bows of the mighty,

And gives strength to those who are weak.

⁵ Although those full of bread now have less,

And the hungry have been overlooked in our land;

The one who was sterile gave birth 7-fold,

As the one with many grew weaker.

⁶ ‘Both life and death come from Yahweh…

He takes them to the grave and leads them back out.

⁷ It’s Yahweh that makes the poor and the rich…

He’s the One who humbles and raises.

⁸ ‘From the ground, He raises the needy,

And He lifts the poor from the dirt,

To seat them among the mightiest of men,

Where a throne of glory, they inherit.

⁹ ‘He gives what’s asked to those who make vows,

And He blesses the years of the righteous.

For, men can do nothing by their own strength…

¹⁰ Jehovah alone makes their enemies weak…

Yes, He’s their [great] Holy Lord.

‘May the smart not boast of their smartness,

And may the mighty not boast of their strength.

May the rich not boast of their wealth,

But, let them all boast of this:

‘Let those who boast come to know

That it all really comes from Yahweh;

So, may they observe His decisions,

And recognize His justice throughout the whole earth.

‘For, Yahweh descends from the heavens,

And from the skies, He sends thunder.

He [searches] and judges the wicked,

And to the ends of the earth, seeks the righteous.

‘He’s the One who gives kings all their power,

And raises the trumpets of His anointed.’

¹¹ So thereafter, she left [her son] there before Yahweh, and she went back home to her house in RamAh. And from that day on, the boy served Yahweh before Eli the Priest.

Now, Eli’s Sons were very wicked, ¹² because they didn’t [really believe in Yahweh]. ¹³ As a result, these Priests felt that all the sacrifices the people brought belonged to them.

And whenever there was some boiled meat in the kettle, they’d reach in with the 3-pronged hook and take [the whole thing]… ¹⁴ They’d drop the meat hook down into the large kettle and grab whatever they could. So, rather than allowing [the people to eat their portion of the sacrifices], the Priests would take whatever they wanted.

And that’s how they treated all the people of IsraEl that came to ShiLoh to offer sacrifices to Yahweh.

¹⁵ Also, when the servants of the Priests were burning the [sacrificial] fat on the Altar, one of them would say to the other who was doing the sacrificing:

‘Give the roasted meat to the Priests, because we don’t want any of that boiled meat in the kettle.’

¹⁶ But if the one who was doing the sacrificing said:

‘Allow me to burn the fat first, because that’s what’s required.’

They would say:

‘No! Give it to me or I’ll take it myself!’

¹⁷ And that’s how the young men were sinning before Yahweh in such a great way, for they viewed His sacrifices as worthless.

¹⁸ Well, SamuEl served there in the presence of Yahweh as a boy, wearing a sacred chest piece of linen. ¹⁹ He wore a little doubled robe that his mother had made for him, which she carried to him when she returned with her husband to offer the sacrifices that were required back then.

²⁰ Eli also praised ElKanah and his woman.

For he said:

‘The Lord has taken the offspring of this woman as a loan, because of the way that she has acted towards Yahweh.’

Well thereafter, ²¹ Jehovah again visited HanNah, so she got pregnant and gave birth to three more sons and two daughters! However, it was the responsibility of the boy SamuEl to stay and serve in the presence of Yahweh.

²² Now, Eli had gotten very old, and he knew about all the things that his sons were doing to the people of IsraEl; for they were even sleeping with the women who stood around the Tent of Proofs.

²³ So he asked them:

‘Why are you doing all these bad things that the people of Yahweh are talking about?

²⁴ ‘No, my sons, no!

‘The things that I’m hearing aren’t good! I don’t want to hear any more about this, for you’re here to serve the people of God!

²⁵ ‘If you’re sinning against the people, they’ll go and pray to Yahweh about it… And if you’re the ones who are sinning against Yahweh, who will there be to pray for you?’

But they wouldn’t listen to their father, because Yahweh really wanted to destroy them... ²⁶ Meanwhile, the boy SamuEl went on to become great, for he was in good standing before both God and men.

²⁷ Well thereafter, a man of God went to Eli and told him:

‘This is what Yahweh has said:

‘I revealed Myself to the house of your fathers in the land of Egypt who were servants in the house of PharaOh, ²⁸ and I chose the house of your fathers from all the tribes of IsraEl to serve Me as Priests who will approach My Altar, burn incense, and wear My sacred chest piece.

‘I also gave the house of your father all the sacrifices that were burned on the fire as their food.

²⁹ So, why have you looked at My incense and My sacrifices in disgust? And why have you treated your sons better than Me by allowing them to bless themselves with the first fruitage of all the sacrifices that IsraEl brings before Me?

³⁰ ‘Because you’ve allowed this,’ says Yahweh, the God of IsraEl... ‘your house and the house of your father will fall before Me throughout the ages!

And from now on, only those who are glorifying Me will be glorified, while those who are treating Me with contempt will be disgraced!

³¹ ‘Look! The days are coming when I’ll destroy your offspring… The sons of the house of your father. ³² And after that, you’ll see how well things will be done in IsraEl!

But, never again will there be a man who grows old in your house. ³³ For I’ll destroy every man among you who serves at My Altar… I’ll make their eyes fail and cause their lives to flow out of them, then men will cut your family down with swords!

³⁴ ‘This is the sign that I’ll give to your two sons, HophNi and PhineAs in the day that they’re both going to die:

³⁵ I’ll appoint for Myself a [High] Priest who’s trustworthy, and I’ll do for him whatever things are in My heart and soul... Then I’ll build his house into one that I can trust, and he will be My anointed for the rest of his life.

³⁶ ‘So after that, anyone who’s left in your house will have to come and bow before him bearing a silver coin and a loaf of bread and say: ‘Allow me to be one of your Priests, so I may eat some of the food.’

1 Samuel 3

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¹ Well, the boy SamuEl served as an official of Yahweh under Eli, the [High] Priest. And back then, the Word of Yahweh was prized, because the [Priests] weren’t being given any visions of what they were supposed to do.

² Then one day, Eli went to sleep inside [the Tent of God], and because his eyes had grown weak and he was [almost] blind, ³ the [sacred] lampstand of God had been left burning.

Well, SamuEl had also [slept] in the Holy Place of Yahweh, near the Chest of Proofs; ⁴ and there the Lord called SamuEl.

He said:

‘SamuEl!’

And SamuEl replied:

‘I’m here!’

⁵ Then he ran to Eli and said:

‘I’m here… You called for me?’

And Eli replied:

‘I didn’t call you, go back to sleep!’

So he went back to his bed.

⁶ But then the Lord called to him again, saying:

‘SamuEl.’

So he went over to Eli again and said:

‘Look! I’m here, for you called me.’

And Eli said:

‘I didn’t call you, child! Go back to sleep!’

⁷ Well, SamuEl didn’t realize that it was God speaking, and that the words of Yahweh were about to be revealed to him. ⁸ So when the Lord called SamuEl a third time, he got up and went to Eli and said:

‘Look, I’m here; for you did call me!’

And it was then that Eli realized it was the Lord who was calling the boy.

⁹ So he said to SamuEl:

‘Go back to bed, child; but if you hear Him calling again, you should say:

‘Speak to me O Lord, because Your servant is listening.’

Well, SamuEl then went back to his bed, ¹⁰ and the Lord came and called to him again, saying:

‘SamuEl… SamuEl!’

And SamuEl replied:

‘Speak, because Your servant is listening!’

¹¹ And the Lord said to SamuEl:

‘Look! Although the people have come to think that My words have been extinguished in IsraEl, from now on, everyone will hear them in both of their ears!

¹² ‘For the day has come when I’ll bring about all the things that I said against the house of Eli, and I’ll finish them off!

¹³ ‘I told [Eli] that I’d punish him and his house throughout the ages for the unrighteousness of his sons, because he knows of the evil things that they’re doing against God and he hasn’t punished them!

¹⁴ ‘So, I swore an oath against the house of Eli that throughout the ages they’ll pay for the sins that they committed while they were offering up the incense and the sacrifices.’

¹⁵ Well thereafter, SamuEl went back to bed until the morning.

And when he got up early in the day and opened the entrance to the House of Yahweh, he was afraid to tell Eli what he saw.

¹⁶ But Eli called to him, saying:

‘SamuEl… SamuEl… Child!’

And he replied:

‘I’m here!’

¹⁷ Then [Eli] said:

‘Tell me every word that you were told… Don’t try to hide it from me! May God [punish you] if you don’t tell me every word that He spoke into your ears!’

¹⁸ So SamuEl reported everything that was said to him… He didn’t try to hide a single word.

And Eli said:

‘Yahweh is good, and He will do everything that He said He will do.’

¹⁹ Well thereafter, SamuEl became great, because Yahweh was with him, and there wasn’t a word he was told that failed to come true in the land. ²⁰ So all of IsraEl, from Dan to BeerSheba, came to know that SamuEl was a faithful prophet of Yahweh.

²¹ For Yahweh started showing Himself at ShiLoh again, revealing Himself to SamuEl and speaking to him there. Thus SamuEl became the trusted prophet of Yahweh throughout all of IsraEl from one end of the land to the other.

However, Eli was very old, and his sons kept doing things that were wicked before Yahweh.

1 Samuel 4

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¹ Well from then on, whatever things that SamuEl said [were spread] throughout all IsraEl.

Thereafter, the Philistines assembled to go to war with IsraEl, so IsraEl went out to meet them in battle. They camped at EbenEzer, while the Philistines had set up camp at Aphek. ² And when the Philistines attacked, the battle went badly for IsraEl, for they lost 4,000 men.

³ So when they returned to their camp, the people asked:

‘Why did Yahweh allow us to fall before the Philistines today?

‘[Next time] we should take Yahweh’s Chest of Proofs from ShiLoh and carry it in our midst, for it will save us from the hands of our enemies!’

⁴ So they sent people to ShiLoh to get the Chest of Yahweh’s Sacred Agreement [to summon the power] of the cherubs [on its Lid], and both sons of Eli (HophNi and PhineAs) traveled with the [sacred] Chest of God.

⁵ Well when the Chest was brought into the camp, the IsraElites let out a shout that resounded throughout the land. ⁶ And when the Philistines heard it, they started asking each other:

‘Why are they shouting in the camp of the Hebrews?’

And they concluded that it was because the Chest of Yahweh had been brought into the camp, ⁷ which frightened them.

So they said:

‘They’ve brought their gods into their camp.

⁸ ‘Woe to us! Please save us today, O Lord, just as you’ve done for the past three days!

‘O woe to us, for who will rescue us from the hands of their mighty gods? They’re the same gods who brought the calamity upon Egypt and [to those] in the desert!

⁹ ‘O Philistines,

‘We must be strong and act like men so we won’t have to serve the Hebrews. [Since our Gods] want them to serve us, we’ll have to act manly when we go to battle against them!’

¹⁰ Then the Philistines attacked, and the men of IsraEl started falling before them… They chased them all the way back to their tents! It was a huge defeat and 30,000 of their soldiers were lost! ¹¹ Also, the Chest of God was captured, and both of Eli’s sons (HophNi and PhineAs) were killed.

¹² Well, there was a man of the tribe of BenJamin that had returned from the battle; and when he got back to ShiLoh that day, his clothes were torn and it looked as though the earth had fallen on his head.

¹³ And when he got there, he saw Eli sitting on his chair [atop] the gate that faces the road... And since this man’s heart was broken over the loss of the Chest of God, when he got there, he yelled out his report to the whole city.

¹⁴ And when Eli heard him yelling, he asked:

‘Who’s doing all that shouting?’

So the man went up and reported to Eli.

¹⁵ By then, Eli was 98 years old, his eyes were dim, and he couldn’t [hear well]. So he asked the Priests around him:

‘What’s he saying?’

And when the man came up before him, ¹⁶ he said:

‘I’ve just come here from our camp, and we all had to flee from the battle today!’

Then Eli asked:

‘What about my [sons]?’

¹⁷ And [the man] replied:

‘All the men of IsraEl turned and ran from the Philistines… It was a huge loss for our people!

‘Both of your sons were killed and the Chest of God was captured as well!’

¹⁸ Well, when Eli heard [the news] about the Chest of God, he fell backward out of his chair [from the top of] the gate and landed on the ground, breaking his back.

So he died, because he was old and fat.

But he’d judged IsraEl for 40 years.

¹⁹ And after that, when Eli’s daughter-in-law (PhineAs’ woman, who was pregnant) heard the message that the Chest of God had been captured and that her husband and her father-in-law had died, she started crying and went into labor… ²⁰ And then she started to die.

Well, the women around her said:

‘Don’t be afraid, for you’ve given birth to a son!’

However, she didn’t answer, because she couldn’t understand them... ²¹ But she named the boy IchaBod [meaning, Where’s the Glory?] after the [Sacred] Chest of God, her father-in-law, and her husband.

²² For she said:

‘The glory of IsraEl is gone, now that they’ve taken the Chest of God.’

1 Samuel 5

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¹ Thereafter, the Philistines took the Chest of God from EbenEzer and carried it to AshDod, ² where they put it into the Temple of Dagon, next to his [image]!

³ But when the people of AshDod got up early the next morning and entered the Temple, {Look!} they found Dagon had fallen with his face to the ground before the Chest of God! So they lifted Dagon up and set him back in his place.

Well, Yahweh’s hand continued to be heavy against the people of AshDod and the surrounding country throughout the rest of that day; for He tormented them and struck them all [with boils] on their backsides.

⁴ Then once again, when they got up the next morning, {Look!} they found that Dagon had fallen on his face before the Chest of Yahweh’s Sacred Agreement... But this time, his head had fallen off and both of his hands had broken off at their wrists and were lying by the [front] door… So all that was left of him was his torso!

⁵ And this is the reason why the Priests of Dagon will no longer cross the threshold of Dagon’s Temple in AshDod.

⁶ Well, Yahweh continued to oppress and torment the people of AshDod, and He struck [the people with boils] on their backsides throughout its borders.

⁷ And when the men of AshDod realized what was happening, they said:

‘Don’t leave the Chest of the God of IsraEl with us, because that’s [what’s making Him angry] with us and with our God Dagon!’

⁸ So the Philistines sent officials throughout the land asking:

‘What should we do with the Chest of the God of IsraEl?’

And the people of Gath said:

‘You can send it to us!’

So as a result, they sent the Chest of the God of IsraEl to Gath.

⁹ But as they were moving it there, Yahweh created a tremendous problem for them; for He struck all the people of the city (both the small and the great) [with boils] on their backsides.

¹⁰ Therefore, they sent the Chest of God on to EkRon.

But when it got there, the people started shouting:

‘Why are you bringing the Chest of the God of IsraEl to us? Are you trying to kill us?’

¹¹ So, they called all the Philistine governors together, who decided that they should send the Chest of the God of IsraEl back to where it belongs, so it didn’t destroy them and all of their people.

¹² But thereafter, confusion set in... For throughout the city, people started dying as the Chest of the God of IsraEl was being brought there, and both the living and the dying were struck [with boils] on their backsides.

So, cries from the city reached into the heavens!

1 Samuel 6

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¹ Well threafter, the Chest of Yahweh just laid there in a Philistine field for 7 months, and soon their land became overrun with mice! ² So the Philistines called a meeting of their priests, clairvoyants, and witches, and they asked:

‘What should we do with the Chest of Yahweh? Tell us how we can go about returning it to where it belongs!’

³ And they replied:

‘If you return the Chest of the Sacred Agreement of Yahweh the God of IsraEl, return it empty.

‘For by doing this, you’ll really upset them… But the thing will be settled. [Their God] will no longer [oppress you] and everyone will be healed [from the plague].’

⁴ Then [the leaders] asked:

‘But, what should we do to make up for all the torment that it caused us?’

And they replied:

⁵ ‘Each of the 5 Philistine governors should send along a gold [image of their] buttocks, since the fault was theirs… Both the rulers and the people.

‘Also, send along a representation of 5 gold mice, the type that are overrunning the land.

‘However, [don’t forget to] give glory to Yahweh if you want Him to [stop being angry] with you, your gods, and your land. ⁶ Don’t allow Him to oppress your hearts the way that He oppressed the hearts of the Egyptians and their pharaoh... For it was only after He mocked them that [His people] were finally set free.

⁷ ‘So now, take a new wagon and two first-born oxen that have given birth to their first calves, and hook them to a yoke. Then hitch the oxen to the wagon and lock their calves inside the temple.

⁸ ‘Next, take the Chest of Yahweh and put it on the wagon, then replace the things in the Chest with the gold representations of your torment.

⁹ ‘After that, send it on; and if it travels across their border continuing on to BethShemesh, we’ll know that He’s the One who brought all those evil things upon us.

‘But if it doesn’t, we’ll know that it was just a coincidence.’

¹⁰ Well, that’s what the Philistines did. They took two first-born oxen and hitched them to the wagon (after locking their calves inside their temple). ¹¹ Then they put the Chest of Yahweh on the wagon and placed the gold mice and the images of their buttocks inside the chest ¹² (after removing all the [sacred] things that were in there).

Thereafter, they sent it along the road to BethShemesh… And [the oxen] didn’t turn to the right or to the left!

Meanwhile, all the Philistine governors followed behind it until it had reached the borders of BethShemesh.

¹³ Well at the time, the people of BethShemesh were out harvesting their wheat in the valley. And when they saw the Chest of Yahweh, they started cheering and ran to meet it.

¹⁴ Then they took the wagon into the field of JoShua (which was near BethShemesh) and they led it up to a huge rock, where they split the wood of the wagon and sacrificed the oxen as whole burnt offerings to Yahweh.

¹⁵ Thereafter, the Levites took the Chest of Yahweh and removed the items of gold that were in it, placing them all on that large rock.
And there the men of BethShemesh sacrificed the whole burnt offerings (along with other sacrifices) to Yahweh.

¹⁶ Meanwhile, the 5 Philistine governors were watching all of this. Then they turned around and headed back to EkRon that day.

¹⁷ These are the gold buttocks that the Philistines sent to remove the torment of Yahweh:

• One from AshDod,

• One from Gaza,

• One from AshKelon,

• One from Gath, and

• One from EkRon.

¹⁸ Also, each of the well-fortified Philistine cities sent gold mice, one from each of the 5 governors. And that large rock where they placed the Chest of Yahweh can still be found in the field of JoShua near BethShemesh to this day.

¹⁹ But then Yahweh struck down the men of BethShemesh because they’d gotten too close to the Chest of Yahweh… He struck down 70 of their [leaders] and 50,000 of their people!

So they went into mourning, because Yahweh had struck so many people with such a great calamity.

²⁰ And the people of BethShemesh asked:

‘Who can stand in the presence of this holy God Yahweh, and whom can we use to carry this Chest?’

²¹ So they sent messengers to the people of KiriAth JaiRim saying:

‘The Philistines have returned the Chest of Yahweh, so please come here and take it!’

1 Samuel 7

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¹ Well thereafter, people from KiriAth JaiRim went to [BethShemesh] and took the Chest of Yahweh’s Sacred Agreement, then they carried it to the home of AmiNadab, [who lived on] a hill.

And EliEzer and his sons [purified] themselves there, so they could serve as guardians of the Chest.

² But the ‘day’ that the Chest was to be kept in KiriAth JaiRim became many days… In fact, it stayed there for 20 years!

Meanwhile, the whole house of IsraEl had started [returning to the worship of Yahweh].
³ So SamuEl spoke to the house of IsraEl and said:

‘If you wish to return to Yahweh with your whole hearts, you must remove the gods of the foreigners who live among you as well as their sacred poles, then you must prepare your hearts to serve Yahweh alone.

‘If you’ll do this, He will rescue you from the hands of the Philistines!’

⁴ So the sons of IsraEl [got rid of their images of] the BaAls and their sacred poles of AstarOth, and they started serving only Yahweh.

⁵ Then SamuEl said:

‘All of IsraEl must now gather at MizPah, and I’ll pray to Yahweh for you there.’

⁶ So all the people traveled to MizPah.

There they drew water and poured it out on the ground before Yahweh, and they fasted throughout the whole day; for they said:

‘We have sinned against Yahweh.’

Then SamuEl prayed on behalf of the sons of IsraEl there at MizPah.

⁷ Well, when the Philistines heard that all the sons of IsraEl had gathered at MizPah, the Philistine governors assembled their armies to attack them! And when the IsraElites heard of this, they were frightened because of what the Philistines were doing.

⁸ So they went to SamuEl and said:

‘Don’t just remain silent! Call out to your God Yahweh and ask Him to rescue us from the hands of the Philistines!’

⁹ Then SamuEl took a newborn lamb and sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to Yahweh before all the people, and he called to Yahweh on behalf of IsraEl, and Yahweh listened.

¹⁰ Meanwhile, just as SamuEl was offering up the sacrifice, the Philistines started their attack… And then the voice of the Lord spoke like thunder to the Philistines, which confused them, so they turned and retreated.

¹¹ And at that, the men of IsraEl swarmed out of MizPah and they pursued the Philistines, cutting them down all the way to the borders of BethCar.

¹² Well thereafter, SamuEl took a [block of] stone and erected it between MizPah and the old city, which he named EbenEzer, which means, The Rock of the Helper.

For he said:

‘This is where Yahweh came to our aid.’

¹³ So, Yahweh humbled the Philistines on that day, and they didn’t enter the borders of IsraEl thereafter; for the hand of Yahweh was against the Philistines during the entire lifetime of SamuEl.

¹⁴ And the Philistines also had to give back all the cities between EkRon and Gath that they’d taken from the sons of IsraEl. So, the borders of IsraEl remained free of the Philistines, and there was also peace between IsraEl and the Amorites.

¹⁵ Well, SamuEl served as the mediator between IsraEl [and God] for the rest of his life. ¹⁶ And each year, he would make the circuit between BethEl, GilGal, and MizPah, where he would speak to God on behalf of IsraEl.

¹⁷ Then he would return to his home in RamAh, where he served as the mediator for IsraEl and where he built an Altar to Yahweh.

1 Samuel 8

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¹ Well, after SamuEl had grown old, he appointed his sons to be judges in IsraEl. ² The firstborn was JoEl and the second was AbiJah. They each served as judges in BeerSheba.

³ However, they weren’t like [SamuEl], because they accepted contributions and took bribes, so they didn’t [always] make righteous decisions. ⁴ As a result, the men of IsraEl got together and went to SamuEl at RamAh and said:

⁵ ‘Look, you’re getting old and your sons aren’t doing things the way that you did them! So, appoint a king to settle matters between us, like the rest of the nations have.’

⁶ However, SamuEl viewed this as something wicked when they said, ‘Appoint a king to settle matters between us.’ So he prayed to Yahweh.

⁷ And Yahweh replied:

‘Listen to the voice of the people and do all that they’re asking.

‘For they aren’t treating you with contempt, ⁸ they’re just doing the same things they’ve been doing to Me since the day that I led them out of Egypt... And as they’ve abandoned Me to serve other gods; that’s how they’re treating you now.

⁹ ‘So, do whatever they ask. However, explain what will happen when you appoint a king to rule over them.’

¹⁰ Well, SamuEl did tell them everything that Yahweh said about kings, saying:

¹¹ ‘This is what you can expect from the kings who’ll rule over you:

• They’ll take your sons and mount them on chariots or appoint them as cavalry to ride in front of their chariots.

• ¹² Then they’ll appoint commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and [your sons] will have to plow and harvest their fields and pick their grapes before they send them to war on chariots.

• ¹³ They’ll also take your daughters to serve as perfume makers, cooks, and bakers.

• ¹⁴ They’ll take the best food from your fields, vineyards, and olive groves to feed their servants.

• ¹⁵ Then they’ll claim 1/10th of your grain and grapes for their eunuchs and servants.

• ¹⁶ They’ll take the best of your male and female slaves, as well as your burros… 1/10th of everything that you own!

• ¹⁷ They’ll take 1/10th of your flocks.

‘And you’ll then be their servants!

¹⁸ ‘Also, the day will come when you’ll call out to the king whom you’ll choose for yourselves, and he won’t pay any attention to Yahweh.’

¹⁹ Well, the people didn’t want to listen to what SamuEl was saying, so they told him:

‘We want you to appoint a king over us ²⁰ just like all the other nations have! Someone who can settle matters between us, lead us, and wage our wars.’

²¹ Then after SamuEl heard what the people were saying, he spoke to them before Yahweh and said:

²² ‘Yahweh told me to listen to whatever you have to say and to appoint a king over you.

‘So now, each of you should return to your cities.’

1 Samuel 9

←8 | All books | All chapters | 10→

¹ Well, there was a man from the sons of BenJamin named Kish (son of ZerOr, the grandson of BechOrath, and the great-grandson of AphiJAh, of BenJamin), and he was very strong. ² He had a son named Saul, who was very tall and handsome… None among the sons of IsraEl were taller, for he stood head and shoulders above everyone else in the land.

³ Well, Saul’s father Kish had lost two burros, so he said to Saul:

‘Take one of the servants with you and go look for my burros.’

⁴ Then Saul traveled throughout the hills of Ephraim and the land of ShaliSha [searching for them], but he couldn’t find them.

⁵ Well, when they got to Zuph, Saul said to his servant that was traveling with him:

‘Come on, let’s just go back to my father [and tell him that we couldn’t find] the burros, because he’s probably worried about us.’

⁶ But his servant said:

‘Look, there’s a man of God in this city... He’s an honorable man, and whatever he says will happen, will happen.

‘So, let’s go to him and ask which way we should travel.’

⁷ And Saul replied:

‘Okay, let’s go there.

‘However, what do we have with us that we can offer to this man of God, since even the loaves of bread that we were carrying are gone?’

⁸ And the servant said:

‘I’ve been carrying a coin in my hand. We can give it to the man of God, and then he’ll show us the way.’

⁹ Well, in IsraEl back then, whenever people wanted to ask something of God, they’d say:

‘Let’s go ask the seer.’

Because the people used to call the prophets ‘seers.’

¹⁰ So Saul said to his servant:

‘What you’ve suggested is a good idea. Come on, let’s go there.’

And they went to the city where the man of God lived.

¹¹ Then as they were going up to the city, they noticed some young women who were coming out to draw water, and they asked if the seer was there.

¹² And they replied:

‘Yes, he is. Look, he’s just up ahead!

‘But you’d better hurry, because he’s going to the house of worship to offer sacrifices for the people... ¹³ As you enter the city, you’ll find him getting ready to go there for a meal, and the people won’t start their meal until he blesses the sacrifice.

‘But after he does that, the people will [sit down to] eat.

‘So, go on, because this may be the only day you can find him!’

¹⁴ Well, they entered the city, and as they were traveling towards its center, they saw SamuEl coming to meet them, since he was on his way to the place of worship. ¹⁵ However, Yahweh had opened the ears of SamuEl [on the previous day] and told him:

¹⁶ ‘At this time tomorrow, I’ll send a man from the land of BenJamin to you. You must anoint him to be the ruler over My people IsraEl, and he will save My people from the hands of the Philistines… For I’ve watched their humiliation [long enough], and I’ve heard them calling out to Me.’

¹⁷ So when SamuEl noticed Saul, Yahweh said to him:

‘Look, this is the man I was telling you about.

‘He will rule My people.’

¹⁸ Meanwhile, Saul had walked up to SamuEl there in the center of the city to ask where the seer lives.

¹⁹ And SamuEl told him:

‘That’s me!

‘Now, come with me to the place of worship and eat with us today. Then in the morning, I’ll show you everything that’s in your heart…

²⁰ ‘And I’ll also tell you where those burros are that you’ve been searching for over the past three days! Don’t let your heart be concerned about them, because they’ve been found!

‘And what could be more beautiful among the things of IsraEl than you and the house of your father?’

²¹ Well at that, Saul replied:

‘I’m just a man of the sons of BenJamin, one of the smallest of the tribes of IsraEl, and my family is the least of all the families of BenJamin!

‘So, why have you spoken to me that way?’

²² Then SamuEl took Saul and his servant along with him to the place where they’d eat, and he called for them to sit at the head of the table before the 30 men who were there.

²³ And he told the cook:

‘Give him the portion [of the meat] that I gave to you and asked you to set aside.’

²⁴ So the cook brought out a whole hindquarter and placed it before Saul.

And SamuEl said:

‘Look, we’ve set what’s left over before you. Eat it… Since this is the proof that you’ve been placed over the people, you should pull off a piece!’

So Saul ate with SamuEl that day, ²⁵ and when he returned to the city from the place of worship, the [people] spread some carpets on the roof for Saul, where he bedded down.

²⁶ Then at dawn the following morning, SamuEl called up to the roof for Saul, and said:

‘Get up, for I’m going to send you on now.’

So Saul got up and went outside to meet SamuEl.

²⁷ Then, as they were walking from the city into the fields, SamuEl said to Saul:

‘Tell the young man to walk on ahead of us. Then you must stop here so you can hear the Word of The God!’

1 Samuel 10

←9 | All books | All chapters | 11→

¹ Well at that, SamuEl took a flask of oil and poured it over [Saul’s] head, and he kissed him and said:

‘Yahweh is anointing you to be the ruler over His inheritance.

² ‘Now, just as soon as I leave you today, you’re going to find two men near the tomb of RachEl on Mount BenJamin who’ll be jumping up and down, and they’ll tell you that they’ve found the burros you’re searching for.

‘However, your father has already stopped worrying about the burros and now he’s worried about you and asking:

‘What should I do about my son?’

³ ‘Nevertheless, before you go there, you must travel on until you reach the oak tree at Tabor, where you’ll find three men who are going up to [worship] God at BethEl.

‘One will be carrying three goat kids, the second will be carrying three containers of bread, and the third will have a skin flask of wine.

⁴ ‘They’ll all wish you peace and offer you two loaves of their first-fruit bread. You should just go ahead and accept them, ⁵ then travel on to the Mountain of God, where you’ll find a Philistine fort.

‘And when you enter the city, you’ll meet a group of prophets who’ll be dancing as they leave the place of worship to the music of a lute, a tambourine, pipes, and a harp, and they’ll all be prophesying.

⁶ ‘Then the Breath of Yahweh will come over you and you should prophesy with them… For you will become another man!

⁷ ‘And when you see these signs happening to you, do everything that you’re moved to do, because God is with you.

⁸ ‘After that, I want you to come and meet me at GilGal, where I’ll give you [animals] to sacrifice as whole burnt offerings and peace offerings... Then you must stay there with me for 7 days, as I teach you everything that you have to do.’

⁹ Well, just as he turned his shoulder to leave SamuEl, God changed [Saul’s] heart, and then all the signs started coming true that day! ¹⁰ For when he reached the hill and saw the group of prophets dancing directly opposite him, God’s Breath came over him and he started prophesying in their midst.

¹¹ So all the things that he was told would happen to him came true during those three days, and there he was in the midst of the prophets prophesying, as all the people were asking each other:

‘What’s happened to the son of Kish?

‘Has Saul become one of the prophets?’

¹² Then one of them asked:

‘So, who’s his father?’

And because of this, the saying was created:

‘Might Saul be one of the prophets?’

¹³ Well, after he’d finished prophesying, Saul went back down the hill.

¹⁴ [Then, upon their return], [Saul’s] uncle asked Saul’s servant:

‘Where have you both been?’

And he replied:

‘We’ve been out looking for the burros, and when we couldn’t find them we went to see SamuEl.’

¹⁵ So the uncle went to Saul and asked:

‘Tell me, what did SamuEl say to you?’

¹⁶ And Saul said:

‘He told me where to find the burros...’

...but he didn’t say anything about what SamuEl told him about being appointed the king.

¹⁷ Then SamuEl summoned all the people of Yahweh and told them to assemble at MizPah.

¹⁸ And there he told the sons of IsraEl:

‘This is what Yahweh the God of IsraEl has said:

‘I led IsraEl out of Egypt, where I rescued them from the hands of its PharaOh and then from the hands of all the kingdoms that oppressed them.

¹⁹ ‘Yet today, you’re treating the God who saved you from all of this badness and oppression with contempt! For you’ve all said that you want me to appoint a king over you!

‘So, that’s why you’re all standing here before Yahweh today by your tribes and family lines.’

²⁰ Then SamuEl led each of the tribes of IsraEl [past Yahweh], and the tribe of BenJamin was chosen.

Then he led the tribe of BenJamin [past Yahweh] and the family of MatRi was chosen.

²¹ Then they drew lots, and Saul (son of Kish) was chosen.

However, when they went to look for him, he couldn’t be found!

²² So SamuEl asked the Lord:

‘Is the man still here?’

And the Lord replied:

‘Look, he’s hiding in the tool shed.’

²³ So [SamuEl] ran over there and brought him back, then he stood him in the midst of the people.

Well, [he was easy to see] because he stood head and shoulders above everyone else.

²⁴ Then SamuEl said to the people:

‘Do you see whom Yahweh Himself has chosen?

‘There isn’t another man like him among you!’

And because all the people recognized this, they shouted:

‘Long live the king!’

²⁵ Then SamuEl explained all the rules of kingship to the people, and he wrote everything that he said in a scroll and set it before Yahweh. Thereafter, he sent the people away, and they each returned to their homes.

²⁶ Well, after Saul got back home to GibeAh, he found that many powerful men whose hearts had been touched by Yahweh were there to meet with him.

²⁷ However, the worst among them were asking:

‘Just who is [Saul] that he should be appointed as our savior?’

And although these people said many bad things about him and they didn’t bring him any gifts, Saul didn’t say anything.

1 Samuel 11

←10 | All books | All chapters | 12→

¹ Well after that, NaHash the AmMonite [went to attack] JabIsh GileAd, and the people of the city said:

‘Make peace with us and we’ll become your servants.’

² But NaHash replied:

‘I’ll make a treaty with you if I can gouge out all of your right eyes; for I detest IsraEl!’

³ And the men of JabIsh told him:

‘Give us 7 days, and we’ll send messengers throughout IsraEl. Then if no one comes to save us, we’ll just surrender to you.’

⁴ So they sent messengers to Saul at GibeAh, who told the people there what NaHash had said. And at that, all the people started wailing and crying.

⁵ Then when Saul returned from the fields behind the town with his oxen, he asked:

‘Why are all the people crying?’

And they [told him about] him the message that had come from the people of JabIsh.

⁶ Well, when he heard what was said, the Breath of Yahweh came over Saul and he was outraged!

⁷ So he took his two oxen and cut them up, then he sent [the pieces] throughout all IsraEl via messengers that proclaimed:

‘Whoever refuses to follow Saul and SamuEl will be treated like these oxen.’

And Yahweh then caused a change of heart to come over the people [of IsraEl], and they started shouting together as one person.

⁸ So thereafter, when [Saul] counted his forces at the house of worship in AbiEzek, he found that there were 300,000 in the army of IsraEl, and 30,000 more from the tribe of Judah.

⁹ So he said to the messengers:

‘Tell the men of JabIsh GileAd this:

‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun warms [the ground], you’ll be saved.’

And when the messengers returned to the people of JabIsh and reported what Saul had said, they were jubilant. ¹⁰ However, the men of JabIsh then [sent a message to] NaHash the AmMonite that said:

‘We’re going to come out of the city tomorrow, and you may treat us any way you wish after that.’

¹¹ Well, very early the next morning, Saul divided his army into three companies and they attacked the AmMonite camp… They kept slaughtering them until the day got hot and [the AmMonites] were all scattered, so that not even two men were still together!

¹² Then, after [the battle], the people went to SamuEl and asked:

‘Which are the ones who said that Saul shouldn’t be our king?

‘[Point them out] and we’ll kill them!’

¹³ But Saul said:

‘No, none of them are going to die today, because this is the day that Yahweh brought salvation to IsraEl!’

¹⁴ So, SamuEl spoke to the people and said:

‘Come on! Let’s go to GilGal, and we’ll establish [the ruling part of] our kingdom there.’

¹⁵ Therefore, everyone went to GilGal, and SamuEl anointed Saul as king there before Yahweh. Then he offered sacrifices before Yahweh, and Saul and all the people of IsraEl were very happy.

1 Samuel 12

←11 | All books | All chapters | 13→

¹ There, SamuEl spoke to all the people of IsraEl and said,

‘Look; I’ve listened to everything that you’ve asked and I’ve given you a king to rule over you… ² So now you can see that you have a king who’s leading you!

‘As for me... I’ve grown old and I’m ready to retire (although my sons are still among you), for I’ve been your leader since I was very young.

³ ‘Yet look, I’m here!

‘So, testify to this before Yahweh and His anointed one:

‘Whose calf or burro have I taken?

‘Whom have I tyrannized or pressured?

‘And from whose hand have I taken a bribe or even a sandal?

‘Tell me what I’ve taken and I’ll return it all to you!’

⁴ But they all replied to SamuEl:

‘You haven’t wronged us or tyrannized us, nor have you taken anything from us… Not a single thing.’

⁵ Then SamuEl said to the people:

‘So, Yahweh is my witness among you today, as is His anointed one here, that you haven’t found anything in my hands that I’ve taken from you.’

And they replied:

‘It’s a fact.’

⁶ So SamuEl said:

‘Then Yahweh – the One who prepared Moses and Aaron and that led our ancestors out of Egypt – is my witness!

⁷ ‘And now I’m going to judge you before Yahweh, and I’m going to remind you of all the righteous things that Yahweh has done for you and for your ancestors.

⁸ ‘After Jacob and his sons moved to Egypt, the Egyptians made them slaves. So our ancestors called to Yahweh and He sent them Moses and Aaron... These [men] then led our ancestors out of Egypt and settled them here.

⁹ ‘But [our ancestors soon] forgot Yahweh their God, so He gave them into the hands of SiSera (the commander-in-chief of JabIsh and the king of Hazor), then into the hands of the Philistines, and thereafter into the hands of the MoAbites… And they had to go to war with [each of] them.

¹⁰ ‘But when they called to Yahweh and admitted that they’d sinned by abandoning Him to serve the BaAls and the sacred poles, and they asked Him to rescue them, ¹¹ Jehovah sent JeroBaAl, then BarAk, then JephThah, and finally SamuEl.

‘So, He’s continued to save you from the hands of your enemies who live all around you, and now you’re finally starting to feel safe!

¹² ‘However, when you saw NaHash (the king of the sons of AmMon) coming against you, you said:

‘We want a king to rule over us!’

‘Yes, even though our God Yahweh is really your king!

¹³ ‘So now, look!

‘Here is the king whom I got for you and whom you chose.

‘And because it was Yahweh who appointed him as your king, ¹⁴ you must serve Yahweh and listen to His voice… Don’t argue with Him! Both you and the king who rules over you must continue to follow Yahweh your God!

¹⁵ ‘And if you ever stop listening to the voice of Yahweh and you start arguing with Him, His hand will come against both you and your king.

¹⁶ ‘Now, stand here and behold the great thing that Yahweh is going to do before your eyes today! ¹⁷ Since this is the time of the wheat harvest, I’m going to call to Yahweh, and He will send thunder and rain... Then you’ll see and understand what a bad thing you did before Yahweh when you asked for a king!’

¹⁸ So at that, SamuEl called to Yahweh and He sent thunder and rain that day, which caused the people to fear both SamuEl and Yahweh. ¹⁹ Then the people begged SamuEl to pray to his God Yahweh on their behalf, so they wouldn’t die for the great sin of asking for a king.

²⁰ But SamuEl told them:

‘Don’t be afraid because of the bad things you’ve done; rather, be in fear of ever turning away from Yahweh again!

‘You must keep on serving Him wholeheartedly!

²¹ ‘Never turn back to those other things that amount to nothing, for they can get you nothing, and they can’t rescue you from anything, because they’re in fact nothing at all!

²² ‘Never allow Yahweh to be pushed away from His people again, because His Name is great, and He chose you to be His people.

²³ ‘Now as for me... May I not sin against Yahweh by ever ceasing in my prayers for you to live good and straight lives.

²⁴ ‘But you must fear Yahweh and truly serve Him with your whole hearts, because you’ve seen all that He’s done among you! ²⁵ And if you ever turn back to doing bad things and become evil and start sinning again, your king will be numbered among your dead!’

1 Samuel 13

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¹ Well, this all happened during the 1st year of Saul’s reign.

And after the 2nd year, [spurious text]

² Saul selected 3,000 men from IsraEl, 2,000 of whom stayed with him in MichMash (in the hills of BethEl), and the other 1,000 were with his son JoNathan in GibeAh of BenJamin.

However, everyone else was sent back home.

³ Thereafter, JoNathan attacked a Philistine outpost that was nearby in the hill country, and the rest of the Philistines came to hear of it.

So, Saul then sent trumpeters throughout the land ⁴ that told all IsraEl about how they’d destroyed the Philistine camp, and of how [the Philistines] were planning to get even as a result.

So the people of IsraEl gathered to Saul at GilGal to go to war.

⁵ Well, when the Philistines arrived, they set up camp at BethAven, which is just south of MichMash. They brought along:

• 30,000 chariots,

• 6,000 mounted horsemen, and

• Foot soldiers numbered like the sands of the seas.

⁶ So when the IsraElites saw what they were facing, they were afraid to fight them. As a result, they went and hid in caves, in animal dens, behind rocks, in quarries, and in sink holes... ⁷ Many also ran away and crossed the JorDan into the lands of Gad and GileAd.

So, they all just abandoned Saul at GilGal!

⁸ Well, after Saul’s people had deserted him, Saul called for SamuEl. However, SamuEl didn’t come to GilGal right away.

⁹ So after 7 days, Saul said:

‘Bring us some [animals] and I’ll sacrifice the whole burnt offerings and peace offerings myself.’

And then he [personally] offered the sacrifices.

¹⁰ It was shortly after he did this that SamuEl finally arrived... And when Saul came to meet him and to ask for his blessing, ¹¹ SamuEl asked him:

‘What have you done?’

So Saul said:

‘I did this because I saw that my men had left me… And then you didn’t come when you said you would.

‘For since the Philistines are camped [just outside] of MichMash, ¹² I [thought to myself that] now the Philistines are going to attack me at GilGal, and I haven’t been able to beg Yahweh for His help!

‘So I took charge and sacrificed the whole burnt offerings myself.’

¹³ But SamuEl said to Saul:

‘You’ve done a foolish thing by not obeying the instructions that I gave you from Yahweh, for He had meant for your kingdom to last throughout the ages.

¹⁴ ‘However, now the kingdom won’t stand, and Yahweh will search for another man – someone who [pleases] His heart – and He will appoint him to be the ruler over His people, because you failed to do what Yahweh said.’

¹⁵ And at that, SamuEl got up and left GilGal, traveling into the hills of BenJamin.

So then Saul counted his troops to see how many he still had left, but he only found about 600. ¹⁶ So he, his son JoNathan, and his remaining army sheltered themselves inside [the walls of] GibeAh of BenJamin, while the Philistines were camped outside at MichMash.

¹⁷ And since the Philistines planned to attack them there, they’d stationed a division of their army along the road that leads from Ophrah to the land of ShuAl, ¹⁸ a 2nd division along the road to BethHoron, and a 3rd division along the road between GibeAh and the City of Zeboim (which is in the desert).

¹⁹ Well, back then, there were no ironworks anywhere in the land of IsraEl; for the Philistines had kept the IsraElites from [learning this trade], since they didn’t want them to be able to make their own broadswords or spear [tips].

²⁰ So until that time, the IsraElites had been going to the land of the Philistines to have them forge all their pruning hooks, tools, axes, and sickles. ²¹ And whenever such things were needed for the harvesting, the [Philistines] charged the same price for everything, three small silver coins, for a pruning hook, axe, or sickle.

²² As a result, none of Saul’s soldiers had any spears or broadswords. The only such things among them belonged to Saul and to his son JoNathan.

²³ Well, meanwhile, the Philistines had stationed a contingent of guards just outside of MichMash.

1 Samuel 14

←13 | All books | All chapters | 15→

¹ Then JoNathan (Saul’s son) said to the servant that was carrying his weapons:

‘Come with me! Let’s go around to the other side of the Philistine camp.’

And he didn’t tell his father what he was doing.

² At the time, Saul was sitting under a pomegranate tree on top of the hill at MagaDan. And this is where some of his [remaining] 600 men came to meet with him.

³ Also, AhiJah (the son AhiTub, who was the brother of IchaBod, son of PhiNehas and the grandson of Eli) the Priest of Yahweh in ShiLoh, arrived carrying the sacred chest piece of the Priest.

But meanwhile, no one noticed that JoNathan had left the camp... ⁴ For JoNathan had forded the river on his way to the Philistine camp at a place where there were jagged rocks on both sides (on one side it was called BoZez, and on the other side it was called SeNeh), ⁵ along the road that leads from MichMash in the north and to Geba in the south.

⁶ Then JoNathan said to the servant that was carrying his weapons:

‘Come on, let’s go to the town of MesSab [and attack] the uncircumcised who are camped there... For perhaps Yahweh will give them [into our hands]!

‘After all, doesn’t [Yahweh give victory] over many to just a few?’

⁷ And the man who was carrying his weapons replied:

‘You do whatever your heart moves you to do… Look, I’m with you!

‘Whatever’s in your heart is in my heart too.’

⁸ So JoNathan said:

‘We’ll just go up there and confront them. ⁹ And if they say to us, ‘Wait there,’ we’ll just stay away and we won’t get any closer.

¹⁰ ‘But if they tell us to come forward, that’ll be our sign… We’ll know that Yahweh has given them into our hands, and we’ll attack!’

¹¹ Well, as they walked up to the Philistine camp at MesSab, a Philistine guard shouted out:

‘Look! Here come some Hebrews who’ve crawled out of the burrows where they’ve been hiding!’

¹² Then the men at MesSab called to JoNathan and the man who was carrying his weapons, and said:

‘Come on up here to us and we’ll show you a few things.’

So, JoNathan said to the man who was carrying his weapons:

‘Now, follow me; for Yahweh has given them into the hands of IsraEl!’

¹³ Then JoNathan crawled up the hill on his hands and feet, with the man carrying his weapons close behind. ¹⁴ And JoNathan and [his attendant] attacked them, killing 20 men using arrows, slings, and rocks that they’d found in the field… ¹⁵ And this caused quite a change in attitude among the [Philistines] in and around MesSab!

For they’d caught the men whom they destroyed off guard, and everyone was very disturbed over what had been done among them.

¹⁶ Meanwhile, Saul’s watchmen in GibeAh of BenJamin had noticed all the confusion on both sides of the enemy camp. ¹⁷ And Saul said to the people who were meeting with him:

‘Take a head count to see who’s left us.’

So they took a head count and found that JoNathan and the man carrying his weapons were missing.

¹⁸ Then Saul said to AhiJah:

‘Bring the sacred chest piece!’

It was inside the Chest of God that day, there before IsraEl.

¹⁹ And as Saul was speaking to the Priest, he noticed that the sound in the Philistine camp was getting louder and louder.

So he said to the Priest:

‘Let’s gather all the hands!’

²⁰ Then he gathered his troops, and they went and joined the battle.

Well, the confusion was so bad in the Philistine camp that their men started attacking each other with swords. ²¹ And at that, [Saul’s] men (who had [been hiding] for the previous two days) got up and joined the battle with Saul and JoNathan.

²² Also, when the IsraElites who had run to the hills of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were retreating, they came and joined in the battle too… And Yahweh gave the victory to IsraEl that day.

²³ For, as the battle raged on through BethAven, about 10,000 men had joined Saul. And the war also continued to be fought in many of the cities and in the hills of Ephraim.

²⁴ However, that’s when Saul did something very foolish; he placed a curse on the people when he said:

‘Any man who eats before sunset is cursed, because I want my enemies to be punished!’

As a result, none of his men had anything to eat.

Meanwhile, many of his people had gathered in a grove of trees, ²⁵ and nearby (at the edge of a field), there were some beehives. ²⁶ And when some of his people went up to them, they found that they were full of honey. However, no one would taste any, because of the oath that [Saul] had spoken before Yahweh.

²⁷ But, JoNathan hadn’t heard about the oath that his father had made in front of people, so he stuck his walking stick into a hive, snagged some honeycomb, and ate it.

Then when he looked up, ²⁸ one of the men said:

‘Your father swore an oath before the people that anyone who eats anything today is cursed.’

Well, the men were famished, ²⁹ and JoNathan realized this, so he said:

‘{Look!} My father is still cleaning out the land… And I’ve already eaten a little of this honey. ³⁰ If our people could have eaten what they took from their enemies today, they would have been able to kill even more Philistines!’

³¹ Of course, after they’d destroyed many Philistines at MichMash, the people were extremely tired. ³² Then [that evening], while they were dividing up [the Philistine’s] flocks and herds, they slaughtered many calves and started eating the [raw] meat with its blood!

³³ And when the report was brought to Saul that the people were sinning against Yahweh by eating the blood, Saul said:

‘You’ve all sinned! Now, roll a large rock over here.’

³⁴ Then Saul gave orders for each of his men to bring a calf and a sheep to be slaughtered there on the rock and then eaten.

For he said:

‘You must not sin against Yahweh by eating blood!’

So, everyone brought [the animals] that night and slaughtered them there.

³⁵ Then Saul built an altar to Yahweh, and he said:

³⁶ ‘Now, let’s go after the Philistines tonight and let’s keep on cutting them to pieces until the morning dawns… Don’t leave a single man alive!’

And they replied:

‘We’ll do whatever you say!’

Then [Saul] called for the Priest and told him:

‘Bring [the Chest] of our God here.’

³⁷ And Saul asked this before God:

‘If I attack the Philistines, will you give them into the hands of IsraEl?’

However, [God] wouldn’t answer him.

³⁸ So Saul said:

‘Bring [all the men of] IsraEl here and stand them in front of me, because I want to know if anyone has been [guilty of sin] today! ³⁹ As Yahweh (the One who saves IsraEl) lives; if someone were to tell me that it was my son JoNathan, even he must die!’

But, nobody said a word.

⁴⁰ Then he spoke before all the men of IsraEl, and said:

‘You are all part of this, and my son JoNathan and I [are part] of it.’

And the people replied to Saul:

‘Then, do whatever you must!’

⁴¹ And Saul said:

‘O Yahweh, God of IsraEl, give us a sign!’

So lots were thrown, and Saul and JoNathan were chosen; and at that, the people were excused.

⁴² Then Saul said:

‘Now, throw the lots between me and my son JoNathan, and whichever Yahweh chooses must die!’

Well, when they threw the lots between him and JoNathan, JoNathan was chosen.

⁴³ So Saul asked JoNathan:

‘What did you do?’

And JoNathan replied:

‘I took a little honey on the tip of my walking stick and tasted it.

‘So look; I must die!’

⁴⁴ Then Saul said:

‘May God [kill] me again and again rather than allow JoNathan to die today.’

⁴⁵ So Saul spoke to the people and asked them:

‘Shall I now kill the one who brought deliverance to IsraEl?

‘As Yahweh lives; not a hair of his head should fall to the ground over the mercy that God has performed for IsraEl today!’

And thereafter, all the people then prayed on behalf of JoNathan, and he wasn’t put to death.

⁴⁶ Well, because of this, Saul didn’t chase after the Philistines that day… Everyone just went back to their homes.

⁴⁷ So Saul was alloted the rulership over IsraEl, and he went to war with all his enemies throughout the land:

• The MoAbites,

• The AmMonites,

• The Edomites,

• The king of ZoBah, and

• The Philistines.

And wherever he went, he was saved… ⁴⁸ He acted decisively and struck down the AmaLechites and anyone else who tried to walk on IsraEl.

⁴⁹ Saul’s sons were:

• JoNathan,

• IshVi, and

• MelchiShua.

He also had two daughters:

• Merob, and

• Michal.

⁵⁰ Saul’s woman’s name was AhinoAm, and she was the daughter of AhiMaAz.

The commander-in-chief of Saul’s army was AbNer (son of Ner), who was related to Saul.

⁵¹ Kish was Saul’s father, and AbNer’s father Ner was AbiEl’s son. ⁵² He was a mighty fighter against the Philistines throughout Saul’s life.

And thereafter, whenever Saul found a valiant or a very strong man, he was recruited to serve him.

1 Samuel 15

←14 | All books | All chapters | 16→

¹ [Then later], SamuEl said to Saul:

‘It was Yahweh who sent me to anoint you as king over His people IsraEl; so, listen to what He has to say!

² ‘For Yahweh of Armies told me to say this:

‘Because I’m going to punish the AmaLechites for what they did to IsraEl when [IsraEl] was coming from Egypt; ³ I want you to go and cut them down… Destroy them and burn everything that belongs to them!

‘Destroy their men, their women, their children, their babies, their cows, their sheep, their camels, and their burros!’

⁴ As a result, Saul told his people that they had to do this. So he counted his troops at GilGal (there were 200,000, plus 10,000 from Judah), ⁵ and then they marched towards the cities of the AmaLechites and set up camp next to a creek.

⁶ He also sent a warning to the Kainites (because they’d shown mercy to the sons of IsraEl when they were coming from Egypt), telling them to get away from the AmaLechites or he might have to destroy them too.

So the Kainites separated themselves from the AmaLechites, ⁷ and then Saul attacked all the AmaLechites from HaviLah to Shur (which is just across from Egypt), ⁸ and he captured the AmaLechite king AgAg, then he had all the people cut down with swords.

⁹ However, Saul and his men [didn’t destroy] their flocks, their herds, their food, their vineyards, or any of their valuable things… They only destroyed the things that had no value.

¹⁰ So thereafter, Yahweh said to SamuEl:

‘I have changed My mind about having Saul rule as king, because he’s turned away from Me and he doesn’t listen to what I say!’

¹¹ Well, this saddened SamuEl, and he kept calling to Yahweh throughout the rest of that night.

¹² Then, he got up the next morning and went to meet with [the king of] IsraEl, but SamuEl was told:

‘Saul went to CarMel and look, he erected a pillar to himself! Then he turned his chariot around and headed down to GilGal.’

¹³ And when SamuEl caught up with Saul [on his journey to GilGal], he said to him:

‘Saul, you were blest by Yahweh and I’ve told you everything that He told me. ¹⁴ So, why is it that I can hear the sounds of herds of sheep and cattle?’

¹⁵ And Saul replied:

‘My men took them from the AmaLechites... We only took the best of the herds, and we’re going to use them as sacrifices to your God Yahweh!

‘We destroyed everything else.’

¹⁶ Then SamuEl said to Saul:

‘Listen and I’ll tell you what Yahweh told me last night!’

And [Saul] said,

‘So, speak!’

¹⁷ Then SamuEl said:

‘Weren’t you just a nobody before you became the chief of IsraEl? And wasn’t it Yahweh who anointed you to be the king of IsraEl?

¹⁸ ‘Well, when Yahweh sent you here, He told you to destroy the AmaLechites for sinning against Him… He told you to fight with them until you’ve destroyed them all.

¹⁹ ‘However, you paid no attention to what He said, for you took a lot of loot and you’ve acted wickedly before Yahweh.’

²⁰ Then Saul replied:

‘I just did this because I was listening to what my people were saying. I [personally] followed all of Yahweh’s instructions… And although I took the AmaLechite king captive, I did kill all of his people!

²¹ ‘It was my men who took their flocks, herds, good things, and food… But they took it all so that they could sacrifice it before Yahweh our God at GilGal.’

²² So SamuEl asked him:

‘Does Yahweh prefer whole burnt offerings and sacrifices, or does He want you to listen to what He says?

‘Look! Obeying is better than sacrificing! And paying attention is better than the fat of rams!

²³ ‘Now, this sin is an omen of the grief and misery that’s going to come upon you!

‘Because of the contempt that you’ve shown for the words of Yahweh, He’s going to treat you with contempt, and you’ll no longer be the king of IsraEl.’

²⁴ Well at that, Saul said to SamuEl:

‘I have sinned by violating the instructions that you gave me from Yahweh.

‘But I did it because I was afraid of the people… I was just doing what they asked!

²⁵ ‘Now, if you’ll take away my sin and com back with me [to GilGal], I’ll bow [with my face] to the ground before your God Yahweh!’

²⁶ But SamuEl replied:

‘No, I won’t return with you, because you’ve treated the words of Yahweh with contempt.

‘And now, Yahweh is going to treat you with contempt by removing you as king over IsraEl.’

²⁷ Then SamuEl turned to leave, but Saul grabbed [the fringe] on [the bottom of] his robe and ripped it off.

²⁸ And SamuEl said to him:

‘That’s how Yahweh has ripped your kingship over IsraEl from your hands today. For now He’s going to give it to your neighbor, someone who’s better than you… ²⁹ And IsraEl is also going to be ripped into two parts!

The Holy One of IsraEl isn’t going to change His mind about this or be dissuaded about doing this, because, He isn’t like a man who changes his mind.’

³⁰ And once again Saul said:

‘I have sinned!

‘Please glorify me before the elders of my people and before IsraEl! Come back with me and I’ll bow with my face to the ground before your God Yahweh!’

³¹ So SamuEl returned [to GilGal] following Saul and he bowed low before Yahweh.

Then Samuel said:

³² ‘Now, bring the king of AmaLech to me.’

Well, when they brought him in, he was trembling.

Then AgAg asked,

‘Is this how I’m going to meet my bitter end?’

³³ And SamuEl replied:

‘As you have used your sword to make orphans and widows, your mother is going to be childless.’

Then SamuEl killed AgAg there in the presence of Yahweh in GilGal.

³⁴ After that, SamuEl went back to RamAh, and Saul returned home to his house in GibeAh.

³⁵ And until the day he died, SamuEl never again went to see Saul. Yet, [SamuEl] continued to mourn over Saul and over the fact that Yahweh became unhappy that He’d appointed Saul to be the king over IsraEl.

1 Samuel 16

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¹ But then the Lord asked SamuEl:

‘How much longer are you going to mourn for Saul? Don’t I treat him with contempt, and didn’t I remove his rulership from IsraEl?

‘Now, fill your horn with oil and go, because I’m sending you to JesSe in BethLehem, since I’ve found My [new] king among his sons!’

² And SamuEl asked:

‘How can I go there… For if I do, won’t Saul hear about it and kill me?’

And the Lord replied:

‘Take along a brown heifer and say that you’re going to offer it as a sacrifice to Yahweh. ³ Then call JesSe and his sons to [participate in] the sacrifice… I’ll tell you what to do then.

‘You must anoint whomever I indicate to you.’

⁴ So SamuEl did everything that Yahweh said and he went to BethLehem.

However, the city elders were startled when they saw him, and they asked:

‘Is your mission here peaceful?’

⁵ And he replied:

‘Peace! I’ve come to sacrifice to Yahweh.

‘So, make yourselves holy, then come and recline with me [to share in] the sacrifice!’

Therefore, JesSe and his sons also made themselves holy and they went to [participate in] the sacrificing. ⁶ And when they got there, [SamuEl] said concerning [JesSe’s eldest son] EliAb:

‘Is this one who’s standing before [me] Yahweh’s anointed?’

⁷ But the Lord said to SamuEl:

‘Don’t pay attention to what [a man] looks like [on the outside], nor should you treat his size with contempt, for God doesn’t look at what a person appears to be on the surface. Rather, He sees what’s in the heart.’

⁸ So JesSe next brought AmiNadab up to stand before SamuEl. And [SamuEl] said:

‘He isn’t the one whom Yahweh has chosen either.’

⁹ Then JesSe brought ShamMah forward. But [SamuEl] said:

‘Nor has Yahweh chosen this one.’

¹⁰ Well, JesSe sent 7 of his sons to stand before SamuEl, but he told JesSe:

‘Yahweh hasn’t chosen any of these.’

¹¹ So then SamuEl asked:

‘Are these all the boys that you have?’

And JesSe replied:

‘Well, there’s still the youngest… {Look!} he’s out tending my flock.’

And SamuEl said to JesSe:

‘Then, send someone to get him, for we aren’t going to rest [tonight] until he gets here!’

¹² So they sent for [David] and brought him there.

[Now, David] had a ruddy complexion, beautiful eyes, and he was very handsome. And then the Lord told SamuEl:

‘Arise and anoint him, for he’s the one!’

¹³ So SamuEl took his horn full of oil and anointed him there in the midst of his brothers, and the Breath of Yahweh came upon [and remained upon] David from that day forward.

Well after that, SamuEl got up and returned to RamAh.

¹⁴ And that’s also when the Breath of Yahweh left Saul, for Yahweh sent a fearsome smothering spirit over him, ¹⁵ so that even Saul’s servants were saying:

‘Look! There’s a fearsome spirit from Yahweh that’s smothering you!

¹⁶ ‘So please, O lord, allow your servants to speak before you, and allow us to search for a man who’ll play his harp before you. Then whenever that fearsome spirit of God comes over you, he can play his harp and make you feel better!’

¹⁷ So Saul said to his servants:

‘Go search for such a man who’s a skilled musician and bring him to me!’

¹⁸ And that’s when one of his servants said:

‘Look, I’ve seen the son of the BethLehemite JesSe, who knows how to play. He’s very alert, he’s a warrior, he’s good with words, he’s handsome, and Yahweh is with him.’

¹⁹ So then Saul sent messengers to JesSe, who told him:

‘I want you to send your son David to me… The one who shepherds your sheep.’

²⁰ As a result, JesSe loaded his burro with a bushel of bread, a skin flask of wine and a kid goat, and he gave it to David to carry to Saul.

²¹ Then, after David reached Saul and stood before him, Saul came to love him, and he appointed David to be in charge of his weapons.

²² So he sent a message to JesSe that said:

‘Please allow David to stay with me, because he’s found my favor.’

²³ And thereafter, whenever the fearsome spirit of God came over Saul, David would take his harp and play it, which made Saul feel better… And the fearsome spirit of God would leave him.

1 Samuel 17

←16 | All books | All chapters | 18→

¹ Well after that, the Philistines once again gathered their army for war, and they set up camp near Socoh in Judea (between Socoh and AzeKah in EphesDamMin). ² So, Saul summoned the men of IsraEl and they set up their camp in the Valley of Pines, across from the Philistines.

³ The Philistines took up positions on one mountain, and IsraEl took up positions on the other, with the valley between them.

⁴ Then a mighty man came out from the Philistine camp who was known as GoliAth from Gath... He was more than 7 feet (2.1m) tall; ⁵ he wore a bronze helmet; he had an iron and brass chain-link chest covering that weighed more than 150 pounds (68kg).

⁶ He also wore brass leg coverings, and he carried a large shield between his shoulders.

⁷ The shaft of the spear that he carried looked like a weaving loom and its iron tip weighed 18 pounds (8.2kg)!

So, out he came in all his armor and weapons, ⁸ and he just stood there and yelled to the battle lines of IsraEl:

‘Why have you come to fight against us?

‘Am I not a Philistine, and aren’t you the Hebrews of Saul?

‘Choose [your best] man and have him come down here to fight me!

⁹ ‘If he can beat me and kill me, we’ll all be your servants... But if I beat and kill him, you’ll be our servants and you’ll serve us.’

¹⁰ Then the Philistine shouted:

‘Look! Here I’m mocking the battle lines of IsraEl today…

‘Send out a man and we’ll fight for both sides!’

¹¹ Well, Saul and all IsraEl heard what the Philistine said, which startled and frightened them.

[Editor note: The following section, up to and including verse 31, doesn’t appear in the oldest Greek Septuagint manuscripts. Indeed, it appears to be a later interpolation, perhaps taken from another book telling the story. A second false section appears below.]

¹² Now, JesSe (an Ephrathite from BethLehem, who was very old) had sent [his son] David to Saul, ¹³ because three of JesSe’s oldest sons (EliAb, AmiNadab, and ShamMah) had joined Saul to fight in the war. ¹⁴ Since David was the youngest, these three older ones had been sent.

¹⁵ Meanwhile, because David had left Saul, he’d gone back to tending his father’s sheep in BethLehem.

¹⁶ Well, by the time he was ready to leave for the battle, the Philistine lines had already been facing IsraEl for some 40 days.

¹⁷ JesSe had instructed his son David to carry a bushel of toasted grain and 10 loaves of bread to his brothers that were in the camp [of Saul], ¹⁸ along with 10 rounds of cheese for his brothers and for Saul’s generals. He also wanted him to check to see how they were getting along and if they were all well.

¹⁹ It was early in the morning when David left, and by this time, Saul and all the men of IsraEl were already down in the Valley of Pines ready to fight the Philistines.

²⁰ David had left his sheep [in a safe place], and following JesSe’s instructions, he set out with the things he was carrying. But when he got to the battle lines, the war had already begun… ²¹ The war cries had gone up and both IsraEl and the Philistines were confronting each other.

²² So David handed over the things he’d brought to the provisions officer, and then he ran down towards the battle to see how his brothers were doing.

²³ And as he was speaking to them, {Look!} a man walked out [between the lines]… It was GoliAth the Philistine from Gath.

He stood there in front of the Philistine lines and he shouted those words that David heard. ²⁴ However, all the men of IsraEl then moved back, because they were afraid of him.

²⁵ Then one of the IsraElite soldiers said [to David]:

‘Did you see that man who just stepped out? He just stepped forward to make fun of IsraEl!

‘But if any man can beat him, the king promises to make him very rich, he’ll give him his daughter, and the house of his father [will never be taxed] in IsraEl.’

²⁶ So David said to the men who were standing near him:

‘Who will cut down that Philistine and remove his scorn from IsraEl?

‘Just who is this uncircumcised Philistine who mocks the battle lines of the living God?’

²⁷ And the men replied to him:

‘Why don’t you go over and strike him down?’

²⁸ Well, David’s older brother EliAb overheard him talking to those men, and he was furious with David.

He shouted:

‘Why did you come down here, and why did you leave the sheep alone in the desert?

‘I know that it’s your pride and the evil in your heart that made you come down here to the battle!’

²⁹ But David asked:

‘What have I done now? Did I say something wrong?’

³⁰ Then he turned to the soldiers he’d been speaking to and asked the same thing, and they repeated their challenge to him. ³¹ And when they heard David [accept the challenge], they went and told Saul.

³² So David went up to Saul and said:

‘My lord,

‘Don’t allow that man to upset you, for your servant will go out to fight this Philistine!’

³³ And Saul said to David:

‘There’s no way that you can fight that Philistine…

‘You’re just a boy, and he’s been a mighty warrior since he was young!’

³⁴ But David told Saul:

‘Your servant was tending his father’s flock when first a lion and then a bear came to grab a sheep from the herd. ³⁵ But I ran after each one and I pulled the sheep from their mouths.

‘Then when they turned against me, I grabbed them by the throat and beat them to death!

³⁶ ‘So, if a lion and a bear can’t beat your servant, how can I be beaten by this uncircumcised Philistine who’s mocking the battle lines of the living God?’

³⁷ And David added:

‘It was Yahweh who rescued me from [the mouths] of the lion and the bear, and He’s the One who’ll rescue me from the hands of this uncircumcised Philistine!’

So at that, Saul said to David:

‘Then go, and may Yahweh be with you!’

³⁸ Well thereafter, Saul put his own armor on David… He put the brass helmet on his head and the breast-plate on his chest, ³⁹ then David tied on his sword.

However, he could hardly walk in the [armor], because he’d never worn such things before.

So David said to Saul:

‘There’s no way that I can use these, because I’ve never worn anything like this.’

And at that, he took it all off.

⁴⁰ So he picked up his walking stick and he went out and found 5 smooth rocks in the stream bed, which he put into his shepherd’s pouch. And with just his sling in his hand, he went out to meet the Philistine man!

⁴¹ Well, the Philistine walked out to meet David carrying his shield in front of him and his spear in his hand. [spurious text]

⁴² And when GoliAth the Philistine saw David, he was disgusted, because David was just a boy with a ruddy complexion and pretty eyes.

⁴³ So he shouted at David:

‘Am I a dog that you’re coming out to me with sticks and stones?’

And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

⁴⁴ Then the Philistine said to David:

‘Come over here, so I can feed your flesh to the flying creatures in the skies and the wild animals of the ground!’

⁴⁵ And David said to the Philistine:

‘You’re coming against me with a broadsword, a spear, and a shield; but I’m coming to you in the Name of Yahweh the God of armies!

‘Yes, the God of the army of IsraEl, whom you’ve been mocking today... ⁴⁶ So may Yahweh give you into my hands and allow me to kill you!

‘Then I’ll cut off your head and leave your body in the Philistine camp [where it’ll be eaten by] the flying creatures in the sky and the wild animals of the ground.

‘And thereafter, [your people] will come to know that the whole earth belongs to the God of IsraEl, ⁴⁷ and these called ones will know that Yahweh doesn’t need their swords or spears to save them!

‘For He’s a God of war, and He’s the One who’ll save them from you!’

⁴⁸ Well at that, the Philistine came forward to meet David, and David ran right up to the Philistine battle lines... ⁴⁹ Then he reached into his pouch and grabbed a rock and slung it – hitting the Philistine in his forehead, which penetrated his head… And he dropped with his face to the ground!

⁵⁰ So David went and stood over the Philistine with a sword, then he struck him with it and he killed him… And it wasn’t even David’s sword. [spurious text]

⁵¹ For when David ran up and stood over him, he grabbed [GoliAth’s] broadsword from its sheath and killed him with it by cutting off his head!

Well, when the Philistines saw that their mighty one had been killed, they all turned and ran!

⁵² And at that, the men of IsraEl and Judah shouted and chased the Philistines all the way to the gates of Gath and EkRon, where they kept on killing the Philistines along the roads that led to the gates of [those cities].

⁵³ And after the men of IsraEl finally stopped chasing the Philistines, they all went back and looted their camp.

⁵⁴ Thereafter, David took the head of the Philistine and his weapons, and he brought them to JeruSalem and put them into his tent.

[Editor note: This is the second large section which doesn’t appear in the oldest Greek Septuagint manuscripts. It’s probably a later addition from another book telling the story. It contradicts the Bible account, because it says that Saul didn’t know who David was, whereas the earlier chapters showed that David was already working for Saul as a musician in 1 Samuel 16:21-23, and 17:15 said that David had recently left Saul.]

⁵⁵ Now, when Saul first saw David going out to meet the Philistine, he’d asked AbNer (his general):

‘Whose son is this young man, AbNer?’

And AbNer replied:

‘May you live a long life, my lord the king; but I don’t know.’

⁵⁶ So the king told him:

‘Then, go find out who he is.’

⁵⁷ Well, after David had returned from killing the Philistine, AbNer invited him in and took him before Saul (he was still carrying the head of the Philistine in his hand).

⁵⁸ Then Saul asked him:

‘Whose son are you, young man?’

And David replied:

‘I’m the son of your servant JesSe from BethLehem.’

1 Samuel 18

←17 | All books | All chapters | 19→

[Editor note: This chapter contains many parts that don’t appear in the oldest Greek Septuagint manuscripts. These additions were probably added later, taken from folk tales or some other account of David’s life. Removing these additions makes the account flow much better and it clears up a few contradictions.]

¹ Well, as Saul was speaking, [the heart of his son] JoNathan became bound to David… He loved him as he loved his own life.

² Then Saul took him back that day, and he wouldn’t allow him to return to the house of his father thereafter. ³ Also, because he loved David as he loved his own life, [Saul’s son] JoNathan made a sacred agreement with David…

⁴ And he took off the [royal] robes that he wore and put them on David… His uniform, his broadsword, his bow, and his belt.

⁵ Well after that, David went wherever Saul sent him, and Saul put him in charge of his entire army. So, all the people were very pleased with David, as were Saul’s servants.

⁶ [A while later,] one day, when David was returning to the city from a war with the Philistines, the people came from all the cities of IsraEl to meet Saul, joyfully singing and dancing with tambourines and cymbals... ⁷ And the women (that were out in front) were singing and playing:

‘Saul has cut down his thousands,

And David’s cut down his ten thousands.’

⁸ Well, this made Saul very angry… In fact, he considered it [treasonous]!

So he said:

‘They gave David tens of thousands and they only gave me thousands!

‘What’s left for him now other than my kingdom?’

⁹ And as a result, Saul was suspicious of David from that day on.

¹⁰ Then the very next day, the fearsome Spirit of God came over Saul and he started prophesying there in his house. So David picked up [his harp] and played it for him throughout that whole day.

Well, it so happened that Saul’s wooden spear was [nearby], ¹¹ and he picked it up and shouted:

‘I’m going to pin David to the wall!’

As a result, David had to run from him twice! [spurious text]

¹² For Saul had come to fear David, since he realized that Yahweh was with him… So David again had to [leave Saul]. ¹³ And after he left, Saul demoted him from his position as the commander over 1,000 men.

However, he still [marched in victories] before the people; ¹⁴ for David was capable in everything that he did, because Yahweh was with him. ¹⁵ But since Saul recognized this, he was always very cautious when dealing with [David].

¹⁶ Meanwhile, all of IsraEl and Judah had come to love David, because he was always [marching in victory] before them.

¹⁷ Then Saul said to David:

‘Look, I’ll give you my eldest daughter MerAb to be your woman, so you can become a powerful son to me, and then you can [be in charge of] the battles of Yahweh!’

But Saul [was really thinking]:

‘This way I won’t have to kill him… I’ll let the Philistines do it for me.’

¹⁸ However, David gave this reply to Saul:

‘Who am I and how important is the life of my father in IsraEl, that I should be an in-law of the king?’

¹⁹ Well thereafter, Saul gave his daughter MerAb (whom he’d promised to David) to AdriEl the MehoLathite to be his woman. [spurious text]

²⁰ Now, Saul’s daughter Michal was in love with David, and when this was reported to Saul, he was very pleased, ²¹ for he [thought]:

‘Then I’ll give her to him, because she’ll always be a trap to him and she’ll drive him into the hands of the Philistines.’

So Saul said to David:

‘I want you to form a marriage alliance between you and me today.’

²² And Saul also gave orders to his servants, telling them to talk to David in private and say:

‘Look, the king really wants you, and [he wants] all of his servants to love you; so, form a marriage alliance with the king!’

²³ But when Saul’s servants spoke to David about these things, David asked them:

‘Do you really think it’s right for me to form a marriage alliance with the king? I’m just a commoner and I’m unworthy of such an honor!’

²⁴ Well, Saul’s servants went back and reported everything that David said.

²⁵ And Saul told them:

‘Then, tell David that the king is asking a dowry for her… What he wants is the foreskins of 100 Philistines as vengeance against his enemies!’

However, Saul’s plan was just to put David into the hands of the Philistines, ²⁶ and that’s why he told his servants to say these things to him.

However, what they said to him sounded good to David, so he decided to form a marriage alliance with the king. And when the time came, ²⁷ David gathered his men and went out to fight the Philistines… And he brought back the foreskins of 200 of their men and carried them to the king.

²⁸ Well, when Saul saw this, he knew for sure that Yahweh was with David, and that his daughter Michal and all IsraEl loved him.

²⁹ So, throughout the rest of his life, Saul was afraid of David.

³⁰ And the rulers of the Philistines also came to realize that David was the most important of Saul’s servants and that he was highly regarded by the people. [spurious text]

1 Samuel 19

←18 | All books | All chapters | 20→

¹ So after that, Saul spoke to his son JoNathan and some of his servants about murdering David. ² But because JoNathan was very fond of David, he went and told him about the plan. He said:

‘Saul is looking to kill you, so you had best be on guard tomorrow morning… Find someplace where you can hide, ³ then I’ll walk out into the field with my father when he goes looking for you, and I’ll stand there and talk to him about you.

‘Thereafter, I’ll report back to you whatever he says.’

⁴ So JoNathan did speak to his father about David, pointing out his good qualities.

He said:

‘The king shouldn’t sin against his servant David, because he hasn’t sinned against you, and he’s always done the right thing.

⁵ ‘He even put his life on the line for you when he struck down that Philistine… For Yahweh brought a great salvation on that day, and all of IsraEl saw this and rejoiced!

‘So, why do you want to sin against the blood of an innocent man and kill David, when he really hasn’t been charged with anything?’

⁶ Well, Saul [was moved by] what JoNathan had to say, and he swore:

‘As Yahweh lives, I’ll let him [live]!’

⁷ And after that, JoNathan called for David and told him everything that was said. Then he brought David back to Saul, and everything was the same as it used to be.

⁸ However, another war came along, and David was put in charge of the battle against the Philistines. Then, after he defeated them and they’d to run from him, ⁹ the fearsome Breath of Yahweh came over Saul.

So, while he was sitting in his palace (with a spear in his hand) and David was nearby playing his [harp], ¹⁰ Saul tried to hit David with the wooden spear! But David got out of the way, and he struck the wall [instead]. So that night, David fled and escaped.

¹¹ And thereafter, Saul sent guards to David’s house to keep an eye on him, because he planned to have him killed the next morning.

But [David’s] woman Michal warned him about this, saying:

‘You must do something tonight if you value your life, because they’re planning to kill you in the morning!’

¹² So Michal let David down through a window, and he ran away... ¹³ Then she took a statue and put it in his bed, put some goat hair over its head, and covered it with a nightgown.

¹⁴ And when Saul’s guards came to take David, she told them that he was sick.

¹⁵ But the guards said:

‘Well, he’ll have to get out of bed, because we’re taking him to be executed.’

¹⁶ And at that, the guards went into his [bedroom] and found the statue with the goat hair on its head.

¹⁷ So Saul then asked Michal:

‘Why did you try to deceive me?

‘Why did you protect my enemy and help him to get away?’

And Michal replied:

‘He told me that if I didn’t protect him, he’d kill me.’

¹⁸ Well, David got away safely and he went to see SamuEl at RamAh, where he reported everything that Saul had attempted to do to him. So SamuEl and David traveled to NaiOth and they stayed there.

¹⁹ But then the report was sent to Saul:

‘Look, David is in NaiOth of RamAh.’

²⁰ So Saul sent men to take David. However, when they saw a troop of prophets that were prophesying, with SamuEl taking the lead, God’s Breath came over them and they started prophesying too!

²¹ Well when Saul heard about this, he sent more men, and they too started prophesying!

Saul also sent men a third time and they started prophesying!

²² So Saul was furious, and he went to RamAh himself... And when he got to the threshing floor there, he asked the prophets:

‘Where are SamuEl and David?’

And they replied:

‘Look, they’re in NaiOth.’

²³ So [Saul] then traveled to NaiOth... But the Breath of God also came over him and he started prophesying, just as he was entering the city…

²⁴ He took off all his clothes and he started prophesying in front of SamuEl, going around naked all that day and the rest of that night!

And [once again], the people were asking:

‘Is Saul also one of the prophets?’

1 Samuel 20

←19 | All books | All chapters | 21→

¹ As a result, David had to flee the city of NaiOth.

So he went to see JoNathan, and he asked him:

‘What have I done?

‘What’s my offence?

‘How have I sinned against your father to make him be seeking my life so vigorously?’

² And JoNathan replied:

‘That isn’t really what’s happening… He isn’t looking to kill you. There’s no way that my father would do anything, whether great or small, without telling me.

‘So, why would my father hide such a thing from me? It just isn’t so!’

³ But David told JoNathan:

‘Your father knows that I’ve found favor in your eyes, so he told the others:

‘Don’t say anything to JoNathan, because he cares for him.’

‘But, as Yahweh lives and as you live... The only thing that’s certain between your father and me is death.’

⁴ And JoNathan said to David:

‘Then, do whatever you wish… How can I help you?’

⁵ And David told him:

‘Look, tomorrow is the New Moon [Festival] and I’m supposed to come here to eat with the king. However, I want you to send me away... And thereafter, I’ll go out into the fields and hide there sometime after noon.

⁶ ‘And when your father notices that I’m missing, I want you to say this to him:

‘David asked me to excuse him, because he had to return to his city of BethLehem to offer a sacrifice for the Festival on behalf of his whole tribe.’

⁷ ‘And if he says, ‘Fine!’ then your servant is at peace with him... But if he gives you a harsh reply, it’ll indicate that he’s got evil plans for me.

⁸ ‘Now, you’ve shown great mercy to your servant, for you’ve made a sacred agreement with me in front of Yahweh... However, if you really believe that your servant has done anything wrong, then condemn me to death and take me to your father.’

⁹ But JoNathan replied:

‘That won’t happen!

‘Do you think that if I find that my father has evil plans for you, I won’t tell you?

¹⁰ And David said to JoNathan:

‘Then, who will you send to tell me if your father answers harshly?’

¹¹ And JoNathan replied:

‘Come, let’s walk out into the fields.’

And they both walked outside [of the city].

¹² Then JoNathan said to David:

‘Yahweh the God of IsraEl knows that I’ll question my father at least two or three times. And if things look good for you, I’m not going to send you to [live in] the fields.

¹³ ‘May God [curse] me and add to it if I’ll allow anything bad to happen to you!

‘[However, if the message is bad], I’ll tell you and send you away in peace. Then Yahweh will have to watch over you as He once did my father.

¹⁴ ‘But throughout the rest of my life, you must agree to deal with me in the mercy of Yahweh!

‘And after I die, ¹⁵ you must be merciful to my house throughout the age, so that when Yahweh destroys the enemies of David from the face of the earth, ¹⁶ the name of JoNathan will always remain in the house of David, even if Yahweh should allow me to die at the hands of your enemies!’

¹⁷ And thereafter, JoNathan swore an oath to David because of his love for him… For he loved him as much as his own life.

¹⁸ He said:

‘Tomorrow is the New Moon, and they’ll be watching your chair.

¹⁹ ‘But after three days, keep an eye out, then come back here and sit behind this boulder. ²⁰ For I’ll come here and I’ll shoot three arrows at a target... ²¹ And when I send my servant to look for them; if I say to him:

‘They’re in front of you, so go pick them up.’

‘Then you’ll know that you can return safely, because everything is peaceful. As Yahweh lives, let’s do it this way, so there’s no miscommunication.

²² ‘But if I tell the young man:

‘The arrows are way beyond you.’

‘Then you’ll know that I’m sending you away to Yahweh!

²³ ‘Now, when it comes to these things that you and I have agreed to, may Yahweh serve as the witness between you and me throughout the age.’

²⁴ So thereafter, David went off into the fields and hid out.

And when the New Moon [Festival] started, the king arrived to eat at his table as usual (as always, he sat in his chair by the wall), ²⁵ and JoNathan and AbNer were seated there next to him.

Then everyone looked over to where David usually sat, ²⁶ and Saul didn’t say anything that day, for he thought it was just a coincidence (he thought that David had likely become unclean and had gone to cleanse himself).

²⁷ But on the next day (the 2nd day of the month), Saul looked at the place where David sat, and he asked his son JoNathan:

‘Why isn’t JesSe’s son here?

‘This is the second day that he hasn’t come to the table!’

²⁸ And JoNathan replied:

‘He asked to be excused so he could go to his city of BethLehem. ²⁹ He asked me to send him there so he could offer a sacrifice on behalf of his whole tribe.

‘But, since you’ve put me in charge of my brothers, and if it pleases you, let me go to check on my brother and find out why he hasn’t come to the table of the king.’

³⁰ Well at that, Saul became furious with JoNathan and said to him:

‘You son of a divorced woman!

‘Don’t you know that when you call JesSe’s son [your ‘brother’], it shames you, and it shames the nakedness of your mother?

³¹ ‘For, as long as JesSe’s son is alive on this earth, my kingdom will never be yours!

‘Now, go and catch that young man, for he’s the son of Death!’

³² But JoNathan asked his father Saul:

‘Why must he die?

‘What did he do?’

³³ Then Saul grabbed his spear and shoved it towards JoNathan in an attempt to kill him; and that’s when JoNathan finally realized that his father was planning to kill David.

³⁴ As a result, he got up from the table in a fit of rage, and he wouldn’t eat anything for the rest of that day, because he was devastated by the fact that his father wanted to do away with David.

³⁵ So the next morning, JoNathan went out into the field with his servant to meet with David as he’d told him that he would, ³⁶ and he instructed his servant to run and search for the arrows after he shot them.

³⁷ Well, he shot way over [the target], and when his servant got to the place where he shot them, JoNathan yelled:

‘They’re way out beyond that.’

³⁸ And he added:

‘Hurry, don’t just stand there!’

As a result, after JoNathan’s servant finally retrieved all the arrows that his master had shot, ³⁹ he really didn’t understand what was actually happening... But JoNathan and David both understood the meaning of this.

⁴⁰ Then JoNathan handed his weapons to his servant and told him to take them back to the city.

⁴¹ And after he left, David stood up from [inside an enclosed area] and fell with his face to the ground, bowing before [JoNathan] three times. Then each kissed his friend and wept over each other until David [couldn’t cry any more].

⁴² And JoNathan said to David:

‘Now, go in peace!

‘As we both swore oaths to each other in the Name of the Lord, Yahweh is the witness between you and me, and between your offspring and my offspring throughout the ages.’

Then David got up and left, and JoNathan returned to the city.

1 Samuel 21

←20 | All books | All chapters | 22→

¹ From there, David went to AhiMelech the Priest at Nob.

He was surprised to see David, so he asked him:

‘Why did you come alone… Why didn’t [your people] come with you?’

² And David replied:

‘The king sent me today, and he told me not to tell anyone why I came. [I also sent] my servants ahead to the place called PhalanNi AlomNi.

³ ‘Now, if you can find 5 loaves of bread, please give them to me.’

⁴ But the Priest told him:

‘I don’t have any regular bread, just the holy loaves. If your servants haven’t been near a woman [sexually], then they may eat.’

⁵ And David said:

‘Yes, we haven’t been near a woman, for we’ve been traveling for three days, and my servants and I are clean. Although the reason for my journey is secular, it’ll be made pure by my weapons.’

⁶ So the Priest removed the loaves from the presence of Yahweh and gave them to him, because there was no other bread around, and [David] took them.

⁷ Now, it so happened that on that day, there was a certain servant of Saul [that had gone there to bow] before Yahweh. He was called Doeg the Edomite. And when these things happened, he’d been there feeding Saul’s mules.

⁸ Then David said to AhiMelech:

‘See if you can find a spear or a broadsword, because I don’t have my weapons. Hurry, for this is a matter of the king!’

⁹ And the Priest said:

‘Look, here’s the broadsword of the Philistine GoliAth whom you cut down in the Ela Valley!

‘I’ve get it wrapped up in a cape behind his chest plate. Take it, because there isn’t anything else like it here.’

And David said:

‘No, there’s nothing else like it. [Please] give it to me!’

¹⁰ So [the Priest] went and got it and gave it to David… And David continued to run from Saul.

From there he went to see AchIsh (the king of Gath), ¹¹ and AchIsh’s servants asked:

‘Isn’t this David, the king of the land?

‘Isn’t he the one about whom the dancing women sang, ‘Saul cut down his thousands and David his ten thousands?’’

¹² Well, David took those words to heart and he was afraid to appear before AchIsh. ¹³ So he started [putting on an act] in front of them. He crawled around on his hands [and knees], laid on the ground at the [city] gate, and let spit to run down his beard.

¹⁴ So AchIsh said to his servants:

‘Look, you can see that the man is having convulsions!

‘Why have you brought him to me? ¹⁵ Do you want to bring a possessed person to me? Should I invite him into my house?’

1 Samuel 22

←21 | All books | All chapters | 23→

¹ Therefore, David got away safely, and he went to the cave of OdolLam... Then when his brothers and the rest of his family heard about it, they went to him there.

² Well thereafter, men who were poor, the debtors, and those with a lot of problems starting coming to him, and he became their leader.

Altogether, there were about 400 men.

³ Then David moved from there to MizPah in MoAb, and he said to the king of MoAb:

‘Please allow my mother and father to stay with you until I know what my God has planned for me.’

⁴ So, since he’d appealed to the king of MoAb personally, the king allowed them to live with him in his citadel.

⁵ Then the prophet Gad told David:

‘Don’t settle down there in the citadel; you must return to the land of Judah.’

So David went and settled in the city of Hareth. ⁶ And when Saul heard where David and his men were staying, he went and stood on the hill (the one by the plowed fields at RamAh) with his spear in his hand and with all of his servants around him, ⁷ and he said to his servants:

‘Listen, you sons of BenJamin,

‘Should I really give fields and vineyards to JesSe’s son? For then he would appoint all of you to be his lieutenants and generals, ⁸ since you’re all against me!

‘Why, which of you bothered to tell me that my own son had made an agreement with JesSe’s son, and which of you told me that my son has turned my servants into my enemies today?’

⁹ It was then that Doeg the Edomite (the one who was in charge of Saul’s mules) said:

‘I saw JesSe’s son going to Nob to visit the Priest AhiMelech (son of AhiTub)... ¹⁰ He went there to inquire of God, and the Priest gave him some food and the broadsword of the Philistine GoliAth.’

¹¹ So the king sent for the Priest AhiMelech (son of AhiTub) and his brothers (who were also Priests who were living in Nob). And they all came to the king.

¹² Then Saul said:

‘Listen up, O son of AhiTub! For it’s me, your lord, that’s speaking!’

¹³ Then Saul asked him:

‘Why did you go against me and agree to give JesSe’s son bread and a broadsword, and why did you speak to God on his behalf... This man who’s been my enemy down to this day?’

¹⁴ And AhiMelech replied:

‘Who of all your servants is as trustworthy as David? He’s the son-in-law of the king, he’s in charge of your army, and he’s a man of honor in your house!

¹⁵ ‘So, why are you asking me the reason for my going before God on his behalf?

‘Please don’t blame your servant and the entire house of my father about these things that you’re saying, for your servant wasn’t aware of any of these matters, whether small or great.’

¹⁶ And King Saul said:

‘You’re going to die, AhiMelech… You and the entire house of your father!’

¹⁷ Then he told his guards that were standing there:

‘Take them out and kill the Priests of Yahweh, because they’ve sided with David… They knew where he’d run and they didn’t tell me!’

However, the [guards] weren’t willing to lift a hand against the Priests of Yahweh.

¹⁸ So he said to Doeg:

‘Then you – [kill] the Priests.’

Well, Doeg the Edomite slaughtered the Priests of Yahweh on that day… 85 men who wore the sacred vests. ¹⁹ Then [Saul] attacked the city of the Priests (Nob) and slaughtered all the men, women, children, babies, oxen, sheep, and burros, with broadswords.

²⁰ However, one of AhiMelech’s sons (AbiAthar) survived, and he ran to find David... ²¹ And when AbiAthar told David that Saul had executed all the Priests of Yahweh, David said:

‘I knew that this would happen when I saw Doeg the Edomite…

²² ‘I knew that he would report [seeing me] to Saul, so I’m to blame for the deaths of the house and family of your father.

²³ ‘Now, you stay here with me!

‘Don’t be afraid, because, while I’m watching out for my own life, I’ll also be watching out for yours… I’m going to be your protector.’

1 Samuel 23

←22 | All books | All chapters | 24→

¹ Then this report came to David:

‘{Look!} The Philistines have attacked KeiLah and they’re destroying all the barns there!’

² So David asked Yahweh:

‘Should I go and fight these Philistines?’

And Yahweh replied:

‘Go fight the Philistines, and you’ll save KeiLah!’

³ However, the men who were there with David said:

‘Look, we’re already afraid and we’re still here in Judea; so, how can we be of any [help to those in] KeiLah?

‘Do we want to add ourselves to the Philistine’s spoils of war?’

⁴ So David went and asked Yahweh once again, and Yahweh replied:

‘Go down to KeiLah, for I’m giving the Philistines into your hands!’

⁵ As a result, David went to KeiLah with his men, and they fought the Philistines and routed them. It was a great victory, and they took the Philistine’s cattle and saved the people in KeiLah.

⁶ Then, after the [Philistines] retreated, AbiAthar (son of AhiMelech) went to David at KeiLah, carrying his sacred vest in his hands.

⁷ Meanwhile, when Saul heard that David had gone to KeiLah, he said:

‘God has sold him into my hands, for now he’s locked inside a city of gates and bars!’

⁸ So Saul told his people to go and attack David and his band of men there at KeiLah.

⁹ Well, David realized that Saul would soon hear [that he was in KeiLah], and that he would plan to do something evil.

So David said to AbiAthar the Priest:

‘Bring the sacred vest!’

¹⁰ Then David prayed:

‘O Yahweh, God of IsraEl,

‘Please hear Your servant. For Saul is planning to attack me in KeiLah, and he’ll destroy the whole city because of me. ¹¹ So, should we lock it up? For Saul will surely come here, now that he has heard your servant is in this place.

‘O Lord God of IsraEl,

‘Please tell your servant what to do!’

And Yahweh replied:

‘Lock it up!’

¹² Then David asked:

‘But, won’t the people of KeiLah hand me and my men over to Saul?’

And Yahweh replied:

‘Yes they will, in order to save themselves.’ [spurious text]

¹³ Therefore, David took his men (about 800 of them) and left KeiLah, and when Saul heard that David had gone, he spared that city.

¹⁴ Well from there, David traveled into the desert where he lived in narrow passes in the Ziph Desert. And although Saul kept searching for him for quite some time, Yahweh kept him out of Saul’s hands.

¹⁵ Now, David knew that Saul would keep on looking for him, so he stayed in New City in the Ziph Desert. ¹⁶ And then Saul’s son JoNathan came to David in New City, which strengthened his trust in Yahweh.

¹⁷ For [JoNathan] told him:

‘Don’t be afraid, because my father Saul will never find you!

‘[Soon] you’ll become the ruler over IsraEl, with me as your second in command… And my father knows that.’

¹⁸ Then they [once again] made a treaty there in the presence of Yahweh.

Well, David stayed in New City, and JoNathan went back home.

¹⁹ But thereafter, people from the Ziph Desert went to Saul [in GibeAh] and said:

‘Look, David is hiding among us in New City, down in the narrows next to the hill of HachiLah, just to the right of JeshiMon. ²⁰ Therefore, every desire of the inner person of the king is here among us!

‘And now that everything has been revealed to the king, you should come down to us.’

²¹ And Saul replied:

‘May Yahweh bless you for coming to me!

²² ‘Quickly go back and see if he’s still there and that he hasn’t tricked you. ²³ Search all the places where he can hide and come back and tell me… Then I’ll be ready to go there with you.

‘For if he’s somewhere in that land, I’ll send thousands of soldiers from Judah to search for him!’

²⁴ And at that, the Ziphites left the presence of Saul.

Well, David and his men were in the MaOn Desert at the time, which is to the west and the right of JeshiMon. ²⁵ And when Saul sent his men to search for David, David heard about it. So he retreated to Petra, which was in the MaOn Desert.

But Saul also heard where he’d gone and he followed David into the desert.

²⁶ Well, Saul had camped his men on one side of the mountain, and David had camped his men on the other side. But although David was trying to hide from Saul, Saul had camped his men close to David so he could catch him.

²⁷ Then a messenger came to Saul saying:

‘Hurry and come, because the Philistines are attacking our land!’

²⁸ So Saul had to break off his chase of David and go back to fight the Philistines. And that’s why that mountain is now called, ‘Slippery Rock.’

²⁹ Well from there, David went and settled in the EnGedi Narrows.

1 Samuel 24

←23 | All books | All chapters | 25→

¹ Then, after Saul returned from driving away the Philistines, he heard that David was in the EnGedi Desert. ² So he selected 3,000 of the best soldiers in all IsraEl and went to look for David along the edge of the Trap of the Wild Goats.

³ Then when their march was blocked by herds and flocks on the road, Saul stopped and entered a cave to ‘prepare himself’ [possibly a euphemism for emptying his bowels]. Well, this just happened to be the same cave that David and his men were hiding in!

⁴ Well at that, David’s men said to him:

‘Look! This is the day that Yahweh spoke to you about when He said:

‘I’ll give your enemy into your hands and you may deal with him in any way that you wish.’

So then, David crept up to Saul and quietly cut the fringe off his robe... ⁵ But afterward, David’s heart was bothered by the fact that he’d done this.

⁶ And he said to his men:

‘Yahweh certainly didn’t mean for me to do such a thing to my lord. I should never have raised a hand against him, because he truly is the anointed of Yahweh.’

⁷ And after David said this, he persuaded his men not to get up and kill Saul.

Well, after Saul got up and left the cave, ⁸ David got up and followed him outside... And David shouted after Saul, saying:

‘O my Lord! O king!’

And when Saul looked back, David bowed to him with his face to the ground, ⁹ saying to Saul:

‘Why do you believe people when they tell you that David wants to kill you?

¹⁰ ‘Look! Today you can see with your own eyes how Yahweh gave you into my hands, and I didn’t want to kill you… I spared you!

‘For I said, ‘I won’t lift a hand against my lord, because he’s the anointed of Yahweh!’

¹¹ ‘Look here, my father; I’m holding the fringe of your robe in my hand… [I got so close] that I could remove it, and yet I didn’t kill you! Therefore, you should know that I don’t wish you any evil, nor am I disrespectful or rebellious!

‘I haven’t sinned against you… Yet, you’re still determined to take my life!

¹² ‘So may Yahweh judge between you and me, and may He find me righteous when it comes to you, because He knows that I wouldn’t lift a hand against you.

¹³ ‘As the [song] goes:

‘There’s sin in the elder’s lawless ways,

For against you, I’ve not raised a hand.’

¹⁴ ‘So, who are you chasing, O king of IsraEl?

‘Are you pursuing the dead or chasing a flea?

¹⁵ ‘May Yahweh be the judge… May He serve as the judge between me and you! Yes, may Yahweh look down and judge my case, and save me from your hands.’

¹⁶ Well, after David said this to Saul, Saul asked:

‘Is that the voice of my child David?’

Then he broke into tears, ¹⁷ and he said to David:

‘You’re a better man than I, because you repaid the bad things I’ve done to you with good things... ¹⁸ Then you [took the time to] tell me about these good things, and of how Yahweh gave me into your hands, but you didn’t kill me.

¹⁹ ‘For what other man, if he were to find his enemy vulnerable, would be good enough to send him away?

‘So, may Yahweh repay the goodness that you’ve shown today!

²⁰ ‘And now I know that you’re going to become the king and that you’ll rule over the kingdom of IsraEl! ²¹ So [please] swear an oath to me by Yahweh, that you won’t destroy me or my offspring, and that you’ll never remove my name from the house of my father.’

²² So David swore by an oath to Saul, and then Saul went back home, while David and his men went up into the narrows of MesSara.

1 Samuel 25

←24 | All books | All chapters | 26→

¹ Well, shortly thereafter, SamuEl died, and all IsraEl went to mourn him. Then they entombed him inside his house in RamAh.

In the meantime, David had traveled to the MaOn Desert. ² And a great man was there who had helped to build CarMel. He had 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats; and at the time, he was shearing his flock at CarMel.

³ This man’s name was NaBal, and his woman’s name was AbiGail. Now, the woman was not only smart, she was also very pretty; however, her husband [had the reputation for being] hardheaded and dishonest.

⁴ Well, while David was there in the desert, he heard that NaBal the CarMelite was out shearing his flock. ⁵ So David sent 10 of his servants to NaBal at CarMel, and he told them to say:

‘May you have peace, ⁶ and may you and yours live a long and healthy life!

‘Look, I’ve heard that your shepherds are shearing your sheep. ⁷ And when we saw them out in the desert, we didn’t bother them or take [any of your sheep] as you were leading them to CarMel…

⁸ ‘Just ask your servants and they’ll tell you!

‘So now, if we, your servants, have found favor in your eyes... And we hope that we’ve come on a good day... We’re asking you to give whatever you can to your servants and to your son David.’

⁹ So David’s servants went to NaBal and told him all of that in the name of David. ¹⁰ But NaBal jumped to his feet and asked:

‘And just who is this David? Who does this son of JesSe think he is?

‘Today, many of his servants are those who’ve run away from their masters!

¹¹ ‘So shall I take my bread, my wine, and my sacrifices with which I must pay those who are shearing my sheep and give them to others, when I don’t know who they are or where they’ve come from?’

¹² And with that, he sent the servants of David on their way…

And when they got back, they told David what he said.

¹³ Well, as a result, David told his men to tie on their swords, and then David tied on his sword, and 400 of them followed David, while the other 200 stayed behind to keep an eye on their things.

¹⁴ Meanwhile, one of NaBal’s servants brought a message about this to [NaBal’s] woman AbiGail, saying:

‘Look, David sent messengers from [his camp] in the desert to bless our master, but he sent them away.

¹⁵ ‘However, [David’s] men were very good to us; for they didn’t get in our way, and they didn’t mistreat us when we were out in the fields. ¹⁶ In fact, they protected us both day and night while we were watching over the flocks!

¹⁷ ‘So, think about what you should do, because our master has brought evil down upon his house… He’s being unreasonable, and there’s no way we can talk him out of it!’

¹⁸ So AbiGail then ran and prepared 200 loaves of bread and 2 large jugs of wine, then she roasted 5 sheep and toasted 5 bushels of grain, and she gathered 10 bushels of raisins and 200 clusters of dried figs, and she loaded it all on some burros.

¹⁹ Then she said to her servants:

‘Take these on ahead… I’ll follow behind.’

But she didn’t say anything to her husband.

²⁰ Thereafter, she mounted her burro and traveled around the mountain until she reached David and his men… And they came to greet her.

²¹ Well at the time, David was saying:

‘Perhaps I was foolish when I guarded all of NaBal’s things in the desert and didn’t try to take anything. For now he’s repaid my good deeds with evil.

²² ‘So, may God [curse] me and add to it if I leave anyone who belongs to NaBal [alive] who can urinate against a wall by [tomorrow] morning!’

²³ Well when AbiGail saw David, she got down off her burro and fell to her face before him, bowing low.

And she said:

²⁴ ‘O my lord, hold me to blame! Please allow your female servant to speak to you, and listen to what I have to say. ²⁵ Please, my master; don’t set your heart against this despicable man NaBal.

‘His name means foolishness, and he truly is foolish!

‘I didn’t see the servants that you sent to my master. ²⁶ But, O my lord; as Yahweh lives and as you live, may God keep you from shedding the blood of the innocent!

‘For in doing so, you may save your own life… And then may your enemies who are trying to do bad things to you become as NaBal.

²⁷ ‘Now, please accept these blessings that I’ve brought to my lord and distribute them among your servants. ²⁸ Also, please forgive [me,] your female servant, and may Yahweh make the house of my [husband] one that can be trusted. [I pray that] Yahweh will fight your wars and that He will never find you guilty of doing anything that’s evil.

²⁹ ‘If any man chases you and tries to kill you, may Yahweh God save the life of my master… May the lives of your enemies be thrown down as with a sling!

³⁰ ‘Yes, may Yahweh do all the good things for you that He said He would do, and may He make you the leader over IsraEl!

³¹ ‘So, please don’t offend your heart by doing this terrible thing to my [husband], and don’t shed innocent blood without a good reason. Please save [him] from himself, and then Yahweh will do good things for you… And don’t overlook your female servant or fail to treat her kindly.’

³² Well at that, David said to AbiGail:

‘Praise Yahweh the God of IsraEl who sent you to me today!

³³ ‘And may the way that you’ve handled this matter today be praised, for you’ve kept me from shedding blood and you’ve saved me from myself.

³⁴ ‘As Yahweh the God of IsraEl lives; you’ve kept me from doing something bad to you.

‘For if you hadn’t hurried and come to meet me here, none in the house of NaBal who can urinate against a wall would have lived to see the light of dawn.’

³⁵ Then David accepted all the things that she brought, and he said her:

‘Now, return to your home in peace, for I’ve listened to what you’ve said and I have deep respect for the person whom you’ve shown yourself to be.’

³⁶ Well, when AbiGail got back home to NaBal, she found him holding a banquet in his house that was fit for a king. He was also quite happy, because he’d had too much to drink. So AbiGail didn’t tell him what she’d done until the next morning.

³⁷ Then in the morning (after NaBal had sobered up from the wine), she told him everything that had happened. And at that, his heart just died inside him… It became [as heavy as] a rock!

³⁸ And after 10 days, Yahweh struck NaBal and he died.

³⁹ Well when David heard that NaBal had died, he said:

‘May Yahweh be praised, for He judged the case of my being scorned by NaBal, and He brought NaBal’s evil down upon his own head, keeping me from doing anything bad to him.’

Then David sent for AbiGail, because he was talking about taking her as his own. ⁴⁰ So his servants went to AbiGail at CarMel and spoke to her, saying:

‘David sent us, because he would like to take you to be his woman.’

⁴¹ And at that, she bowed with her face to the ground and said:

‘Look, your female servant…

‘A girl to wash the feet of my master’s servants.’

⁴² Thereafter, AbiGail quickly mounted her burro (bringing along 5 of her young women who followed behind), and she went with David’s servants and became his woman.

⁴³ Now, David was also married to AhiNoam of JezreEl, ⁴⁴ as well as to Michal (Saul’s daughter), whom Saul had given to Phalti (son of LaIsh) from GalLim.

1 Samuel 26

←25 | All books | All chapters | 27→

¹ Well thereafter, the Ziphites went up to see Saul again, and they told him:

‘Look, David is hiding among us on HachiLah Hill, in front of JeshSemon.’

² So Saul traveled into the Ziph Desert once more with 3,000 of IsraEl’s best men to look for David. ³ Then Saul set up camp along the road to HachiLah Hill, in front of JeshSemon, as David was camped in the desert.

And when David saw that Saul had come to the desert looking for him again, ⁴ he sent spies to find out where he was and how prepared he was... ⁵ Then David personally went to the place where Saul was and found him sleeping near his Commander-in-chief AbNer (son of Ner).

Saul was there asleep in his royal chariot, with his men camped all around him.

⁶ [Before this], David had asked AhiMelech the Hittite and AbiShai (son of ZeruJah and the brother of JoAb):

‘Who will come with me into the camp of Saul?’

And AbiShai said:

‘I’ll go with you.’

⁷ So David and AbiShai went down into the camp that night, and they walked among [Saul’s] Men!

Well, {Look!} there was Saul sound asleep in his royal chariot with his spear stuck into the ground next to his head, and AbNer and his men were asleep all around him.
⁸ So AbiShai said to David:
‘Yahweh has given your enemy into your hands today, so I’m going to run him through with his spear…
I’ll only do it once, I won’t have to do it twice!’

⁹ But David said:

‘No, don’t kill him; for, who can lift a hand against the anointed of Yahweh and not be found guilty?’

¹⁰ And he added:

‘As Yahweh lives, it’s up to Yahweh to strike him and kill him, or for him to die in battle and then be [buried] with his ancestors.

¹¹ ‘Since Yahweh hasn’t instructed me to raise a hand against His anointed, we’ll just take the spear that’s next to his head and his canteen of water, and leave.’

¹² So David picked up [Saul’s] spear and canteen and they left… No one saw them or knew that they’d been there, for no one woke up! They were all sleeping tightly, because Yahweh had put them to sleep. ¹³ David actually walked through their camp and then up the mountain.

And when he was some distance away, ¹⁴ David called to [Saul’s] men and to AbNer (son of Ner) saying:

‘AbNer!

‘Will you answer?’

And AbNer asked:

‘Who’s calling me?’

¹⁵ Then David said:

‘Aren’t you a man?

‘Who else is there like you in IsraEl? But, why weren’t you guarding your lord the king?

‘For a man came there to destroy your lord the king this very night, ¹⁶ so what you’ve done isn’t a good thing!

‘As Yahweh lives; you’re all sons of death, because you weren’t guarding your lord the king… The anointed of Yahweh.

‘For look! Where is the king’s spear? And where is his canteen of water? These things that he kept by his head?’

¹⁷ Well, Saul recognized the voice of David and said:

‘Is that the voice of my child David?’

And David replied:

‘It’s my voice O lord… Your servant, O king!’

¹⁸ And he asked:

‘So, why is my lord chasing his servant?

‘How have I sinned and what’s the charge against me?

¹⁹ ‘Now listen, O my lord the king to these words of [mine,] his servant!

‘If it’s God who’s sending you against me, then may you smell your sacrifice. But if it’s the sons of men, may they be cursed before Yahweh, because they’ve driven me away from the inheritance that I received from Yahweh, telling me to go and serve other gods!

²⁰ ‘May my blood not be spilled on the ground away from the face of Yahweh... For the king of IsraEl is searching for this ‘flea’ as though he were hunting for long-eared owls in the mountains!’

²¹ And Saul said:

‘I have sinned. Come back to me, my child David…

‘I won’t do anything bad to you anymore, now that you’ve shown me how much you value my life.

‘I’ve acted foolishly and ignorantly!’

²² And David replied:

‘Look! Here’s the king’s spear... Send one of your servants to take it.

²³ ‘The Lord will repay each one for his righteousness and faithfulness, just as Yahweh has saved you from my hands today, since I didn’t wish to raise a hand against the anointed of Yahweh.

²⁴ ‘And look… As I’ve valued your life today, may my life be considered more valuable before my lord. May he shelter me and rescue me from all of my problems.’

²⁵ Then Saul said to David:

‘You’re blest, my child David... For whatever you do will succeed, and you can accomplish whatever you wish.’

So David went his way, and Saul returned home.

1 Samuel 27

←26 | All books | All chapters | 28→

¹ But David said in his heart:

‘I’d best run to the land of the Philistines where I’ll be safe, because things don’t look too good for me here! Saul will keep searching for me in IsraEl, and by tomorrow I could be handed over to him.’

² So David got up and left, taking his 600 men with him, and he went to see AchIsh (son of MaOch), the king of Gath.

³ Then David, his men, and both of his women (AhiNoam the JezreElite, and AbiGail the woman of NaBal the CarMelite) sat down to meet with AchIsh there at his house in Gath.

⁴ And when Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he stopped searching for him.

⁵ Well when David went to AchIsh, he said this:

‘If your servant has found favor in your eyes, please give me a place in one of your rural cities, and I’ll settle there; for, why should you settle your servant in a city to rule right next to you?’

⁶ And AchIsh gave him ZikLag, which still belongs to the Judean kings to this day.

⁷ Then, after David had stayed there in the land of the Philistines for 4 months, ⁸ he and his men attacked the Geshurites, the Gezrites, and the AmaLechites… These are the people who inhabited the land all the way from Shurand to the land of Egypt.

⁹ He attacked the entire land and he didn’t leave a man or woman alive. However, he took their flocks, herds, burros, camels, and clothing, and thereafter, he returned to AchIsh.

¹⁰ So then AchIsh asked David:

‘Whom did you attack today?’

And David replied:

‘The [land] south of Judea, from JerahMeEl south to the [land of the] Kenezites… ¹¹ And I didn’t bring anyone back alive to Gath, so that no one can say, Look at what David did!’

Well, that’s the way David handled matters for as long as he stayed in the land of the Philistines.

¹² And AchIsh trusted David, for he said:

‘It’s a shame that he’s being treated [so badly] by his own people in IsraEl. However, he’s welcome to serve me here throughout the age.’

1 Samuel 28

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¹ After that, the Philistines gathered their troops to go to war with IsraEl, and AchIsh said to David:

‘I’m sure that you and your men who are staying with me will join us in this war.’

² And David replied:

‘May this prove your servant’s faithfulness.’

So AchIsh said to David:

‘Then I’ll appoint you as the chief of my royal guards during this period!’

³ Well, SamuEl had already died (after which IsraEl had mourned for him at his tomb in his city of RamAh), and Saul had also [killed off] all those who searched for omens and those who called out to [the dead] in his land.

⁴ Then the Philistines went and set up camp at ShuNem, and Saul gathered the army of IsraEl and set up camp in GilBoa. ⁵ But when Saul looked at the camp of the Philistines, it frightened him and he became weak at heart.

⁶ So he asked for [direction from Yahweh], but the Lord wouldn’t answer him in his dreams, give him any signs, or answer him through the prophets.

⁷ So he said to his servants:

‘Then search for a woman who can tell the future, and I’ll go ask her!’

And his servants told him:

‘Look, there’s a woman who can tell the future in EnDor.’

⁸ So Saul disguised himself [by wearing] different clothes, and he covered his face; then he took two men with him and they went to see the woman at night.

And he said to her:

‘Use your powers for me and lead me to the one I want to speak to!’

⁹ And the woman replied:

‘Look! Now you know as much as Saul did… The one who killed off everyone in the land who ask the [dead] and who look for omens.

‘So are you coming here to trap and kill me?’

¹⁰ But Saul swore an oath to her by God, saying:

‘As Yahweh lives, I won’t treat you unjustly in this matter.’

¹¹ So the woman asked Saul:

‘Then, who do you want me to bring up for you?’

And Saul replied:

‘Bring up SamuEl for me!’

¹² Well when the woman saw SamuEl, she screamed and she said to Saul:

‘Why have you misled me, for you’re Saul!’

¹³ And the king said to her:

‘Don’t be afraid! Whom did you see?’

And she said:

‘I see judges rising from the ground.’

¹⁴ Then he asked her:

‘What else did you see?’

And she replied:

‘A very old man coming up [from the ground] wearing a doubled robe.’

Well, Saul recognized this as SamuEl; so he fell with his face to the ground and bowed low before him.
¹⁵ And SamuEl said:

‘Why are you bothering me and why did you bring me up?’

And Saul said:

‘I’m in a lot of trouble; for the Philistines have come to war against me, and God has left me.

‘He doesn’t listen to me anymore, nor does He answer the prophets or reply to me in my dreams… All I want to know is what I should do!’

¹⁶ Then SamuEl replied:

‘If Yahweh has left you and taken up with your neighbor, why are you asking me?

¹⁷ ‘For, all that Yahweh is doing to you is what I told you that He would do! He’s going to rip your kingdom from your hands and give it to your neighbor David, ¹⁸ because you didn’t listen to His voice when He was showing His rage on the AmaLechites.

¹⁹ ‘Therefore, Yahweh is going to give IsraEl into the hands of the Philistines… By tomorrow, you and your sons will be with me, while the camp of IsraEl will be handed over to the Philistines!’

²⁰ Well at that, Saul dropped to the ground shaking, because he was so afraid of what SamuEl had said! He was already weak in the knees, because he hadn’t eaten anything all that day or night.

²¹ Then the woman went up to Saul, and when she saw that he was shaking, she said:

‘Now, look at me and listen to your female servant, for I’ve put my life into your hands, and I’m trusting in what you said.

²² ‘Do what I tell you… I’m going to give you a little food to eat so you can regain your strength, and then you should leave.’

²³ However he wouldn’t listen to her, because he didn’t want anything to eat. Yet his aids and the woman kept insisting; so he got up off of the ground and sat in a chair, ²⁴ then the woman went out and butchered a calf that was by her house.

After that, she took some flour and made some fermentation-free bread, ²⁵ and she brought it all to Saul and his servants, and they ate…

Then they returned [to their camp] that night.

1 Samuel 29

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¹ Well, the Philistines had marched all their troops to Aphek, and IsraEl had set up camp at EnDor in JezreEl. ² Meanwhile, the Philistine governors were coming by the hundreds and thousands…

Then David and his men showed up last, with AchIsh.

³ Well, [on seeing him], the Philistine governors asked AchIsh:

‘Who’s [this person] that’s with you?’

And AchIsh replied:

‘That’s David, the servant of Saul the king of IsraEl.

‘This is the 2nd year he’s been with me, and I’ve found no fault in him.’

⁴ However, the Philistine governors were outraged, and they said to him:

‘Return this man to the people over whom you’ve assigned him… Don’t allow him to come with us to the battle, because he could be a traitor in our camp!

‘After all, how do we know that he won’t reconcile with his lord? And if he does, our men will pay with their heads!

⁵ ‘For, isn’t this the same David of whom the dancers sang:

‘Saul killed his thousands and David his ten thousands?’

⁶ So AchIsh then called for David and said to him:

‘As Yahweh lives, I know that you’re a good and honest man, and that’s why I invited you to come with me into the camp.

‘But although I haven’t found anything evil in you since you came to me, the governors don’t trust you... ⁷ So, return to [your city] in peace, and don’t allow yourself to be seen doing anything wrong in the eyes of the Philistine governors.’

⁸ But David asked:

‘What have I done? What have you found wrong with your servant?

‘Let me fight against the enemies of my lord the king!’

⁹ And AchIsh told him:

‘I know that you’re a good man… Like a messenger from God.

‘But the Philistine governors are saying, ‘He shouldn’t come with us to this battle.’ ¹⁰ So when you and your men get up early in the morning, you should return to the city that I gave to you!’

¹¹ As a result, when David and his men got up early the next morning, they went back and guarded the land of the Philistines, as the Philistines started their war against IsraEl.

1 Samuel 30

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¹ Well, while David and his men were returning to ZikLag (it was a 3-day journey), the AmaLechites had come from the south and attacked ZikLag… They captured it and burned it! ² However, they didn’t kill any of the young men or any of the women, they just led them away as captives.

³ So when David and his men got back to the city and found it burned, and that their women, sons, and daughters had been carried away as captives, ⁴ David and his men sat down and cried… They wailed until they were just too weak to cry anymore.

⁵ Well, both of David’s women (AhiNoam the JezreElite, and AbiGail, the woman of NaBal the CarMelite) had been captured, ⁶ which hurt David so much that his men said that they should stone him, because he was so grieved over the people and for each of his sons and daughters.

However, his God Yahweh then gave him strength, ⁷ and he said to the Priest AbiAthar (son of AhiMelech):

‘Bring the sacred vest to me.’

So AbiAthar came to David carrying the vest, ⁸ and David asked Yahweh:

‘Should I chase after them?’

And Yahweh replied:

‘Chase after them; for if you chase them, you’ll catch up with them and rescue [your people].’

⁹ So David went after them with all of his 600 men; and when they reached the Bosor Wadi, he left 200 of them behind [to guard their things]… ¹⁰ So he only had about 400 men.

However, he traveled on with the 400 men (after leaving 200 on the other side of the Bosor Wadi).

¹¹ Well, on the way, [his men] found an Egyptian man [lying] in a field, and they took him to David, who gave him some food and water. ¹² They also gave him part of a dried cluster of figs and two portions of raisins, which revived him… For he’d gone without anything to eat or drink for more that three days.

¹³ Then David asked him:

‘What are you doing here, and where did you come from?’

And the Egyptian man replied:

‘I’m the servant of an AmaLechite man.

‘My master left me here because I was sick… And I’ve been lying here for three days. ¹⁴ We’d just attacked parts of Judah that are south of the Cherethites and south of Caleb, and we burned the city of ZikLag.’

¹⁵ Then David asked him:

‘Can you lead me to his troops?’

And he said:

‘Yes… If you’ll swear by God that you won’t kill me or return me to my master, I’ll lead you to them!’

¹⁶ So he led them, and by the time they caught up with them, everyone was scattered throughout the land and they were eating, drinking, and celebrating over the great quantity of loot that they’d taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah.

¹⁷ Well, David started slaughtering them from morning until evening and then into the next day… He left no survivors, other than 400 boys who were able to escape by fleeing on camels.

¹⁸ Then David took back everything that the AmaLechites had captured, and he rescued both of his women.

¹⁹ Yet, none [of his men] (from the small to the great) had been killed, and all the sons and daughters, as well as the loot that had been taken, was returned. ²⁰ Meanwhile, David also took all their flocks and herds, and he looted everything (which was thereafter referred to as ‘the spoils of David’).

²¹ Then when they got back to the 200 men whom David had left behind at the Bosor Wadi, everyone came to greet David and the men who returned with him.

So David went up to them and wished them peace.

²² However, all the wicked men and troublemakers among the warriors that went with David said,

‘They didn’t go with us, so why should we divide any of the loot that we recovered with them?

‘Let them just take back their own women and children, and [be satisfied with that]!’

²³ However, David said:

‘You must not mistreat the brothers of this confederation.

‘For it was Yahweh that guarded us and gave the enemy to us, and He’s the One who protected the troops that came with us... ²⁴ So, watch your words, because these men are in no way less than you, and they’ll receive their share of the battle for staying here and watching our equipment!

‘Yes, they’ll be given the same share as everyone else!’

²⁵ Well from that day on, this became the rule in IsraEl.

²⁶ And when David got back to ZikLag, he sent [a portion of] the spoils to the elders of Judah, as well as to some of his neighbors, saying:

‘Look, here is a blessing from the spoils of the enemies of Yahweh.’

²⁷ [He also sent some of the spoils to the people in:]

• BethEl,

• Southern RamOth,

• JatTir,

• ²⁸ AroEr,

• SiphMoth,

• EshTemoa,

• ²⁹ RachAl,

• to those in the JerahMeElite cities,

• the Kenite cities,

• ³⁰ the people in HorMah,

• BeerAshan,

• AthAch, and

• ³¹  to those in HebRon.

David and his men carried it to each of those places.

1 Samuel 31

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¹ Meanwhile, in the war between the Philistines and IsraEl, the IsraElites had been routed by the Philistines, who slaughtered them all the way to Mount GilBoa. ² The Philistines also caught up with Saul and his sons, and they were able to cut down Saul’s sons JoNathan, AbiNadab, and MelchiShua.

³ However, the battle got bogged down as they were fighting Saul… But then a bowman shot at Saul and wounded him in the spleen.

⁴ And Saul said to his weapons bearer:

‘Unsheathe your broadsword and run me through with it, so that one of these uncircumcised men doesn’t make fun of me before he kills me!’

Well, the man who was carrying his weapons was afraid and he didn’t want to do it; so Saul took his broadsword and fell on it. ⁵ And when the man carrying his weapons saw that Saul was dead, he fell on his sword and died also.

⁶ So Saul, all three of his sons, his weapons bearer, and all of his men died that same day.

⁷ And when the men of IsraEl that were on the other side of the JorDan Valley saw that Saul and his sons were dead, they all ran away… They just fled their cities and ran; and thereafter, the Philistines took [their cities] and lived there.

⁸ Well, it was when the Philistines came to strip the dead that they found Saul and his three sons dead on Mount GilBoa.

⁹ So they cut off [Saul’s] head and took his weapons, and they sent them all around the land of the Philistines to announce the good news to their idols and to their people.

¹⁰ Thereafter, they presented his weapons [to the goddess] Astarte, and they nailed [Saul’s] body to a wall in BethSham.

¹¹ However, when the people in JabIsh GileAd heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, ¹² all their mighty men went out that night and recovered the bodies of Saul and his son JoNathan from the wall in BethSham, and brought them back to JabIsh, where they were burned [in a funeral pyre].

¹³ Then they took their bones and placed them in a tomb in the plowed field of JabIsh, and they fasted for 7 days.

2 Samuel

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2 Samuel is a history book.

It’s part 2 of what was originally a 4-part book (now called 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, and 2 Kings). It’s usually pronounced ‘Second Samuel’ rather than ‘Two Samuel.’

Despite it’s modern name, it was probably written or complied by the prophets Gad or Nathan, since Samuel had died by the time of these events. The book was probably later edited by Ezra.

It covers the events from the death of Saul to David’s sin with the national census.

2 Samuel 1

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¹ After Saul died and after David had returned from his battle with the AmaLechites, David spent a couple of days in ZikLag. ² Then on the 3rd day, a man came to him from the camp of the army of Saul.

His clothes were all torn and his face was covered with dirt. And when he reached David, he fell to the ground and bowed low before him.

³ Then David asked him:

‘Where have you come from?’

And he said:

‘I’ve struggled to make it here from the camp of IsraEl.’

⁴ Then David asked:

‘What message are you bringing? Tell me!’

And he said:

‘Our army has fled the field of battle… Many have been injured and many more have been killed!

‘Why, Saul and his son JoNathan have both been killed!’

⁵ Then David asked:

‘How do you know that both Saul and JoNathan are dead?’

⁶ And the young man said:

‘I happened to be on Mount GilBoa when I saw Saul leaning on his spear.

‘The chariots and cavalry started coming towards him, so I went over to his side. ⁷ And when he looked back and saw me, he called to me and I said:

‘Look, I’m here.’

⁸ ‘And he asked:

‘Who are you?’

‘And I said:

‘I’m an AmaLechite.’

⁹ ‘And he said to me:

‘Stand over me and kill me, because an awful darkness is coming over me!’

¹⁰ ‘So I stood over him and put him to death, because I knew that he couldn’t survive his wound. Then I took the [turban] from his head and the armlet from his biceps, and I’ve brought them here to you, my lord.’

¹¹ Well, David started grabbing his clothes and ripping them, and all of his men started ripping their clothes, ¹² beating on their chests, and crying.

Then they fasted for the rest of that day over Saul, his son JoNathan, the people of Judah, and the people of IsraEl who had been cut down with broadswords.

¹³ After that, David asked the man who’d brought him the message:

‘Where are you from?’

And he replied:

‘I’m the son of an AmaLechite man who’s living in your land.’

¹⁴ Then David asked him:

‘So, why weren’t you afraid to lift your hand and kill the anointed of Yahweh?’

¹⁵ And thereafter, David called one of his servants and said:

‘Come here and kill him!’

So he struck the man and he died.

¹⁶ For David told him:

‘Your blood is on your own head, because your own mouth spoke against you when you said:

‘I have killed the anointed of Yahweh.’

¹⁷ Well after that, David went into mourning over Saul and his son JoNathan.

¹⁸ And to teach the sons of Judah, he sang this song, for look, it’s written in the scroll of the righteous:

¹⁹ ‘Erect a stele, O IsraEl,

For those who’ve died in your hills,

For how the mighty have fallen!

²⁰ ‘Don’t allow them to announce it in Gath,

Or announce it as good news in AshKelon’s streets,

So the daughters of Philistia won’t rejoice…

So the daughters of the uncircumcised will never know joy.

²¹ ‘May dew not fall on GilBoa,

And may no more rain fall upon it,

There in the fields of the first fruits;

For the shields of the mighty have been treated with contempt.

‘Saul’s shield was not anointed with oil,

²² Nor with the blood of the slain,

Or with the fat of the mighty.

But, JoNathan’s bow didn’t come back void,

Nor did the broadsword of Saul return bare.

²³ ‘Saul and JoNathan, beloved ones…

These delightful men were not parted in life,

Nor were they parted in death.

They were swifter than eagles,

And they conquered more than great lions.

²⁴ ‘IsraEl’s daughters,

You should weep over Saul,

For he dressed you in scarlet and jewels…

He dressed you in clothes, and in gold, and in gems.

²⁵ How these mighty have fallen in battle!

‘O JoNathan,

‘You were killed in the mountains.

²⁶ I grieve over you, JonNathan,

O my brother, you were always there for me.

Your affection for me amazed me,

More so than the love of women.

²⁷ ‘O how the mighty fell,

And the weapons of war were destroyed.’

2 Samuel 2

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¹ Then after that, David asked this of Yahweh:

‘Should I now return to one of the cities of Judah?’

And the Lord replied:

‘Go!’

Then when David asked where he should go, the Lord told him:

‘To HebRon.’

² So David thereafter moved to HebRon with his women (AhiNoam the JezreElite and AbiGail the woman of NaBal the CarMelite) and his men. ³ There, each man [obtained] his own house and they all started living in and around HebRon.

⁴ And after that, the men of Judah came and anointed David to be the ruler over the house of Judah.

Well later, when David received the report that the men of JabIsh GileAd had put Saul’s [body] in a tomb, ⁵ he sent a message to the leaders of JabIsh of GileAd that said:

‘May you be blest by Yahweh for showing such mercy to your lord Saul the anointed of God by building a tomb for him and his son JoNathan, ⁶ and may Yahweh grant you mercy and truth.

‘From now on, I’ll treat you in the same [kind] way that you’ve treated [Saul and JoNathan].

⁷ ‘So, prepare yourselves for this and make yourselves strong; because, now that your lord Saul has died, I’ve been anointed to rule over the house of Judah and to become your king!’

⁸ However, AbNer (son of Ner), Saul’s commander-in-chief, took Saul’s son IshBosheth from his camp to ManaEm ⁹ and set him up as the ruler over:

• GileAd,

• ThasiRi,

• JezreEl,

• Ephraim,

• BenJamin, and

• All the rest of IsraEl.

¹⁰ Well, when IshBosheth was appointed the king over IsraEl, he was 40-years old, and he ruled from there for the next 2 years.

However, the house of Judah followed David as their ruler, ¹¹ and he ruled from HebRon for the next 7 years and 6 months.

¹² Then AbNer (son of Ner) and the servants of IshBosheth came from ManaEm to GibeOn, ¹³ and JoAb (son of ZeruJah) and David’s servants came from HebRon to meet with them at the spring of GibeOn. So they all sat down together at the spring, with each group sitting on opposite sides of the spring.

¹⁴ And AbNer said to JoAb:

‘Have your servants get up and play [in combat] in front of us.’

So JoAb said to them:

‘[Okay men], get up!’

¹⁵ Then 12 of IshBosheth’s servants (BenJaminites) stood up as 12 of David’s men stood up, ¹⁶ and they all grabbed each other by the head and jabbed each other in the side with their swords… And they all fell together.

So from then on, that place was known in GibeOn as ‘The Place of the Plotters.’

¹⁷ As a result, a battle started that day, which was hard fought; and AbNer and the men of IsraEl lost to the servants of David.

¹⁸ Now, ZeruJah had three sons that were there; JoAb, AbiShai, and AshaEl… And AshaEl was very light on his feet… Like a deer in the field. ¹⁹ Well, he chased AbNer without slowing or swerving. ²⁰ And when AbNer looked back and saw him, he shouted:

‘Is that really AshaEl?’

And he replied:

‘It’s me!’

²¹ Then AbNer shouted:

‘You should really turn aside and put on one of your servant’s armor.’

However, AshaEl didn’t want to slow down, because he was hot on the heels of AbNer.

²² Then AbNer said to AshaEl:

‘Turn back or I’ll have to kill you! And if I do that, how could I ever show my face to JoAb again?

²³ ‘What are you doing? Go back to your brother JoAb!’

However, AshaEl wasn’t willing to stop! So AbNer threw his spear and hit him in the stomach, running him completely through, and he fell and died there under [AbNer].

Well, everyone went to the place where he fell and just stood there looking [at the body].

²⁴ Then JoAb and AbiShai chased AbNer until the sun set, getting as far as the hill of AmManin in front of Gai on the road between GibeOn and the desert.

²⁵ Meanwhile, the sons of BenJamin had assembled and were coming to help AbNer (they’d reached to the top of one of the hills).

²⁶ So AbNer called to JoAb and said:

‘Do you really think that you can beat me with your broadsword… Don’t you know that this will lead to your own bitter end?

‘Tell your people to stop chasing their brother!’

²⁷ Then JoAb said:

‘As Yahweh lives, it’s good that you said this; for our people would’ve been chasing each other all night long!’

²⁸ So JoAb blew his trumpet, and all his people withdrew and stopped chasing after IsraEl, and the battle ended.

²⁹ Well, AbNer and his men left at sunset and traveled throughout the night, crossing the JorDan and returning all the way to their camp, ³⁰ since JoAb had stopped chasing AbNer.

Thereafter, [JoAb] gathered all his men to find out how many of David’s servants had been lost, and he found that they’d only lost 19, plus AshaEl.

³¹ However, David’s men had killed 360 of the sons of BenJamin under AbNer. ³² Then he picked up AshaEl’s [body] and put it in the tomb in BethLehem where his father was buried.

And JoAb and his men also traveled all night long, reaching HebRon at dawn.

2 Samuel 3

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¹ Well, the war between the house of David and the house of Saul lasted a long time and the house of David kept getting stronger while the house of Saul kept getting weaker.

² In the meantime, David had sons born to him in HebRon.

• His firstborn was AmNon through AhiNoam the JezreElite.

• ³ The second was DaluJah through AbiGail the CarMelite.

• The third was AbSalom through MaAcha the daughter of TholMi, the king of Gesir.

• ⁴ The fourth was Ornia through PhegGith.

• The fifth was SabaTia through AbiTal.

• ⁵ The sixth was JetheraAm through AiGla.

These were all David’s women and all of his sons that were born in HebRon.

⁶ Well, during the war between the house of Saul and the house of David, AbNer became [more powerful] in IsraEl.

⁷ Now, Saul used to have a concubine named ResPha (the daughter of Jal). Then Saul’s son IshBosheth went to AbNer and asked him this:

‘Why are you [sleeping] with my father’s concubine?’

⁸ Well, this made AbNer furious with IshBosheth, and AbNer said:

‘How dare you to speak to me like a dog after the mercy I’ve shown to the house of your father Saul and to his family and friends!

‘Since I never went over to the side of the house of David, why are you coming to me and complaining that I’ve been unjust over some woman today?

⁹ ‘Now, as Yahweh swore in an oath to David; may God curse AbNer and add to it if I don’t do this:

¹⁰ ‘I will now remove the kingship from the house of Saul and raise the throne of David to be over all of IsraEl and Judah from Dan to BeerSheba!’

¹¹ Well, IshBosheth didn’t say anything more, because he was so frightened!

¹² Then AbNer sent messengers to David right away (who was in ThaiLam at the time), with the message:

‘Make a treaty with me, because I’m on your side now, and I’m going to give the whole house of IsraEl to you.’

¹³ And David replied:

‘Yes, I’ll make a treaty with you!

‘However, there’s one thing that I want to ask of you… I don’t want to see your face unless you bring Saul’s daughter Michal with you when you come to me.’

¹⁴ Meanwhile, David also sent messengers to Saul’s son IshBosheth, telling him:

‘Give back my woman Michal, for whom I paid with the foreskins of 100 Philistines!’

¹⁵ As a result, IshBosheth sent and had her taken from her man PhaltiEl (son of SelLe), ¹⁶ who then followed her all the way to BarAkim. But after AbNer warned him to go back, he turned around and went home.

¹⁷ Thereafter, AbNer spoke to the elders of IsraEl and said this:

‘Since you’ve been looking for David to rule over you a long time, ¹⁸ you should do something now. For Yahweh has said concerning him:

‘I will deliver IsraEl from the hands of the Philistines and all their other enemies at the hands of David!’

¹⁹ Then AbNer also went and spoke to the people of the tribe of BenJamin (before he went to speak to David at HebRon), and everyone in the house of BenJamin and the rest of IsraEl was pleased with this idea. ²⁰ It was then that AbNer went with 20 of his men to see David in HebRon… And David prepared a banquet for them.

²¹ So AbNer said this to David:

‘I’ll go and gather all IsraEl to my lord the king, and I’ll conclude a treaty with you for you to rule over whomever you may wish.’

Then David sent AbNer away in peace.

²² However, shortly thereafter, JoAb returned to David with his army after a battle, carrying many spoils of war. Well, AbNer was no longer there with David in HebRon, since he’d been sent away in peace.

²³ But when JoAb and his men heard that AbNer (son of Ner) had come to David and that he’d been sent away in peace, ²⁴ JoAb came to the king and asked:

‘What have you done?

‘Look! AbNer actually came here and you sent him away in peace?

²⁵ ‘Don’t you know that AbNer just came here to deceive you? He just came to find out your plans!’

²⁶ So, after JoAb left David, he sent messengers to AbNer (who was at the well of SeiRam), asking him to return… But David didn’t know anything about this.

²⁷ And when AbNer returned to HebRon, JoAb called to him as he arrived at the city gate, saying that he wanted to speak to him. Well, it was a trap; for he stabbed him in the stomach and killed him! He did this to [avenge] the blood of his brother AshaEl.

²⁸ Then when David heard about [what AbNer had done], he said:

‘My kingdom and I are innocent before Yahweh throughout the ages over the blood of AbNer, son of Ner!

²⁹ ‘But may the guilt of this rest upon JoAb and the house of his father! May the house of JoAb always suffer from gonorrhea and leprosy; may they walk on crutches; may they starve and be cut down in battle... ³⁰ For it was JoAb and his brother AbiShai [that did this to] AbNer, because he’d killed their brother AshaEl at the battle of GibeOn.’

³¹ Then David told JoAb and all of his men to rip their clothes, wrap themselves in sackcloth, and to mourn for AbNer! And after that, David walked behind AbNer’s casket in his funeral procession.

³² For they buried him in a tomb in HebRon, where David screamed and cried, as did all the people.

³³ The king mourned over AbNer, saying these words:

‘Should AbNer have died like NaBal?

³⁴ ‘For his hands and feet were not tied,

Nor like NaBal, was he led away…

He was cut down by an unrighteous man.’

So, all the people gathered to weep for him, ³⁵ and David invited them all to eat loaves of bread in a funeral meal that day.

Then David swore an oath, saying:

‘May God curse me and add more to it if I eat anything before the sun sets today.’

³⁶ As a result, all the people were pleased by these things that the king had done before them. ³⁷ And all IsraEl got to know that the king had nothing to do with killing AbNer (son of Ner).

³⁸ Then the king said to his servants:

‘Don’t you know that a great leader has fallen in IsraEl today?

³⁹ ‘I feel like one of his closest relatives and like someone who’s stood in the presence of a king!

‘However these men, these sons of ZeruJah, are hard for me to bear... May Yahweh repay the one who did this wicked thing with the evil that he deserves.’

2 Samuel 4

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¹ Well, when Saul’s son IshBosheth heard that AbNer (son of Ner) had been killed in HebRon, he and all the men in IsraEl just fell weak.

² And at the time, there were two men who were leaders of the confederation of IshBosheth; one was BaAna and the other was RechAb. They were both sons of RimMon the BeerOthite of the tribe of BenJamin (for BeerOth was considered part of the tribe of BenJamin).

³ These BeerOthites had fled to GetThaim, where [their families] live to this day.

⁴ (Also, Saul’s son JoNathan had a 5-year-old son who was lame. For when the message came from JezreEl about [the death] of Saul and JoNathan, his nurse picked him up and ran away… But then she dropped him, which damaged his legs. His name was MephiBosheth.)

⁵ Well, as the sons of RimMon the BeerOthite (RechAb and BaAna) were leaving, they went to the house of [Saul’s son] IshBosheth in the heat of the day during his noontime nap. ⁶ And because the doorman was out sifting wheat, they were able to slip in without being noticed… ⁷ And there was IshBosheth in his bedroom asleep in his bed.

So they struck him, killed him, and cut off his head, then they traveled west all that day and night so as to ⁸ bring IshBosheth’s head to David in HebRon!

Then they said to the king:

‘Look, here’s the head of Saul’s son IshBosheth… Your enemy who would’ve killed you!

‘Yahweh has given him to our lord the king as punishment to the enemies of his offspring. For Saul and his offspring have been your enemies down to this day.’

⁹ But David told RechAb and his brother BaAna:

‘As Yahweh (the One who’s protected my life) lives, ¹⁰ the man who reported to me that Saul had died thought he was bringing me good news... However, I had him taken away and killed in ZikLag, despite what he thought!

¹¹ ‘And now, you wicked people have killed a righteous man while he was in his house asleep in bed! So, I’ll require his blood from you… I’ll wipe you out of this land!’

¹² Well at that, David gave orders to his servants, and they killed them both… They cut off their hands and feet and hung their bodies near the spring in HebRon, then they took the head of IshBosheth and placed it in the tomb of AbNer (son of Ner) in HebRon.

2 Samuel 5

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¹ Well thereafter, all the tribes of IsraEl came to David in HebRon, and they said to him:

‘Look, we are your own flesh and bones.

² ‘And although Saul used to be our king, you were the one who led the people of IsraEl in our [battles], so you must be the leader over IsraEl.’

³ Then all the elders of IsraEl came [and met with] the king in HebRon, and King David made a treaty with them there in HebRon, in the presence of Yahweh.

And thereafter, they anointed David to be the king over all IsraEl.

⁴ Well, David was 30 years old when he started his rule, and he reigned for 40 years. ⁵ He reigned over [the tribe of] Judah in HebRon for 7-1/2 years, and he reigned over all IsraEl and Judah from JeruSalem for 33 years.

⁶ Thereafter, David and all his men [marched on] JeruSalem, where the Jebusites were living at the time.

And the [Jebusites] said to him:

‘You’re not going to enter here, for the blind and the lame will oppose you! Even they are saying:

‘David will never enter [this city]!’

⁷ However, David took the citadel on Zion, and he made it his own city.

⁸ Then he told his men:

‘Everyone who cuts down a Jebusite should also use his dagger on the lame, the blind, and on anyone else who hates the person of David.

‘And thereafter, the people must say, ‘The blind and the lame will never enter the Temple of Yahweh!’

⁹ Well, David took up living there in the citadel, and the place became known as the City of David. Then he built a city around his tower and palace.

¹⁰ And from that point on, David kept getting greater, because Yahweh the Almighty was with him.

¹¹ Then King HiRam [I] of Tyre sent envoys to David, who brought along much wood from his cedar trees, as well as some stoneworkers that built a palace for David.

¹² Now, David knew that it was Yahweh who had made him king over IsraEl, and that He was the One who was blessing [David’s] kingdom, because of His people IsraEl.

¹³ Well, after David moved from HebRon to JeruSalem, he took more wives and concubines, so he had even more sons and daughters.
¹⁴ These are the names of the children that were born to him in JeruSalem:

• SamMous,

• SoBab,

• Nathan,

• Solomon,

• ¹⁵ EbeAr,

• EliSoWe,

• NapPek,

• JePhies,

• ¹⁶ EliSama,

• EliDae,

• EliPhalath,

• SamaE,

• JessiBath,

• YalaMaAn,

• YeBaAr,

• TheaEsous,

• EliPhalar,

• NaGed,

• NaPhek,

• JaNathan,

• LeAsamus,

• BaAlImath, and

• EliPhaAth.

¹⁷ However, when the Philistines heard that David had been anointed to be the king over IsraEl, they went looking for him. And when David heard about this, he made it back to his citadel ¹⁸ just as the Philistines were forming for an attack in the Valley of the Titans.

¹⁹ So David went to Yahweh and asked:

‘Should I fight the Philistines, and if so, will You give them into my hands?’

And the Lord replied:

‘Go, for I’ll save you and give the Philistines into your hands!’

²⁰ So David attacked them from the mountain passes, and he breached their lines, defeating the Philistines.

Then David said:

‘Since Yahweh cut through my enemies the Philistines like He cuts through water, we’ll name this place the High Breaches.’

²¹ Well at the time, the [Philistines] had left behind all [the images of] their gods. So David and his men picked them up and carried them along.

²² But then the Philistines attacked again, coming to meet them in battle in the Valley of the Titans.

²³ So David asked Yahweh once more, and the Lord replied:

‘Don’t confront them; go around them to the other side of the Forest of Tears, and I’ll give them into your hands... ²⁴ Then, when you hear the sound of them marching from the Forest of Tears, you must attack! For I’ll lead you in your battle with the Philistines.’

²⁵ So David did just as the Lord told him, and he cut down the Philistines all the way from GibeOn to the land of GeZer.

2 Samuel 6

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¹ Well, after [some 20 years], David gathered the young men of IsraEl (about 70,000 of them) ² and he and all his men, along with rulers from Judah, went to bring back the Chest of God which was used to call on the Name of Yahweh of Armies, which had the [covering of] cherubs.

³ So they went to the house of AmiNadab (which was on a hill) and picked up the Chest of Yahweh, and mounted it on a new wagon. Then the sons of AmiNadab walked ahead of the wagon that carried the Chest.

⁴ Well, as AmiNadab’s sons were leading the wagon along, ⁵ David and his men were dancing in front of Yahweh and playing musical instruments (they were playing appropriate lively tunes on lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and pipes).

⁶ And when they arrived at the threshing-floor of NaChon, the oxen [that were hauling the chest] bolted; so, Oza stuck out his hand to grab the Chest of God in order to steady it.

⁷ But this enraged Yahweh, so God struck Oza and he fell dead next to the Chest of Yahweh… There, in the presence of God!

⁸ Of course, David was very depressed over the fact that Yahweh had cut down Oza. So he started calling that place ‘the Cutting Down of Oza,’ which is what it’s still called to this day.

⁹ And on that day, David became afraid of Yahweh; for he asked:

‘How would it be possible for me to transport the Chest of God?’

¹⁰ So he decided not to move the Chest of the Sacred Agreement of Yahweh into his city. Rather, he turned around and carried it to the house of Obed-Edom the GitTite, ¹¹ and that’s where the Chest of Yahweh was kept for the next three months.

But as a result, Yahweh blest the household of Obed-Edom and everything that he owned.

¹² Then when King David was told that that the house of Obed-Edom and all his things were being blest because of the Chest of God, David went and took the Chest of Yahweh from there and brought it into the city of David in a joyful [parade].

¹³ However, this time when the Chest of Yahweh was being transported, it was led by 7 companies of dancers, followed by the calf and the lambs that were to be sacrificed, and then by David, as [musicians] played music that was appropriate for the presence of Yahweh.

¹⁴ Well, David was wearing a fine robe ¹⁵ as he and the whole house of IsraEl danced in front of the Chest of Yahweh, shouting and blowing trumpets. ¹⁶ But when the Chest reached the city of David, Michal (Saul’s daughter) happened to be watching from her window... And when she saw King David dancing and playing music before Yahweh, in her heart she was disgusted.

¹⁷ Then they brought the Chest of Yahweh in and set it in its place in the middle of the Tent that David had made for it, and David sacrificed whole burnt offerings and peace offerings there before Yahweh.

¹⁸ He also blest the people in the name of Yahweh of Armies, ¹⁹ and he distributed bread loaves, grilled meat, and pancakes among all the people of IsraEl, both the men and the women, some of whom had come from as far way as Dan and BeerSheba.

So after that, everyone went back home, ²⁰ and David returned to bless his own house... But when he got there, Michal (the daughter of Saul) came out to meet David and she started shouting at him.

She asked:

‘So, how was the king of IsraEl glorified today as he danced naked in front of the daughters of his servants?

‘For you exposed yourself while you were dancing!’

²¹ And David replied:

‘When I’m in the presence of Yahweh, I’m going to dance!

‘May Yahweh, who chose me over your father and his house, be praised for allowing me to take the lead over His people IsraEl.

‘I’ll [always] strum and dance in His presence, ²² and I’ll be uncovered again in front of the girls – before whom you said I dishonored myself – so that I can become even more useless in your eyes!’

²³ Well, because she said this, Michal (the daughter of Saul) remained childless until the day that she died.

2 Samuel 7

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¹ It was after Yahweh had conquered all [of David’s] enemies roundabout him, that one day, as the king was sitting in his palace, ² he said to the prophet Nathan:

‘Look, here I am, living in a palace of cedars, while the Chest of God is just sitting there in a tent!’

³ And Nathan said to the king:

‘Then, do whatever your heart moves you to do, because Yahweh is with you!’

⁴ But that night, the word of the Lord came to Nathan, which said:

⁵ ‘Go and speak to My servant David, and tell him that this is what Yahweh says:

‘You must not build a house for Me to dwell in, ⁶ because I haven’t stayed in a house from the time that I led the sons of IsraEl out of Egypt until now.

‘Rather, I’ve been moving about in a tent ⁷ in all the places where IsraEl has traveled.’

‘Now, as you speak to him, ask him this:

‘Have I spoken to any of those whom I’ve assigned over My people, the tribes of IsraEl, and asked them to build a house of Cedars for Me?’

⁸ ‘Then tell my servant David that Yahweh the Almighty says this:

‘I took you away from your sheep pens to be the leader over My people IsraEl, ⁹ and wherever you went I’ve been with you... I’ve destroyed all your enemies and I’ve made your name famous among all the great men of the earth.

¹⁰ ‘And now I’ll establish a place for my people IsraEl… I’ll plant it in a place where they’ll camp by themselves, and where they won’t have to worry anymore.

‘It’s a place where the sons of the unrighteousness won’t humble them as they did in ancient times, ¹¹ back when I put judges over My people IsraEl. And it’s only then, after I provide you with rest from all your enemies, that I’ll show you how to build a Temple for Yahweh.

¹² ‘And after your days are finished and you’ve gone to sleep with your ancestors, I’ll raise up your offspring after you – someone who’s come from within you – and I’ll prepare his kingdom.

¹³ ‘He’s the one who’ll build a Temple to My Name, and I’ll establish his throne throughout the ages… ¹⁴ I’ll be a father to him, and he will be a son to Me.

‘So, whenever he misbehaves, I’ll discipline him with the type of switch that men use, and spank him in the same way that the sons of men do [to their sons].

¹⁵ ‘But I’ll never remove My mercy from him in the same way that I’ve removed My mercy from others. ¹⁶ Rather, his house and his kingdom will stand before Me throughout the age, and his throne will last throughout the ages.’

¹⁷ Well after that, Nathan went and spoke to David about all the words that he’d heard in the vision.

¹⁸ Then King David went in and sat down before Yahweh and asked:

‘Just who am I, O my Lord Yahweh, and what is my house that You’ve shown such love for me?

¹⁹ ‘Even though I was once very small before You, O my Lord Yahweh, You spoke about my house long ahead of time... So now, what laws are you giving to me, O my Lord, ²⁰ and what should David say before You?

‘You know Your servant, O my Lord Yahweh, ²¹ and You’ve treated Your servant as Your heart has directed… ²² You’ve brought about all these great things to let your servant know that he should glorify You, O my Lord Yahweh; for there’s no one else like You, and we’ve heard of no God other than You.

²³ ‘And what are Your people IsraEl? For, no other nation on the earth is being guided by their God!

‘However, now You’ve purchased a people to establish Your Name and to show Your greatness and grandeur! You drove nations away in front of these people whom You purchased out of Egypt, and then You had them live in tents.

²⁴ ‘So, You’ve set aside IsraEl to be Your people throughout the ages… And You, O Yahweh, have become their God!

²⁵ ‘And now, O my Lord Yahweh, may the things that You said about Your servant and his house prove to be true throughout the ages, just as You said.

²⁶ ‘And may Your Name, ²⁷ Jehovah the Almighty God over IsraEl, be glorified throughout the ages!

‘For You’ve uncovered the ears of your servant and told me that I’ll build a Temple for You. This is why Your servant’s heart has been moved to speak this prayer to You.

²⁸ ‘And now, O my Lord; you are The God!

‘So, the words that You said about the good things that You’ll do for Your servant will prove to be true! ²⁹ Therefore, start blessing this house of Your servant, which will stand before You throughout the ages.

‘For You, O my Lord Yahweh, have spoken, and You’ve promised to bless the house of your servant throughout the ages.’

2 Samuel 8

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¹ So after that, David attacked the Philistines and routed them, and he took back everything that [IsraEl] had lost to them. ² David also attacked [and captured] MoAb, and he divided their army into two lines as they lay on the ground. Half were to be killed and the rest were to survive.

Then the MoAbites became David’s servants and they were required to pay him a tribute.

³ Next, David attacked HadraAzar (son of RaAb) the king of Soba as he was marching towards the EuPhrates River... ⁴ There David captured 1,000 chariots, 7,000 of his cavalry, and 20,000 of his foot soldiers!

Then David had all the chariots destroyed, except for 100 that he kept for himself.

⁵ And when the Syrians came from Damascus to help HadraAzar (the king of Soba), David cut down 22,000 of their men! ⁶ Then David sent a detachment to Syria, where they garrisoned near Damascus, and the Syrians had to pay a tribute to David also.

So, Yahweh was with David wherever he went.

⁷ Well, David took the gold armlets that the sons of HadraAzar wore and brought them to JeruSalem. However, these were eventually taken by SusAkim [possibly Amenemope] the king of Egypt, when he attacked JeruSalem during the reign of RehoBoam, son of Solomon.

⁸ Then David attacked HadraAzar’s principal cities and he brought back huge amounts of brass, which was thereafter used by Solomon to create the Temple’s sacred Brass Sea, its columns, its bathing tubs, and all its utensils.

⁹ Well when the king of HaMath heard that David had conquered the armies of HadraAzar, ¹⁰ he sent his son JedDouran to King David to sue for peace. He also congratulated David for beating HadraAzar (since HadraAzar was his enemy), and he brought along many items of silver, gold, and brass, ¹¹ which King David dedicated to Yahweh, as he’d done with all the silver and gold that he’d taken from the cities that he’d conquered, ¹² [which were] those of:

• Edom,

• MoAb,

• The sons of AmMon,

• The Philistines,

• The AmaLechites,

• From the spoils of HadraAzar son of RaAb, the king of Soba.

¹³ Well, after he did that, David became quite famous… And then on his return, he attacked the Idumeans in the Salt Valley, killing 18,000. ¹⁴ Then he put detachments throughout all of Idumea, and the Idumeans became the king’s servants.

Well, no matter where he went, Yahweh was with David, ¹⁵ and he remained the ruler over all IsraEl; for he was fair and just with his people.

¹⁶ [At the time:]

• JoAb (son of ZeruJah) was in charge of his army.

• JoShaphat (son of AchiAd) was in charge of the records.

• ¹⁷ ZaDok (son of AhiTub) and AhiMelech (son of AbiAthar) were the Priests.

• Sasa was the Scribe.

• ¹⁸ BenaiJah (son of JoDai) was David’s personal advisor.

• The Cherethites, Phelethites, and David’s sons were the chiefs of his palace.

2 Samuel 9

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¹ Then David asked if there was anyone left from the house of Saul to whom he should be showing [kindness] to because of JoNathan. ² And at the time, he found that there was a servant from the house of Saul named Ziba, whom they brought to David.

So the king asked him:

‘Are you Ziba?’

And he replied:

‘I’m your servant.’

³ And the king asked:

‘Is there anyone left from the house of Saul upon whom I should be showing the mercy of God?’

And Ziba replied:

‘There’s still one of JoNathan’s sons… The one whose feet had been damaged.’

⁴ So the king asked:

‘Where is he?’

And Ziba replied:

‘Look! He’s in the house of MachIr, son of AmiEl of LodaBar.’

⁵ So King David sent for him and brought him from the house of MachIr. ⁶ And when MephiBosheth (son of JoNathan and the grandson of Saul) came to King David, he fell to his face, bowing to the ground before him.

Then David said:

‘MephiBosheth!’

And he replied:

‘Look… Your servant!’

⁷ Then David said:

‘Don’t be afraid, because [the reason why I called you] is to show you mercy because of JoNathan your father... I’m going to give you back all the fields of your grandfather Saul, and you’ll always eat at my table.’

⁸ And MephiBosheth bowed low again and said:

‘Who am I, your servant, to find your favor? For I’m no better that a dying dog.’

⁹ Then the king called for Ziba (Saul’s servant) and told him:

‘I’m giving everything that belonged to Saul and his house to your master’s son... ¹⁰ So you, your sons, and your servants must work his land for him, and you are to bring your lord’s son loaves of bread to eat.

‘Also, MephiBosheth, your lord’s son, will always eat at my table.’

Now, Ziba had 15 sons and 20 servants.

¹¹ And he said to the king:

‘Whatever my lord the king asks, his servant will do.’

And from that day on, MephiBosheth ate at the table of David as though he was one of the king’s sons.

¹² Now, MephiBosheth had a small son named Micha, whom the whole of house of Ziba also served, ¹³ and they all lived in JeruSalem and always ate at the table of the king.

However, MephiBosheth had been lame in both feet since his birth.

2 Samuel 10

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¹ Then the king of the sons of AmMon died, and his son became the new king.

² So David said:

‘I’ll do something nice for HanNon, son of NaHash, because his father was so kind to me.’

Therefore, David sent his servants to the land of the sons of AmMon to comfort him over his father.

³ However, the governors of the sons of AmMon went to their lord and asked:

‘Is David really sending you comforters to glorify your father, or hasn’t he in fact sent them as spies to look at [our fortifications]?’

⁴ As a result, HanNon grabbed David’s servants, shaved their beards, cut off their uniforms to their hips, and then he sent them away.

⁵ Well, when this was reported to David, he sent men to meet those servants, because they’d been so extremely dishonored! And the king told them to stay in JeriCho until their beards grew back.

⁶ Meanwhile, when the sons of AmMon saw how David had been disgraced, they hired 20,000 Syrians from BaithRaAm, Soba, and RoOb, as well as 1,000 infantrymen from the king of AmaLech, and 12,000 men from IshTob.

⁷ And when David heard about this, he sent JoAb and all his best soldiers [to confront them]; ⁸ for the sons of AmMon had gathered for war at their city gates… They’d sent the Syrians from Soba, RoOb, and [men of] IshTob and MaAcha into the field to fight with them.

⁹ And when JoAb saw what he was facing, with armies on both sides, he took the younger men of IsraEl and deployed them opposite the Syrians, ¹⁰ then he put the rest of his army into the hands of his brother AbiShai, who [set up battle lines] facing the sons of AmMon.

¹¹ And he [told his brother]:

‘If Syria starts to beat me, you come to help me; and if the sons of AmMon start to beat you, I’ll come to help you.

¹² ‘However, we must act like men! For if we’re strong for our people and the cities of our God, [we can trust that] Yahweh will do whatever He sees is best!’

¹³ Well, when JoAb and his men attacked the Syrians, they fled from before him. ¹⁴ And when the sons of AmMon saw the Syrians running, they turned and ran from AbiShai, back into their cities.

So thereafter, JoAb left the land of AmMon and he returned to JeruSalem.

¹⁵ However, after the Syrians had lost before IsraEl, they returned and gathered at the same place again. ¹⁶ But this time, HadraAzar sent for more Syrians from the other side of the river, stationing them in AiLam, and he put Sobak the general of his army to be over them.

¹⁷ And when this was reported to David, he gathered the whole army of IsraEl and they crossed the JorDan to march against AiLam. There the Syrians set up battle lines against David, and the battle began… ¹⁸ And again, the Syrians fled from the IsraElites!

This time, David destroyed 700 of their chariots and 40,000 of their cavalry! He also killed the general over their army, Sobak.

¹⁹ Then, when the servants of HadraAzar saw that they’d lost to IsraEl, they surrendered and became their servants… And the Syrians were afraid to come to the aid of the sons of AmMon after that.

2 Samuel 11

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¹ Well, it was the time of year when the kings [traditionally] went out to battle, and David sent JoAb, his servants, and the entire army of IsraEl, and they destroyed the sons of AmMon. Then they laid siege against RabBah. However, David had stayed at home in JeruSalem.

² Then one evening, David got up from his bed and he walked up to the roof of the king’s palace... From there he saw a very pretty woman who was bathing on her roof.

³ So David asked about the woman, saying:

‘Isn’t that BathSheba, the daughter of EliAb and the woman of UriAh the Hittite?’

⁴ And thereafter David sent messengers that brought her to him… He went to bed and [had sex] with her, then she went back home.

However, she’d just been cleansed from her monthly period; ⁵ so when she sent a message to David telling him that she was pregnant, David said:

‘It’s my baby.’

⁶ As a result, David sent [a message] to JoAb, saying:

‘Send UriAh the Hittite to me.’

And JoAb sent UriAh to him.

⁷ Well when UriAh arrived, David first asked how JoAb was doing, how the army was doing, and then about how the war was going.

⁸ And David said to UriAh:

‘Now, just go back home and wash your feet!’

So UriAh left the king’s palace, and the king had a gift sent to him. ⁹ However, UriAh bedded down next to the door to the king’s palace, along with his lord’s servants, and he didn’t go home.

¹⁰ Then when David was told that UriAh hadn’t gone home, he went and asked UriAh:

‘Didn’t you just return from some distance? Why don’t you go home?’

¹¹ And UriAh replied:

‘Well, the [sacred] Chest and the armies of Judah and IsraEl are all staying in tents, and my lord JoAb and his men are also camped out in fields; so, how could I go to my house to eat, drink, and go to bed with my woman?

‘As you are living, how could I do such a thing?’

¹² Then David told him:

‘Well, stay here for the rest of the [evening], and tomorrow I’ll send for you.’

So UriAh stayed in JeruSalem throughout that night.

And the next day, ¹³ David called for him. Then he fed him and gave him so much to drink that he got him drunk! Yet that evening, he again went to bed with the servants of his lord, and he didn’t return to his home.

¹⁴ So the next morning, David wrote a letter to JoAb, which he asked UriAh to deliver.

¹⁵ It said:

‘Send UriAh into the toughest part of the fighting, right up to the city gate; and then leave him there so he will be cut down and killed.’

¹⁶ So when JoAb attacked the city, he put UriAh in a place where he knew that the hardest fighting would be done... ¹⁷ Then when the men of the city came out to fight with JoAb, many of David’s men died along with UriAh the Hittite.

¹⁸ And thereafter, JoAb sent a report to David with all the details of the battle. He also sent a private message to the king. ¹⁹ He said this to the messenger whom he sent:

‘When you’re describing the battle to the king, ²⁰ if the king should get angry and tell you to ask me:

‘Why did you approach the city walls to fight them? Didn’t you know that they’d shoot down at you from the walls?

²¹ ‘For, who struck AbiMelek, son of JeroBaal and grandson of Ner? Didn’t a woman drop a piece of a millstone on him from the wall, killing him there in ThamAsi?

‘Why did you attack the wall?’

‘You must answer:

‘Well, your servant UriAh the Hittite also died.’

²² So JoAb’s messenger went to the king in JeruSalem and he told David everything that JoAb told him to say about the war. And predictably, David was furious with JoAb, and he said to the messenger:

‘Why did he lead [the men] right up to the city to fight?

‘Didn’t he know that they’d attack from the walls?

‘For, who struck AbiMelek, son of JeroBaal? Didn’t a woman toss a piece of millstone from the wall and kill him in ThamAsi?

‘Why did he attack the wall?’

²³ And the messenger said to David:

‘Well, the men attacked us… They came out into the field to meet us, so we fought them there at their city gate.

²⁴ ‘Meanwhile, they were also shooting at us from the walls, and many of the king’s servants were killed… Including your subject, UriAh the Hittite.’

²⁵ So David said to the messenger:

‘Then tell JoAb not to feel bad about it, because the sword cuts both ways. He should intensify the battle against the city, then tear it down and establish a garrison there.’

²⁶ Well, when the wife of UriAh heard that her husband had been killed, she was deeply saddened... ²⁷ Then, after her period of mourning, David sent for her and had her brought to his palace.

So he married her and she gave birth to his son.

However, this whole thing appeared to be wicked in the eyes of Yahweh!

2 Samuel 12

←11 | All books | All chapters | 13→

¹ As a result, Yahweh sent the prophet Nathan to David, who went in and told him this story:

‘There were two men who lived in the same city; one was rich, and the other was poor.

² ‘Now, the rich man had huge flocks and herds, ³ but the only thing that the poor man owned was a small female lamb that he’d purchased... He protected it and fed it, and it grew up with his children. It ate the same bread, drank from his cup, and slept inside of his robe; for it was just like a daughter to him!

⁴ ‘Well, it so happened that a traveler came along who stopped in to see the rich man. Then, because he didn’t want to take anything from his own flocks or herds to prepare [a meal] for a stranger, he took the lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the person who had come to visit.’

⁵ Well, when he heard this, David was outraged and he said:

‘As Yahweh lives, that man deserves to die!

⁶ ‘He should also have to pay for the lamb with 7 of his own, because of this evil thing that he did!’

⁷ And Nathan said to David:

‘But, you are the man who did this!

‘So, Yahweh the God of IsraEl told me to say this to you:

‘I’m the One who anointed you to be the king over IsraEl, and I’m the One who saved you from the hands of Saul.

⁸ ‘I’m also the One who gave you the house of your lord and I brought his women to your chest; and thereafter I gave you the houses of IsraEl and Judah... And if you had remained faithful, I would have given you even more!

⁹ ‘So, why have you treated the Word of Yahweh as worthless by doing this wicked thing before His eyes?

For you cut down UriAh the Hittite with the broadsword and took his woman as yours… When the sons of AmMon killed him, it was really you who killed him!

¹⁰ ‘And because you did this, the broadsword won’t leave your house throughout the ages! For you treated Me with contempt by taking the wife of UriAh the Hittite as your woman.’

¹¹ ‘And Yahweh also said this:

‘Look, I will cause evil things to awaken in your own house… I will take your women from before you and give them to your neighbor, then he will go to bed with them in the daylight.

¹² ‘Although you did it in secret, I will do this in the daylight and before all IsraEl!’

¹³ Well at that, David said to Nathan:

‘I have truly sinned against Yahweh!’

And Nathan said to David:

‘Well, Yahweh has forgiven your sin, so you’re not going to die... ¹⁴ However, by doing such an unrighteous thing, you’ve even made Yahweh’s enemies angry.

‘Therefore, the son who’ll be born to you will die.’

¹⁵ And at that, Nathan left David’s palace.

So as a result, Yahweh caused the child that was born to the woman of UriAh by David to be sickly and weak. ¹⁶ However, David [prayed to] God about the boy, and he fasted and slept on the ground.

¹⁷ And when the elders of his house came to lift him off the ground, he wouldn’t get up, nor would he eat with them.

¹⁸ Then after 7 days, the boy died… And David’s servants were afraid to tell him, for they said:

‘{Look!} When we spoke to him about the boy while [the child] was still alive, he didn’t listen to us... So how can we now tell [David] that he’s dead, for he’ll surely do bad things to us!’

¹⁹ Well, David noticed that his servants had been whispering, and he suspected that the boy had died.

So he asked his servants:

‘Has the boy died?’

And they replied:

‘He has.’

²⁰ Then David got up from the ground, took a bath, rubbed himself with oil, and changed his clothes. And thereafter, he went to the [Tent] of God and bowed before Him.

And when he got back home, he asked for some food to eat, which they brought to him, and which he ate.

²¹ So his servants asked:

‘Why have you acted this way concerning the boy?

‘For while he was still alive you fasted, cried, and wouldn’t sleep, but after he died, you got up and ate and drank something.’

²² And David replied:

‘I fasted and cried while the boy was still living, because I hoped that Yahweh would show mercy on me and allow the boy to live. ²³ But now that he’s died, why should I fast?

‘I won’t be able to go and see him again, nor can I carry him to me, because I can’t bring him back.’

²⁴ Then David went to comfort his woman, BathSheba.

Well, he went to bed with her again, and she got pregnant and gave birth to a son whom she named Solomon… And Yahweh loved him. ²⁵ So He sent for Nathan the prophet, who renamed him JediDiAh (Beloved of Yahweh), following the Lord’s instructions.

²⁶ Then JoAb went to war with RabBah of the sons of AmMon again, and he conquered that kingdom’s capital city.

²⁷ So JoAb sent messengers to David to say:

‘I’ve fought against RabBah and subdued the City of Waters!

²⁸ ‘Therefore, gather your men and come to our camp so you can be the first to take it! I don’t want to be the first to take the city, for I don’t wish to have it called by my name.’

²⁹ As a result, David gathered his men and he went to RabBah and captured it.

³⁰ Then he took their king’s crown from his head (which was made of gold and precious gems) and had it placed on his own head... They also looted the city and brought back a tremendous amount of goods.

³¹ Then he took the [city’s] people away and put them to work as carpenters, farm laborers, iron smelters, blacksmiths, and brick makers… In fact, that’s what he did in all the cities of the sons of AmMon.

And thereafter, David and his men returned to JeruSalem.

2 Samuel 13

←12 | All books | All chapters | 14→

¹ Well, AbSalom (one of David’s sons) had a very pretty sister named Thamar, and AmNon (another son of David) was in love with her. ² In fact, he was so smitten with her that he was sick. Thamar (who was also his sister) was a virgin, and AmNon would’ve done anything to have her.

³ AmNon also had a friend named JoNadab (he was the son of David’s brother SamaA), and JoNadab was a very wise man.

⁴ Then one day, JoNadab asked AmNon:

‘Why are you so puny every morning, O son of the king… Tell me what’s wrong.’

And AmNon, replied:

‘It’s because of Thamar, my brother AbSalom’s sister… I love her.’

⁵ And JoNadab said to him:

‘Then do this: Go to bed and act like you’re sick... And when your father comes to see you, tell him:

‘Send my sister Thamar to prepare my food before me and feed me, so I can see her and eat from her hands.’

⁶ So AmNon went to bed and pretended to be sick.

And when the king came to see him, AmNon said:

‘Send my sister Thamar to me and have her bake a couple of biscuits, then I’ll eat them from her hands’

⁷ Well, David sent for Thamar at her home, saying:

‘Go to the house of your brother AmNon and prepare some food for him.’

⁸ Therefore, Thamar went to the house of her brother AmNon. And when she found him lying on a cot, she took some dough and mixed it in front of him to make some biscuits, then she fried them ⁹ and took the frying pan and laid them before him.

However, he wouldn’t eat them.

So at that, AmNon [told his servants] to send everyone else away.

¹⁰ And AmNon said to Thamar:

‘Now, carry the food into my bedroom and I’ll eat it from your hands there.’

As a result, Thamar took the biscuits she’d made and carried them into her brother AmNon’s bedroom.

¹¹ And when she brought them to him, he grabbed her and said:

‘Now, come to bed with me, my sister!’

¹² But she said to him:

‘No, my brother, don’t rape me; for such things aren’t done in IsraEl!

‘Don’t be so foolish, ¹³ for I could never handle the scandal, and you’d be considered one of the fools in IsraEl!

‘Just speak to the king and ask him to let you [marry me]!’

¹⁴ However, AmNon wouldn’t listen to her... He just overpowered her, shoved her onto his bed, and raped her!

¹⁵ Well, [after he was finished], AmNon’s love turned to hate... In fact, his hatred was greater than the love that he once had for her. So he told her to get up and leave.

¹⁶ But she said:

‘No, O my brother!

‘For sending me away like this is even worse than the terrible thing that you just did to me!’

But AmNon wouldn’t listen to that.

¹⁷ So he called his head servant in and said to him:

‘Take her away from me, then throw her outside and lock the door!’

¹⁸ Well at the time, all she had on was a long-sleeved slip (for that’s what the virgin daughters of the king wore under their clothes). Nevertheless, the servant led her outside and he locked the door behind her.

¹⁹ So, Thamar took ashes and put them on her head and she ripped the slip she was wearing, then she put her hands on her head and ran away screaming.

²⁰ And later, her brother AbSalom asked her:

‘Has your brother AmNon been with you?

‘If so, my sister, don’t say anything, because he’s your brother… Don’t put it into your heart to say anything about this!’

So from that time on, Thamar lived as a widow in the house of her brother AbSalom.

²¹ Well when King David heard what had happened, he was furious! But he wasn’t angry with his son AmNon, since he was his firstborn, ²² nor did he say anything bad or good to AbSalom about AmNon.

However, AbSalom detested AmNon because he’d raped his sister Thamar.

²³ It was exactly two years later that [all the brothers] went out to shear sheep for AbSalom at BelAsor (near the land of Ephraim), because AbSalom had called for all the sons of the king to help him.

²⁴ He’d gone before the king and said:

‘Look, your servant has to do some shearing. So, may the king and his servants come along with me.’

²⁵ However, the king said to AbSalom:

‘No my son, we shouldn’t all go, for we’d just be a burden on you.’

So David refused (because he really didn’t want to go), but he blest him.

And AbSalom said:

‘Then, send my brother AmNon along with me.’

And the king asked:

‘Why should he go with you?’

²⁷ But because AbSalom kept insisting, he sent along AmNon and all of his other sons to help him.

Well, when they got there, AbSalom prepared a banquet that was fit for a king.

²⁸ Then he told his servants:

‘When AmNon starts feeling the wine, I want you to strike him down and kill him! Don’t be afraid, because I’m the one who’s telling you to do this.

‘Just be strong and act like men!’

²⁹ So AbSalom’s servants did just as they were told… And after they did that, all the sons of the king mounted their mules and fled.

³⁰ Meanwhile, as they were headed back, a [false] report came to David that AbSalom had killed all of the king’s sons… That none of them had been spared! ³¹ So the king ripped his clothes and fell to the ground, and all his servants that were standing around him also ripped their clothes.

³² But then JoNadab (son of ShimeAh, David’s brother) said:

‘They shouldn’t have told our lord that all of his sons were killed, for it was just AmNon!

‘He died alone at the instructions of AbSalom, because this is the same day thatAmNon had raped his sister Thamar... ³³ May my lord the king not think in his heart that all of his sons have died, for it was only AmNon!’

³⁴ Meanwhile, AbSalom had run away.

Well just then, [David’s] watchman happened to look out and he noticed many people coming along the road down the side of the mountain.

So he went and reported this to the king, saying:

‘I see men coming down the mountain along the road to OrOnen.’

³⁵ And JoNadab said to the king:

‘Look, it’s your sons! They’re coming back, just as your servant said they would.’

³⁶ Then, shortly after he’d finished speaking, {Look!} the king’s sons came in, shouting and crying! And the king and all his servants wailed and cried along with them.

³⁷ Well at the time, AbSalom had run away and gone to stay with King TholMi (son of EmiUd) of GedSur in the land of HamAchad. And because King David mourned over his son for a long time, ³⁸ AbSalom spent three years in GedSur... ³⁹ But by then, the [wrath] of the king had abated and he was no longer chasing AbSalom, for he was no longer grieving over the death of AmNon.

2 Samuel 14

←13 | All books | All chapters | 15→

¹ Now, JoAb (son of ZeruJah) knew that the king [still loved] AbSalom. ² So he sent for a woman in Thecoe who was very wise, and he said to her:

‘I want you to dress in mourning clothes [and pretend] to be in mourning... Don’t rub yourself with oil, for I want you to appear to be a woman who’s been mourning over her dead for many days.’

³ So she went to the king and said the words that JoAb told her to say… ⁴ This ThecoEthite woman went in to the king, fell with her face to the ground bowing before him, and said:

‘Save me, oh king! Save me!’

⁵ And the king asked her:

‘What’s wrong?’

Then she said:

‘I’m now a widow, because my husband has just died!

⁶ ‘However, your servant had two sons who started arguing with each other while they were out in the fields where there was no one to break it up.

‘Then the one hit the other and killed him!

⁷ ‘So now, {Look} the whole family is against your servant, because they’re telling me to hand over my son so they can kill him for murdering his brother.

‘But if they do that, they’ll be taking away my only heir and they’ll extinguish the little spark [of hope] that remains for leaving my husband a name and property on the face of this land!’

⁸ So the king said to the woman:

‘Don’t worry; just go back home and I’ll handle this matter for you.’

⁹ Then the ThecoEthite woman said to the king:

‘O my lord the king; may this lawlessness be on me and on the house of my father, not on the king and on his throne.’

¹⁰ And the king said:

‘Who was the one who spoke to you?

‘Bring [your son] to me, and don’t let anyone touch him!’

¹¹ Then the woman said:

‘May Yahweh your God remind the king not to allow them to take away my son so that our family line [may continue].’

And he said:

‘As Yahweh lives; not a hair of your son’s head will fall on the ground.’

¹² Then the woman asked:

‘May your servant say one more thing to her lord the king?’

And he said:

‘Speak.’

¹³ Then the woman said:

‘Why have you made such a decision for the people of God?

‘For when you say such things, you’re finding yourself guilty, since the king hasn’t allowed the one whom he banished to return to him!

¹⁴ ‘Each of us is dying the death, and like water that’s being poured on the ground, we’re not returned to each other after that... Only God [has the right to] take a life, and only He has the means to drive someone away, if He wishes.

¹⁵ ‘Now, as to the thing I came to speak to my lord the king about, the people told your servant to speak to you, to see what you’d do for your servant.

¹⁶ ‘They said that you’d rescue your servant from the hands of the man who’s trying to take away my son and my inheritance from God... ¹⁷ And they also told me that the words of my lord the king would be as good as a sacrifice.

‘For my lord the king is like a messenger from God in that you listen to both the good and the bad. So, may Yahweh your God be with you.’

¹⁸ Well at that, the king said to the woman:

‘I want to ask you something… And I want you to tell me the truth!’

And the woman said:

‘Please speak, my lord the king.’

¹⁹ And the king asked:

‘Did JoAb put you up to this?’

And the woman replied:

‘As you are living, O my lord the king, doesn’t the king ever change his mind after he’s made a decision?

‘Yes, JoAb is the one who put me up to this, and he put the words into my mouth.

²⁰ ‘But your servant JoAb did this just to bring the matter to a head. For my lord the king has the wisdom of a messenger from God in that he understands everything on earth.’

²¹ And the king said to JoAb:

‘Look, I’m going to do what you’re asking.

‘So, go and bring back the young man AbSalom!’

²² Well at that, JoAb fell and bowed with his face to the ground.

Then he praised the king, saying:

‘Today your servant knows that he’s found favor in your eyes, O my lord the king; for you have handled this matter for your servant.’

²³ So then JoAb got up and went to GedSur, and he brought AbSalom back to JeruSalem.

²⁴ However, the king had said:

‘Let him go back to his home… But I don’t want to see his face!’

As a result, AbSalom returned home, but he wasn’t allowed to see the face of the king.

²⁵ Now, there wasn’t a man in all IsraEl that was more admired than AbSalom. For from the sole of his feet to the top of his head, there wasn’t a blemish! ²⁶ And when it came to cutting his hair, it took so long that it became bothersome, because whenever he cut it and set it aside, it weighed as much as two royal coins!

²⁷ AbSalom had three sons and a daughter whose name was Themar. She was a pretty woman, and she [later] married Solomon’s son RehoBoam, to whom she gave birth to AbiJah.

²⁸ Well, during the next 2 years that AbSalom stayed in JeruSalem, he never saw the face of the king. ²⁹ But then he sent for JoAb, because he wanted to send him to the king. However, JoAb wouldn’t come to him.

So he sent for him a second time, but he just didn’t want to come. ³⁰ As a result, AbSalom said to his servants:

‘You know that field of JoAb’s next to mine where he’s growing barley?

‘Go and burn it!’

So AbSalom’s servants went and burned JoAb’s field!

Well at that, JoAb’s servants went to him ripping their clothes, and said:

‘The servants of AbSalom have burned your portion of the field!’

³¹ So JoAb got up and went to the house of AbSalom, and asked him:

‘Why did your servants burn my field?’

³² And AbSalom replied:

‘Look, I called for you and asked you to come here, because I wanted to send you to the king and ask:

‘Why did you bring me from GedSur, since things were good for me there? However, {Look!} since then I haven’t seen the face of the king!

‘If [you consider me so] unrighteous, why don’t you just kill me?’

³³ So JoAb went to the king and spoke to him... Then [the king] called for AbSalom, and he went in to the king and bowed before him, falling with his face to the ground before him, and the king kissed AbSalom.

2 Samuel 15

←14 | All books | All chapters | 16→

¹ But after that, AbSalom obtained some chariots and horsemen, and he recruited 50 men to run in front of him. ² Then he would get up early each morning and station himself along the street by the city gate. And whenever he saw someone who was coming to try a case before the king, he would call out to him and ask:

‘What city are you coming from?’

And if he replied...

‘Your servant is from one of the tribes of IsraEl.’

³ ...he would say:

‘Look, you have a good case; however, no one from the king will listen to it. ⁴ Why doesn’t he appoint me to be the judge of the land and let me handle the disputes and cases? For I’d give you justice!’

⁵ And whenever some man would come and bow before him, he would reach out and grab him, then kiss him. ⁶ Well, AbSalom was doing this to everyone from IsraEl who came to the king for a judgment, and as a result, he was winning the hearts of the men of IsraEl.

⁷ Then at the end of four years, AbSalom went to his father and said:

‘I’m going to HebRon to pay a vow that I made to Yahweh...

⁸ ‘For, while I was in GedSur, Syria, I vowed to Yahweh that if He would return me to JeruSalem, I’d be His servant.’

⁹ And the king said to him:

‘Go in peace.’

So he got up and went to HebRon.

¹⁰ Now, AbSalom had sent spies among all the tribes of IsraEl, who were told:

‘When you hear the sound of trumpets blowing, you must shout:

‘AbSalom is now reigning as king in HebRon!’

¹¹ So after that, AbSalom left JeruSalem along with 200 men (who really didn’t suspect anything). ¹² Then, while he was offering his sacrifices, AbSalom sent for AhiThophel the Gelamonite (David’s advisor) from his city of Gola. And there he formed a strong confederation of quite a few people who started following AbSalom.

¹³ Well, when the report came to David that the hearts of the men of IsraEl had turned towards AbSalom, ¹⁴ David said to all his servants in JeruSalem:

‘We must get up and run from here, for nothing can save us from AbSalom!

‘Let’s hurry and go, so he doesn’t overtake us and do bad things to us, then destroy the city with swords!’

¹⁵ And the king’s servants replied:

‘We’ll do whatever our lord the king says…

‘Look! We’re your servants!’

¹⁶ So the king and his whole house just walked away… However, he left 10 of his concubines behind to guard the house. ¹⁷ Then the king and all his servants traveled on foot to a house that was very far away.

¹⁸ Well, while the king and his servants were on the way into the desert, they [met up with some] Cherethites and Phelethites that were waiting [for him] on the Mount of Olives.

So, along with all the people who came with [David], there were now 600 great men and warriors from the Cherethites, Phelethites, and Gethites, because 600 men had walked from Gath to join the king.

¹⁹ But the king asked ItTai (the Gethite):

‘Why are you traveling with us? You should return and stay with the [new] king!

‘Since you’re foreigners who’ve just left your homes to join me, ²⁰ why are you [planning to] travel with us… Are you moving away from your homes?’

And he replied:

‘I’ll go wherever you are going.’

[But David said]:

‘Go back, and take your brothers with you; for Yahweh will bring you kindness and truth!’

²¹ But ItTai replied to the king:

‘As Yahweh lives, and as my lord the king lives... No matter what happens to my lord, whether he lives or dies, I’ll be his servant.’

²² And the king said:

‘Then come with me!’

And ItTai the Gethite and all his servants (a huge number of them) traveled with the king.

²³ Well, throughout the land, people were crying and wailing... Then the king and all his people crossed the Cedar (Kidron) Wadi and traveled towards the edge of the desert.

²⁴ {Look!} There they met up with ZaDok and all the Levites who were carrying the Chest of the Sacred Agreement of Yahweh from the [Sacred Tent]. Then they set the Chest of God down, and AbiAthar and all the people from the city [of JeruSalem] said that they were going to come with him.

²⁵ But the king said to ZaDok:

‘Just take the Chest of God back to the city... For if I should find favor in the eyes of Yahweh and He returns me, He will show it to me in all its glory once again.

²⁶ ‘But if He should say that He doesn’t want me; then look… Here I am, may He do to me whatever is good in His eyes.’

²⁷ And the king told ZaDok the Priest:

‘Look! You, your son AhiMaAz, your other two sons, and JoNathan (son of AbiAthar) should return to the city in peace. ²⁸ For, although I’m now going to live like a soldier in the desert, I’ll wait there for you to send word to me.’

²⁹ So ZaDok and AbiAthar returned the Chest of God to JeruSalem, and it stayed there.

³⁰ Then David climbed the Mount of Olives barefoot and with his head covered, crying. And all the people came with him with their heads covered and crying.

³¹ Well when David was told that AhiThophel had joined the confederation with AbSalom, he said:

‘O Yahweh, my God,

‘Confuse the counsel of AhiThophel!’

³² Then when David got to Ros, he bowed there before God.

And {Look} coming to meet him was HuShai, David’s best friend, ripping his clothes and piling dirt on his head.

³³ But David said to him:

‘If you come with me, you’ll just be a burden to me. ³⁴ So, return to the city, and say this to AbSalom:

‘Since your brothers left me to follow your father, I’m your servant now, O king; so, please allow me to live!

‘Although I was once your father’s servant, I’m yours now.’

‘And if you’ll do this for me, you’ll confuse the counsel of AhiThophel!

³⁵ ‘Look, there are the Priests, ZaDok and AbiAthar. Go back with them and report everything to them that you hear from the [palace] of the king! ³⁶ And here are their two sons, AhiMaAz (son of ZaDok) and JoNathan (son of AbiAthar)... Use them to send back every word that you hear.’

³⁷ So HuShai (David’s best friend) returned to the city as AbSalom entered JeruSalem.

2 Samuel 16

←15 | All books | All chapters | 17→

¹ Well, after David had traveled a short distance from Ros, {Look!} Ziba (MephiBosheth’s servant) came to meet him with a pair of saddled burros, 200 loaves of bread, a bushel of raisins, 100 clusters of dried fruit, and a skin flask of wine.

² So the king asked Ziba:

‘What’s this for?’

And Ziba replied:

‘The animals are for the house of the king to ride, the bread and the dried fruit are for your servants to eat, and the wine is for those who get weak [as they travel] through the desert.’

³ Then the king asked:

‘So, where’s your lord’s son?’

And Ziba replied:

‘{Look!} He’s sitting in JeruSalem; for he said:

‘Today the kingdom of IsraEl will return to the house of my father.’

⁴ Then the king said:

‘{Look!} I’m giving everything that MephiBosheth has, to you.’

And as he bowed [before David], Ziba said:

‘May I find favor in your eyes, O my lord the king.’

⁵ Well, when King David got to BaUrim, {Look!} a man who was related to the house of Saul (ShiMei, son of Gera) came there cursing ⁶ and throwing stones at David and all his servants.

Meanwhile, all the people (including the mighty ones) were walking on either side of the king. ⁷ And ShiMei shouted (as he was cursing):

‘Get out of here you murderer… You criminal!

⁸ ‘For Yahweh has finally brought all the blood of the house of Saul down on you for taking his place as the ruler, and He’s handed your kingdom over to your son AbSalom!

‘So, now you’re getting some of your own badness for being a murderer!’

⁹ Well at that, AbiShai (son of ZeruJah) said to the king:

‘Why does my lord the king put up with the cursing of this dead dog?

‘Allow me to go over there and remove his head.’

¹⁰ But the king said to AbiShai:

‘What does it matter to me and to you sons of ZeruJah?

‘Leave him alone and let him curse.

‘It was Yahweh who told him to curse David, so there’s no reason to ask him why he’s doing this.’

¹¹ And then David said to AbiShai and his servants:

‘The son who came from my own belly now wants to kill me; so, let the son of the BenJaminite curse, because Yahweh told him to do it!

¹² ‘May Yahweh see my humiliation and provide good things for me in place of [this man’s] curses today.’

¹³ So, David and all his men just kept traveling along, as ShiMei ran alongside them next to the mountain cursing and throwing stones and dirt. ¹⁴ And then finally, the king and all his people got tired and they stopped to rest.

¹⁵ Well, when AbSalom, AhiThophel, and all of his men of IsraEl arrived in JeruSalem, ¹⁶ HuShai (David’s best friend) went to see to AbSalom and said:

‘Long live the king!’

¹⁷ But AbSalom asked HuShai:

‘Is this the way you’re treating your friend?

‘Why didn’t you go along with your buddy?’

¹⁸ Then HuShai said:

‘I’ll follow whomever Yahweh and His people (the men of IsraEl) have chosen… I’ll stick with him and stay with him!

¹⁹ ‘For, who will I be serving? I’ll be serving [David’s] son! So, as I served your father is how I’ll serve you now.’

²⁰ Well at that, AbSalom turned to to AhiThophel and asked what he thought they should do next.

²¹ And AhiThophel told AbSalom:

‘Your father left some concubines behind to guard his palace... Why don’t you go to bed with them, so that all IsraEl will hear how you’ve disgraced your father… For, that will strengthen your hand with the people!’

²² As a result, they set up a tent on the [palace] roof. Then AbSalom took his father’s concubines to bed with him in front of all IsraEl!

²³ And from that point on, AbSalom sought AhiThophel’s council on how he should go about asking things of God. So as AhiThophel had once given council to David, he now gave council to AbSalom.

2 Samuel 17

←16 | All books | All chapters | 18→

¹ Then AhiThophel said to AbSalom:

‘I’ll choose 12,000 men and we’ll go after David tonight; ² for when I get there, he’ll be tired and weak. We’ll catch him unaware and startle him, then his people will flee, and I can kill the king when there’s no one around!

³ ‘And after I do that, I’ll carry all his people back to you the way a bride is brought before her husband... So, after [we’ve taken] the life of the man you’re searching for, all the people will be at peace!’

⁴ Well, this sounded like a good idea to AbSalom and all the elders of IsraEl.

⁵ But AbSalom then said:

‘Call HuShai the Arachite… I want to hear what he has to say about this.’

⁶ So HuShai came to AbSalom, and AbSalom told him about [AhiThophel’s] plan. Then he asked:

‘Do you think we should do what [AhiThophel] is suggesting?

‘If not, speak up!’

⁷ And HuShai said to AbSalom:

‘This counsel that AhiThophel has given to you isn’t a good idea this time.

⁸ ‘For you know your father and his men… They’re very brave and strong, and they’re as angry as a bear that’s lost its cub in a field, or a wild boar that’s been cornered!

‘Also, your father is a warrior, so he would never sleep with his family. ⁹ Look, he’ll be hiding in the hills or somewhere else. So when the attack begins, he’ll hear it and say:

‘AbSalom’s people are attacking!’

¹⁰ ‘However, this mighty man who has the heart of a lion will just melt away once he realizes that he’s finished! For all IsraEl knows how mighty your father and his men are...

¹¹ ‘So, this is what I advise:

‘Gather all [the men of] IsraEl from Dan to BeerSheba, [and create an army] as large as the sands of the sea… And you should lead them. ¹² Then, when you catch up with [David] – no matter where he may be – you must camp all around him and [attack him] just as the dew is settling on the ground… Don’t leave him or any of his men alive!

¹³ ‘Or, if you should find him in a city, you must bring all IsraEl against that city, tear it down, and throw each of its stones into a riverbed.’

¹⁴ Well, AbSalom and all the men of IsraEl said:

‘HuShai the Arachite’s counsel is better than AhiThophel’s counsel.’

However, it was Yahweh who had caused the good counsel of AhiThophel to lose out, so that He could bring bad things upon AbSalom!

¹⁵ Then after that, HuShai (the Arachite) sent word to ZaDok and AbiAthar (the Priests), telling them of the advice that AhiThophel had given to AbSalom and the elders of IsraEl.

¹⁶ And he said:

‘Send a message to David quickly, so that the king and his people aren’t caught off guard!’

¹⁷ It was while JoNathan and AhiMaAz had stopped at RogEl Springs that a young female servant arrived bringing the message [from HuShai], so they traveled on to carry the report to King David... However, although they didn’t want to be seen entering the city, ¹⁸ a young man had noticed them and he sent a report to AbSalom.

So, the two men ran to the house of someone [they knew] in BaUrim and hid in a cistern in his courtyard. ¹⁹ And although a woman came and took the cover off the cistern to allow the desert [winds] to cool the water, she didn’t notice them.

²⁰ So when AbSalom’s men came to the house and asked her:

‘Where are AhiMaAz and JoNathan?’

She just said:

‘They went to get some water.’

Well, they looked around but they couldn’t find them, so the men returned to JeruSalem. ²¹ Then after they left, [AhiMaAz and JoNathan] climbed out of the cistern and went to carry the report to King David.

They said to him:

‘You must get up and quickly cross the river, for AhiThophel has [planned a trap] for you!’

²² Therefore, David and his people got up and crossed the JorDan before daylight, so that no one would know.

²³ In the meantime, when AhiThophel realized that his counsel had been rejected, he saddled his burro and went back to his home… Then he discharged his staff and hung himself!

And thereafter, they buried him in the tomb of his father.

²⁴ Well, David had traveled all the way to ManaIm, as AbSalom and all his men crossed the JorDan [in pursuit].

²⁵ Now, AbSalom had put AmaSa in charge of his army (in place of JoAb). AmaSa was JeTher’s son, an IsraElite from JezreEl.

²⁶ Then he went to see AbiGail (the daughter of JesSe and the sister of ZeruJah) who was JoAb’s mother, while AbSalom and the army of IsraEl had camped in the land of GileAd.

²⁷ Meanwhile, after David had entered ManaIm, WesBi (son of NaAs from RabBath, an AmMonite), MachIr (son of AmiEl from LodaBar), and BarZilLai (the GileAdite from RogelLim) ²⁸ brought:

• 10 cots,

• Blankets,

• 10 pots,

• Dishes,

• Wheat,

• Barley,

• Flour,

• Toasted grain,

• Beans,

• Lentils,

• ²⁹ Honey,

• Butter,

• Mutton, and

• Cheese.

And they gave it to David and his people to eat.

For they said:

‘They’re starving, thirsty, and weak from traveling through the desert.’

2 Samuel 18

←17 | All books | All chapters | 19→

¹ It was then that David counted his men to see how many were with him, and he assigned generals and officers to be over them, ² as he readied them for battle.

He put:

• 1/3 under the direction of JoAb.

• 1/3 under the direction of AbiShai, son of ZeruJah (JoAb’s brother).

• 1/3 under the direction of ItTai the Gethite.

Then David said to his men:

‘From now on, I’ll be leading you.’

³ But they said:

‘You can’t come with us; for if [AbSalom’s people] kill half of us, we might lose you, and that would be like losing 10,000 men!

‘It’s really best for you to stay in the city and direct us from there.’

⁴ So the king said:

‘I’ll do whatever you wish.’

Thereafter, the king stood at the city gate as his army passed by in companies and divisions.

⁵ Now, the king had given orders to JoAb, AbiShai, and ItTai, saying:

‘I want you to spare the young man AbSalom for me!’

And everyone heard what the king had said to them about AbSalom.

⁶ Well from there, [David’s army] marched into a forest that was directly across from [the army of] IsraEl, and the battle started there in the Woods of Ephraim.

⁷ But the army of IsraEl didn’t fare well against the followers of David, for they lost 20,000 of their men, ⁸ as the war raged on throughout the land… And the thick forest killed as many men as were killed with swords that day.

⁹ But soon, David’s men caught up with AbSalom. He’d been riding his mule, and the mule had taken off into a dense thicket. There, AbSolom’s head got caught in the branches of an oak tree, which left him hanging between the sky and the ground… The mule just took off and left him hanging there!

¹⁰ Well, when one of the men saw what had happened, he went and told JoAb:

‘I’ve found AbSalom! He’s hanging in an oak tree!’

¹¹ And JoAb said:

‘You saw this and you didn’t cut him to the ground?

‘I would’ve given you 10 large silver coins if you’d done that!’

¹² But the man told JoAb:

‘If you gave me 1,000 large silver coins, I wouldn’t do that! For, I’d never raise a hand against a son of the king!

‘And we all heard the king tell you, and both AbiShai and ItTai, to guard the young man AbSalom for him... ¹³ So, it would’ve been wrong for me to kill him!

‘For the king would surely hear about it, and then you and I’d find ourselves on opposite sides.’

¹⁴ But JoAb said:

‘Well, that’s what’s going to happen… I’m not going to put up with this!’

So JoAb took three arrows and shot them into the chest of AbSalom as he was still alive, hanging there in the middle of the oak tree! ¹⁵ Then 10 of his young men took JoAb’s weapons and stabbed AbSalom [to make sure] that he was dead.

¹⁶ Thereafter, JoAb blew his battle horn to call his people back from their pursuit of IsraEl, because he wanted to spare the rest of the people... ¹⁷ Then JoAb took AbSalom’s body and threw it into a deep gulley in the forest, and he formed a huge pile of rocks over it as a monument, while the whole army of IsraEl was retreating to their tents.

¹⁸ Now, while AbSalom was still alive, he’d built a monument to himself in the Valley of the Kings; for he said:

‘I have no sons to remind people of my name.’

So he named the monument after himself, calling it ‘The Hand of AbSalom,’ which is still there today.

¹⁹ Well, after this had all happened, AhiMaAz (son of ZaDok) decided to run and bring the good news to the king that Yahweh had passed judgment on his enemies.

²⁰ But JoAb told him:

‘You shouldn’t bring this as good news today…

‘Save that for another day, for it isn’t good news that a son of the king has died.’

²¹ Then JoAb told HuShai:

‘You should go and tell the king what you’ve seen!’

And at that, HuShai bowed before JoAb and left.

²² However, AhiMaAz (son of ZaDok) said to JoAb:

‘Let me run after HuShai!’

But JoAb asked:

‘Why do you want to do this, my son?

‘Come along, for there’s no good news that will be of any benefit to you if you go there.’

²³ And AhiMaAz said:

‘But what if I run?’

Then JoAb said:

‘Okay, then run!’

So AhiMaAz ran along the road to KeChar, and he passed HuShai.

²⁴ Well, David was sitting between the two city gates, as the watchman was on the roof of the gate next to the wall... And when the watchman looked out and saw a man running towards them, ²⁵ he yelled and reported it to the king.

And the king asked:

‘Is he is alone… Is he bringing good news?’

Then, as this one was approaching, ²⁶ the watchman saw another man running.

And he yelled out:

‘Look, there’s another man running by himself!’

And the king said:

‘Surely he’s bringing good news!’

²⁷ Then the watchman said:

‘I see that the man running ahead is AhiMaAz, son of ZaDok… So he must be bringing good news!’

²⁸ And at that, while he bowed to the ground before the king, AhiMaAz yelled out to the king:

‘Peace!’

Then he said:

‘Praise your God Yahweh!

‘For he’s shut the mouths of those who’ve raised their hands against my lord, the king.’

²⁹ So the king asked him:

‘Do we now have peace with the young man AbSalom?’

And AhiMaAz said:

‘Well I saw a large happy crowd standing around the king’s servant JoAb, so I came here.

‘However, I’m not sure of all that happened there.’

³⁰ Then the king said:

‘Step aside and stand over there!’

So he stepped aside and stood nearby, ³¹ as HuShai came and reported this to the king:

‘I have good news to announce to my lord the king!

‘For today Yahweh has passed judgment upon all those who’ve opposed you!’

³² And the king asked HuShai:

‘So, how is the young man AbSalom?’

And he replied:

‘The young man has fared the same as all the enemies who’ve done evil things against my lord, the king!’

³³ Well at this, the king became very upset, so he went up into the room above the gate and wept.

He cried:

‘O my son AbSalom! O my son! O my son AbSalom!

‘Why couldn’t I have died instead of you, AbSalom?

‘O my son! O my son!’

2 Samuel 19

←18 | All books | All chapters | 20→

¹ So thereafter, a message was sent to JoAb that the king was crying and mourning over AbSalom, ² rather than celebrating a victory.

And as a result, his people went into mourning too, because they heard that the king was [so disturbed over the death of] his son… ³ They just melted away into the city like men who were running from a battle.

⁴ Meanwhile, the king refused to show his face, for he kept crying and sobbing:

‘O my son AbSalom! AbSalom! O my son!’

⁵ Well finally, JoAb went into the king’s house, and said to him:

‘You’re disgracing all your servants that fought to save you today, as well as your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your concubines; ⁶ for you’re showing that you love the one who hated you, and that you hate those who love you!

‘You’re giving the impression that your leaders and your servants are nothing, and you’d prefer it if AbSalom were alive today while all the rest of us were dead!

⁷ ‘Now, get up and go outside, then talk to your servants and tell them how you really feel!

‘For I swear by Yahweh that unless you go out there today, there won’t be a man standing with you tonight.

‘Realize that the evil you’re doing here is worse that all the other evil things that have happened to you since you were young!’

⁸ Well at that, the king went out and sat down at the [city] gate.

And then all the people started shouting:

‘Look, the king is sitting at the gate.’

So then, all his people gathered to him there.

Now, [AbSalom’s men], the army of IsraEl, had all retreated to their tents, ⁹ and these tribes of IsraEl had started discussing matters, saying:

‘King David was the one who rescued us from our enemies, and he saved us from the hands of the Philistines... But then he had to flee the land and his kingdom, because he was running from AbSalom.

¹⁰ ‘However, now that AbSalom, whom we anointed to be [our king], has died in the battle, we should just quietly return to the king.’

So thereafter, all IsraEl then returned to the king.

¹¹ Then King David sent for ZaDok and AbiAthar (the Priests), and he said:

‘Speak to the elders of Judah and ask them why they’re the last ones to welcome their king back.’

Well, as a result, these words of the king were spread throughout all IsraEl.

¹² For he’d said:

‘My brothers,

‘You are my own flesh and bones, so why are you the last ones to welcome the king back to his palace?

¹³ ‘Are you now going to turn to AmaSa and say, ‘You are our flesh and bones’? No!

‘May God curse me and add more to it, if the one in charge of my armies is anyone except JoAb.’

¹⁴ Well, this turned the hearts of all the men of Judah, and they sent a message to the king saying:

‘You and all your servants should return to us!’

¹⁵ So at that, the king traveled towards the JorDan, and all the men of Judah came to GilGal to welcome him and to accompany him across [the river].

¹⁶ ShiMei (son of Gera, son of the BenJaminite from BaUrim) hurried with his men of Judah to meet King David, ¹⁷ and he brought along 1,000 men from BenJamin, as well as Ziba (the servant of the house of Saul) and his 15 sons and 20 servants.

They all went straight to the king at the JorDan ¹⁸ to officially welcome him as he crossed the ford (in order to satisfy his family, and to do the right thing in his eyes).

Then ShiMei (son of Gera) fell to his face before the king at the JorDan and said:

¹⁹ ‘Please, my lord,

‘Forgive the lawless way that your servant acted when the king left JeruSalem… Please put it out of your heart, ²⁰ for your servant knows that he’s sinned!

‘Now look; I’ve come here before all IsraEl and the house of JoSeph today, to welcome back my lord the king.’

²¹ But AbiShai (son of ZeruJah) asked:

‘Shouldn’t ShiMei be put to death for cursing the anointed of Yahweh?’

²² And David said:

‘Why are you sons of ZeruJah always coming to me with plots?

‘No man of IsraEl will be put to death today, for I still don’t know whether I’m even their ruler!’

²³ Then the king said to ShiMei, ‘You won’t die,’ and he swore this in an oath to him.

²⁴ Well thereafter, MephiBosheth (JoNathan’s son and Saul’s grandson) came to welcome the king... However, he hadn’t washed his feet, cut his nails, or trimmed his mustache, and his clothes hadn’t been washed since the day he left to ask the king for peace.

²⁵ So when he came from JeruSalem to greet him, the king asked:

‘Why didn’t you come along with me, MephiBosheth?’

²⁶ And MephiBosheth answered:

‘O my lord, O king,

‘It was because my servant had misled me.

‘When I told him to saddle my burro and help me mount it, because your servant is lame, to go with the king, ²⁷ he wouldn’t do it!

‘However, my lord the king is as a messenger of God; so, do whatever’s good in your eyes!

²⁸ ‘But, back when there was no one else left of the my father’s house, other than those who deserved death from my lord the king, you allowed your servant to eat at your table!

‘So, what reason would I have to speak out against the king?’

²⁹ And the king said to him:

‘Why are you still talking?

‘From now on, you must give your field to Ziba!’

³⁰ And MephiBosheth said:

‘Yes, may he take everything, now that my lord the king is returning in peace to his palace.’

³¹ Then BarZilLai (the GileAdite) came to the king at the JorDan from RogelLim, to accompany him on his way back home. ³² BarZilLai was very old (80 years old), but he’d fed the king while he was living in ManaIm, because he was very wealthy.

³³ So the king said to BarZilLai:

‘Now, come to JeruSalem with me, and I’ll care for you in your old age.’

³⁴ But BarZilLai said to the king:

‘How many years do you think I have left, so that I should travel with the king to JeruSalem?

³⁵ ‘Since I’m 80 years old today, how could I really appreciate what you’re doing? Can I still enjoy the taste of the food and drink that you’ll offer me?

‘Or can I still enjoy the voices of men and women singing?

‘Why should I burden my lord the king?

³⁶ ‘So, your servant will just travel with the king for a short way to the JorDan… What greater reward or payment can you give me? ³⁷ Let your servant stay here to die in my own city and to be buried with my father and mother!

‘But look; your servant’s son CamaAm will cross [the JorDan] with my lord the king… Please do for him whatever you find good in your eyes.’

³⁸ And the king said:

‘Then let CamaAm cross over with me, and I’ll do what’s good in my eyes for him… I’ll do whatever you ask of me.’

³⁹ Well, as all the people were crossing the JorDan, the king also prepared to cross... Then he kissed BarZilLai and blest him, and he returned to his people.

⁴⁰ And as the king was crossing over towards GilGal, CamaAm crossed [the river] with him, along with all the people of Judah and half of the people of IsraEl.

⁴¹ But then men from IsraEl approached the king and asked him:

‘Why did you allow our brothers of Judah to steal you and help the king, his household, and his army to cross the JorDan?’

⁴² And the men from Judah shouted:

‘Because the king is our close relative!

‘Why are you so irritated about this?

‘Has the king given us any more food, or gifts, or brought us a tribute?’

⁴³ Then at that, the men of IsraEl replied:

‘Since we have 10 [tribes] that serve the king, and since we’re the firstborn, how do you have [a greater claim] to David?

‘We even came here [to welcome him back] before you did!

‘So, why are you insulting us by not allowing us to be the first to escort the king?’

However, the men of Judah just shouted the men of IsraEl down.

2 Samuel 20

←19 | All books | All chapters | 21→

¹ Well, there was a man who was referred to as the ‘Son of a Criminal,’ and his name was SabeE son of BoChori, a BenJaminite.

He then blew his horn and shouted:

‘David [doesn’t have any respect] for us, nor does this son of JesSe have an inheritance for us!

‘Therefore, men of IsraEl, let’s all return to our tents!’

² And at that, all the men of IsraEl who were following David turned and started following The Son of BoChori! However, the men of Judah stuck by their king [and followed him] from the JorDan to JeruSalem.

³ Well, when David arrived at his palace in JeruSalem, he then took the 10 concubines whom he’d left to guard the house, and he had them put under guard. He took care of them, but he never went to bed with them after that.

So they lived in custody as widows until the day that they died.

⁴ Thereafter, the king then said to AmaSa (the man who had served as the commander-in-chief of AbSalom’s army):

‘Call the army of Judah to assemble here in three days… And I want you to return here.’

⁵ So AmaSa went and called [the army of] Judah, but he stayed away longer than David told him that he should, ⁶ because David had told AmaSa that he was going to do something worse to The Son of BoChori than had been done to AbSalom.

He told him to gather his servants and chase the man down before he could find a fortified city [where they couldn’t reach him]. ⁷ So, JoAb’s men (the Cherethites, the Phelethites, and all the mightiest of his warriors) went to get AmaSa, and they’d also left JeruSalem to chase down The Son of BoChori.

⁸ Well, when they reached Great Stone in GibeOn, they found AmaSa standing there before them... Now, JoAb was dressed in full uniform, carrying a sword in its sheath, but [he let] the sword slide out and fall [to the ground].

⁹ Then JoAb asked AmaSa:

‘Are you in good health, O brother?’

Then he grabbed AmaSa’s beard with his right hand as if to kiss him ¹⁰ (for AmaSa didn’t notice the [other] sword in JoAb’s other hand), and JoAb stuck the sword into his belly, pouring his guts out on the ground!

Then he stabbed him a second time, killing him.

Well after that, JoAb and his brother AbiShai got ready to chase after The Son of BoChori. ¹¹ And then one of JoAb’s servants stood up next to him and shouted to those who had been in AmaSa’s army:

‘Which of you are on JoAb’s side and which of you are for David? Let them follow JoAb!’

¹² Well, AmaSa was lying there dead in the middle of the road covered in blood, so one of his men carried his body from the road into a field and covered it with a cape, to keep people from coming there and stopping to look at it.

¹³ And after he took the body out of the road, all the men of IsraEl went with JoAb to hunt down The Son of BoChori.

¹⁴ Meanwhile, [The Son of BoChori] had traveled throughout all the tribes of IsraEl on his way to Abel BethMacha... ¹⁵ And after he got there, JoAb formed to attack him in that city, building a ramp around its wall, because he planned to tear the walls down.

¹⁶ But a wise woman yelled from the wall:

‘Listen! Listen! Tell JoAb to come here, because I want to speak to him!’

¹⁷ So he got up close to her, and the woman asked:

‘Are you JoAb?’

And he said:

‘I am.’

Then she said:

‘Listen to what your servant has to say!’

And JoAb said:

‘I’m listening.’

¹⁸ So she said:

‘There’s an old saying that goes:

‘If you just choose to ask Abel,

All of your problems will be solved.’

¹⁹ ‘Now, I’m one of the peaceful ones who supports of IsraEl; however, you’re still planning to destroy our city… And a mother-city of IsraEl, at that!

‘So, why would you want to sink the inheritance of Yahweh?’

²⁰ And JoAb replied:

‘Unless you people are kind and friendly with me, I’ll not only sink it, I’ll totally destroy it!

²¹ ‘For, isn’t this the place where a man from the hills of Ephraim who’s called The Son of BoChori is staying? This one who lifted his hand against King David?

‘Hand him over to me personally, and I’ll leave your city!’

And the woman said to JoAb:

‘Look! I’ll toss his head over the wall to you.’

²² So the woman went to her people and told everyone in the city about her wise plan... Then they cut off the head of The Son of BoChori and tossed it to JoAb!

And at that, JoAb blew his horn and all his men went back to their tents, while he returned to the king at JeruSalem.

²³ After that, [David once again put] JoAb in charge of all the armies of IsraEl.

Then he put:

• BenaiJah son of JehoiAda over the Cherethites and the Phelethites,

• ²⁴ AdoniRam in charge of the tributes, and

• JoSaphat son of AchiLuth in charge of the records.

²⁵ [Also:]

• Susa was his scribe,

• ZaDok and AbiAthar were the Priests, ²⁶ and

• Iras son of JaRin was David’s personal Priest.

2 Samuel 21

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¹ Well, there came three consecutive years of famine during the days of David, so he asked Yahweh, and the Lord said:

‘This is happening because the house of Saul was guilty of shedding [innocent] blood when he killed the GibeOnites.’

² So the king called the GibeOnites, and he said:

‘You GibeOnites [really] aren’t IsraElites, you’re just what remains of the Amorites! However, although the sons of IsraEl swore an oath to your people, Saul attacked you in his zeal for the sons of IsraEl and Judah.’

³ Then David asked them:

‘So, what must I do for you… What must I do to [pay for our sins], and to get you to bless the inheritance of Yahweh?’

⁴ And the GibeOnites replied:

‘The problem can’t be paid for with silver or gold by Saul and his house, and none of [his family] remain anywhere in IsraEl whom we can put to death.’

⁵ So [David] again asked:

‘Then, what can I do for you?’

And they told the king:

‘[Saul] would have finished us off!

‘For he chased us down, tried to trick us, and he attempted to wipe us out!

‘Therefore, we’d like to remove [any trace] of him, so that his ways won’t endure anywhere within the borders of IsraEl... ⁶ Please give us seven of his descendants, and we’ll hang them in the sun before Yahweh, there in Saul’s town of GibeOn!’

Then the king promised:

‘I’ll give them to you.’

⁷ However, the king [had promised to] spare MephiBosheth (JoNathan’s son, and Saul’s grandson), because of the oath that they’d sworn before Yahweh… The one between David and JoNathan (Saul’s son).

⁸ So the king took [Saul’s sons] ErMoni and MephiBosheth ([who’s mother was] ResPha, who was the daughter of Saul’s concubine AiAh’s), plus the five sons of Saul’s daughter Michol (whom she’d born to EsdriEl son of BarZilLai the Moulathite), ⁹ and handed them over to the GibeOnites, who hung them on the mountain in the sun before Yahweh.

And there they died, all seven of them together!

Well, this happened at the beginning of the barley harvest.

¹⁰ So ResPha (AiAh’s daughter) took sackcloth and made a bed for herself on the rock [beneath the dead bodies of the hanging men], [and she stayed there] from the beginning of the barley harvest until water from God dripped from the sky… She didn’t let the birds to rest on them during the day, nor the wild animals to come during the night.

¹¹ Then, everything that ResPha (Saul’s concubine AiAh’s daughter) was doing was reported to David. ¹² So David had the bones of Saul and his son JoNathan taken from the sons of JabIsh GileAd (which they’d stolen from BethSan’s city square where the Philistines had put them after killing Saul at GilBoa), ¹³ and they also gathered the bones of the men who’d been hung in the sun [by the GibeOnites], ¹⁴ and carried all their bones (those of Saul, JoNathan, and the men who were hung in the sun) to the land of BenJamin, where they were buried on the side of a hill, in the tomb of Kish, Saul’s father.

They did exactly as the king told them... And after that, God started paying attention to the land once again.

¹⁵ Meanwhile, there was still a state of war between the Philistines and IsraEl, so David took his men and went to fight the Philistines (however, by then David’s health had started to decline).

¹⁶ Meanwhile, JesBi (who was a descendant of Rapha) had a brass spear that weighed as much as 300 large silver coins, and he was wearing heavy armor when he decided to attack David... ¹⁷ But AbiShai son of ZeruJah came to David’s aid and he struck down the Philistine, killing him.

And that’s when David’s men swore an oath to him saying:

‘You may never again come with us to a battle, so that the lamp of IsraEl won’t be extinguished!’

¹⁸ Well at the time, the war with the Philistines was still being fought at Gath, where SeboCha (the AstaTothite) eventually conquered the descendants of the ‘giants.’ ¹⁹ They were also fighting the Philistines at Gob, which is where Ari’s son EleAnan killed LachMi, GoliAth the GitTite’s brother (whose spear was as large as a weaving loom).

²⁰ Then, as the battle raged on in Gath, a man from Madon who had 6 fingers on each hand and 6 toes on each foot (for a total of 24), Rapha’s son, ²¹ came and shouted insults at IsraEl... However, JoNathan (son of David’s brother ShimeAh) cut him down!

²² All of these men were descendants of the ‘giants’ in Gath from the house of Rapha, but David and his servants had cut them all down.

2 Samuel 22

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¹ Then, after the Lord had rescued David from the hands of Saul and all his enemies, he sang this song to Yahweh:

² ‘Yahweh’s my rock and my fortress…

He’s the One who comes to my rescue.

³ My God is a guard that’s before me;

So, upon Him, I’ll lean.

⁴ ‘He’s the One who defends me;

He’s the trumpet of my salvation…

My shield and refuge from the unrighteous.

‘You deserve all the praise, for You saved me;

Since I called to the Lord and was saved.

⁵ For, deadly battles had me surrounded,

And by lawless dry streams, I was upset.

⁶ Fear of death, had me enwrapped,

And I awaited the harshness of death.

⁷ ‘But, in my pain, I called to Yahweh;

Yes, I yelled to my God,

And from His House, He listened to me…

My voice and my cries reached His ears.

⁸ ‘Then the ground started to tremble,

And the skies were disturbed by His anger.

⁹ Smoke ascended, because of His rage;

And the fire from His mouth became so consuming

That even the coals burned away.

¹⁰ ‘He leaned on the sky and it fell,

As darkness was under His feet.

¹¹ He mounted a cherub upon its spread wings,

And was seen on the wings of the winds.

¹² ‘He concealed Himself in the gloom of His Tent,

And in the darkness of waters.

Then, He thickened the clouds in the sky,

¹³ As the brightness before Him lit fires.

¹⁴ ‘He thundered from out of the sky…

He shouted down from His place in the heights.

¹⁵ Then He grabbed His arrows and shot them…

With flashes of lightning, He scared them away.

¹⁶ ‘Then the things in the sea were exposed,

As were the foundations of the earth.

[God] sent His accusations among them…

The breath of the spirit of His rage.

¹⁷ ‘From up above, He then grabbed me and took me…

He lifted me from those deep waters.

¹⁸ He rescued me from my enemies’ strength…

From those by whom I was hated.

¹⁹ ‘He saw all the problems I faced,

And Yahweh became my foundation.

²⁰ He provided a space and He saved me…

He chose to do good on my behalf.

²¹ ‘Yahweh has rewarded all my righteous ways…

It’s the reward of undefiled hands.

²² For I’ve paid attention to His ways…

Before my God, I’ve showed deep respect.

²³ ‘I’ve kept His decisions before me,

And I’ve never turned from His Laws.

²⁴ So I’ll stand before Him unblemished,

And away from the lawless, I’ll stay.

²⁵ ‘And Yahweh will reward me

According to my righteous ways,

Yes, before His eyes,

According to my undefiled hands.

²⁶ ‘With the holy, You’ll always be holy;

And with the perfect, You’ll always be perfect;

²⁷ The elected, You’ll treat as Your chosen,

And to the crooked, You’ll send crooked ways.

²⁸ ‘By You, the poor will be saved,

And You’ll humble the eyes of the proud.

²⁹ By You, O Yahweh, my lamp will be lit…

My Lord sends me light in the darkness.

³⁰ ‘So in You, I’ll run lightly armed,

And by my God, I’ll pass over walls.

³¹ For, flawless are the ways of the Almighty,

And the sayings of Yah are very refined.

‘He’s the defender of all who obey Him;

³² And who’s as strong as Yahweh?

For, who other than our God can create;

³³ Since, He alone is the Almighty.

‘He strengthens me with His power,

And removes the flaws of my ways.

³⁴ He sets my feet firm like a stag,

And into the heights, He then lifts me.

³⁵ ‘He teaches my hands to fight battles,

And to break brass bows with my arms.

³⁶ He gives me a shield to protect me…

Because I obeyed Him, He made me strong.

³⁷ He enlarges my footsteps beneath me,

And my trembling knees, He [makes firm].

³⁸ ‘So, I’ll pursue and remove,

And I’ll not return ‘til they’re gone.

³⁹ I’ll crush them and then they won’t rise again…

They’ll fall [to the ground] under my feet.

⁴⁰ ‘You’ll strengthen me for great battles,

And bend those who rise from beneath me.

⁴¹ All my enemies, You’ve handed to me,

And You’ve broken the backs of all those who hate me.

⁴² ‘They yelled, but [God] didn’t come to their aid;

For to them, He never would listen.

⁴³ So I ground them to dust on the ground,

And made them fine like the mud in the streets.

⁴⁴ ‘You saved me when men came to fight me,

And appointed me head over nations.

So, people I didn’t know came to serve me…

⁴⁵ Then they listened and did as I asked.

⁴⁶ ‘The sons of liars will reel,

And into confinement, they’ll stumble.

⁴⁷ As Yahweh lives; may my Great Guard be praised…

May my God who guards me, be exalted.

⁴⁸ ‘For, Yahweh is strong and sends vengeance…

He corrects the people who serve me.

⁴⁹ From those who hate me, He lifts me away…

He lifts me high over those who oppose me.

‘From unrighteous men, You’ll save me,

⁵⁰ And for this, to the nations, I’ll praise You.

‘O Yahweh!

‘I’ll strum tunes to Your Name,

⁵¹ For You saved Your king in great awesome ways…

You’ve shown mercy to Your anointed…

To David and his offspring throughout the ages.’

2 Samuel 23

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¹ And those were the last words of David.

David son of JesSe was a trustworthy man whom the Lord had elevated to the position of the anointed of the God of Jacob.

He also wrote many of the beautiful psalms of IsraEl… Such as:

² ‘Through me, spoke the Breath of Yahweh,

And His words were there on my tongue.

³ It was IsraEl’s God who guards us,

And who gave this parable to me.

‘I once asked this of a man:

How can I teach you to fear [God’s] anointed?

⁴ For it’s God who brings light in the morning…

The sun as it rises into the day,

And after its brightness, it then fades away.

‘He’s the One who sends us the rain

That causes tender shoots to sprout from the ground.

⁵ And He’s the One who made my house strong…

Who made it stand throughout the ages

Through the promise that He gave to me.

‘He’s the One who guarded and saved me,

So I’ll serve Yahweh and not break His Laws.

⁶ For, thorn-bushes couldn’t stand and oppose me;

And by the hands of men, they were taken away.

⁷ ‘Although there were some who worked hard

Turning iron and wood into spears;

These things were then burned in the flames…

In their shame, they all were consumed.’

⁸ These are the names of the three mighty ones of David:

JeBosthe the CanaAnite, who was the greatest of the three.

He [was also known as] AdiNon the Asonite; for he was the one who unsheathed his broadsword and killed 800 men in one battle.

⁹ EliYanan (AdiNin’s nephew).

He was with David in SeiRa when he berated the Philistines while they gathered for war against him. It was then that this man of IsraEl went right up to them ¹⁰ and kept killing Philistines until his hand got tired... So he tied his sword to his hand [and kept fighting].

Yahweh gave him a great victory that day, and the only reason why the rest of the people had to return to [the field] was just to strip the dead.

¹¹ SamaiJa son of Asa the Arachite.

When the Philistines went to Theria and people there were picking lentils in a field, they all ran from the Philistines... ¹² But he stood there like a stone monument in the middle of the field and protected it, cutting down the Philistines in a great victory!

¹³ It was these three (from among the 30 of the leaders) who went to David when he was at Kason in the cave of OdolLam, as the Philistines camped [against him] in the Valley of Rephaim.

¹⁴ Also, when David was in the citadel and the Philistines were in BethLehem, ¹⁵ and David [got thirsty] and asked:

‘Who’ll go to the well that’s at the city gate in BethLehem to get me some water to drink?’

[Yes,] although all the Philistines were assembled in BethLehem!

¹⁶ It was these same three mighty ones who tore up the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well that was in BethLehem, and brought it to David.

However, he wouldn’t drink it and offered it to Yahweh instead.

¹⁷ For he said:

‘Please be kind to me, O Yahweh, for offering this.

‘How could I drink it after these men risked their blood and their lives to bring it to me?’

So he didn’t drink it. And it was these three mighty ones did these things.

¹⁸ Now, AbiShai son of ZeruJah (JoAb’s brother) was above the three. And because he’d killed 300 men, he was also considered to be with the three. ¹⁹ He was never part of the group, but he was the most highly regarded, so he was put in charge over them.

²⁰ Then there was BenaiJah son of JehoiAda.

He also did many marvelous things. For at KabeseEl, he struck down the two sons of AriEl the Moabite. And he’s the one who went and killed a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day!

²¹ He also cut down a remarkable Egyptian man who carried a wooden spear that was as large as a ladder... He went right up to him with a rod, grabbed the wooden spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his [own] spear!

²² Yes, these are things that BenaiJah son of JehoiAda did, and that’s why he was also considered among the mighty ones. ²³ So, he was viewed one of the three, but he was never part of their group... Although he was given more honor, for David had appointed him [to be the head of his guards].

²⁴ And these are names of the [other] mighty ones of King David:

• AshaEl, JoAb’s brother (who was also one of the 30),

• ElAnan (son of his uncle Dudi of BethLehem),

• ²⁵ SamAi the Arudite,

• ²⁶ Seles the KelOthite,

• Iras (son of EkKas the Thekoite),

• ²⁷ AbiEzer the AnathOthite (from the sons of the Asothites),

• ²⁸ ElLon the Awiite,

• MoOr the NetoPhathite,

• ²⁹ Ethi (son of Riba of GabeOth, son of BenJamin the Ephrathite),

• ³⁰ Adroi of the Brooks,

• ³¹ GadabiEl (son of the ArabOthite),

• AzMoth the BarSamite,

• ³² The sons of EliAsou the Salabonite:

• Jaban, and

• JoNathan.

• ³³ SamNan the Arodite,

• Acian (son of Arai the SaraUrite),

• ³⁴ AlipPhaleth (the son the Asbitite and grandson of MaAchathi),

• EliAb (son of AhiThophel the Gelonite),

• ³⁵ AsarAi the CarMelite of Uraeoerchi,

• ³⁶ GaAl (son of Nathan, a powerful son of Galaaddi),

• ³⁷ ElYe the Ammanite,

• GelorAi the BerOthite (who was the arms bearer for JoAb son of ZeruJah),

• ³⁸ Iras the Jethirite,

• Gareb the Ethenite, and

• ³⁹ UriAh the Hittite.

In all, they numbered 37 [mighty men].

2 Samuel 24

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¹ Well thereafter, the anger of Yahweh started to burn in IsraEl, because David was moved to say, ‘Go and take a census of IsraEl and Judah!’

² Yes, the king had said to JoAb (who was in charge of the army):

‘Go throughout all the tribes of IsraEl and Judah from Dan to BeerSheba, and count all the men, so I’ll know how many there are.’

³ But JoAb said to the king:

‘May Yahweh your God add to your people, and may you find that they’ve grown to be 100 times greater. However, my Lord the king; why would you want to do such a thing?’

⁴ But the king refused to listen to JoAb and to those who were in charge of his army, so JoAb and his men left the presence of the king and went to take a census of the people of IsraEl.

⁵ They crossed the JorDan and camped to the right of AroEr in the ravine of Gad and EliEzer... ⁶ Then they went to GileAd and into the land of ThaBason (AdasSai)... And from there, they traveled to DaniDan and UDan, and they camped around Sidon... ⁷ Then they traveled to MapSar of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites and CanaAnites; and finally, they went to the south of Judah, into BeerSheba.

⁸ So they traveled throughout the entire land, returning to JeruSalem at the end of 9 months and 20 days, ⁹ and JoAb gave the numbers of the people to the king.

Altogether, he found that there were 800,000 men in the armies of IsraEl who carried the broadsword, plus 500,000 warriors from Judah.

¹⁰ Well, after the census was completed, David [became ashamed] of what he’d done, and he said to Yahweh:

‘I’ve really sinned by doing this thing... However, O Lord, please overlook this lawlessness on the part of your servant, for I was very foolish!’

¹¹ But when David got up the next morning, [he found that] the Word of Yahweh had come to the prophet Gad (the Seer), who was told:

¹² ‘Go and speak to David.

‘Tell him that this is what Yahweh said:

‘I’m giving you your choice of three [penalties]. You must choose the one you prefer, and I’ll then bring it against you!’

¹³ So Gad went to David and told him:

‘Choose for yourself which of these is going to come upon you:

1. Three years of famine in our land,

2. Three months when your enemies will chase you and you’ll run from them, or

3. Three days of death in your land.

‘Now, give me a reply for the One who sent me.’

¹⁴ And David said to Gad:

‘Those are all tough choices, but of the three, I choose to put myself into the hands of Yahweh, because He’s very compassionate... He will never allow me to fall into the hands of [my enemies].’

¹⁵ So David chose the death.

Now, it was the season of the wheat harvest when Yahweh sent death throughout IsraEl from the morning until dinnertime. Devastation started among the people, killing 70,000 men from Dan to BeerSheba.

¹⁶ Then the messenger of God turned his hand towards JeruSalem… To destroy it! However, [Yahweh then forgave] the evil that was done, and He said to the messenger that was destroying the people,

‘That’s enough!’

Well at the time, the messenger of Yahweh was at the threshing-floor of Orna the Jebusite. ¹⁷ And David said to Yahweh (when he saw the messenger striking the people):

‘Look… I was the one who did the wrong!

‘Yes, I’m the shepherd who sinned, and these are just the sheep… What have they done? May Your hand come against me and the house of my father instead!’

¹⁸ Then Gad came to David that day and said to him:

‘Now, go and erect an Altar to Yahweh at the threshing-floor of Orna the Jebusite.’

¹⁹ So, following the instructions of the prophet Gad, he did what the Lord told him to do. ²⁰ And when Orna saw the king and his servants coming towards him, he bowed before the king with his face to the ground.

²¹ Then Orna asked:

‘Why is my lord the king coming to his servant?’

And David replied:

‘I’m here to buy your threshing-floor from you in order to build an Altar to Yahweh, so that He will stop destroying the people.’

²² And Orna said to David:

‘Then, take it and offer it to Yahweh, my lord the king… Do whatever is good in your eyes!

‘Look, here are some oxen to sacrifice as whole burnt-offerings… And use the wooden [ox-cart] and its wheels to burn [the sacrifices]!’

²³ So Orna offered it all to the king.

And he said:

‘May Yahweh your God bless you.’

²⁴ But the king said to Orna:

‘No, I want to purchase it from you for a price, because I won’t offer a whole burnt-offering to Yahweh my God free-of-charge.’

So, David bought the threshing floor and the oxen, paying for it with 50 large silver coins... ²⁵ And there he built an Altar to Yahweh, where he sacrificed whole burnt offerings and peace offerings.

Then [later on], Solomon added to the size of the Altar, because it was small at first. But [Yahweh’s favor] returned to the land, and He ended the devastation that He was bringing upon IsraEl.

1 Kings

01  02  03  04  05  06  07  08  09  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  21  22  All books

1 Kings is a history book.

It’s part 3 of a 4-part history book (1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, and 2 Kings). It’s usually pronounced as ‘First Kings,’ although some say ‘One Kings.’

1 Kings covers the period just before King David’s death until the death of King JehoShaphat and the start of AhaziAh’s reign. It also includes the activities of the prophets EliJah and EliSha.

We don’t know who wrote or complied this book. Jewish tradition says that it was written by the prophet Jeremiah. This could be true.

Chronology problems

The internal chronology of the book is, unfortunately, impossible for us to understand today. Why? Well, the methods used to count the length of a king’s reign evidently differed over the years, and we don’t know which method was used for which king.

For example, some kings had their first few months before the new year counted as ‘1 year,’ while others didn’t. Also, there were certainly some gaps and overlapping between the reigns (for example, time before a son took over, or time when a son co-ruled with his father). None of these details are recorded in the text – probably because it was obvious to the people at the time (or you could get the details from another book), but all of this is long-forgotten today, and of all the other ancient books about the events are long-lost.

Some modern scholars have tried to work out the chronology, but there’s no consensus. So all the BCE dates that you may see for their reigns are just best-guesses.

Further, some of the numbers given by the Greek Septuagint text (which we use) are different from the numbers given in the Hebrew Masoretic text. Which one is right? Or do both have errors? We don’t know, but we’re usually inclined to follow the Greek text.

1 Kings 1

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¹ King David had grown very old, and even when they wrapped him in [heavy] clothes he couldn’t get warm.

² So his servants said:

‘Have them search for a young virgin girl who’ll wait on the king, treat him well, and lie with him… Who’ll keep him warm.’

³ So they searched for a pretty young woman throughout the borders of IsraEl, and they found AbiSag the Somanite and brought her to the king.

⁴ The young woman was extremely beautiful, and she treated the king very well and served him; but, he never [had sex] with her.

⁵ Meanwhile, AdoniJah (son of [David’s woman] AgGith) tried to elevate himself, saying:

‘I will be the king!’

So he prepared himself [by collecting] chariots and horses, and having 50 men run ahead of him. ⁶ Yet [David] never discouraged him or asked him why he was doing this.

AdoniJah was a very handsome man, to whom his mother had given birth after AbSalom. ⁷ And he went to meet with JoAb son of ZeruJah and AbiAthar the Priest, who then they became his supporters.

⁸ However, neither the Priest ZaDok, nor BenaiJah son of JehoiAda, nor the prophet Nathan, nor Semei, nor Resi, nor any of David’s mighty men supported AdoniJah.

⁹ Then AdoniJah went to the Rock of ZoeLethi (near RogEl) to sacrifice sheep, calves, and lambs, and he called for [most of] his brothers, the king’s servants, and all the adult men of Judah…

¹⁰ But he didn’t invite the prophet Nathan, BenaiJah, any of the mighty men, or his brother Solomon.

¹¹ So, Nathan went to BathSheba (Solomon’s mother) and asked:

‘Have you heard?

‘AgGith’s son AdoniJah has started ruling. However, our lord David doesn’t know about it yet.

¹² ‘So, please allow me to offer you some council that will save your life and the life of your son Solomon.

¹³ ‘Hurry and go to King David, then say to him:

‘O my lord the king,

‘Didn’t you swear to me (your handmaid) that my son Solomon would reign after you and sit on your throne? And if so, why is AdoniJah reigning?’

¹⁴ ‘Then, while you’re still there speaking to the king, I’ll come in after you and confirm what you’re saying.’

¹⁵ As a result, BathSheba went to see the king in his bedroom.

Well, the king was very old, and AbiSag (the Somanite) was there serving him... ¹⁶ Then BathSheba bowed low before the king and he asked her:

‘What do you want?’

¹⁷ And she replied:

‘My lord,

‘Didn’t you swear to your handmaid by Yahweh your God, saying:

‘Your son Solomon will reign after me and sit on my throne?’

¹⁸ ‘But look! AdoniJah has now started to rule, although you, my lord the king, don’t know anything about this!

¹⁹ ‘He’s already sacrificed many calves, lambs, and sheep, and he’s invited all of the king’s sons, as well as AbiAthar the Priest and JoAb, the commander-in-chief of your army, to come with him.

‘Of course, he didn’t invite your servant Solomon.

²⁰ ‘So now, O my lord the king,

‘All IsraEl is watching and waiting for you to tell them who’ll sit on your throne after you. ²¹ And as it presently stands; after my lord the king goes to sleep with his fathers, my son Solomon and I shall be [in great jeopardy].’

²² Then, {Look!} while she was still speaking to the king, the prophet Nathan arrived, which was reported to the king with the words:

²³ ‘Look, the prophet Nathan has arrived.’

So, Nathan went into the king’s presence and bowed to him with his face to the ground, ²⁴ then he said:

‘My lord, O king,

‘Did you say that AdoniJah will reign after you and sit on your throne?

²⁵ ‘For today he’s gone to sacrifice many calves, lambs, and sheep, and he’s invited all your sons, the chiefs of the army, and AbiAthar the Priest.

‘Look! They’re eating and drinking before him now, saying:

‘Long live King AdoniJah!’

²⁶ ‘But he didn’t invite me, your servant, or the Priest ZaDok, or BenaiJah son of JehoiAda, or your servant Solomon.

²⁷ ‘Has this matter been authorized by my lord the king, and have you failed to tell your servant who’ll succeed you on the throne?’

²⁸ Then King David said:

‘Call BathSheba back in.’

So she came in and stood before the king.

²⁹ Then the king swore [an oath to her], saying:

‘As Yahweh, who saved my life from all danger, lives, ³⁰ and as I swore to you by Yahweh the God of IsraEl, saying:

‘Your son Solomon will reign after me and sit on my throne after me’...

‘I’m saying the same thing today.’

³¹ And at that, BathSheba bowed low with her face to the ground, and said:

‘May my lord King David live throughout the ages.’

³² Then King David said:

‘Call ZaDok the Priest, the prophet Nathan, and BenaiJah son of JehoiAda to me.’

So they came in and stood before the king, ³³ and the king said to them:

‘Take my servants with you and mount my son Solomon on my personal mule, then take him to GiOn.

³⁴ ‘There, ZaDok the Priest and the prophet Nathan should anoint him to be the king over IsraEl.

‘Then you must blow the trumpets and shout:

‘Long live King Solomon!’

³⁵ ‘For he will sit on my throne and be the ruler in place of me… I’m giving the order that he will now be the leader over IsraEl and Judah!’

³⁶ Then BenaiJah son of JehoiAda said to the king:

‘May it be so! May Yahweh, the God of my lord the king, make it so!

³⁷ ‘And as Yahweh was with my lord the king, may He be with Solomon… May He raise his throne even higher than the throne of my lord King David.’

³⁸ So ZaDok the Priest, Nathan the prophet, BenaiJah son of JehoiAda, and the Cherethites and Phelethites went and mounted Solomon on King David’s mule, and led him away to GiOn.

³⁹ Then ZaDok took the horn of oil from the Sacred Tent, anointed Solomon with it, and blew the trumpets, as all the people started shouting:

‘[Long] live King Solomon!’

⁴⁰ And thereafter, so many people came to him dancing and singing in joy that the ground literally shook with the sounds of their voices.

⁴¹ Well, when AdoniJah and his guests heard all the commotion, they stopped eating.

And when JoAb heard the trumpets being blown, he asked:

‘Why is the whole city in such an uproar?’

⁴² Then, while he was still speaking, {Look!} JoNathan (AbiAthar the Priest’s son) came in. And AdoniJah said:

‘Welcome!

‘Since you’re such a powerful man, you must be bringing good news!’

⁴³ And JoNathan replied:

‘It’s true! For our lord King David has made Solomon the king!

⁴⁴ ‘He sent ZaDok the Priest, Nathan the prophet, BenaiJah son of JehoiAda, and the Cherethites and Phelethites, and they mounted him on the king’s mule; ⁴⁵ then they anointed him in GiOn.

‘So, the sounds that you’re hearing from the city are the sounds of rejoicing!

⁴⁶ ‘For Solomon is now seated on the throne of the kingdom, ⁴⁷ and the king’s servants are going in to praise our lord King David, saying:

‘May God make the name of Solomon even better than your name and his throne greater than your throne!’

‘Right now, the king is bowing before [God] from his bed and ⁴⁸ saying:

‘May Yahweh the God of IsraEl be praised, because today He’s appointed one of my offspring to sit on my throne while my eyes can still see it!’

⁴⁹ Well at that, all the guests of AdoniJah were shocked… And then they just left. ⁵⁰ And because AdoniJah was afraid of Solomon, he got up and walked out, then he went and grabbed hold of the horns on the Altar.

⁵¹ Thereafter, when it was reported to Solomon that AdoniJah was afraid of him and that he was holding onto the horns of the Altar and saying:

‘Let Solomon swear to me today that he won’t kill his servant with his sword,’

⁵² Solomon said:

‘If he’s an honorable man, not a single hair will fall to the ground; but if he’s evil, he will die.’

⁵³ So King Solomon sent and had him brought back from the Altar.

Then [AdoniJah] bowed low before King Solomon, and Solomon said to him:

‘Now, just go back home!’

1 Kings 2

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¹ Well, the time for David’s death drew near, so he spoke to his son Solomon and said:

‘I’m going the way of all on the earth. ² Therefore, you must now be strong and prove that you’re a man.

³ ‘Follow the instructions of Yahweh your God, walk in His ways, and follow the Commandments, rules and decisions that are written in the Law of Moses, so you’ll understand what you should do when it comes to all the things that I’ll tell you.

⁴ ‘If you’ll do this, Yahweh will make the thing that He promised come true, when He said:

‘If your children will pay attention to the way that they should walk before Me wholeheartedly and in truth, there’ll never fail to be a man from you who sits on the throne of IsraEl.’

⁵ ‘Now, you know all the things that JoAb son of ZeruJah did to me and to the two generals of the army of IsraEl… To AbNer son of Ner, and to AmaSa son of JeTher.

‘He murdered them and shed their blood like in wartime, even though we were at peace… He wrapped his waist and the sandals on his feet in innocent blood! ⁶ So, deal with him as your wisdom directs, and don’t allow him to take his grey hair to the grave in peace.

⁷ ‘However, I want you to deal kindly with the son of BarZelli the GileAdite… He should eat at your table, because [BarZelli] came to my aid when I had to run from your brother AbSalom.

⁸ ‘And {Look!} there’s also Semei son of Gera, a BenJaminite of BaUrim, who’s still among us! He cursed me when he came down to the JorDan to meet me as I was returning to JeruSalem... Back then, I swore to him by Yahweh that I wouldn’t use the sword to put him to death. ⁹ However, he isn’t free of guilt.

‘Now, you’re a wise man, and you know what you must do to him… You must take his grey hair to the grave covered in blood.’

¹⁰ Then shortly thereafter, David went to sleep with his ancestors, and was entombed in the city of David. ¹¹ David had reigned over IsraEl for 40 years… 7 years in HebRon and 33 years in JeruSalem.

¹² But then Solomon came to sit upon the throne of his father David, and his kingdom became very great.

¹³ Well, [after David had died], AdoniJah (AgGith’s son) went to see BathSheba (Solomon’s mother).

He bowed before her, and then she asked:

‘Have you come in peace?’

And he replied:

‘Yes, in peace… ¹⁴ For I have some business with you.’

So she said:

‘Then speak.’

¹⁵ And he said:

‘You know that the kingdom was mine, because all IsraEl turned to me as their king. But the kingdom was taken away from me and it became my brother’s, because it was given to him by Yahweh.

¹⁶ ‘So, I just want to ask one thing of you… And please don’t ignore me.’

Then BathSheba said:

‘Keep talking.’

¹⁷ And he said to her:

‘I beg you to speak to King Solomon, because he won’t ignore you... Ask him to give AbiSag the Somanite to me, to be my woman.’

¹⁸ And BathSheba said:

‘Well, I’ll speak to the king for you.’

¹⁹ So BathSheba went to King Solomon to speak to him on behalf of AdoniJah.

Well, the king arose to meet her, then he kissed her and he sat down on his throne. Thereafter, he had a throne placed there for the mother of the king, so she sat down at his right hand.

²⁰ Then she said to him:

‘I’d like to make one little request… And please don’t ignore me.’

So the king said:

‘Ask, my mother, and I won’t ignore you.’

²¹ And she said:

‘Please give AbiSag the Somanite to your brother AdoniJah as his woman.’

²² But King Solomon asked her:

‘Why are you asking me to give AbiSag to AdoniJah?

‘You could ask me to give him the kingdom also, because he’s my older brother… And his friends are the Priest AbiAthar and my commander-in-chief, JoAb son of ZeruJah!’

²³ Then King Solomon swore an oath by Yahweh, saying:

‘May God curse me and add to it if AdoniJah hasn’t spoken these words against his own life!

²⁴ ‘For now, as Yahweh lives – the One who established me, set me on the throne of my father David, and made me a house just as the Lord had promised –

AdoniJah will die today!’

²⁵ So King Solomon sent out BenaiJah son of JehoiAda to kill him, and AdoniJah died that day.

²⁶ Then the king said to AbiAthar the Priest:

‘You must quickly return to your farm in AnathOth, because you also deserve to die today!

‘However, I’m not going to kill you, because you carried Yahweh’s Chest of the Sacred Agreement before my father, and because you also shared in all the sufferings of my father.’

²⁷ So Solomon removed AbiAthar as the Priest of Yahweh, which fulfilled the words that the Lord had spoken at Salem concerning the house of Eli. ²⁸ And when the news of this reached JoAb son of ZeruJah – because he’d supported AdoniJah (not Solomon) – he ran to the Tent of Yahweh and grabbed hold of the horns on the Altar.

²⁹ Well when Solomon was told that JoAb had fled to the Tent of Yahweh and he was hanging onto the horns of the Altar, he sent [a message] to JoAb, asking:

‘What’s wrong with you?

‘Why have you fled to the Altar?’

And JoAb replied:

‘I fled to Yahweh for refuge because I’m afraid of you!’

So Solomon told BenaiJah son of JehoiAda to go and kill him, then bury him.

³⁰ Well, when BenaiJah son of JehoiAda reached JoAb at the Tent of Yahweh, he said to him:

‘The king had commanded that you to come away from there!’

But JoAb said:

‘I’m not coming… For I’d rather die right here!’

So then, BenaiJah son of JehoiAda returned to the king and told him what JoAb said, ³¹ and the king told him:

‘Then, go and do what he told you to do… Kill him there, and then bury him!

‘That way, you’ll remove the blood that he shed for no reason from me and from the house of my father... ³² For, Yahweh has brought the blood of his unrighteousness down upon his own head, because he attacked two men who were more righteous and better than himself, killing them with his sword…

‘Although my father David didn’t know that he’d kill AbNer son of Ner the commander-in-chief of IsraEl, and Amesa son of JeTher, the commander-in-chief of Judah.

³³ ‘Now, their blood is on his head and on the head of his offspring throughout the ages! But upon David, his offspring, and his house and throne, may there be peace from Yahweh throughout the ages.’

³⁴ So BenaiJah son of JehoiAda went back and killed him, and then he converted his house in the desert into his tomb.

³⁵ Well thereafter, the king appointed BenaiJah son of JehoiAda to be the commander-in-chief of his army, and his kingship became firm in JeruSalem.

As for ZaDok the Priest, the king appointed him as the High Priest in place of AbiAthar.

So, Solomon son of David started reigning over both IsraEl and Judah from JeruSalem, and Yahweh gave Solomon as much wisdom, understanding, and greatness of heart as there’s sand on the seashore! For the wisdom of Solomon was greater than that of all the ancient peoples, and it was far greater than the wise men of Egypt.

³⁶ Then the king called for Semei and said this to him:

‘You may build yourself a house in JeruSalem and live there… However, you must not leave it!

³⁷ ‘For I want you to know that on the day you cross the Cedar (Kidron) Valley, you’re going to die and your blood will be on your own head!’

³⁸ And Semei said to the king:

‘What you’ve said is good, O my lord the king… And that’s what your servant will do.’

Then the king made him swear an oath to this.

So Semei lived in JeruSalem for the next 3 years. ³⁹ But after the three years, two of his slaves ran away (to Anchus son of MaAcha, the king of Geth)... And when Semei was told that his slaves were in Geth, ⁴⁰ he saddled his burros and went to Anchus in Geth to bring his slaves back!

⁴¹ But when Solomon was told that Semei had left JeruSalem and gone to Geth to bring back his slaves, ⁴² the king sent for Semei and said to him:

‘Didn’t you swear by Yahweh, and didn’t I warn you that if you left JeruSalem (whether to the right or to the left) you will surely die?

⁴³ ‘So, why haven’t you kept your oath to Yahweh and followed the instructions that I gave you?’

⁴⁴ Then the king told Semei:

‘In your heart you know of all the bad things you’ve done, and of the bad things that you did to my father David!

‘So now, Yahweh is bringing your badness down upon your own head, ⁴⁵ while King Solomon will be blest and the throne of David will be established before Yahweh throughout the ages.’

⁴⁶ Then Solomon commanded BenaiJah son of JehoiAda to take him out and kill him.

1 Kings 3

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¹ Well, under Solomon, the kingdom was united.

Then Solomon contracted a marriage with PharaOh, the king of Egypt... He took PharaOh’s daughter and brought her to the city of David. He did this after he’d finished building his palace, the Temple of Yahweh, and after building the wall around JeruSalem.

² Now, before the Temple was built, the people had been burning incense [to Yahweh] in the high places. ³ And since Solomon loved Yahweh (and because he was following the orders of his father David), he also offered his sacrifices and burned incense there.

⁴ So Solomon then got up and went to offer sacrifices at GibeOn (since that was the highest place at the time). There he had 1,000 whole burnt offerings placed on the Altar.

⁵ And then the Lord appeared to Solomon while he was sleeping that night, and said to him:

‘Solomon,

‘Ask for whatever you wish for yourself.’

⁶ So Solomon replied:

‘You’ve shown great mercy to your servant, my father David, and he walked with You in truth, justice, and with a pure heart... Then You guarded him and showed him great mercy by allowing his son, to sit upon his throne, which has come true today.

⁷ ‘And now, O Yahweh my God; although You have appointed Your servant in place of my father David, I’m still just a boy that doesn’t know when to enter or when to leave!

⁸ ‘Yet Your servant [now rules] in the midst of this mighty [nation] that You’ve chosen, which has [so many people] that they can’t be counted... ⁹ Therefore, please give your servant a heart to listen so as to make [wise] decisions for Your people in justice, and to recognize the difference between what’s good and what’s bad.

‘For, who could possibly bear the weight of such judgments?’

¹⁰ Well, this thing that Solomon asked of Yahweh was pleasing to Him, ¹¹ so He replied:

‘Because you’ve asked this thing from Me and you didn’t ask for a long life, or for wealth, or for the lives of your enemies, and all you asked for yourself is the understanding to judge righteously... ¹² {Look!} I’ve done what you asked!

‘{Look!} I’m giving you an intelligent and wise heart… There has never been anyone before you, nor will there ever be anyone who shall arise after you who’ll be like you!

¹³ ‘And I’m also giving you the things that you didn’t ask for… Including wealth and glory; for there’s never been a king like you.

¹⁴ ‘And if you’ll do things My way and obey My Commandments and instructions as did your father David, I’ll also grant you a long life.’

¹⁵ Well, after Solomon awoke, he remembered the dream.

So he got up and returned to JeruSalem; and there he went and stood before the Altar that was in front of the Chest of the Sacred Agreement of Yahweh in Zion. Then he sacrificed whole burnt offerings and peace offerings, and he held a great banquet for himself and for all his servants.

¹⁶ It was sometime later that two women who were prostitutes came to stand before the king for a [judgment].

¹⁷ One of the women said:

‘Hear me, my lord!

‘This woman and I both live in the same house and we both gave birth to [sons] there... ¹⁸ It was three days after I gave birth that this woman also gave birth in the same place while no one else was around… There was just the two of us in the house.

¹⁹ ‘Then this woman’s son died during the night when she rolled over on top of him! ²⁰ So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my arms and put him to her breasts; then she took her son who’d died and laid him at my breasts!

²¹ ‘Well, when I got up in the morning to nurse my son, I saw the one who had died... But I studied him, and then I realized that this wasn’t my son to whom I’d given birth.’

²² But then the other woman shouted:

‘That isn’t true!

‘The living one is my son, and the dead one is hers!’

²³ Then the king said to her:

‘So you’re saying that the living son is yours, and the dead one is hers... And she’s saying that isn’t true; hers is the living son, and yours is the one who’s dead.’

²⁴ Then the king said:

‘Now, bring me a sword!’

And they brought him a sword.

²⁵ Then he said:

‘Cut this living, nursing child in halves, and give half to this one and the other half to that one.’

²⁶ Well, the real mother of the living son spoke to the king, because she was disturbed to the womb about what was going to happen to her son!

So she said:

‘Hear me, O lord!

‘Give the child to her… Don’t kill him!’

But the other [woman] said:

‘May he be neither mine nor hers…

‘Cut him in two!’

²⁷ Then the king said:

‘I’m giving the child to the woman who said, ‘Give it to her, don’t kill him,’ because she’s his mother.’

²⁸ Well, all IsraEl soon came to hear of this decision of the king, and they were in fear whenever they were in his presence! For they knew that the intelligence of God was in him, and that justice would prevail.

1 Kings 4

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¹ Back when King Solomon was reigning in IsraEl, ² these are the men who were with him and that were in charge:

• AzariAh (son of ZaDok) was the [High] Priest.

• ³ EliAm and AhiJah (the sons of Saba) were his scribes.

• JehoShaphat (the son AchiLud) was the recorder.

• ⁴ BenaiJah (son of JehoiAda) was the commander-in-chief of the army.

• ZaDok and AbiAthar were the Priests.

• ⁵ AzariAh (son of Nathan) directed his staff.

• ZaboUth (son of Nathan) was the king’s right-hand man.

• ⁶ AciSar was his manager.

• EliAb (son of Saph) was over his family.

• AdoniRam (son of AphDon) was in charge of the tributes.

⁷ So Solomon assigned 12 men over all IsraEl to handle matters for him and his house.

⁸ Then there were others who were assigned to [bring the things that Solomon required] for just 1 month each year, and these are their names:

• The son of Or was responsible in the mountains of Ephraim.

• ⁹ The son of DaKar was responsible in MachEmas, SalaBin, BethSamus, AiLon, and BethAnan.

• ¹⁰ The son of Esdi was responsible in ArabOth, SochOth, and all the land of Opher.

• ¹¹ The son of AmiNadab (who was married to Solomon’s daughter) was responsible in all of NephthaDor and TephAth.

• ¹² BaAna (son of AchiLouth) was responsible in IthAnak, MegidDo, and over the whole house of San near SesaThan and below EsraE, from BethSan to SebelMaula, to MaEber and Lucam.

• ¹³ The son of Gaber from GileAd was over a piece of measured land around EreGaba (which is in BaShan) and which included 60 great walled cities that were [protected by] bronze bars.

• ¹⁴ AchiNadab (son of SadDo) was responsible in MaAnaim.

• ¹⁵ AchimaAs (who was married to Solomon’s daughter BasEmath) was responsible in [the land of] NaphTali.

• ¹⁶ BaAnah (son of HushAi) was in charge of BaAlOth and [the land of] Asher.

• ¹⁷ JehoShaphat (son of ParuAh) was responsible in [the land of] IsSachar.

• ¹⁸ Shemei (son of ElAh) was responsible in [the land of] BenJamin.

• ¹⁹ Gaber (son of AdAi) was responsible in the land of GileAd, [the land of] King SeOn of HeshBon, [the land of] King Og of BaShan, and [the land of] NaSeb (in the land of Judah).

²⁰ Now, Judah and IsraEl had grown so large that [their people] were as the sands of the seas in number, and they all ate, drank, and rejoiced; ²¹ for Solomon was the ruler in all their kingdoms from the river in the land of the Philistines to the borders of Egypt.

They also brought Solomon many gifts, and they served him throughout all the days of his life.

²² These are the things that Solomon required at his table each day:

• 200 bushels of fine flour,

• 400 bushels of beaten flour,

• ²³ 10 choice calves,

• 20 grass-fed oxen,

• 100 sheep, plus

• Well-fed male and female antelope.

²⁴ Solomon was also the ruler of all the land on the [east] side of the [JorDan], and there was peace throughout the whole country. ²⁵ [So, during all the days of Solomon, the people] in Judah and IsraEl (from Dan to BeerSheba) harvested their own grapevines and [lived] under their own fig trees.

²⁶ During his lifetime, Solomon had gathered some 40,000 breeding horses for his chariots and 12,000 more for his cavalry.

²⁷ Those whom he put in charge brought the required things to the king’s table (each one in his own month) did just as they were told and they didn’t change a word... ²⁸ They brought barley and hay for the horses, and they took the chariots wherever the king needed them and arranged for them to be.

²⁹ Well, Yahweh gave intelligence and great wisdom to Solomon, and it kept growing in his heart like the sands of the seas! ³⁰ Solomon’s intelligence grew greater than that of all the men of ancient times, including all the wise men of Egypt… ³¹ His understanding was greater than everyone, so he was wiser than GaitThan the Zarite, or AiNan, or ChalKal, or DarDa (the sons of Mal).

³² [During his lifetime], Solomon spoke 3,000 parables and he [wrote] 5,000 songs!

³³ He spoke of the cedars of Lebanon, of the hyssop, and of [plants that grow] through walls. He spoke about cattle, flying creatures, things that crawl, and about things that live in the water… ³⁴ And people from everywhere on the earth would come to hear the wisdom of Solomon.

Also, all their kings, when they heard of his wisdom, would bring him gifts.

1 Kings 5

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¹ Then King HiRam [I] of Tyre sent his servants to anoint Solomon in place of his father David; for HiRam loved David throughout his whole life.

² And Solomon sent [a message] to HiRam, saying:

³ ‘You know that my father David was unable to build a Temple to the Name of my God Yahweh, because he was fighting the wars that were going on around him, until Yahweh finally put his enemies under the soles of his feet.

⁴ ‘And now, my God Yahweh has provided rest for me all around [my land], for there are no more plotters or wicked people anywhere near me... ⁵ So now I’m talking about building a Temple to the Name of my God who once said to my father David:

‘Your son whom I’ll put on your throne after you will build a Temple to My Name.’

⁶ ‘Therefore, please have your men cut some timber for me from the trees in Lebanon, and I’ll pay whatever you ask for their wages... {Look!} I’ll also send my servants to go with your servants; for no one understands timber cutting better than the Sidonians!’

⁷ Well, when HiRam received Solomon’s message, he was overjoyed and said:

‘May the God who gave David such an intelligent son to rule over this great people be praised today!’

⁸ So he sent [a message] to Solomon replying:

‘I’ve heard everything that you asked of me, and I’ll send all the pine and cedar lumber that you’ve requested! ⁹ My servants will cut it in Lebanon then carry it to the sea and haul it all on barges to wherever you tell me to drop it off… You can carry it on from there.

‘All I ask from you in return, is that you send me some loaves of bread for my house.’

¹⁰ So HiRam gave Solomon all the cedars and pines that he wanted, ¹¹ and Solomon sent HiRam 130,000 bushels of wheat and 120,000 gallons (450,000l) of beaten olive oil for his house.

In fact, he sent that amount to HiRam every year after that!

¹² Well, Yahweh gave Solomon all the wisdom that he’d asked for, and there was peace between HiRam and Solomon, for they’d concluded a treaty between themselves. ¹³ And the king sent him (as a tribute from all IsraEl) 30,000 men… ¹⁴ He would send 10,000 of them to Lebanon each month in rotation, and they’d thereafter spend a month in Lebanon and 2 months at home.

AdoniRam was the person whom he’d put in charge of this tribute.

¹⁵ Meanwhile, Solomon had 70,000 laborers and 80,000 stonecutters [working] in the mountains... ¹⁶ And in addition to those whom Solomon placed in charge of his construction project, he had 3,600 supervisors on the job, ¹⁷ whom the king had instructed to set huge, valuable stone blocks in place as the foundations for the building.

¹⁸ Also, the sons of Solomon and HiRam [were in charge of] assembling everything after all the blocks and timbers had been cut (which took three years).

1 Kings 6

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¹ It was 400 and [80] years after the sons of IsraEl had left Egypt (in the 4th year and 2nd month of King Solomon’s reign over IsraEl) that the Temple of Yahweh [began construction].

² It was [going to be]:

• 90 feet (27.4m) long,

• 30 feet (9.1m) wide, and

• 30 feet (9.1m) tall.

³ The Temple had a columned front entryway that was about 30 feet (9.1m) deep and it was as wide as the building.

⁴ There was also a window in the Temple that was hidden, because it leaned inward... ⁵ And there was an eve along [the top] of the wall that ran all the way around the Temple Sanctuary to the entryway.

He then built side [rooms] around the structure.

⁶ The lowest [part of the] side [room] was 7-1/2 feet (2.3m) wide, the one in the middle was 9 feet (2.75m) wide, and the one at the [top] was 10-1/2 feet (3.2m) wide... He built the rooms around the Temple on the outside, so they wouldn’t touch the Temple walls.

⁷ The Temple was constructed from rough-chiseled stone; for the sound of hammers, axes, and other metal tools wasn’t to be heard during its construction.

⁸ There was a vestibule that was attached to the right side of the bottom room of the building, which had a winding stairway in the middle that led up to the third story.

⁹ Then, after the [exterior] was built, Solomon had the [interior walls] covered with cedar [panels]. ¹⁰ He also built the interior chamber in the middle of the Temple, which stood 7-1/2 feet (2.3m) high, and it was held together with cedar beams.

¹¹ Thereafter, Yahweh sent word to Solomon, saying:

¹² ‘Regarding this Temple that you’re building for Me... If you’ll follow My instructions and decisions, and obey all My Commandments, the thing that I said to your father David will prove true; ¹³ I will camp in the midst of the sons of IsraEl, and I won’t abandon My people IsraEl.’

¹⁴ Well after that, Solomon went on to finish the Temple.

¹⁵ He covered all its interior walls with cedar panels, from its floors to its beams. It was vaulted with timbers on the inside, and the walls were ribbed with pine.

¹⁶ So inside, the measurement from the floor to the ceiling beams was 30 feet (9.1m). And inside the entryway, he built the Holy of Holies.

¹⁷ However, the Temple Sanctuary itself was 60 feet (18.3m) in front of the entrance.

¹⁸ Now, the interior cedar panels were all carved with decorations of gourds and spread leaves, and none of the stonework could be seen from the inside.

¹⁹ Also, [they made] the entrance within in the center of the Temple, to make a place to hold the Chest of the Sacred Agreement of Yahweh. ²⁰ That room was 30 feet (9.1m) long, 30 feet (9.1m) wide, and 30 feet (9.1m) tall, and it was totally enclosed and covered in gold.

²¹ Then he built an Altar in front of the entrance and he covered it with gold. ²² In fact, by the time of its completion, the whole Temple [interior] was covered with gold!

²³ He also made two wooden cherubs of cypress, which he placed in the entrance. These stood 15 feet (4.6m) tall, ²⁴ each of their wings were 7-1/2 feet (2.3m) long, and the distance from wing-tip to wing-tip was 15 feet (4.5m). ²⁵ Both of these cherubs were the same size.

²⁶ He [also made] a 17-foot (5.2m) tall cherub, along with a second one, and he placed these in the innermost part of the Temple. ²⁷ They too had spread wings that touched each other and ran to the walls on either side of the building’s interior.

²⁸ These cherubs were also covered in gold, ²⁹ and the walls around the Temple were engraved with cherubs and palms… Both the innermost and outermost portions. ³⁰ And he even covered the floors of the whole building with gold… Both the innermost portions and the outermost portions.

³¹ For the entrance doorway, he made doors of juniper wood. Now, there were [a total of] 5 doorways... ³² Two of the doors were made of pines that were carved with cherubs and palms, panels that could open and spread out. And everything was covered with gold, including the engraved cherubs and palms.

³³ The Temple Sanctuary vestibule had juniper doorposts and 4 columns. ³⁴ Both of the doors were made of pine, and they were hinged into a bi-fold configuration. ³⁵ They also had panels that were carved with cherubs and palm leaves, and then they were entirely covered in gold.

³⁶ Thereafter, [Solomon] built the inner courtyard... It had three rows of uncut stones who were surrounded by cedar posts.

³⁷ So, it was in the 4th year [of his reign], during the month of Ziv, that the Temple foundation was laid... ³⁸ And it was in the 11th year and the 8th month (Bul) that the Temple was finally completed per [Solomon’s] instructions and design.

So he took 7 years to build it.

1 Kings 7

←6 | All books | All chapters | 8→

¹ Then over the next 13 years, Solomon finished building his palace, ² which was also constructed of wood from the forests of Lebanon.

It was:

• 150 feet (45.7m) long,

• 75 feet (22.8m) wide,

• 40 feet (12.2m) tall, and

• It had 4 rows of cedar columns that ran up to cedar rafters.

³ The whole building was decorated with latticework on the upper parts of the columns, and there were 45 columns in rows of fives and tens. ⁴ There were also three windows on each of three sides, to provide lighting, ⁵ and the windows and doorways were four-cornered, with arches over the three doorways.

⁶ The palace had a columned entryway that was 75 feet (22.8m) long and 40 feet (12.2m) wide, which had a porch in front with columns and thick beams.

⁷ This was where [Solomon’s] throne was located and where he did his judging. There was a [special] columned porch for his judgment seat, ⁸ and then there was a courtyard in front of the place where he sat, which could be expanded whenever needed.

He also built a house for the daughter of PharaOh whom he’d taken as his woman, which looked a lot like his columned porch.

⁹ Everything was constructed of valuable stones that had been chiseled at intervals on the insides (from the foundations to the windows) and on the outsides, up to the great courtyard.

¹⁰ The foundation was constructed of valuable stones that were each 12 feet (3.65m) by 15 feet (4.6m) wide, ¹¹ and the roof was made of valuable stones of the same size, which were mounted over cedar beams.

¹² In addition, there was also a large courtyard that was circled by three rows of uncut stones and a row of carved cedar posts... It was built much like the courtyard and the columned porch at the Temple of Yahweh.

¹³ Solomon had called for HiRam at Tyre ¹⁴ (who was a widow’s son from the tribe of NaphTali and his father was a Tyranian man); for he was gifted when it came to working bronze (as well as at other crafts), and he was filled with knowledge on how to do all sorts of metalwork.

So he was brought to King Solomon, because he was able to do everything that needed to be done.

¹⁵ It was [HiRam] who smelted and cast the two columns for the Temple’s columned porch. They were both 24 feet (7.3m) tall, 18 feet (5.5m) in circumference, and grooved to a depth of 4 fingers.

¹⁶ He also molded two bronze capitals for the tops of the columns that were each 7-1/2 feet (2.3m) tall. ¹⁷ Then he made bronze decorations for each capital, ¹⁸ which consisted of rows of hanging pomegranates, ¹⁹ and the top of each column was shaped like a lily.

Thereafter, he finished off the columns for the porch with a ridge that ran between the capitals. It was 6 feet (1.8m) wide ²⁰ and it was covered with 200 rows of pomegranates.

²¹ He then erected these columns at the columned porch of the Temple Sanctuary, and he named one column JaKin, and the other BoAz.

²² He also topped [the rest of] the columns with [bronze] lilies. And with that, he finally finished his work on the columns.

²³ Next, he cast the [Sacred] Sea.

It was round and 15 feet (4.6m) wide from rim to rim. It was 7-1/2 feet (2.3m) tall and [about] 45 feet (13.7m) in circumference. ²⁴ The base beneath it was 15 feet (4.6m) wide, and it was made of 2 rows of supports that were cast in a foundry furnace.

²⁵ The Sea itself was supported by 12 metal oxen, three of which faced north, three faced west, three faced south, and three faced east... The Sea was then placed on top of them, ²⁶ and of course, all the posteriors faced inward. The middle of the Sea was shaped like a palm, but its rim was like that of a cup, with lily buds around the top.

It had a capacity of about 1,100 gallons (4,100l).

²⁷ Then [HiRam] made 10 bronze carts.

They were each 6 feet (1.8m) long, 6 feet (1.8m) wide, and 4-1/2 feet (1.4m) tall. ²⁸ The carts were made of panels that were joined into frames ²⁹ that were [engraved with] lions, oxen, and cherubs. In fact, lions, oxen, and cherubs covered all parts of the carts, including their bases.

³⁰ Each of the carts had 4 bronze wheels, and all their fastenings were made of brass. Then, coming up from the base were 4 supports that held the washtubs, each of which were 20 inches (50cm) long. ³¹ [The tub supports] were round, 2 feet (60cm) wide at the top, and they were covered with engravings.

However, the 4 supports were rectangular, not round.

³² There were bronze wheels mounted at the base of the supports, and the wheels each had spokes that were 2 feet long… ³³ In fact, they looked like chariot wheels. And all the spokes were joined to cast axels.

³⁴ There were supports that stuck out at the corners of each of the cart’s bases as handles, ³⁵ and they were mounted along the top of each base. They were 9 inches (23cm) around and stood high enough [to serve as] handholds.

³⁶ All these connecting parts [were carved] with cherubs, lions, and palms that were standing next to each other on the front, on the inside, and all around. ³⁷ He made all 10 carts exactly alike and to the same dimensions.

³⁸ Then he made the 10 bronze washtubs.

They each held 230 gallons (870l) [of water], and they were 8 feet (2.4m) long. Each of the washtubs was then mounted on a cart. ³⁹ 5 were placed on the Temple’s right side, and the other 5 on its left side.

The [Sacred] Sea was placed to the right of the Temple, on its southeast corner.

⁴⁰ Next, HiRam made the cooking pots, the tongs, and the bowls.

⁴¹ And soon he’d completed making all the things for King Solomon at the Temple of Yahweh… The two columns, the twisted decorations that were put on the capitals of the two columns, the carvings for the tops of the columns, ⁴² and the pomegranates (400 of which were used as decorations).

Two rows of [pomegranates] were put on each column, and the rest were used as decorations ⁴³ for the carts, the metal washtubs that were mounted on them, and their axels, rims, and spokes, as well as for ⁴⁴ the [Sacred] Sea and its 12 oxen that supported it, ⁴⁵ and for the cooking pots, tongs, and bowls.

He [personally] made all these things for King Solomon and for the Temple of Yahweh.

Altogether, he [decorated] 48 columns for the palace of the king and for the Temple of Yahweh. And everything that HiRam made for the king was entirely of bronze.

⁴⁶ He did all his casting near the JorDan River, underground, in a place that was located between SokChoth and ZarEthan. ⁴⁷ Solomon already had all the materials stored away, since he’d received so much bronze.

⁴⁸ Then Solomon went on to make the rest of the items [used] in the Temple of Yahweh… The gold Altar, the gold table for the showbread, ⁴⁹ the solid-gold lampstands that were placed at the entrance (5 on the right side and 5 on the left side), as well as their gold bowls, lamps, and oil funnels, ⁵⁰ plus the gold thresholds, fasteners, bowls, saucers, and incense pans.

The doorways for the Temple’s doors to the innermost [room] (the Holy of Holies) and the doors of the Temple’s Inner Sanctuary were [both covered with] gold.

⁵¹ So, Solomon finally finished all his work for Yahweh’s Temple.

Then he carried in all of his father David’s holy things, plus all of his own holy things, including much silver and gold, and other things for the treasury of the Temple of Yahweh.

1 Kings 8

←7 | All books | All chapters | 9→

¹ Thereafter, King Solomon held a meeting of all the elders of IsraEl there on [Mount] Zion, to talk about bringing the Chest of the Sacred Agreement of Yahweh out of the city of David (which was on Mount Zion).

² This was in the month of Athanim (the 7th month), and because it was a holiday, all the elders of IsraEl were already there.

³ Then the Priests removed the Chest ⁴ from the Tent of Proofs (along with all the holy items that were there), ⁵ and the king and all IsraEl stood before the Chest and sacrificed multitudes of oxen and sheep.

⁶ Thereafter, the Priests carried the Chest and put it into its place inside the Holy of Holies (which was near the entrance of the Temple) under the wings of the cherubs ⁷ (for the cherubs had open, spread wings that covered the Chest and the other holy things that were on its lid).

⁸ And the only parts that stuck out of the Holy [of Holies] were the sacred carrying poles… But even these couldn’t be seen from outside [the Temple].

⁹ Of course, there was nothing in the Chest except the two stone tablets of the Sacred Agreement that Yahweh made with the sons of IsraEl after they had left the land of Egypt, and which were put there by Moses at the Dry Place (Horeb).

¹⁰ Well, as the Priests were coming out of the Holy Place, a mist then filled the whole building! ¹¹ So the Priests were unable to stand and officiate before the mist, because the glory of Yahweh filled the whole Temple!

¹² Then Solomon said this concerning the Temple after he’d completed its construction:

‘Yahweh made the sun in the sky, and [yet] said he would live in a dimly-lit place.

¹³ ‘[He said:]

‘You [must] build a House for me.’

‘[Yes,] a good, brand-new house for you to live in!

‘Look! Isn’t this written in the song scroll?’

¹⁴ Then he turned around, and all IsraEl started praising the king; for the whole gathering of IsraEl was standing there.

¹⁵ And [the king] said:

‘Praise Yahweh, the God of IsraEl, who spoke with His mouth about my father David, and that filled his hands, saying:

‘From the day that I led My people IsraEl out of Egypt, I had never chosen a city [for Myself] in one of the chiefdoms of IsraEl where a Temple would be built to My Name. ¹⁶ But now, I’ve chosen JeruSalem as the place to put My Name, and I’ve chosen David to lead My people IsraEl.’

¹⁷ And that’s why the heart of my father David was moved to build a Temple to the Name of Yahweh, the God of IsraEl.

¹⁸ ‘Then the Lord said to my father David:

‘Because your heart was moved to build a Temple to My Name, you’ve done a good thing, since it came from your heart! ¹⁹ However, you may not personally build the Temple… It will be built by a son who comes from you.’

‘He will build the Temple to My Name.’

²⁰ ‘So Yahweh caused these things that He spoke of, to happen. I replaced my father David and sat down on the throne of IsraEl, just as Yahweh said...

‘And now I’ve built the Temple to the Name of the Lord God of IsraEl.

²¹ ‘I’ve also created a place for the Chest that contains the Sacred Agreement that Yahweh made with our ancestors when He led them out of the land of Egypt.’

²² Then Solomon stood before the Altar of Yahweh, there in front of the whole gathering of IsraEl, and he raised his arms towards heaven, ²³ and said:

‘O Yahweh, God of IsraEl,

‘There are no gods in the skies above or on the earth below who are like You.

‘For You’ve kept Your promise and shown mercy to Your servant… The one who’s walked before You with his whole heart, Your servant David, my father.

²⁴ ‘You spoke to him with Your mouth, and with Your hands, You’ve fulfilled what [You promised to him].

²⁵ ‘And now, O Yahweh, God of IsraEl,

‘Keep [the promise] that You made with my father David when You said:

‘There will always be a man who sits before Me on the throne of IsraEl for as long as your children continue to follow Me the same as you have followed Me.’

²⁶ ‘So now, O Yahweh, God of IsraEl,

‘May the words that You said to my father David prove to be true.

²⁷ ‘However, will You really live on the earth with men, when the heavens of the heavens can’t contain You? Therefore, how can this Temple that I built to Your Name expect to do so?

²⁸ ‘Please listen to my prayer, O Yahweh, God of IsraEl… Hear the prayer that Your servant is praying before You today!

²⁹ ‘May Your eyes watch over this Temple both day and night... For it’s the place where You said that You’d put Your Name.

‘Then from Your home in the heavens, please listen to the prayers that Your servants will pray in this place both day and night, ³⁰ and provide the things for which Your servant and all Your people IsraEl will ask when they pray here…

‘Answer them and provide!

³¹ ‘And if they should sin against their neighbors by vowing an oath to curse them, and then they come and openly confess such a thing before Your Altar in this Temple, ³² may You listen from the heavens and act… Judge Your people IsraEl!

‘Declare the lawless one lawlessness and bring his [evil] ways down upon his own head; but, give justice to the righteous… Treat the righteous with righteousness!

³³ ‘And when Your people IsraEl sin against You; may they fall before their enemies until they return and acknowledge Your Name, and then pray and beg before You in this Temple.

³⁴ ‘Please listen to them from the heavens and forgive the sins of Your people IsraEl, and return them to this land that You gave to their ancestors.

³⁵ ‘And when You hold back the sky and don’t allow rain to fall because of their sins against You, and then they come to pray in this place and acknowledge Your Name and turn away from their sins after You’ve humbled them...

³⁶ ‘Please listen from the heavens and forgive the sins of Your servants… Your people IsraEl. Show them a better way to act, and then provide rain for this land that You’ve given to Your people as their inheritance.

³⁷ ‘And if there should be a famine, a plague, a fire, an infestation of locusts, or a blight [on the crops], or if an enemy should come against one of our cities (no matter what the event or misery)...

‘May all the prayers and supplications of every man be heard, so that You’ll come to know the pain in their hearts.

³⁸ ‘And whenever a man spreads out his arms in this ³⁹ Temple that’s been prepared for You; may You hear him from the heavens, forgive him, and act.

‘Give each man what he deserves according to the way that he behaves; for, only You can know what’s really in their hearts.

‘Yes, You alone know what’s in the hearts of all the sons of men. ⁴⁰ So, they should fear You all the days of their lives that they spend on this land that You’ve given to our ancestors.

⁴¹ ‘And as for the aliens who are not from Your people...

⁴² ‘When they come to this place that’s been prepared as Your Home to pray, ⁴³ please listen to them from the heavens and do everything that they ask, so that all the people on the earth will know Your Name and come to fear You…

‘Just as Your people IsraEl should know that Your Name has been called upon this Temple that I built.

⁴⁴ ‘And if Your people must go to war against their enemies (following Your directions), and if they pray in the Name of the Lord in this city that You’ve chosen and in this Temple that I’ve built to Your Name... ⁴⁵ Please listen to their prayers and supplications from heaven and bring them justice.

⁴⁶ ‘And when they sin against You (for there’s no man who doesn’t sin) and You hand them over to their enemies who thereafter carry them away as captives into a land that’s nearby or far away;

⁴⁷ ‘And if, in the land where they are, they turn back and start begging for Your [help], saying:

‘We have sinned; we have done wrong; we have acted lawlessly!’

⁴⁸ ‘And they turn back to You with their whole hearts and souls – there in the land of their enemies who took them there, and pray to You in the direction of the land that You gave to their ancestors, to the city that You’ve chosen, and to the Temple that I built to Your Name... ⁴⁹ Please listen from the heavens and from the home that has been prepared for You.

⁵⁰ ‘Forgive the wrongs that they did when they sinned against You, and for the wicked ways in which they’ve disregarded You, then give compassion to the ones who took them as captives so they’ll pity them.

⁵¹ ‘For they’re Your people and Your inheritance… They’re the ones whom You led out of the land of Egypt and from the midst of that iron-foundry furnace.

⁵² ‘May Your eyes and Your ears [always] be open to the cries of Your servants and to the pleas of Your people, IsraEl.

‘Please listen to them, no matter why they’re calling to You... ⁵³ Because, You’ve drawn them and set them apart for Yourself as an inheritance from among all the peoples of the earth, and You spoke to them through Your servant Moses when You led our ancestors out of the land of Egypt, O Lord Yahweh.’

⁵⁴ And after Solomon finished his prayer and his requests to Yahweh, he stood up before the Altar of Yahweh (because he’d been kneeling before it), then he raised his arms towards heaven ⁵⁵ and he blest the whole assembly of IsraEl in a loud voice, saying:

⁵⁶ ‘Praise Yahweh, for He’s brought rest to His people IsraEl today, just as He promised among all the many things that He said. For, not a word of the many things that He said through His servants has failed to come true!

⁵⁷ ‘May Yahweh our God be with us, as He’s been with our ancestors.

‘May He not abandon us or turn from us.

⁵⁸ ‘May He move our hearts towards Him, so we’ll follow in all His ways and keep the Commandments and orders that He gave to our ancestors.

⁵⁹ ‘And may all the things that I’ve begged for here before Yahweh our God come true today!

‘May they be heard by Yahweh our God day and night, and may He always do the right thing for His servant and for His people IsraEl, day in and day out, ⁶⁰ so that all the people on the earth will come to know that Yahweh is The God, and that there is no other!

⁶¹ ‘May our hearts become perfect to Yahweh our God, and may we follow His orders and keep His Commandments in holiness, as we are doing today.’

⁶² Then the king and all the sons of IsraEl offered sacrifices before Yahweh.

⁶³ King Solomon offered 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep as a peace offering to Yahweh.

Then the king inaugurated the Temple of Yahweh before all the sons of IsraEl.

⁶⁴ On that holy day, the king stood in the middle of the courtyard (in front of the Temple of Yahweh) and prepared whole burnt offerings as sacrifices. He offered the fat of the peace offerings there, since the bronze Altar that was before Yahweh was just too small and it couldn’t handle all the whole burnt-offerings, gift offerings, and peace-offering sacrifices.

⁶⁵ Thereafter, Solomon held a holiday feast that was attended by all in IsraEl.

It was a huge gathering, for people had come from as far away as HaMath and the [Nile] River to stand before Yahweh God at the Temple that [Solomon] had built.

They ate, drank, and rejoiced before Yahweh their God for 7 days!

⁶⁶ Then on the 8th day, [Solomon] sent the people away, and they offered ages of blessings to the king as they left... So they all returned to their tents rejoicing over all the good things that Yahweh had done for His servant David and for His people IsraEl.

1 Kings 9

←8 | All books | All chapters | 10→

¹ Well, after Solomon had finished building the Temple of Yahweh, his own palace, and all the other things that he wanted to do, ² the Lord appeared to him a second time (like He had appeared to him in GibeOn) ³ and said to him:

‘I heard what you said in your prayer, and of the things that you asked and begged of Me. So, I’ve now done everything that you asked for in your prayer… I’ve made this Temple (which you built to [honor] My Name) holy throughout the ages, and I’ll [always] watch over it and keep it in My heart.

⁴ ‘And if you’ll continue to follow Me uprightly with holiness in your heart like your father David did, and do everything that I told him to do –following My orders and Commandments– ⁵ I’ll lift the throne of your kingdom over IsraEl throughout the ages, as I promised to your father.

‘For I told him:

‘There will always be a man [descended from you] to lead IsraEl.’

⁶ ‘However, if you or your descendants should turn away from Me and fail to keep My Commandments and orders that Moses set before you, and you then go and serve other gods and bow before them... ⁷ I’ll remove IsraEl from the land that I’ve given to them, and I’ll turn My face away from this Temple that I’ve made holy to My Name!

‘Then IsraEl will become extinct and a topic of discussion among all the people!

⁸ ‘And everyone who passes this lofty Temple will be amazed and whistle, asking:

‘Why did Yahweh do such a thing to this land and to this Temple?’

⁹ ‘And they’ll be told:

‘Because they abandoned their God – the God of their ancestors, Yahweh – who led them out of the house of slavery in Egypt!

‘Then they took hold of alien gods, and bowed before them and served them… This is why Yahweh brought all these bad things upon them!’

¹⁰ Well, this all took place some 20 years after Solomon had [started] construction of the two houses – the Temple of Yahweh and the palace of the king.

¹¹ King HiRam of Tyre had helped Solomon by providing the cedar and pine boards, [some of] the gold, and everything else [that Solomon had asked for]. So King Solomon gave HiRam 20 cities in the land of Galilee. ¹² But when HiRam traveled from Tyre to Galilee to look at the cities that Solomon had given to him, he wasn’t pleased with them.

¹³ And he asked:

‘What kind of cities have you given to your brother?’

So from then on, he just referred to them as ‘the border lands.’

¹⁴ Now, HiRam had sent Solomon 4-1/2 tons (4,000kg) of gold ¹⁵ that he’d plundered for the construction of the Temple of Yahweh, the king’s palace, the walls around JeruSalem (to fortify the city of David), as well as the cities of MegidDo and GeZer.

¹⁶ Also, after PharaOh, the king of Egypt, took GeZer (he burned it and killed all the CanaAnites who lived in the city), he then gave it to Solomon as a dowry for his daughter when he gave her to Solomon.

¹⁷ Thereafter, Solomon rebuilt GeZer, ¹⁸ as well as Lower BethHoron, BaAlAth, and TadMor (which is in the desert). ¹⁹ He also built many other fortified cities, as well as forts for his chariots and cavalry; and he had many other construction projects in JeruSalem, Lebanon, and throughout all the land that he ruled.

²⁰ However, the Hittites, Amorites, Pherezites, CanaAnites, Hivites, Jebusites, and Gergesites (all those who weren’t sons of IsraEl) ²¹ and their children remained in the land, because the sons of IsraEl weren’t able to wipe them out; so, Solomon forced them to pay a tribute to him, which they’ve continued to do down to this day.

²² And many of these non-IsraElites served Solomon as soldiers and as lieutenants over his chariots and cavalry. ²³ Also, many of them (some 550 of them) were put in charge over Solomon’s construction projects and they supervised the people who were doing the work.

²⁴ The daughter of PharaOh didn’t actually live in the city of David, for she lived in a house that Solomon had built for her.

And thereafter, he built MilLo.

²⁵ Well, three times each year, Solomon would sacrifice whole burnt offerings and peace offerings on the Altar that he’d built to Yahweh. He also burned incense upon it there before Yahweh, until he had completed the Temple.

²⁶ Then King Solomon built a ship at GeBer (which is next to the seaport of ElAth on the border of Edom), ²⁷ and HiRam sent some of his servants who were mariners and knew the sea [both] to do the rowing and as assistants to the servants of Solomon.

²⁸ Then they [attacked] SopheRam and brought back gold to King Solomon – some 16 tons (14,500kg) of it!

1 Kings 10

←9 | All books | All chapters | 11→

¹ Well, the Queen of SheBa had heard of Solomon’s fame and of the Name Yahweh; so, she came to test him with problems.

² When she came to JeruSalem, she brought a very large contingent [of servants], as well as camels that were carrying spices, a huge amount of gold, and many valuable gems.

Then she went to King Solomon and spoke to him about all the things that were in her heart... ³ And Solomon answered all her questions… He didn’t overlook a thing, but explained everything to her!

⁴ And when the Queen of SheBa saw how knowledgeable Solomon was and the palace that he’d built, ⁵ as well as all the food that he had, the ways that his servants were assigned, the jobs that his officials were given, how they were dressed, and all of his wine servers and the whole burnt offerings that he sacrificed at the Temple of Yahweh... She was beside herself!

⁶ Then she said to King Solomon:

‘Everything that I’ve heard about you in my land and about your knowledge is true! ⁷ I had to come here, because I didn’t believe the things that I was being told.

‘However, I’ve found that it’s all beyond what was reported in my land!

⁸ ‘Your wives and servants are blest to be able to stand before you all the time and listen to your wisdom. ⁹ And your God Yahweh, who chose you and put you on the throne of IsraEl, must love IsraEl and [plan to] watch over it throughout the ages, since He’s the One who set you as king over them and to righteously hear and judge their cases.’

¹⁰ Then she gave Solomon 1-1/2 tons (1,300kg) of gold, a huge amount of spices, and many precious gems... Never before had anyone brought so many spices as those that the Queen of SheBa brought to King Solomon.

¹¹ Thereafter, HiRam also sent a ship carrying gold from Ophir, as well as cut lumber and valuable stones. ¹² The king then used this timber to fortify the Temple of Yahweh and the king’s palace, and to make stringed instruments and lutes for the musicians.

Never before had such wood been seen in the land (or anywhere else, for that matter).

¹³ Then King Solomon gave the Queen of SheBa everything that she asked for and desired… In addition to all the other gifts that King Solomon gave to her.

And thereafter, she returned to her land with all her servants.

¹⁴ Well, the weight of the gold that came to Solomon that year was about 32 tons (29,000kg)… ¹⁵ Which didn’t include the tributes that the people or the merchants brought, or that which was brought by kings on the other side of the JorDan or from the governors of the land.

¹⁶ Thereafter, King Solomon had 300 spears made from hammered gold, each of which was made from 600 gold coins. ¹⁷ And he also had 300 small shields made of hammered gold that was equal to the weight of three large gold coins.

Then the king had them all mounted in his Palace of the Forests of Lebanon.

¹⁸ The king also had a huge throne made from ivory that was plated with pure gold, ¹⁹ which had 6 stairs that led up to the throne!

There were [carved] reliefs of young bulls on its back, and handrails on each side, with [carved] lions standing beside them… ²⁰ Plus 12 [more] lions on both sides, next to the six steps.

There had never been anything like it in any kingdom!

²¹ Also, all the [dishes, cups, and bowls] that were used by Solomon were entirely made of gold, as were the bathtubs and vases in the Palace of the Forests of Lebanon.

Nothing there was made of silver, because it was too common in the days of Solomon.

²² In addition, Solomon owned a ship that sailed the sea from TarShish along with the ships of HiRam [the king of Tyre]. And once every three years, the ship would carry gold, silver, and cut gems to the king.

²³ So Solomon became greater than all the other kings of the earth in both wealth and in intelligence... ²⁴ And all the kings of the earth came to Solomon to hear the wisdom that Yahweh had put into his heart.

²⁵ Each one brought gifts of silver, gold, clothing, balsam, spices, horses, and mules every year.

²⁶ Solomon also obtained chariots and horsemen. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, which he kept in forts throughout the land and with himself in JeruSalem.

²⁷ The king’s silver was as common as stones in JeruSalem, and his cedars were as common as trees in the plains.

²⁸ Solomon’s horses were from Egypt and the king’s merchants were from Kue, and they could come out from Kue [and pass through Israel] for a fee. ²⁹ So those [traders] who left Egypt [to pass through Israel] would pay [at least]:

• 100 large silver coins for each chariot [of goods], and

• 50 large silver coins for each horse [carrying goods].

So all the Hittite and Syrian kings came out by sea [to avoid paying the fees].

1 Kings 11

←10 | All books | All chapters | 12→

¹ King Solomon was also very fond of women, so he took several foreigners as wives, such as the daughter of PharaOh, as well as some:

• MoAbites,

• AmMonites,

• Idumeans,

• Sidonians, and

• Hittites…

² ...which Yahweh had forbidden the sons of IsraEl to do!

For He said:

‘You must not [marry] them and they must not come to you, because they will turn your hearts to their idols.’

However, Solomon [was a slave] to love... ³ So before long, he’d taken 700 [wives] as well as 300 concubines!

These foreign women changed his heart; ⁴ they quickly turned his heart to bowing before other gods, and his heart was no longer perfect towards his God Yahweh, as was the heart of his father David.

⁵ For Solomon started serving Astarte, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Melchom, the disgusting thing of the AmMonites!

⁶ So Solomon started doing evil things before Yahweh, and he no longer followed he Lord, as did his father David.

⁷ Then Solomon built high places to Camus (the idol of MoAb) and to Melchom (the idol of the sons of AmMon) on the mountain across from JeruSalem. ⁸ And there, all his foreign wives were burning incense and sacrificing to their idols!

⁹ Of course, this made Yahweh very angry with Solomon, for his heart had turned from Yahweh the God of IsraEl, who had actually appeared before him twice, ¹⁰ warning him not to serve other gods and to be careful to do everything that the Lord God had told him.

¹¹ So, the Lord said to Solomon:

‘Because you’ve done these things and you haven’t followed My Commandments or the instructions that I gave to you; I will take your kingdom from your hands and rip it in two, then I’ll give it to your servant.

¹² ‘However, I won’t do this during your lifetime [out of respect for] David your father. Rather, I’ll take it from the hands of your son. ¹³ I won’t take your whole kingdom; I’ll leave your son as chief over part of it because of My servant David and because of JeruSalem, the city that I’ve chosen.’

¹⁴ So, Yahweh sent an enemy against Solomon under Ader (who was from the offspring of the kingdom of the Idumeans). ¹⁵ David had wiped out [many of] the Edomites, and when his General JoAb went to [their land] to bury his dead, he also cut down more of their men, ¹⁶ because JoAb had stayed there for the next 6 months.

Yet, although JoAb had destroyed all the men there, ¹⁷ Ader (who was just a small boy then) got away, along with many of his father’s servants, and they headed to Egypt... ¹⁸ Then, after the men of Media attacked Pharan, the [people there] also went with him as he was on his way to the PharaOh (the king of Egypt).

¹⁹ Well, when Ader went to PharaOh, he was given a house, food, and some land, because he was well-liked by PharaOh. He also gave him his sister-in-law as his woman (the older sister of [Queen] ThekeMina), ²⁰ and she gave birth to GaneBath, whom ThekeMina raised in her house as one of the sons of PharaOh.

²¹ But when word reached Ader in Egypt that David had gone to sleep with his ancestors and that JoAb (the commander of his army) had been killed, Ader said to PharaOh:

‘Please allow me to return to my country.’

²² And PharaOh asked him:

‘What have I failed to give you that you now wish to return to your country?’

To which Ader replied:

‘Not a single thing! But please send me away.’

²³ Meanwhile, Yahweh had also raised another enemy against [Solomon]: Rezon (son of EliAdah), who had run away from his master HadadEzer, the king of ZoBah.

²⁴ He then gathered an army and became the ruler of a confederation that captured Damascus, where he settled in and started ruling as king, ²⁵ and where he (as the ruler of the land of Edom) remained an enemy to IsraEl during all the days of Solomon.

²⁶ Then one of Solomon’s servants, JeroBoam (son of NaBat the Ephrathite from SariRa), whose mother was a widow, ²⁷ rebelled against King Solomon. This happened after King Solomon had built the Akra (high fort) and after he’d completed the outer wall around the city of his father David.

²⁸ Now, JeroBoam was a mighty man, and when Solomon noticed that this young man was someone who could get things done, he put him in charge of the tributes from the house of JoSeph.

²⁹ But one day, as JeroBoam was coming from JeruSalem, he met the prophet AhiJah (the Selonite), who stopped along the road to talk to him.

Well at the time, AhiJah was wearing a new cape and they were alone there in the plain. ³⁰ Then AhiJah took off the cape that he was wearing and tore it into 12 pieces.

³¹ And he said to JeroBoam:

‘Take 10 of these pieces for yourself, because this is what Yahweh the God of IsraEl said:

‘{Look!} I’m ripping the kingdom from the hands of Solomon and giving 10 of its [tribes] to you!

³² ‘However, two of the [tribes] will remain his because of My servant David and on account of JeruSalem, the city that I’ve chosen from among all the tribes of IsraEl. ³³ [I’m doing this] because [Solomon] has abandoned Me and is now making offerings to Astarte, the disgusting thing of the Sidonians, to Camus, the idol of MoAb, and to Melchom, the loathsome thing of the sons of AmMon!

‘He is no longer walking in My ways or doing the right things before Me as did his father David.

³⁴ ‘I’m not going to remove the kingdom from him entirely, but I’ll oppose him throughout the rest of the days of his life... It was only because of My servant David that I chose him. ³⁵ But now, I’m going to take the kingdom from the hands of his son and give 10 of the [tribes] to you!

³⁶ ‘I will still give his son two [tribes], so that a descendant of My servant David will always stand before Me in JeruSalem, the city where I’ve chosen to put My Name.

³⁷ ‘Now, you may take and rule over whatever your soul desires, for you’ll be the king over IsraEl!

³⁸ ‘And if you’ll watch over all that I’m putting you in charge of, if you’ll walk in My ways and always do the right things before Me, and if you’ll follow My orders and Commandments (as did My servant David)... Then I will build you a house that’s as sure as the one that I built for David!

³⁹ ‘I’m giving you IsraEl, and I will mistreat the offspring of David because of these things [that Solomon is doing]!

‘However, I won’t keep on doing this throughout the ages.’

⁴⁰ Well after that, Solomon started looking for ways to kill JeroBoam… But [JeroBoam] got up and ran away to Egypt (to SusAkim, the king of Egypt), and he stayed there until Solomon died.

⁴¹ {Look!} The rest of the words of Solomon – all the many things [that he said] and did in his wisdom – have been written about in the scrolls of the sayings of Solomon.

⁴² So, Solomon reigned over all IsraEl from JeruSalem for 40 years, ⁴³ and then he went to sleep with his ancestors and they buried him in a tomb in the city of David his father.

⁴⁴ And thereafter, his son RehoBoam started reigning in his place.

1 Kings 12

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¹ Well, King RehoBoam had gone to Sikima (because that’s where all IsraEl went to coronate him), ² and JeroBoam (son of NaBat) heard about it.

At the time, he was still living in Egypt, where he settled after he had to run from Solomon. ³ But the people of IsraEl called for him, and JeroBoam came back to them.

For the people had spoken to King RehoBoam and told him:

⁴ ‘Your father oppressed us and kept our necks in a yoke!

‘So now, lighten the load of our service to you... For your father was a hard taskmaster and he kept us under a heavy load!

‘If you’ll do this, we’ll always serve you!’

⁵ And he replied:

‘Give me three days [to think about it]!’

So they left.

⁶ Then King RehoBoam went to the elders who used to stand before his father Solomon while he was alive, and he asked for their advice about what he should say to the people.

⁷ And they told him:

‘If you wish to serve [as king] over these people today, do as they ask, and they’ll always be your servants.’

⁸ However, he chose not to listen to the advice that the elders had given to him, and he took the advice of some young men whom he’d grown up around and whom he’d selected to be his advisors.

⁹ So when he asked what they recommended he tell the people who came to him and told him to lighten the neck-yoke that his father had put on them, ¹⁰ these young men (who’d grown up with him) said:

‘You should tell those people who said that your father put a heavy yoke on them and that you should lighten it:

‘My thinnest part is thicker than the hips of my father!

¹¹ ‘Therefore, as my father saddled you to a heavy yoke, I’ll add more weight to it!

‘And as my father disciplined you with whips, I’ll discipline you with scorpions!’

¹² So when all IsraEl came before King RehoBoam on the 3rd day (the king of IsraEl had told them, ‘Return to me on the 3rd day’), ¹³ the king spoke harshly to them and chose not to follow the advice that the older men had given to him.

¹⁴ Rather, he told them what his young men had told him to say:

‘Although my father oppressed you with a neck yoke, I will now add to it!

‘And although my father disciplined you with whips, I will discipline you with scorpions!’

¹⁵ So the king just wouldn’t listen to the people, because Yahweh had moved his heart to allow what He’d said (through the prophet AhiJah the Selonite) concerning JeroBoam (son of NaBat) to come true.

¹⁶ And when all IsraEl knew that the king wasn’t listening to them, they gave him this reply:

‘What do we owe to David?

‘We have no inheritance in JesSe’ son [David]!

‘So, O IsraEl, run to you tents… Now!

‘Let the house of David do its own grazing!’

And with that, all IsraEl went back home to their tents.

¹⁷ Therefore, RehoBoam only ruled over the sons of IsraEl who lived in the cities of Judah after that... [spurious text; what it says is true, but the words are not in our LXX source manuscript]

¹⁸ Now, when the king sent AdoniRam to collect the tribute from them, all IsraEl stoned him to death… Even King RehoBoam had to get on his chariot and flee to JeruSalem!

¹⁹ So from that day on, [the 10 tribes of] IsraEl annulled its allegiance to the house of David.

²⁰ And when [the people of] IsraEl heard that JeroBoam had returned from Egypt, they called for him to come to a meeting, where they gave him the rulership over IsraEl. So they no longer followed the house of David after that… Only the tribes of Judah and BenJamin continued to do so.

²¹ Well, after RehoBoam got back to JeruSalem, he held a meeting with the armies of Judah and the tribe of BenJamin – 120,000 young warriors – and he talked about going to war with the house of IsraEl so as to return them to the kingdom of RehoBoam, son of Solomon.

²² However, Yahweh sent word to His servant ShemaiJah… He told him:

²³ ‘Speak to RehoBoam, son of Solomon, the king of Judah, as well as to the houses of Judah, BenJamin, and the rest of the people, and tell them that ²⁴ this is what Yahweh has decreed:

‘You must not go to war against your brothers, the sons of IsraEl. Return to your homes, because I’m the One who caused these things to happen.’

So they paid attention to words of Yahweh, for they didn’t want to oppose what He said.

²⁵ Thereafter, JeroBoam built Sikima in the hills of Ephraim and ruled from there, and then he built PenuEl.

²⁶ But later, JeroBoam said this in his heart:

‘{Look!} I’m not going to return the kingdom to the house of David; ²⁷ but if I let these people go to offer sacrifices at the Temple of Yahweh in JeruSalem, they’ll soon turn their hearts towards Yahweh and to RehoBoam the king of Judah, and then they’ll kill me!’

²⁸ So the king held a meeting, and after that, he had two gold heifers made.

Then he said to the people:

‘I don’t want you going to JeruSalem anymore!

‘Look, here are your gods who led you out of the land of Egypt, O IsraEl!’

²⁹ Then he put one [of the idols] in BethEl, and the other in Dan... ³⁰ And because of this sin, the people started worshiping the [idol] that he put in Dan, and they no longer went to the Temple of Yahweh.

³¹ The king also had temples built on the hilltops, and he appointed priests from among those who weren’t of the sons of Levi.

³² Then JeroBoam appointed the 15th day of the 8th month as a holiday, the same as it had been in the land of Judah.

Thereafter, he went to BethEl, where he built an altar for [his people] to offer sacrifices to his heifers. And it was there in BethEl that he appointed the priests to be in charge of the high places that he’d created.

³³ And on the 15th day of the 8th month (which was the holiday that he’d created in his own heart for the sons of IsraEl), he went up to the altar that he’d created to offer some sacrifices.

1 Kings 13

←12 | All books | All chapters | 14→

¹ Well at that, {Look!} a man of God came to BethEl from Judah with a message from Yahweh.

He climbed on top of the sacrificial altar there ² and shouted these words of the Lord:

‘O altar, O altar,

‘Hear what Yahweh has said!

‘{Look!} In the house of David, a son has been born,

Who’s been given the name, JosiAh.

Then on these high places, he’ll offer the priests

Who now lay the sacrifices upon it;

And upon these [same altars], he’ll burn up their bones.’

³ Then he performed a miracle...

He said:

‘This is what Yahweh told me:

‘{Look!} The altar has now been torn down,

And all the fat upon it has spilled [on the ground]!’

⁴ Well, when King JeroBoam heard what the man of God said as he stood there on the altar in BethEl, he reached out towards the altar and shouted:

‘Seize him!’

But just as he said that, the hand that he stuck out started to wither, and he wasn’t able to draw it back! ⁵ And then the altar miraculously cracked and spilled all the fat that had been placed there, just as the man of God had told them that Yahweh said!

⁶ So King JeroBoam said to the man of God:

‘Go before the face of Yahweh your God and beg Him to return my hand to me!’

And the man of God [did speak before] the face of Yahweh, and the king’s hand did return to him, becoming the same as it was before.

⁷ Well after that, the king said to the man of God:

‘Come with me to my palace and dine with me, and I’ll give you a gift.’

⁸ But the man of God said to the king:

‘Even if you were to give me half of everything that’s [in] your palace, I wouldn’t go with you, nor would I eat food or drink water in this place!

⁹ ‘For, this is what the Lord told me:

‘Don’t eat any bread or drink any water,

And don’t return by the way that you came.’

¹⁰ So when he left BethEl, he traveled towards home by another route.

¹¹ Well and at the time, there was another prophet living in BethEl (an older man)... So when his sons came to him and told him everything that the man of God had done that day in BethEl and of the things that the king had said, the face of their father changed, ¹² and he asked them:

‘Which way did he go?’

So his sons pointed out the way that the man of God was traveling (towards Judah), ¹³ and he said to his sons:

‘Saddle my burro for me!’

¹⁴ So they saddled his burro and he mounted it; then he went after the man of God and he found him sitting under an oak tree.

And he asked:

‘Are you the man of God who came from Judah?’

And he replied:

‘I am.’

¹⁵ So [the prophet] said:

‘Come with me and have something to eat.’

¹⁶ But [the man of God] replied:

‘There’s no way that I can come with you, nor may I eat bread or drink water in this place!

¹⁷ ‘For Yahweh told me:

‘Don’t eat any bread, nor drink any water,

And don’t return by the way that you came.’

¹⁸ However, the other man replied:

‘But, I’m a prophet just like you! And a messenger [of God] came and gave me these words from Yahweh…

‘He said:

‘Take him back to your house and give him some food and water!’

However, he was lying.

¹⁹ So [the man of God] went back with him and he ate bread and drank water there in [the prophet’s] house. ²⁰ But, as they were sitting down at the table, the word of Yahweh came to the prophet that did the inviting, ²¹ and he said to the man of God who had come from Judah:

‘This is what the Lord just told me:

‘Because you disobeyed the Lord’s instructions and you didn’t do as you were commanded by Yahweh your God ²² when you returned to eat bread and drink water in this place where He told you not to eat any bread or drink any water... There’s no way that your body will be buried with your ancestors.’

²³ And that’s what happened.

For, after he ate bread, drank water, and saddled his burro for the return, ²⁴ he was found by a lion and killed along the road! Then his body just laid there in the road with the burro standing next to it, as the lion stood nearby.

²⁵ Well, when some men came along and found the body starting to decay, they pushed it off the road… But then the lion returned to it.

Well thereafter, they went back and reported the matter in the city where the elderly prophet lived. ²⁶ And when the prophet heard what had happened to the man of God along the road, he said:

‘This is what happens to those who rebel against the Word of Yahweh.

‘For it was the Lord who sent the lion… It attacked him and killed him, just as Yahweh foretold.’

²⁷ Then he spoke to his sons and said:

‘Now, saddle my burro for me!’

So they saddled it, ²⁸ and he went and found the body that had been tossed alongside the road next to his burro… And there was the lion standing by the body.

However, the lion hadn’t eaten the body of the man of God, nor had it attacked his burro. ²⁹ So the prophet picked up the body, placed it on his own burro, and he carried it back to his city and buried him ³⁰ in his own tomb, as [the people] beat their chests over him, saying:

‘Woe, O brother!’

³¹ Then, after beating their chests over him, the prophet said this to his sons:

‘When I die, I want you to bury me in the tomb where we’ve put this man of God... Put me next to his bones, so that my bones will be preserved along with his bones.

³² ‘For Yahweh used him to speak against the altar in BethEl and against the temples on the hilltops in Samaria.’

³³ Meanwhile, what [the man of God] had said to JeroBoam didn’t really turn him from his evil ways. For he went and appointed any man who wanted the position to be a priest in the high places, and the posts were filled by all whom he chose.

³⁴ This was the sin that eventually brought the house of JeroBoam to its ruin and extinction from the face of the earth.

1 Kings 14

←13 | All books | All chapters | 15→

¹ Well, after some time, AbiJah (JeroBoam’s son) became ill.

² So [King] JeroBoam said to his wife:

‘Get up and make yourself up, so people won’t recognize you as my wife, then go to ShiLoh and look for AhiJah the prophet, because he’s the one who first spoke to me about ruling over these people.

³ ‘Carry along some bread for this man of God, and some small cakes for his children, as well as some raisins and a jar of honey.

‘Go to him and ask him to tell you what will happen to our child.’

⁴ So JeroBoam’s wife did as he said. She got up and went the house of AhiJah in ShiLoh.

Now, the man was too old to see well and [he had developed cataracts].

⁵ But Yahweh said to AhiJah:

‘{Look!} JeroBoam’s wife is coming to you to ask about her son, because he’s very ill. This is what you should say to her…’

⁶ Therefore, when she got there (although she couldn’t be recognized) and AhiJah heard the sound of her feet coming up to his door, he said:

‘Come on in, you woman of JeroBoam.

‘Why are you coming as a stranger?’

Then he said:

‘I have a harsh message for you!

⁷ ‘Return to JeroBoam and tell him that this is what Yahweh the God of IsraEl has said:

‘I’m the One who elevated you from the midst of your people and appointed you over the sons of IsraEl… ⁸ Yes, I’m the One who tore the kingship from the house of David and gave it to you!

‘Yet you haven’t become like My servant David who kept My Commandments and followed me with his whole heart by doing what’s right in My eyes.

⁹ ‘Rather, you’ve acted wickedly in everything that’s before you, and you’ve gone and made other gods and molded images to anger Me… You’ve pushed Me aside! ¹⁰ And it’s because of this that {Look!} I will be bringing evil things upon the house of JeroBoam!

‘For I will destroy all those of JeroBoam who can urinate against a wall… Those who are now living in IsraEl and those who are yet to come… They’ll all be treated like manure!

¹¹ ‘Then, those [who come from] JeroBoam who die in the city will be eaten by dogs, and the flying creatures of the sky will eat those who die in the fields!’

‘Yes, this is what Yahweh has declared!

¹² ‘So now, get up and go back home! Then, as your feet are entering your city, your child will die.

¹³ ‘However, [his body] will be put in a tomb and all IsraEl will mourn him. He’s the only one of JeroBoam’s [children] who’ll be put in a tomb, because he’s the only one in the house of JeroBoam that [would have] said something good about Yahweh the God of IsraEl.

¹⁴ ‘Also today – in fact, right now – Yahweh is raising a king for Himself over IsraEl who’ll cut down the house of JeroBoam. ¹⁵ Then Yahweh will strike IsraEl as someone who stirs water with a reed.

‘He will pluck IsraEl from the good land that He gave to their ancestors and toss them to the other side of the river because of all the sacred poles that they’ve erected to anger Yahweh!’

¹⁶ That’s how Yahweh actually showed His [dis]favor upon IsraEl because of the sins of JeroBoam. For, not only had he sinned, but he also led IsraEl into sin. ¹⁷ Well after that, JeroBoam’s woman got up and returned to SariRa.

As she stepped onto the threshold of her house, her child died.

¹⁸ However they put [his body] in a tomb and all IsraEl mourned for him, just as Yahweh said they would through His servant AhiJah the prophet.

¹⁹ Now, all the other things that JeroBoam did (the wars that he fought and the things that he said during his reign) are written about in the words of the scrolls of the lives of the kings of IsraEl. ²⁰ JeroBoam reigned for 22 years, then he went to sleep with his ancestors, and his son NaDab started ruling in his place.

²¹ And at the time, RehoBoam (Solomon’s son) was reigning over Judah.

He was 41 years old when he started his reign, and he ruled in JeruSalem (the city where Yahweh chose to put His Name for all the tribes of IsraEl) for 17 years. His mother’s name was NaAma, and she was an AmMonite.

²² But, during this time, Judah was also acting wickedly before Yahweh and making Him jealous with all the things they were doing, just as their ancestors did when they sinned... ²³ The [people] were building high places [of worship] for themselves and erecting monuments and sacred poles on every high hill and under every shady tree.

²⁴ They got together throughout the land and started doing all the disgusting things that the nations which Yahweh had removed from before the sons of IsraEl were doing!

²⁵ So, in the 5th year of the reign of RehoBoam, the king of Egypt attacked JeruSalem ²⁶ and took all the treasures in the Temple of Yahweh, as well as all the treasures in the king’s palace!

He took the gold spears that David had taken from the children of AdraZar the king of Suba, and carried them [from] JeruSalem.

He took everything!

He even took the gold shields that Solomon had made and he carried them all back to Egypt.

²⁷ Well after that, King RehoBoam had some shields made of bronze to replace [the gold shields], and they were set in place by the captains of his bodyguards (those who guarded the king’s palace). ²⁸ But one day, while the king was at the Temple of Yahweh, the bodyguards took them down and mounted them in their own barracks.

²⁹ All the rest of the things that RehoBoam said and did are written about in the scrolls of the words and days of the kings of Judah.

³⁰ And during the entire time, there was war between [king of Judah] RehoBoam and [king of Israel] JeroBoam! ³¹ Then RehoBoam went to sleep with his ancestors, and they buried him in the tomb of his fathers in the city of David.

So his son AbiJam started ruling in place of him.

1 Kings 15

←14 | All books | All chapters | 16→

¹ It was in the 18th year of the reign of JeroBoam (son of NaBat) that AbiJam (son of RehoBoam) started ruling over Judah, ² but he only reigned in JeruSalem for three years. His mother’s name was MaAcha, and she was the daughter of AbSalom.

³ For he followed in the sins that his father had committed before him, and his heart wasn’t perfect towards Yahweh his God, as was the heart of his grandfather David.

⁴ But, because of David, Yahweh God had allowed him to establish his line of [kings] in JeruSalem (⁵ for David had done the right things before Yahweh and he didn’t turn away from all that he was told to do during his lifetime, ⁶ except in the matter of UriAh the Hittite).

⁷ And the rest of the things that AbiJam said and did {Look!} have been written about in the scrolls of the words of the days of the kings of Judah.

Now, there was always a state of war between AbiJam and JeroBoam... ⁸ But then, AbiJam went to sleep with his ancestors (in the 24th year of the reign of JeroBoam), and he was buried in the tomb of his fathers in the city of David.

After him, his son Asa started ruling as king over Judah. ⁹ That was in the 24th year of the reign of JeroBoam the king of IsraEl. ¹⁰ He then reigned in JeruSalem for 41 years. The name of his mother was Ana, and she was also a daughter of AbSalom.

¹¹ Now, Asa did what was right before Yahweh as his ancestor David had done.

¹² For he removed all the mystic rites from the land and drove out all the bad practices that his fathers had established. ¹³ He also removed his mother Ana after she’d held a meeting in her field of sacred poles and tried to seize power.

Asa cut off her retreat and burned [her followers] in a fire next to the Cedar (Kidron) Wadi!

¹⁴ And even though he failed to remove the high places of worship, the heart of Asa was perfect towards Yahweh all the days of his life. ¹⁵ For Asa returned the huge columns of silver and gold to the Temple of Yahweh, as well as its silver and gold utensils.

¹⁶ Then there was war between Asa and BaAsha (the king of IsraEl) that lasted as long as they both lived. ¹⁷ BaAsha had attacked Judah and built Rama in order to cut off Asa the king of Judah.

¹⁸ But then, Asa took all the silver and gold that he found in the treasury of the Temple of Yahweh and in the treasuries of the palace of the king (he entrusted them to his servants), and he sent all the treasure to BenHader (son of TaberEma) the king of Syria in Damascus.

¹⁹ He said:

‘May there be a treaty between you and me as there was between your father and my father!

‘Look! I’m sending you gifts of silver and gold.

‘So now, end your treaty with BaAsha the king of IsraEl, then come and drive him away from me!’

²⁰ As a result, BenHader sent his officials along with an army to King Asa, and they attacked Ain in Dan, AbelMa and the house of MaAcah, and all of ChenNereth in the land of NaphTali! ²¹ Then when BaAsha heard of it, he stopped building Rama and returned to TirZah.

²² Thereafter, King Asa gave instructions to the army of Judah to tear down every stone in Rama and all of its building timbers and to take it to the hills of BenJamin, where they thereafter built a high fortification and a lookout post.

²³ {Look!} All the rest of the words and deeds of Asa and his kingdom, and the information about all the cities that he built, is written in the scrolls of the words of the days of the kings of Judah.

Then in his old age, he developed pain in his feet... ²⁴ And thereafter Asa went to sleep with his ancestors and he was buried in the tomb of his fathers in the city of David.

So his son JehoShaphat started ruling in place of him.

²⁵ Meanwhile, NaDab (son of JeroBoam) had started ruling in IsraEl in the 2nd year of Asa (the king of Judah). He only reigned in IsraEl for 2 years, ²⁶ for he also acted wickedly before Yahweh and he followed in the steps of his father, committing the same sins and leading IsraEl into sin.

²⁷ Then BaAsha (son of AhiJah) laid siege against him [because of what he’d done to] the house of BelaAn (son of AhiJah), and he cut him down at the Philistine city of GabaThon… For NaBat and [the army of] IsraEl had been laying siege to GabaThon.

²⁸ So, BaAsha killed him in the 3rd year of the reign of Asa (son of AbiJah) the king of Judah, and thereafter, BaAsha became the ruler [of IsraEl].

²⁹ Well, during BaAsha’s reign, he murdered the entire house of JeroBoam!

He didn’t leave anyone alive… He killed them all, just as Yahweh had said through His servant AhiJah the Selonite, ³⁰ because of JeroBoam’s part in leading IsraEl into sin and provoking the anger of Yahweh the God of IsraEl.

³¹ All the rest of the things that NaDab said and did {Look!} are written about in the scrolls of the words of the days of the kings of IsraEl.

³² Well, there was war between [King] Asa [of Judah] and King BaAsha of IsraEl for as long as they both lived.

³³ It was in the 3rd year of the reign of King Asa of Judah that BaAsha (son of AhiJah) started ruling over IsraEl from TirZah. He reigned for 24 years, and he also acted wickedly before Yahweh, for he followed in the footsteps of JeroBoam (son of NaBat) by sinning and leading IsraEl into sin.

1 Kings 16

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¹ Then Yahweh sent word to BaAsha by Jehu (son of AnaNi), saying:

² ‘Even though I elevated you to be over the land and gave you the leadership of My people IsraEl, you’ve still chosen to follow in ways of JeroBoam and to lead My people IsraEl into sin, provoking Me to anger with your foolishness!

³ ‘So, {Look!} I’m arousing enemies against BaAsha and his house, and I’m going to do to your house [the same] as I did to the house of JeroBoam (son of NaBat). ⁴ For when those of BaAsha die in the city, dogs will eat them; and when they die in the fields, they’ll be eaten by the flying creatures of the skies.’

⁵ Well, the rest of the things that BaAsha said and did, and the areas of his conquests {Look!} have been written about in the scrolls of the words of The Days of the Kings of IsraEl.

⁶ Then BaAsha went to sleep with his ancestors and they buried him in a tomb in TirZah; and his son ElAh started reigning after him. ⁷ For Yahweh had sent a proclamation against BaAsha and his house through Jehu (son of AnaNi) because of all the bad things that he was doing before Yahweh.

These things made Yahweh very angry; so BaAsha’s house would soon become like the house of JeroBoam, whom he’d slaughtered.

⁸ It was in the 28th year of the reign of King Asa of Judah, after ElAh (BaAsha’s son) had ruled IsraEl for 2 years in TirZah, ⁹ that ElAh’s servants plotted a coup by getting together with ZimRi, the captain over half of [the king’s] cavalry...

And it was while [the king] was in TirZah, drinking and getting drunk in the house of Osa (the Mayor of TirZah), ¹⁰ that ZimRi went in and stabbed him to death! Thereafter, he became the ruler [of IsraEl].

¹¹ Then when he took over, he killed the entire house of BaAsha… He didn’t leave anyone who could urinate against a wall, including [BaAsha’s] friends and relatives... ¹² So, ZimRi wiped out the whole house of BaAsha, just as Yahweh had foretold through the prophet Jehu.

¹³ He did this because of all the sins of BaAsha and of his son ElAh, who had made Yahweh the God of IsraEl angry by leading IsraEl into sin with all their foolishness.

¹⁴ The rest of the things that ElAh said and did {Look!} have been written about in the scrolls of the words of The Days of the Kings of IsraEl.

¹⁵ Well, ZimRi only ruled in TirZah for 7 days!

You see, at the time, IsraEl’s army was camped at the Philistine city of GabaThon;
¹⁶ and when the people in the camp heard about how ZimRi had rebelled and killed their king, they appointed the commander of IsraEl’s army, OmRi, to be the king that day – there, in the camp!

¹⁷ So OmRi ascended to the throne, and all IsraEl met with him at GabaThon;
then they went and besieged TirZah! ¹⁸ Now, when ZimRi realized that his city was lost, he went inside the king’s palace and set it on fire, burning it down around him, killing himself!

¹⁹ This happened because of all the sins that ZimRi had committed. For he’d also acted wickedly before Yahweh and he followed in the ways of JeroBoam (son of NaBat), committing the same sins and leading IsraEl into sin.

²⁰ The rest of the story of ZimRi and of the people who supported him {Look!} has been written about in the scrolls of the words of The Days of the Kings of IsraEl.

²¹ Thereafter, the people of IsraEl became divided, for half of them started following TibNi (son of GoNath), wanting him to be their king, while the other half followed OmRi!

²² However, the people who followed OmRi won out over the followers of TibNi (son of GiNath). Then TibNi died, leaving OmRi as the only remaining ruler.

²³ (This all happened in the 31st year of the reign of [Judean] king Asa.)

And thereafter, OmRi reigned over IsraEl for 12 years, 6 of which were from TirZah. ²⁴ Then he acquired Mount SemerOn from Semer (who owned the mountain) for a 150 pounds (68kg) of silver, and there he built [his city], which he named Semer [later to be named Samaria], after the man who’d owned SemerOn.

²⁵ Well, OmRi also acted wickedly before Yahweh... In fact, he was worse than all those who’d come before him!

²⁶ He followed in the ways of JeroBoam (son of NaBat) and committed all of his sins by leading IsraEl into foolishness and sin, which made Yahweh the God of IsraEl very angry.

²⁷ The rest of the things that OmRi said and did, and the areas of his rulership {Look!} have been written about in the scrolls of the words of The Days of the Kings of IsraEl.

²⁸ Then OmRi went to sleep with his ancestors and they buried him in a tomb in Samaria. So his son Ahab started ruling after him.

²⁹ Ahab (son of OmRi) started his rule over IsraEl in the 38th year of Judah’s King Asa, and he reigned over IsraEl from Samaria for 22 years.

³⁰ However, he also acted wickedly before Yahweh… Even more wicked than all those who’d come before him! ³¹ For the sins of JeroBoam (son of NaBat) weren’t bad enough for him.

Then he took a woman, JezeBel (daughter of IthoBaAl, the king of the Sidonians), and he went and started serving BaAl, bowing before him.

³² He also erected an Altar to BaAl in the disgusting temple that he’d built in Samaria, ³³ and he set up fields of sacred poles, doing everything that he could to anger Yahweh the God of IsraEl, and to bring about his own destruction!

He was much worse than all the other kings of IsraEl that had come before him.

³⁴ It was during Ahab’s reign that AchiEl the BethElite rebuilt JeriCho with the loss of his first-born son AbiRon (for laying its foundation), and with the loss of his youngest son SegUb for erecting its gates, just as Yahweh had said through JoShua (son of NaWeh).

1 Kings 17

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¹ Then the prophet EliJah (the Tishbite from Tishbon of GileAd) went to Ahab and said:

‘As Yahweh the Almighty – the God of IsraEl before whom I stand – lives, there won’t be any dew or rain in the land for years, unless I call for it!’

² And then Yahweh told EliJah:

³ ‘Now, leave this place and head east!

‘Go and hide near the Cherith Wadi, where it empties into the JorDan... ⁴ There you’ll drink your water from the wadi, and I’ll send crows to feed you!’

⁵ So EliJah did what Yahweh said and he settled in by the Cherith Wadi near the JorDan. ⁶ There, crows brought him bread loaves in the morning and meat in the afternoon, and he drank water from the wadi.

⁷ However, before long the wadi also dried up, because there was no rain in the land.

⁸ So Yahweh told EliJah:

⁹ ‘Now, get up and go to the Sidonian [city of] SarEpta… {Look!} I’ve instructed a widow woman there to provide food for you.’

¹⁰ So he got up and went to SarEpta; and as he neared the city gate, {Look!} he saw a widow woman collecting wood.

Then EliJah called out to her and said:

‘Please take a little water from your jar and give me something to drink!’

¹¹ However, she just started carrying [her wood] inside.

So EliJah shouted at her again, saying:

‘May I please have a little bit of your bread to eat?’

¹² Then the woman said:

‘As Yahweh your God lives; what good is a cake that must be baked in hot ashes?

‘All I’ve got is a handful of flour in a jar and a little bit of olive oil in a pitcher!

‘Look at this! I’ve just collected two sticks so I can go home and cook what’s left for my children and myself…

‘Then we can eat it and die!’

¹³ But EliJah said:

‘Don’t get discouraged... Just go on ahead and do what you said you’re going to do. However, bake a small loaf and bring it to me first. And after that, you and your children may eat.

¹⁴ ‘For, this is what Yahweh the God of IsraEl has said:

‘Her jar of flour will never fail,

Nor will her pitcher of oil

Until the day that Yahweh appointed

For rain to fall on the ground.’

¹⁵ So the woman went inside and did as EliJah told her… She fed him first, and then she and her children ate. ¹⁶ And thereafter, her jar of flour never became empty and her pitcher of olive oil never ran low… Just as the Lord had told her through EliJah!

¹⁷ But later, the lady’s son became very ill, and he kept getting worse until he finally stopped breathing.

¹⁸ So she asked EliJah:

‘What have I done to you, O man of God, that you should be reminded of all my sins and kill my son?’

¹⁹ And EliJah said to the woman:

‘Bring your son to me.’

So she picked him up and held him to her breasts, and she carried him to [EliJah’s] bed in an upstairs room and laid him there.

²⁰ Then EliJah yelled out and said:

‘O Yahweh!

‘Since You’ve seen how well this widow has treated me, why have You sent evil to kill her son?’

²¹ And after that, he breathed into the boy’s [mouth] three times as he called to Yahweh, saying:

‘O my God!

‘Give back this boy’s life!’

²² And at that, the boy suddenly shouted aloud!

²³ Then EliJah led him downstairs and gave him to his mother, and said:

‘See, your son is alive!’

²⁴ And the woman said to EliJah:

‘Now I know that you’re a man of God and that the words of Yahweh that come from your mouth are all true.’

1 Kings 18

←17 | All books | All chapters | 19→

¹ Then after three years, the Lord came to EliJah and said:

‘You must now go and speak to Ahab, for I’m going to allow rain to fall on his land once again!’

² So EliJah went to appear before [King] Ahab... And by then, the famine had become very severe in Samaria. ³ Well at the time, Ahab had called for his Prime Minister AbDiu, who was a man who had great respect for Yahweh.

⁴ For, back when JezeBel had many of the prophets of Yahweh killed, he was the one who gathered 100 of them and hid them in two caves in groups of fifties, and sent food and water to them.

⁵ Then [King] Ahab said to AbDiu:

‘Come!

‘Let’s travel throughout the land and search all the streams and springs to see if we can find a pasture that has water where I can take my horses and mules, so they don’t die in their stalls!’

⁶ And at that, they parted company along the road, with [King] Ahab going one way and [Prime Minister] AbDiu going the other... ⁷ So AbDiu was by himself when EliJah arrived.

And when AbDiu saw him, he ran and fell to his face and asked:

‘Are you my lord EliJah?’

⁸ And EliJah said:

‘I am!

‘Now, go tell your master that EliJah is here.’

⁹ But AbDiu replied:

‘What has your servant done that you would hand me over to Ahab, for he will kill me! As Yahweh your God lives; there isn’t a nation or kingdom where my master hasn’t searched for you!

¹⁰ ‘And when they said that you weren’t there, he burned the kingdoms and their cities when he couldn’t find you. ¹¹ So you just want me to just go and tell my master that EliJah is here?!

¹² ‘What if, after I leave you, Yahweh sends a wind that picks you up and carries you into an unknown land? Then, if I were to go and tell Ahab and he doesn’t find you here, he would kill me!

‘Now, your servant has feared Yahweh since his youth... ¹³ And perhaps you haven’t been told, my master, about what I did when JezeBel killed the prophets of Yahweh; I took 100 of them and hid them in caves in groups of fifties. Thereafter, I fed them with bread loaves and provided them with water.

¹⁴ ‘But now you say that I should just go and tell my master that EliJah is here?!

‘He’ll kill me!’

¹⁵ And EliJah said:

‘As the Almighty Yahweh that stands before me lives; I’ll appear before him today.’

¹⁶ So AbDiu went to find Ahab and he reported what had happened.

Then Ahab ran to meet with EliJah, ¹⁷ and when he saw him, he asked:

‘Are you finally going to [stop plaguing] IsraEl?’

¹⁸ And EliJah said:

‘No. I’m not going to [stop plaguing] IsraEl!

‘For you and the house of your fathers have left Yahweh your God and started following the BaAls!

¹⁹ ‘But now, you must gather all IsraEl to Mount CarMel along with all the prophets of BaAl – all 450 of them – and all the prophets of the sacred poles – all 400 of them who eat at the table of JezeBel!’

²⁰ Therefore, Ahab sent word throughout all IsraEl to call those prophets to Mount CarMel.

²¹ [And when they got there] EliJah stood up in front of all the people and said:

‘How much longer are you going to be lame on both of your hams?

‘If Yahweh is God, then you should follow Him!

‘But if BaAl is God, he’s the one you should follow!’

Well at that, no one said a word.

²² Then EliJah said:

‘I’m the only prophet of Yahweh who is left [in the land]... But here are 450 prophets of the BaAl and 400 prophets of the sacred poles!

²³ ‘So now, have them bring two oxen to us, then let those men choose which one they want and cut it up, and put it on the Altar.

‘Also pile some wood there, but don’t light the fire.

‘I’ll do the same thing to the other ox, and I won’t light the fire either.

²⁴ ‘Then, they can call in the names of their gods, and I’ll call upon the Name of my God Yahweh! Whichever one is able to light the fire [will prove to be] the true God!’

And at that, all the people said:

‘What you’ve proposed is very good!’

²⁵ So EliJah then turned to those prophets of shame and said:

‘Now, choose the calf you want and get it ready.

‘There are many of you, so you should all call on the names of your gods and have them light the fire!’

²⁶ So they selected the calf and prepared it for offering, and they started calling on the name of the BaAl from morning until noon saying:

‘Listen to us, O BaAl! Hear us!’

However, there was no reply, because there was no one who could really hear them! So then they started dancing around the Altar that they’d made...

²⁷ Well, by noon, EliJah (the Tishbite) had started making fun of them.

He was saying:

‘Keep on shouting!

‘Perhaps he’s just thinking about it, or maybe he’s off handling some business… Or perhaps he’s sleeping and he hasn’t gotten up yet!’

²⁸ But they kept on shouting and cutting themselves with knives and spears (which was their custom) until they were all running with blood! ²⁹ They kept [acting like] prophets until midday.

But after their sacrifice had stayed there until noon without any reply, ³⁰ EliJah said to the people:

‘Now, come here to me!’

And all the people came to him.

Then EliJah rebuilt an old Altar that had been knocked down. ³¹ He took 12 stones (to represent the tribes of IsraEl), just as Yahweh told him to do. For this was the very same place where the Lord had once told [Jacob]:

‘IsraEl will be your Name.’

³² And these were the same stones that [Jacob himself had] erected in the Name of the Lord… It was the same broken-down Altar of Yahweh that he rebuilt that day!

Then he dug a moat around it that was deep enough to hold two sacks of seeds, and he put wood on the Altar that he’d erected... ³³ He then cut up the whole burnt offering and placed it over the wood (he piled it all on the Altar), and said:

‘Now, bring four buckets of [sea] water and pour them over the offering and the wood!’

³⁴ Then he told them to do it a second time, and they did it again.

And he said:

‘Now, do it a third time!’

And they did it a third time.

³⁵ And thereafter, EliJah filled the moat around the Altar with water.

³⁶ Then he shouted into the sky, saying:

‘Yahweh,

‘The God of AbraHam, IsaAc, and IsraEl!

‘Hear me today and send fire so that all these people will know that You are Yahweh the God of IsraEl!

‘[Show them] that I’m Your servant and that the things I’m doing are Your works!

³⁷ ‘Hear me, O Yahweh,

‘Send fire, so these people will know that You are the Lord God, and so that the hearts of these people will turn back to You!’

³⁸ Well at that, Yahweh sent fire that fell from the sky, and it consumed the whole burnt offering, the wood, the water in the moat, the stones… And even the dirt around [the Altar] was all licked up by the fire!

³⁹ Then all the people fell to their faces and said:

‘Yahweh is truly God… The God!’

⁴⁰ And EliJah said to the people:

‘Now, seize all the prophets of BaAl… Don’t let any of them escape!’

So they grabbed them, and EliJah took them down to the Kishon Wadi and killed them all there.

⁴¹ Well after that, Elijah told Ahab:

‘Get up and eat and drink, for there’s the sound of rain coming!’

So Ahab got up to eat and drink, while EliJah then walked up Mount CarMel, where he bowed to the ground with his face between his knees.

⁴² Then he said his servant:

‘Now, climb to the top of the mountain and look towards the sea!’

⁴³ So his servant climbed to the mountaintop and looked towards the sea, and [when he reported back, he] said:

‘I didn’t see anything.’

And EliJah said:

‘Then, go back [and check again].’

[He did this] seven times.

⁴⁴ So the servant went back [to check] seven times; and on the seventh time he [reported back and] said:

‘Look! I can see a cloud that’s as small as the sole of a man’s foot arising from the water in the sea.’

So he said:

‘Go to Ahab and tell him to get his chariot ready and hurry off, or the rain will overtake him!’

⁴⁵ Well all of a sudden, the sky got dark with clouds, the wind started to blow, and a tremendous rainstorm began!

So Ahab wept, and went off back to JezreEl... ⁴⁶ Then the hand of Yahweh came over EliJah, and he tightened his belt and ran to JezreEl ahead of Ahab.

1 Kings 19

←18 | All books | All chapters | 20→

¹ Well, [when he got home], Ahab told his woman JezeBel (the one who had the prophets killed with swords) about everything that EliJah did.

² So JezeBel sent [a message] to EliJah that said:

‘May the gods curse me and add to it if by this time tomorrow your life won’t be the same as the lives [of the prophets I killed]!’

³ Well, this frightened EliJah, so he got up and ran for his life!

And when he got to BeerSheba, he left his servant there ⁴ and traveled along the desert road for a day’s journey, where [he spent the night] under a broom bush.

That’s when he prayed for his life to end, saying:

‘It’s now fitting for You to take my life, O Yahweh, because I’m no better than my ancestors!’

⁵ And after that, he bedded down and went to sleep under that bush.

However, {Look!} someone then came and touched him and said:

‘Now, get up and eat!’

⁶ And when he looked around, he saw a loaf of oat bread that had been baked in ashes lying next to his head, along with a jar of water... So EliJah got up and ate and drank, then he went back to sleep.

⁷ But the messenger of Yahweh returned a second time and touched him, saying:

‘Get up and eat!

‘You’ll need this for your long journey!’

⁸ So he got up and ate and drank again, and he gained enough strength from the food to last the whole trip of 40 days and 40 nights to the Dry Mountain (Horeb).

⁹ And when he got there, he went into a cave to rest.

But then, {Look!} Yahweh sent word to him.

He asked:

‘Why are you here, EliJah?’

¹⁰ And EliJah replied:

‘Because of my zeal… Because I’m zealous for Yahweh the Almighty.

‘Yet, all the sons of IsraEl have abandoned You… They’ve cut down Your Altars and they’ve killed Your prophets with swords; so, now I’m the only one left, and they’re looking [to kill] me too!’

¹¹ Then he was told:

‘Go outside and stand on the mountain before Yahweh.

‘There {Look!} the Lord will pass by you in a strong wind that will split the mountain and break its rocks.’

[So he went outside and stood] before Yahweh, and the wind blew…
But it wasn’t [just the] wind, it was Yahweh!

Then after the wind blew, the ground shook…
But it wasn’t an earthquake, it was Yahweh.

¹² And after the ground shook, there was fire…
But it wasn’t fire, it was Yahweh.

And after the fire, there was a sound that came from a soft breeze...
Which was Yahweh.

¹³ Well after that, EliJah covered his face with a sheepskin and he went back inside the cave.

But then {Look!} a voice again asked:

‘Why are you here, EliJah?’

¹⁴ And EliJah once more replied:

‘Because of my zeal… Because I’m zealous for Yahweh the Almighty!

‘Yet, the sons of IsraEl have abandoned Your Sacred Agreement with them… They’ve demolished Your Altars and they’ve killed Your prophets with swords, and now I’m the only one left and they’re looking [to kill] me too!’

¹⁵ Then The Lord said to him:

‘Continue on with your journey; and when you reach the desert road to Damascus, [I want you to] anoint HazaEl to be the king over Syria.

¹⁶ ‘Also, anoint Jehu (son of NaMesSi) to be the king over IsraEl, and anoint EliSha (son of ShaPhat from AbelMaoOla) to replace you as [My] prophet.

¹⁷ ‘Thereafter, all those who are saved from the broadsword of HazaEl will be killed by Jehu, and all who are saved from the broadsword of Jehu will be killed by EliSha.

¹⁸ ‘However, there are still 7,000 men in IsraEl who haven’t bent their knees to the BaAl, and none of them have spoken reverently of him.’

¹⁹ So then he went and found EliSha (son of ShaPhat), who at the time was leading 12 teams of oxen that were pulling a plough... He went up to him and placed his sheepskin over him.

²⁰ Then EliSha left his oxen and ran after EliJah, and he said:

‘First let me kiss my father [goodbye]… And then I’ll follow you!’

And [EliJah] told him:

‘Go on then, and return here… For I’ve [got lots] for you to do!’

²¹ So [when he] came back to follow him, he took the teams of oxen and sacrificed them. He cooked them with the wood [of their yokes], and he gave [the meat] to his people, which they ate.

Then he got up and followed EliJah, serving him.

1 Kings 20

←19 | All books | All chapters | 21→

¹ Well after that, King BenHader of Syria gathered his whole army along with 32 [vassal] kings and all their horses and chariots, and they went to lay siege against Samaria… They all went to Samaria to wage war against it.

² Then he sent messengers into the city of King Ahab of IsraEl, who told him:

‘This is what BenHader says:

³ ‘Your silver and your gold are all mine. Also, your wives, children, and all the good things that you have are mine!’

⁴ And the king of IsraEl replied:

‘Just as you have said, O my master, O king, I and all that is mine is yours.’

⁵ Then BenHader sent his messengers again, that said:

‘I sent you the message telling you that you’re to give your silver, gold, wives, and children to me.

⁶ ‘So at this time tomorrow, I will send my servants to you, and then they’ll search your palace and the homes of your servants and take anything that their eyes desire… Whatever they put in their hands, they can take!’

⁷ So the king of IsraEl called all the elders of the land and said:

‘I want you to know of all the evil that this man intends to do... For even though I’ve offered him all my silver, gold, wives, sons, and daughters, he’s now asking for [everything else].’

⁸ And at that, the elders and all the people said:

‘Don’t listen to him… And don’t worry!’

⁹ So he replied to the messengers of BenHader:

‘Tell your master that I’ll give him all that he asked for at first, but I won’t be able to do this [other] thing that he’s asking.’

And his people carried that message back.

¹⁰ But BenHader said this:

‘May the gods curse me and add to it if the dirt of the foxes of Samaria and all its people is good enough for the feet of my soldiers!’

¹¹ Then the king of IsraEl replied:

‘That’s enough!

‘May the hunchback not boast as though he were able to stand erect!’

¹² Well, at the time that this message reached [King BenHader], he and all the other kings were inside his tent drinking. So he told his servants to go and build a siege mound around the city, which they did.

¹³ Then {Look!} a prophet came to Ahab (the king of IsraEl) and told him:

‘This is what Yahweh has said:

‘You’ve now seen how large an army they have, but {Look!} today I’m giving them all into your hands… And then you will know that I am Yahweh!’

¹⁴ So Ahab asked him:

‘Who will accomplish this?’

And he was told:

‘This is what Yahweh said:

‘It will happen at the hands of the young princes of this region.’

And Ahab asked:

‘Then, who’ll join them in this war?’

And he was told:

‘You will!’

¹⁵ So Ahab counted the sons of the rulers of his realm and found out that there were 230 of them... Then he counted his troops and found that there were 7,000 of them… All mighty men.

¹⁶ So, he started his attack at noon.

Meanwhile, BenHader and the other kings (all 32 of them) that were his allies, were in SokChoth, and they were all drunk.

¹⁷ Then in the first wave, [Ahab] sent the young princes to attack... And when King BenHader of Syria received word that men were coming from Samaria, ¹⁸ he said:

‘Whether they’re coming in peace or for war, let’s capture them alive!’

¹⁹ Well, the young princes then came out of the city (with the whole army following them), ²⁰ and each one cut down the soldier who faced him! Thereafter, they did it again… Each one cut down the soldier who came against him.

So, the Syrians turned and ran, and the IsraElites started chasing after them! However, King BenHader of Syria grabbed a cavalryman’s horse and got away... ²¹ But the king of IsraEl went and collected all their horses and chariots, which was a great calamity for Syria.

²² Then, [after the battle], the prophet went to the king of IsraEl again and said:

‘Now, strengthen your forces and consider what you must do, for King BenHader of Syria will attack you once again this year!’

²³ And after that, the servants of the king of Syria went to him and told him this:

‘The God of IsraEl is a God of mountains, not a God of valleys, and that’s why they beat us. However, if you go to war with them in the straight plains, you can beat them!

²⁴ ‘So, this is what you should do:

‘Send all the kings home and appoint governors to replace them... ²⁵ Then you must replace the men who were killed, get more horses, build more chariots, and go back and fight them in the plains, and you’ll overpower them.’

Well, the king listened to them and went along with their proposal.

²⁶ So, towards the end of the year, BenHader again gathered an army in Syria and marched them towards Apheka to war against IsraEl, ²⁷ and the sons of IsraEl gathered for war and went out to meet them.

Then, like two flocks of goats, IsraEl stood opposite them on the right, while Syria literally filled the land on the left.

²⁸ Then the man of God went to the king of IsraEl once more and told him:

‘This is what Yahweh has said:

‘Because Syria says that Yahweh the God of IsraEl is a God of the mountains, not a God of the valleys, I’m going to give his huge army into your hands…

‘And then you will know that I am Yahweh!’

²⁹ Well, both armies just sat there camped against each other for 7 days...

Then on the 7th day, the war started, and IsraEl cut down the Syrians… 100,000 foot soldiers in one day! ³⁰ All the rest retreated to the city of Apheka.

But then its walls crumbled, killing 27,000 of the remaining men, and BenHader ran away and hid in a bedroom in the inner part of a house.

³¹ There he said to his servants:

‘I know that the kings of IsraEl are merciful... So, dress yourselves in sackcloth and wrap your heads with ropes; then go to the king of IsraEl and see if he will allow us to live.’

³² So they wrapped sackcloth around their loins and wrapped ropes around their heads, and they went to the king of IsraEl and said:

‘Your servant BenHader says:

‘Please allow me to live!’

And [IsraEl’s king Ahab] asked:

‘Is my brother still alive?’

³³ Then the men quickly got together and discussed what to say, and they replied:

‘Yes, BenHader your brother [is still alive].’

And he said:

‘Well then, go get him.’

So BenHader was brought [to the king of IsraEl] on a chariot.

³⁴ And he said [to Ahab]:

‘I’ll return all the cities that my father took from your father, and you may name the streets that my father built in Damascus after yourself, the same as my father did in Samaria.’

And [the king of IsraEl said]:

‘If you’ll sign a peace treaty with me, I’ll send you home.’

So they signed a treaty, and he was allowed to return home.

³⁵ Well after that, a man who was one of the sons of the prophets said to his neighbor (by [the inspiration] of Yahweh):

‘Strike me!’

But his neighbor wouldn’t knock him down.

³⁶ So he said to him:

‘Because you didn’t listen to the voice of Yahweh... {Look!} after you leave me, a lion will strike you down!’

And after he left him, a lion did in fact kill him.

³⁷ So then, [the prophet] went and found another man and said:

‘Strike me!’

And this time the man struck him and wounded him.

³⁸ Then the prophet went to see the king of IsraEl, and on the way, he wrapped a cloth around his eyes.

³⁹ And when he got to the king, he shouted this at him:

‘Your servant was in the army and we were in a battle; then {Look!} someone brought a prisoner to me and told me to guard him, and he told me that if he got away, I’d either have to pay with my life or I’d have to pay him 60 pounds (27kg) of silver.

⁴⁰ ‘But when I turned around, the prisoner had disappeared!’

And the king of IsraEl said to him:

‘{Look!} You were responsible, so you’ll have to pay!’

⁴¹ And that’s when the man removed the cloth from over his eyes, and the king recognized him as one of the prophets.

⁴² Then the prophet said to him:

‘This is what Yahweh has declared:

‘Because you allowed a man who escaped from you to live, your life will be required for his life, and your people’s lives must be paid for his people’s lives!’

⁴³ Well at that, the king of IsraEl left dumbfounded and shaking, and he went back home to Samaria.

1 Kings 21

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¹ Then there came the matter of the vineyard of NabOth the JezreElite.

His vineyard was located near the threshing floor of King Ahab of Samaria [the northern 10-tribe Kingdom of Israel]. ² And Ahab had spoken to NabOth and asked him to trade vineyards with him, because [NabOth’s vineyard] was close to his palace, and he wanted it as a vegetable garden.

He said:

‘I’ll give you another very-good vineyard for it; or if you prefer, we can discuss terms and I’ll buy if from you, because I need it for a vegetable garden.’

³ But NabOth replied:

‘No, I could never give it to you, because this is the inheritance that my God gave to my ancestors.’

⁴ Well, this matter bothered Ahab so much that he just went to bed, covered his face, and refused to eat.

⁵ So his wife JezeBel went to him and asked:

‘Why is your spirit so disturbed, and why are you refusing to eat?’

⁶ And he said:

‘I spoke to NabOth (the JezreElite) and asked him to sell me his vineyard… I offered to trade him another good one for it, but he said that he doesn’t want to give me the inheritance of his ancestors.’

⁷ Then his wife JezeBel said:

‘Aren’t you the king of IsraEl?!

‘Get up, eat, and start acting like yourself!

‘I’ll give you the vineyard of NabOth the JezreElite!’

⁸ So she wrote a letter and [forged] Ahab’s name to it, put his seal on it, and then she sent it to the elders and free men who lived near NabOth.

⁹ In it, she wrote:

‘I want you to declare a fast, and I want NabOth to be in charge over the people!’

¹⁰ Then she assigned two sons of convicted criminals to work with him, who were to accuse him of blaspheming God and the king, and then take him out to be stoned to death.

¹¹ And that’s what happened.

The men who lived in his city (the elders and free men to whom JezeBel sent the letter) ¹² called for a fast, and they appointed NabOth to be in charge... ¹³ Then the two men who were sons of convicts and who sat right across from him, accused him of blaspheming God and the king, and they led him out of the city to be stoned to death.

¹⁴ So they sent a message to JezeBel that said:

‘NabOth has been stoned and now he’s dead.’

¹⁵ Then when JezeBel got the message, she said to Ahab:

‘Now, get up and take the vineyard that NabOth (the JezreElite) refused to sell you, because NabOth is dead!’

¹⁶ So when Ahab heard that NabOth had died, he went and claimed the field as his own inheritance.

¹⁷ Thereafter, the Lord spoke to EliJah (the Tishbite) and said:

‘Get up and go to Samaria to meet with King Ahab of IsraEl.

¹⁸ {Look!} You’ll find him in the vineyard of NabOth, where he’s gone to claim it as his own inheritance!

¹⁹ ‘Speak to him and tell him that Yahweh said this:

‘Because you had to murder someone to inherit this field; everywhere that the pigs and dogs licked the blood of NabOth, they’ll also lick up your blood, and whores will bathe in your blood!’

²⁰ So EliJah went to [King] Ahab, and Ahab said to him:

‘O my enemy, I see that you’ve found me!’

²¹ And EliJah replied:

‘Yes, I’ve found you, because you’ve acted foolishly and sold yourself into wickedness before Yahweh, making him angry!

[‘For he says:]

‘{Look!} Bad things, I’m bringing upon you.

To come after you, I’ll start a fire!

‘Those of Ahab urinating against a wall,

I shall destroy completely.

‘[Even] the one who is [by illness] constrained,

[Even] the very last one remaining in [all] Israel!

²² ‘I’ll make your house like that of JeroBoam son of NaBat,

And as that of BaAsha, son of AhiJah.

‘Since you provoked Me to anger

And led IsraEl into sin!’

²³ ‘And about JezeBel, Yahweh says this:

‘The dogs shall devour her

Next to JezreEl’s city walls.’

²⁴ ‘Anyone of Ahab who dies in the city

The dogs shall eat.

‘And anyone who dies in the field

The birds of the skies shall eat!’

²⁵ Yes, Ahab acted very foolishly when he sold himself into these wicked deeds before Yahweh through the perversions of his woman, JezeBel. ²⁶ All of his actions were disgusting… He even started doing the disgusting things that Amorites did, those whom Yahweh drove away from before the sons of IsraEl.

²⁷ Well, after [EliJah] said these things, Ahab became very repentant before Yahweh... He started crying and ripping his clothes; then he tied sackcloth around his body and fasted, and he kept on wearing the sackcloth from the day that NabOth the JezreElite was killed.

²⁸ So Yahweh spoke to EliJah (the Tishbite) and said:

²⁹ ‘I see that Ahab is repentant; therefore, I’m not going to bring the evil upon him during his lifetime... However, I will bring it during his son’s time, and upon his house.’

1 Kings 22

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¹ As a result, there was no more war between IsraEl and Syria during the next three years.

² But in the third year, King JehoShaphat (of Judah went to visit King [Ahab] of IsraEl... ³ [And it so happened that at the time], the king of IsraEl had been talking to his servants about [the city of] RamOth GileAd, for it really belonged to him and he had yet to take it back from Syria.

⁴ So King [Ahab] of IsraEl asked JehoShaphat:

‘Will you join us in our war for RamOth GileAd?’

⁵ And JehoShaphat replied:

‘You and I and your people and mine are the same race, so my horses are your horses!

‘However, why don’t you go and ask [Yahweh about this] today?

‘You should definitely ask Him first!’

⁶ Well, the King [Ahab] of IsraEl gathered all his prophets (about 400 of them), and the king asked them:

‘Should I go to war against RamOth GileAd, or should I wait?’

And their reply was:

‘Go, and the Lord will give it into the hands of the king!’

⁷ But then [King] JehoShaphat asked the King [Ahab] of IsraEl:

‘Don’t you have any prophets of Yahweh?

‘We should go to them to ask Yahweh about this matter.’

⁸ And King [Ahab] of IsraEl said to JehoShaphat:

‘Well, there’s still one man of Yahweh whom we can ask... However, I detest him because he never tells me good things, just bad things!

‘His name is MicaJah son of JemBlaAh.’

So King JehoShaphat of Judah said to him:

‘We should really hear what he has to say.’

⁹ Therefore, King [Ahab] of IsraEl called his primary eunuch and told him:

‘Quickly, bring MicaJah son of JemBlaAh to me.’

¹⁰ So then King [Ahab] of IsraEl and King JehoShaphat of Judah both sat down on their thrones, and all the prophets came in and started prophesying before them.

¹¹ ZedekiAh (son of HanaAn) actually made himself some iron horns, and he said:

‘This is what the Lord says:

‘With these you will gore the Syrians until you finish them off!’

¹² And all the other prophets agreed, saying:

‘Go to war for RamOth GileAd and you will be blest, for [God] will hand the king of Syria over to you!’

¹³ Meanwhile, the messenger who was sent to call for MicaJah finally found him, and he said to him:

‘{Look!} All the prophets are telling the king good things, so you must go there and do the same!’

¹⁴ But MicaJah replied:

‘As Yahweh lives, I’ll say whatever He tells me to say.’

¹⁵ However, when he went before the king and the king asked:

‘Should I go to war for RamOth GileAd, or should I wait?’

MicaJah told him:

‘Go, and Yahweh will bless the hands of the king!’

¹⁶ But King [Ahab of IsraEl] said to him:

‘How often do I have to ask you to promise to speak the truth to me when you’re speaking in the Name of Yahweh?’

¹⁷ And MicaJah replied:

‘Well, [what I said really] isn’t true... For I saw all IsraEl scattered in the mountains like a flock with no shepherd!

‘Then the Lord said to me:

‘When these people no longer have a lord, they should return to their homes in peace!’

¹⁸ Well at that, King [Ahab] of IsraEl turned to [King] JehoShaphat and said:

‘Didn’t I tell you that this one would only prophesy bad things?’

¹⁹ And MicaJah said to him:

‘That isn’t true! For, all I do is listen to the words of Yahweh… And that’s what I’ve done!

‘I saw Yahweh the God of IsraEl sitting on His throne and the whole army of the heavens was standing around Him on His right and on His left...

²⁰ ‘Then Yahweh asked:

‘Who will fool King Ahab of IsraEl and make him go to war for RamOth GileAd?’

‘And one said this and another said that... ²¹ But then a spirit came and stood before Yahweh and said:

‘I’ll deceive him!’

²² ‘So Yahweh asked him:

‘How will you do that?’

‘And he replied:

‘I’ll go and become a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’

‘And God said:

‘You will surely deceive him, so go on and do it!’

²³ ‘Therefore, {Look!} Yahweh has put a lying spirit into the mouths of all your prophets, and He’s really foretold bad things for you!’

²⁴ Well at that, ZedekiAh (son of HanaAn) came up to MicaJah and hit him in the mouth!

Then he asked:

‘So, what kind of spirit has Yahweh prophesied for you?’

²⁵ And MicaJah replied:

‘{Look!} You’ll know [the answer] when you have to run and hide in the inner chamber of a storeroom!’

²⁶ Then the king of IsraEl told his servants to take MicaJah to AmMon (who was the mayor of the city) and to his son JehoAsh, ²⁷ who should keep him under guard.

He told them to say:

‘Don’t give him anything to eat other than bread and water until after I’ve returned in peace!’

²⁸ But MicaJah said:

‘Since you won’t be returning in peace, the Lord told me to say this to you:

‘Listen all you people!

²⁹ ‘The king of IsraEl [will go to war], and JehoShaphat the king of Judah will go with him.’

³⁰ Well at that, King [Ahab] of IsraEl turned to King JehoShaphat of Judah and said:

‘Let me disguise myself in the battle, and I want you to put on my clothes.’

So the King [Ahab] of IsraEl put on [JehoShaphat’s] clothes, and they went to the battle...

³¹ Meanwhile, the king of Syria had given these instructions to the 32 men who were in charge of his chariots.

He said:

‘Don’t attack his foot soldiers or his generals… Go catch the king of IsraEl by himself.’

³² So when those who were in charge of the chariots saw the king of Judah [wearing Ahab’s clothes], they shouted:

‘That looks like the king of IsraEl!’

Then they circled and prepared to attack him. However, JehoShaphat shouted, ³³ and when the men in charge realized that it wasn’t the king of IsraEl, they turned away.

³⁴ But thereafter, a skilled bowman recognized the king of IsraEl and shot him in the chest between his lungs!

And [the king] said to his chariot driver:

‘Turn around and take me away from the battle, because I’ve been hit.’

³⁵ Well, this turned the tide of the battle, and King [Ahab] sat in his chariot across from the fighting for the rest of the day, as blood poured all over the chariot... Then he died later that evening.

Well, as the blood started running from the chariot towards the enemy camp, ³⁶ a messenger went throughout IsraEl’s camp after sundown, shouting:

‘Everyone should go back to his city and land, ³⁷ because the king is dead!’

So, everyone returned to Samaria, and they carried the king back and buried him in a tomb in Samaria. ³⁸ However, when they started washing the blood off the chariot in the Spring of Samaria, pigs and dogs came and licked up his blood, and whores bathed in the bloody water, just as Yahweh had said!

³⁹ Well, {Look!} the rest of the things that Ahab said and did, as well as [a description] of the house of ivory that he had built and of all the cities he created, have been written about in the scrolls of the words of The Days of the Kings of IsraEl.

⁴⁰ So after Ahab went to sleep with his ancestors, his son AhaziJah started ruling in his place.

⁴¹ Well, [King] JehoShaphat (son of Asa) had started his rule over Judah [much earlier on] in the 4th year of Ahab the king of IsraEl. ⁴² He was 35 years old when he started his reign, and he ruled in JeruSalem for 25 years. His mother’s name was Azuba, and she was the daughter of SalAi.

⁴³ He had followed in the path of his father Asa unswervingly, doing what was upright in the eyes of Yahweh! However, he never tore down the high places where the people burned incense and offered sacrifices.

⁴⁴ But during his reign, he was at peace with the king of IsraEl.

⁴⁵ The rest of the things that JehoShaphat said, as well as the area of his rulership, was written about in the scrolls of the words of The Days of the Kings of Judah.

⁴⁶ And during his reign, he completed everything that had been started or neglected during the reign of his father Asa.

⁴⁷ (Meanwhile, there was no king reigning in Syria.)

⁴⁸ King JehoShaphat also had a Tharsis-style ship made in order to go to Ophir and bring back gold... But it never [reached Ophir], because it was wrecked at GeBer.

⁴⁹ So King AhaziJah of IsraEl said to JehoShaphat:

‘Your servants can travel there with my servants.’

⁵⁰ But JehoShaphat didn’t want to do that.

⁵¹ Finally, JehoShaphat went to sleep with his ancestors, and they buried him in the tomb of his fathers in the city of his ancestor David.

So, his son JehoRam started to rule.

⁵² It was in the 17th year of the reign of JehoShaphat the king of Judah that AhaziJah (Ahab’s son) had started ruling over IsraEl from Samaria. However, he only ruled for 2 years, ⁵³ because he also acted wickedly before Yahweh, following in the steps of his father Ahab, his mother JezeBel, and of JeroBoam son of NaBat (who was the first one who led IsraEl into sin)…

⁵⁴ For he served the BaAls, bowing before them, and this angered Yahweh, the God of IsraEl.

2 Kings

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2 Kings is a history book.

It’s the final part of a 4-part history book (1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, and 2 Kings). It’s usually pronounced as ‘Second Kings,’ not ‘Two Kings.’

It covers the period starting with the death of IsraEl’s King AhaziAh to the destruction of JeruSalem by Babylon King NebuChadNezzar. It also includes the activities of EliJah and EliSha.

We don’t know who wrote or complied this book. Jewish tradition says that it was written by the Prophet Jeremiah. This could be true.

Chronology problems

Like 1 Kings, the internal chronology of 2 Kings is, unfortunately, impossible for us to understand today. Why? Well, the methods used to count the length of a king’s reign evidently differed over the years, and we don’t know which method was used for which king.

For example, some kings had their first few months before the new year counted as ‘1 year,’ while others didn’t. Also, there were certainly some gaps and overlapping between the reigns (for example, time before a son took over, or time when a son co-ruled with his father). None of these details are recorded in the text – probably because it was obvious to the people at the time (or you could get the details from another book), but all of this is long-forgotten today, and of all the other ancient books about the events are long-lost.

Some modern scholars have tried to work out the chronology, but there’s no consensus. So all the BCE dates that you may see for their reigns are just best-guesses.

Further, some of the numbers given by the Greek Septuagint text (which we use) are different from the numbers given in the Hebrew Masoretic text. Which one is right? Or do both have errors? We don’t know, but we’re usually inclined to follow the Greek text.

2 Kings 1

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¹ So, after [King] Ahab died, [the Kingdom of] Moab terminated its alliance with Israel. ² Then [the new King of IsraEl] AhaziAh fell through the latticework on the roof of [his palace] in Samaria and he was badly injured.

So he sent for messengers and told them to go ask the BaAl, the Fly God of EkRon if he was going to survive… And they went to ask him.

³ Meanwhile, a messenger of Yahweh went and spoke to [the Prophet] EliJah (the Tishbite) and told him to go and meet with the messengers of AhaziAh the king of Samaria to ask:

‘Is it because there’s no God in IsraEl that you’re so anxiously going to see the BaAl, the Fly God of EkRon?

‘You know that isn’t true!

⁴ ‘So, go back and tell AhaziAh that he’s not going to get out of the bed that he’s lying in, because he’s going to die!’

Well, that’s what EliJah did.

⁵ So the messengers returned to [King AhaziAh], and when he asked them why they’d come back so soon, ⁶ they said:

‘Because a man came to meet us, and he told us to return to the king who sent us and tell him that Yahweh asked:

‘Why are you so anxiously going to see the BaAl, the Fly God of EkRon? Is it because there’s no God in IsraEl?

‘There’s no need to do that, because he won’t be getting out of the bed he’s lying in, since he’s going to die!’

⁷ Then, after they reported what EliJah said, the king asked:

‘What did the man look like that came to meet you and said those things?’

⁸ And they told him:

‘He had a lot of hair and he wore a large leather belt around his waist.’

Then [King AhaziAh] said:

‘Ah, it’s EliJah the Tishbite!’

⁹ So he sent a contingent of 50 men to get EliJah, and when they found him, he happened to be sitting at the very top of a mountain.

Then the lieutenant in charge of the 50 men said to him:

‘O man of God,

‘The king has called for you, so come down from there!’

¹⁰ But EliJah replied to the leader of the group:

‘If I am a man of God, I can bring fire down from the sky to consume you and your 50 men...’

And at that, fire came out of the sky, which destroyed him and all 50 of his men!

¹¹ So thereafter, the king sent another contingent of 50 men. And when they got [to EliJah], the lieutenant over the group said:

‘O man of God,

‘The king says that you should come down from there… Right now!’

¹² But EliJah replied:

‘If I am a man of God, fire will come down from the sky and consume you and your 50 men...’

Then fire again came out of the sky and destroyed him and his 50 men!

¹³ So the king sent a third contingent of 50 men.

But this time, when they got to him, the lieutenant over the 50 got down on his knees before EliJah and begged him, saying:

‘O man of God,

‘Please value my life and the lives of your servants, these 50 men who are standing before you.

¹⁴ ‘For {Look!} fire came down from the sky and destroyed the previous two groups of 50 men and their leaders... But, please value the lives of your servants that are standing here before you!’

¹⁵ Then a messenger from Yahweh spoke to EliJah and said:

‘Get down and go with him… But, don’t be afraid of them.’

So EliJah climbed down and went with them to see the king.

¹⁶ Then he told the king:

‘Yahweh has asked why you sent your messengers to get a reply from the BaAl, the Fly God of EkRon.

‘He says that won’t be necessary, because you won’t be getting out of the bed that you’re in, since you’re going to die!’

¹⁷ And at that he died, just as Yahweh had said through EliJah.

¹⁸ Well, {Look!} all the rest of the many things that AhaziAh said and did have been written about in the words of the scrolls of The Days of the Kings of IsraEl.

2 Kings 2

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¹ Then Yahweh planned to take EliJah into the sky in a great shaking. And at the time, EliJah and EliSha had just left GilGal together.

² So EliJah said to EliSha:

‘Wait here, because Yahweh is sending me on to BethEl.’

But EliSha asked:

‘As Yahweh lives and as you live, should I just I abandon you?!’

So they traveled on to BethEl together. ³ [And when they got to] BethEl, the Sons of the prophets came to EliSha and said to him:

‘Did you know that Yahweh is going to take your master and lift him over your head today?’

And he replied:

‘Yes, I know… But let’s not talk about it!’

⁶ Then EliJah told him:

‘Now, you should just wait here, for Yahweh is sending me to the JorDan River.’

And EliSha [again] said:

‘As Yahweh lives and as you live, am I to abandon you?!’

So they both traveled on.

⁷ Well, 50 of the Sons of the prophets were standing some distance away next to the JorDan, as both men walked up to the river... ⁸ Then EliJah took off his sheepskin cape, folded it in half, and he struck the water with it, and [the river] parted before them… So they both crossed it on dry land!

⁹ And as they were crossing, EliJah said to EliSha:

‘Tell me what I can do for you before I’m taken away from you.’

So EliSha told him:

‘Please bestow a double portion of your Spirit upon me.’

¹⁰ And EliJah told him:

‘That’s a difficult request...

‘If you see me being taken up from you, you’ll receive it. But if you don’t, it won’t happen.’

¹¹ Then, as they were crossing the river walking along and talking, {Look!} a chariot of fire with horses of fire rode up between them, and carried EliJah into the sky with a great shaking.

¹² And when EliSha saw this, he yelled out:

‘O father, O father,

‘The chariot of IsraEl and his horseman!’

But, EliJah quickly passed out of sight.

Then [EliSha] ripped his own clothes in half, ¹³ and he picked up EliJah’s sheepskin cape that had fallen on top of him, and he raised it high as he walked back to the bank of the river... ¹⁴ And after that, he took EliJah’s sheepskin cape that had fallen upon him and struck the water with it… But it didn’t part.

So he cried out:

‘Where is the God of EliJah now?’

Then he struck the water again, and this time [the river] ripped apart on either side of him! So thereafter, EliSha was able to finish crossing the river.

¹⁵ Well, when the Sons of the prophets who’d come from JeriCho saw him standing on their side of the river, they said:

‘Surely the Breath of EliJah now rests upon EliSha!’

So they came to greet him, bowing to the ground before him.

¹⁶ Then they said to him:

‘{Look!} We have 50 men [who are filled with God’s] power.

‘Allow us to send them to search for your master; for the Breath of Yahweh may have tossed him into the JorDan or onto one of the mountains or hills!’

And EliSha said:

‘No, don’t send them.’

¹⁷ But they kept insisting until he [became exasperated] and said:

‘Okay, then send them!’

Therefore, they sent the 50 men who searched for him for three days, but they couldn’t find him.

¹⁸ And when they returned to where EliSha was staying in JeriCho, he said to them:

‘Didn’t I tell you not to go?’

¹⁹ Well meanwhile, the men of [JeriCho] had come to EliSha and said:

‘{Look!} As you can see, O master, this city is in a good location.

‘However, the water is bad and nothing wants to grow here.’

²⁰ And EliSha said:

‘Bring me a new water jar filled with salt.’

So they went and brought [the jar of salt] to him... ²¹ And EliSha went to the place where they got their water and threw the salt into it, and said:

‘This is what Yahweh has proclaimed:

‘I’ve made the water good, so it will no longer cause death or destruction.’

²² And the water there has in fact remained good to this day, just as EliSha said.

²³ Well after that, EliSha left [JeriCho] and traveled back towards BethEl. But on the way, some young boys who were following him from the city started making fun of him by shouting:

‘Go into the sky O bald man… Go up into the sky!’

²⁴ And when he saw this, he turned around and cursed them in the name of the Lord. Then {Look!} two bears came out of the woods and tore all 42 of the children to pieces!

²⁵ Well thereafter, he traveled on to Mount CarMel, and then on to Samaria.

2 Kings 3

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¹ In the 18th year of King JehoShaphat of Judah, [King] JehoRam (son of Ahab) started his reign in IsraEl, and he reigned for 12 years.

² He also acted wickedly in the eyes of Yahweh, but he wasn’t as bad as his father or mother, ³ for he removed the columns of BaAl that his father had erected. However, he still hung onto and practiced the sins of JeroBoam (son of NaBat) who had led IsraEl into sin.

⁴ Now, King Mesha of MoAb was a shepherd, and he’d sent 100,000 lambs and 100,000 wooly rams to [Ahab] the king of IsraEl, as a good-will gesture. ⁵ But after Ahab died, the king of MoAb ended his alliance with the kings of IsraEl.

⁶ So King JehoRam went from Samaria and took a census [of the army] of IsraEl, ⁷ then he sent a message to King JehoShaphat of Judah, telling him:

‘The king of MoAb has annulled his alliance with me. So, will you join me in a war against MoAb?’

And he replied:

‘I will… Since you and I are very much alike, and your people and my people [are related]. My horses are your horses!

⁸ ‘Which road do you want me to take?’

And JehoRam replied:

‘[Join me] on the road to the desert of Edom.’

⁹ So the king of IsraEl, the king of Judah, and the king of Edom went on a march against the king of MoAb that lasted 7 days. However, because they were marching in circles, they finally ran out of water and they no longer had enough for both their animals and their troops.

¹⁰ Then the king of IsraEl said:

‘Did Yahweh call us three kings and send us here just to hand us over to MoAb?’

¹¹ And JehoShaphat asked:

‘Did you bring along a prophet of Yahweh?

‘We should be asking him!’

And one of the servants of the king of IsraEl said:

‘We can go to EliSha son of ShaPhat, the one who used to serve EliJah.’

¹² Then JehoShaphat asked:

‘He does have Yahweh’s word.’

So thereafter, the king of IsraEl, the king of Judah (JehoShaphat), and the king of Edom went to see him.

¹³ And EliSha asked King [JehoRam] of IsraEl:

‘Why have you come here… Why don’t you go to the prophets of your father and mother?’

But the king of IsraEl asked him:

‘Has Yahweh called all three of us kings here just to hand us over to MoAb?’

¹⁴ And EliSha said:

‘As Yahweh the God of armies (before whom I stand) lives...

‘Were it not for the fact that King JehoShaphat of Judah is welcome here, I would never have bothered to see you.

¹⁵ ‘But now, bring me my harp.’

Well, as he strummed his harp, the hand of Yahweh came over him ¹⁶ and he said:

‘This is the word of Yahweh:

‘Dig cistern after cistern in the wadi,

¹⁷ For, although the wind blows, it won’t rain,

But the wadi will still fill with water

For you, your men, and your animals.

¹⁸ ‘And because this is not a light matter

In the eyes of Yahweh;

I will give MoAb into your hands.

¹⁹ ‘But, you must destroy their fortified cities

And cut down all their good trees.

Then, stop up their wells and their springs,

And cover their land up with rocks.’

²⁰ Well, the next morning, just after they’d offered sacrifices, {Look!} there was water running down the road to Edom, which covered the land!

²¹ Meanwhile, when the MoAbites heard that the three kings were coming to war against them, people started yelling all over the land and strapping on their [swords], then they all gathered for war along their borders.

²² But when they got up early the next morning and gazed at the sun rising over the water, it appeared to be fiery red… Like blood!

²³ So they said:

‘That’s blood from a battle!

‘Those kings have clearly fought among themselves, and now they’re the spoils of MoAb!’

²⁴ So the MoAbites then advanced towards the camp of IsraEl... [However, they were surprised] when IsraEl came out and attacked them!

So they ran away, and IsraEl thereafter entered their land and destroyed MoAb, ²⁵ demolishing all their cities... And after that, each man picked up rocks and threw them over the good land, covering the ground with rocks, and they stopped up all the springs and wells.

They also cut down all the good trees and broke the walls of the cities into rocks, then they surrounded the cities and pelted them with the rocks.

²⁶ Well, when the king of MoAb realized that all was lost, he took 700 of his best men and tried to cut through the [lines of] the king of Edom, but he was unsuccessful... ²⁷ Then he [went back] and took his firstborn son (the one who was to be his successor) and sacrificed him as a whole burnt offering on his [city] wall.

And since he’d offered his repentance to IsraEl in such a great way, they left his land and just went back home.

2 Kings 4

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¹ Then a woman of one of the sons of the prophets called for EliSha and then she said to him:

‘Your servant, my husband, has died, and you know that your servant was [a person] who feared Yahweh... However, the moneylender just came to take my two sons as his slaves.’

² And EliSha said:

‘Then, tell me what I can do for you… Is there anything that you own with which [you can pay for their release]?’

And she replied:

‘I don’t have a single thing in my house other than some olive oil that’s used for anointing.’

³ And he said:

‘Then, go around to your neighbors and see how many empty jars you can get from them... ⁴ After that, go back home and lock yourself and your sons inside, and fill each of the jars with [the olive oil], one at a time.’

⁵ So she went home and did as he told her... She gathered her sons and locked the doors, and then she started filling the jars.

⁶ Well, as she filled them, she kept saying to her sons:

‘Now, bring me another jar!’

However, they finally told her:

‘There aren’t any more jars.’

And at that, the flow of olive oil ended.

⁷ So she went and reported what had happened to EliSha, the man of God.

And EliSha said:

‘Now, go and sell the olive oil, and that will pay your interest. Then you and your sons can use whatever you don’t sell.’

⁸ Well, one day, as EliSha was passing through [the village of] Soman, a wealthy woman who lived there insisted that he come in for a meal. And thereafter, whenever he was passing by, he would stop there to eat.

⁹ So the woman said to her husband:

‘{Look!} I know that this is a holy man of God who is always stopping here. ¹⁰ Why don’t we make a small room for him upstairs? We can put a bed, a table, a chair, and a lampstand there, and whenever he comes to visit, he can spend the night here.’

¹¹ And one day when he was in the area, he stopped in and went to his upstairs room, where he went to bed.

¹² Then later, [EliSha] told his servant GeHazi:

‘Call the Somanite woman and ask to speak to her. Tell her:

‘{Look!} You’ve surprised us with [the good thing you’ve done for us]. So, what can we do for you? Can we put in a good word for you with the king or with his generals?’

¹³ But she replied:

‘No, I live among friends and I have a happy life.’

¹⁴ So he asked GeHazi:

‘What [nice thing] do you think we can do for her?’

And GeHazi replied:

‘Well, she has no son, and her husband is very old.’

¹⁵ So EliSha said:

‘Then call her!’

So he called to her, and she came up and stood by the door, ¹⁶ and he said to her:

‘On this day next year, at about the same time, you’ll be holding a living son.’

But she said:

‘Oh no, my lord! You shouldn’t disappoint your female servant like this!’

¹⁷ However, the woman did get pregnant and give birth to a living son on the same day and [at the same] time the following year, just as EliSha had told her!

¹⁸ Well, the boy grew wonderfully. Then, one day he went out to where his father was harvesting, ¹⁹ and he said to him:

‘Oh, my head! My head hurts!’

So the father told his servant:

‘Carry him to his mother.’

²⁰ And he carried him [home] to his mother, who put him to sleep on her knees.

However, sometime around noon, he died.

²¹ Then she carried him upstairs and laid him on the bed of the man of God. And after she locked the door, she called for her husband ²² and told him:

‘Send one of the servants with me and a burro, because I’m going to run and find the man of God and bring him back.’

²³ Well, he asked:

‘Why do you have to go to him today?

‘It’s not a New Moon or a Sabbath.’

But she just said:

‘Peace!’

²⁴ Then she saddled her burro and told her servant:

‘You lead… Go!

‘Don’t wait for me to mount the burro… As I said, Go! Search throughout Mount CarMel and find the man of God!’

²⁵ So they went to the mountain and found the man of God.

Well when EliSha saw her coming, he said to GeHazi (his servant):

‘Isn’t that the Somanite woman? ²⁶ If so, run to meet her and say:

‘May you, your husband, and the boy have peace!’

Then as she [approached GeHazi], she also said:

‘Peace!’

²⁷ Well at that, she went up to EliSha on the mountain and grabbed hold of his feet. However, GeHazi tried to push her away...

But EliSha said:

‘Leave her alone, because there’s a lot of pain in her life!

‘I don’t know what it is yet, because Yahweh has concealed it from me.’

²⁸ Then she said to him:

‘I didn’t ask for a son from my lord, and I told you not to mislead me…’

²⁹ And EliSha said to GeHazi:

‘Tighten your belt, then take my walking stick and go!

‘If you see any man along the way, don’t stop to bless him… Or if a man should bless you, don’t answer him.

‘Go and place my walking stick against the face of the boy.’

³⁰ But the boy’s mother said to EliSha:

‘As Yahweh lives and as your body is living; are we going to leave you behind?’

So EliSha got up and went with her, ³¹ as GeHazi traveled ahead.

Well [when GeHazi got there], he placed the walking stick against the boy’s face… But there was no sound and he couldn’t hear anything.

So he went back to EliSha and said:

‘The boy didn’t get up.’

³² Then EliSha went into the house and {Look!} he found the dead boy lying on his bed. ³³ So he went inside the room, locked the door behind him, and he prayed to Yahweh.

³⁴ Then he got down on top of the boy, mouth-to-mouth, eye-to-eye, and hand-to-hand, and he just laid there warming his flesh.

³⁵ Then he got up and he walked all around the house, and thereafter, he went back upstairs and leaned against the boy seven times…

And suddenly the boy opened his eyes!

³⁶ So EliSha yelled out to GeHazi:

‘Call the Somanite woman!’

Well, he called her and she went upstairs; and EliSha said:

‘Here’s your son!’

³⁷ So she went in, fell down upon EliSha’s feet, and bowed to the ground before him. Then she took her son [back downstairs].

³⁸ Well after that, EliSha traveled to GilGal, because there was a famine in the land. There the sons of the prophets sat down before him, and EliSha told his servant:

‘Go get the large cooking pot and boil up some stew for the sons of the prophets.’

³⁹ So his servant went out into the fields to collect some vegetables. There he found a vine growing that had some [poisonous] wild gourds. So he [unknowingly] picked [them,] enough to fill his coat. Then he threw them into the stew pot (but they didn’t know anything about it).

⁴⁰ However, afterwards, when he poured out the stew for the men and they started eating it, they yelled:

‘O man of God… There’s poison in this!’

And they weren’t willing to eat it.

⁴¹ However, EliSha told his servant:

‘Just take some flour and add it to the pot.’

Then he told GeHazi to pour some more for them to eat... Well, there wasn’t anything wrong with the food in the pot after that.

⁴² And later, a man from BethSariSha came to him carrying the first fruits of his harvest for the man of God… 20 barley loaves and [several] clusters of dried figs.

And he said:

‘Give this to these people and let them eat it.’

⁴³ But [EliSha] said to his servant:

‘Why should I feed those things to just 100 men?

‘Give it to the [rest] of the people [of the city] and let them eat it, for Yahweh told me:

‘They will eat it and then they’ll have leftovers!’

⁴⁴ And for a fact, after everyone ate it, there were leftovers – just as Yahweh had said.

2 Kings 5

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¹ There was a man named NaAman who was the commander-in-chief of the army of Syria. He was highly valued by his lord and everyone admired him. Yahweh had also used him to save Syria; for, he was a very strong and mighty man.

However, this man had contracted leprosy.

² Meanwhile, the Syrians had gone into IsraEl lightly armed, and they captured a young girl there, who was given to NaAman’s woman as a servant.

³ And it was she who suggested to her lady:

‘My master should go to see the prophet of God who is in Samaria, for he will cure him of his leprosy!’

⁴ As a result, [NaAman’s woman] went in to [her husband] while he was [with the king] and told him what she’d heard the girl from the land of IsraEl say.

⁵ And the king of Syria said to NaAman:

‘Then go there, and I’ll send along a letter for the king of IsraEl.’

So thereafter, NaAman went [to Samaria] carrying along 700 pounds (320kg) of silver, 6,000 gold coins, 10 suits of clothes, ⁶ and a letter to the king of IsraEl, which said:

‘Along with this letter, {Look!} I am sending my servant NaAman to you and I’m asking that you cure him of his leprosy.’

⁷ Well when the king of IsraEl read the letter, he ripped his clothes and said:

‘Am I God who can bring death to one and life to another that he would send me a man to be cured of his leprosy?

‘How do I know that this really isn’t just an excuse to attack me?’

⁸ However, when EliSha heard about the king of IsraEl ripping his clothes, he sent [a message] to the king which said:

‘Why did you tear your clothes?

‘Allow NaAman to come to me, so he will know that there’s a prophet in IsraEl!’

⁹ And thereafter, NaAman went to him riding his horse-drawn chariot, stopping in front of the door of EliSha’s house. ¹⁰ Then EliSha sent a messenger outside to him that told him:

‘You should go and bathe yourself in the JorDan River seven times, and your flesh will be cleansed.’

¹¹ Well, NaAman was outraged!

He said:

‘They told me that this man would come out and stand before me, then call on the Name of his God and put his hand on the leprosy and cure it!

¹² ‘Aren’t the Abana and Phaphar Rivers in Damascus superior to the JorDan and all the waters of IsraEl?

‘If I want to wash myself, I can go bathe in them!’

So he left in a huff!

¹³ But later, his servant spoke to him and gave him some great advice.

He said:

‘Shouldn’t you do what the prophet said?

‘All he told you to do was to bathe and be cleansed!’

¹⁴ So then NaAman went down to the JorDan and dipped himself in the water seven times, just as EliSha had said… And he was cleansed!

In fact, his skin became like that of a young boy!

¹⁵ So he returned to EliSha with his entire contingent of guards, then he stood before him and said:

‘{Look!} Now I know for sure that there’s no God in all the earth other than just in IsraEl!

‘Please accept these blessings from your servant!’

¹⁶ But EliSha said:

‘As [Yahweh, the God] that I stand before lives; how could I accept such things?’

Well, [NaAman] kept insisting, but EliSha kept resisting.

¹⁷ Then NaAman said:

‘At least, let your servant give you this team of mules, and you can give me some of your red earth in return… Then I’ll quit insisting.

‘For your servant promises that he won’t present whole burnt offerings or sacrifices to any gods other than to Yahweh alone, because of what this God has done!

¹⁸ ‘However, may Yahweh deal kindly with your servant when I have to enter the temple of RemMan with my master! Because, when he goes there, he has to hold onto my hand when he kneels before RemMan… So I must bend down also.

‘May Yahweh deal kindly with your servant in this matter.’

¹⁹ And EliSha told NaAman:

‘Yes, go in peace.’

So he left and headed towards the land of DebRatha.

²⁰ But after that, GeHazi (EliSha’s servant) said to himself:

‘{Look!} NaAman was saved, yet my master wouldn’t accept any of the things that he brought.

‘As Yahweh lives, I’m going to run after him and accept anything that he’s willing to give!’

²¹ So then, GeHazi ran after NaAman, and when NaAman saw him running behind, he stopped his chariot and waited for him.

And [after he caught up], GeHazi said:

‘Peace!

²² ‘My master has sent me and he told me to say:

‘{Look!} two young men just came to me from the sons of the prophets in the hills of Ephraim. So, please let me have 70 pounds (32kg) of silver and two suits of clothes to give to them.’

²³ And NaAman said:

‘Here, take 140 pounds (63.5kg) of silver!’

So GeHazi took the silver in two pouches, as well as two suits of clothes, and he handed them to his servants that carried the things on ahead of him... ²⁴ And when they got to a shady spot he sent them on, as he took it all for himself and carried it back home.

²⁵ Well later, when he went to see his master, EliSha asked him:

‘Where did you come from, GeHazi?’

And GeHazi replied:

‘Oh, your servant was just traveling here and there.’

²⁶ And EliSha said to him:

‘Wasn’t my heart traveling with you when the man stopped his chariot to wait for you?

‘So, now you’ve taken the silver and the clothing, and you’re planning to buy gardens, olive groves, vineyards, sheep, oxen, and male and female servants... However, the leprosy of NaAman will stick to you and to your offspring throughout the ages!’

Then, as he was leaving, his face became as white as snow with leprosy!

2 Kings 6

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¹ Later, the sons of the prophets went to EliSha and said:

‘Look, this place near you (where we’re living) is getting too small for us... ² So we’re going to the JorDan, and each man is going to carry along a timber that we can use to build a place for us there.’

And EliSha said:

‘Then go!’

³ But one of them said:

‘We want you to come with us.’

And he agreed to go.

⁴ So he traveled with them, and when they got to the JorDan, they started cutting trees. ⁵ Then {Look!} when one of them was setting a rafter in place, an iron tool fell into the river.

And he yelled:

‘O Lord!’

But it was gone.

⁶ Well, the man of God came to him and asked:

‘Where did it fall?’

And he showed him the place... Then EliSha picked up a piece of wood and threw it into the spot, and the iron tool floated to the surface.

⁷ And he said:

‘Now, pick it up yourself.’

So he reached out and grabbed the tool.

⁸ Well at the time, the king of Syria was at war with IsraEl.

So he consulted with his servants and selected a certain concealed place to set up his camp. ⁹ Then EliSha sent [a message] to the king of IsraEl, saying:

‘Be careful not to get to close to (such and such) a place, because the Syrians are hiding there.’

¹⁰ So the king of IsraEl went to the place that EliSha had warned him about, but he was spotted watching the place not once, but twice! ¹¹ And when word of this reached the king of Syria, he was very upset.

So he called his servants and said to them:

‘Is anyone going to tell me who it is that betrayed me to the king of IsraEl?’

¹² And his servants said:

‘No one, our lord, O king; for it’s EliSha the prophet of IsraEl who tells the king of IsraEl the things that you say in your closet and in your bedroom.’

¹³ Then the king said:

‘Go find him and bring him to me!’

Therefore, they went, and before long they reported back to the king, saying:

‘{Look!} He’s in [the area of] Dothan.’

¹⁴ As a result, the king sent horses and chariots there that night, along with many soldiers that surrounded the city... ¹⁵ And when the servant that had been assigned to EliSha got up early in the morning and went outside, {Look!} he saw the army surrounding the city with all their horses and chariots!

So he went back inside and said:

‘O master, what should we do?’

¹⁶ But EliSha told him:

‘Don’t be afraid, for there are many more with us than there are with them.’

¹⁷ Then EliSha prayed and said:

‘O Yahweh, open wide the eyes of this servant.’

So, Yahweh opened his eyes wide, and he saw {Look!} that the mountain was filled with horses and chariots of fire that were surrounding EliSha!

¹⁸ And when they came to get him, EliSha asked this of Yahweh:

‘Now, strike this nation so they can’t see!’

And suddenly they were all struck [mentally] blind, just as EliSha had asked!

¹⁹ So then, EliSha shouted at them:

‘This is the wrong city… You took the wrong road!

‘Follow me and I’ll lead you to the man you’re searching for.’

Well from there, he led them to Samaria, ²⁰ and when they got there, EliSha prayed:

‘O Yahweh, now open their eyes and let them see!’

So at that, Yahweh opened their eyes wide, and they realized that {Look!} they were right in the middle of Samaria!

²¹ And when the king of IsraEl saw them, he asked EliSha:

‘Shall I cut them down, O father?’

²² But he told him that he shouldn’t do that, for he said:

‘Unless you’ve captured and beaten them with your swords and bows, you shouldn’t cut them down. Rather, set some food and water before them so they can eat and drink, then let them return to their lord.’

²³ As a result, the king laid a great feast before them, which they ate and drank, and then he sent them back to their lord. However, the Syrians continued to send their armies into the land of IsraEl after that.

²⁴ Then one day, King BenHader of Syria gathered all of his troops and laid siege to Samaria, ²⁵ which brought a great famine to the city. {Look!} At the time, a burro’s head came to be worth 50 silver coins, and a pint of dove droppings was worth 5 silver coins!

²⁶ Well when the king of IsraEl was walking along the city wall one day, a woman yelled to him, saying:

‘Save us, O lord our king!’

²⁷ And he replied:

‘What can I save you from… The threshing floor or the wine vat?

‘Only Yahweh can save you!’

²⁸ Then the king asked her:

‘What’s wrong with you?’

And she replied:

‘A woman came and said to me:

‘Give me your son so we can both eat him today and tomorrow!’

²⁹ ‘So I gave her my son, and we boiled him and ate him. Then the next day, I told her to give me her son to eat, but she took him and hid him!’

³⁰ Well when the king of IsraEl heard what the woman said, he started ripping his clothes! Then he traveled around the wall and he noticed that his people were wearing sackcloth as their underwear.

³¹ And he prayed:

‘Curse me O God and add to it if I leave EliSha’s head on his [shoulders] today!’

³² At the time, EliSha was at his home and all the elders were sitting around him. So the king sent a man to get EliSha... But before the messenger got there, EliSha said this to the elders:

‘Did you know that the king has sent an executioner to cut off my head today? When he gets here, I want you to lock the door and not let him in; for the feet of his lord will be following close behind him.’

³³ And it was while he was still speaking to them {Look!} that the messenger arrived, who shouted at [EliSha]:

‘{Look!} Since all this evil has come from Yahweh, is there any reason for us to keep on waiting for Yahweh to do something?’

2 Kings 7

←6 | All books | All chapters | 8→

¹ And EliSha replied:

‘Listen to the word of Yahweh; for this is what He said:

‘At this same time tomorrow, a scoop of fine flour will sell for a copper coin, and two scoops of barley will sell for a copper coin inside the gates of Samaria.’

² But this envoy (the one who led the king by the hand and whom he leaned on) said to EliSha:

‘{Look!} Are you saying that Yahweh will make it all pour from the sky?

It’ll never happen!’

And EliSha said:

‘Look! You’ll see it with your own eyes… However, you won’t eat any of it.’

³ Well that evening, there were four lepers who were standing outside the city gate.

And one said to the other:

‘Why are we just waiting here to die?

⁴ ‘If we go into the city, there’s a famine and we’ll just starve to death there. However, if we go into the camp of the Syrians… Although they could kill us, they might also allow us to live.’

⁵ So they got up during the night and snuck into the camp of the Syrians... But when they reached the camp, {Look!} they found no one there. ⁶ For Yahweh had created the sounds of horses, chariots, and a huge army, and all the people in the camp thought the king of IsraEl had hired the kings of the Hittites and Egyptians to come and attack them.

⁷ So they all got up and just ran away in the darkness, abandoning their tents, their horses, and their burros, as they ran for their lives!

⁸ Well at that, the lepers went into the camp and entered one of the tents, and they ate and drank whatever they found there. They also took some silver, gold, and clothing.

Then they went into another tent and took all that was there, and they hid everything.

⁹ But then, one said to the other:

‘Let’s do the right thing today, because this is good news!

‘We could just say nothing and wait until morning as we take more of these things; but let’s go and announce what’s happened to the house of the king!’

¹⁰ So they went up to the city gate and yelled:

‘We entered the Syrian camp because {Look!} we couldn’t hear anything, and we found that no one is there!

‘All we can find is their horses and burros, which are still tied, and their tents. And everything has been left just as it was!’

¹¹ Well, the gatekeepers ran and announced this to the house of the king... ¹² Then the king got out of bed and said to his servants:

‘Let me tell you what the Syrians are doing; they know that we’re starving, so they’ve left their camp and they’re hiding in the fields!

‘They think that we’ll leave the city, then they can rush in and attack us… And after that, they can just walk into our city.’

¹³ But one of his servants said:

‘Well, let’s go and take five of the horses that they’ve left behind, and then let us send out some of the sick and dying… And we can watch to see what happens.’

¹⁴ So then the king of IsraEl sent out two of his men on horses to look for the king of Syria.

He said to them:

‘Go search for him!’

¹⁵ Well, they traveled as far as the [River] JorDan and {Look!} all they found was clothing and other things that the Syrians had dropped as they fled... And after the messengers returned and reported this to the king, ¹⁶ the people went out and tore the camp of Syria to shreds!

¹⁷ Then the king assigned his envoy (the one who took the king by the hand and whom he leaned upon) to be in charge of the [city] gate. Well, the [large crowd of] people crushed him underfoot at the gate and he died – just like the man of God said when this messenger came to see him.

¹⁸ So, just as EliSha had told the king at the same time on the previous day, two scoops of barley actually sold for a copper coin, and a scoop of fine flour sold for a copper coin inside the gates of Samaria!

¹⁹ And the envoy who had said to EliSha:

‘{Look!} Will Yahweh make it pour from the sky? It’ll never happen...’

...and to whom EliSha had said:

‘{Look!} You’ll see it with your eyes, but you won’t eat any of it...’

²⁰ Well, that’s what happened to him, for the king had put him in charge of opening the city gate, and the people trampled him to death as they rushed out.

2 Kings 8

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¹ Thereafter, EliSha went and spoke to the woman whose son he had brought back to life.

He said to her:

‘You should get up and take everyone in your house to wherever you wish to go, for Yahweh has called for a famine on the land that will last for 7 years.’

² As a result, the woman got up and did as EliSha told her. She took everyone in her home and went to live in the land of the Philistines for 7 years.

³ Then at the end of 7 years, the woman left the land of the Philistines and returned to her city. And when she got back, she went before the king to complain about the [loss] of her house and her fields.

⁴ Well when she arrived, the king happened to be speaking to GeHazi (the servant of EliSha, the man of God). And [the king] had just asked him to describe all the great things that EliSha had done.

⁵ So it was as he was describing how EliSha had brought the woman’s dead son back to life after he’d died that the woman arrived to complain to the king about the [loss] of her house and fields.

And GeHazi said:

‘O my lord the king; here’s the woman whose son EliSha brought back to life!’

⁶ So the king asked the woman, and she told him about all that had happened.

Then the king said to one of his eunuchs:

‘Return everything to her, including all the crops that have grown in her fields from the time she left the land until now.’

⁷ Then sometime later, EliSha went to see King BenHader of Syria in Damascus, who was very ill.

And when they announced to him:

‘The man of God is here!’

⁸ The king said to HazaEl:

‘Bring along a gift and go meet with the man of God... Tell him to go before Yahweh quickly and ask if I’ll survive this illness.’

⁹ So HazaEl went to meet with him, and he brought along many fine gifts from Damascus that were carried on 40 camels.

Then he went in and stood in the presence of EliSha, and said:

‘Your son, King BenHader of Syria, has sent me to you to ask:

‘Will I survive this illness?’

¹⁰ And EliSha said to him:

‘Go and tell him:

‘You will live your life!’

‘However, Yahweh has shown me that he will die.’

¹¹ Well thereafter, [HazaEl] brought the gifts in and set them before [EliSha] (but EliSha just let them sit there and rot, to shame him)... Then the man of God started crying.

¹² So HazaEl asked:

‘Why is my master crying?’

And [EliSha] replied:

‘Because, I can see all the many bad things that you’re going to do to the sons of IsraEl!

‘You’re going to burn their forts, kill their best men with broadswords, destroy their little children, and you’ll cut open their pregnant women!’

¹³ But HazaEl asked:

‘Do you think of your servant as a dead dog that I’d do such a thing?’

And EliSha said:

‘Yahweh has shown me that you’ll become the ruler over Syria.’

¹⁴ Well after [HazaEl] left EliSha and returned to his master, [King BenHader] asked him:

‘What did EliSha tell you?’

And he replied:

‘He told me that you’ll live.’

¹⁵ But the next day, [HazaEl] took a rag, dipped it in water, and wrapped it over [the king’s] face, and he [suffocated and] died... So, HazaEl started reigning in place of him.

¹⁶ It was in the 5th year of the reign of King JehoRam (son of Ahab) of IsraEl that King JehoRam (son of JehoShaphat) of Judah began to reign over Judah. ¹⁷ He was 32 years old when he became king, and he reigned from JeruSalem for 8 years.

¹⁸ However, he followed in the ways of the kings of IsraEl and the house of Ahab, because Ahab’s daughter was his woman. So he acted very wickedly before Yahweh.

¹⁹ However, Yahweh didn’t want [to harm] Judah because of His promise to His servant David that He would allow him and his descendants to be the lamplight throughout the rest of the days.

²⁰ Then the Edomites rebelled against Judah and set up their own king... ²¹ So, [King] JehoRam [of Judah] took his chariots and went to ZaIr to attack Edom.

But then the Edomites surrounded JehoRam and his generals, so JehoRam’s army all ran back to their tents! ²² And because of this, Edom hasn’t been ruled by Judah down to this day... And thereafter, [the city of] LibNah broke away from the rule [of Judah].

²³ The rest of the things that JehoRam [of Judah] said and did have been written about in the scrolls of The Days of the Kings of Judah.

²⁴ And when JehoRam [of Judah] went to sleep with his ancestors, they buried him in the tomb of his ancestors in the city of his ancestor David.

Then his son AhaziAh started ruling in place of him.

²⁵ It was in the 12th year of King JehoRam (son of Ahab) of IsraEl that King AhaziAh (son of JehoRam) [of Judah] started to rule. ²⁶ He was 22 years old when he started his reign in JeruSalem, which only lasted 1 year. His mother’s name was AthaliAh, and she was the daughter of OmRi, the king of IsraEl, who was related to the house of Ahab.

²⁷ So he also followed in the ways of the house of Ahab and he acted wickedly before Yahweh.

²⁸ But thereafter, [King] AhaziAh [of Judah] joined King JehoRam (son of Ahab) [of IsraEl] in a war against King HazaEl of Syria and against the Philistines at [the city of] Ramoth Gilead… And the Syrians wounded JehoRam there.

²⁹ So he went to [the fortress of] JezReEl to have the wounds that he’d received in his war with [King] HazaEl at RamOth treated medically, and King AhaziAh (son of JehoRam) of Judah went to see this son of Ahab in JezReEl, because he was very ill.

2 Kings 9

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¹ Well at that, the Prophet EliSha called one of the sons of the prophets in and said to him:

‘Wrap your loins and take this flask of oil to RamOth GileAd... ² Go to see [General] Jehu son of JehoShaphat and grandson of NaMesSi, and you must elevate him over his brothers!

³ ‘Take him into the bin of a storage shed then pour this flask of oil over his head, and tell him that Yahweh said this:

‘I have anointed you to be the king over IsraEl.’

‘Thereafter, open the door and run… Don’t wait around!’

⁴ So the young prophet went to RamOth GileAd, ⁵ and as he entered the place, he found that {Look!} all the army generals had assembled there!

Then he said to [General] Jehu:

‘May I have a word with you, commander?’

And Jehu asked:

‘To which of us do you wish to speak?’

And he replied:

‘To you, general.’

⁶ So [Jehu] got up and they both went outside... Then [the prophet] poured the oil over his head and said:

‘This is what Yahweh the God of IsraEl has said:

‘I have anointed you to be the king over the people of Yahweh… Those in IsraEl.

⁷ ‘Now, you must wipe the house of your lord Ahab away from before My face and avenge the blood of My servants the prophets as well as the blood of all the servants of [Yahweh who were killed] by JezeBel!

⁸ ‘Kill all of them in IsraEl who can urinate against a wall, including their slaves and freemen... ⁹ Then I’ll make the house of Ahab like the house of JeroBoam son of NaBat, the same as I gave [the kingship] to the house of BaAsha son of AhiJah.

¹⁰ ‘And thereafter, JezeBel will be eaten by dogs in JezReEl, because no one will bury her.’

Then, he opened the door and ran away!

¹¹ So Jehu went to speak to the servants of his lord, and they said to him:

‘Peace!

‘Why have you come to us in such a rage?’

And he said to them:

‘You know who that man was and the kind of things that he says!’

¹² And they said:

‘Well, it would be wrong if you don’t tell us what’s happened!’

And Jehu said to them:

‘So-and-so spoke to me and told me that Yahweh said, ‘I have anointed you to be the king over IsraEl!’

¹³ Well when they heard that, they each took off their [official] robes and laid them on the steps beneath Jehu! Then they got the trumpeters and had them blow the horns and proclaim:

‘Jehu now reigns!’

¹⁴ And after that, Jehu (son of JehoShaphat and grandson of NaMesSi) gathered his forces to attack [the former] king [of Israel] JehoRam... Until that time, the army of IsraEl had been protecting JehoRam from King HazaEl of Syria.

¹⁵ But when [the now former] King JehoRam went to [the city of] JezReEl for treatment of the wounds that he’d received during his war with the Syrians, Jehu said [to his men]:

‘If you’re with me, don’t let anyone leave this city to carry a report to JezReEl.’

¹⁶ And at that, Jehu got up and rode on to JezReEl.

Meanwhile, [former] King JehoRam of IsraEl was being attended to in JezReEl, because he’d been shot by bowmen at RamAmin (in the land of RamOth) during his campaign against King HazaEl of Syria… For he was a very powerful, mighty man.

And at the time, AhaziAh (the king of Judah) had gone there to visit JehoRam.

¹⁷ Well when the watchman climbed to the top of the lookout tower in JezReEl, he saw the cloud of dust that was raised by Jehu’s chariot, and he shouted:

‘I see a cloud of dust!’

And JehoRam said:

‘Send out a horseman to see if he’s coming in peace!’

¹⁸ So they sent out a horseman to meet Jehu, who said:

‘The king wants to know if you’re coming in peace.’

And Jehu replied:

‘What does he know about peace?

‘Now, follow behind me!’

Well when the watchman reported that the messenger wasn’t coming back, ¹⁹ he sent out a second horseman that rode up to Jehu and said:

‘The king wants to know if you’re coming in peace!’

And Jehu again said:

‘What does he know about peace?

‘Get behind and follow me!’

²⁰ Well when the watchman reported that this messenger wasn’t returning either, he sent out a third horseman to ask if he was coming in peace.

And Jehu said to him:

‘What does he know about peace?

‘Get behind me and follow along!’

So the watchman reported back:

‘This messenger isn’t returning either, and I can tell by the frenzied way he’s riding that the [man who is coming] is General Jehu, son of NaMesSi.’

²¹ Then JehoRam said:

‘Team up my chariots!’

So they teamed up the chariots and they (King JehoRam of IsraEl and King AhaziAh of Judah) rode out to meet him in their chariots... And when they got to Jehu, he happened to be in the same field [that used to belong to] NabOth the JezReElite.

²² Then the king shouted:

‘Have you come in peace, Jehu?’

And Jehu replied:

‘What do you know of peace?

‘Isn’t [our land] still under the spell of your mother JezeBel?’

²³ Well when he said that, JehoRam wheeled his chariot to flee, and he shouted to [King] AhaziAh [of Judah]:

‘There’s treachery here, AhaziAh!’

²⁴ But then Jehu took his bow and shot JehoRam in the middle of his chest, hitting him in the heart, and he fell to his knees!

²⁵ And Jehu turned to his aid BadEkar and said:

‘Now, take his body and throw it into the field of NabOth the JezReElite... For we both remember, back when we rode for his father Ahab, how Yahweh had said to him:

‘Look! Wasn’t it just yesterday that I saw the blood of NabOth and his sons?’

²⁶ ‘And then Yahweh said:

‘I will pay him back [for his sins] in this very field.’

‘So now, throw his body into that field, just as Yahweh foretold!’

²⁷ Well when King AhaziAh of Judah saw what was happening, he took off along the road to BethHagan!

But Jehu chased after him shouting:

‘Him too!’

And then he shot him as his chariot was headed up to Mount Gai (at JeblaAm). However, AhaziAh kept riding on to MegidDo, where he finally died. ²⁸ Then his servants put his body in the chariot and carried it back to JeruSalem, where he was buried in his tomb in the city of David.

²⁹ AhaziAh had started his reign over Judah during the 11th year of the reign of JehoRam the king of IsraEl.

³⁰ Thereafter, Jehu rode back to JezReEl.

And when JezeBel heard [that he was coming], she made up her face and decorated her head, and she sat down to watch what would happen from her window.

³¹ Then when Jehu entered the city, she said:

‘Have you, like OmRi who also murdered his lord, come in peace?’

³² And when he looked up and saw her at her window, he asked:

‘Who’s that?

‘Come down here to me!’

Then, when two of her eunuchs bent over to look out the window, ³³ Jehu shouted to them:

‘Throw her down!’

So they threw her out [of the window], and her blood splattered all over the wall and the horses! And thereafter, the horses trampled her body.

³⁴ Well after that, Jehu entered [her palace], where he ate and drank.

And he said:

‘Now, go find the body of that cursed woman and bury it, because she’s the daughter of a king.’

³⁵ However when they went to bury her, all they could find was her skull, the soles of her feet, and the palms of her hands... ³⁶ And when they returned to tell Jehu what they’d found, he said:

‘This is what Yahweh foretold would happen through EliJah the Tishbite.

‘For He said:

‘Dogs will eat the flesh of JezeBel in JezReEl, ³⁷ and her rotting flesh will become manure on the ground in JezReEl, so that no one can ever say that JezeBel lies here.’

2 Kings 10

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¹ Ahab also had 70 sons who lived in Samaria... So Jehu thereafter wrote a letter and sent it to the governors and elders, and to the women who had raised Ahab’s sons in Samaria.

The letter said:

² ‘I know that the sons of your lord are living among you with their chariots, horses, weapons, and fortified cities.

‘So when you receive this letter, ³ I want you to do a search among the sons of your lord to find a good upright man and then put him on the throne of his father.

‘After that, I’ll go to war against all of his sons.’

⁴ Well, this frightened them, for they said:

‘{Look!} The two kings weren’t able to stand against him, so how can we oppose him?’

⁵ As a result, they sent a reply to Jehu from the family heads, the city leaders, its elders, and those who’d raised Ahab’s sons, which said:

‘We’re your servants now and we’ll do whatever you say, but we we won’t choose a man to rule over us. Just do whatever you find to be good in your eyes.’

⁶ So thereafter, he sent them a second letter that said:

‘If you’re with me and you wish to do whatever I say, you must bring the heads of the sons of your lord to me here in JezReEl at this same time tomorrow…

‘All 70 of them!’

Well, [Ahab’s sons] were all big men, because the people of the cities used to provide a lot of food for them. ⁷ But when the people received this letter, they killed all 70 of them, put their heads in baskets, and sent them to Jehu in JezReEl.

⁸ Then when the messenger arrived saying:

‘I’ve brought the heads of the sons of the king...’

Jehu told him to place the heads in two piles by the city gate [of JezReEl] and leave them there until the next morning.

⁹ Then the next morning, Jehu went out and stood at the city gatehouse and said to the people:

‘{Look!} You’ve proven yourselves righteous; for although I plotted against my lord and killed him… Who is it that killed all of them?

¹⁰ ‘{Look!} Now, everything that Yahweh said through EliJah concerning what would happen to the house of Ahab has come true... For it was Yahweh who did everything that He said He would do through His servant EliJah.’

¹¹ And thereafter, Jehu struck down everyone who was left of the house of Ahab in JezReEl, as well as all his mighty men, advisors, and priests… He wiped out every trace of him.

¹² From there, he went to Samaria.

And as he was traveling along the road near BethAkad-of-the-Shepherds, ¹³ Jehu met up with the brothers of King AhaziAh of Judah.

And when he asked:

‘Who are you?’

They replied:

‘We’re the brothers of AhaziAh, and we’ve come in peace to visit the sons of the king, as well as the sons of the woman who’s in charge.’

¹⁴ So he shouted:

‘Seize them!’

And he had all 42 of them executed at BethAkad… He left none of them alive.

¹⁵ And from there, he went and found JoNadab (son of ReChab), who was on his way to meet him.

Then Jehu blest him and asked:

‘Is your heart with my heart as my heart is with yours?’

And JoNadab replied:

‘It is.’

And Jehu said:

‘Well if it is, then give me your hand!’

So Jehu stuck out his hand and lifted JoNadab onto his chariot, ¹⁶ and he said:

‘Come with me and see my zeal for Yahweh of Armies!’

Then from there, they rode in the chariot ¹⁷ to Samaria, where they killed all that were left of the house of Ahab… He wiped them all out, just as Yahweh had prophesied through EliJah.

¹⁸ Then Jehu gathered all the people and said to them [deceptively]:

‘Although Ahab served the BaAl a little, Jehu will serve him in a great way!

¹⁹ ‘So, find all the prophets of the BaAl and all his servants and priests, and send them to me! Don’t overlook a single man, because we’re going to offer a great ‘sacrifice’ to BaAl… Anyone who doesn’t show up will be killed!’

(This was just a trick on Jehu’s part, so that he could destroy all the servants of BaAl.)

²⁰ Then Jehu sent messengers out to tell them all to prepare the sacrifices for BaAl... ²¹ For Jehu sent a proclamation throughout IsraEl that said:

‘All the servants, priests, and prophets of BaAl must attend this.

‘No one may be left behind, for we’re going to offer a great sacrifice to BaAl… And anyone who misses it won’t be allowed to live!’

So all the servants of BaAl (all his priests and prophets) came, and everyone was there in the temple of BaAl… It was filled to capacity and people were jammed together head-to-head!

²² Then Jehu told the person who was in charge of the temple wardrobe to bring out the official robes for all the servants of BaAl to wear, and he brought them out.

²³ Then Jehu and JoNadab (son of ReChab) said to the servants of BaAl that had assembled:

‘Now, look around and make sure that there are no servants of Yahweh here… We only want the servants of BaAl!’

²⁴ And thereafter, the people all went inside to offer the sacrifices and the whole burnt offerings.

Meanwhile, Jehu had ordered 80 men to stand outside, and he told them:

‘Don’t leave anyone alive here; for if you do, I’ll demand your lives for theirs.’

²⁵ And as the [BaAl worshipers] were presenting the offerings, Jehu told the guards and soldiers:

‘Now, kill them all… Don’t let a man get away!’

So they killed them all with swords and threw their bodies outside.
Then the soldiers and guards traveled throughout this city of the temple of BaAl, ²⁶ and they dragged out all the images of BaAl and burned them... ²⁷ Then they tore down the temple of BaAl and turned it into a public latrine, which is what it’s still used for today.

²⁸ So Jehu removed BaAl from IsraEl.

²⁹ However, he still followed in the sins of JeroBoam (son of NaBat) who led IsraEl into sin. For he bowed before the golden heifers in BethEl and in Dan.

³⁰ Nevertheless, Yahweh said this to Jehu:

‘Because of the many good and righteous things that you did before My eyes, and because of the things that you did to the house of Ahab (which was what My heart desired), your sons will sit on the throne of IsraEl through the fourth generation.’

³¹ Unfortunately, however, Jehu didn’t follow the Laws of Yahweh (the God of IsraEl) with his whole heart. And because he didn’t remove the sins of JeroBoam (son of NaBat), ³² Jehovah once again started cutting IsraEl down... For King HazaEl [of Syria] attacked all the borders of IsraEl ³³ from the JorDan to the sunrise (all the land of GileAd of the sons of Gad, ReuBen, and of ManasSeh) from AroEr to the Arnon Wadi, and from GileAd to BaShan.

³⁴ All the rest of the things that Jehu said and did, and the area of his rulership and alliances, {Look!} have been written about in the scrolls that tell of the days of the kings of IsraEl.

³⁵ Then Jehu went to sleep with his ancestors and they buried him in a tomb in Samaria. Thereafter, his son JehoAhaz became king in his place.

³⁶ But Jehu had reigned over IsraEl from Samaria for 28 years.

2 Kings 11

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¹ Well when AhaziAh’s mother AthaliAh heard that her son was dead, she had all the [heirs to the throne] killed.

² However, JehoSheba (the daughter of King JehoRam and the sister of AhaziAh) took her nephew JehoAsh and hid him away, as the other sons of the king were being slaughtered... She hid him and his nurse in a storage closet for beds, so that AthaliAh couldn’t find him and kill him.

³ Then she kept him hidden in the Temple of Yahweh for 6 years.

So thereafter, AthaliAh ruled the land.

⁴ But after 7 years, JehoiAda (the Priest) took the commanders who were in charge of patrolmen and couriers, and brought them into the Temple of Yahweh.

Then he had them make an agreement with Yahweh and bound them with an oath in His presence… And that’s when JehoiAda showed the [dead] king’s son to them.

⁵ He told them:

‘This is what you must do:

⁶ ‘On the Sabbath, 1/3 of you must take control of the city gates, 1/3 must take control of the gate that leads to the road, and 1/3 must take control of the gate to the king’s guardhouse...

‘Then everyone must [protect our king]!

⁷ ‘Two of you must go to the Temple of Yahweh on the Sabbath to guard the king, ⁸ and the rest must gather there and kill anyone who comes [to attack] him… He must be protected wherever he goes!’

⁹ Well, the commanders did just as JehoiAda had instructed them... For on the next Sabbath, each one gathered his men. And as the people were coming and going, they all went inside to JehoiAda the Priest.

¹⁰ Then the Priest gave the commanders the spears and shields of King David that were kept in the Temple of Yahweh, ¹¹ and they formed a contingent of armed bodyguards that stayed at the Temple extension to the right of the Altar, so as to form a protective circle around the [young prince].

¹² Then they took the king’s son out and placed the royal turban on him, gave him [the royal scepter], poured the anointing oil [over his head], and made him the king, as everyone clapped their hands and shouted:

‘Long live the king!’

¹³ However, when AthaliAh heard the sound of people running, she too went to the Temple of Yahweh, and that’s when she saw him standing at the columns acting as king!

All the singers and trumpeters were there, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing their trumpets!

¹⁴ So AthaliAh started ripping her clothes and she shouted:

‘Conspiracy! Conspiracy!’

¹⁵ But JehoiAda (the Priest) told the commanders and their lieutenants to take her outside and then kill her with their swords (because he didn’t want her to die there inside the Temple of Yahweh)... ¹⁶ So they grabbed her and dragged her along the road that leads to the stables next to the king’s palace and killed her there.

¹⁷ Thereafter, JehoiAda proclaimed an agreement between Yahweh, the king, and his people, that they would be the people of Yahweh from then on.

¹⁸ Then all the people of the land went to the temple of BaAl and tore it down! They smashed its images and altars into fine pieces, and they killed Mathan (the priest of BaAl) right in front of his altar.

And after that, the Priest appointed men to serve as overseers within the Temple of Yahweh.

¹⁹ Then he took the military commanders and their troops of patrolmen and couriers, along with all the people in the land, and they led the king from the Temple of Yahweh, through the gate of the royal bodyguards, and into the palace of the kings... There they seated him on the throne, ²⁰ as all the people of the land started rejoicing.

And from then on, the city was once again at peace.

2 Kings 12

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¹ Well, JehoAsh was just a 7-year-old boy when he started his reign (which was during the 7th year of the reign of Jehu), and he ruled in JeruSalem for 40 years. His mother’s name was SabiJah and she was from BeerSheba.

² JehoAsh did what was upright before Yahweh throughout his entire life, for he had been well trained by the Priest JehoiAda. ³ However, he still allowed the people to offer sacrifices and burn incense in the high places.

⁴ And JehoAsh told the Priests:

‘[Regarding] the money for the holy things that comes in to the Temple of Yahweh, the valuation money for persons and lives, and freely donated money, ⁵ the Priests themselves may take it, each man in his rank. But they must repair the damage to the Temple [of Yahweh] wherever a repair is needed.’

⁶ But by the 23rd year to JehoAsh’s rule, the Priests hadn’t repaired the damage to the Temple [of Yahweh] at all!

⁷ So he called JehoiAda and all the other Priests and asked them why they hadn’t repaired the damage to the Temple.

Then he said them:

‘From now on, you may not keep any of the money or anything that you collect from your rank! Rather, you must use it all to repair the Temple.’

⁸ And the Priests agreed that they would no longer accept money from the people, and that they’d no longer be in charge of the repairs to the damage of the Temple.

⁹ So JehoiAda the Priest thereafter built a chest, bored a hole in its top, and he placed it by the Altar of the Temple of Yahweh... Then Priests were assigned to stand next to the doorway, so as to guard all the money that was brought to Yahweh’s Temple.

¹⁰ And after a while, quite a bit of money had accumulated in the chest at the Temple of Yahweh.; so the Scribe and the High Priest carried it to the king, and after they closed the doors, they counted the money.

¹¹ Then they put most of the money for the repairs into the hands of those who were in charge of the workers at the Temple of Yahweh ¹² (the woodcutters, carpenters, construction workers, fabricators, quarry workers, and stonemasons), so they could do the needed work…

They told them to spend whatever was needed to complete the project.

¹³ However, they weren’t authorized to spend it for doors, or for items of silver, gold, nails, bowls, or trumpets, ¹⁴ because those who were doing the work were expected to contribute such things themselves.

¹⁵ Well, all the repairs were finally made to the Temple of Yahweh, and no one was asked to account for it. They just paid out whatever was required, and those who were doing the work were trusted [to do the right thing].

¹⁶ And thereafter, any money that was brought to the Temple as a sin offering or a trespass offering once again became the property of the Priests.

¹⁷ Meanwhile, King HazaEl of Syria had attacked the city of Gath and was the first one to capture it… And after that, he turned his attention towards JeruSalem.

¹⁸ So, King JehoAsh of Judah gathered all the holy things of his ancestors (those of JehoShaphat, JehoRam, and AhaziAh) as well as his own holy things and all the gold that was in the treasury of the Temple of Yahweh and in the king’s palace, and he then sent it to HazaEl, the king of Syria, so he would leave JeruSalem alone.

¹⁹ Well, all the rest of the things that JehoAsh said and did {Look!} have been written about in the scrolls of The Days of the Kings of Judah.

²⁰ Then, two of JehoAsh’s servants rebelled against him and attacked him at the house of MalLo in GaAla. ²¹ JeziChar (son of JemuAth) and JezebUth (son of Somer) were the ones who cut him down and killed him... So he was buried with his ancestors in the city of David, and his son AmaziAh started ruling after him.

2 Kings 13

←12 | All books | All chapters | 14→

¹ Meanwhile, it was in the 23rd year of King JehoAsh (son of AhaziAh) of Judah that JehoAhaz (Jehu’s son) started reigning in Samaria [over the 10-tribes of IsraEl], and he ruled there for 17 years.

² However, he acted wickedly in the eyes of Yahweh, because he continued in the sins of JeroBoam (son of NaBat) who first led IsraEl into sin... ³ So this provoked Yahweh’s rage against IsraEl, and he put them into the hands of King HazaEl of Syria and his son BenHader during that portion of the reign of JehoAhaz.

⁴ However, JehoAhaz then went before the face of [Yahweh to beg for help], and Yahweh listened to him, because He’d seen how badly the king of Syria was oppressing the people of IsraEl... ⁵ So thereafter, Yahweh freed IsraEl from bondage to Syria, and the sons of IsraEl could [once again] sit in their tents in peace as they had in the past.

⁶ However, they continued in the sins of the house of JeroBoam, and they once again set up sacred poles in Samaria.

⁷ Meanwhile, JehoAhaz wasn’t left with much of an army.

All he had was:

• 50 cavalrymen,

• 10 chariots, and

• 10,000 infantry...

...because the king of Syria had considered them as dirt to be trampled on.

⁸ All the rest of the things that JehoAhaz said and did, and the area of his rulership, are written about in the scrolls of The Days of the Kings of IsraEl.

⁹ Then [King] JehoAhaz [of IsraEl] went to sleep with his ancestors and they buried him in a tomb in Samaria, and his son JehoAsh started ruling in place of him ¹⁰ (this happened in the 37th year of the reign of King JehoAsh of Judah).

And thereafter, JehoAsh (son of JehoAhaz) ruled IsraEl from Samaria for the next 16 years. ¹¹ However, he also acted wickedly in the eyes of Yahweh, because he didn’t remove the sins of JeroBoam (son of NaBat), who had first led IsraEl into sin.

¹² All the rest of the things that JehoAsh said and did, and the stories of his conquests with King AmaziAh of Judah have been written about in the scrolls of The Days of the Kings of IsraEl. ¹³ Then JehoAsh went to sleep with his ancestors, and JeroBoam succeeded him on the throne. So they buried him in a tomb in Samaria with the sons of IsraEl.

¹⁴ [However, before that, the Prophet] EliSha got very sick and was about to die, so King JehoAsh of IsraEl went to see him and cried in his face, saying:

‘O father, O father… The chariot of IsraEl and his horseman!’

¹⁵ Then EliSha said to him:

‘Go get your bow and some arrows.’

So he got his bow and some arrows, ¹⁶ and EliSha told him:

‘Now, lift the bow!’

And [King] JehoAsh raised his bow.

Then EliSha placed his hands on the hands of the king and said:

¹⁷ ‘Now, open the window that faces east!’

And he opened it.

Then EliSha said:

‘Now shoot!’

And he shot. Then EliSha said:

‘This is the arrow of the salvation of Yahweh and the arrow of deliverance from Syria!

‘For you’ll keep attacking Syria at Aphek until you’ve won!’

¹⁸ And then EliSha told him:

‘Now, pick up the bow again!’

So he picked it up.

Then he said to King [JehoAsh] of IsraEl:

‘Shoot into the ground!’

So the king shot three arrows into the ground… And then he stopped, ¹⁹ which upset the man of God and made him angry, for he said:

‘If you would have struck the ground five or six times, you would have attacked Syria and finished them off!

‘But now you’ll have to fight and conquer them three times!’

²⁰ Well shortly thereafter, [the Prophet] EliSha died, and they buried him in a tomb.

Then the next year, the land was invaded by armed bands of MoAbites... ²¹ And it was during a funeral procession that {Look!} the people saw one of these armed bands of MoAbites coming! So they simply threw the body of the dead man into the tomb of EliSha, and when it touched EliSha’s bones, the man came back to life and stood up on his feet!

²² Meanwhile, throughout the reign of [King] JehoAhaz [of Israel], [King] HazaEl [of Syria] kept on squeezing IsraEl. ²³ However, Yahweh showed mercy on IsraEl…

He pitied them and watched over them because of the promises that He’d made to AbraHam, IsaAc, and Jacob, and He didn’t allow them to be destroyed or to be torn from before His face.

²⁴ Then King HazaEl of Syria died, and his son BenHader started reigning in his place... ²⁵ And that’s when [King] JehoAsh (son of JehoAhaz) [of IsraEl] recovered his cities from the hands of BenHader (son of HazaEl), who had taken them from the hands of his father JehoAhaz in the war.

However, JehoAsh had to attack him three times before he finally returned the cities to IsraEl.

2 Kings 14

←13 | All books | All chapters | 15→

¹ It was in the 2nd year of King JehoAsh (son of JehoAhaz) of IsraEl that AmaziAh (son of JehoAsh), the king of Judah, started his reign. ² At the time, he was 25 years old, and he reigned in JeruSalem for 29 years. His mother’s name was JoAdeEn, and she was from JeruSalem.

³ And although AmaziAh proved to be an upright man in the eyes of Yahweh, he wasn’t as righteous as his ancestor David... ⁴ He did all the [good] things that his father JehoAsh had done, but he never removed the high places where the people offered sacrifices and burned incense.

⁵ And after he’d become strong in his kingdom, he had all those servants that had murdered his father executed… ⁶ But he didn’t have their sons killed, because of the Law that Yahweh gave to Moses that said:

‘Fathers shouldn’t be put to death [for the sins] of their sons, and the sons shouldn’t be put to death [for the sins] of their fathers.

‘Rather, each one should die for his own sins.’

⁷ Thereafter, AmaziAh attacked the Edomites at GeMela, killing 10,000 of them, and he captured The Rock in the war, renaming it JokTheEl [meaning, Conquered by God], which is what it’s still called today.

⁸ Then he sent messengers to King JehoAsh (son of JehoAhaz and grandson of Jehu), the king of IsraEl, saying:

‘I want you to come here and meet me face-to-face!’

⁹ So King JehoAsh of IsraEl replied to King AmaziAh of Judah:

‘A thorn bush in Lebanon once sent a message to one of the cedars of Lebanon saying:

‘Give your daughter to my son to be his woman!’

‘But then the wild animals in the fields of Lebanon went and trampled the thorn bush!

¹⁰ ‘So, now that you’ve beaten the Edomites (which has encouraged your heart), it would be best for you to just sit back in your palace and revel in your glory!

‘For if you’re planning to do evil things, you’ll fall… And Judah will fall with you!’

¹¹ Well, [King] AmaziAh refused to listen, so King JehoAsh of IsraEl went and faced the king of Judah [in battle] at BethSamus, ¹² and Judah then lost this battle to IsraEl… So all their soldiers ran back to their tents.

¹³ King JehoAsh of IsraEl also captured King AmaziAh (son of JehoAsh and grandson of AhaziAh) of Judah, and then he marched into JeruSalem and tore down almost 700 feet (213m) of its wall from the gate of Ephraim all the way to the corner!

¹⁴ He also carried off all the gold and silver utensils that he found in the Temple of Yahweh, everything in the kings’ treasury and palace, and all the sons of [AmaziAh’s] allies, bringing them all back to Samaria!

¹⁵ The rest of the things that JehoAsh said and did, as well as his area of rulership and the wars that he fought with King AmaziAh of Judah have been written about in the scrolls of The Days of the Kings of IsraEl. ¹⁶ Then JehoAsh went to sleep with his ancestors and they buried him in a tomb in Samaria with the kings of IsraEl.

So his son JeroBoam started reigning after him.

¹⁷ King AmaziAh of Judah lived 15 years after the death of King JehoAsh (son of JehoAhaz) of IsraEl. ¹⁸ And all the rest of the things that AmaziAh said and did have been written about in the scrolls of The Days of the Kings of Judah.

¹⁹ For, conspirators had plotted a rebellion against AmaziAh in JeruSalem, so he fled to LachIsh... But they chased him down and killed him there in LachIsh.

²⁰ Then they put his body on a horse and buried him in a tomb with his ancestors in JeruSalem, the city of David.

²¹ Well, after AmaziAh died, all the people of Judah chose his son AzariAh [also known as Uzziah] to be their king, who was only 16-years-old at the time.

²² He was the one who built ElAth after [AmaziAh] had gone to sleep with his ancestors.

²³ Meanwhile, King JeroBoam [II] (son of JehoAsh) was reigning in IsraEl. His reign from Samaria lasted 41 years, starting from the 15th year of AmaziAh (son of JehoAsh) the king of Judah.

²⁴ He too acted wickedly before Yahweh, because he didn’t remove the sins of JeroBoam [I] (son of NaBat) who led IsraEl into sin. ²⁵ However, he moved the boundary of IsraEl from the entrance of HaMath to the Sea, just as Yahweh the God of IsraEl said would happen through His servant the Prophet Jonah (son of AmaThi).

²⁶ But Yahweh noticed the bitter humiliation of IsraEl; for, because no one would help them, they were becoming disorganized and abandoned, so they were becoming fewer.

²⁸ Well, the rest of the things that JeroBoam [II] said and did (including his conquests and wars) and the story of how he returned Damascus and HaMath [from] Judah [to] IsraEl, have been written about in the scrolls of The Days of the Kings of IsraEl.

²⁹ Then JeroBoam [II] went to sleep with his ancestors the kings of IsraEl, and his son ZechariAh started ruling in his place.

2 Kings 15

←14 | All books | All chapters | 16→

¹ It was in the 27th year of the reign of JeroBoam (the king of IsraEl) that AzariAh (son of AmaziAh) the king of Judah started his reign. ² He was 16 years old at the time, and he reigned in JeruSalem for 52 years. His mother’s name was JeCheliJah, and she was from JeruSalem.

³ And like his father AmaziAh, AzariAh did what was right in the eyes of Yahweh. ⁴ However, he too failed to remove the high places where the people sacrificed and burned incense.

⁵ So Yahweh touched the king and gave him leprosy until the day he died, and he had to stay inside his own house! As a result, JoTham (the king’s son) was put in charge of the palace family and staff, and he served as judge for the people of the land.

⁶ All the rest of the things that AzariAh said and did have been written about in the scrolls of The Days of the Kings of Judah.

⁷ Then AzariAh went to sleep with his ancestors, and they buried him in the tomb with his ancestors in the city of David. So his son JoTham started ruling in his place.

⁸ It was in the 38th year of the reign of AzariAh (the king of Judah) that ZechariAh (son of JeroBoam) the king of IsraEl started his reign in Samaria, which only lasted 6 months!

⁹ He was very wicked in the eyes of Yahweh, for he did all the things that his ancestors had done… In addition to the sins of JeroBoam [I] (son of NaBat) who led IsraEl into sin. ¹⁰ Then ShalLum (son of JaBish through KeblaAm) had him murdered, and he became the new king!

¹¹ All the rest of the things that ZechariAh said and did have been written about in the scrolls of The Days of the Kings of Judah.

¹² And as Yahweh had told Jehu, when He said that his sons would sit on the throne of IsraEl to the fourth generation, it came to be so!

¹³ Then ShalLum (son of JaBish) started his reign in the 39th year of the reign of King AzariAh of Judah, but he only ruled in Samaria for 1 month, ¹⁴ because that’s when MenaHem (son of GadDi, from TharSila) marched on Samaria and killed him!

¹⁵ All the rest of the words of ShalLum and the stories of his plots {Look!} have been written about in the scrolls of The Days of the Kings of IsraEl.

¹⁶ Then MenaHem attacked TiphSah and its surrounding cities and killed everyone there, because they wouldn’t open their gates to him… He killed them all and ripped open all the pregnant women!

¹⁷ So in the 39th year of the reign of King AzariAh of Judah, MenaHem (son of GadDi) became the king of IsraEl in Samaria, where he ruled for 10 years.

¹⁸ He too acted wickedly in the eyes of Yahweh, because he didn’t remove the sins of JeroBoam [I] (son of NaBat) who led IsraEl into sin.

¹⁹ It was during his reign that King Pul of Assyria [probably the first name of Tiglath-Pileser III], came against the land. Then MenaHem gave him 3-1/2 tons (3,200kg) of silver to satisfy him.

²⁰ MenaHem sent the silver from IsraEl, and he had it delivered by mighty men who each carried 50 large silver coins to Assyria... And as a result, the king of Assyria didn’t post any garrisons in his land.

²¹ Well, the rest of the things that MenaHem said and did {Look!} have been written in the scrolls of The Days of the Kings of IsraEl.

²² Then MenaHem went to sleep with his ancestors, and his son PekahJah started ruling in place of him.

²³ So it was in the 15th year of King AzariAh of Judah that PekahJah (son of MenaHem) started his reign over IsraEl from Samaria. However, he only reigned for 2 years, ²⁴ because he also acted wickedly in the eyes of Yahweh by not removing the sins of JeroBoam [I] (son of NaBat) who first led IsraEl into sin.

²⁵ So his royal proclaimer PekAh (son of RomeliAh) attacked PekahJah right in front of the royal palace with the help of ArGob, AriJa, and 50 GileAdites! And after they killed him, PekAh became the king.

²⁶ Well, the rest of the things that PekahJah said and did {Look!} have been written about in the scrolls of The Days of the Kings of IsraEl.

²⁷ So, it was in the 52nd year of the reign of King AzariAh of Judah that PekAh (son of RomeliAh) started his reign over IsraEl from Samaria, which lasted 20 years.

²⁸ But he also acted wickedly in the eyes of Yahweh by not removing the sins of JeroBoam [I] (son of NaBat) who first led IsraEl into sin.

²⁹ It was during the reign of King PekAh of IsraEl that Assyrian King Tiglath Pileser [III] captured:

• Ain,

• Abel-BethMaAcha,

• AniOch,

• Kenez,

• Hazor,

• GileAd,

• Galilee,

• the whole land of NaphTali...

...relocating all the people to Assyria.

³⁰ Then HosheA (son of ElAh) rebelled against [King] PekAh (son of RomeliAh), and he attacked him and killed him. So in the 20th year of the reign of [King] JoTham (son of AzariAh) [of Judea], HosheA began his rule [in IsraEl].

³¹ All the rest of the things that PekAh said and did {Look!} have been written about in the scrolls of The Days of the Kings of IsraEl.

³² It was in the 2nd year of the reign of King PekAh (son of RomeliAh) of IsraEl that JoTham (son of AzariAh) became the king of Judah. ³³ He was 25 years old at the time, and he reigned in JeruSalem for 16 years. The name of his mother was JeroUsa, and she was the daughter of ZaDok.

³⁴ He did what was upright in the eyes of Yahweh, as did his father AzariAh. ³⁵ However, he didn’t remove the high places where the people offered sacrifices and burned incense.

But he was the one who rebuilt the upper gate to the Temple of Yahweh.

³⁶ All the rest of the things that JoTham said and did have been written about in the scrolls of The Days of the Kings of Judah.

³⁷ However, back in those days, Yahweh started sending King RasSon of Syria and [King] PekAh (son of RomeliAh) [of IsraEl] against Judah.

³⁸ Then JoTham went to sleep with his ancestors, and they buried him in a tomb along with his ancestors in the city of his ancestor David. And thereafter, his son Ahaz started ruling in place of him.

2 Kings 16

←15 | All books | All chapters | 17→

¹ So in the 17th year of [King] PekAh (son of RomeliAh) [of Israel], Ahaz (son of JoTham) became the king of Judah. ² He was 20 years old at the time, and he reigned in JeruSalem for 16 years.

However, he didn’t do what was upright in the eyes of Yahweh his God or trust in Him, as did his ancestor David... ³ Rather, he followed in the paths of the kings of IsraEl by offering up his own son in a fire in the same disgusting way as did the nations that God had driven away from the sons of IsraEl!

⁴ He also offered sacrifices and burned incense in the high places, on the hills, and under every tree in the woods.

⁵ Thereafter, King RasSon of Syria and King PekAh (son of RomeliAh) of IsraEl came against JeruSalem to war against Ahaz, but they were unsuccessful... ⁶ However, King RaAson of Syria went to ElAth and drove all the Judeans out of that city. Then the Edomites moved into it, and that’s where they still live to this day.

⁷ But because of this, Ahaz sent messengers to King Tiglath Pileser [III] of Assyria to say:

‘I am the servant of you and your son.

‘So, please come and save me from the kings of Syria and IsraEl that have come to fight against me!’

⁸ Then Ahaz took all the silver and gold that he found in the treasuries of the Temple of Yahweh and in the king’s palace, and he sent it as a gift to the king of Assyria.

⁹ So the king of Assyria listened to him and attacked Damascus… He captured it, killed King RaAsson, and then he repopulated the city.

¹⁰ So after that, King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet with King Tiglath Pileser [III] of Assyria, and when he saw the altar in Damascus, he examined its dimensions and its construction, and he sent a drawing of the altar to UriAh the Priest.

¹¹ As a result, UriAh built a similar Altar, following the instructions that were sent to him from Damascus by King Ahaz. ¹² And when the king saw this [new] Altar, he climbed up on it and burned incense there, then he had whole burnt offerings (including his own offerings and a drink offering) sacrificed there, and he had the blood of the peace offerings poured out upon it!

¹³ This Altar was made of brass and it was placed before [the presence of] Yahweh; ¹⁴ for [King Ahaz] had the Altar moved forward and put right in front of the Temple of Yahweh, between the Temple and the [old] Altar, which still stood on its north side.

¹⁵ And after that, he gave instructions to UriAh the Priest, saying:

‘I want a great sacrifice offered on this Altar early tomorrow morning and tomorrow evening!

‘I’ll bring my whole burnt offerings and other sacrifices, and then the people should also bring their sacrifices and drink offerings. I want you to offer the blood of the whole burnt offerings and other sacrifices there… Pour them over the brass Altar for me in the morning.’

¹⁶ Therefore, UriAh the Priest did exactly as King Ahaz told him.

¹⁷ Then King Ahaz had the bases for the washbasins and the Sacred Sea (the oxen) disassembled, and the brass Sea was lowered onto a new base that was made of stone.

¹⁸ He also built a foundation for the Sabbath Seat inside the Temple of Yahweh, and he had the outside of the king’s entrance relocated so that it wouldn’t face the king of Assyria.

¹⁹ All the rest of the things that Ahaz said and did have been written about in the scrolls of The Days of the Kings of Judah.

²⁰ Then Ahaz went to sleep with his ancestors and he was buried in a tomb in the city of David. Thereafter, his son HezekiAh began ruling in place of him.

2 Kings 17

←16 | All books | All chapters | 18→

¹ It was in the 12th year of the reign of King Ahaz of Judah that HosheA (son of ElAh) started reigning over IsraEl from Samaria, and he ruled there for 9 years.

² He also acted wickedly in the eyes of Yahweh… However, he wasn’t as bad as the kings who came before him.

³ Then King ShalamaNasar [V] of Assyria came against HosheA and made him his vassal, forcing him to send many tributes.

⁴ However, the king of Assyria soon became [very unhappy] with HosheA, because he’d sent messengers to King Segor of Egypt [possibly Shabaka?], and he failed to send any tributes to him, the king of Assyria, that year; so he had him tied, shackled, and thrown into prison.

⁵ And thereafter, the king of Assyria marched through IsraEl and laid siege to Samaria for three years ⁶ (this happened in the 9th year of HosheA’s reign.) Then the king of Assyria captured Samaria and moved all the people of IsraEl into Assyria – to Halae in Habor (next to the Gozan River), and into the mountains of the Medes.

⁷ Of course, all of this happened because the sons of IsraEl had sinned against Yahweh their God who had brought them out of the land of Egypt and from under the hand of PharaOh (the king of Egypt), and they started fearing other gods.

⁸ They’d also started following in the ways of the nations that Yahweh had removed from in front of them… And their kings were doing the same things.

⁹ There were so many things that the sons of IsraEl did to cover over the words of Yahweh and to not do any of the things that their God had told them:

• For they [built altars] for themselves in high places near every town… From their guard towers to their walled cities.

• ¹⁰ They also erected stone monuments and groves of sacred poles on every high hill and under every tree in the woods.

• ¹¹ Then they burned incense on the high places in the same ways that the nations whom Yahweh had moved far away from them had been doing.

• And they formed alliances and [worshiped] carved images, so as to provoke Yahweh to rage. ¹² So, they started serving the very idols that Yahweh had warned them against!

¹³ Meanwhile, Yahweh had sent warnings to IsraEl and Judah through His prophets (the Seers), who told them:

‘Turn from your wicked ways and obey My Commandments, My instructions, and all the Laws that I gave to your ancestors, which I sent through the hands of My servants the prophets!’

¹⁴ But they just wouldn’t listen to Him, and they made themselves even more stubborn than the stubbornness of their ancestors. ¹⁵ He warned them time and again, but they just wouldn’t do any of the things that He said.

Rather, they did foolish, silly things, and they followed in the paths of the nations around them… The very things that Yahweh had warned them against when He said:

‘These are the things that you must not do.’

¹⁶ They also:

• Abandoned the Commandments of Yahweh their God.

• They made the two heifers for themselves of cast metal, as well as the groves of sacred poles.

• Then they bowed before all the powerful things in the skies and they started serving the BaAls.

¹⁷ In addition:

• They offered their sons and daughters in fires.

• They went to fortunetellers to learn the future.

Thereby, they sold themselves into wickedness in the eyes of Yahweh and provoking Him to anger. ¹⁸ As a result, He became so enraged with IsraEl that He removed them from before His face… He didn’t leave any of them behind, other than the tribe of Judah.

¹⁹ However, even Judah didn’t follow the Commandments of Yahweh their God. Rather, they followed in the ways of IsraEl and did the same bad things, pushing Yahweh away!

²⁰ So Yahweh became enraged with all the offspring of IsraEl and He just shook them off, handing them over to be ripped to pieces and thrown away from before His face! ²¹ For IsraEl had rebelled against the house of David and made JeroBoam (son of NaBat) their king, and JeroBoam led IsraEl away from following Yahweh and into a great sin.

²² So from then on, the sons of IsraEl followed JeroBoam in all the sins that he committed, and they never changed their ways until Yahweh removed them from before His face… Just as He said He would do through all of His servants the prophets.

²³ Thereafter, IsraEl was resettled into the land of Assyria, where they still live today.

²⁴ Then the king of Assyria took all the people from HoUtha, Aia, HaMath, and SePharaim (cities around Babylon), and settled them in the cities of Samaria, replacing the sons of IsraEl. So it was these people who inherited Samaria and started living in its cities.

²⁵ Well, from the very beginning, these [new] people didn’t fear Yahweh either, so He sent lions among them to kill them off! ²⁶ As a result, they [sent messengers] to the king of Assyria to tell him:

‘Because the nations that you resettled and relocated into the cities of Samaria don’t understand the God of that land, He’s sending lions against them! [These lions] are killing them off thanks to their lack of understanding Him.’

²⁷ So the king of Assyria said:

‘Then, let’s take some of the IsraElites back to the land and have them start living there once again, so they can show the people [how to please] the God of their land.’

²⁸ As a result, they brought one of the Priests from Samaria and returned him to BethEl, so he could teach the people there to fear Yahweh.

²⁹ Meanwhile, all these nations had also started taking their gods and putting them in the temples on the high places that the Samaritans had once built in each of their cities.

³⁰ Then:

• The people who came from Babylon built [the city of] SukCoth-BenOth,

• The people from Cuth built [the city of] NerGal,

• The people from HaMath built [the city of] AsiMath, ³¹ and

• The Hivites built [both] EblaZer and TarTak.

At the time, the [people of] SePharaim had even started burning their sons in fires to their gods AdraMelek and AneMelek!

³² So although they’d started fearing Yahweh, they kept the images of their gods in the temples that they built on the high places in Samaria, close to the cities where each nation lived.

And although they feared Yahweh, they still appointed their own priests to serve at the temples of the high places.

³³ And although they feared Yahweh, they still served the gods of the countries from which they came… ³⁴ And they’re still following that same form of worship today!

So although they feared Yahweh, they didn’t follow the instructions, Laws, or Commandments that He gave to the sons of Jacob (to whom He gave the name IsraEl).

³⁵ For when Yahweh made a Sacred Agreement [with IsraEl], He told them:

‘You must not fear other gods… Don’t bow to them, serve them, or offer sacrifices to them!

‘³⁶ You may only serve Yahweh, the God who led you out of the land of Egypt with His great strength and outstretched arm! You must fear, bow before, and sacrifice to Him alone, ³⁷ and you must follow His decisions, rules, Laws, and the Commandments that He wrote down for you.

‘You must obey these things for as long as you live, and you must not serve other gods, ³⁸ or forget the Sacred Agreement that He made with you.

‘You must not fear other gods… ³⁹ You should only fear your God Yahweh, for He alone will rescue you from all your enemies. ⁴⁰ So, don’t pay attention to anything that [the other nations] are doing!’

⁴¹ However, although those nations [that lived in Samaria] feared Yahweh, they also served things that they carved for themselves… As did their sons and grandsons, and which they’re still doing today.

2 Kings 18

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¹ It was in the third year of the reign of King HosheA (son of ElAh) of IsraEl that HezekiAh (son of Ahaz) the king of Judah started his reign. ² He was 25 years old when he started to rule, and he reigned for 29 years in JeruSalem. His mother’s name was Abou, and she was the daughter of ZachariAh.

³ HezekiAh did what was upright in the eyes of Yahweh… Every bit as much as did his ancestor David! ⁴ For he removed the high places of worship and all the monuments... He also destroyed the groves of sacred poles and the brass snake that Moses had made, because the people of IsraEl had started burning incense to it back in those days!

So he called it, The Consumer.

⁵ HezekiAh placed his hope in Yahweh the God of IsraEl, and among the kings of Judah, there were none others like him… Not those who lived before him or those who came after him!

⁶ He stuck to Yahweh and never stopped following Him, and he obeyed all the Commandments of Moses. ⁷ So, Yahweh was with him in everything that he did, and he became very wise.

He also annulled Judah’s allegiance to the king of Assyria and refused to serve him. ⁸ Then he attacked the Philistines in Gaza and throughout their borders, from their guard towers to their walled cities.

⁹ It was in the 4th year of the reign of King HezekiAh, which was the 7th year of King HoSheA (son of ElAh) of IsraEl, that King SalamaNasar [V] of Assyria came against Samaria and laid siege to it.

¹⁰ It took him three years, but in the 6th year of HezekiAh and in the 9th year of King HoSheA of IsraEl, he conquered Samaria. ¹¹ Then he relocated all the people of IsraEl to Assyria (in Halae of Habor on the Gozan River, and in the mountains of the Medes), ¹² [which happened] because they wouldn’t listen to the voice of their God Yahweh.

For they’d violated the Sacred Agreement that He made through His servant Moses, and they just refused to listen and do as they were told.

¹³ Then in the 14th year of King HezekiAh, King SenNacherIb of Assyria came against the walled cities of Judah and captured them! ¹⁴ So, King HezekiAh of Judah sent messengers to the king of Assyria (who was at LachIsh at the time), saying:

‘I have sinned!

‘Please turn away from me!

‘Whatever you tell me to do, I will do!’

Then King HezekiAh of Judah sent a tribute to the king of Assyria consisting of 10 tons (9,000kg) of silver and a ton of gold… ¹⁵ He sent him all the silver that he could find in the Temple of Yahweh and in the treasuries of the king’s palace. ¹⁶ He even cut off the Temple Sanctuary doors and their supports, which were covered with gold, and gave them to the king of Assyria.

¹⁷ But the king of Assyria sent Tharthan, Raphis, and RapSakes from LachIsh (along with a huge army) to King HezekiAh at JeruSalem. And when they got to JeruSalem, they stood outside by the aqueduct to the upper pool along the road to the field where [women] washed clothes, ¹⁸ and they yelled for HezekiAh.

Well, HezekiAh’s right-hand man EliAkim (son of HelkiAh), SomNas the Scribe, and JehoAsh (son of ShaPhat) the record-keeper, came out [to meet them].

¹⁹ And RapSakes said:

‘Tell HezekiAh that the great king of Assyria says this:

‘What is this thing that you’re putting your trust in? ²⁰ For with your lips, you’ve spoken of your power to go to war! So, who is it that you were trusting in when you annulled your allegiance to me?

²¹ ‘{Look!} Are you leaning on that broken stalk of reeds called Egypt? Who would [be foolish enough] to lean on them, for they’ll puncture your hand and go right through it! Isn’t that what PharaOh, the king of Egypt, does to all those who rely on him?

²² ‘Or if you should say to me that you’re relying on your God Yahweh... Aren’t you the one who removed His high places of worship and His altars, and who told the people of Judah and JeruSalem to bow before the Altar in JeruSalem?

²³ ‘Now, come and ally yourself with my master the king of Assyria and I’ll give you 2,000 horses upon which you can mount yourself and your cavalry!

²⁴ ‘But if you turn your back on even the least of my lord’s servants, you’ll have to trust in Egypt for chariots and horsemen thereafter.

²⁵ ‘And do you really think that we came here to destroy this place without [the blessings of Yahweh]?

‘It was Yahweh who told me to attack this land and destroy it!’

²⁶ Then EliAkim (son of HelkiAh), SomNas, and JehoAsh said to RapSakes:

‘Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, because we can also understand that.

‘Don’t speak to us in the Judean language, because all the people who are on the walls can hear what you’re saying.’

²⁷ And RapSakes replied:

‘Do you think that my lord sent me here just to speak to you and to your lord? I’ve come here to speak to the people who are sitting on the walls… Those who’ll have to eat their own turds and drink their own urine – along with you!’

²⁸ Then RapSakes stood up and shouted as loud as he could in the Judean language:

‘Listen to the words of the great king of Assyria!

²⁹ ‘My king says:

‘Don’t trust in HezekiAh, because there’s no way that he’s going to save you from my hands!

³⁰ ‘And don’t listen to HezekiAh when he tells you to put your trust in Yahweh… That He will rescue you and never give you into the hands of the king of Assyria.’

³¹ ‘No, don’t listen to HezekiAh, because this is what the king of Assyria [has promised]:

‘If you will praise me and come out to me, you’ll all drink [wine] from your own grapevines, eat figs from your own trees, and drink water from your own wells!

³² ‘For I will come and take you to a land that’s like yours… A land of grain, wine, bread, vineyards, olive oil and honey, where you can live and not have to die!

‘So, don’t listen to HezekiAh, because he’s fooling you when he says that Yahweh will rescue you!

³³ ‘Which of the gods of the rest of the nations have saved [their people] from the hands of the king of Assyria? ³⁴ Yes, where are the gods of HaMath and ArPhad, and where are the gods of SepharVaim, Ana, and Aba?

‘They weren’t able to rescue Samaria from my hands!

³⁵ ‘So, since none of the gods of any of the lands have been able to save their countries from my hands, how can Yahweh rescue JeruSalem from my hands?’

³⁶ Well at that, everything got very quiet and no one said a word in reply, because the king had commanded that no one should give an answer.

³⁷ Then EliAkim (son of HelkiAh) the king’s right-hand man, SomNas the scribe, and JehoAsh (son of ShaPhat) the recorder, returned to HezekiAh and they started ripping their clothes as they told him all the things that RapSakes had said.

2 Kings 19

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¹ Well, as King HezekiAh listened to this, he tore off his clothes and dressed himself in sackcloth; then he went to the Temple of Yahweh.

² He also had his right-hand-man EliAkim, SomNas the scribe, and the elders among the Priests put on sackcloth, and he sent them to see the Prophet IsaiAh (son of Amos) ³ with the message:

‘HezekiAh [wants us to tell you that] today is a day of oppression, scolding, and rage, for even sons who can’t give birth are now experiencing ‘birth pangs!’

⁴ ‘So if your God Yahweh has heard everything that RapSakes –this man sent by his lord the king of Assyria– said to berate the living God and to blaspheme Him... If He has heard all that was said, then pray to your God on behalf of the few of us that remain here!’

⁵ So the servants of King HezekiAh went to IsaiAh, ⁶ and IsaiAh said this to them:

‘Go back and tell your lord that this is what Yahweh said:

‘Don’t be afraid of the words that you heard and the blasphemies of the servants of the king of Assyria.

⁷ ‘For {Look!} I will just blow [My] Breath, and [the king of Assyria] will receive a message and return to his own land... Thereafter, I will cut him down with a sword in his own country!’

⁸ Meanwhile, when RapSakes returned to the king of Assyria, he found that he was no longer at LachIsh, for he’d gone to wage war against LobNa, ⁹ because he’d heard that King TharHaka of the Ethiopians had declared that he was coming to fight him.

But when [the king of Assyria] got back [to LachIsh], he sent messengers to HezekiAh to tell him this:

¹⁰ ‘Don’t allow the God whom you’re relying on to encourage you… [don’t believe Him] if He says that JeruSalem won’t be given into the hands of the king of Assyria!

¹¹ ‘{Look!} Since you’ve heard of all the things that the king of Assyria has done and of all the lands that he’s destroyed, how can you believe that you’ll be saved?

¹² ‘Have any of the gods of the nations that were destroyed by me or by my ancestors been able to save them… Such as those in:

• Gozan,

• Harran,

• Raphis,

• The sons of Edem, or

• The people of ThaEsthen.

¹³ ‘Yes, where are the kings of HaMath and ArPhad, and where is the king of SepharVaim, or [the kings] of Ana and Aba?’

¹⁴ Well, after HezekiAh took the letter from the hands of the messengers and read it, he went to the Temple of Yahweh and unrolled it there before Yahweh.

¹⁵ Then he prayed:

‘O Yahweh the God of IsraEl,

‘The One who’s resting on cherubs,

‘You alone are the God of all the kingdoms of the earth and the One who made the skies and the lands.

¹⁶ ‘So, O Yahweh,

‘Turn Your ears to me and listen!

‘O Yahweh,

‘Open Your eyes and Look… [read] the words that SenNacherIb sent to berate the living God!

¹⁷ ‘For it was really You, O Yahweh, who allowed the kings of Assyria to destroy all those nations, ¹⁸ and You’re the One who had their gods thrown into the fires, since they really aren’t gods, they’re just things that men made with their hands out of wood and stone, which will soon just rot away.

¹⁹ ‘So now, O Yahweh our God,

‘Please save us from his hands, so that all the kingdoms of the earth will know that You – Yahweh – are the only [true] God.’

²⁰ And thereafter, IsaiAh (son of Amos) sent a message to HezekiAh that said:

‘Yahweh the God of armies and the God of IsraEl told me that He heard what you said to Him in your prayer concerning King SenNacherIb of Assyria... ²¹ And Yahweh spoke these words against him:

‘The daughters of JeruSalem will be shaking their heads at you who would treat the virgin daughters of Zion with contempt and sneer at them!

²² ‘For who is it that you berated?

‘And who is it that you’ve blasphemed?

‘Yes, against whom have you raised your voice and put yourself higher in your own eyes?

‘You did this against the Holy One of IsraEl!

²³ ‘You sent your messengers to berate Yahweh!

‘Then you dared to say:

‘I’ve ridden my chariot to the tops of the mountains of the the borders of Lebanon, and I’ve cut down their great cedars (their best ones)! Then I rode among the forests of CarMel!

²⁴ ‘There I cooled myself and drank from their alien waters, as I destroyed all the moats around their city walls with the soles of my feet!

²⁵ ‘Then I reshaped and moved things… In my pride I took all those combative peoples away from their fortified cities! ²⁶ Yes, by my own hand I made the peoples that lived there weak!

‘Then I shocked and disgraced them, and they became like grass in the fields… Like green hay or like young shoots that grow on roofs, which are easily trampled by people walking on them!’

²⁷ ‘[However, Yahweh has said this to you]:

‘I know when you sit down,

I know where you are going,

And I know of your rage against Me!

²⁸ ‘So it’s because of your rage against Me that the things you’ve been doing have reached My ears... Therefore, I’m now going to put My hooks in your nose and My bit between your lips, then I’m going to turn you around and send you back by the same way that you came!’

²⁹ [And after that, IsaiAh told HezekiAh]:

‘This will be your sign:

‘This year you must eat the things that grow on their own and everything that grows on its own next year also. But in the 3rd year, you will again sow seeds, harvest, and plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

³⁰ ‘Then [Yahweh] will increase those of the house of Judah who’ve escaped... Yes, the left-over ‘root’ beneath the ground, will produce ‘fruit’ above it!

³¹ ‘[Yahweh says:]

‘For a remnant will come out of JeruSalem,

And a savior will come from Mount Zion

Through the zeal of Yahweh of armies.

³² ‘So, this is Yahweh’s reply to the king of Assyria:

‘You won’t enter this city,’ says Yahweh…

‘You won’t even shoot an arrow here! So, no one will have to lift a shield, because you won’t be pouring any dirt to build a siege mound around this city!

³³ ‘And thereafter, you will return by the same way that you came,’ says Yahweh.

‘No, you won’t enter this city, ³⁴ for I will put a shield around it and save it because of Myself and because of My servant David!’

³⁵ And that’s what happened.

During the night, a [spirit] messenger of Yahweh came and destroyed the camp of the Assyrians, killing 185,000 of their men!

So when [the people of JeruSalem] got up the next morning, {Look!} all [they found] was dead bodies.

³⁶ And after that, King SenNacherIb of Assyria did, in fact, go back to his home in Nineveh. ³⁷ Then one day, while he was bowing in the temple of his god MeserAk, his sons AdraMelek and SarAsar killed him with swords and fled to the land of Ararat!

Then his son AsorDan started ruling in place of him.

2 Kings 20

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¹ Well later, HezekiAh [developed an infection] and became sick to the point of dying. So the Prophet IsaiAh (son of Amos) went to see him and said:

‘Yahweh says that you should [settle your affairs], because you won’t live, you’re going to die.’

² And at that, HezekiAh turned his face to the wall and made a vow to Yahweh, saying:

³ ‘O Yahweh,

‘Remember that I walked before You in truth with a heart that’s full of good, and I always did what’s right in Your eyes.’

Then he broke down and cried.

⁴ Meanwhile, as IsaiAh was still walking out through the courtyard, these words of Yahweh came to him:

⁵ ‘Return to HezekiAh, the one who’s leading My people, and say:

‘I’ve heard your prayer and I’ve seen your tears. So, {Look!} I will heal you on the third day… And then you must go to the Temple of Yahweh.

⁶ ‘I will add 15 more years to your life, and I’ll bring you and this city out from under the hands of the king of Assyria because of Myself and because of My servant David.’

⁷ Then IsaiAh told [King HezekiAh]:

‘Have them take a cluster of dried figs and wrap it around the sore, and you’ll be healed!’

⁸ But HezekiAh asked him:

‘What is the sign that Yahweh will heal me and that I’ll be able to go to the Temple on the third day?’

⁹ And IsaiAh said:

‘This is the sign that Yahweh will do the things that He said:

‘The shadow on your stairway will go up 10 stairs, then go back down 10 stairs.’

¹⁰ And HezekiAh said:

‘It’s nothing unusual for a shadow to go up 10 stairs, but it never goes back down 10 stairs!’

¹¹ But then the Prophet IsaiAh called out to Yahweh, and the shadow went back down 10 stairs!

¹² Well at the time, King Maradak Baladan (son of Baladan) of Babylon, sent letters and gifts to HezekiAh, because he heard that he was sick, ¹³ and this made HezekiAh very happy.

So he showed [the messengers] everything in his palace.

He showed them all his good things… His spices, silver, gold, perfumes, oils, weapons, and everything that he had in his treasury. In fact, there wasn’t anything in his house that he failed to show them.

¹⁴ Then when the Prophet IsaiAh came to HezekiAh, he asked:

‘Who were those men and why did they come to you?’

And HezekiAh replied:

‘They came from far away… All the way from Babylon!’

¹⁵ Then IsaiAh asked:

‘What did they see in your palace?’

And he said:

‘They saw everything that’s here.

‘I showed them everything in my house and in my treasury.’

¹⁶ Then IsaiAh said:

‘Listen to the words of Yahweh!

¹⁷ ‘{Look} The days are coming,’ says Yahweh...

‘When all the things in your palace and all the treasures that your ancestors have stored away until now will be taken to Babylon…

‘None of these things that Yahweh spoke about will be left.

¹⁸ ‘Also, the sons whom you sire and those who descend from you will be taken as eunuchs to serve in the palace of the king of Babylon.’

¹⁹ And HezekiAh said to IsaiAh:

‘The words of Yahweh are good…

‘But may there be peace during my lifetime!’

²⁰ Well, the rest of the things that HezekiAh said and did, as well as the area of his rulership, the wells that he dug, and about the water duct that he built to bring water into the city, {Look!} they’re recorded in the scrolls of The Days of the Kings of Judah.

²¹ Then HezekiAh went to sleep with his ancestors and he was buried in a tomb in the city of David.

So after him, his son ManasSeh started ruling.

2 Kings 21

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¹ ManasSeh was just 12 years old when he started his reign, and he ruled from JeruSalem for 55 years. His mother’s name was OpSiba.

² However, ManasSeh acted wickedly in the eyes of Yahweh, for he returned to the disgusting practices of the nations that Yahweh had removed from before the sons of IsraEl.

³ He went and rebuilt the high places of worship that his father HezekiAh had torn down, he rebuilt the altar to the BaAl, he built groves of sacred poles like those that were built by King Ahab of IsraEl, and he bowed before and served the powerful objects in the skies!

⁴ He also built an altar inside the Temple of Yahweh, for he said:

‘Because I did this, my name will be remembered in JeruSalem.’

⁵ In addition, he built an altar to all the powerful things in the skies inside two of the courtyards of the Temple of Yahweh, ⁶ and he thereafter sacrificed two of his own sons in fire!

He even brought many fortunetellers, diviners, and seers into the land, setting aside sacred precincts for them... All of this was very wicked in the eyes of Yahweh, and it made Him very angry!

⁷ Thereafter, [ManasSeh] put carvings of sacred poles right inside the Temple… Yes, in that very place where Yahweh had said to David and his son Solomon:

‘This is the Temple in JeruSalem that I chose out of all the other tribes of IsraEl as the place to put My Name throughout the ages.

⁸ ‘So, I will never shake the feet of IsraEl off this land that I gave to their ancestors for as long as they do everything that I told them to do and they follow the Commandments that I gave to them through My servant Moses.’

⁹ However, the people just wouldn’t listen... For ManasSeh had misled them into doing things that were even more wicked in the eyes of Yahweh than was done by those nations that the Lord had once removed from before the sons of IsraEl.

¹⁰ As a result, Yahweh spoke to them through His servants the prophets and said:

¹¹ ‘I’m not going to allow ManasSeh the king of Judah to continue doing these disgusting things, for they’re even worse than what the Amorites used to do in front of Me!

‘He has led Judah into sin with his idols, ¹² and this cannot continue!’

Then Yahweh the God of IsraEl said this:

‘{Look!} I’m going to bring so much evil upon JeruSalem and Judah that everyone will hear about it with both ears!

¹³ ‘I’m going to stretch the measuring line out over JeruSalem the same as I once did over Samaria, when I brought all the weight of the house of Ahab down upon it!

‘I’ll wipe away JeruSalem like someone wipes out an alabaster jar… I’ll wipe it clean and then turn it over on its face.

¹⁴ ‘I’ll wipe away every trace of My inheritance and hand them over to their enemies, who’ll ravage and plunder them ¹⁵ for doing so many wicked things before My eyes... Since they’ve been provoking Me to anger from the time that I led their ancestors out of Egypt down to this very day!

¹⁶ ‘And now ManasSeh has shed the blood of so many innocent [people] that it’s filled JeruSalem from mouth to mouth… And this is in addition to all the rest of his sins and the ways that he’s led Judah into sin by acting wickedly in the eyes of Yahweh.’

¹⁷ Well, the rest of the things that ManasSeh said and did (including all of his sins) are written about in the scrolls of the words of The Days of the Kings of Judah.

¹⁸ Then ManasSeh went to sleep with his ancestors and they buried him in a tomb in the garden next to his house (the Garden of Oza). And after that, his son Amon started ruling in his place.

¹⁹ Amon was 22 years old when he started his reign, and he ruled from JeruSalem for just 2 years. His mother’s name was MesolLam (she was the daughter of Arus from JeTeba).

²⁰ Like his father ManasSeh, he also acted wickedly in the eyes of Yahweh, ²¹ for he continued to do the same things that his father did. He served and bowed before the same idols that his father served, ²² and he abandoned Yahweh the God of his ancestors... He certainly didn’t walk in the paths of the Lord.

²³ But then Amon’s servants plotted a coup against him, and they murdered the king in his palace!

²⁴ However, the people of the land took those who had plotted against King Amon and had them put to death, then they appointed Amon’s son JosiAh to rule in his place.

²⁵ Well, the rest of the things that Amon said and did {Look!} have been written about in the scrolls of the words of The Days of the Kings of Judah.

²⁶ He was also buried in his own tomb in the Garden of Oza.

Then JosiAh started his reign.

2 Kings 22

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¹ JosiAh was only 8 years old when he started his reign, and he ruled for 31 years in JeruSalem. His mother’s name was JediYa, and she was the daughter of EdeYa of BasorOth.

² JosiAh actually did what was upright in the eyes of Yahweh, for he followed in the paths of his ancestor David and he didn’t swerve to the right or to the left.

³ It was during the 8th month of the 18th year of King JosiAh’s reign that the king sent for ShaPhan (son of EseliJah and grandson of MesolLam), who was the scribe at the Temple of Yahweh.

Then he told him:

⁴ ‘Go to HelkiAh the great High Priest and have him set aside the money from the treasury that the people have been bringing to the Temple [of Yahweh], ⁵ then give it to the men who are assigned to work on the Temple of Yahweh!’

So they gave the money to the men who were working on the Temple of Yahweh, and they used it to repair its walls. ⁶ The money was given to the craftsmen, laborers, and stonemasons, who used it to buy wood and stones to fortify its walls, ⁷ and no one required an accounting, for they were just trusted to do the right thing.

⁸ But then HelkiAh (the High Priest) went to ShaPhan the scribe and reported:

‘We’ve found a scroll of the Law in the Temple of Yahweh!’

So HelkiAh gave the scroll to ShaPhan and he read it, ⁹ then he carried it to King JosiAh.

Well, the first thing that the king spoke to ShaPhan about when he went before him, was that he wanted him to set aside more silver from the Temple of Yahweh, so it could be given to the servants who were appointed to do the repairs.

¹⁰ And after that, ShaPhan (the scribe) said to the king:

‘HelkiAh the Priest also gave me this scroll...’

Which he then read to the king.

¹¹ Well when the king heard the Law that was written on the scroll, he started ripping his clothes!

¹² And then the king gave these instructions to HelkiAh the Priest, AchiKan (son of ShaPhan), AchObor (son of MichaJah), ShaPhan the scribe, and to AsaJah (the king’s personal representative):

¹³ ‘Go and search for Yahweh on behalf of myself and all of my people in the land of Judah, because, according to the things that are written in this scroll that you found, the anger of Yahweh is surely blazing against us, since we haven’t been paying attention to any of His instructions or doing any of the things that were written about us here!’

¹⁴ So, HelkiAh the Priest, AchiCam, AchObor, ShaPhan, and AsiAh went to the Prophetess HuldAh (the [wife] of SelLem, who was son of Thekou and grandson of Aras the keeper of the robes) who lived in Masena near JeruSalem, and they spoke to her about it.

¹⁵ Then she told them this:

‘The Lord God of IsraEl says that you should speak to the man who sent you to me ¹⁶ and tell him that this is what Yahweh said:

‘{Look!} I’m bringing bad things against this place and upon all those who live here… Yes, everything that’s written in the scroll that the king of Judah read!

¹⁷ ‘For they have abandoned Me and have started offering incense to other gods… They’re making Me so angry with those things they’ve made with their hands that My rage is blazing against this place, and now it won’t be extinguished.’

¹⁸ ‘Also, tell the king of Judah, the one who sent you to inquire of Yahweh, that these are the words that you heard from the Lord God of IsraEl:

¹⁹ ‘Because you are so tenderhearted and you felt ashamed when you heard the things that I said about this place and about those who live here... That they deserve to be cursed and extinguished... And [because] you’ve ripped your clothes and cried before Me, [then I say this]:

‘I’ve heard you.

²⁰ ‘Therefore, none of these things will happen to you.

‘Instead, {Look!} I’ll add you to your ancestors and you’ll be buried in your own tomb in peace. You won’t have to see all the bad things that I’m going to bring against this place with your eyes.’

And with that, they returned to the king and told him what was said.

2 Kings 23

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¹ Thereafter, the king sent for all the elders of Judah and JeruSalem and had them brought to him.

² Then the king went to the Temple of Yahweh with the men of Judah and JeruSalem (the Priests, the prophets, and all the people, both the small and the great), and he read all the words of the scroll of the Sacred Agreement that had been found there.

³ And as the king was standing next to one of the columns, he promised Yahweh that they’d all return to Him and obey His Commandments, proclamations, and Laws with their whole hearts and souls, and that they would reestablish His Sacred Agreement that was written about in the scroll.

And thereafter, he made all the people who were there affirm that they also agreed with his promise.

⁴ Next, the king had the High Priest HelkiAh, as well as all the other lesser priests and those who guarded the doors, go into the Temple Sanctuary of Yahweh and drag out all the objects for BaAl worship, the things for the groves of sacred poles, and the objects of worship of the things in the skies.

Then he burned it all outside of JeruSalem in the Cedar (Kidron) Valley, and he had the ashes carried off to BethEl.

⁵ Following that, he had all the idolatrous priests (those who had been appointed by the kings of Judah and who burned incense in the high places around the cities of Judah and JeruSalem, as well as those who burned incense to BaAl, or to the sun and the moon, or to the Zodiac and the mighty things in the sky) [killed and] incinerated!

⁶ And he had the carvings of the groves of sacred poles carted out of the Temple of Yahweh and out of JeruSalem to the Cedar (Kidron) Wadi, where he had them burned and ground into dust, which was thereafter scattered among the tombs in the graveyards.

⁷ Following that, he had the rooms in the Temple of Yahweh where male prostitutes were kept and where women wove robes for the worship of the sacred poles, demolished.

⁸ Then he brought back all the Priests from the cities of Judah (from GabaA all the way to BeerSheba), and they went up to the high places where [the people] had burned incense, and they desecrated [those places].

He also demolished the high place that was located next to the entrance of the gate of JoShua (who was the city’s mayor), which was to the left of the city’s main gate.

⁹ Thereafter, [the king] forbade the Priests who had served at the high places to ever be allowed to approach the Altar of Yahweh in JeruSalem or to ever again share in eating the fermentation-free bread among their brothers!

¹⁰ Next he defiled Topheth, which is the place [of worship] in the valley of the sons of Hinnom where people took their sons and daughters to be burned in a fire before [the image of] Moloch.

¹¹ And he incinerated the horses that the kings of Judah had offered to the sun, which were kept inside the compound near the entrance to Yahweh’s Temple, in the treasury room of Nathan MelEch.

He also burned the Chariot of the Sun, ¹² the altars that were on the roof of the upper room of Ahaz (which had been built by the kings of Judah), and he demolished the altars that had been built for ManasSeh inside two of the Temple courtyards.

Then he had the dust and ashes thrown into the Cedar (Kidron) Wadi!

¹³ The king also had the temple that stood in front of JeruSalem (on the right side of Mount MosOath) that King Solomon had built to Astarte (the disgusting thing of the Sidonians), to Chemosh (the disgusting thing of MoAb), and to Moloch (the disgusting thing of the sons of AmMon) desecrated.

¹⁴ He also broke up all the monuments and the groves of sacred poles, and he had the areas where they once stood covered with dead men’s bones.

¹⁵ After that, he went to the high altar in BethEl that [King] JeroBoam [I] (son of NaBat) built to lead IsraEl into sin, and he had it torn down, its stones crushed into fine dust, and its grove of sacred poles incinerated.

¹⁶ And when JosiAh noticed the tombs where the people of that city were buried, he had the bones taken from the tombs and burned on [JeroBoam’s] altar so as to defile it – just as the [prophecy] of Yahweh that the man of God spoke (on the holiday that JeroBoam had called for when he built the altar) was finally fulfilled!

For back then, the man of God had looked towards this very graveyard and asked:

¹⁷ ‘What are these tall rocks that I see?’

And when the men of the city [heard] the man of God (who had come from Judah) foretell that all these things would happen to the altar in BethEl, they said:

¹⁸ ‘Leave him alone, and may no man ever move his bones!’

So his bones were thereafter placed with the bones of the prophets of Samaria.

¹⁹ Well after that, [the king] went throughout the cities of Samaria, and he had all the temples on the high places that the kings of IsraEl had built to provoke Yahweh to anger, torn down.

JosiAh removed them all, along with all the things that were built for worship in BethEl.

²⁰ And thereafter, he sacrificed all the priests of the high places on their own altars, and he incinerated their bones upon them!

Then he went back to JeruSalem, ²¹ and he told all the people that they would have to observe the Passover of their God Yahweh, just as it had been written about in the scroll of His Sacred Agreement... ²² For the Passover really hadn’t been celebrated there since the time of the Judges, yes, not during the time of any of the previous kings of Judah!

²³ So it was in the 18th year of King JosiAh’s reign that the Passover to Yahweh was once again celebrated in JeruSalem.

²⁴ Then King JosiAh had all the witches, fortunetellers, objects for providing omens, idols, and all the other disgusting things and practices that were taking place in the land of Judah and JeruSalem removed, so that the words of the Law that was written in the scroll that HelkiAh the Priest had found in the Temple of Yahweh could be followed once again.

²⁵ Never before had there been any king like him that had turned towards Yahweh and to the Law of Moses with so much of his whole heart, strength, and soul.

And after him, no one like him ever arose again.

²⁶ However, none of this turned Yahweh from His rage and great anger against Judah over the things that ManasSeh had done.

²⁷ For Yahweh had said:

‘I will indeed remove Judah from before My face the same as I removed IsraEl... I will throw this city of JeruSalem that I chose away, along with the Temple where I said that I’d put My Name.’

²⁸ Well, the rest of the things that JosiAh said and did have been written about in the scrolls of The Days of the Kings of Judah.

²⁹ However after that, PharaOh Necho [II] (the king of Egypt) attacked the king of Assyria at the EuPhrates River, and JosiAh joined in the war against [PharaOh].

So when [PharaOh] Necho saw [King JosiAh] at MegidDo, he killed him... ³⁰ Then [the king’s] servants brought his dead body back from MegidDo to JeruSalem, and they buried him in his tomb in the city of David.

Then the people of the land anointed JehoAhaz (JosiAh’s son), and he started reigning in place of his father.

³¹ JehoAhaz was 23 years old when he started his reign, and he only ruled in JeruSalem for three months! The name of his mother was AmiTal, and she was the daughter of JeremiAh of LobNa.

³² For thereafter, he followed in the paths of his ancestors and acted wickedly in the eyes of Yahweh. ³³ Then PharaOh Necho attacked him at DebLatha (in the land of HaMath) and removed him from [his throne] in JeruSalem, and he required the whole land to pay him a tribute of 4 tons (3,600kg) of silver and 4 tons (3,600kg) of gold.

³⁴ Then he put EliAkim (another son of JosiAh) on [the throne] of Judah in place of his father, changing his name to JehoiAkim, and he had JehoAhaz carried off to Egypt, where he eventually died.

³⁵ So thereafter, JehoiAkim had to tax all the people of the land (which was assessed by how much they each owned) so as to pay what the PharaOh had required, and he sent all the silver and gold to PharaOh Necho.

³⁶ JehoiAkim was 25 years old when he started his reign, and he ruled from JeruSalem for 11 years. His mother’s name was JelDaph, and she was the daughter of PhadaEl of RoUma.

³⁷ But he also acted wickedly in the eyes of Yahweh, and he did all the bad things that his ancestors had done.

2 Kings 24

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¹ It was during the time of JehoiAkim that NebuChadnezzar became the king of Babylon, and JehoiAkim became his vassal for three years… But then he annulled his allegiance.

² So, during that time, Yahweh sent armed bands of Chaldeans, Syrians, MoAbites, and AmMonites against him and the land of Judah until they actually overran the land, just as Yahweh had foretold would happen through His servants the prophets, ³ because of His rage against Judah.

As a result, He decided to remove them from in front of His face for the sins of ManasSeh and for all the [bad] things that he did ⁴ when he [killed] so many innocent [people] and filled JeruSalem with innocent blood, over which he refused to repent.

⁵ Now, the rest of the things that JehoiAkim said and did have been written about in the scrolls of The Days of the Kings of Judah.

⁶ For then he went to sleep with his ancestors, and his son JehoiAchin started ruling in place of him.

⁷ Well thereafter, the king of Egypt no longer came into his land, because the king of Babylon had claimed all the land from the EuPhrates to the [River Nile]… Everything that had once belonged to the king of Egypt!

⁸ JehoiAchin was only 18 years old when he started his reign, and he ruled from JeruSalem for just three months. His mother’s name was NesTha, and she was the daughter of ElLaNathan of JeruSalem.

⁹ But JehoiAchin followed in the ways of his father and acted wickedly in the eyes of Yahweh.

¹⁰ So thereafter, King NebuChadnezzar [II] of Babylon came and laid siege to JeruSalem… ¹¹ NebuChadnezzar [himself] came to the city when his army attacked it.

¹² Then King JehoiAchin of Judah surrendered to the king of Babylon, along with his mother, servants, governors, and eunuchs.

So the king of Babylon [took him captive] during the 8th year of [NebuChadnezzar’s] reign, ¹³ and he took all the treasures that were in the Temple of Yahweh and in the king’s palace, including all the things that King Solomon of IsraEl had covered with gold inside the Temple Sanctuary of Yahweh.

He had it all cut off and removed, just as Yahweh said would happen!

¹⁴ Thereafter, he took all the governors and all the important people from JeruSalem and carried them into captivity (some 10,000 people), including all the contractors and their workers... So, all that was left in the land was just the poor people.

¹⁵ He carried off JehoiAchin, his mother, his wives, his eunuchs, and all the great people of the land. He took them all from JeruSalem and resettled them in [the Kingdom of] Babylon.

¹⁶ He also carried off 7,000 of [Judah’s] greatest men, 1,000 contractors and their craftsmen, and 1,000 of the best soldiers, and he took them all to Babylon.

¹⁷ Then the king of Babylon appointed MatThaniAh (JehoiAchim’s son) to be [the king of Judah], and he renamed him ZedekiAh.

¹⁸ Well, ZedekiAh was 21 years old when he started his reign, and he ruled in JeruSalem for 11 years. His mother was AmiTal (the daughter of JeremiAh).

¹⁹ And like his father JehoiAchin, he also acted wickedly before Yahweh. ²⁰ So, Yahweh’s rage continued against JeruSalem and Judah until He pushed them away from in front of His face.

For then ZedekiAh also annulled his allegiance to the king of Babylon!

2 Kings 25

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¹ It was in the 9th year of [ZedekiAh’s] reign (on the 10th day of the 10th month) that King NebuChadnezzar of Babylon came against JeruSalem with his whole army... He camped outside of the city and built a siege mound around it!

² So the city remained cut off until the 11th year and 9th month of the ZedekiAh’s reign. ³ For by then, famine was raging throughout the city, and none of the people there had any bread.

⁴ And that’s when its walls were finally breached.

Well, when that happened, [the king] and his men slipped away during the night along a road that ran between the walls of the gate to the king’s garden... Then the Chaldeans (who were all around the city) chased after them along the desert road, ⁵ catching up with the king in the desert near JeriCho, where his men had deserted him.

⁶ So they captured the king and carried him back to the king of Babylon (who was in DebLatha at the time), where he was put on trial. ⁷ Then the king of Babylon had ZedekiAh’s sons slaughtered before his eyes, and he was blinded and carried off to Babylon in chains.

⁸ It was in the 5th month, on the 7th day of the month, in the 19th year of the reign of King NebuChadnezzar of Babylon that NabuZarDan (the king of Babylon’s chief body guard) came to JeruSalem.

⁹ He then burned the Temple of Yahweh, the king’s palace, and all the houses in JeruSalem… He burned everything, ¹⁰ and he had his soldiers tear down JeruSalem’s walls!

¹¹ The only people he left behind were those who had sided with the king of Babylon.

And thereafter, NabuZarDan (the chief guard) removed his troops, ¹² leaving behind just the poor of the land as vinedressers and farmers.

¹³ The Chaldeans thereafter broke up the brass columns in the Temple of Yahweh, as well as the basins and the Sacred Sea, and carried all the brass back to Babylon!

¹⁴ They also took:

• All the cooking pots,

• The shovels,

• The bowls,

• The incense pans...

...and everything else in the Temple that was made of brass, ¹⁵ as well as the gold and silver censers and bowls.

¹⁶ Well, with the two columns, the Sacred Sea, and the bases that Solomon had made for the Temple of Yahweh, no one could estimate the weight of all the brass that they took!

¹⁷ For each column stood 30 feet (9.1m) tall, and the brass caps for each column stood 5 feet (153cm) tall... There was also the latticework, the brass pomegranates that were all around each of the caps, and the 100 of brass pomegranates that were around the latticework on each column.

¹⁸ The chief bodyguard also took the High Priest SaraiJah and his son ZephaniAh (who was in charge of [Temple] collections). ¹⁹ In addition, he carried off:

• All the eunuchs who were in charge of the troops,

• 5 of the king’s advisors,

• The secretary of the army (who handled recruiting), and

• 60 other people whom he found in the city.

²⁰ NabuZarDan (the chief guard) then took them to the king of Babylon (who was in DebLatha), ²¹ who had them all killed in DebLatha (which is in the land of HaMath).

Then he removed all the people of Judah and resettled them [away from] their own land.

²² Thereafter, King NebuChadnezzar of Babylon appointed GedaliAh (son of AchiKam and grandson of ShaPhan) to rule over all those who were still left in the land of Judah.

²³ And when all the army generals and their men heard that the king of Babylon had put GedaliAh in charge, IshmaEl (son of NathaniAh), JoAnan (son of Kareth), SariAh (son of ThanaMath the NetoPhathite), and JezoniJah (son of the Mahathite) and their men went to GedaliAh in MizPah.

²⁴ There he swore an oath to them and their men, saying:

‘You don’t have to be afraid when the Chaldeans leave, for if you’ll just settle yourselves in the land and serve the king of Babylon, all will go well for you.’

²⁵ But in the 7th month, IshmaEl (son of NathaniJah and grandson of EliSama), who was related to the kings, took ten men and murdered GedaliAh along with all the Judeans and Chaldeans that were with him in MizPah!

²⁶ So, all the people (the small and the great) and the army generals got up and fled to Egypt, because they were afraid of what the Chaldeans would do to them.

²⁷ It was in the 37th year after King JehoiAchin of Judah had been carried away (on the 7th day of the 12th month), that Ebil Marodach became the king of Babylon.

And during the 1st year of his reign, he released JehoiAchin (the king of Judah) from prison ²⁸ and said good things about him... Then he put him on a throne that was higher than those of all the other kings who were in Babylon!

²⁹ He also gave him new clothes to wear and allowed him to eat [at his table] for the rest of his life… ³⁰ So he thereafter feasted in the palace of the king everyday [until he died].

1 Chronicles

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1 Chronicles is a history book written from a religious viewpoint.

It’s the first part of a two-part book: 1 Chronicles and 2 Chronicles. It’s pronounced ‘First Chronicles,’ although some people say ‘One Chronicles.’

The books of Chronicles are a retelling of the history the Jewish people, starting with genealogies, before jumping into the time of King David. So it repeats much information found the previous Bible books – but in a more condensed way, with a few extra details added in.

Part one covers the period from the creation of Adam to the death of King David.

Difficult portions

The book begins with many long lists, with some names reflecting different, later, spellings compared to what’s recorded in 1 and 2 Kings. These may not be suitable for casual reading. If you wish to jump to where the story begins, go straight to 1 Chronicles 10:1.

Why repeat this history again?

The two books of Chronicles were originally just one book. It was written for the Jews who returned home from the Babylonian exile to rebuild their nation. Perhaps it acted as a way of encouraging patriotism among the population, while also encouraging them to serve their God, Yahweh.

It was probably written by the Scribe Ezra, likely with the help of secretaries, around 455 BCE.

1 Chronicles 1

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• ¹ Adam,

• Seth,

• Enosh,

• ² Kainan,

• MaHalaleEl,

• JaRed,

• ³ Enoch,

• MethuSelah,

• Lamech,

• ⁴ Noah.

Noah’s sons were:

• Shem,

• Ham, and

• JaPheth.

⁵ JaPheth’s sons were:

• Gomer,

• Magog,

• Madai,

• Javan,

• EliSha,

• Tubal,

• MeShech, and

• Thiras.

⁶ Gomer’s sons were:

• AshKenaz,

• RiPhath, and

• TogarMah.

⁷ Javan’s sons were:

• EliSha,

• Tharsis,

• KitTim, and

• Rodanim.

⁸ Ham’s sons were:

• Kush,

• Mesraim,

• Put, and

• CanaAn.

⁹ Kush’s sons were:

• Saba,

• HaviLah,

• SaBatha,

• RegMa, and

• SebethAha.

RegMa’s sons were:

• SheBa, and

• DeDan.

¹⁰ It was Kush who [also] fathered NimRod, who became a giant on the earth.

[Editor note: Our Greek Septuagint source text doesn’t include verses 11 to 16, or verses 18 to 23. Perhaps someone added these extra names into the Hebrew text after the Greek translation was completed, or maybe there’s some other explanation.]

¹¹ Mizraim’s sons were:

• Ludim,

• Anamim,

• Lehabim,

• Naphtuhim,

• ¹² Pathrusim,

• Casluhim (where the Philistines came from), and

• Caphtorim.

¹³ Canaan became the father of Sidon his firstborn, plus:

• Heth,

• ¹⁴ The Jebusites,

• The Amorites,

• The Girgashite,

• ¹⁵ The Hivites,

• The Arkites,

• The Sinites,

• ¹⁶ The Arvadites,

• The Zemarites, and

• The Hamathite.

[Editor note: As you’ll see, these insertions appear right in the middle of the list of Shem’s sons, but not in our Greek Septuagint source.]

¹⁷ Shem’s descendants were:

• ElAm,

• AsSur,

¹⁸ Arpachshad became the father of Shelah, and Shelah became the father of Eber.

¹⁹ To Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg; for in his days the earth was divided; and his brother's name was Joktan.

²⁰ Joktan became the father of:

• Almodad,

• Sheleph,

• Hazarmaveth,

• Jerah,

• ²¹ Hadoram,

• Uzal,

• Diklah,

• ²² Ebal,

• Abimael,

• Sheba,

• ²³ Ophir,

• Havilah, and

• Jobab.

All these were the sons of Joktan.

²⁴ and

• ArphaxAd.

²⁵ [Then, from ArphaxAd came] SheLah, [whose son was] Heber...

• [Whose son was] Peleg,

• [Whose son was] Ragau,

• ²⁶ [Whose son was] Seruk,

• [Whose son was] NaHor, and

• [Whose son was] Terah.

²⁷ AbraHam’s sons were:

• ²⁸ IsaAc, and

• IshMaEl.

²⁹ These are the genealogies:

The firstborn of IshMaEl was NabayOth, then:

• Kedar,

• NabDeEl,

• MabSam,

• ³⁰ MasMa,

• IdoUma,

• MasSe,

• Adad,

• ThaIman,

• ³¹ JetTur,

• Naphes, and

• Kedma.

They were the sons of IshMaEl.

³² The sons of KeTurAh (AbraHam’s concubine) were:

• ZemBram,

• JexAn,

• MidiAn,

• MeDan,

• Sobak, and

• Soe.

The sons of JexAn were DeDan and SheBa.

³³ The sons of MidiAn were:

• GaiPhar,

• Opher,

• Enok,

• AviDa, and

• ElLada.

These were the sons of KeTurAh.

³⁴ AbraHam fathered IsaAc, and IsaAc’s sons were:

• Jacob, and

• Esau.

³⁵ Esau’s sons were:

• EliPhaz,

• RagouEl,

• JeSous,

• JegLam, and

• Koreh.

³⁶ The sons of EliPhaz were:

• ThaiMan,

• Omar,

• ZepPhoue,

• GoOtham, and

• Kanez.

Also, through ThamNa, he had a son named Amalec.

³⁷ The sons of RagouEl were:

• NaCheth,

• ZaRe,

• SamMah, and

• Mazeh.

³⁸ The sons of SeEir were:

• LoTan,

• Soubal,

• SebeGon,

• Ana,

• DeSon,

• Asar, and

• Disan.

³⁹ LoTan’s sons were:

• ChorRei, and

• Imam.

LoTan also had a sister named ThamNa.

⁴⁰ Soubal’s sons were:

• AlouAm,

• ManaAth,

• Oubal,

• SapPhei, and

• Onam.

SebeGon’s sons were:

• Aia, and

• Ana.

⁴¹ Ana’s son was DeSon, and DeSon’s sons were:

• Amadan,

• EseBan,

• JeThran, and

• CharRan.

⁴² Asar’s sons were:

• BalaAn,

• ZaAn, and

• JoKan.

DeSon’s sons were:

•Uz, and

•Aran.

⁴³ These are the kings who ruled in Edom before there were any kings in IsraEl:

• First, there was Balak (son of BeOr), [who ruled from] DenNaba.

• ⁴⁴ When he died, Jobab (son of ZaRa) started reigning from BozRah.

• ⁴⁵ After Jobab died, Asom (who was from the land of the Temanites) became the king.

• ⁴⁶ Then after Asom died, Adad (son of BarAd) started to rule – he’s the one who captured MidiAn in the plains of MoAb – and the name of his city was GetThaim.

• ⁴⁷ Then Adad died and SebLa from MasekKah became the king.

• ⁴⁸ After SebLa died, Saul from RobOth by the River became the king.

• ⁴⁹ Then Saul died and BelaEnNor (son of AchObor) became the king.

• ⁵⁰ And when BelaEnNor died, Adad (son of BarAd) started ruling after him. The name of his city was PhoGor.

⁵¹ These were the Governors of Edom:

• Governor ThamNa,

• Governor GolaDa,

• Governor JeTher,

• ⁵² Governor EliBamah,

• Governor ElAs,

• Governor PhiNon,

• ⁵³ Governor Kenez,

• Governor ThaIman,

• Governor MabSar,

• ⁵⁴ Governor MagediEl, and

• Governor ZaphoIn.

These were the Governors of Edom.

1 Chronicles 2

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¹ These are the names of the sons and Lords of IsraEl:

• ReuBen,

• SimeOn,

• Levi,

• Judah,

• IsSachar,

• ZebuLun,

• ² Dan,

• JoSeph,

• BenJamin,

• NaphTali,

• Gad, and

• Asher.

³ The sons of Judah were:

• Er,

• Onan, and

• SeLom.

All three were born to him through the daughter of Shua the CanaAnite.

Er was his firstborn, but he proved to be wicked before Yahweh, so He killed him. ⁴ Then through his daughter-in-law Tamar, he fathered Perez and Zerah.

So, all 5 were the sons of Judah.

⁵ The sons of Perez were:

• HezRon, and

• JemouEl.

⁶ The sons of Zerah were:

• ZamBri,

• AiThan,

• HeMan,

• KalChal, and

• Darad.

[A total of] 5 sons.

⁷ The son of CharMi was Achar, who brought trouble on IsraEl by breaking the agreement [with God] and was then destroyed.

⁸ The son of AiThan was AzariJah.

⁹ The sons of HezRon that were born to him through JaRameEl were:

• Aram, and

• ChelubAi.

¹⁰ Then Aram fathered AmiNadab, and AmiNadab fathered NahShon, who became the head of the house of Judah.

¹¹ NahShon fathered SalMon, SalMon fathered BoAz, ¹² BoAz fathered Obed, and Obed fathered JesSe.

¹³ JesSe’s sons were:

• EliAb (the firstborn),

• AmiNadab (the 2nd),

• SamaAh (the 3rd),

• ¹⁴ NathaniEl (the 4th),

• ZadDai (the 5th),

• ¹⁵ Asom (the 6th), and

• David (the 7th).

¹⁶ Their sisters were ZeruJah and AbiGail.

The three sons of ZeruJah were:

• AbiShai,

• JoAb, and

• AsahEl.

¹⁷ AbiGail gave birth to AmaSa (whose father was JoThor the IshMaElite) ¹⁸ and Caleb (son of HezRon). He then took Azouba (the daughter of JeriOth) as his woman, and these are her sons:

• JaSar,

• Soubab, and

• Orna.

¹⁹ Then Azouba died and Caleb married EphRath, who gave birth to Or.

²⁰ Or then fathered Ouri, and Ouri fathered BeseleEl.

²¹ It was after this that Lord HezRon [had sex with] the daughter of MachIr (who was the father of GileAd); then he married her when he was 65 years old and she gave birth to SegUb.

²² Then SegUb fathered JaIr, who [ruled over] 23 cities in GileAd.

²³ Then GedSur and Aram took JaIr’s villages (including KaNath – some 60 villages all together), which belonged to the sons of MachIr, the father of GileAd.

²⁴ It was after HezRon died that Lord Caleb moved to EphRatha. HezRon’s woman was AbiJah, and she gave birth to AsChod, who became the father of ThekoE.

²⁵ These are the sons of JaRameEl (HezRon’s firstborn):

• Ram (his firstborn),

• then BaAna,

• then Aran, and

• his brother Asom.

²⁶ But JaRameEl also had another woman whose name was Atara, and she was the mother of Ozom.

²⁷ These were the sons of Ram:

• JaRameEl (his firstborn),

• then MaAs,

• JaMin, and

• Akor.

²⁸ Ozom’s sons were:

• SamAi, and

• JaDae.

The sons of SamAi were:

• NaDab, and

• AbiShur.

²⁹ Then AbiShur married AbiHail and she gave birth to:

• AchAbar, and

• ModDi.

³⁰ The sons of NaDab were:

• Seled, and

• AphaIn.

Then Lord Seled died without any children, ³¹ but [his brother] AphaIn fathered IshEmiEl, who fathered SoSan, and SoSan fathered AadAi.

³² The sons of AadAi were:

• AchiSamas,

• JeTher, and

• JoNathan.

Then Lord JeTher died without having any children.

³³ But the sons of JoNathan were:

• PhalEd, and

• Ozam.

These were all descendants of JaRameEl.

³⁴ Now, no sons were born to SoSan, just daughters. But SoSan was given a [male] Egyptian slave named JochEl, ³⁵ and he gave his daughter [to this slave] as his woman, then she gave birth to Ethi.

³⁶ Thereafter:

• Ethi fathered Nathan,

• Nathan fathered Zabed,

• ³⁷ Zabed fathered AphamEl,

• AphamEl fathered Obed,

• ³⁸ Obed fathered JeOu,

• JeOu fathered AzariJah,

• ³⁹ AzariJah fathered HelLes,

• HelLes fathered EliaAsa,

• ⁴⁰ EliaAsa fathered SosomAi,

• SosomAi fathered SaloUm,

• ⁴¹ SaloUm fathered JechemiJah,

• JechemiJah fathered EliShama, and

• EliShama fathered IshMaEl.

⁴² The firstborn son of Caleb (JaRameEl’s brother) was MariSha, who fathered:

• Ziph, and

• HebRon.

⁴³ HebRon’s sons were:

• KorAh,

• ThaPhous,

• Rekom, and

• SamaAh.

⁴⁴ SamaAh fathered RaEm, and he fathered JekLan. JekLan then fathered SamAi, ⁴⁵ and SamAi’s son was MaOn, who founded BethZur.

⁴⁶ Caleb’s concubine GaiPha gave birth to:

• ArRan,

• Mosa, and

• GezoWe.

⁴⁷ The sons of Caleb’s concubine AdDai were:

• Ragem,

• JoAtham,

• Sogar,

• Phalek,

• GaiPha, and

• SagaE.

⁴⁸ And his sons through his concubine Mocha were:

•Saber,

• ThaRam, ⁴⁹ and

• SagaE.

[And SagaE] fathered:

• MarMena,

• MachaMena, and

• GaiBaAh.

Caleb also had a daughter named AshChah. ⁵⁰ These were the descendants of Caleb.

The sons of Or were:

• EphRatha (his firstborn),

• SoBal (who founded KiriAth JaiRim), ⁵¹ and

• Arim (who founded BethGedor).

⁵² These are the sons of SoBal (the founder of KiriAth JaiRim, AraAh, AiSi, AmManith, ⁵³ OumasPhae, and the city of JaIr):

• AiThalim,

• MiphiThim,

• EsamaThim, and

• EmaSaraim.

They were the ones who fathered the SaraThaeans and the sons of EsthaAm.

⁵⁴ Salma’s [descendants] founded BethLehem, as well as:

• The NetoPhathites,

• AtarOth of the house of JoAb,

• Half of the houses of MaLathi and EsAri,

• ⁵⁵ The families of the scribes that live in JaBish,

• The TharGathiIm,

• The SamathiIm,

• The Sochathim (the KinaEans),

• Those who come from MeSema, and

• He was the father of the house of RechAb.

1 Chronicles 3

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¹ These are the sons of David who were born to him in HebRon:

• The firstborn was AmNon, whose mother was AchinaAm the JezreElite.

• The 2nd was DaniEl, son of AbiGail the CarMelite.

• ² The 3rd was AbSalom, son of Mocha, who was the daughter of TholMai the king of GedsoUr.

• The 4th was AdoniJah, son of HagGith.

• ³ The 5th was ShaphatiYa.

⁴ These sons were born to him in HebRon, where he reigned for 7 years and 6 months.

After that, he reigned in JeruSalem for 33 years, ⁵ and 4 sons were born to him there through BathSheba (the daughter of AmiEl). They were:

• KamaAh,

• SoBab,

• Nathan, and

• Solomon.

⁶ There was also:

• Ebar,

• EliSha,

• EliPhaleth,

• ⁷ NagAi ,

• NaPhek,

• HeAphie,

• ⁸ EliSama,

• EliAda, and

• EliPhala…

Yes, 9 sons that were born to David, ⁹ in addition to the sons of his concubines and his sister, Tamar.

¹⁰ The descendants of Solomon were:

• RehoBoam,

• Then his son AbiJah,

• Then his son Asa,

• Then his son JehoShaphat,

• Then his son ¹¹ JehoRam,

• Then his son AhaziJah,

• Then his son JehoAsh,

• Then his son ¹² AmaziJah,

• Then his son AzariJah,

• Then his son JoTham,

• Then his son ¹³ Ahaz,

• Then his son HezekiJah,

• Then his son ManasSeh,

• Then his son ¹⁴ Amon, and

• Then his son JosiAh.

¹⁵ The sons of JosiAh were:

• JoHanan (his firstborn),

• The 2nd was JehoiAkim,

• The 3rd was ZedekiAh, and

• The 4th was ShalLum.

¹⁶ The sons of JehoiAkim were:

• JeconiJah, and

• ZedekiAh.

¹⁷ Then the sons of JeconiJah were:

• Asir,

• ShalathiEl,

• ¹⁸ MelchiRam,

• PhadiJah,

• SaneSar,

• JeKemYa,

• OsamAth, and

• NabadYas.

¹⁹ The sons of ShalathiEl were:

• ZerubBabel, and

• ShiMei.

The sons of ZerubBabel were:

• MosolLam,

• HananiJah, and

• Their sister SalomEth.

²⁰ He also had 5 more sons:

• AsoUbe,

• Ool,

• BarachiAh,

• AsadiJah, and

• AsoBed.

²¹ The descendants of HananiJah were:

• PhaletTiJah,

• His son JesiJah,

• His son Raphal,

• His son Orna,

• His son AbDiJah,

• His son ShecheniJah, and

• ²² His son ShemaiJah.

ShemaiJah had 6 sons:

• HatTush,

• Igal,

• BeriJah,

• NeaJah, and

• ShaPhat.

²³ NeaJah had 3 sons:

• EliOnai,

• HezekiJah, and

• EzriKam.

²⁴ EliOnai had 7 sons:

• OdolJa,

• EliAsEbon,

• PhadaJa,

• AkoUb,

• JoHanan,

• DalaiJa, and

• Hanan.

1 Chronicles 4

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¹ The sons of Judah were:

• Perez,

• HezRon,

• Carmi,

• Or,

• Soubal, ² and,

• His son Rada.

Soubal fathered Jeth, and Jeth fathered:

• AchiMai, and

• LaAd.

These are genealogies of SaraThi:

³ The sons of AiTam were:

• JezreEl,

• JesMan, and

• IdBash.

Their sister’s name was EselebBon.

⁴ PhanouEl was the father of Gedor, and Azer was the father of Osan.

The firstborn son of Or was EphRatha, who was the founder of BethLehem.

⁵ And AsoUr (whose father was ThekoE) had two women, Aoda and ThoAda.

⁶ Aoda gave birth to:

• OchaiJa,

• Ephal,

• ThaIman, and

• HaAsther.

Those were all her sons.

⁷ And the sons of ThoAda were:

• Serek,

• SaAr, and

• EthNan.

⁸ Kos fathered:

• Enob, and

• SabaTha.

They’re related to the brother of ReChab, son of JaRin.

⁹ JaBez was the most honorable among all his brothers, and his mother named him JaBez, because she said:

‘I have given birth in pain [Hebrew: JaBez].’

¹⁰ And it was JaBez who called on the God of IsraEl, saying:

‘O please bless me, expand my borders, and may Your hand be with me… Teach me Your wisdom so I don’t [make a fool] of myself.’

And God gave him everything that he asked for.

¹¹ Caleb (the father of AsCha) fathered MachIr, who became the father of AshSathon.

¹² Then AshSathon fathered:

• BathRaiAn,

• BesSee, and

• Thana (who was the founder of the city of NaHash and a relative of Eselom the Kenezite, who lived in Repha).

¹³ The sons of Kenez were:

• GothoniEl, and

• SaraJa.

GothoniEl’s sons were:

• AthAth ¹⁴ and

• ManAthi (who fathered GoPhera).

SaraJa fathered JoAb, who was the father of the Harashim, who were craftsmen.

¹⁵ The descendants of Caleb (son of JePhonNe) were:

• Era,

• ElAh, and

• NoOm.

And ElAh’s son was Kenez.

¹⁶ The sons of GeseEl were:

• Ziph,

• Zepha,

• ThephiJa, and

• EseraEl.

¹⁷ The sons of EseraEl were:

• JeTher,

• Morad,

• Apher, and

• JaMon.

JeTher was the father of:

• MaRon,

• SemAi, and

• MaReth (who was the father of EsthaIMon).

¹⁸ Then his Judean woman gave birth to:

• JaRed the father of Gedor,

• Heber the father of Socho, and

• JechoutiEl the father of ZaNoe.

These are the sons of BethThouiJah (the daughter of PharaOh) who was taken by Marod, ¹⁹ and the sons of his woman Hodia, the sister of Nahum ([who was also] the father of KeiLa the GarMite and EsthaIMon the Nochathite):

• ²⁰ Simon,

• AmNon,

• Rena (whose sons were HanNan and ThiLon), and

• Ishi, whose descendants were ZoHath and the ZoHathites.

²¹ The son of SeLom (Judah’s son) was Er.

He became the father of LeChab and LaAda, who was the father of MariSha, as well as to all the descendants of the families of:

• EphraDabak,

• The house of Esoba,

• ²² JoAkim,

• The men of ChozEba,

• JoAs, and

• ShaPhat (who lived in MoAb and returned [with Moabite women named] AbeDerin and Athoukiim).

²³ This [family] became the potters who live in Ataim and GadeRa; and since they were supporters of the king, they became very powerful in these cities.

²⁴ The sons of SimeOn were:

• NamouEl,

• JaMin,

• JaRib,

• ZaRe,

• Saul, ²⁵ and

• Salem, whose son was MabaSam.

[MabaSam’s] son was MasMa, and:

• His son was ²⁶ AmJaRameElouEl,

• His son was SaboUd,

• His son was ZakChour, and

• His son was ShiMei.

²⁷ ShiMei had 16 sons and 3 daughters. And since there were so few daughters, their families didn’t grow as large in Judah as did those of their brothers.

²⁸ The families [of ShiMei] lived in:

• BeerSheba,

• Sama,

• MoLada,

• EserSouAl,

• ²⁹ BalaAh,

• BoAsom,

• ThoUlad,

• ³⁰ BathOuEl,

• Erma,

• ZikLag,

• ³¹ BethMariMoth,

• EmiSouseOsin, and

• BethBarouseOrim, where they lived until the reign of King David.

³² They also owned:

• AiTan,

• En,

• RemMon,

• ThokKan, and

• AiSan (5 cities), ³³ as well as the land all around these cities all the way to [the city of] BaAl.

They owned it all, and it was distributed among the families of:

• ³⁴ MosoBab,

• Amalek,

• JosiJah,

• The sons of AmasiJah,

• ³⁵ JoEl (son of AsAbiJah, son of SaraiJa, son of AsiEl),

• ³⁶ EliOnai,

• JakAba,

• JasouJah,

• AsaiJah,

• JediEl,

• IsMaEl,

• BenaiJah,

• ³⁷ ZoUza (son of SaphAi, son of Alon, son of JediJah, son of SemRi, son of SamiJah).

³⁸ These were the names of the rulers of their generations and the heads of their families (which grew in great numbers). ³⁹ Their land ran from GeraRa to east of Gai, because they needed a lot of pasture for all their animals.

⁴⁰ This land had good pasture, and it was large enough for all their animals. It was also a peaceful, restful land… It was where the sons of Ham had lived previously.

⁴¹ But it was during the reign of King HezekiAh of Judah that an edict was passed and they attacked the houses there (as well as all the Minaeans whom they found there), and they’ve been wiped out until this day.

So, [the family of Judah] moved in and claimed the pastures for their animals.

⁴² Also, 500 of the descendants of SimeOn moved there, near Mount SeIr.

They were led by the sons of JesSie, who were:

• PhalaEtiJah,

• NoAdiJah,

• RaphiJah, and

• OziEl.

⁴³ They killed the rest of the AmaLechites who lived there, and they still live in that land to this day.

1 Chronicles 5

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¹  These are the sons of ReuBen, the firstborn of IsraEl.

Although he was the firstborn; because he climbed onto the marriage-bed of his father, [his father] gave the blessing to his son JoSeph (son of IsraEl). So, the rights of the firstborn aren’t traced through [ReuBen’s] family line.

² Also, since Judah was the most powerful among his brothers, a leader came from him, although the blessing [of the firstborn] went to JoSeph.

³ The sons of ReuBen (IsraEl’s firstborn) were:

• Enoch,

• PalLu,

• AsRom, and

• Charmi.

⁴ The son of JoEl was ShiMei, and his son was BenaiJah.

GoUg was [another] son of ShiMei, ⁵ and his son was Micha...

• Whose son was Recha,

• Whose son was JoEl,

• ⁶ Whose son was BeEl.

BeEl was relocated by King Tiglath Pileser [III] of Assyria, and he’s the leader of the ReuBenites.

⁷ These are the genealogies of BeEl’s brothers and countrymen who were also resettled [by Tiglath-Pileser III]:

The first was JoEl, then ZachariJah.

⁸ [Then came:]

• Balek,

• His son AzoUz,

• His son Sama,

• His son JoEl.

They lived in AroEr, Nebo, and BelMasSon.

⁹ This family [was relocated] to the east and lived along the edge of the desert near the EuPhrates River. But, back in the land of GileAd, they had owned many cattle.

¹⁰ And during the time of Saul, they were known to attack and kill travelers from their tents that were located to the east of GileAd.

¹¹ Bordering them was the territory of the sons of Gad, which ran from the land of BaShan to SelCha.

¹² JoEl was his firstborn, then ShaPham and JaNin (who was the scribe in BaShan).

¹³ The 7 heads of their family lines were:

• MichaEl,

• MosolLam,

• SebeE,

• JoReE,

• JoAchan,

• ZouE, and

• Heber.

¹⁴ These were the sons of AbiChiJah...

• Who was Ouri’s son,

• Who was JaRoAh’s son,

• Who was GileAd’s son,

• Who was MichaEl’s son,

• Who was JeSai’s son,

• Who was JedDai’s son,

• Who was ZabouCham’s son,

• ¹⁵ Who was AbDiEl’s son,

• Who was GoUni’s son... The head of the house of those family lines.

¹⁶ They lived in the towns all around GileAd in the land of BaShan and in places all the way to the end of ShaRon. ¹⁷ However, they were relocated in the days of JoTham the king of Judah and JeroBoam the king of IsraEl.

¹⁸ The sons of ReuBen, Gad, and the half-tribe of ManasSeh [had taken their land] with their army of trained swordsmen and bowmen… 44,760 men, who were fully prepared for battle.

¹⁹ They went to war with the:

• Hagareans,

• Itoureans,

• NaphiSeans, and

• NaDabeans...

²⁰ ...and beat them.

The Hagareans were all given into their hands, along with their tents, because, during the battle [the IsraElites] called out to God – putting their hope in Him – and He listened to them.

²¹ So they captured all their belongings:

• 5,000 camels,

• 250,000 sheep,

• 2,000 burros, and

• The lives of 100,000 men.

²² That many were killed, because God was fighting the war. So, they lived in their land until they were relocated.

²³ The large half-tribe of ManasSeh lived in the land that ran from BaShan, to BaAl HerMon, to SenIr, to Mount HerMon, and into Lebanon.

²⁴ Here are the heads of their family lines:

• Opher,

• Sei,

• EliEl,

• JeremiJah,

• OdouJah, and

• JediEl.

They were all great, mighty, and famous men… The heads of their family lines.

²⁵ However, they annulled their allegiance with the God of their fathers and prostituted themselves with the gods of the peoples of the land that God had removed from before them.

²⁶ So, the God of IsraEl caused the spirit of King Pul of Assyria [also known as Tiglath-Pileser III], to become enraged with them. So, he sent 50,000 men and they relocated [the tribes of] ReuBen, Gad, and the half-tribe of ManasSeh... He moved them to Chalak and Mabor along the Gozan River, where they still are today.

1 Chronicles 6

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¹ The sons of Levi were:

• GedSon,

• KoHath, and

• MeraRi.

² KoHath’s sons were:

• AmBram,

• IsSaAr,

• HebRon, and

• OziEl.

³ AmBram’s children were:

• Aaron,

• Moses, and

• their sister MiriAm.

Aaron’s sons were:

• NaDab,

• AbiHu,

• EliEzer, and

• IthaMar.

⁴ EliEzer fathered PhiNehas, and:

• PhiNehas fathered AbiSou,

• ⁵ AbiSou fathered BokAi,

• BokAi fathered Ozi,

• ⁶ Ozi fathered ZariJah,

• ZariJah fathered MariOth,

• ⁷ MariOth fathered AmariJah,

• AmariJah fathered AhiTub,

• ⁸ AhiTub fathered ZaDok,

• ZaDok fathered AchimaAs,

• ⁹ AchimaAs fathered AzarYan,

• AzarYan fathered JoHanan,

• ¹⁰ JoHanan fathered AzariJah (who was the Priest in the Temple that Solomon built in JeruSalem),

• ¹¹ AzariJah fathered AmariJah,

• AmariJah fathered AhiTub,

• ¹² AhiTub fathered ZaDok,

• ZaDok fathered SelLum,

• ¹³ SelLum fathered HelkiJah,

• HelkiJah fathered AzariJah,

• ¹⁴ AzariJah fathered SaraiJah,

• SaraiJah fathered JoSadak,

• ¹⁵ And JoSadak was carried off when Judah and JeruSalem were relocated to Babylon by NebuChadnezzar.

¹⁶ The sons of Levi were:

• GedSon,

• KoHath, and

• MeraRi.

¹⁷ The names of the sons of GedSon were:

•LoBeni, and

•ShiMei.

¹⁸ The sons of KoHath were:

• AmBram,

• IsSaAr,

• HebRon, and

• OziEl.

¹⁹ And the sons of MeraRi were:

• MoOli, and

• OmoUsi.

These are the descendants of Levi by their families:

• ²⁰ GedSon’s son was LoBeni,

• His son was Jeth,

• His son was SamMa,

• His son ²¹ was JoAb,

• His son was AdDo,

• His son was ZaRa, and

• His son was JethRi.

²² The descendants of KoHath were AmiNadab:

• His son Kor,

• His son Aser,

• His son ²³ ElKana,

• His son AbiSaph,

• His son Aser,

• His son ²⁴ ThaAth,

• His son OureEl and,

• His son OziJa.

²⁵ The sons of ElKana were:

• AmaSi,

• AchimOth, ²⁶ and

• SoUphi.

[SoUphi’s] son was NaAth and:

• His son ²⁷ was EliAb,

• His son was JereAm,

• His son was ElKana, and

• His son was SamuEl.

²⁸ These are the sons of SamuEl:

• His firstborn was JoEl, and

• His 2nd was AbiJah.

²⁹ The sons of MeraRi were:

• MoOli, and

• LoBeni.

[And LoBeni’s] son was ShiMei, and:

• His son was OziJah,

• His son ³⁰ was SamaAh,

• His son was AgGiJah, and

• His son was AsaiJah.

³¹ These are the ones whom David put in charge of the chorus that sang at the Temple of Yahweh when the [Sacred] Chest was brought there.

³² They were also the ones who officiated at the Tent of Proofs until Solomon built the Temple of Yahweh in JeruSalem, and they each handled their own assigned duties.

³³ And these are the ones who served there and their [assistants]:

From the sons of KoHath there was HeMan, who was the lead singer. He was the son of JoEl...

• The son of SamuEl,

• ³⁴ Son of ElKana,

• Son of JerEbam,

• Son of EliEl,

• Son of Thou,

• ³⁵ Son of SoUph,

• Son of ElKana,

• Son of MaAth,

• Son of AmaThi,

• ³⁶ Son of ElKana,

• Son of JoEl,

• Son of AzariJa,

• Son of SaphaniJah,

• ³⁷ Son of ThaAth,

• Son of Aser,

• Son of AbiAsaph,

• Son of KorAh,

• ³⁸ Son of IsaAr,

• Son of KoHath,

• Son of Levi, and

• Son of IsraEl.

³⁹ [HeMan’s] assistant was Asaph (who stood on his right), who was...

• The son of BarachiJah,

• Son of SamaAh,

• ⁴⁰ Son of MichaEl,

• Son of BaAsiJah,

• Son of MelchiJah,

• ⁴¹ Son of Athani,

• Son of ZarAi,

• Son of AdAi,

• ⁴² Son of Ethan,

• Son of ZemMa,

• Son of ShiMei,

• ⁴³ Son of JeEth,

• Son of GerShon,

• Son of Levi.

⁴⁴ The assistant of MeraRi (the one who stood on his left) was Ethan, who was...

• The son of Kisa,

• Son of AbDi,

• Son of MaOch,

• ⁴⁵ Son of AsEbi,

• ⁴⁶ Son of AmasiJah,

• Son of HelkiJah,

• Son of AmasiJah,

• Son of Bani,

• Son of Semer,

• ⁴⁷ Son of MoOli,

• Son of MoUsi,

• Son of MeraRi,

• Son of Levi.

⁴⁸ And these were their brothers who were assigned responsibilities over the Tent and the Temple of God by Levite family lines:

⁴⁹ There was Aaron and his sons who offered whole burnt offerings on the Altar and burned incense on the incense Altar, working inside the Holy of Holies to atone for [the sins] of IsraEl, just as God’s servant Moses had instructed them.

⁵⁰ These are the sons of Aaron:

• EliEzer,

• His son PhiNehas,

• His son AbiSou,

• His son ⁵¹ BokAi,

• His son Ozi,

• His son ZaraiJah,

• His son ⁵² MariOth,

• His son AmariJah,

• His son AhiTub,

• His son ⁵³ ZaDok, and

• His son AchimaAs.

⁵⁴ These are the places where the sons of Aaron who descended from KoHath lived, by towns and borders, which were assigned by a lottery:

⁵⁵ They were given towns in the land of Judah that surrounded HebRon. ⁵⁶ However, the cities themselves and their fields were given to Caleb (son of JePhonNe).

⁵⁷ The sons of Aaron were also given the refuge cities of:

• HebRon,

• LobNa and its outskirts,

• SelNa and its outskirts,

• EsThamo and its outskirts,

• ⁵⁸ JeThar and its outskirts,

• DabIr and its outskirts,

• ⁵⁹ Asan and its outskirts, and

• BasaMus and its outskirts.

⁶⁰ Then in the tribe of BenJamin there was:

• GabaE and its outskirts,

• GalemEth and its outskirts, and

• AnathOth and its outskirts.

These 13 cities were assigned to their families.

⁶¹ The rest of the family of KoHath was assigned 10 cities in the half-tribe of ManasSeh by lottery, ⁶² and the descendants of GedSon were assigned 13 cities in the tribes of IsSachar, Asher, NaphTali, and ManasSeh (in BaShan).

⁶³ The descendants of MeraRi were assigned 12 cities (by lottery) in the tribes of ReuBen, Gad, and ZebuLun.

⁶⁴ In addition, the sons of IsraEl gave cities along their borders to the rest of the Levites. ⁶⁵ They assigned them by lottery in the tribes of the sons of Judah, SimeOn, and BenJamin.

⁶⁶ The descendants of KoHath were given cities and refuge cities along the borders of Ephraim:

• ⁶⁷ In and around SheChem,

• In the hills of Ephraim,

• In and around GaZer,

• ⁶⁸ In and around JekmaAn,

• In and around BethOron,

• ⁶⁹ In and around AiLon, and

• In and around GethRemMon.

⁷⁰ The half-tribe of ManasSeh gave to the rest of the descendants of KoHath:

• Anar and its outskirts, and

• JemblaAn and its outskirts.

⁷¹ They also gave to the rest of the descendants of GedSon:

• Golan in BaShan and its outskirts, and

• AstarOth and its outskirts.

⁷² The tribe of IsSachar gave them:

• KaDesh (and its outskirts),

• DaBor (and its outskirts),

• ⁷³ RamOth (and its surrounding towns),

• AiNan (and its outskirts).

⁷⁴ The tribe of Asher gave them:

• MaAsal and its outskirts,

• AbDon and its outskirts,

• ⁷⁵ Akak and its outskirts,

• RoOb and its outskirts.

⁷⁶ The tribe of NaphTali gave them:

• KaDesh in Galilee and its outskirts,

• HamOth and its outskirts, and

• KiriAth JaiRim and its outskirts.

⁷⁷ The tribe of ZebuLun gave to the remaining descendants of MeraRi:

• RemMon and its outskirts, and

• ThalLia and its outskirts.

⁷⁸ On the other side of the JorDan (from JeriCho to the east of the JorDan) the tribe of ReuBen gave them:

• Bosor (in the desert) and its outskirts,

• Jasa and its outskirts,

• ⁷⁹ KadMoth and its outskirts, and

• MaEphla and its outskirts.

⁸⁰ The tribe of Gad gave them:

• RamOth GileAd and its outskirts,

• MaAnaim and its outskirts,

• ⁸¹ HeshBon and its outskirts, and

• JaZer and its outskirts.

1 Chronicles 7

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¹ The 4 sons of IsSachar were:

• Thola,

• Phua,

• JasoUb, and

• SomBran.

² The sons of Thola were:

• Ozi,

• RaphiJah,

• JeriEl,

• JaMai,

• JeBasam, and

• SamuEl.

...who were each rulers of their houses and family lines.

Thola’s descendants were renowned for their greatness and strength through their generations. And during the time of David, their [army] was numbered at 22,600.

³ The 5 sons of Ozi were:

• JezRaiJah,

• MichaEl,

• AbDiOu,

• JoEl, and

• JesiJah...

...who were all rulers.

⁴ Each generation, as well as their houses and families, were renowned warriors. For [they were once] numbered at 36,000, because they had many women and many sons. ⁵ In fact, there were 87,000 mighty men listed in the genealogy of their family line!

⁶ The 3 sons of BenJamin were:

• Bale,

• BachIr, and

• JaDiEl.

⁷ Bale’s 5 sons were:

• AsEbon,

• Ozi,

• OziEl,

• JeriMoth, and

• Ouri.

...who were all the rulers of their houses and family lines.

They were also mighty warriors, for in their genealogy there are 22,034 listed.

⁸ The sons of BachIr were:

• ZemirAh,

• JoAs,

• EliEzer,

• ElioEnai,

• AmariJah,

• JeriMoth,

• AbiJah,

• AnathOth, and

• ElMemeth.

⁹ According to their genealogies, these were the rulers of their houses and family lines, among whom 20,200 are listed as mighty warriors.

¹⁰ The son of JadiEl was BalaAn, and his sons were:

• JaOus,

• BenJamin,

• AOth,

• ChenaAnah,

• ZaiThan,

• Tharsi, and

• AchiSaAr.

¹¹ All these sons of JadiEl were rulers of their families, and 17,200 are listed as mighty warriors. ¹² They include Saphin, Aphin, and the sons of RaOm… Especially his son Aer.

¹³ The sons of NaphTali through BalaA were:

• JasiEl,

• Goni,

• IsSaEr, and

• SalLour.

¹⁴ The sons of ManasSeh were:

• AseriEl (who was born through ManasSeh’s Syrian concubine), and

• MachIr, who was the father of GileAd.

¹⁵ MachIr took women [for GileAd] from among the Amphin and Mamphin, who were sisters. One was named MoOcha, and the second was SalpaAd.

Now, SalpaAd only had daughters, ¹⁶ but MoOcha provided MachIr [a male heir] named Perez, and another that was named Soros. His sons were:

• OuLam, and

• Rokom.

¹⁷ And OuLam had a son named Badan.

These were all the descendants of GileAd (son of MachIr and grandson of ManasSeh).

¹⁸ [GileAd] also had sisters. The one named MalechEth gave birth to:

• IsAdek,

• AbiEzer, and

• MaEla.

¹⁹ And the sons of SemiRa were:

• JaAim,

• SheChem,

• Lachim, and

• AniAn.

²⁰ The sons of Ephraim were:

• SothAla,

• BarAd,

• ThaAth,

• EliaAda,

• NomeE,

• ²¹ Zabed, and

• SothEle.

Then he had two sons named Azer and EliaAd, who were killed by the men of Gath (the natives of the land) because they tried to take their cattle. ²² So, Ephraim (their father) mourned for them a very long time, and their brothers came to comfort him.

²³ Then he [had sex with] his woman and she got pregnant and gave birth to a son whom he named BarAga (Son of Trouble), because of the bad things that had happened to his house ²⁴ and to those who were left.

Then he built:

• Upper and Lower BethOron,

• Ozan, and

• SeEra.

²⁵ [Thereafter, he had a son] named Raphe, who had sons named Saraph and ThaleEs.

ThaleEs had a son named ThaEn, who had a son ²⁶ named LaDan.

• His son was AmiOud,

• His son was EliSamAi,

• His son ²⁷ was NoUm, and

• His son was JesOue.

²⁸ They lived in and owned:

• BethEl and its surrounding villages,

• The villages east of NoAran and to the west of GaZer,

• SheChem and its villages, and

• All the villages up to Mount An.

²⁹ The borders of the sons of ManasSeh included:

• BethSaAn and its villages,

• ThaAnak and its villages,

• MegidDo and its villages, and

• Dor and its villages.

These are the places where the descendants of JoSeph through ManasSeh lived.

³⁰ The sons of Asher were:

• JemNa,

• SouYa,

• IsoWi,

• BeriJah, and

• SoRe was their sister.

³¹ The sons of BeriJah were:

• Chaber, and

• MelchiEl, who was the father of BerZaith.

³² Chaber was the father of:

• JaPhlet,

• Samer,

• Chotham, and

• their sister Sola.

³³ JaPhlet’s sons were:

• Phasek,

• BamaEl, and

• Asith.

³⁴ Samer’s sons were:

• Achir,

• Rouga,

• Oba, and

• Aram.

³⁵ The sons of his brother ([who was also known as] Bane ElAm) were:

• SoPha,

• YamNa,

• SelLes, and

• Amal.

³⁶ The sons of SoPha were:

• SoWeh,

• ArnaPhar,

• SoUda,

• BarIn,

• ImRan,

• ³⁷ Basar,

• JeoUd,

• SemMa,

• SaliSa,

• JethRan, and

• BeEra.

³⁸ The sons of JethRan were:

• JePhina,

• PhasPha, and

• Ara.

³⁹ The sons of Oba were:

• Orek,

• AniEl, and

• RasJa.

⁴⁰ These were all descendants of Asher, and they were each rulers of their family lines. They were the best of their kind; strong, mighty men who were leaders and rulers, and whose line of descent can be traced through war records… All 26,000 of them.

1 Chronicles 8

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¹ BenJamin fathered:

• Baleh (his firstborn), then...

• AsBel (his 2nd),

• Ara (his 3rd),

• ² Noa (his 4th), and

• RaPheh (his 5th).

³ The sons of Baleh were:

• Adir,

• Gera,

• AbiHud,

• ⁴ AbiShua,

• NoAma,

• AchiJah,

• ⁵ Gera,

• SephouPham, and

• OuRam.

⁶ These are the sons of Ehud that were the family heads that lived in GabeE, but were relocated to ManaHath:

• ⁷ NaAman,

• AchiA,

• Gera,

• JeglaAm (who fathered Aza and AhiHud), ⁸ and

• SaArin (who fathered children in the plains of MoAb after he sent his women Osin and BaAda away).

⁹ Through his woman Ada, he fathered:

• Jobab,

• SebJa,

• Misa,

• MelCham,

• ¹⁰ JoAs,

• SekiJah, and

• Marma.

These were his sons and the heads of their families.

¹¹ But through Osin, he fathered:

• AbiTol, and

• AlphaAl.

¹² AlphaAl’s sons were:

• Obed,

• MisaAl,

• SemMer (who built Ono, Lod, and their surrounding villages),

• ¹³ BeriJah, and

• Sama.

These were the family heads of the people who lived in AiLam and who drove out the people who lived in Gath.

¹⁴ They were related to the sons of BeriJah:

• SoSel,

• JeriMoth,

• ¹⁵ ZabadiJa,

• Ored,

• Eder,

• ¹⁶ MichaEl,

• JesPha, and

• Joda.

¹⁷ Also to the sons of ElPhaAl:

• ZabadJa,

• MosoLam,

• Azaki,

• Abar,

• ¹⁸ IsAlmari,

• JezliAs, and

• Jobab

¹⁹ Also to the sons of ShiMei:

• JaKim,

• ZachRi,

• ZabDi,

• ²⁰ EliOnai,

• SalaThi,

• EliEl,

• ²¹ AdaiJah,

• BaraiJah, and

• SamarAth.

²² Also to the sons of SoSek:

• JesPhan,

• Obed,

• EleEl,

• ²³ AbDon,

• ZechRi,

• Hanan,

• ²⁴ HananiJah,

• Ambri,

• AiLam,

• AnathOth,

• ²⁵ JephadiJah, and

• PhanouEl.

²⁶ Also to the sons of JeroHam:

• SamSari,

• SaAriJah,

• GotholiJa,

• ²⁷ JarasiJah,

• EriJah, and

• ZechRi.

²⁸ These are the heads of their families and their generations… The chiefs who lived in JeruSalem.

²⁹ The founder of [the city of] GibeOn, JeEl, had a woman [called] MaAcha.

³⁰ His firstborn son was AbaDon, then:

• SoUr,

• Kish,

• BaAl,

• Ner,

• NaDab,

• ³¹ GedoUr,

• ZakChoUr, ³² and

• MakelOth (who was the father of SamaiJah).

They all lived around their families in JeruSalem.

• ³³ Ner fathered Kish,

• Kish fathered Saul, and

• Saul fathered JoNathan, MelchiShua, AmiNadab, and AsaBal.

³⁴ JoNathan’s son was MeriBaAl, and MeriBaAl’s son was MiChah.

³⁵ And MiChah’s sons were:

• PhiThon,

• MelAk,

• TharAk, and

• Ahaz.

³⁶ [In turn,] Ahaz fathered JaDa, and JaDa fathered:

• SalaiMath,

• AsMoth, and

• ZamBri.

ZamBri fathered MaiSa, ³⁷ and MaiSa fathered:

• BaAna, and

• RaphaiJah.

[RaphaiJah’s] son was ElAsa, and his son was EsEl.

³⁸ EsEl had 6 sons:

• EzriKam (his firstborn),

• IsMaEl,

• SaraiJah,

• AbDiA,

• Hanan, and

• Asa

These were all the sons of EsEl.

³⁹ And the sons of EsEl’s brother EshEck were:

• Ulam (his firstborn),

• Jas (his 2nd), and

• EliPhalet (his 3rd).

⁴⁰ These were the strong and mighty bowmen of AiLam who produced 150 sons. And these were all the sons of BenJamin.

1 Chronicles 9

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¹ IsraEl can trace its genealogy because {Look!} it’s all written in the scrolls of the kings of IsraEl.

However, [the people of] Judah were among those who were resettled in Babylon because they sinned by breaking their Sacred Agreement [with God]. ² But in the land that they owned prior to that, as well as in the cities of IsraEl, there were the Priests and Levites who were in charge of everything.

³ In JeruSalem there were mostly Judeans, along with some sons of BenJamin and some of the descendants of Ephraim and ManasSeh.

⁴ There was also UthAi, son of SamMiHud, who was:

• The son of OmRi,

• The son of BuNi,

• The son of Perez,

• The son of Judah.

⁵ ShiLoh and his firstborn son AsaiJah and his family lived in JeruSalem too, ⁶ as did JeEl (son of ZaRa) and 690 of that family line.

⁷ Among the descendants of BenJamin there was Salo, who was:

• The son of MosolLam,

• The son of HoDaviJah, and

• The son of SanaAn.

⁸ There was also:

• JebNa (son of JeroBoam), and

• Elo.

These are the sons of Ozi (son of MachIr).

[Also] MosolLam [who was:]

• Son of SaphatJa,

• Son of RagouEl, and

• Son of JemNai...

⁹ ...and all the generations of their relatives, numbering 956 in all.

All the men were the heads of their family lines and houses.

¹⁰ Then there were the Priests:

• JehoiAda,

• JoArim,

• JaChin, ¹¹ and

• AzariJah...

...who was:

• The son of HelkiJah,

• The son of MosSolLam,

• The son of ZaDok,

• The son of MaraiOth,

• The son of AhiTub...

...who was the leader in the Temple of God.

¹² Then there was AdaiJa, [who was:]

• The son of JeroAm,

• The son of PhasChor, and

• The son of MelchiJah.

Also, MaAsaJa [who was:]

• The son of AdiEl,

• The son of EziRa,

• The son of MosolLam,

• The son of MaselMoth,

• The son of EmMer.

¹³ [Also there were all] their families.

There were 1,760 strong and mighty men who were the heads of their family lines and houses, and that worked at and oversaw everything in God’s Temple.

¹⁴ Among the Levites there was SamaiJah from the family line of MeraRi, [who was:]

• The son of Asob,

• The son of EzriKam,

• The son of AsAbiJah.

¹⁵ And there was:

• BakBakar,

• Ares,

• GalaAl, and

• MatThaniJah...

...who were the sons of Micha, [who was:]

• The son of ZechRi,

• The son of Asaph.

¹⁶ Also, ObadiJah, [who was:]

• The son of SamiJah,

• The son of GalaAl,

• The son of IdiThoun.

Also, BarachiJah who lived in the courtyards of the NetoPhathites, [who was:]

• The son of OsSa,

• The son of ElKan.

¹⁷ Then there were the gatekeepers (and their families):

• Salom,

• AkoUm,

• TelMon, and

• AiMan.

Salom was in charge ¹⁸ of everything to the eastern King’s Gate. The gatekeepers for the camps of the sons of Levi were ¹⁹ Salom (son of KorAh, son of AbiAsaph, son of SoRe) and his brothers of the paternal houses of the Korites.

They were in charge of the work and administration of the watches for guarding the Sacred Tent, because their ancestors were once in charge of the entire camp of Yahweh, and they served as the guards to its entrances.

²⁰ Back then, PhineHas (son of EliEzer) stood as their leader before Yahweh, ²¹ and ZachariJah (son of MasaLami) was in charge of guarding the entrance to the Tent of Proofs.

²² Altogether, those who were chosen as gatekeepers to stand at the entrances were numbered at 212. The records of their genealogies and properties were all counted and established by the trusted offices of David and the Seer SamuEl.

²³ Now, it was their sons that were in charge of the doors and that kept watch at the Temple of Yahweh and the house of the Tent. ²⁴ These gatekeepers were stationed as the four winds… In the east, west, north, and south. ²⁵ And their brothers had to leave their homes in shifts every 7 weeks and spend 7 days there.

²⁶ There were 4 mighty men who were in charge of the gatekeepers. They were Levites, and they were over everything, including the treasury of the Temple of God. For this reason, they lived close to the Temple.

²⁷ Their watch responsibility was to use the keys both morning and evening to unlock and lock the Temple doors. ²⁸ They were also responsible for the things that were used in the services... They had to count everything when it was taken out and when it was returned.

²⁹ Also, some of them were over the equipment and holy things, such as:

• The fine flour,

• The wine,

• The oil,

• The frankincense, and

• The aromatics.

³⁰ In addition, some of the Priests’ sons were perfumers [who mixed] the fragrant [oils and incense].

³¹ The Levite MatTathiJah was the firstborn of Salom the Korite. He was entrusted with the work that had to do with the sacrifices of the pan of the High Priest.

³² BenaiJah the KoHathite was selected from among his brothers to be in charge of the loaves of showbread, which had to be prepared for each Sabbath.

³³ When it came to the singers, the heads of the Levite families were in charge at the central place of worship... They worked on a daily rotation basis all day and all night long to get everything done.

³⁴ So, throughout the generations, the heads of the families of Levites lived in JeruSalem.

³⁵ The founder of GibeOn (JeEl) lived in the town of GibeOn. His woman’s name was MaAcha.

³⁶ His firstborn son was AbaDon, then:

• SoUr,

• Kish,

• BaAl,

• Ner,

• NaDab,

• ³⁷ GedoUr (and his brother),[LXX]

• ZakChour, and

• MakelOth.

³⁸ Now, MakelOth fathered SamaAh, and he and his family lived together in JeruSalem.

³⁹ Ner fathered Kish, then Kish fathered Saul, and Saul fathered:

• JoNathan,

• MelchiShua,

• AmiNadab, and

• AsBal.

⁴⁰ The son of JoNathan was MeriBaAl, and MeriBaAl fathered MicAh.

⁴¹ The sons of MicAh were:

• PhiThon,

• MelchiEl,

• Tharach, ⁴² and

• Ahaz.

[And it was Ahaz] who fathered JaDa.

JaDa then fathered:

• GaleMeth,

• AzMoth, and

• ZamBri.

ZamBri fathered Masa, ⁴³ and Masa fathered:

• BaAna, and

• RaphaJah.

[And it was RaphaJah] whose son was ElAsa, and his son was EsEl.

⁴⁴ EsEl had 6 sons:

• EzriKam (his firstborn), then

• IshMaEl,[LXX]

• SaraiJah,

• AbdJah,

• Hanan, and

• Asa.[LXX]

These were the sons of EsEl.

1 Chronicles 10

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[Editor note: The story part of 1 Chronicles starts here. It begins with the death of the first king of IsraEl, King Saul.]

¹ Back then, the Philistines were fighting a war against IsraEl and the army of IsraEl was losing, so they turned and fled from the Philistines at Mount GilBoa.

² Then the Philistines started chasing [King] Saul and his sons, and they caught and killed Saul’s sons JoNathan, AmiNadab, and MelchiShua.

³ And thereafter, they pressed on in the battle to reach Saul... Then their archers found him and shot him – leaving him in great pain. ⁴ As a result, Saul said to the aid who was carrying his weapons:

‘Unsheathe your broadsword and stab me with it so these uncircumcised don’t come here and make sport of me!’

But his aid didn’t want to do that because he was afraid. So Saul took his sword and fell on it!

⁵ And when the man who was carrying his weapons saw that Saul had killed himself, he too fell on his sword and died... ⁶ So, Saul and his three sons all died that day, and that was the end of his house.

⁷ Then, when the men of IsraEl who had run into the valley heard that Saul and his sons had been killed, they all just ran back to their homes... So the Philistines then came and lived among them!

⁸ Well, on the day after the battle, when the Philistines came to loot the bodies, they found Saul and his sons dead on Mount GilBoa. ⁹ So, they stripped his body and carried his head and weapons back into the land of the Philistines, where it was joyfully paraded before the temples of their idols and their people.

¹⁰ Then they put his weapons in the temple of their god and they carried his head and put it into the temple of Dagon.

¹¹ But when the men of JabIsh GileAd heard what the Philistines had done to Saul and his sons, and to IsraEl, ¹² all their great warriors went and took the body of Saul and his sons and brought them back to JaBish. Then, they took their bones and placed them in a tomb that was located under an oak tree in JaBish, whereupon they fasted for the next 7 days.

¹³ So, Saul was killed because of the lawless ways in which he had acted against his God. For he’d gone against the instructions of Yahweh and he didn’t do what he was told.

Saul also went to a fortuneteller to speak to the Prophet SamuEl.

¹⁴ So, because he failed to ask Yahweh, he was killed and his kingdom was handed over to David son of JesSe.

1 Chronicles 11

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¹ Then all the men of [the army of] IsraEl came to David at HebRon and said,

‘Look! We’re your own flesh and bones!

² ‘Although Saul used to be our king, you were the one who led the armies of IsraEl, and your God Yahweh said to you:

‘You will take care of My people IsraEl and you will be their leader.’

³ And after that, all the elders of IsraEl came to him at HebRon and made an agreement with King David before Yahweh, and they anointed him to be the king over IsraEl, just as Yahweh had said through the Prophet SamuEl.

⁴ Then King David and [the whole army of] IsraEl marched on JeruSalem (which was called Jebus). And the Jebusites who lived there said to David:

⁵ ‘You won’t come in here!’

However, he was the first to capture the citadel on Zion, so it became known as the City of David.

⁶ Back then, David had said:

‘Whoever is the first to beat the Jebusites will become my commander-in-chief and the general [over my army].’

And the one who did that was JoAb (son of ZeruJah), so, he was appointed to be the commander-in-chief.

⁷ Thereafter, David stayed there and took up residence in the citadel, and he started calling it his city... ⁸ For he had built a siege-wall around the entire city and captured it.

⁹ And from that point on, David kept getting greater and more famous, because Yahweh the Almighty was with him.

¹⁰ These are the leaders and the mighty ones who were with David and who became great along with him when he ruled over all IsraEl (because they were the ones who made him the king over all IsraEl, just as Yahweh had said):

[Editor note: Some of the names here have very different spellings to those appearing in the parallel account in 2 Samuel 23, perhaps reflecting language changes, different Greek translators, and other factors. We’ve also had to add a large translator insertion into verse 13, which is discussed in the translator note.]

¹¹ Counted among the mighty ones of David was:

• JeseBaAl (son of AchaMani).

He was the first of the 30, because he once used his broadsword to kill 300 men all by himself.

• ¹² EliEzer (son of DodAi the AchoChite).

He was one [of David’s] three greatest men, ¹³ for he was with David at PhasoDomin when the Philistines had gathered for war in a field full of barley... [see translator note] [and all our soldiers had fled... He rose up and struck the Philistines until his hand muscles cramped and he couldn’t let go of his sword! Yahweh gave us a great victory that day, and the other soldiers only came back to strip the bodies.]

• [Shammah (son of Aga the HaRarite).]

[When the Philistines had gathered together to battle against us in a field of lentils, after the rest of the army] turned and ran away from the Philistines, ¹⁴ he stood there alone in the middle of the field and saved them by killing [all of] the Philistines… For Yahweh used him to bring a great victory!

¹⁵ He was also one of the three (from among the 30 generals) who went to David when he was at The Rock at the Cave of OdolLam, which was right in the midst of the camp of the Philistines, there in the valley of the giants. ¹⁶ David was in the citadel and all the Philistines were in BethLehem ¹⁷ when David asked:

‘Who will bring me a drink of water from the well at the entrance to BethLehem?’

¹⁸ And it was these three men who attacked the Philistines, drew water from the well at the entrance to BethLehem, and brought it to David... But then, David refused to drink it. Rather, he offered it to Yahweh, saying:

¹⁹ ‘It was because of Your kindness to me, O God, that they have done this thing... So, shall I now drink the blood of these men… Something for which [they offered] their lives?

‘Why, they risked their lives to bring it to me, so I don’t want to drink it!’

Yes, it was these three mighty men who did these things.

²⁰ [There was also:]

• AbiShai, JoAb’s brother.

He was chief over the three [mightest men]. He had once unsheathed his broadsword and killed 300 men all by himself, and his name was [always mentioned] along with the three. ²¹ In fact, he was more famous than the two [previously mentioned men] of the three, so he became their leader, but not one of them.

²² Then there was:

• The mighty man BenaiJah (son of JehoiAda).

He was the one who accomplished many great things at KaBasaEl, for it was there that he killed the two lion-like soldiers of MoAb! It was [also] there that he went down into a pit and killed a lion there on a snowy day.

²³ And he also killed the remarkable Egyptian man who stood more than 7 feet (2.13m) tall and carried a spear that was as large as a weaving loom… BenaiJah went and grabbed the spear from the Egyptian’s hands and killed him with it!

²⁴ Yes, these are the kinds of things that BenaiJah (son of JehoiAda) did, and that’s why his name is listed among the three mighty ones.

²⁵ But although he was considered the greatest among the 30, he wasn’t one of the three, because David had put him in charge of his family.

[Editor note: Now follows some very extensive lists. If you’re only interested in the story, it resumes in 1 Chronicles 12:16.]

²⁶ Also counted among the powerful mighty ones were:

• AsahEl (JoAb’s other brother),

• EliHanan (son of DoDoe) the BethLehemite,

• ²⁷ SamMoth the Arorite,

• HelLes the Phelonite,

• ²⁸ Ora (son of EkKish) the Thekoite,

• AbiEzer the AnathOthite,

• ²⁹ SoboChai the Asothite,

• Eli the Achonite,

• ³⁰ MoorAi the NetoPhathite,

• ChoLod (son of NoOza) the NetoPhathite,**

• ³¹ AiRi (son of RebiE) from the hills of BenJamin,

• BenaiJah the PhaRathonite,**

• ³² Ouri from Nachali-GaAs,

• AbiEl the Arabethite,

• ³³ AzBon the Baromite,

• EliAba the SaLobonite,

• ³⁴ BenAsam the Gizonite,*

• JoNathan (son of Sola) the Ararite,**

• ³⁵ Achim (son of Achar) the Ararite,

• ElPhat (son of ThuroPhar) ³⁶ the Mechorathite,

• AhiJah the PhelLonite,

• ³⁷ EseRe the Charmadite,

• NaArai (son of AzobAi),*

• ³⁸ JoEl (Nathan’s brother),*

• MeBaAl (son of Agari),*

• ³⁹ SelLek the AmMonite,

• Nachor the BerOthite (who carried the weapons for JoAb, son of ZeruJah),

• ⁴⁰ Ira the Jethrite,

• Gareb the Jethrite,

• ⁴¹ UriJah the Hittite,

• Sabet (son of AchaJa),* and

• ⁴² AdiNa (son of SaIZa), the head of the ReuBenites.*

[see the translator note for the meaning of the * and ** markings]

And with the 30 were:

• ⁴³ Hanan (son of MoOcha),

• JoShaphat the Mathnite,

• ⁴⁴ OziJa the AstarOthite,

• SamMa and JeiEl (the sons of HoTham) the Ararites,

• ⁴⁵ JediEl (son of Sameri),

• JoZae and his brother (the ThosSaites),

• ⁴⁶ EliEl the Maoite,

• JaRibi,

• JosiJa and his son ElLam,

• JethAma the Moabite,

• ⁴⁷ DaliEl,

• Obed, and

• JesSiEl the Mesobite.

1 Chronicles 12

←11 | All books | All chapters | 13→

¹ These are the men who came to David at ZikLag as part of his band to [protect him from] Saul (son of Kish); they’re among the mighty ones who helped in his battles… ² Bowmen that could shoot with both their right and left hands, and that slung rocks and shot with their bows at the followers of the BenJaminite Saul; ³ there was:

• AhiEzer (their leader),

• JoAsh (son of Asma) the Gabathite,

• JoEl and JoPhalet (the sons of AsMoth),

• BarachiJah,

• Jehu the AnathOthite, ⁴ and

• SamaYas the GibeOnite…

...they were the mightiest among the 30 and they were the leaders.

Then there was:

• JeremiJah,

• JeziEl,

• JoHanan,

• JoZabath the Gederathite,

• ⁵ EliOzi,

• JarimoUth,

• BaAlJah,

• SamariAi,

• SaphatiJah the Haruphite,

• ⁶ ElKana,

• JesiJah,

• OzriEl,

• JoZara,

• SoboKam,

• The Korites ⁷ JoEla and ZabadJa (the sons of JeroHam), and

• The sons of Gedor.

⁸ [The following] men came to David from the tribe of Gad when he was in the desert... They were great mighty men who all stood in battle lines dressed for war carrying shields and spears with faces like lions.

They also moved as quickly as light does on the mountains!

⁹ There was:

• Azer (who was their leader),

• AbDiJah (who was second in command),

• EliAb (the 3rd),

• ¹⁰ MasMana (the 4th),

• JeremiJah (the 5th),

• ¹¹ Jethi (the 6th),

• EliAb (the 7th),

• ¹² JoHanan (the 8th),

• EliAzer (the 9th),

• ¹³ JeremiJah (the 10th), and

• MachaBanai (the 11th).

¹⁴ These were all from the tribe of Gad, and they were all generals over the army… Some over hundreds and one of them over 1,000.

¹⁵ They all crossed the JorDan during the 1st month when it was at its highest level and drove away all the people who lived in the valleys from the east to the west.

[Editor note: The story resumes here.]

¹⁶ Some also came from the tribes of BenJamin and Judah to help David. ¹⁷ And when David came to meet them, he said to them:

‘If you’ve come to me in peace, may we share the same heart... But if you’ve come to hand me over to my enemies; may the God of your fathers discipline you!’

¹⁸ Well at that, [God’s] Breath came over AmasAi (the leader of the 30), and he said:

‘Go on, O David, son of JesSe…

For you and your people, may there be peace!

Yes, may there be peace for you and your helpers,

And on your God, who is sending you aid.’

So David welcomed him and appointed him as a general in his army.

¹⁹ Men from the tribe of ManasSeh also joined with David back when the Philistines attacked Saul. David didn’t join with the Philistines, because the Philistine generals said:

‘He’ll just go back over to to his lord, Saul.’

²⁰ So they sent him away, and David returned to ZikLag… And that’s when some from the tribe of ManasSeh joined him. There was:

• EdNah,

• JoZabath,

• RodiEl,

• MichaEl,

• JosaBeth,

• Eliu, and

• Selathi...

… generals over thousands from ManasSeh.

²¹ They and their troops fought alongside David, and they were all strong, mighty men and leaders of their armies. ²² They came and fought for David every day like a great force from God!

[Editor note: Now follows more lists. The story resumes in 1 Chronicles 13:1.]

²³ And these are the names of the military generals that came to David in HebRon to fight Saul for his kingdom (following the words of Yahweh):

²⁴ From the tribe of Judah there were 6,800 men, all bearing shields and spears, and ready for battle.

²⁵ From the tribe of SimeOn there were 7,100 mighty men who were ready for battle.

²⁶ From the tribe of Levi there were 4,600. ²⁷ And when JehoiAda (the head of the family line of Aaron) came to meet with him, he brought along 3,700 more men. ²⁸ Then there was ZaDok, who was a strong and mighty young man. He brought along 22 leaders from his father’s household.

²⁹ And from the tribe of BenJamin (Saul’s tribe) there were 3,000 men; yet, most of them were guards in the house of Saul.

³⁰ And from the tribe of Ephraim there were 20,800 strong, mighty, and famous men of their houses and family lines.

³¹ And from the half-tribe of ManasSeh there were 18,000, all of whom had sworn to make David the king.

³² And from the tribe of IsSachar came 200 men with their [armies] who understood the times and knew what IsraEl should do.

³³ And from [the tribe of] ZebuLon came 50,000 men all dressed for war and carrying their weapons to help David (but not very wholeheartedly).

³⁴ And from [the tribe of] NaphTali came 1,000 leaders with 37,000 men carrying shields and spears.

³⁵ And from [the tribe of] Dan came 28,800 men all ready for war.

³⁶ And from [the tribe of] Asher came 40,600 to help in the war.

³⁷ And from the other side of the JorDan (from the tribes of ReuBen, Gad, and the [other] half-tribe of ManasSeh) came 120,000, all carrying their weapons of war.

³⁸ All of these men were warriors who were dressed and ready for battle, but peaceful in heart. They came to HebRon to make David the king over all IsraEl. And the rest of IsraEl was of the same heart when it came to making David their king.

³⁹ Then they all stayed with David for three days, eating and drinking, for their brothers were providing for them.

⁴⁰ Those of IsSachar, ZebuLun, and NaphTali who lived nearby loaded up their camels, burros, mules, and oxen, and brought them huge quantities of food:

• Flour,

• Dried figs,

• Raisins,

• Wine,

• Olive oil,

• Veal, and

• Lamb.

Yes, because everyone in IsraEl was very happy.

1 Chronicles 13

←12 | All books | All chapters | 14→

[Editor note: The story resumes here.]

¹ Well after that, David met with his generals, lieutenants, and all the leaders.

² Then he went before the entire gathering of IsraEl and said:

‘If you approve, and if our God Yahweh blesses the effort, we should send [a letter] to all our brothers that are left throughout the land of IsraEl, and to the Priests and Levites in their cities, and invite them all to gather with us here.

³ ‘And after that, we’ll bring the [Sacred] Chest of our God to us, for no one has gone before it since the days of Saul.’

⁴ Well, the entire gathering agreed to this, for in the eyes of the people it seemed to be the right thing to do... ⁵ So David called all IsraEl from the borders of Egypt to the land of HamAth to gather there, and he had the Chest of God transported from the town of JaiRim.

⁶ And from there, all IsraEl traveled up to the city of David in Judah to lead [a procession before] the Chest of Yahweh God… The one with the cherubs sitting on top that was used to call on His Name.

⁷ So they then placed the Chest of God on a new wagon and carried it from the house of AmiNadab. Oza and his brothers walked in front of the wagon, ⁸ as David and all IsraEl sang and danced before God with all their might… There were singers, stringed instruments, woodwinds, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.

⁹ But, as they were carrying [the Chest] up to a threshing floor, Oza stuck out his hand to steady the Chest (because one of the oxen [pulling the wagon] had bolted), ¹⁰ and the Lord became enraged with Oza for doing this... So He struck him down for touching the Chest; and he died there before God!

¹¹ Well, David was so upset over Yahweh cutting Oza down that he named the place The Severance of Oza which is what it’s still called today.

¹² And from that day on, David became afraid of The God; for he asked:

‘Then, how can I carry the Chest of God to me?’

¹³ So David didn’t go back to carry the Chest of God to himself into the city of David. Rather, he left it in the house of ObedEdom the GitTite, ¹⁴ where it remained for the next three months... And during this time, God blessed ObedEdom and his entire household.

1 Chronicles 14

←13 | All books | All chapters | 15→

¹ After that, HiRam [I] (the king of Tyre) sent emissaries to David, along with cedar wood, tradesmen, and carpenters, to build a palace for him. ² David knew that Yahweh had prepared him to be the king over IsraEl, and that He would make his kingdom become more important because of His people, IsraEl.

³ Then after David moved to JeruSalem, he started taking more women and he had many more sons and daughters.

⁴ These are their names; those who were born in JeruSalem were:

• SamaAh,

• SoBab,

• Nathan,

• Solomon,

• ⁵ IbaAr,

• EliSae,

• EliPalet,

• ⁶ NaGeth,

• NaPhag,

• JaPhie,

• ⁷ EliShama,

• BaAlJada, and

• EliPhalet.

⁸ Well, when the Philistines heard that David had been anointed as king over all IsraEl, their [entire army] came looking for him, and David went out to face them. ⁹ So the Philistines assembled for battle in the Valley of the Giants.

¹⁰ Therefore, David went before God and asked:

‘Should I go and fight the Philistines; and if so, will You give them into my hands?’

And Yahweh replied:

‘Go, and I’ll give them into your hands!’

¹¹ So he marched to BaAl PharaSin and attacked them there.

Then after [the battle], David said:

‘God used my hand to cut through my enemies like cutting through water!’

So he named that place, The Severance of PharaSin. ¹² For the Philistines just ran away, leaving [the images] of their gods lying there, and David [told his men to] burn them in a fire.

¹³ Then [David] marched after the Philistines and found them in the Valley of the Giants. ¹⁴ So, David once again asked God what he should do, and [this time] God replied:

‘Don’t go after them! Turn away and wait for them near the pear trees...

¹⁵ ‘Then, when you hear the sound of rumbling from the tops of the pear trees, attack them, for [that will be the sound of] God going ahead of you to attack the camp of the Philistines!’

¹⁶ So David did exactly as God told him, and he thereafter kept on attacking the Philistine camps all the way from GibeOn to GeZer... ¹⁷ And very soon, the name of David became known throughout the land; for Yahweh had put the fear of him upon all the surrounding nations.

1 Chronicles 15

←14 | All books | All chapters | 16→

¹ Well after that, he did quite a bit of building in the City of David. He also prepared a place for the Chest of God there, and he had a Tent built for it.

² Then David said:

‘No one is to handle the Chest of God other than the Levites, because Yahweh has chosen them for that purpose… To carry it and to officiate before Him throughout the ages.’

³ So David then gathered all IsraEl to JeruSalem, and he arranged for the Chest of Yahweh to be carried and put into the place that he’d built for it.

⁴ And thereafter, he collected the descendants of Aaron and the Levites.

• ⁵ OuriEl was the leader from the line of KoHath, and there were 120 with him.

• ⁶ AsaiJa was the leader from the line of MeraRi, and there were 220 with him.

• ⁷ JoEl was the leader of the line of GerShon, and there were 130 with him.

• ⁸ Shemei was the leader of the line of EliSaphan, and there were 200 with him.

• ⁹ EliEl was the leader of the line of HebRon, and there were 80 with him.

• ¹⁰ AmiNadab was the leader of the line of OziEl, and there were 112 with him.

¹¹ So David called the Priests (ZaDok and AbiAthar) and the Levites (OuriEl, AsaiJah, JoEl, Shemei, EliEl, and AmiNadab) ¹² and said to them:

‘Since you are the heads of the families of the Levites, you must now purify yourselves and your brothers so you can carry the Chest of the God of IsraEl to the place that I’ve prepared for it

¹³ ‘The first time you tried to do this you weren’t ready, and that’s why The God came among us and cut through us… For we didn’t ask Him exactly how we should do it!’

¹⁴ Then the Priests and the Levites purified themselves so they could carry the Chest of the God of IsraEl ¹⁵ exactly as God had instructed them through Moses and in the way that Moses wrote it should be done, using the staves to bear it.

¹⁶ David also instructed the heads of the Levites to assign singers and musicians from among their brothers to play stringed instruments, woodwinds, and cymbals so as to make loud and happy music.

¹⁷ Then the Levites appointed HeMan (son of JoEl) from among his family, and Asaph (the son BarachiJah) from the line of MeraRi, as well as his [friend] Ethan (son of KishaJah). ¹⁸ They met with them and also appointed others that were to be under them:

• ZachariJah,

• OziEl,

• SemiRamOth,

• JeiEl,

• EliOhel,

• EliAb,

• BenaiJah,

• MaAseJah,

• MatTathiJah,

• EliPhaliJah,

• MakeniJah, and

• ObedEdom.

They appointed JeiEl and OziAs to be in charge [of the Sacred Chest], ¹⁹ and HeMan, Asaph, and Ethan to be in charge of the singers.

Those who were put in charge of the brass cymbals (to make sure that the music was loud) were:

• ²⁰ ZachariJah,

• OziEl,

• SemiRamOth,

• JeiEl,

• Oni,

• EliAb,

• MasaiJah, and

• BenaiJah.

And those who were put in charge of the stringed instruments and the many types of woodwinds (so the music would be loud enough) were:

• AlamOth,

• ²¹ MatTathiJah,

• EliPhaliJah,

• MakeniJah,

• ObedEdom,

• JeiEl, and

• OziJah.

²² Then ChoNeniJah (the head of the Levites) was made the chief conductor of all the music, because he could orchestrate everything.

²³ BarachiJah and ElKana were assigned to [carry] the [front end of the Sacred] Chest. Also, [these men] were assigned to blow the trumpets ahead of it:

• ²⁴ SobniJah,

• JoShaphat,

• NathaniEl,

• AmasiJah,

• ZachariJah,

• BaniJah, and

• EliEzer (the Priests).

And ObedEdom and JeiJah were [to carry] the back end.

²⁵ Of course, David, the governors of IsraEl, and his generals were to lead the joyful parade as the Chest of God’s Sacred Agreement was carried from the house of ObedEdom. ²⁶ And to be sure that God would empower them to carry the Chest of Yahweh, the [Priests] first sacrificed 7 calves and 7 rams.

²⁷ So David [led the parade] dressed in fine linen, followed by the Levites who would bear the Chest of the Sacred Agreement of Yahweh, followed by the singers, and then ChoneniJah, who led the musicians.

David was wrapped in a fine linen cape, ²⁸ and all IsraEl walked ahead of the Chest of the Sacred Agreement of Yahweh cheering, blowing ram’s horns and trumpets, loudly beating on cymbals, and playing stringed instruments and harps.

²⁹ Well, as the Chest of the Sacred Agreement of Yahweh was entering the city of David, Michal (the daughter of Saul) was leaning over and watching from her window... And when she saw King David dancing and acting like a child, she inwardly felt contempt for him.

1 Chronicles 16

←15 | All books | All chapters | 17→

¹ So they carried the Chest of God and placed it in the middle of the tent that David had made for it. Then, they offered whole burnt offerings and a salvation offering before God.

² And after David completed these offerings, he blest the people in the name of the Lord. ³ Then he gave every man and woman of IsraEl a freshly-baked loaf of bread and some honey bread.

⁴ Thereafter, he stood before the Chest of the Sacred Agreement of Yahweh and he ordered the Levites to shout aloud and acknowledge and praise Yahweh the God of IsraEl. ⁵ Then Asaph (the orchestra conductor) and those under him (ZachariJah, JeiEl, SemiRamOth, MatTathiJah, EliAb, BenaiJah, ObedEdom, and JeiEl) led the stringed instruments and woodwinds while Asaph had them beat on the cymbals, ⁶ and BenaiJah and OziEl (the Priests) blew the trumpets continuously before the Chest of the Sacred Agreement of God.

⁷ So, that was the day when David arranged for Asaph and his brothers to start praising Yahweh.
⁸ [For they shouted]:

‘Give praise to Yahweh!

Call on Him by His Name!

Tell the people of the things He’s done!

⁹ Yes, sing praises to Him!

‘Describe all the wonders the Lord has performed…

¹⁰ Give praise to His Holy Name!

Make your hearts glad… Seek His favor;

¹¹ Seek the Lord and be strong!

‘Always search for His face!

¹² Remember the wonderful things He has done…

The miracles and decisions that have come from His mouth,

¹³ O offspring of IsraEl, His servants…

You sons of Jacob, His chosen.

¹⁴ ‘He is Yahweh, our God!

His judgments have filled the whole earth!

¹⁵ Throughout the ages, remember His Sacred Agreement,

¹⁶ And the words that He had instructed

For thousands of generations to follow…

The things that He said to AbraHam,

And the oath that He spoke to IsaAc.

¹⁷ ‘Then He established His Sacred Agreement

Throughout the ages with Jacob,

And He gave these orders to IsraEl:

¹⁸ ‘I’ll give you CanaAn’s land as measured ground

To be your inheritance [throughout the ages]...’

¹⁹ ‘Yet, at the time, they were few,

And [the nation] was growing much smaller.

‘But first, they had to travel on foot

²⁰ As they passed from nation to nation…

Passing kingdoms of many foreign peoples.

²¹ But, He wouldn’t allow them to beat them,

And He disciplined their kings with these words:

²² ‘You may not touch My anointed,

Nor may you be wicked to My Prophets!’

²³ ‘So, may the whole earth sing to Yahweh

And proclaim His salvation each day!

²⁴ Tell all the nations of His glory,

And all their peoples of His wonders!

²⁵ ‘For, Yahweh is great and worthy of praise…

He’s more to be feared than all other gods;

²⁶ For the gods of the nations are just idols,

While the skies were made by Yahweh!

²⁷ ‘Stand before His face and give praise to His strength!

Boast of His Holy Place!

²⁸ Give praise to Yahweh, you families of nations…

Praise the Lord’s glory and strength!

²⁹ ‘Glorify the Name of the Lord…

Before His Face, carry gifts.

In His courtyard, bow low to Yahweh!

³⁰ ‘Before His face, be in fear,

All you who live on the earth!

May our land become stronger before Him,

And may it never be shaken!

³¹ ‘You heavens be glad, and earth cry in joy!

May all nations admit that Yahweh’s their king!

³² ‘May the seas, and the sun, and the trees in the fields,

And all else, tremble before Him.

³³ For, even the forests and trees in the fields

Find joy before the face of the Lord,

Who is the judge of the earth!

³⁴ ‘Acknowledge that Yahweh is good,

And His mercy lasts throughout the ages.

O God; deliver and save us…

³⁵ From the nations, please rescue and save us!

‘Give praise to His Holy Name…

Boast of the blessings He brings!

³⁶ Praise Yahweh, IsraEl’s God,

Down throughout age of the ages.’

Then all the people shouted:

‘Amen!’

And they started praising Yahweh.

³⁷ So they left the Chest of the Sacred Agreement of Yahweh there; and thereafter, Asaph and his brothers served before the Chest continually, each day, ³⁸ along with ObedEdom and his family; for ObedEdom (son of IdiThoun) and Osa were the gatekeepers.

³⁹ ZaDok the Priest and his fellow Priests [set up camp] in front of the Tent of Yahweh, which was located on the High Place of GibeOn. ⁴⁰ And there they offered whole burnt offerings on the Altar to Yahweh continually, morning and evening, just as it was written in the Law of Yahweh and as it was given to the sons of IsraEl by the hand of Moses, God’s servant.

⁴¹ Those who assisted [the Priests] were HeMan, IdiThoun, and many others that were chosen by name to praise Yahweh throughout the ages for His mercy. ⁴² There were also the trumpeters, the cymbal players, and all the rest of the musicians that could play their instruments loudly in the songs [of praise] to God.

Then the sons of IdiThoun took their positions at the gates, as all the people returned to their homes, ⁴³ and David went back home to bless his family.

1 Chronicles 17

←16 | All books | All chapters | 18→

¹ Then one day, as David was in his palace, he said to the Prophet Nathan:

‘Look; I’m here living in a palace of cedars, while the Chest of the Sacred Agreement of Yahweh is sitting under a tent of leather skins!’

² And Nathan said to David:

‘Then do whatever is in your heart, because God is with you!’

³ But that night, the Word of Yahweh came to Nathan, saying:

⁴ ‘Go and tell My servant David that this is what Yahweh has said:

‘You may not build a Temple for Me to stay in, ⁵ for I haven’t stayed in a Temple from the day that I started leading IsraEl until now. Rather, I’ve stayed in a tent protected by the covering...

⁶ ‘So, in all the places that I’ve gone with IsraEl, did I ever ask any tribe of IsraEl or those whom I put in charge of taking care of My people why they didn’t build Me a Temple of cedars?’

⁷ ‘Therefore, tell My servant David that Yahweh the Almighty said this:

‘I took you out of the pastures where you followed the flocks to lead My people IsraEl, ⁸ and I was with you wherever you went... I destroyed all your enemies from before you, and I’ve made your name one of the greatest on the earth.

⁹ ‘I’ve also made a place for My people IsraEl and I’ve planted them there.

‘So, although they must camp [separate from the nations], they’ll have nothing to fear, since no unrighteous person will humble them as has happened in the past. ¹⁰ For from the days that I first arranged for the Judges [to lead] My people IsraEl, I’ve been humbling all their enemies so that My [nation] would continue to grow.

‘However, a Temple will [eventually] be built for Yahweh... ¹¹ But that will happen after you’ve lived a full life and gone to sleep with your ancestors!

‘For I’ll raise an offspring after you who’ll come from your belly, and I will prepare his kingdom... ¹² He will build a Temple for Me, and I’ll make his throne last throughout the ages!

¹³ ‘I’ll be a father to him and he’ll be a son to Me, so My mercy will never be removed from him like I have removed it from those who preceded you. ¹⁴ I’ll entrust My Temple to him and to his kingdom throughout the ages, and his name will be [remembered] throughout the ages.’

¹⁵ Well, Nathan relayed everything in that vision and told David all that was said.

¹⁶ Then King David went and sat before Yahweh and said this:

‘Who am I, O Lord God?

‘What is [so good about] my house that You’ve shown so much love for me through this age?

¹⁷ ‘Yet now, although it seemed like this matter was unimportant to You, O God, You’ve spoken about this Temple that your servant [has long wanted to build] for You... And in a vision that was given to a man, You actually looked upon me and lifted me high, O Yahweh God.

¹⁸ ‘So now, how should I proceed to glorify You?

‘For Your servant knows that ¹⁹ You will do whatever is in Your heart, and it’s all magnificent!

²⁰ ‘O Yahweh,

‘There is no other like You, and there’s no god other than You… None that we’ve ever heard of!

²¹ ‘And there’s no other nation like Your people IsraEl anywhere else on the earth that has been guided by You, O God… A people whom You’ve ransomed for Yourself.

‘For You’ve given Your people a great name and driven all the others away from before those whom You ransomed out of the nation of Egypt, ²² and You’ve appointed IsraEl to be Your people exclusively throughout the ages.

‘Then You, O Yahweh, became their God.

²³ ‘And now, O Yahweh,

‘Concerning what You’ve said to Your servant about this Temple…

‘May the words that You said prove trustworthy throughout the ages, ²⁴ and may Your Name be trusted and magnified throughout the ages, O Yahweh the Almighty the God of IsraEl. For You are the God of IsraEl and of the house of Your servant David, who’s now standing here before You.

²⁵ ‘O Yahweh; you are my God!

‘And now that You’ve opened the ears of Your servant when it comes to building this Temple; this is why I saw the need to come and pray before Your face.

²⁶ ‘For Yahweh,

‘You are Him… You are The God!

‘And now You’ve spoken about these good things to Your servant, ²⁷ and You’ve started blessing the house of your servant. So, may it all continue to stand in this same way before You throughout the ages.

‘For You, O Yahweh, have blest us, and You’ve promised us Your blessings throughout the ages!’

1 Chronicles 18

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¹ Well after that, David went and attacked the Philistines and drove them away, capturing Gath and all its surrounding villages. ² Then he attacked MoAb and made them serve him and pay a tribute.

³ David also attacked King HadraAzar of Souba at HamAth as he was marching towards the EuPhrates...

⁴ There he captured:

• 1,000 chariots,

• 7,000 horses, and

• 20,000 of their infantrymen.

And after that, David had all the chariots destroyed except for 100 of them.

⁵ And when the Syrians came from Damascus to help HadraAzar, David attacked them and killed 22,000 of their men! ⁶ Then he left a garrison in Syria near Damascus, so Syria had to serve David and bring tributes to him.

For Yahweh watched over David no matter where he went.

⁷ Then David took the golden collars and other items of gold that were worn by the servants of HadraAzar and had it all carried back to JeruSalem.

⁸ He also went to MataBeth (which was one of HadraAzar’s capital cities) and he brought back a tremendous amount of brass, which Solomon later used to make the Sacred Sea, the brass columns, and many other sacred utensils.

⁹ Well, when King Thoa of HamAth heard that David had beaten the army of King HadraAzar (of Souba), ¹⁰ he sent his son AdouRam to King David to enquire of his welfare and to congratulate him on winning his war against HadraAzar and killing him, because Thoa had been at war with HadraAzar.

¹¹ Then David took all the gold, silver, and brass items that he captured from the nations of Edom, MoAb, the AmMonites, the Philistines, and the AmaLechites, and set them aside as holy to Yahweh. ¹² For, AbiShai (son of ZeruJah) had attacked the Edomites in the Salt Valley, where he killed 18,000 of their men!

¹³ Then he placed a garrison in the Valley, and the Edomites also became David’s servants.

Well, Yahweh watched over David no matter where he went; ¹⁴ so David reigned over all IsraEl, and he served as a righteous judge over his people.

¹⁵ At the time:

• JoAb (son of ZeruJah) was the commanding general of his army,

• JoShaphat (son of AchiLoud) was the recorder,

• ¹⁶ ZaDok (son of AhiTub) and AhiMelech (son of AbiAthar) were the Priests,

• SoUsa was the scribe,

• ¹⁷ BenaiJah (son of JehoiAda) was in charge of the Cherethites and Phelethites, and

• David’s sons served as his second-in-command.

1 Chronicles 19

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¹ In time, King NaHash of the sons of AmMon died and his son Hanan became the king in his place.

² So David asked:

‘What sort of kind thing can I do for NaHash’s son Hanan? For his father was very kind towards me!’

And thereafter, David sent messengers to comfort him after the death of his father... ³ But when David’s servants arrived in the land of the AmMonites and they went to Hanan to comfort him, the AmMonite governors said to [Hanan]:

‘Isn’t David really glorifying your father over you by sending these comforters?

‘And don’t you think that he might be really sending them to look at your city and to spy in our land!?’

⁴ Well, as a result, Hanan had the servants of David arrested, then he had [their beards] shaved and their clothes cut off halfway to the waist before he sent them away!

⁵ Then when the report of what Hanan had done to his men reached David, he sent people to meet them because they had been so disgraced; and the king told them to stay in JeriCho and not to return until their beards grew back.

⁶ Meanwhile, because the sons of AmMon realized that they had disgraced David’s emissaries, Hanan and his people sent 35 tons (32,000kg) of silver to MesoPotamia and to [King] MoOcha in Syria to hire an army along with chariots and cavalry... ⁷ So King MoOcha brought his army that included 32,000 chariots, and they camped next to MaiDaba.

Also, the AmMonites gathered an army from their own cities as they prepared for war [with IsraEl]. ⁸ And when David heard about this, he told JoAb to gather his entire army to go and fight them.

⁹ Well, [the plan was that] the sons of AmMon would fight IsraEl from their city gates, while the kings set up camp out in the fields... ¹⁰ So when JoAb saw that they were preparing to attack him from both sides, he gathered all the young men in his army to attack the Syrians [in the fields], ¹¹ while he put the rest of the army into the hands of his brother AbiShai, who was to attack the sons of AmMon [at the city gates].

¹² He told [his brother]:

‘If the Syrians start to win, you come and help me; but if the AmMonites start to win, I’ll come to help you...

¹³ ‘Let’s fight bravely for our people and for the cities of our God, and we’ll trust that Yahweh will do whatever He finds good in His eyes!’

¹⁴ So then, JoAb attacked the Syrians and they fled from before him!

¹⁵ And when the AmMonites saw the Syrians retreating, they turned and ran from AbiShai (JoAb’s brother), fleeing back into their city!

Then JoAb returned to JeruSalem.

¹⁶ But when the Syrians saw that IsraEl had left the field of battle, they sent messengers to the Syrians that had camped on the other side of the river, and SoPha (the commander-in-chief of the army of HadraAzar) marched back. ¹⁷ And when this was reported to David, he again gathered the whole army of IsraEl and they crossed the JorDan to set up battle lines once more.

So the Syrians came and faced David, and the battle began.

¹⁸ Well, Syria once again turned and ran from IsraEl, for David’s [men] had killed 40,000 of their infantry, they captured 7,000 of their chariots, and they killed SoPha, the commander-in-chief of their army!

¹⁹ So when the servants of HadraAzar saw that they’d lost the battle to IsraEl, they signed a treaty with David and started serving him. And thereafter, the Syrians never again came to help the sons of AmMon.

1 Chronicles 20

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¹ Well after that, during the time of year when the kings traditionally went to war, JoAb led the entire army [of IsraEl] against the cities of AmMon, starting first by laying siege against RabBah.

Meanwhile, David had stayed behind in JeruSalem while JoAb was leading the attack on RabBah. And as [JoAb] was destroying the city, ² David [went there and] took the gold crown from the head of MolChom their king... It weighed 60 pounds (27.2kg) and it was covered with precious stones; so David took it and put it on.

Then he looted the city and brought back a huge amount of treasures.

³ He also took the people and had them sawed in half [put them to work] with saws, iron axes, and threshing tools (that’s what David did to all the sons of AmMon). Then David returned to JeruSalem with his army.

⁴ However, there was still a war being fought with the Philistines in GaZer... And it was there that SoboChai cut down OuSathi the Raphite (who was from the family of giants) and dishonored him.

⁵ And as the war with the Philistines raged on, ElHanan (son of JaIr) killed LachMi (the brother of GoliAth the GitTite) whose wooden spear was as large as the rod of a weaving loom.

⁶ They also had a huge man there that had 24 fingers and toes (6 fingers on each hand and 6 toes on each foot), who was a descendant of the giants. ⁷ And when he came forward and slandered IsraEl, JoNathan (son of David’s brother SamaAh) attacked him and killed him!

⁸ These men were all sons of Rapha of Gath, and although all four were giants, they all fell by the hand of David and his servants!

1 Chronicles 21

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¹ Well, the Slanderer came to IsraEl and [he] urged David to count his people.

² So King David said to JoAb and his generals:

‘Go and take a census of IsraEl from BeerSheba to Dan, then bring [the numbers] to me, so I’ll know how many men I have [in my army].’

³ And JoAb said:

‘May Yahweh multiply His people 100 times!

‘But the eyes of my lord the king can see all of his servants; so, why do you want to do this, my lord?

‘Be careful that you don’t bring a sin upon IsraEl!’

⁴ However, the king just wouldn’t listen to JoAb... So, JoAb traveled throughout all IsraEl, and then he returned to JeruSalem and gave the numbers of the people to David:

• There were 1,100,000 men who could carry the sword.

• ⁵ And among the sons of Judah there was an additional 470,000.

⁶ However, he didn’t count [the tribes of] Levi and BenJamin as being among them, because the king told JoAb not to do so.

⁷ Well, doing this was wicked [in the eyes of] God, so He struck IsraEl!

⁸ Then David said to God:

‘I [was guilty of] a great sin when I did this thing!

‘So, please forgive the evil of Your servant, for I’m the one who did this foolish thing.’

⁹ Then the Lord spoke to David’s Seer Gad, saying:

¹⁰ ‘Go speak to David and tell him that this is what Yahweh has said:

‘I’ll give you a choice of three punishments.

‘Choose which you prefer, and I’ll bring it upon you...’

¹¹ So Gad went to David and told him:

‘This is what Yahweh has said:

‘Choose for yourself ¹² from these three:

• Three years of famine,

• Three months of destruction and fleeing from your enemies,

• Three days of death in the land, when the messenger of the Lord will go among all the inheritance of IsraEl and destroy.’

‘Now, give me an answer for the One who sent me… Which do you choose?’

¹³ And David told Gad:

‘Those are three very tough choices, so I’ll leave it in the hands of Yahweh, for He’s exceptionally compassionate.

‘I don’t want to leave myself in the hands of men.’

¹⁴ So the Lord sent death throughout all IsraEl, and 70,000 of their males died.

¹⁵ Then God sent His messenger to JeruSalem to wipe it out also.

But, as he was destroying it, the Lord saw what was happening and felt sorry for the evil. So He said to the messenger that was doing the destroying:

‘That’s enough! Withdraw your hand!’

Well, at the time, the messenger of Yahweh was standing at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite... ¹⁶ And when David looked up and saw the messenger of Yahweh standing in that place between the sky and the ground with an unsheathed broadsword in his hand that was stretched out over JeruSalem, he fell to the ground and he had the elders put on sackcloth and cover their faces!

¹⁷ So then David called out to God, saying:

‘Wasn’t I the one who told them to count the people?

‘Yes, I’m the one who sinned and who told them to do this bad thing!

‘What did these sheep do, O Yahweh God?

‘Please bring Your hand and Your destruction against me and the house of my father instead, not against Your people, O Lord!’

¹⁸ Then the messenger of Yahweh said to Gad:

‘Tell David that he must build an Altar to Yahweh there at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.’

¹⁹ So David thereafter went and did what Gad had told him in the Name of the Lord... ²⁰ But when Ornan turned and saw the king and four of his sons coming to see him, he tried to hide (for he’d been threshing wheat at the time). ²¹ But when David got there, Ornan came down from the threshing floor and bowed with his face to the ground before him.

²² And David said:

‘I want to buy your threshing floor, because I wish to build an Altar to Yahweh upon it.

‘Tell me how much you want for it, since this will bring an end to the calamity that has been plaguing the people.’

²³ And Ornan said to David:

‘Just take it… And may my lord the king do whatever he thinks is best!

‘{Look!} Here are some calves to sacrifice as whole burnt offerings, as well as some wood and some grain.

‘I’m giving it all to you!’

²⁴ But David told him:

‘No, I want to pay you whatever it’s worth.

‘There’s no way that I’d take what’s yours for Yahweh and then sacrifice whole burnt offerings for myself without paying you.’

²⁵ So David paid Ornan 600 weighed gold coins for his place, ²⁶ then he built an Altar to Yahweh and sacrificed whole burnt offerings and a deliverance offering, as he stood there calling out to Yahweh.

Well, Yahweh listened to him from the heavens as he was standing there by the fire with the whole burnt offerings on the Altar... ²⁷ So the Lord spoke to the messenger, who then put his broadsword back into its sheath.

²⁸ And David recognized that Yahweh had listened to him there at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, where he’d offered the sacrifices.

²⁹ Well, at the time, the Tent of Yahweh that Moses had made was out in the desert, as was the Altar for sacrificing whole burnt offerings… It was located on the High Place in GibeOn. ³⁰ But David wouldn’t go there right away to seek the face of God, because he didn’t want to turn away too quickly from the broadsword that was being held by Yahweh’s messenger.

1 Chronicles 22

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¹ Then David said:

‘This is where the Temple of Yahweh our God [will be built] and where the Altar for the whole burnt offerings of IsraEl will be located.’

² And David said:

‘Gather all the foreigners in the land of IsraEl and use them as quarry workers to cut, and work stones to build the Temple of Yahweh.’

³ And thereafter, he prepared many other things for the project, such as the nails, the doorways, the gates, and the hinges. He also collected a huge amount of brass… So much that its weight couldn’t be calculated, ⁴ and there was unnumbered amounts of cedar lumber, which the Sidonians and the people of Tyre had brought to David.

⁵ Then David said:

‘My son Solomon is still a young boy, but he will erect this great Temple of Yahweh, which will thereafter be renowned for its glory throughout the whole earth… And I’ll prepare for it.’

So David did prepare for it by [collecting] many things before he died.

⁶ Then David called his son Solomon and told him that he’d have to build the Temple to Yahweh the God of IsraEl.

⁷ David said to Solomon:

‘My child,

‘It has been in my heart to build a Temple to the Name of Yahweh God.

⁸ ‘But, the Word of the Lord came to me and said:

‘You’ve spilled a lot of blood and fought many great wars, so you may not build a Temple to My Name because of all the blood that you’ve spilled on the ground before Me.

⁹ ‘Yet, look! A son has been born to you who is a man of peace, and I’ll give him rest from all his enemies round about!

‘The name that has been given to him is Solomon [meaning, Peace]; so, I’ll give him peace and rest, and I’ll appoint him [as king] over IsraEl when his time comes. ¹⁰ He’s the one who will build a Temple to My Name...

‘He will be My son, I’ll be a father to him... And I will establish the throne of his kingdom in IsraEl throughout the ages!’

¹¹ ‘Now, my son...

‘May Yahweh be with you and bless you, for you’ll build a Temple to your God Yahweh, just as He said you would. ¹² May He give you wisdom, understanding, and make you strong over IsraEl! And may you preserve and keep the Laws of Yahweh your God... ¹³ For if you carefully obey the instructions and decisions that Yahweh gave to IsraEl through Moses, He will bless you.

‘So you must act like a man and be strong… Don’t be weak or afraid!

¹⁴ ‘Now, {Look!} in my own poor way, I’ve made preparations for the Temple of Yahweh. I’ve collected hundreds of tons of gold, thousands of tons of silver, and so much brass that nobody can estimate its weight!

‘I’ve also collected the wood and the stone, and you must add to all of this.

¹⁵ ‘So may Yahweh be with you, and may you finish [this project]. You’ll have to assemble the huge number of craftsmen that will be needed… The stone workers, carpenters, and all the wise men ¹⁶ who know how to work the gold, silver, brass, and iron.

‘But if you’ll stand tall and act, Yahweh will be with you!’

¹⁷ Then David instructed all the governors of IsraEl to assist his son Solomon.

He said:

¹⁸ ‘Isn’t Yahweh with you, and hasn’t He provided you with peace roundabout?

‘Hasn’t He put all those who live here into your hands so that the entire land is now subject to Yahweh and to His people?

¹⁹ ‘Therefore, you must search for Yahweh your God with your whole hearts and souls, and then you must come here and build a Holy Place to Yahweh your God where the Chest of the Sacred Agreement of Yahweh must be placed among all the rest of the holy things of God.

‘Yes, you must build a Temple to the Name of Yahweh!’

1 Chronicles 23

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¹ Well, after David had grown old and lived a full life, his son Solomon took his place as [the king] over IsraEl. ² But then, David assembled all the rulers of IsraEl, as well as the Priests and the Levites, ³ and he took a census of all the Levites who were more than 30 years old… And he found that there were 38,000 qualified men.

⁴ So he assigned 24,000 of them to be in charge of the Temple of Yahweh, 6,000 of them to be scribes and judges, ⁵ 4,000 [to be] gatekeepers, and 4,000 were anointed to praise Yahweh with the sacred musical instruments that had been made specifically for that purpose.

⁶ So at that time, David divided the Levites by family groups, and he worked out their daily rotations.

Levi’s sons were:

• GerShon,

• KoHath, and

• MeraRi.

⁷ In the family of GerShon, there was:

• Edan, and

• ShiMei.

⁸ The three sons (and rulers of) of Edan were:

• JeiEl,

• ZeThan, and

• JoEl.

⁹ The three sons of ShiMei were:

• SalomIth,

• JeiEl, and

• Dan.

...who had been the rulers of the families of LaAdan.

¹⁰ The four sons of ShiMei were:

• Jeth,

• Ziza,

• JoAs, and

• BeriJah.

¹¹ Jeth was the firstborn and Ziza was second. But JoAs and BeriJah didn’t have any sons, so the whole house and family received the same assignments.

¹² The four sons of KoHath were:

• AmBram,

• IsaAr,

• HebRon, and

• OziEl.

¹³ The sons of AmBram were:

• Aaron, and

• Moses.

Then Aaron and his sons were set aside to [serve in] the Holy of Holies, to burn incense before Yahweh, and to officiate and use the power of His Name throughout the rest of that age.

¹⁴ Of course, Moses was the man of God, and his sons were assigned among the tribe of Levi. ¹⁵ Moses’ sons were:

• GerSam, and

• EliEzer.

¹⁶ GerSam’s son SoubaEl was the firstborn, ¹⁷ and EliEzer’s son RabiJah was his firstborn. EliEzer didn’t have any other sons, but the family line of RabiJah became very large.

¹⁸ The son of IsaAr was SalomOth (the firstborn).

¹⁹ The sons of HebRon were:

• JeriJa (the firstborn),

• AmadiJa (the 2nd),

• JeziEl (the 3rd), and

• JekemiJah (the 4th).

²⁰ The sons of OziEl were:

• Micha (the firstborn), and

• JesShiah (the 2nd).

²¹ The sons of MeraRi were:

• MoOli, and

• MoUsi.

MoOli’s sons were:

• EliEzer, and

• Kish.

²² EliEzer died without any sons (just daughters), but the sons of Kish married them.

²³ The three sons of MoUsi were:

• MoOli,

• Eder, and

• JariMoth.

²⁴ These were the names of the rulers among the descendants of Levi by houses and family lines that were more than 20 years old and that served at the Temple of Yahweh.

²⁵ Then David said:

‘Since Yahweh the God of IsraEl has provided rest for His people and He’s now camping in JeruSalem throughout the ages, ²⁶ the Levites won’t have to carry the Sacred Tent or any of its things anymore.’

²⁷ And the last order that David [gave] was to count the sons of Levi who were 20 years old and older; ²⁸ for he’d appointed them to [assist the descendants] of Aaron as they served in the Temple of Yahweh... They were to be in charge of the courtyards and the place of worship, as well as to handle the cleansing of the holy things and the maintenance of the Temple of God.

²⁹ They were also to be in charge of the place settings, and for mixing and measuring the fine flour for the bread loaves [that were to be used in] the sacrifice offerings, which included the fermentation-free bread and the fried cakes.

³⁰ And every morning and every evening, they were to praise and acknowledge Yahweh.

³¹ In addition, they were also to prepare all the whole burnt offerings to Yahweh on the Sabbaths, on the New Moons, and on the holidays (as they were instructed); so, their job was to always stand before Yahweh.

³² They were also to stand guard by watches over the Meeting Tent, over the Holy Place, and to be in charge of their brothers the sons of Aaron, as they did their jobs at the Temple of Yahweh.

1 Chronicles 24

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[Editor note: Now follows a list of temple assignments followed by other genealogical records. The story resumes in 1 Chronicles 28:1.]

¹ These are the [Priestly] divisions of the sons of Aaron:

• NaDab,

• AbiHu,

• EliEzer, and

• IthaMar.

² Since NaDab and AbiHu died in front of their father and they had no sons, the official Priests were Aaron’s sons EliEzer and IthaMar.

³ So David made a similar division...

He appointed ZaDok (who was a descendant of EliEzer) and AhiMelech (who was a descendant of IthaMar) to be the heads over their houses and families for their duties [inside the Temple].

⁴ But David found that among the descendants of EliEzer there were many more leaders and powerful men than there were among the descendants of IthaMar, so he appointed 16 descendants of EliEzer as leaders of their houses and families, and he only appointed 8 from the descendants of IthaMar.

⁵ Thereafter, he assigned each of their responsibilities in the Temple of God by lottery, ⁶ and SamaiJah son of NathaniEl (the scribe from the tribe of Levi) recorded the results for the king, the governors, the [High] Priest ZaDok, AhiMelech (son of AbiAthar), the heads of families, and for the family heads of the Priests and Levites.

In the lottery for the [assignments of the] families of EliEzer and IthaMar:

• ⁷ JehoArim was the 1st group chosen,

• JediJah was the 2nd,

• ⁸ Charib was the 3rd,

• SeOrim was the 4th,

• ⁹ MelciJah was the 5th,

• MeiJamin was the 6th,

• ¹⁰ Kos was the 7th,

• AbiJah was the 8th,

• ¹¹ JeShua was the 9th,

• ShecheniJah was the 10th,

• ¹² EliAbi was the 11th,

• JaKim was the 12th,

• ¹³ Opha was the 13th,

• JesBaAl was the 14th,

• ¹⁴ BelGa was the 15th,

• EmMer was the 16th,

• ¹⁵ Hezir was the 17th,

• ApheSe was the 18th,

• ¹⁶ PhetaiJah was the 19th,

• EzekiEl was the 20th,

• ¹⁷ Achim was the 21st,

• GamoUl was the 22nd,

• ¹⁸ DalaiJah was the 23rd, and

• MaAsiJah was the 24th.

¹⁹ So, this is the way that their duties were assigned and the order in which they were to enter the Temple of Yahweh, as the responsibilities were set out by their ancestor Aaron and as they were given to him by Yahweh, the God of IsraEl.

²⁰ These are the names of the rest of Levi’s descendants.

Among the descendants of AmBram there was:

• SobaEl, and

• His son JediJah.

²¹ From the descendants of RaAbiJah there was his firstborn, JesiJah.

²² From the descendants of IsaAri there was:

• SalomOth and,

• His son, Jath.

²³ From the descendants of JediOu there was:

• AmadiJah,

• JaziEl, and

• JekMoAm.

²⁴ From the descendants of OziEl there was:

• Micha, and

• His son Samer.

²⁵ Micha’s brother was IsiJa, and his son was ZachariJah.

²⁶ The sons of MeraRi were:

• MoOli,

• MoUsi, and

• Through BonNi, OziJa.

²⁷ So, OziJa was also one of MeraRi’s sons, and his sons were:

• IsoAm,

• SakChour, and

• Abai.

²⁸ MoOli’s only son was EliEzer, ²⁹ his son was Kish, and his son was JaRameEl.

³⁰ The sons of MoUsi were:

• MoOli,

• Eder, and

• JariMoth.

These were the sons of the Levites by the houses of their families.

1 Chronicles 25

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¹ King David also assigned some of the sons of Asaph, HeMan, and IdiThoun to be the heads of the orchestra that was to praise [God] with woodwinds, stringed instruments, and cymbals.

And these are the numbers of the musicians who were working in their bands:

² The sons of Asaph were:

• SakChour,

• JoSeph,

• NathaniJah, and

• EraEl.

These sons of Asaph worked under Asaph, who was a Prophet, and he reported directly to the king.

³ Under IdiThoun were his 6 sons:

• GodoliJah,

• SoUri,

• IseAs,

• ShiMei,

• AsAbiJah, and

• MatTathiJah.

They all played the woodwinds to praise and acknowledge Yahweh.

⁴ Under HeMan were his sons:

• BoukiJah,

• MathaniJah,

• OziEl,

• SoubaEl,

• JeriMoth,

• HananiJah,

• Hanan,

• EliAtha,

• GodolLathi,

• RomethiEzer,

• JesBasaka,

• MalLithi,

• OthEri, and

• MeAzOth.

⁵ These were all the sons of HeMan.

They played music to the king about the Word of God with horns.

⁶ God had given HeMan 14 sons and 3 daughters, and they all (including their father) sang in the Temple to the music of the cymbals, stringed instruments, and woodwinds during the services, and they all reported directly to the king (along with Asaph, IdiThoun, and HeMan).

⁷ In addition, many others in their families were taught to sing to Yahweh; so altogether, there were 288 in the chorus.

⁸ Then they threw lots for themselves to choose the daily rotations of singers… From the unknown to the famous and from the novices to the experts:

• ⁹ The 1st lot fell to Asaph (son of JoSeph, who was also called GedaliJah) and his sons,

• The 2nd fell to EneiJa and 12 among his family members,

• ¹⁰ The 3rd fell to ZakChour and 12 among his family members,

• ¹¹ The 4th fell to JesRi and 12 among his family members,

• ¹² The 5th fell to NathaniJah and 12 among his family members,

• ¹³ The 6th fell to BoUkiJah and 12 among his family members,

• ¹⁴ The 7th fell to IshEriEl and 12 among his family members,

• ¹⁵ The 8th fell to JosiJah and 12 among his family members,

• ¹⁶ The 9th fell to MathaniJah and 12 among his family members,

• ¹⁷ The 10th fell to SemeiJah and 12 among his family members,

• ¹⁸ The 11th fell to AsriEl and 12 among his family members,

• ¹⁹ The 12th fell to AsabiJah and 12 among his family members,

• ²⁰ The 13th fell to SoubaEl and 12 among his family members,

• ²¹ The 14th fell to MatTathiJah and 12 among his family members,

• ²² The 15th fell to JeriMoth and 12 among his family members,

• ²³ The 16th fell to HananiJah and 12 among his family members,

• ²⁴ The 17th fell to JesBasaka and 12 among his family members,

• ²⁵ The 18th fell to HananiJah and 12 among his family members,

• ²⁶ The 19th fell to MalLithi and 12 among his family members,

• ²⁷ The 20th fell to EliAthah and 12 among his family members,

• ²⁸ The 21st fell to OthEri and 12 among his family members,

• ²⁹ The 22nd fell to GodolLathi and 12 among his family members,

• ³⁰ The 23rd fell to MeAzOth and 12 among his family members, and

• The 24th fell to RometThiEzer and 12 among his family members.

³¹ Their brothers from the sons of Aaron also threw lots for themselves before the king, as did ZaDok and AhiMelech (who were the heads of the families of the Priests and the Levites), as well as the family heads and the younger ones.

1 Chronicles 26

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¹ These are the groups of the gatekeepers:

From the family of KorAh there was MoselLemiJa and his sons who descended through Asaph.

² Under MoselLemiJa there was:

• ZachariJah (his firstborn),

• JadiEl (the 2nd),

• ZabadiJa (the 3rd),

• JethNouEl (the 4th),

• ³ JoLam (the 5th),

• JoNathan (the 6th),

• EliOnai (the 7th), and

• ObedEdom (the 8th).

⁴ ObedEdom’s sons were:

• SamaiJah (the firstborn),

• JoZabath (the 2nd),

• JoAth (the 3rd),

• Sachar (the 4th),

• NathaniEl (the 5th),

• ⁵ AmiEl (the 6th),

• IsSachar (the 7th), and

• PheLathi (the 8th) – for God had blessed him.

⁶ Then there was SamaiJah’s son RoshAi, who was the firstborn of the house of his father (they were all mighty men).

⁷ SamaiJah’s sons (they were the most powerful) were:

• OthNi,

• RaphaEl,

• Obed,

• EliZabath, and

• AchiOud.

Then there was:

• EliOu,

• SabachiJah, and

• IshBakom.

⁸ These were the descendants of ObedEdom and their ancestor MoselLemiJa.

They all became great in their positions (all 62 of them), ⁹ and 18 of them became extremely powerful.

¹⁰ Then there was Osa (from the line of MeraRi), whose sons guarded the Temple. Although he wasn’t the firstborn, his father appointed him head of the 2nd division of gate guards.

• ¹¹ HelkiJah was second under him,

• Then TabliJah (the 3rd), and

• ZachariJah (the 4th).

There were 13 sons in the family of Osa, ¹² and it was from among them that the heads of the divisions of gate guards descended. They were all rulers and important men who handled the daily rotations of their families as they served in the Temple of Yahweh.

¹³ Thereafter, they all (from the least to the most important) threw lots by houses and families at the gatehouse...

• ¹⁴ And the lot for the gates towards the east fell to SelemiJah and ZachariJah.

• Then MelchiJah threw the lots for the family of JoAs, and they received the north gate.

• ¹⁵ When the second lot was thrown, ObedEdom received the south gate, which was next to the collection boxes.

• ¹⁶ [And the Family of] Osa received the west gate.

Their job was to watch over the road that led into the Temple.

¹⁷ Six Levites were assigned to guard the east gate each day, and four were to be in charge of the north gate. Two shifts of two men each watched the south gate (by the collection boxes), ¹⁸ and there were also four posted at the west gate, who worked in two shifts of two guards each and kept an eye on the road.

¹⁹ These were all the divisions of the gatekeepers from the family of KorAh and MeraRi.

²⁰ The Levites and their families who received the responsibility of being over the treasury in the Temple of Yahweh and watching over the holy things ²¹ were the family of LaDan (who was of the line of GerShon).

JeiEl was the head of this family group. ²² JeiEl’s sons were:

• Zethom, and

• JoEl.

They and their families were in charge of the treasury at the Temple of Yahweh, ²³ as were:

• AmBram,

• IsaAr,

• HebRon, and

• OziEl.

²⁴ SoubaEl (a descendant of Moses through GerSam) was [the chief of] the treasury.

²⁵ The sons of his brother EliEzer were:

• RabiJah,

• JosiJah,

• JoRam,

• ZechRi, and

• SalomOth.

²⁶ SalomOth and his family [kept watch over] the treasures that were inside of the Holy Place… The things that King David had set aside as holy, which had been brought there by the generals, lieutenants, and family heads.

²⁷ They were the things that they brought in from the cities that they’d captured, so, construction of the Temple of Yahweh God could begin soon thereafter. ²⁸ These men were also in charge of all the holy things that had been dedicated by the Prophet SamuEl, by Saul (son of Kish), by AbNer (son of Ner), and by JoAb (son of ZeruJah).

All of these holy things were put into the hands of SalomOth and his family.

²⁹ ChoNeniJah and his family (descendants of IsaAr) were assigned to work outside [of the Temple] as scribes and judges over IsraEl.

³⁰ AsabiJah and his family (descendants of HebRon) – all 1,700 of them – were important people, for they watched over IsraEl on the other side of the JorDan up to its western border, where they served as representatives of Yahweh and of the king.

³¹ JoriJah was the leader of the Hebronites and all the generations of their families.

It was in the 40th year of David’s reign that all the powerful men were counted at JaZer [in the land of] GileAd. ³² There were 2,700 family heads; and (following Yahweh’s instructions) King David put them over the tribes of ReuBen, Gad, and the half-tribe of ManasSeh.

1 Chronicles 27

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¹ Now, these are the sons of IsraEl by rank that were the heads of their families and who served as generals or lieutenants in the army each month, every month of the year, as it was recorded by the scribes that officially served the king and wrote all his declarations:

In the 1st division there were 24,000. ² The general over this division was IshBoaz (son of ZabDiEl). His division included 24,000 ³ from the line of Perez. He was in charge of all the army officers during the 1st month.

⁴ The general in charge of the division during the 2nd month was DoDai (son of Ehok), and under him was MakelLoth. There were 24,000 in his division.

⁵ The general in charge during the 3rd month was BenaiJah (son of JehoiAda, the High Priest). In his division there were 24,000. ⁶ BenaiJah was the greatest of [David’s] 30 men, and he was in charge of the 30. The man who served under him was his son Zabad.

⁷ In charge during the 4th month was AsaHel, JoAb’s brother, and his son ZabadiJah. There were 24,000 in his division.

⁸ The general in charge during the 5th month was SamaOth the JezreElite, and there were 24,000 in his division.

⁹ The general in charge during the 6th month was OdouJah (son of EkKes) the Thekoite, and there were 24,000 in his division.

¹⁰ The general in charge of the 7th month was HelLes of PalLu, from the tribe of Ephraim, and there were 24,000 in his division.

¹¹ The general in charge during the 8th month was SoboChai the Ousathite from ZarAi, and there were 24,000 in his division.

¹² The general in charge during the 9th month was AbiEzer from AnathOth, of the tribe of BenJamin, and there were 24,000 in his division.

¹³ The general in charge during the 10th month was MeEra from NetoPhathi of ZarAi, and there were 24,000 in his division.

¹⁴ The general in charge during the 11th month was BenaiJah from PharaThon of the tribe of Ephraim, and there were 24,000 in his division.

¹⁵ The general in charge during the 12th month was CholdiJah from NetoPhathi of GoThoniEl, and there were 24,000 in his division.

¹⁶ These were the leaders of each of the tribes of IsraEl:

• [In charge of the tribe of] ReuBen was EliEzer (son of ZechRi)

• [In charge of the tribe of] SimeOn was SaphatiAs (son of MaAcha)

• ¹⁷ [In charge of the tribe of] Levi was AsabiJah (son of KamouEl)

• [In charge of the line of] Aaron was ZaDok

• ¹⁸ [In charge of the tribe of] Judah was EliJah (David’s brother)

• [In charge of the tribe of] IsSachar was Ambri (son of MichaEl)

• ¹⁹ [In charge of the tribe of] ZebuLun was SamaiJah (son of AbDiOu)

• [In charge of the tribe of] NaphTali was JeriMoth (son of OziEl)

• ²⁰ [In charge of the tribe of] Ephraim was Ose (son of OziOu)

• [In charge of the tribe of] half-tribe of ManasSeh was JoEl (son of PhadiJah)

• ²¹ [In charge of] the half-tribe of ManasSeh in the land of GileAd was JaDai (son of ZadiJah)

• [In charge of the tribe of] BenJamin was JasiEl (son of AbNer)

• ²² [In charge of the tribe of] Dan was AzariEl (son of IroAb).

These were all the patriarchs of the tribes of IsraEl.

²³ Now, David never counted the men who were under 20 years old, because Yahweh said that He would cause IsraEl to grow like the stars in the sky... ²⁴ And although JoAb (son of ZeruJah) did start to take a census of the people, he didn’t complete it because this brought [God’s] anger against IsraEl.

So the number was never written in the scroll of The Days of King David.

• ²⁵ The man who was in charge of the king’s storehouses was AsMoth (son of OdiEl).

• The man who was over the storehouses in the countryside, towns, estates, and fortresses was JoNathan (son of OziOu).

• ²⁶ The man who was in charge of the farming was EzRai (son of CheloUb).

• ²⁷ The man who was in charge of the fields was ShiMei of RaEl.

• The man in charge of the wineries in the fields was ZabDi (son of SephNi).

• ²⁸ The man who was in charge of the olive groves and mulberry trees (in the plains) was BailHanan the Gedorite.

• The man who was in charge of the olive storehouse was JoAs.

• ²⁹ The man who was in charge of the cattle that grazed in ShaRon was SatRai the ShaRonite.

• The man who was in charge of the cattle in the valleys was Shophat (son of AdLi).

• ³⁰ The man who was in charge of the camels was AbiJah the IshMaElite.

• The man who was in charge of the burros was JadiJah of MeraThon.

• ³¹ The man who was in charge of the sheep was JaZiz the Agarite.

These were the superintendents over the personal possessions of King David.

• ³² JoNathan (David’s uncle) was his advisor, because he was a very discerning man and a scribe.

• JeEl (son of AchaMani) [watched over] the king’s sons.

• ³³ AhiTophel was also one of the king’s councilors.

• HushAi was David’s best friend.

• ³⁴ After [the councilor] AhiTophel came JehoiAda (son of BenaiJah), then AbiAthar, and then JoAb (the king’s commander-in-chief).

1 Chronicles 28

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[Editor note: The story resumes here.]

¹ Well, David had called for an assembly of all the governors of IsraEl, the chief justices of the tribes, the king’s servants, the army generals and lieutenants, the treasury department, those in charge of the king’s property, his sons, his eunuchs, and the most outstanding warriors in JeruSalem.

² Then King David stood in the midst of the assembly and said:

‘Hear me, my brothers and my people!

‘It came into my heart to build a House of rest for the Chest of the Sacred Agreement of Yahweh and as a footstool for the feet of our [God, Yahweh]... Therefore, I have prepared the things that will be needed to build it.

³ ‘But God said:

‘You may not build a Temple to Me that carries My Name, because you’re a man of war and you’ve spilled [too much] blood.’

⁴ ‘Yet, Yahweh the God of IsraEl chose me from all the house of my father to be the king over IsraEl throughout the age, and He’s given the kingship to Judah and to the house of my father.

‘From among all of his sons, God chose me, because He wanted me to be the king over IsraEl. ⁵ And from among all of my sons –and Yahweh has given me many of them– He’s chosen my son Solomon and seated him on the throne of His kingdom over IsraEl.

⁶ ‘For God said to me:

‘Your son Solomon will build My Temple and My courtyard, because I have taken him to be My son, and I will be his Father... ⁷ I will establish his kingdom throughout the ages, as long as he faithfully obeys My Commandments and instructions as he’s doing today.’

⁸ ‘And now, before this entire assembly of Yahweh and within the hearing of our God, I say [to Solomon]:

‘Guard and seek all the Commandments of Yahweh our God, so that you’ll inherit a good land, which your sons can thereafter inherit with you throughout the ages!

⁹ ‘So, Solomon my son,

‘Know the God of your fathers!

‘You must serve Him with a perfect heart and with a willing soul, for Yahweh regularly checks the hearts and He knows every thought!

‘If you search for Him, you can always find Him…

‘But if you leave Him, He will leave you in the end.

¹⁰ ‘Now, look!

‘Yahweh has chosen you to build a Temple as His most holy place.

‘Therefore, you must be strong and act!’

¹¹ Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the Temple and its surrounding buildings, its treasury, its upper rooms, the inner storehouses, and the place where the [sacrifices were to be offered] for the forgiveness of sins.

¹² He had the plans all laid out in his mind for how the courtyards of the Temple of Yahweh were to be assembled, as well as the places of worship, the storehouses around the Temple, the storehouses for the holy things, and the sleeping quarters. ¹³ He had even planned the daily rotations of the Priests and Levites, the assignments of work at the Temple of Yahweh, the management of the storehouses, and how the sacred things were to be handled.

¹⁴ Then he weighed out all the gold and silver ¹⁵ for the lamp stands, and he contributed money that had been weighed to make the lamps. ¹⁶ Thereafter, he did the same thing for the tables and place settings (because each of the tables were to be made of gold and silver), ¹⁷ the meat hooks, the drinking bowls, and the gold bowls.

He also specified the weight of the gold and silver for the wash basin.

¹⁸ [Then he provided] pure gold for the incense Altar, clearly specifying how much each item should weigh, and he showed him the plans for the chariot of the cherubs (the ones with the opened, spread wings that were to cover the Chest of the Sacred Agreement of Yahweh).

¹⁹ By the hand of Yahweh, David had written everything down for Solomon so that he would clearly understand how the plans were to be carried out.

²⁰ Then David said to Solomon:

‘Now you must be strong and act like a man!

‘Don’t be afraid or terrified, because my God Yahweh will be with you.

‘He won’t push you away and He will never abandon you, as long as you finish all the work of building the Temple of Yahweh.

‘Look! Here are the plans for the Temple, for His Most Holy, for His treasury, for the upper rooms, for the inner storehouses, and for the place where [the sacrifices are to be offered] for forgiveness of sins at the Temple of Yahweh.

²¹ ‘And look!

‘Here are the daily rotations of the Priests and Levites for their services at the Temple of Yahweh, and for the people who are to help you... They’re all eager, wise, and skilled at all sorts of crafts, as are their supervisors, and they’re all ready to follow your instructions.’

1 Chronicles 29

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¹  Then King David said to the assembly:

‘My son Solomon, whom Yahweh has taken for Himself, is still young and inexperienced, and he has a great work to do!

‘However, this isn’t going to be accomplished by a man, but by Yahweh our God.

² ‘Now, I’ve done everything in my power to prepare for the Temple of my God. [I’ve accumulated] all the gold for the things of gold, all the silver for the things of silver, all the brass for the things of brass, all the iron for the things of iron, all the wood for the things of wood, and all the stones for the things of stone.

‘There’s onyx, precious gems, all types of costly colored stones, and large amounts of white marble... ³ And yet, because I’ve favored myself by [preparing for] a Temple for my God, I’ve obtained even more gold and silver.

‘And look… I’m now giving it all it to the Temple of my God!

‘For in addition to what I’ve prepared for the Holy Temple, ⁴ here is another 10 tons (9,000kg) of gold from Ophir and 20 tons (18,000kg) of pure silver with which to overlay the walls of the Temple ⁵ and to make things of gold and silver…

‘Whatever the craftsmen can do with it!

‘Now, if anyone else is eager to contribute gold to make things of gold, and silver to make things of silver, may he fill his hands for Yahweh today.’

⁶ Well, the heads of families, the governors of the sons of IsraEl, the generals, the lieutenants, and the king’s supervisors and managers were eager to contribute to building the Temple of Yahweh. ⁷ So he collected:

• 30 tons (27,000kg) of gold,

• 10,000 gold coins,

• 60 tons (54,000kg) of silver,

• 600 tons (540,000kg) of brass, and

• 3,000 tons (2,700,000kg) of iron.

⁸ They contributed whatever gemstones they had to JeiEl the GerShonite, to put into the storehouses for the Temple of Yahweh.

⁹ Well, everyone there was very happy, because they’d all shown such eagerness, and their hearts had been so filled with their zeal for Yahweh!

And because King David was so very happy, ¹⁰ he then praised Yahweh before the assembly, saying:

‘O Yahweh, the God of IsraEl, our Father throughout ages of ages; may You truly be praised!

¹¹ ‘For to You, O Yahweh, belongs the greatness, the power, the boasting, the victories, the recognition, and the strength!

‘For You are the One who made everything in the skies above and on the ground below.

‘Yet, You are our Lord, and the kings of all the nations are in fear before Your face, ¹² for from You comes all the wealth and the glory. You’re the Ruler over everything!

‘O Yahweh,

‘You are above all others!

‘For in Your hand there’s every type of strength and control, and in Your hand [is the power] to create all fame and mightiness.

¹³ ‘And now, O Yahweh,

‘We acknowledge You and we praise the Name of which You boast... ¹⁴ But, who am I, and who are my people, that we’ve felt such eagerness to [contribute] these things?

‘For it’s really all Yours, and all we’re doing is giving Your things back to You. ¹⁵ We’re just visitors before You, as were our ancestors… For [our lives] are like shadows on the ground that are just passing by.

¹⁶ ‘O Yahweh our God,

‘All of these things that I’ve prepared so as to build a Temple to Your Holy Name have come from Your own hands, because everything belongs to You.

¹⁷ ‘And I know, O Yahweh, that You are the One who examines hearts and that You love justice. So, it’s with a pure heart that I’ve been eager to do all these things… And now I’ve also seen gladness and eagerness for You among Your people!

¹⁸ ‘O Yahweh, the God of AbraHam, IsaAc, and IsraEl… The God of our fathers,

‘Keep this feeling in the minds and hearts of Your people throughout the ages, and make their hearts straight towards You! ¹⁹ Also, give my son Solomon a good heart and make him obey Your Commandments, instructions, and orders, so that he may take the lead in finishing Your Temple.’

²⁰ Then David said to the entire assembly:

‘Praise Yahweh our God!’

And after that, everyone there praised Yahweh the God of their ancestors, as they bent their knees to bow low before Yahweh and before their king.

²¹ Thereafter, David offered sacrifices to Yahweh.

And then on the next day, he sacrificed:

• 1,000 calves,

• 1,000 rams, and

• 1,000 lambs...

...[all] as whole burnt offerings, along with drink offerings.

Thereafter, [he offered] many more sacrifices on behalf of IsraEl.

²² So, everyone joyfully ate and drank there before Yahweh that day, and they held a second coronation for David’s son Solomon, anointing him as their king before Yahweh and before ZaDok the [High] Priest.

²³ Well thereafter, Solomon sat on the throne of Yahweh as king in place of his father David, and everyone thought highly of him. For all IsraEl – ²⁴ the governors, the mighty ones, and all the sons of his father (King David) – submitted to him. ²⁵ And Yahweh made Solomon great before all IsraEl, giving him greater glory than any king who had ever existed before him.

²⁶ Well, David (son of JesSe) had ruled IsraEl for ²⁷ 40 years… 7 years in HebRon and 33 years in JeruSalem. ²⁸ But after he was old and had lived a long and good life filled with wealth and glory, [he died]… And his son Solomon took his place.

²⁹ The rest of the words of King David, from the beginning to the end, were written by the Seer SamuEl, by the Prophet Nathan, and by the Seer Gad; the things about his kingship, the area of his rule, the events of those times, and the things that happened to him and to IsraEl, as well as to all the other nations that lived in the land.

2 Chronicles

01  02  03  04  05  06  07  08  09  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  All books

2 Chronicles is a history book written from a religious viewpoint.

It’s the second part of a two-part book: 1 Chronicles and 2 Chronicles. It’s pronounced ‘Second Chronicles,’ and not ‘Two Chronicles.’

The books of Chronicles are a retelling of the history of the world and the Jewish people, repeating information appearing in all the previous Bible books – but in a more condensed way, with a few extra details added.

Part two covers the start of Solomon’s reign to the destruction of JeruSalem by Babylon, and then to the start of the reign of King Cyrus of Persia. When a king begins his reign, his name is marked in bold.

Why repeat this history again?

The two books of Chronicles were originally just one book. It was written for the Jews who returned home from the Babylonian exile to rebuild their nation. Perhaps it acted as a way of encouraging patriotism among the population, while also encouraging them to serve their God, Yahweh.

It was probably written by the Scribe Ezra, likely with the help of secretaries, around 455 BCE.

2 Chronicles 1

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¹ Well, Solomon (son of David) grew stronger in his kingdom because his God Yahweh was with him and made him great.

² Then, after Solomon had spoken to all the generals, lieutenants, judges, governors of IsraEl, and family heads, ³ he and the entire assembly went to the high place in GibeOn where God’s Tent of Proofs that Moses (the servant of Yahweh) had made in the desert was kept. ⁴ But at the time, the Chest of God wasn’t there, because David had it carried from the city of KiriAth JaiRim [and put in] a tent that he’d made for it in JeruSalem.

⁵ However, the bronze Altar that BeSeleEl (son of UriAh and grandson of Or) had made was still there in front of the Tent of Yahweh, and that’s why Solomon and the assembly went there.

⁶ There Solomon offered 1,000 whole burnt offerings as sacrifices to Yahweh on the bronze Altar before the Tent of the Proofs.

⁷ And that night, God appeared to Solomon and said to him:

‘Ask for whatever you wish and I will give it to you.’

⁸ So Solomon said to God:

‘You’ve been extremely kind to my father David, and now You’ve made me the king in his place.

⁹ ‘Therefore, O my God Yahweh,

‘May You prove true to Your Name by doing all the things that You [promised] to my father David.

‘And since You’ve made me the king over a people who are as many as the dust on the ground; ¹⁰ please give me the wisdom and understanding [that I’ll need] to stand before these people who’ll come before me.

‘For, who can possibly judge so many people?’

¹¹ And God said to Solomon:

‘Because this is the desire of your heart, and because you didn’t ask for wealth, possessions, glory, the lives of your enemies, or for a long life, but for the wisdom and understanding to judge My people over whom I have appointed you king... ¹² I will be giving you the wisdom and understanding.

‘However, I’ll also give you wealth, possessions, and glory… I’m giving you more than any of the kings who came before you or any who will come after you will ever know!’

¹³ So then, Solomon left The Tent of Proofs in the place of worship in GibeOn, and he returned to JeruSalem to begin his reign over IsraEl.

¹⁴ Thereafter, Solomon started collecting chariots and horsemen; and [in time] he had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, which he stationed in cities that [he built] to hold the chariots, and he kept many of the men with him in JeruSalem.

¹⁵ Well, during that time, the king made silver and gold as common as stones in JeruSalem, and the cedar wood in Judah as common as mulberry trees in the plains!

¹⁶ Solomon also imported horses from Egypt, and the King’s merchants’ [fees] for going and trading ¹⁷  and bringing [goods] from Egypt to the Hittite and Syrian kings (according to their means) was [as much as]:

• 600 silver coins for a chariot [of goods], and

• 150 silver coins for a horse [carrying goods].

2 Chronicles 2

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¹ It was then that Solomon gave the word to start building the Temple to the Name of Yahweh, as well as a palace for his own kingship. ² So he brought together:

• 70,000 laborers,

• 80,000 quarry workers to work in the mountains, and

• 3,600 supervisors.

³ Then Solomon sent a message to King HiRam [I] of Tyre, saying:

‘I know what you did for my father David by sending cedars to build a palace for himself... ⁴ But look; I (his son) am now building a Temple to the Name of my God Yahweh as a Holy Place for Him.

‘It’s a place to burn incense before Him throughout the ages and a place for Him to stay where we can sacrifice whole burnt offerings in the mornings, in the evenings, and on the Sabbaths, New Moons, and on the Lord’s holidays.

‘I am doing this for all of IsraEl.

⁵ ‘Now, the Temple that I am to build will be great, because our God Yahweh is greater than all other gods... ⁶ But, who is great enough to build a House for Him, since the skies and the heavens above them can’t bear His glory?

‘So, who am I to build such a Temple since [I’m not even qualified] to burn incense before Him?

⁷ ‘However, what I’m asking of you is to send me a wise man who knows how to work with gold, silver, bronze, and iron, as well as with blue [thread], purple [yarn], and scarlet cloth.

‘[I must have such a man to take the lead] over those wise ones who are with me in Judah and JeruSalem, to do the carving and to make the things that have been prepared by my father David.

⁸ ‘Also, please send me some cedar, juniper, and pine boards from Lebanon, because your servants know how to cut up the timber of Lebanon... And then {Look!} your servants can direct the servants ⁹ that [I’ll send], who’ll bring back the large quantities of timber for the great and glorious Temple that I’m about to build.

¹⁰ ‘And look!

‘Then I’ll send you gifts of grain as food for your servants who’ll be cutting the trees… I’ll send:

• 140,000 bushels of wheat,

• 140,000 bushels of barley,

• 20,000 barrels of wine, and

• 20,000 barrels of olive oil.’

¹¹ So King HiRam of Tyre sent a return letter to Solomon that said:

‘Yahweh must love His people very much to put such a king over them.’

¹² And he added:

‘Praise Yahweh the God of IsraEl who made the skies and the lands, and who gave King David such a wise son who knows enough and understands enough to build a Temple to Him, as well as a palace for his kingdom!

¹³ ‘Now, I’ve sent you a man who’s wise and knowledgeable, my servant HiRam. His mother is one of the daughters of Dan, although his father is from Tyre.

‘He knows how to work with gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood; and he knows how to weave blue [thread], purple [yarn], scarlet [cloth], and linen, as well as how to do carving. ¹⁴ He’s good at doing everything that you’ll assign him to do alongside your wise men and the wise men of your father, my Lord David.

¹⁵ ‘And concerning the grain, barley, olive oil, and wine that my lord spoke of... Let him send it to his servants, ¹⁶ and we’ll fell all the trees of Lebanon that you need and send them to you by sea to JopPa on barges.

‘You can then carry it on from there to JeruSalem.’

¹⁷ So Solomon gathered all the foreign men in the land of IsraEl who’d been counted by his father David (all 153,600 of them). ¹⁸ Then he put 70,000 to work loading the carriers, 80,000 to work in the mountain quarries, and 3,600 were assigned as the supervisors.

2 Chronicles 3

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¹ Thereafter, Solomon started the construction of the Temple of Yahweh on Mount MoriAh in JeruSalem; the place where Yahweh had appeared to his father David at the threshing floor and which he [bought] from Ornan the Jebusite.

² He started this construction project in the 2nd month of the 4th year of his reign.

³ When Solomon built the Temple of God, he made it 100 feet (30.5m) long and 33 feet (10m) wide.

⁴ It also had a columned porch that adjoined its full width along the front, which was 33 feet (10m) wide and 33 feet (10m) tall. On the inside, [the Temple] was totally covered in pure gold.

⁵ It was a large building made of cedar wood that had been covered in pure gold and engraved with palms and chain work. ⁶ Valuable stones were then added to make the Temple more glorious, and using gold that he got from PharaOh Aim, ⁷ he gilded the Temple’s walls, gatehouses, roofing, and doorways, and he had cherubs engraved on its walls.

⁸ Next, he made the Holy of Holies.

Its width (along the front side of the Temple) was 33 feet (10m), and it was 33 feet (10m) long. Then he had it covered with 13 tons (11,800kg) of gold… ⁹ The weight of each nail was the same as the weight of 50 gold coins, and the upper rooms were also covered in gold.

¹⁰ Inside the Temple, facing the Holy of Holies, he made two cherubs of durable wood that were covered with gold. ¹¹ They each stood 33 feet (10m) tall and their wings were 8 feet (2.4m) long, ¹² so that they touched the Temple walls on either side, and they touched each other [in the middle].

¹³ Their [combined] wingspan was 32 feet (9.75m), and they stood on their feet facing the [Sacred Chest].

¹⁴ Then he made the separating veil of blue [thread], purple [yarn], scarlet [cloth], and linen that was woven into [the shape of] cherubs.

¹⁵ In front of the Temple there were 2 columns that each stood 50 feet (15.25m) tall, and their caps were each 8 feet (2.4m) tall. ¹⁶ Then he made a chainwork for the corners that was put over the column caps, and 100 pomegranate figures were mounted over the chainwork. ¹⁷ These columns were located on each side of the [entrance to] the Temple. He then named the one on the right Success, and the one on the left Strength.

2 Chronicles 4

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¹ Next, he built a bronze Altar that was:

• 33 feet (10m) long,

• 33 feet (10m) wide, and

• 16 feet (4.9m) high.

² After that, he had the [Sacred] Sea cast. It was round and 16 feet (4.9m) in diameter. It stood 8 feet (2.4m) tall and it was 50 feet (15.25m) in circumference.

³ This bathing tub [was resting on metal] calves that were standing in a 16-foot circle beneath it. ⁴ There were 12 calves that were cast in two types; 3 looked north, 3 looked west, 3 looked south, and 3 looked east, with their backsides facing inward and the Sea resting on top of them.

⁵ [The Sea] looked like a palm in the middle, and its rim was like the edge of a cup, with carved lily buds [all around]. It had a capacity of 20,000 gallons (75,000l).

⁶ After he finished the [Sacred Sea], he made 10 washbasins, 5 of which were put on its right and 5 on its left. They were used to wash and rinse those who sacrificed the whole burnt offerings.

However, the Sea was only to be used for washing the Priests.

⁷ Then he made 10 of the unique gold lampstands and put them inside of the Temple, 5 on the right, and 5 on the left.

⁸ He also made 10 tables and put them inside the Temple, 5 on the right and 5 on the left.

And he made 100 gold bowls.

⁹ Next, he made the Courtyard of the Priests. It was very large, and it had bronze doorways. ¹⁰ He also located the [Sacred] Sea next to the corner of the Temple, on the right side, to the east.

¹¹ Then HiRam made the meat hooks, the censers, the grate for the Altar, and all the other items. For by then, he had completed the rest of the work on the Temple of God for King Solomon.

¹² He also made the two columns with their bases and caps. These caps had a meshwork that covered the tops. ¹³ And he made 400 gold bells to go over the meshwork, and two types of pomegranates to cover the mesh that was on the bottom sides of the column caps.

¹⁴ HiRam then made the 10 wash tubs and their bases, ¹⁵ the Sacred Sea with the 12 calves beneath it, ¹⁶ the foot basins, the ladles, the cooking pots, the meat hooks, and everything else, which he thereafter presented to King Solomon at the Temple of Yahweh.

All of these things were made of pure bronze ¹⁷ that he’d cast for the king in a temporary structure that he’d built underground near the JorDan.

¹⁸ Solomon had a tremendous number of items made, because he had more than enough bronze. ¹⁹ He had everything made [that was needed] for the Temple of Yahweh, including the gold Altar, the tables, the place settings for the bread, ²⁰ and the unique lampstands and their lamps for lighting [the Temple], which were all made from pure gold.

²¹ Then there were the tongs, lamps, bowls, and incense pans, which were also made of pure gold, ²² as were the Temple doors and the inner door to the Holy of Holies.

2 Chronicles 5

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¹ After Solomon had finished construction on the Temple of Yahweh, he carried in all the holy things of his father David (the things made of silver and gold) and put them into the Temple treasury.

² Thereafter, he held an assembly in JeruSalem of all the elders, all the tribal heads, and all the family heads of the sons of IsraEl, which is when they brought the Chest of the Sacred Agreement of Yahweh out of the city of David on [Mount] Zion.

³ At the time, everyone in IsraEl had assembled with the king during the holiday of the 7th month, ⁴ along with their elders, and that’s when the Levites picked up the Chest, ⁵ as well as the Tent of Proofs and the rest of the holy items, and they carried them before the Priests and Levites.

⁶ Then Solomon and the entire assembly of the God-fearing gathered around the Chest, and they sacrificed so many calves and sheep that they couldn’t be counted.

⁷ It was the Priests who thereafter carried the Chest of the Sacred Agreement of Yahweh and placed it inside the Temple, inside the Holy of Holies, beneath the wings of the cherubs. ⁸ So, there it sat beneath the spread wings of the cherubs that watched over the Chest, with its bearing poles lying across the top.

⁹ These bearing poles could always be seen sticking through the veil to the Holy of Holies (but they couldn’t be seen from outside [of the Temple])... And they’re still there to this day! ¹⁰ Of course, nothing was in the Chest except the two tablets that Moses had put there at The Dry Place (Horeb), when Yahweh first made the [Agreement] with the sons of IsraEl after they’d left the land of Egypt.

¹¹ Then the Priests came out of the Holy Place.

Note that, at the time, not all the Priests were viewed as being holy, since the assignments and daily rotations ¹² hadn’t been made yet.

[But when the Priests came out of the Holy Place], the musicians and singers from the families of Asaph, HeMan, and IdiThoum (and those who were with them that were all dressed in fine linen) assembled in front of the Altar with their cymbals, stringed instruments, and woodwinds, along with 120 Priests who’d been assigned to blow their trumpets, ¹³ and they played a loud anthem that was accompanied by singing to acknowledge and praise Yahweh.

Well, just as the voices, trumpets, cymbals, and the other musical instruments reached a climax with the words...

‘Yahweh is good, and His mercies endure throughout the ages!’

...the glorious cloud of Yahweh started filling the Temple!

¹⁴ And at that, the Priests were no longer able to stand there and serve before the face of the cloud, because the glory of Yahweh had filled the whole Temple of God.

2 Chronicles 6

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¹ Then Solomon said:

‘O Yahweh,

‘You’ve said that You camp in the shadows.

² ‘So I’ve built a House to Your Name as something holy to You… A place for You to camp throughout the ages.’

³ And at that, the king turned his head and blest the entire gathering of IsraEl as they were standing nearby.

⁴ He shouted:

‘Praise Yahweh the God of IsraEl who spoke to my father David with His mouth and who filled his hands, saying:

⁵ ‘From the day that I led My people out of the land of Egypt, I have not chosen a city from among any of the tribes of IsraEl to build a Temple to My Name, nor had I chosen a man to be a leader over My people IsraEl... ⁶ But now I’ve chosen JeruSalem as the place for My Name, and I have chosen David to lead My people IsraEl.’

⁷ ‘Therefore, it came into the heart of my father David to build a Temple to the Name of the Lord God of IsraEl.

⁸ ‘However, the Lord said to my father David:

‘It’s a good thing that your heart has been moved to build a Temple to My Name, ⁹ but you may not build it for Me. Rather, it will be a son who comes from your loins that will build a Temple to My Name.’

¹⁰ ‘So now, Yahweh has made the thing that He said come true; for I’ve taken the place of my father David and I’m sitting on the throne of IsraEl, just as Yahweh said, and I’ve built a Temple to the Name of the Lord God of IsraEl, ¹¹ into which I’ve placed the Chest of the Sacred Agreement that Yahweh made with IsraEl.’

¹² Then [he walked over] and stood against the Altar of Yahweh and raised his arms before the assembly of IsraEl... ¹³ For Solomon had a bronze podium made in the midst of the Temple courtyard that was 8 feet (2.4m) long, 8 feet (2.4m) wide, and 5 feet (1.5m) high.

So he got up on it and then fell to his knees before the whole assembly of IsraEl; and he raised his arms towards the sky and said:

¹⁴ ‘O Yahweh, God of IsraEl,

‘There is no other god like You in the heavens or on the earth that keeps his agreements and shows mercy as You’ve shown to Your children who are now wholeheartedly standing before You.

¹⁵ ‘For You’ve honored [the agreement] that You made with Your servant David, my father, which You promised with Your mouth, and with which You’ve filled Your hands to this day.

¹⁶ ‘And now, O Yahweh, God of IsraEl,

‘Keep [the promise] that you made with Your servant David, my father, when You said:

‘There will never fail to be a man from you who sits before My face on the throne of IsraEl – for as long as your sons are careful to always obey My Laws, as you have been doing before Me.’

¹⁷ ‘And now, O Yahweh, God of IsraEl,

‘May the things that You said to Your servant David prove to be true… ¹⁸ That You will for a fact live as God upon the earth. But if the skies and the heavens of the heavens aren’t enough to hold You... Then, how can this House that I built possibly do so?

¹⁹ ‘Please hear the prayers of Your servant and listen to these things that I’m begging before You, O Yahweh God.

‘Please answer the prayers and petitions that Your servant has brought before You today.

²⁰ ‘May Your eyes watch over this Temple day and night… This place that You said would be called by Your Name. Hear the prayer that Your servant is praying in this place… ²¹ Listen to whatever things that Your servant and Your people IsraEl pray for in this place.

‘Listen from the place where You dwell in the heavens, and be forgiving.

²² ‘For if a man should sin against his neighbor and then [his neighbor] comes before the Altar at this Temple to curse him; ²³ please listen to him from the heavens and act. Judge Your servants, and bring the bad ways of lawbreakers down upon their own heads.

‘Give justice to the just, and repay each one for his righteousness.

²⁴ ‘And if Your people IsraEl should be devastated by their enemies for sinning against You, and then return and acknowledge Your Name and pray and beg before You in this Temple; ²⁵ please listen from the heavens and forgive Your people IsraEl. Then return them to the land that You gave to them and to their ancestors.

²⁶ ‘And if You should hold back the skies so there’s no rain because of their sinning against You, and they come and pray and praise Your Name in this place, turning away from their sins because You’ve humbled them; ²⁷ please listen to them from the heavens and forgive the sins of your servants and of your people IsraEl... Then show them the good ways to go, and bring back rain upon Your land that you’ve given to Your people as their inheritance.

²⁸ ‘Or if a famine should come upon the land, or a killing plague, or a wind-blown blight, or jaundice, or locust, or grasshoppers, or if an enemy should attack their cities – whatever the calamity or misery – ²⁹ please listen to the things for which they beg and pray.

‘And if any man among Your people IsraEl knows of a man who has an infection and has become disabled, and then he raises his arms towards this Temple; ³⁰ please listen to him from this Home that has been prepared for You, and from the heavens, then forgive the man.

‘Know [what’s in] his heart and give him the things that he deserves. For only You know the hearts of the sons of men. ³¹ So, may they all fear Your ways for as long as they live on the face of the land that You gave to their ancestors.

³² ‘And when foreigners who are not of Your people IsraEl come from far-away lands because of Your great Name, strong hand, and raised arm, and they come here to pray in this place... ³³ Please listen to them from Your Home in the heavens and do everything that they ask, so that everyone on the earth will come to know Your Name and fear You, as do Your people IsraEl. And may they recognize that this Temple that I built bears Your Name.

³⁴ ‘And if Your people must go to war against their enemies – wherever You may send them – and they pray in the direction of this city that You chose and towards this Temple that I’ve built to Your Name; ³⁵ please listen from the heavens to the things that they beg and pray, and bring them justice.

³⁶ ‘And when they sin against You (for there’s no man who doesn’t sin) and You strike them and hand them over to their enemies, and they’re carried away as captives to lands that are nearby or far away, ³⁷ and they then turn their hearts to the land they were taken from and turn and beg to You in their captivity, saying:

‘We have sinned, we have broken [Your] Laws, and we were wrong!’

³⁸ ‘...and then they return to You with their whole hearts and souls, as well as to this land they were taken from as captives and pray towards this land that You gave to them and to their ancestors and towards this city which You chose, and towards this Temple that I’ve built to Your Name... ³⁹ From Your home in the heavens, please listen to the things that they beg and pray, and bring them justice!

‘Forgive Your people for their sins against You, O Yahweh.

‘Open Your eyes and ears to the things for which the people will beg in this place!

⁴¹ ‘And now, O Yahweh our God,

‘Awaken from Your rest when it comes to this Mighty Chest and to Your Priests, O Lord, our God... May they wrap themselves in Your salvation, and may Your sons rejoice in all Your good things!

⁴² ‘O Yahweh our God,

‘Please don’t turn Your face away from Your anointed one…

‘Remember the [goodness] of Your servant David!’

2 Chronicles 7

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¹ Then, as Solomon was finishing his prayer, fire came down from the sky and consumed the whole burnt offerings and the sacrifices!

And the glory of Yahweh filled the Temple!

² So, the Priests couldn’t enter the Temple at that time, because the glory of Yahweh filled the Temple... ³ And when all the sons of IsraEl saw the fire come down and the glory of Yahweh filling the Temple, they all fell to the stone pavement with their faces to the ground, bowing low and praising Yahweh, [singing]:

‘[He] is good,

And His mercy endures throughout the ages.’

⁴ Well after that, the king and all the people offered [even more] sacrifices before Yahweh. ⁵ King Solomon himself offered 22,000 calves and 120,000 sheep in dedication to the Temple of God.

⁶ Meanwhile, the Priests were standing watch and the Levites were playing songs that were written to Yahweh by King David on their [musical] instruments [and singing] the songs they’d written, which acknowledged before Yahweh His mercy throughout the ages.

Then the Priests stood out in front and blew their trumpets, as the people stood there [listening].

⁷ Thereafter, Solomon made the middle of the courtyard of the Temple of Yahweh holy by sacrificing whole burnt offerings and the fat of salvation. However, the bronze Altar that Solomon had made wasn’t large enough to handle all the whole burnt offerings, gift offerings, and fat.

⁸ Well, Solomon observed the holiday for 7 days, and all IsraEl stayed there with him; for it was a huge crowd that had come from as far away as the entrance to HaMath and the River of Egypt. ⁹ Then on the 8th day, he proclaimed a holiday recess to the Altar dedication ceremony, since they’d already celebrated the holiday during the previous 7 days.

¹⁰ So on the 23rd day of the 7th month he sent the people back to their homes, and they all left filled with joy and with happy hearts because of all the good things that Yahweh had done to David, to Solomon, and to His people IsraEl.

¹¹ Well by then, Solomon had not only completed the Temple of Yahweh and his own palace, but everything else that he wanted to do for the Temple of Yahweh, and his house prospered.

¹² Then Yahweh appeared to Solomon one night and said to him:

‘I’ve heard your prayers, and I’ve chosen this place for Myself as a Temple for sacrifices.

¹³ ‘So if I should stop up the sky and not allow it to rain, or if I should send locusts to eat all the trees, or if I should send a deadly plague among My people... ¹⁴ and then they become ashamed and once more have My Name called upon them, and they pray to Me and search for My face and turn from their wicked ways... Then I’ll listen to them from the heavens, forgive their sins, and heal their land.

¹⁵ ‘For My eyes will be open and My ears will pay close attention to the prayers of these people!

¹⁶ ‘I have also chosen this Temple and made it holy to My Name throughout the ages, so it will remain in My eyes and in My heart each day.

¹⁷ ‘And if you come before Me, as did your father David, and do everything that I tell you to do, following My instructions and Commandments; ¹⁸ I will elevate the throne of your kingdom, just as I promised your father David when I said:

‘No [descendant] of yours will be removed from the leadership of IsraEl.’

¹⁹ ‘However, if you should turn away and abandon My instructions and the Commandments that I’ve set before you, and you go and serve other gods and bow before them, ²⁰ I will remove all of you from the land that I’ve given to you, and I’ll turn My face away from this Temple that I’ve made holy to My Name and make it an example that will be talked about among the nations!

²¹ ‘Then people who pass by this Temple that I’ve made so important will be shocked and ask:

‘Why did Yahweh do all of this to His land and to His Temple?’

²² ‘And they’ll then be told:

‘It happened because they abandoned Yahweh the God of their ancestors that led them out of the land of Egypt, then they started following other gods, bowing before them and serving them.

‘That’s why God brought all of these bad things upon them.’

2 Chronicles 8

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¹ Well, it was some 20 years after Solomon finished building the Temple of Yahweh and his own palace ² that he started developing the cities that HiRam had given to him, and he settled the sons of IsraEl there.

³ He went to ZoBah (in HaMath) and strengthened its defenses, ⁴ then he built TadMor in the desert, and he built several other fortified cities in HaMath.

⁵ He also built both Upper and Lower BethHoron, and he fortified them all with walls, bars, and gates (for that’s where he kept his chariots and cavalry).

⁶ Then Solomon did whatever things he wanted to do in JeruSalem, Lebanon, and throughout his whole kingdom.

⁷ At the time, those who were left in the land who were descendants of the Hittites, Amorites, Pherezites, Hivites, and Jebusites (all those who weren’t IsraElites ⁸ and who hadn’t been destroyed by IsraEl) were forced by Solomon to pay a tribute (which they still pay to this day).

⁹ And Solomon didn’t appoint any IsraElites as servants in his kingdom; for these people served as his warriors, governors, great men, and as those who were in charge of his chariots and cavalry. ¹⁰ There were 250 [of them] who King Solomon had appointed as heads over the supervisors of public works among the people.

¹¹ Then Solomon built a palace for the daughter of PharaOh outside the city of David where he had sent her to live.

He said:

‘You may not live as the [wife] of the king of IsraEl inside the city of David; for it’s holy, due to the fact that the Chest of Yahweh is there.’

¹² Solomon also sacrificed whole burnt offerings on the Altar that he built to Yahweh in front of the Temple ¹³ on each of the days that they calculated by the Commandments of Moses on the Sabbaths, on the [New Moons], and on the three annual holidays:

• The Festival of fermentation-free Bread,

• The Festival of Weeks, and

• The Festival of Temporary Dwellings.

¹⁴ Then, following the instructions of his father David, he set up the divisions of the Priests and assigned their duties. He assigned the watches for the Levites for when they were to direct the other priests (as he understood it was to be handled each day), as well as the shifts for the gatekeepers of each of the gates.

He did just as David (the man of God) had instructed… ¹⁵ All the commandments of the king were followed when it came to the Priests, Levites, and everything that had to do with the Temple treasures.

¹⁶ Solomon continued to set everything in order from the day that the Temple foundation was laid to the day that it was completed.

¹⁷ Then Solomon built EziOn GeBer in ElAth by the Sea (in the land of Edom), ¹⁸ and [King] HiRam [of Tyre] sent some of his servants (who were accomplished sailors) with boats that were to be used by Solomon’s servants, and they went to Ophir where they brought back 14 tons (12,700kg) of gold to King Solomon.

2 Chronicles 9

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¹ Well, when the Queen of SheBa heard of Solomon’s reputation, she came to JeruSalem to test him with riddles. And when she came, it was with a very large contingent of [servants] and with camels that carried huge amounts of aromatics, gold, and gems.

And when she spoke to Solomon, she talked about everything that concerned her; ² and Solomon replied to everything that she asked, not missing a word.

³ Well, after the Queen of SheBa saw the Wisdom of Solomon, the Temple he had built, ⁴ the food on his tables, what his servants looked like, the stations and uniforms of his wine servers, and all the whole burnt offerings that he sacrificed at the Temple of Yahweh, she was beside herself.

⁵ So she said to the king:

‘Everything that I’ve heard about you in my own land and of the wise things that you say, are true!

⁶ ‘However, I didn’t believe any of it until I came and saw it with my own eyes... And look, they didn’t tell me half the story, for I’ve [learned] so much from your wisdom!

⁷ ‘Why, your men and your servants are blest to be able to always stand before you and listen to your wisdom! ⁸ May your God Yahweh be praised for choosing you and putting you on His throne as their king.

‘Your God Yahweh must have a great love for IsraEl and [and He must plan] for it to last throughout the ages, that He would put you as king over them as their righteous judge.’

⁹ Then she gave the king 3-1/2 tons (3,175kg) of gold and huge amounts of aromatics and gems. And the aromatics that she gave to him were without equal.

¹⁰ Then the servants of Solomon and [King] HiRam [of Tyre] brought more gold to Solomon from Ophir, as well as pine lumber and precious gems. ¹¹ The king used the wood to build the entryway stairs to the Temple of Yahweh and [the entrance] to his palace, as well as harps and other stringed instruments for his musicians.

Nothing like this had ever been seen before in the land of Judah!

¹² Then King Solomon gave the Queen of SheBa everything that she desired and asked for… Which exceeded the [gifts] that she’d brought to Solomon; and then she returned to her own land.

¹³ Well, the weight of the gold that was brought to Solomon that year was 20 tons (18,140kg)… ¹⁴ And this was in addition to what his men had gained from their trading. For all the kings of Arabia and all the governors of the land brought gold and silver to the king.

¹⁵ So Solomon had 200 shields of pure gold hammered out, which were each made with 600 gold coins, ¹⁶ as well as 300 more shields of 300 gold coins each, which were then taken and hung in the king’s palace, in [the room that he called] the Forest of Lebanon.

¹⁷ Thereafter, the king had a huge throne made for himself from ivory tusks that were covered with pure gold, ¹⁸ and he had 6 steps to the throne that were overlaid with gold. There was a drop-off on either side of the throne, ¹⁹ and there were 12 [carved] lions on either side of the throne that were positioned along the drop-off on the 6 steps leading up to the king’s throne.

Nothing like this has ever been seen in any other kingdom!

²⁰ Everything that King Solomon had was made of gold, and everything in his palace and in the Forest of Lebanon was overlaid with gold. For during the time of Solomon, silver was considered as nothing.

²¹ The king’s ships would sail to TarShish with the servants of HiRam once every three years, and they’d return to the king filled with gold, silver, ivory, and monkeys. ²² So Solomon became greater than all other kings in both wealth and wisdom, ²³ and all the kings of the earth would come before Solomon to listen to the wisdom that God had put into his heart.
²⁴ And when they came (which they did each year), they all brought gifts:

• Items of gold and silver,

• Clothes,

• Balsam,

• Spices,

• Horses, and

• Mules.

²⁵ So Solomon soon had 4,000 mares for his chariots and 12,000 horsemen, whom he stationed in the cities that he’d built for his chariots, in addition to those that he kept with him in JeruSalem.

²⁶ He also ruled over all the kings from the river and the land of the Philistines to the borders of Egypt.

²⁷ During his reign, gold and silver in JeruSalem became as common as stones, and cedar wood was as common as sycamores in the plains. ²⁸ Solomon also had horses delivered from Egypt and many other lands.

²⁹ The rest of the things that Solomon said – from beginning to end – [Look!] were recorded by the Prophet Nathan, by AhiJah the ShiLonite, and in the visions of the Seer JoEl, who saw things concerning JeroBoam (son of NaBat).

³⁰ So Solomon reigned over all of IsraEl for 40 years. ³¹ Then he went to sleep and they buried him in a tomb in the city of David (his father); and his son RehoBoam started ruling in his place.

2 Chronicles 10

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¹ Well, RehoBoam went to SheChem, which was where he was to receive his coronation as king over IsraEl. ² And when JeroBoam (son of NaBat) heard of it, he returned from Egypt (where he’d been living after he’d fled from King Solomon), ³ because the assembly of IsraEl had called for him.

And when he got there, he and the entire assembly went to the king and said:

⁴ ‘Your father put a hard yoke on us... So now, free us from the hard service and the heavy yoke that your father laid upon us, and we will serve you!’

⁵ And [RehoBoam] replied:

‘Leave me for three days, and then return [for an answer].’

So, the people then left.

⁶ And thereafter, King RehoBoam assembled all the older men who had served his father Solomon during his entire life, and asked them:

‘How do you suggest that I answer the people?’

⁷ And they told him:

‘If you give a good reply to these people today and think well of them, they’ll serve you for as long as you live.’

⁸ However, he rejected this advice of the older men and listened to the advice of the younger men whom he’d grown up around and whom he’d chosen as his councilors.

⁹ For when he asked them:

‘What do you suggest that I tell these people who came before me and asked me to remove the yoke that my father put on them?’

¹⁰ The young men who’d grown up with him replied:

‘When you speak to them say:

‘My little finger is greater than the hips of my father. ¹¹ So if my father disciplined you with a heavy load, I’ll add to the weight of your yoke.

‘And if my father disciplined you with whips, I’ll discipline you with scorpions!’

¹² As a result, when all the people and JeroBoam came before RehoBoam on the 3rd day (for the king had said, ‘Return to me on the 3rd day’), ¹³ the king gave them the hard answer, because he’d rejected the council of the older men and told the people what the younger men had suggested.

He said:

¹⁴ ‘My father put you under a heavy yoke, so I will add to it.

‘And my father disciplined you with whips, so I’ll discipline you with scorpions!’

¹⁵ However, the [reason why the] king had refused to listen to what the people said was because God had caused the words that He’d said through AhiJah the ShiLonite concerning JeroBoam (son of NaBat) ¹⁶ and all IsraEl to be fulfilled… And that’s what kept him from listening to them.

¹⁷ So the people said to the king:

‘What [do we owe to] David and the inheritance of the sons of JesSe?

‘Run to your Tents, O IsraEl… And you can go back to your own house of David!’

So, all the men of IsraEl returned to their homes, and thereafter RehoBoam only ruled over those who lived in Judah. ¹⁸ For when King RehoBoam sent AdoniRam to collect their taxes, they threw rocks at him and killed him, and King RehoBoam had to run to his chariot and flee to JeruSalem!

¹⁹ Therefore, IsraEl annulled their allegiance to the house of David, which is still true to this day.

2 Chronicles 11

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¹ Well, after RehoBoam returned to JeruSalem, he called an assembly of Judah and BenJamin – 180,000 young men – for the purpose of going to war. Then he went off to fight IsraEl, in order to bring them back under his rule.

² But the Lord said to the Man of God ShemaiJah:

³ ‘Tell RehoBoam, son of Solomon, who was once the king Judah and all IsraEl, not just of Judah and BenJamin, that Yahweh says:

‘You must not go and attack your brothers!

‘Everyone must just go back to their homes, because I said so!’

⁴ As a result, they obeyed the words of Yahweh and they didn’t attack JeroBoam [King of Israel]. ⁵ So RehoBoam [reigned] in JeruSalem and he built [many] fortified cities throughout Judah.

⁶ He also refortified (in Judah and in BenJamin):

• BethLehem,

• AiTan,

• ThekoE,

• ⁷ BethSoura,

• SocChoth,

• OdolLam,

• ⁸ Gath,

• MariSan,

• Ziph,

• ⁹ AdoRaim,

• LachIsh,

• Azeka,

• ¹⁰ SaraA,

• AiLom, and

• HebRon.

¹¹ He built strong walls around them and appointed governors over them; then he sent them provisions of food, olive oil, and wine, ¹² and he armed each city with shields and spears. He made all the cities that he ruled in Judah and BenJamin very strong.

¹³ Well after that, all the Priests and Levites who had been scattered throughout IsraEl left their homes and came to [King ReoBoam]… ¹⁴ They left their homes and all their possessions, and moved to Judah and JeruSalem, because [King] JeroBoam [of IsraEl] and his sons had driven them out so they wouldn’t represent [Yahweh in his land].

¹⁵ For he’d assigned his own priests for the high places, his idols, his foolish things, and the calves that he made. ¹⁶ He also drove out all those of the tribes of IsraEl whose hearts belonged to Yahweh the God of IsraEl, and they all moved to JeruSalem, where they could sacrifice to Yahweh the God of their ancestors.

¹⁷ So, the [influx of] all these people strengthened RehoBoam (son of Solomon) and the kingdom of Judah, and he followed in the ways of David and Solomon for the next three years.

¹⁸ RehoBoam married MolLath, who was the daughter of David’s son JeriMoth and of AbiGail (the daughter of JesSe’s son EliAb), ¹⁹ and she gave birth to her sons:

• JaOus,

• ShamariJa, and

• ZaAm.

²⁰ He also married MaAchah (AbSalom’s daughter), and she gave birth to:

• AbiJah,

• JetThi,

• ZeZa, and

• SalemOth.

²¹ Now, RehoBoam loved AbSalom’s daughter MaAcha much more than his other wives and concubines (he had 18 wives and 30 concubines through whom he fathered 28 sons and 60 daughters); ²² so he appointed MaAcha’s son AbiJah over his brothers to become king after him, ²³ and he became very powerful throughout the fortified cities along the borders of Judah and BenJamin.

He sent huge amounts of provisions to them, but he also asked for many women.

2 Chronicles 12

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¹ Well, once [King] RehoBoam [of Judah] was firmly established on his throne, he abandoned the Commandments of Yahweh, and all IsraEl followed along.

² Then in the 5th year of the reign of RehoBoam, King Shishak of Egypt attacked JeruSalem because they had sinned against Yahweh.

³ He came with 1,200 chariots, 60,000 cavalrymen, and innumerable soldiers from Egypt, Libya, SukKia, and Ethiopia, ⁴ and they captured all the fortified cities of Judah… Then they came to JeruSalem!

⁵ Well, the Prophet ShemaiJah went to RehoBoam and the governors of Judah (who had all fled to JeruSalem) and said to them:

‘Yahweh says:

‘Because you’ve abandoned Me, I will abandon you into the hands of Shishak!’

⁶ And at that, the king and all the governors of Judah became ashamed, and they said:

‘Yahweh is just.’

⁷ Then when Yahweh saw their shame, He sent word to ShemaiJah, saying:

‘Because they feel ashamed, I won’t destroy them totally... Rather, I will give them some small consideration and I won’t pour out all My rage upon JeruSalem.

⁸ ‘Then, if they’ll become My servants, they’ll learn what serving Me really means and what it means to serve the kingdom of this land.’

⁹ However, King Shishak of Egypt did attack JeruSalem and he took all the treasures that were in the Temple of Yahweh, as well as all the treasures in the king’s palace, including the gold shields that Solomon had made ¹⁰ (which RehoBoam later replaced with brass shields).

Then Shishak stationed his own guards in the king’s gatehouse; ¹¹ so, whenever the king went to the Temple of Yahweh, they’d go along and watch him, and return with him.

¹² Well, because [RehoBoam] had felt ashamed, the anger of Yahweh turned away from him, and he didn’t remain corrupt to the end. So things went well for Judah thereafter, ¹³ as RehoBoam continued reigning in JeruSalem… And before long, he started regaining his power.

RehoBoam was 41-years-old when he started his reign, and he ruled in JeruSalem (the city where Yahweh chose to put His Name out of all the tribes of IsraEl) for 17 years. His mother’s name was NoOmMa (she was an AmMonite).

¹⁴ But he also continued to act wickedly, because he could never straighten out his heart when it came to seeking Yahweh.

¹⁵ [Look!] All the words of RehoBoam (from start to finish) and all the things that he did were recorded by the Prophet ShemaiJah and by the Seer AdDo.

Well, RehoBoam stayed in a state of war with JeroBoam throughout his life. ¹⁶ Then he died and was buried in a tomb with his ancestors in the city of David, and his son AbiJah became king after him.

2 Chronicles 13

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¹ So in the 18th year of the reign of JeroBoam, AbiJah started his rule over Judah, ² and he reigned in JeruSalem for three years. His mother’s name was MaAcha, and she was the daughter of OuriEl from GibeOn.

[During the lifetime of] AbiJah, there was war between him and JeroBoam. ³ For although AbiJah had assembled a huge force of 400,000 mighty warriors, JeroBoam came against him with an even larger army of 800,000 mighty warriors!

⁴ However, AbiJah stood on Mount SomorOn (in the mountains of Ephraim) and shouted at them:

‘Hear me, O JeroBoam and all IsraEl!

⁵ ‘Don’t you know that Yahweh the God of IsraEl appointed King David to rule over IsraEl throughout the ages, and that He made an agreement of salt with his sons?

⁶ ‘But then JeroBoam, son of NaBat and the servant of David’s son Solomon, went and rebelled against his lord, ⁷ gathering a group of troublemakers and lawbreakers to come against Solomon’s son RehoBoam... And because RehoBoam was young and timid at heart back then, he didn’t oppose him face-to-face.

⁸ ‘But now you’ve dared to speak of resisting the kingdom of Yahweh through the hands of the sons of David, and have you gathered a huge army against us! Yet, your gods are just the gold calves that JeroBoam made for you.

⁹ ‘For you drove out the Priests of Yahweh – the sons of Aaron and the Levites – and you choose your own priests from among the people of the land, so that anyone who came and offered seven rams was made the priest of something that isn’t even a God!

¹⁰ ‘However, we have Yahweh as our God, and we haven’t abandoned Him!

‘His Priests – the sons of Aaron and the Levites – still serve before Yahweh in their daily rotations and offer whole burnt offerings to Yahweh in the mornings and in the evenings.

‘They also burn the [sacred] incense, lay the [sacred] bread loaves on the table, and they serve before the sacred lampstand of pure gold, keeping the lamps burning to light the nights.

¹¹ ‘We’re also the ones who guard the watches of Yahweh the God of our ancestors – and you’re the ones who’ve abandoned Him!

¹² ‘So, {Look!} Yahweh is leading us, and His Priests are blowing the signal trumpets that testify against you and the sons of IsraEl! Therefore, you can’t fight against Yahweh the God of your ancestors, because you know that what you’re doing won’t be blest!’

¹³ Well at the time, [part of] JeroBoam’s [army] had marched around Judah to ambush them from behind... So while JeroBoam was there in the front, an ambush was forming behind Judah.

Then, when the army of Judah looked around and ¹⁴ found that they were being attacked from the front and from the rear, they yelled to Yahweh and the Priests started blowing their trumpets... ¹⁵ And when the men of Judah started calling to Yahweh, He struck down [the army of King] JeroBoam and IsraEl there in front of [King] AbiJah and the Judeans, ¹⁶ and the sons of IsraEl then turned and ran from Judah.

So, Yahweh saved them from their hands.

¹⁷ Thereafter, [King] AbiJah and his men chased after and attacked the army of IsraEl, causing a great calamity for them; for they killed 500,000 of their mighty men! ¹⁸ So the sons of IsraEl were disgraced that day, and the sons of Judah became stronger, because they’d put their trust in Yahweh, the God of their ancestors.

¹⁹ Well after that, [King] AbiJah pursued JeroBoam and captured the cities of BethEl and its surrounding towns, JeShanah and its surrounding towns, and EphRon and its surrounding towns. ²⁰ So, JeroBoam was no longer strong during the rest of AbiJah’s lifetime… And then Yahweh struck him and ended him.

²¹ But AbiJah grew stronger and took 14 women for himself, fathering 20 sons and 16 daughters. ²² All the rest of the things that AbiJah said and did are written in the scrolls of the Prophet AdDo.

2 Chronicles 14

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¹ Then AbiJah died and they buried him in a tomb with his ancestors in the city of David, and his son Asa started reigning after him.

During the lifetime of Asa, all was quiet in the land of Judah. Because, for the next 10 years, ² he did good things and was righteous before his God Yahweh... ³ He removed all the [pagan] altars and high places [of worship], he broke down their monuments, and he cut down their sacred poles.

⁴ Then he urged Judah to search for Yahweh the God of their ancestors and to obey His Laws and Commandments. ⁵ Throughout Judah, he had all the altars and idols destroyed, and he brought peace to all the walled cities in the land.

⁶ So, everything was peaceful, and there were no more wars during that period, because Yahweh gave him rest.

⁷ Then [Asa] said to the people of Judah:

‘We should rebuild all our cities and give them walls, towers, gates, and bars.

‘For since we’ve been searching for our God Yahweh, He’s been searching for us, and He’s provided us with rest all around and blest us!’

⁸ Well at the time, Asa had 300,000 armed soldiers from the land of Judah who each carried shields and spears, as well as 280,000 bowmen from the land of BenJamin who carried small shields, all of whom were powerful warriors.

⁹ Then ZaRe the Ethiopian attacked them with 1,000,000 troops and 300 chariots! ¹⁰ And when he reached MariSha, Asa came to meet him and attacked him in the ravine just north of the city.

¹¹ Then Asa called to Yahweh his God and said:

‘O Yahweh,

‘It’s possible for You to save with many or with few...

‘So, strengthen us, O Yahweh God, for we will trust in You.

‘We’ve come against this huge army in Your Name, O Yahweh our God, so don’t allow any man to defeat You!’

¹² Well thereafter, Yahweh cut down the Ethiopians before Judah, and they fled... ¹³ Then Asa and his men chased after them all the way to Gedor! And there the Ethiopians couldn’t find a place to hide, so they were cut down and defeated before Yahweh and his army, and [the Judeans] carried away much loot.

¹⁴ So at that, because Yahweh was with them, the whole situation was reversed; for [Judah] then attacked and destroyed all the towns around Gedor, and they ravaged all the [Ethiopian] cities, carrying away huge amounts of loot.

¹⁵ They even destroyed the tents and property of the shepherds, carrying away many sheep and camels; and then they returned to JeruSalem.

2 Chronicles 15

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¹ Thereafter, the Breath of Yahweh came over AzariAh (son of Oded), and he went to meet with Asa, as well as with all of Judah and [the tribe of] BenJamin.

He said:

‘Hear me Asa, and all you of Judah and BenJamin!

² ‘As long as you’re with Him, Yahweh will be with you; and if you’ll search for Him, you’ll find Him. However, if you abandon Him, He will abandon you!

³ ‘Now, IsraEl has been without the true God for a long time... Therefore, there’s no Priest among them who can explain things clearly, and they have no Law! ⁴ But now that you’ve returned to Yahweh the God of IsraEl, He will be found by you!

⁵ ‘So although there has been no peace for those who entered or left [our cities] until now; Yahweh is going to bring a change of state to all those who live here.

⁶ ‘Understand that the reason why nations fight against nations and cities fight against cities, is because God shocks them by bringing all sorts of problems upon them! ⁷ But now, you must be strong and not lose your grip, because you’re going to reap the reward of your [good] deeds!’

⁸ Well, after he heard these words of the Prophet AzariAh, Asa was moved to drive all the disgusting things out of the lands of Judah and BenJamin! He dedicated [to destruction] all the [idols] that JeroBoam had [built] in the mountains of Ephraim, [and he repaired] the Altar of Yahweh that was in front of His Temple.

⁹ Then he [called an] assembly of Judah, BenJamin, and those of the tribes of Ephraim, ManasSeh, and SimeOn who were living among them (for many had moved there from IsraEl when they saw that Yahweh God was with them), ¹⁰ and they all came to JeruSalem in the 3rd month of the 15th year of the reign of Asa.

¹¹ He thereafter sacrificed part of the things that they’d captured to Yahweh on that day… 700 calves and 7,000 sheep. ¹² And they all agreed to search for Yahweh the God of their ancestors with their whole hearts and souls.

¹³ They also agreed that anyone who refused to search for Yahweh the God of IsraEl should die, whether they are young or old, male or female!

¹⁴ So, everyone swore an oath to Yahweh in a loud voice, as the trumpets and horns were being blown. ¹⁵ And everyone in Judah was delighted to swear the oath with their whole souls… Freely and of their own will.

Then thereafter, they did search for Yahweh and they found Him… And He rested among them.

¹⁶ Well, [Asa] thereafter forced his mother MaAcha to stop bowing before Astarte, and he cut down her idol, incinerated it, and had [its ashes] thrown into the Cedar (Kidron) Wadi.

¹⁷ And even though he failed to remove the high places of worship that were then located all around Judah and IsraEl, Asa’s heart remained [true] throughout the rest of his life. ¹⁸ He also recovered the holy things of his ancestor David and the holy things of the Temple of God… All the items of silver and gold.

¹⁹ And there was no more war through the 35th year of Asa’s reign.

2 Chronicles 16

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¹ It was during the 36th year of the reign of King Asa [of Judah] that King BaAsha of IsraEl attacked Judah, and he fortified RamAh to keep [his people] from entering or leaving the land of King Asa of Judah.

² Then Asa took silver and gold from the treasury in the Temple of Yahweh and from the king’s palace, and sent it to King BenHader [I] of Syria (who lived in Damascus), saying:

³ ‘Let’s create a treaty between you and me, [as there had been] between my father and your father.

‘Look! I’m sending you gold and silver!

‘So, come and scatter King BaAsha of IsraEl and drive him away from me!’

⁴ Well, King BenHader listened to Asa and he ordered his generals to attack the cities of IsraEl. As a result, they attacked:

• AiOn,

• Dan,

• AbelMain, and

• [Cities] throughout the land of NaphTali.

⁵ And when [King] BaAsha heard what was happening, he stopped working on RamAh and ended his projects. ⁶ Then King Asa gathered all Judah and they gathered up the stones and timbers that BaAsha was using to build RamAh, and they used them to build GabaE and MasPha.

⁷ But after that, the Prophet HanaNi went to Asa (the king of Judah) and said to him:

‘Because you relied on the king of Syria and you didn’t trust in your God Yahweh, the army of Syria won’t remain under your control.

⁸ ‘Don’t [you remember] how large and courageous the armies of the Ethiopians and Libyans were, and how vast their cavalry was; and when you relied on Yahweh, didn’t He give them into your hands?

⁹ ‘For the eyes of Yahweh search throughout the earth looking to strengthen any heart that is devoted to Him. But now, I want you to know that you’ll be going to war!’

¹⁰ Well, this made Asa furious with the Prophet, and he had him thrown in prison (because he was so angry), and he actually had several people killed.

¹¹ {Look!} The rest of the things that Asa said and did (from start to finish) are written about in the scrolls of the kings of Judah and IsraEl.

¹² It was during the 39th year of Asa’s reign that he became seriously ill; for he was having problems with his feet. And rather than going to Yahweh for help, he went to the physicians. ¹³ So, Asa [died] and went to sleep with his ancestors, ending his reign in its 40th year.

¹⁴ Then they buried him in a tomb that he’d quarried for himself in the City of David. They placed [his body] on a bed that was covered with aromatics and expensive perfumes, and they held a great funeral for him.

2 Chronicles 17

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¹ Well, after that, [Asa’s] son JehoShaphat took his place as the king. And JehoShaphat fortified his [land] against IsraEl ² by placing troops in all the walled cities of Judah. He also appointed governors over each city in Judah and over all the cities of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured.

³ Now, Yahweh was with JehoShaphat, because he started out by following in the ways of his ancestor David. ⁴ He didn’t [worship] any of the idols… Just Yahweh, the God of his father. He also obeyed the commandments of his father and he didn’t follow in the ways of IsraEl.

⁵ So, Yahweh strengthened the kingdom under his hands, and all Judah sent him gifts. As a result, he became very rich and powerful. ⁶ JehoShaphat continued to follow in the ways of [Yahweh faithfully], and he again removed all the high places of worship and all the sacred poles from the land of Judah.

⁷ Then, during the 3rd year of his reign, he sent his governors along with his sons and dignitaries (such as AbdiAn, ZachariAh, NathaniEl, and MichaiJah) to teach the people throughout the cities of Judah.

⁸ [In addition, he also sent] the Levites (ShemaiJah, NathaniAh, ZabDiAh, AsiEl, SemiRamOth, JoNathan, AdoniJah, and TobiAh) and the Priests (EliSama and JoRam).

⁹ They all traveled throughout Judah with the scroll of the Law of Yahweh, going to each city and teaching [God’s Laws] to the people. ¹⁰ As a result, Yahweh brought a change over all the surrounding kingdoms, because they no longer went to war against JehoShaphat.

¹¹ Even the Philistines brought gifts and things made of silver to JehoShaphat; and the people of Arabia sent him 7,700 male sheep, and 7,700 male goats. ¹² So he kept growing in stature and importance, as he built houses and fortified cities throughout Judah, ¹³ and he started several public-works projects.

JehoShaphat kept a contingent of mighty warriors in JeruSalem, ¹⁴ and here are their numbers by houses and families:

The generals of Judah were:

• AdNah, who was the leader of 300,000 men,

• ¹⁵ JoAnan, who was the leader of 280,000,

• ¹⁶ AmasiAh (son of Zari, who was known for his zeal for Yahweh), who was the leader of 200,000 strong, mighty men.

• ¹⁷ Also, from [the tribe of] BenJamin came the strong, powerful leader EliAda, who had 200,000 bowmen that carried small shields.

• ¹⁸ And following him was JoZabad with 180,000 mighty men of war.

¹⁹ These men were also the king’s governors that were in charge of the fortified cities throughout Judah.

2 Chronicles 18

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¹ Well, after JehoShaphat became very rich and famous, he decided to ally himself with the house of [King] Ahab [of IsraEl] through marriage. ² So after several years, he went to visit Ahab in Samaria with a large contingent of his people, and he sacrificed many calves and sheep on behalf of Ahab.

Then to show his love for him, he consented to go with him to [fight at] RamOth GileAd. ³ For King Ahab of IsraEl had asked King JehoShaphat of Judah:

‘Will you go to RamOth GileAd with me?’

And he replied:

‘You and your people are the same as [me and] my people, so we’ll join you in the war.’

⁴ However, JehoShaphat said to the king of IsraEl:

‘But first, let’s ask for [God’s direction]!’

⁵ So the king of IsraEl gathered all his prophets (some 400 men) and asked them:

‘Should I attack RamOth GileAd or should I wait?’

And they replied:

‘Go there, and God will hand them over to the king!’

⁶ But then JehoShaphat asked:

‘Aren’t there any Prophets of Yahweh that we can ask?’

⁷ And the king of IsraEl replied:

‘There’s one man who searches for answers from Yahweh, but I detest him, because he never prophesies anything good for me. All he ever tells me is bad things!

‘He’s MichaiJah, son of JemBla.’

But JehoShaphat said:

‘The king shouldn’t talk that way!’

⁸ Then the king called one of his eunuchs and said:

‘Quickly! Go find MichaiJah, son of JemBla, and bring him to me!’

⁹ Well, at the time, the king of IsraEl and JehoShaphat (the king of Judah) were each sitting on thrones in the broad area near the city gate of Samaria dressed in [their royal] robes, and all the prophets were there prophesying before them.

¹⁰ Then one of them (ZedekiAh, son of CanaAn) made some iron horns for himself and said:

‘This is what the Lord says:

‘You will gore the Syrians with these until you’ve wiped them out completely!’

¹¹ And all the rest of the prophets said the same thing.

They said:

‘Go to RamOth GileAd and you’ll succeed! For the Lord will give it into the hands of the king!’

¹² Well, the messenger that had been sent to call MichaiJah said to him:

‘Look! All the prophets are saying good things to the king, so it would be a blessing if you’d tell him good things too.’

¹³ And MichaiJah replied:

‘As Yahweh lives, I’ll say whatever God tells me to say!’

¹⁴ So MicaiJah went before the king, and the king asked:

‘Should I attack RamOth GileAd or should I wait?’

And he replied:

‘Go, and you’ll be blest, because it will be given into your hands!’

¹⁵ But the king said:

‘How often do I have to tell you to swear to only tell me the truth in the Name of the Lord?’

¹⁶ And MichaiJah said:

‘I see IsraEl being scattered in the mountains like sheep without a shepherd.

‘For Yahweh said:

‘They will be without a leader, so each one should return to his home in peace.’

¹⁷ Then the king of IsraEl said to JehoShaphat:

‘You see… Didn’t I tell you that he wouldn’t prophesy anything good, just bad things?’

¹⁸ And MichaiJah said:

‘That isn’t so! [These are] the words of Yahweh!

‘For I saw Yahweh sitting on His Throne and all the armies of the heavens were sitting beside Him on His right and on His left.

¹⁹ ‘Then Yahweh asked:

‘Whom can I send to deceive Ahab the king of IsraEl so that he attacks RamOth GileAd and is defeated?’

‘Well, one suggested this and another suggested that; ²⁰ but then a spirit stepped forward into the presence of Yahweh and said:

‘I can fool him!’

‘And when Yahweh asked how, ²¹ he said:

‘I will go into the mouths of his prophets as a lying spirit.’

‘And [God] said:

‘You will indeed be able to fool him, so go there and do it!’

²² ‘As a result {Look!}, Yahweh has put a lying spirit into the mouths of all these, your prophets.

‘And it was Yahweh that spoke these bad things against you, [not me]!’

²³ Then ZedekiAh (son of CanaAn) [came up] and hit MichaiJah in the jaw and shouted:

‘How has the Lord’s Breath passed from me to you, so that you should feel so free to speak?’

²⁴ And MichaiJah replied:

‘{Look!} You’ll know it in that day when you have to run from closet to closet to hide!’

²⁵ Then the king of IsraEl gave the order:

‘Take MichaiJah and hand him over to Emer the city mayor and to [my] son JoAsh the governor... ²⁶ Tell them that the king wants this man thrown in jail and just fed moldy bread and water until we return in peace!’

²⁷ And MichaiJah said:

‘Well, as Yahweh told me; you’re not going to return in peace… Listen to this, all you people!’

²⁸ So the king of IsraEl and King JehoShaphat of Judah rode up to RamOth GileAd.

²⁹ And the king of IsraEl said to JehoShaphat:

‘I’m going to disguise myself when I go into battle, so I want you to wear my clothes!’

Thus, the king of IsraEl disguised himself and rode into the battle.

³⁰ Then the king of Syria told the generals who were standing near him (those who were in charge of his chariots):

‘Don’t attack the regular soldiers, just attack the king of IsraEl.’

³¹ So when the generals in charge of the chariots saw JehoShaphat, they shouted:

‘That’s the king of IsraEl!’

And they surrounded him and prepared to attack... But JehoShaphat called out, and Yahweh saved him by turning them away from him. ³² For when the generals in charge of the chariots saw that it wasn’t the king of IsraEl, they turned and left him.

³³ Then a skilled archer pulled his bow tight and shot an arrow at the king of IsraEl, hitting him in the middle of his chest, between his lungs!

And [the king] said to his chariot driver:

‘Turn around and take me away from the battle, because I’m in a lot of pain!’

³⁴ So the king of IsraEl left the battle that day; and there he sat on his chariot, right across from the Syrian lines, until the evening... Then he died just as the sun was setting.

2 Chronicles 19

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¹ Well, as King JehoShaphat of Judah was returning to his palace in JeruSalem, ² the Prophet Jehu (son of AnaNi) came to meet him.

And he said:

‘O King JehoShaphat,

‘Why did you befriend and help a sinner who is hated by Yahweh?

‘Now, because you did this, you’ve brought Yahweh’s anger upon yourself!

³ ‘However, good things have also been said about you, because you’ve removed the sacred poles from the land of Judah, and you’ve straightened your heart to search for Yahweh.’

⁴ So thereafter, JehoShaphat continued to live in JeruSalem, and he once again went to all the people (from BeerSheBa to the mountains of Ephraim) to turn them to Yahweh, the God of their ancestors. ⁵ He also assigned judges in all the walled cities of Judah, city by city.

⁶ And he told the judges:

‘Pay close attention to what you’re doing, because you aren’t judging for men but for Yahweh!

⁷ ‘So, may the fear of God rest upon you!

‘And be careful about how you act, for your God Yahweh isn’t unjust… He isn’t swayed by how a man looks, nor does He accept bribes!’

⁸ Then JehoShaphat brought the Levites, the Priests, and the patriarchs of IsraEl to JeruSalem to serve as judges for Yahweh and to judge the people of JeruSalem.

⁹ The instructions he gave to them were:

‘You must [judge] with the fear of Yahweh… In truth and with a [pure] heart.

¹⁰ ‘You must warn each man among your brothers who comes to you from any of the cities for justice – whether it’s a matter of blood, of order, of the Commandments, of the Law, or of the decisions [of God] – that they must not sin against Yahweh, so that God doesn’t become angry with you or with your brothers.

‘No, you must not sin!

¹¹ ‘{Look!} I’ve appointed AmariAh the Priest to be over you, so that every decision is the word of Yahweh.

‘Also, ZabDiAh, son of IshMaEl, is in charge of the house of Judah when it comes to the decisions of the king… And you have the scribes and Levites there [to help you].

‘So, be strong and act, then Yahweh will bless those who are doing what’s good!’

2 Chronicles 20

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¹ Then the sons of MoAb, the sons of AmMon, and some of the Minaeans marched against JehoShaphat in war.

² And [the king’s messengers] spoke plainly to JehoShaphat and told him:

‘A huge army has come against you from the other side of the sea and from Syria! Look! They’re already in AsaSan-Thamar (EnGedi)!’

³ Well, this frightened JehoShaphat and he went to seek [God’s] guidance, and he proclaimed a fast throughout Judah. ⁴ So, all of Judah gathered to seek Yahweh’s help, coming from all the cities of the land.

⁵ Then JehoShaphat stood up before the entire assembly of Judah in JeruSalem, there at the Temple of Yahweh (in front of the new courtyard), ⁶ and said:

‘O Yahweh, the God of my fathers,

‘Aren’t You the God of all that’s above the skies, and don’t You dominate all the kingdoms of the nations?

‘Don’t Your hands have the strength to dominate everything, and can anyone really stand against You?

⁷ ‘You are Yahweh…

‘You’re the One who destroyed those who lived in this land from before your people IsraEl, and it was You who gave this land to the offspring of AbraHam… This one whom loved you through that age.

⁸ ‘So, this is where we now live and where we’ve built a Most Holy Place to Your Name.

⁹ ‘Now, [the people have said]:

‘Should any bad things come against us, such as war, judgments, plagues, or famines, we’ll all come and stand before You and You’ll save us; for the battle is Yahweh’s!’

¹⁰ ‘But look!

‘The sons of AmMon, MoAb, and [people from] the mountains of SeIr... Those whose lands You refused to allow Your people to pass through as they returned from the land of Egypt and from which they were driven away, but whom we couldn’t conquer... ¹¹ [They] have now come here to drive us out of the inheritance that You gave to us!

¹² ‘O Yahweh our God,

‘Won’t You condemn them?

‘We aren’t strong enough to resist such a huge army, and we don’t know what to do about them, so we’re all looking to You!’

¹³ Well at the time, all of Judah was standing there before Yahweh, including the women and children... ¹⁴ Then the Breath of Yahweh came over OziEl (son of ZachariAh, a descendant of BenaiJah, son of EliEl, son of MathaniAh the Levite of the sons of Asaph) as he stood there in the assembly.

¹⁵ And he said:

‘Listen all of Judah, as well as you who live in JeruSalem, and King JehoShaphat; for, this is Yahweh’s reply to you:

‘Don’t be afraid of that huge army, because this battle isn’t yours, it belongs to God!

¹⁶ ‘Therefore, ready yourselves to march against them tomorrow!

‘Look; they’ll be marching along the road to Asa, and you’ll find them camped beside the river in the JeriEl Desert. ¹⁷ However, don’t attack them. Just stand there and watch! And then you’ll see that the deliverance of Yahweh is with you, O Judah and JeruSalem!

‘Don’t worry and don’t be frightened; for when you march to meet them tomorrow, Yahweh will be with you!’

¹⁸ And at that, JehoShaphat bowed to his face, and all Judah and the people of JeruSalem fell to their faces before Yahweh. ¹⁹ Then the Levites (the sons of KoHath and KorAh) got up and started praising Yahweh the God of IsraEl, calling out loudly towards the heavens.

²⁰ So the next morning, everyone got up early and started their march into the Thecoe Desert. And as they were marching, JehoShaphat went ahead of them, and he shouted:

‘Hear me, O Judah and those who live in JeruSalem!

‘Trust in Yahweh and you’ll find that He can be trusted…

‘Yes, trust in His Prophet and you’ll be blest!’

²¹ Then, as he led the people on, he sent the singers and [the Priests] who offer holy praise and acknowledgements to march ahead of the army shouting:

‘Praise Yahweh and His mercy throughout the ages!’

²² And as they were shouting these praises and acknowledgements, Yahweh caused the sons of AmMon to turn against the MoAbites and the people of the mountains of SeIr as they were marching against Judah, and they all turned and ran away!

²³ Then the sons of AmMon and the MoAbites attacked the people from the mountains of SeIr and killed everyone who lived there… And after that, they started fighting among themselves until they were all destroyed!

²⁴ So when Judah reached the ridge along the edge of the desert, they looked down on that whole army and found them all lying on the ground dead…

None were left!

²⁵ Well at that, JehoShaphat and his people went down and looted all their possessions (there were many cattle, personal things, desirable things, and loot)… They took it all… It took three days for them to pick it all up, because there was so much to be collected!

²⁶ And on the 4th day, they all assembled in the Valley of Blessings, which is what they started calling that place because Yahweh had blest them there… And it’s still called the Valley of Blessings to this day.

²⁷ Then all the men of Judah marched back to JeruSalem joyfully, with JehoShaphat taking the lead; for everyone was so happy over what Yahweh had done to their enemies. ²⁸ And as they entered JeruSalem, they were playing stringed instruments, woodwinds, and trumpets, as they headed towards the Temple of Yahweh.

²⁹ And after that, Yahweh brought a change of state upon all the kingdoms of the land; for when they heard that Yahweh was fighting against the enemies of IsraEl, ³⁰ they allowed the kingdom of JehoShaphat to have peace and rest all around.

³¹ JehoShaphat had started his reign over Judah when he was 35 years old, and he reigned in JeruSalem for 25 years. His mother’s name was Azuba, and she was the daughter of Sali.

³² JehoShaphat followed in the ways of his father Asa, and he never turned aside from doing what was upright before Yahweh. ³³ But the high places of worship were still there, and the people never straightened out their hearts to Yahweh, the God of their ancestors.

³⁴ {Look!} The rest of the things that JehoShaphat said, from start to finish, have been written about by Jehu (son of AnaNi), who put it all in the scrolls of the kings of IsraEl.

³⁵ However, later on, King JehoShaphat of Judah [displeased Yahweh] by working with King AhaziAh of IsraEl to build boats in EziOn GeBer, which they could sail to TarShish... ³⁶ So EliEzer (son of DodiJa from MarIsis) prophesied against JehoShaphat, saying this:

³⁷ ‘Because you befriended AhaziAh, Yahweh has destroyed all your work and broken your boats to pieces!’

And as a result, they never sailed to TarShish.

2 Chronicles 21

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¹ Then JehoShaphat went to sleep with his ancestors and they buried him in a tomb in the city of David. So his son JehoRam started reigning in place of him.

² Now, JehoRam had six brothers:

• AzariAh,

• JeiEl,

• ZachariAh,

• AzariAh,

• MichaEl, and

• ShaphatiAh...

...all of whom were sons of JehoShaphat the king of Judah, ³ and their father had given them many gifts of silver, gold, shields, and walled cities in Judah.

However, he gave the kingdom to JehoRam, because he was the firstborn. ⁴ But after JehoRam became strong in his kingdom, he had all of his brothers and some of the governors of IsraEl killed with a sword!

⁵ JehoRam was 32 years old when he became king, and he reigned in JeruSalem for 8 years. ⁶ But he then started acting like the kings of IsraEl and doing the same things as the house of [King] Ahab [of Israel], acting wickedly before Yahweh, even marrying the daughter of Ahab!

⁷ However, Yahweh didn’t want to destroy the house of David, due to the agreement that He’d made with David when He told him that He’d set him and his sons [as] a lamp throughout all the days.

⁸ Then [the land of] Edom rebelled against Judah and appointed a king to rule over them. ⁹ So JehoRam, his leaders, and his cavalry [marched on] Edom... However, during the night, the generals in charge of his chariots found themselves surrounded and they all retreated to their tents.

¹⁰ Therefore, Edom has continued their revolt against Judah down to this day.

Then [the city of] LobNa revolted and became free of [JehoRam’s] rule, because he had abandoned Yahweh, the God of his ancestors, ¹¹ by building the high places [of worship] in the cities of Judah and leading the people of Judah and JeruSalem astray.

¹² Then [JehoRam] received a letter from the Prophet EliJah saying:

‘This is what Yahweh the God of your ancestor David has said:

‘Because you haven’t followed in the ways of your father JehoShaphat or in the ways of Asa the king of Judah, ¹³ and have gone in the ways of the kings of IsraEl, leading the people of Judah and JeruSalem into [spiritual] immorality (just as the house of Ahab is guilty of such immorality), and because you murdered your brothers, the sons of your father who were all better than you...

¹⁴ ‘{Look!} Yahweh is going to bring a great calamity upon you, your people, your sons, your women, and everything that you own!

¹⁵ ‘Then you’re going to become very sick and feel worse each day until your belly bursts!’

¹⁶ So Yahweh sent the Philistines, the Arabians, and the people from around Ethiopia against JehoRam, ¹⁷ and they attacked the Judeans and defeated them... They carried off everything that they found in the king’s palace and in the houses of his sons and daughters!

And the only son who survived was JehoAhaz (his youngest).

¹⁸ Then Yahweh struck JehoRam with a disease of the belly that couldn’t be cured, ¹⁹ and which got worse day after day, for the next 2 years. And finally, his belly broke open from the disease and he died in agony!

Well, his people didn’t even hold a funeral for him as they had done for his ancestors. ²⁰ He was 32 years old when he started his reign, and he reigned in JeruSalem for 8 years. But when he died, he wasn’t highly regarded, so they buried him in a tomb in the City of David, but not among the kings.

2 Chronicles 22

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¹ Then the people of JeruSalem chose his youngest son, AhaziAh, to become their king (because all of JehoRam’s older sons had been murdered by a band of Arabian and AliMazonian highwaymen). ² So AhaziAh became the king of Judah and started his reign in JeruSalem when he was 25 years old. His mother’s name was AthaliAh, and she was the daughter of OmRi.

³ AhaziAh also followed in the ways of the house of [King] Ahab [of IsraEl], because his mother was his counselor in sin... ⁴ So, like the house of Ahab, he acted wickedly before Yahweh, because [Ahab’s family] served as his counselors after his father died and they led him into destruction.

⁵ For he listened to their council and joined Ahab’s son King JehoRam of IsraEl in a war against King HazaEl of Syria at RamOth GileAd.

[In this war], a bowman shot [King] JehoRam [of IsraEl], ⁶ so he went to the hospital at JezreEl to be treated for the wound that he’d received in his war against King HazaEl of Syria at RamOth. Then King AhaziAh (son of JehoRam) of Judah went to see [King] JehoRam (son of Ahab) while he was recovering there in JezreEl... And that’s when (under God’s direction) the final event in the life of AhaziAh happened! ⁷ For he joined with JehoRam to fight against Jehu (son of NimShi), the one whom Yahweh had anointed to destroy the house of Ahab.

⁸ Now, as Jehu was punishing the house of Ahab, he found the governors of Judah along with some of AhaziAh’s relatives, and he killed them all... ⁹ Then Jehu told [his men] to search for AhaziAh, and they found him at the hospital in Samaria. So they [led Jehu to] him and Jehu killed him.

But they buried him in a tomb, for they said:

‘He’s the descendant of JehoShaphat, a man who searched for Yahweh with his whole heart.’

Thereafter, with the death of [King] AhaziAh [of Judah], there was no one left to rule his kingdom... ¹⁰ And when his mother [Queen] AthaliAh learned that her son AhaziAh had been killed, she tried to have everyone in the royal house of Judah murdered! ¹¹ But JehoShabeth (the king’s daughter) stole his son JehoAsh from the midst of the other sons of the king who were to be killed, and she hid him and fed him in a bed closet.

Now, [Princess] JehoShabeth was the daughter of King JehoRam, [and was therefore King] AhaziAh’s sister; [she was also] the wife of JehoiAda (the Priest). And she kept JehoAsh with her, hidden from [Queen] AthaliAh so she wouldn’t have him murdered, ¹² inside the Temple of God, until he was 6 years old.

But during that time, [Queen] AthaliAh ruled the land.

2 Chronicles 23

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¹ Well, after 7 years, [the husband of Princess JehoShabeth, the Priest] JehoiAda, reckoned that the time had finally come... So he took several army lieutenants with him into the Temple of Yahweh.

[They were:]

• AzariAh son of JehoRam,

• IshMaEl son of JoAnan,

• AzariAh son of Obed,

• MaAseJah son of AdiJa, and

• EliShaPhan son of ZachariAh.

² Then they traveled around Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah and all the family heads of IsraEl and brought them to JeruSalem; ³ and this whole gathering of Judah made a pact with the king there at the Temple of God.

For [JehoiAda] showed the king’s son to them and said:

‘Look… This is the king’s son!

‘So, may he now become the king, just as Yahweh said concerning the house of David!

⁴ ‘Therefore, this is what you must do:

• A third of you Priests and Levites should come here on the Sabbath and occupy all the Temple gates and entrances;

• ⁵ A third must surround the king’s palace;

• And a third must occupy the central gate.

‘Then all the people must assemble in the courtyards of the Temple of Yahweh… ⁶ Don’t let anyone enter the Temple that isn’t a Priest or Levite! Allow all the officiating Levites to enter, because they’re holy, and all the rest should guard the watches of Yahweh...

⁷ ‘Each of the Levites should gather around the king with their weapons in their hands, and then kill anyone who dares to enter the Temple… They must protect the king as he’s entering and leaving.’

⁸ So the Levites and all Judah did exactly as JehoiAda the Priest told them... Each of [the lieutenants] kept his men in their stations from the time that the Sabbath started until its conclusion, and JehoiAda didn’t allow the Priests to rest after their daily rotations.

⁹ He gave the Priests and army lieutenants their orders, and then he armed them with swords, large shields, and even the small shields that King David had placed in the Temple of God.

¹⁰ Thereafter, he stationed them (bearing their weapons) everywhere, from the room on the right of the Temple to the room to the left of the Altar, and all around the king’s palace... ¹¹ Then he brought out the king’s son and placed the trappings and proofs of his kingship upon him, and the [High] Priest JehoiAda and his sons anointed him as the king, shouting:

‘Long live the king!’

¹² Well, [Queen] AthaliAh heard the sounds of the people running and shouting, praising the king, so she went to the Temple of Yahweh ¹³ and she saw {Look!} the king standing at his station in the king’s entrance as the trumpets were blowing!

Also, there were all the governors standing around the king, as the people of the land were joyfully shouting and blowing trumpets, the musicians were playing their instruments, and the singers were singing praises!

So [Queen] AthaliAh tore her robe and shouted:

‘Attack them!’

¹⁴ But JehoiAda the Priest told the army lieutenants:

‘Throw her out of the Temple, then take her outside and kill her with your swords… Don’t kill her inside the Temple of Yahweh!’

¹⁵ Well at that, they released her... And as she was walking through the gate of the horsemen towards the king’s palace, they killed her.

¹⁶ Then JehoiAda proclaimed an agreement between himself, the people, and the king, that they were all going to be Yahweh’s people. ¹⁷ And thereafter, all the people of the land went to the temple of BaAl and tore it and its altars down, and they ground its idols into a fine dust... Then they put Mathan (the priest of BaAl) to death in front of his altars!

¹⁸ Thereafter, [High] Priest JehoiAda commissioned the Priests and Levites to refurbish the Temple of Yahweh, and he re-established the assignments and daily rotations of the Priests and Levites as they were set up by David for the Temple of Yahweh.

Then he sacrificed whole burnt offerings to Yahweh in the way that was written in the Law of Moses, as they played the joyful songs that were written by David. ¹⁹ He also assigned gatekeepers to stand at the gates of the Temple of Yahweh so as to prevent anyone who was unclean in any way from entering.

²⁰ After that, he gathered the family heads, the dignitaries, the people’s governors, and all the people of the land. Then they led the king into the Temple of Yahweh through the inner gate of the king’s palace, and sat him down on the king’s throne.

²¹ However, although all the people of the land were joyful, everything became silent as they executed Queen AthaliAh with a sword.

2 Chronicles 24

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¹ So, JehoAsh was 7 years old when began his reign, and he ruled from JeruSalem for 40 years. His mother’s name was SabiJa, and she was from BeerSheba.

² JehoAsh did what was right before Yahweh for as long as the [High] Priest JehoiAda was alive. ³ Meanwhile, JehoiAda [the Priest] had taken two women that bore sons and daughters to him.

⁴ Then it came into the heart of JehoAsh to repair the Temple of Yahweh. ⁵ So he assembled all the Priests and Levites and said to them:

‘Go into all the cities of Judah and IsraEl each year and collect enough money to strengthen the Temple of Yahweh… Starting from right now!’

Well, the Levites didn’t do anything; ⁶ so King JehoAsh called for JehoiAda their leader, and asked:

‘Why haven’t you been overseeing the Levites, to make sure that they’re taking up the collections from Judah and IsraEl that were specified by Moses, the man of God, for the gathering of IsraEl at the Tent of Proofs?

⁷ ‘[Queen] AthaliAh is to blame [for its poor condition], because it was her sons who wrecked the Temple of Yahweh, taking all its holy things and dedicating them to the BaAls.’

⁸ And the king said:

‘Make a [collection] chest and place it just outside of the entrance to the Temple of Yahweh... ⁹ Then, have [the officials] travel throughout Judah, JeruSalem, IsraEl, and into the desert, to tell [the people] to bring the amount that was specified by Moses, the servant of God, to Yahweh.’

¹⁰ Well thereafter, all the people and their governors did come and bring [their tithes], and soon the [collection] chest was filled! ¹¹ So when the Levites carried the chest to the king’s accountants, they found that they had more than enough money [to complete the Temple renovation project].

Then the king’s scribe and the High Priest’s accountant emptied the chest and put it back into its place. They did this each day, and they gathered huge amounts of money, ¹² which the king then gave to the Priest JehoiAda and to those who were doing the work on the Temple of Yahweh... So they hired the stonecutters, carpenters, and metalworkers that were needed to repair Yahweh’s Temple.

¹³ Well, everyone did their jobs, and soon the project of rebuilding and refurbishing the Temple was completed. ¹⁴ Then after it was done, they carried the rest of the money to King JehoAsh and to JehoiAda, and they made things that were required for the services at the Temple, such as gold incense pans and other items of silver and gold.

And thereafter, whole burnt offerings were sacrificed at the Temple of Yahweh throughout the rest of the life of JehoiAda.

¹⁵ Well, [the High Priest] JehoiAda lived a very full life, which ended after 130 years. ¹⁶ So they buried him in a tomb in the City of David among the kings, because he’d served IsraEl, God, and the Temple so well!

¹⁷ But after [High Priest] JehoiAda died, the governors of Judah came and bowed before the king, and King [JehoAsh] listened to them... ¹⁸ So they abandoned the Temple of Yahweh the God of their ancestors, and started serving the Astartes and the idols… Which has brought [God’s] anger upon Judah and JeruSalem down to this day.

¹⁹ So [God] sent His Prophets to turn them back to Yahweh, and they warned the people… But they just wouldn’t listen!

²⁰ Then the Breath of God came over AzariAh the Priest (JehoiAda’s son), and he went before the people and said to them:

‘This is what Yahweh has said:

‘Why are you overlooking My Commandments so that the things you’re doing won’t be blest?

‘You have abandoned Yahweh, so now He will abandon you!’

²¹ Well, following the orders of King JehoAsh, they then attacked him and stoned him to death there in the courtyard of Yahweh’s Temple! ²² For JehoAsh had forgotten the mercy that JehoiAda ([AzariAh’s] father) had shown to him and had his son murdered.

And as [AzariAh] was dying, he said:

‘Look down upon this O Yahweh, and judge!’

²³ Well, as that year came to its end, the armies of Syria came and attacked Judah and JeruSalem, and they killed all the rulers of the people, then they carried away loot and brought it to their king in Damascus!

²⁴ For even though the army of Syria that came against them wasn’t very large, God gave [Judah] and their huge army into their hands, because they’d abandoned Yahweh the God of their ancestors.

They also punished JehoAsh, ²⁵ leaving him sick and broken.

Then his own servants turned against him (over the blood of the son of JehoiAda the Priest), and they killed him in his own bed! So he died, and they buried him in a tomb in the City of David, but not in the tomb of the kings.

²⁶ Well, the men who attacked him were:

• SaBed (son of SamaAth the AmMonite),

• JoZabed (son of SomarOth the Moabite) ²⁷ plus his sons (all 5 of them joined in killing him).

{Look!} The rest of the things [that JehoAsh] said are written in the scrolls of the kings.

Then his son AmaziAh became the king in his place.

2 Chronicles 25

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¹ AmaziAh was 25 years old when he started his reign, and he reigned from JeruSalem for 29 years. His mother’s name was JoAden, and she was from JeruSalem.

² Although he did what was upright before Yahweh, he didn’t do it wholeheartedly.

³ When he became the king, he killed the servants who had murdered his father (the king), ⁴ but he didn’t kill their sons, because of what was written in the Sacred Agreement of the Law of Yahweh, where Yahweh said:

‘Fathers should not be put to death for their children, and sons should not die for their fathers.’

⁵ Then AmaziAh gathered [the troops] of Judah and divided them under the generals and lieutenants by the houses of their families throughout all Judah and JeruSalem. He had taken a count of all those who were 20-years old and up, and found that there were 300,000 mighty warriors that carried a spear and a shield.

⁶ But then he also hired 100,000 mighty, powerful warriors from IsraEl for 3 tons (2,700kg) of silver.

⁷ So, the man of God came to him and said:

‘O king,

‘You should not march along with the forces of IsraEl, because Yahweh isn’t with IsraEl or with any of the descendants of Ephraim... ⁸ So if you should choose to build your army with them, Yahweh will make you run from your enemies.

‘For Yahweh can either make you stronger or He can force you to run.’

⁹ Then AmaziAh asked the man of God:

‘But, what should I do about the 3 tons (2,700kg) of silver that I paid for the soldiers of IsraEl?’

And the man of God replied:

‘Yahweh can repay you with more than that.’

¹⁰ So AmaziAh sent away the soldiers that had come to him from Ephraim. However, this made them furious with Judah, and they went back to their homes in a rage.

¹¹ Well, [King] AmaziAh’s [army] did grow stronger, so he gathered his men and marched into the Salt Valley, where they attacked and killed 10,000 of the sons of SeIr, ¹² and brought back 10,000 captives to Judah. Then they led them to a high cliff and tossed them all over, ripping them to shreds.

¹³ But after that, the soldiers whom AmaziAh had sent away (the ones whom he didn’t allow to join him in the war) attacked all the cities of Judah from Samaria to BethOron, killing 3,000 and carrying away a lot of loot... ¹⁴ And meanwhile, after [King] AmaziAh had attacked Edom, he brought back some of the gods of the sons of SeIr, erecting them for himself as gods, and he bowed and offered sacrifices to them!

¹⁵ So Yahweh became very angry with AmaziAh and sent His Prophet, who asked him:

‘Why are you now looking to the gods that weren’t able to save their own people from your hands?’

¹⁶ And the king replied:

‘Have I appointed you as one of the king’s councilors?

‘Be careful that I don’t have you whipped!’

So the Prophet didn’t tell him anything more.

He just said:

‘I know that He will now oppose you and ruin you, because He [sent me to you], and you refused to listen to my advice.’

¹⁷ Then King AmaziAh of Judah sent word to King JehoAsh of Israel (son of JehoAhaz and grandson of Jehu), saying:

‘[Why don’t you] come and meet me face-to-face?’

¹⁸ And King JehoAsh of IsraEl replied:

‘A thorn bush in Lebanon sent word to the cedars of Lebanon, saying:

‘Give me your daughter to be my son’s wife.’

‘But then the wild animals of the fields of Lebanon went and trampled the thorn bush.

‘So now you’re saying [to yourself]:

‘Why, look! I’ve attacked Edom!’

‘And your heavy heart has been lifted!

‘But [it would be better for] you to just go back home and sit in your palace... ¹⁹ Why have you assembled [your army] to do evil?

‘For you’ll fall, and Judah will fall with you!’

²⁰ Well, [King] AmaziAh [of Judah] just wouldn’t listen, because Yahweh planned to hand him over to [King] JehoAsh [of IsraEl], due to his trusting in the gods of the Edomites. ²¹ So King AmaziAh of Judah and King JehoAsh of IsraEl marched against each other, facing off at BethSamus in Judah.

²² Then the battle began, and Judah had to run from IsraEl – everyone ran back to their tents – ²³ and King AmaziAh of Judah, son of JehoAsh and grandson of JehoAhaz, was captured by King JehoAsh of IsraEl at BethSamus.

Thereafter, they brought him back to JeruSalem, and they tore down the city walls from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate… 750 feet (230m) of it! ²⁴ [JehoAsh] also took all the gold and silver, all the things that he found in the Temple of Yahweh, all the things being cared for by ObedEdom, and all the treasures in the king’s palace... He also carried off several of the sons of [AmaziAh’s] allies, and then he returned to Samaria.

²⁵ However, AmaziAh (son of JehoAsh) king of Judah then survived the death of JehoAsh (son of JehoAhaz) king of IsraEl by 15 years.

²⁶ Well, {Look!} all the things that AmaziAh said, from start to finish, are written in the scrolls of the kings of Judah and IsraEl.

²⁷ But thereafter, [King] AmaziAh [continued to rebel] against Yahweh, and there was an attempt to assassinate him, so he fled JeruSalem and went to LachIsh... But after he got there, they still found him and killed him! ²⁸ Then they mounted his body on a horse and buried him in a tomb with his ancestors in the City of David.

2 Chronicles 26

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¹ So, all the people of the land took UzZiAh [also known as AzariAh], who was just 16 years old, and appointed him as king in place of his father AmaziAh.

² He’d been away, building ElAth, but he returned to Judah after the king went to sleep with his ancestors. ³ So UzZiAh was only 16 years old when he started his reign, and he ruled in JeruSalem for 52 years. His mother’s name was JecheliAh, and she was from JeruSalem.

⁴ [UzZiAh] did what was upright before Yahweh, every bit as much as did his father AmaziAh. ⁵ He searched for Yahweh throughout the entire life of ZachariAh, who was the one who [showed him] the need to fear Yahweh.

So, during the period that he was searching for Yahweh, all of his ways were blest... ⁶ Therefore, when he went to war with the Philistines, he tore down the walls of Gath, JabNe, and AshDod, and he built cities around AshDod, right there in the midst of the Philistines.

⁷ For Yahweh gave him power over the Philistines, the Arabians, those who lived on The Rock, and the Minaeans. ⁸ The Minaeans even brought gifts to him, and his name became famous beyond Egypt.

⁹ Thereafter, UzZiAh built [battle] towers around JeruSalem’s gates, at the corners [of the walls], at the gates and corners of the walls in the valley below, and he strengthened the [city walls]. ¹⁰ He also built forts in the desert and he dug many wells, because there were so many cattle in the plains of ShepheLa.

In addition, he sent vinedressers into the mountains and to CarMel, because he was fond of farming.

¹¹ However, UzZiAh [was also fond of] war, because he fought many battles... The accounts of these were recorded by the Scribe JeiEl and Judge MasSiAh, from what they were told by AnaniAh, the king’s second-in-command.

¹² There were 2,600 generals in his army ¹³ [that were appointed over] 307,500 men. These were always prepared for war and ready to [fight for] the king against his many opponents. ¹⁴ And UzZiAh took good care of [his army] by providing them with:

• Shields,

• Spears,

• Helmets,

• Chest plates,

• Bows, and

• Stone slings.

¹⁵ He also had war machines built for them in JeruSalem by an engineer, which were used to attack the towers and corners of [the city walls]. The machines were used to shoot arrows and to throw huge boulders!

In fact, they became famous throughout the whole earth at the time, for he had such wonderful help… That is, until he grew strong.

¹⁶ However, after he became strong, his heart became very corrupt and he started sinning against his God Yahweh; for he entered the Most Holy [in the Temple of Yahweh] to burn incense on the [sacred] Incense Altar!

¹⁷ Well, the [High] Priest AzariAh and 80 mighty Priests of Yahweh went in after him ¹⁸ and they resisted King UzZiAh, saying to him:

‘UzZiAh, you aren’t allowed to burn incense to Yahweh!

‘That may only be done by the Priests who’ve descended from Aaron and have been made holy to burn the incense!

‘Now, leave this Holy Place; for you have left Yahweh!

‘This glory won’t be given to you by Yahweh our God!’

¹⁹ Well, this made UzZiAh furious!

For there he was with the incense pan in his hand, ready to burn incense inside the Most Holy... And as he was raging against the Priests, leprosy started to appear on his forehead, right there in front of the Priests in the Temple of Yahweh and in front of the Incense Altar!

²⁰ So when AzariAh (the High Priest) and the other Priests turned to look at him, they saw the leprosy in his forehead, and they pushed him out of the Temple... But even he was in a hurry to leave, because Yahweh was disciplining him!

²¹ Well, King UzZiAh had leprosy until the day he died, and he was kept in a home for lepers, cut off from the Temple of Yahweh. As a result, his son JoTham ruled over his kingdom and judged the people of the land.

²² {Look!} The rest of the things that UzZiAh said, from beginning to end, were written by the Prophet IsaiAh (son of Amoz).

²³ Then UzZiAh went to sleep with his ancestors, and they buried him in a tomb in the graveyard of his ancestors, but not among the kings, because they said:

‘He’s a leper.’

Then his son JoTham became the king after him.

2 Chronicles 27

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¹ JoTham was 25 years old when he started his reign, and he ruled from JeruSalem for 16 years. His mother’s name was JeroUsa, and she was the daughter of ZaDok.

² [JoTham] did what was upright before Yahweh in the same way that his father UzZiAh did (but he didn’t enter the Holy Place of Yahweh). Yet despite this, the people still kept corrupting themselves.

³ [JoTham] built the tall gatehouse of Yahweh, and he did a lot of building along the wall of Ophel. He also built cities ⁴ in the mountains of Judah, as well as forts and places to live in the forests.

⁵ He fought wars with the king of the sons of AmMon and conquered him... And thereafter, each year the sons of AmMon had to send him:

• 3 tons (2,700kg) of silver,

• 300 tons (27,000kg) of wheat, and

• 300 tons (27,000kg) of barley.

They did this for the first three years.

⁶ So JoTham grew strong, because he faithfully served his God Yahweh.

⁷ {Look!} The rest of the things that JoTham said and did, and the stories of his wars, are written about in the scrolls of the kings of Judah and IsraEl. ⁸ Then JoTham went to sleep with his ancestors and they buried him in a tomb in the City of David.

So his son Ahaz started reigning in his place.

2 Chronicles 28

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¹ Ahaz was 25 years old when he started his reign, and he reigned in JeruSalem for 16 years. ² He didn’t do what was upright before Yahweh as did his ancestor David; rather, he went the way of the kings of IsraEl and made carved images, ³ offering sacrifices to them in the Valley of the Sons of Hinnom.

He also [offered] his children in fire, in the same disgusting way as the nations that Yahweh had destroyed from in front of IsraEl had once done! ⁴ He burned incense on the high places, on roofs, and under every tree in the woods.

⁵ As a result, his God Yahweh handed him over to the king of Syria, who attacked him and carried off many prisoners to Damascus.

He also allowed the king of IsraEl to bring a great calamity upon him; ⁶ for [King] PekAh (son of RemaliAh), the king of IsraEl, killed 120,000 of his strong, mighty men (all on the same day); which happened because they had left Yahweh the God of their ancestors.

⁷ Then he executed ZechRi (the great man of Ephraim), MaAsa (the king’s son), EzriKan (who was in charge of the king’s palace), and ElKana (the king’s right-hand man); ⁸ and he carried off 300,000 women and children, along with everything of value, to Samaria.

⁹ Now, there was a Prophet of Yahweh in Samaria whose name was Obed; and when the army of IsraEl was returning to Samaria, he went out to meet them and said:

‘{Look!} The reason why these people have been given into your hands is because Yahweh the God of your ancestors is angry with Judah!

‘But you have killed them in anger, and [news of this] has reached into the heavens!

¹⁰ ‘Also, you’re now saying that the sons of Judah and JeruSalem can be sold as male and female slaves... But {Look!} here I am among you to testify about this before your God Yahweh, ¹¹ so listen to me!

‘Return your brothers whom you’ve taken as captives; because, now the rage of Yahweh is upon you!’

¹² Well thereafter, the leaders of Ephraim (AzariAh son of JoHanan, BarachiAh son of MoSolamOth, EzekiAs son of SelLem, and AmasiAh son of ElDai) said to those who were returning from the war:

¹³ ‘There’s no way that we’ll allow you to bring these captives to us, because that would bring a sin against Yahweh upon us... By talking this way, you’re trying to add to our sins and our ignorance!

‘For we’re already guilty of great sins, and the anger of Yahweh is already upon IsraEl.’

¹⁴ As a result, they released the captured warriors and laid all the loot they’d taken before the rulers of the gathering. ¹⁵ Then the ones whose names were called out took the captives and covered those who were naked with clothing from the loot, tied sandals on their feet, and gave them food to eat and something to clean themselves with.

¹⁶ Thereafter, they mounted all those who were weak upon animals and took them to JeriCho and to The City of Palms, along with the rest of their brothers... Then [IsraEl returned] to Samaria.

¹⁷ Well, later on, King Ahaz [of Judah] sent for the king of Assyria and asked him for aid, because the Edomites had attacked Judah and carried off captives. ¹⁸ Then the Philistines attacked his cities in the plains and to the south of Judah, capturing BethSamus, everything in the Temple of Yahweh and in the king’s palace, and all the governors.

So they handed AiLon, GadEron, SoChor and its surrounding towns, ThamNa and its surrounding towns, and GamZo and its surrounding towns over to their king, and they started living there!

¹⁹ For Yahweh was humbling Judah because their king (Ahaz) had turned away from Him.

²⁰ Then King Tiglath-Pileser [III] of Assyria came to his aid. ²¹ So Ahaz took the things in the Temple of Yahweh, the things in his palace, and the things that belonged to his governors, and gave it all to the king of Assyria… Not for his help, ²² but to keep him from attacking them!

Well, King Ahaz continued in his course of [rebellion] against Yahweh; for he then said:

‘I will [ask for help] from the gods of Damascus.’

...[Yes, the gods of the people] who were overpowering him!

²³ [And he said]:

‘Since the gods of the king of Syria are making them strong, I will offer sacrifices to them and they’ll help me also.’

Well, this became a trap to him and to all IsraEl.

²⁴ Then Ahaz took everything out of the Temple of Yahweh, cut it all to pieces, and locked the Temple doors! And thereafter, he built altars in every city and on every corner of JeruSalem, ²⁵ and he erected high places in all the cities of Judah to burn incense to foreign gods, which made Yahweh (the God of their ancestors) very angry.

²⁶ {Look!} The rest of the things that he said and did are written in the scrolls of the kings of Judah and IsraEl. ²⁷ Then Ahaz went to sleep with his ancestors, and they buried him in a tomb in the City of David… But they didn’t bury him in the tombs of the kings of IsraEl.

Then his son HezekiAh became king in his place.

2 Chronicles 29

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¹ HezekiAh was 25 years old when he started his reign, and he reigned in JeruSalem for 29 years. His mother’s name was AbBa and she was the daughter of ZachariAh.

² HezekiAh did what was upright before Yahweh, as his ancestor David had done. ³ And after his kingdom was established, in the 1st month, he reopened the doors to the Temple of Yahweh and had it repaired.

⁴ Then he brought back the Priests and Levites… He had them assemble on the east side [of the Temple] ⁵ and said to them:

‘O Levites, listen to me!

‘Now, purify yourselves, and then purify the Temple of Yahweh the God of your ancestors... Clear out everything from the Holy Place that’s unclean, ⁶ because our fathers have been [guilty of] rebellion and they’ve done evil things before our God Yahweh when they abandoned Him and turned their faces away from the Tent of Yahweh, showing Him the backs of their necks!

⁷ ‘They have locked the Temple doors; they extinguished the lamps; they stopped burning the incense; and they stopped sacrificing whole burnt offerings in the Holy Place of the God of IsraEl.

⁸ ‘That’s why Yahweh has been so angry with Judah and JeruSalem, and why He appointed them as objects of wonder and destruction by the Syrians… As you can see is happening with your own eyes!

⁹ ‘Look! Your fathers have been attacked with swords, and your wives, sons, and daughters have been carried off as captives into a land that isn’t their own… And that’s where they still are!

¹⁰ ‘So, because of these things, you must decide in your hearts to conclude a sacred agreement with Yahweh, the God of IsraEl; for only then will He turn His anger and rage away from you!

¹¹ ‘Don’t give up, because Yahweh has selected you to stand before Him and to serve Him by officiating and burning the incense.’

¹² Then all the Levites stood up.

• From the sons of KoHath, there was MaAl (son of AmaSi) and JoEl (son of AzariAh).

• From the sons of MeraRi, there was Kish (son of AbDi) and AzariAh (son of JalLelEl).

• From the sons of GerSham, there was JodaAd (son of ZemMa) and JoAdam (son of JoAcha).

• ¹³ From the sons of EliShaphan, there was ZamBri and JeiEl.

• From the sons of Asaph, there was ZachariAh and MathanAniAh.

• ¹⁴ From the sons of HeMan, there was JeiEl and Semei.

• From the sons of IdiThoun, there was SamaiJah and OziEl.

¹⁵ These went back and gathered all their brothers, and they were purified just as the king had commanded them (and following the directions of Yahweh), so they could do the work of cleansing the Temple of Yahweh.

¹⁶ Then the Priests went inside and threw out everything that was unclean, both in the building and in the courtyards… The Levites took it all out and threw it into the Cedar (Kidron) Wadi.

¹⁷ Well after that, on that 1st day of the month, they celebrated their first New Moon festival.

And on the 8th day of the month, they went into the Temple of Yahweh to make everything holy, which took 8 days.

So they finished the project on the 16th day of the month.

¹⁸ Then they went to see King HezekiAh and said:

‘We have purified all the things in the Temple of Yahweh, from the Altar for the whole burnt offerings and its utensils, to the table where the [sacred bread] is placed (along with its utensils)… ¹⁹ All the things that King Ahaz defiled during his defection.

‘So, everything has been prepared and purified, and look… It’s all there in front of Yahweh’s Altar.’

²⁰ Well, King HezekiAh arose early the next morning and gathered all the city officials, and they went up to the Temple of Yahweh.

²¹ They brought along:

• 7 calves,

• 7 rams,

• 7 lambs, and

• 7 winter-yearling goats...

...as sin offerings for the kingdom, for the holy things, and for IsraEl.

Then he told the Priests (the sons of Aaron) to go up to the Altar of Yahweh, ²² where they sacrificed the calves and collected the blood and poured it out on the Altar.

Then they sacrificed the rams and poured their blood on the Altar.

And after that, they sacrificed the lambs and poured their blood on the Altar.

²³ Finally, they brought the winter-yearling goats to be sacrificed as sin offerings before the king and the gathering.

So everyone placed their hands on [the goats], ²⁴ and the Priests sacrificed them, pouring their blood against the Altar to cover the sins of all IsraEl.

For the king said:

‘We are sacrificing these whole burnt offerings and sin offerings [on behalf of] all IsraEl.’

²⁵ The Levites had also come to the Temple of Yahweh carrying their cymbals, stringed instruments, and woodwinds, just as King David had instructed them, along with the king’s Seer Gad and the Prophet Nathan, following the Commandments of Yahweh… Since the order of events had been entrusted to the hands of the Prophets.

²⁶ So the Levites stood there with the instruments of David, and the Priests had their trumpets. ²⁷ Then when HezekiAh [said it was time] to sacrifice the whole burnt offerings on the Altar, they all started singing to Yahweh, accompanied by the trumpets and the instruments of David (the king of IsraEl), ²⁸ as the whole assembly bowed with their faces to the ground.

Well, the singers kept singing and the trumpets continued to be blown until all the whole burnt offerings had been sacrificed. ²⁹ And as they were completing the offering, the king and all his guests also bowed to the ground.

³⁰ After that, King HezekiAh and his dignitaries told the Levites to [sing] praises to Yahweh in the [psalms] of David and of the Prophet Asaph.

So they sang these praises joyfully, and they also fell and bowed low to the ground.

³¹ Then HezekiAh [told the people]:

‘Now that you’ve filled your hands for Yahweh, come forward and bring your sacrifices of praise to the Temple of Yahweh!’

So, the people eagerly started bringing their sacrifices of praise to the Temple as whole burnt offerings to Yahweh.

³² The gathering offered as whole-burnt-offerings to Yahweh:

• 70 calves,

• 100 rams, and

• 200 lambs.

³³ They also set aside some 600 calves and 3,000 sheep for sacred use.

³⁴ Well, because there were so few Priests, they were unable to cut up all the whole burnt offerings; so their brothers the Levites had to assist them until all the work was done and all the Priests were purified (for the Levites had been more eager to purify themselves than the Priests had been).

³⁵ But there was more than enough of the whole burnt offerings and fat for the sacred deliverance offerings and drink offerings.

Well, the work in the Temple of Yahweh had finally begun [again]. ³⁶ And HezekiAh and all the people were very joyful, because God had prepared the people, and everything came together so quickly.

2 Chronicles 30

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¹ Thereafter, HezekiAh sent letters to all IsraEl and Judah, as well as letters to Ephraim and ManasSeh, inviting them to come to the Temple of Yahweh in JeruSalem to observe the Passover to Yahweh, the God of IsraEl.

² Then the king and his governors laid plans for the entire assembly to come to JeruSalem to observe the Passover in the 2nd month, ³ because they hadn’t been able to celebrate it at the correct time (since the Priests weren’t sufficiently purified and all the people hadn’t gathered in JeruSalem).

⁴ Well, this pleased the king and the [people] so much ⁵ that they decided to send a proclamation throughout IsraEl (from BeerSheBa to Dan), inviting everyone to come and observe the Passover to Yahweh the God of IsraEl in JeruSalem (because most of them hadn’t responded to the [first] letters).

⁶ So they sent runners with letters from the king and his governors into all IsraEl and Judah (following the king’s orders), saying:

‘Sons of IsraEl,

‘Return to Yahweh, the God of AbraHam, IsaAc, and Jacob.

‘For He will return to those who have escaped and survived the hand of the king of Assyria.

⁷ ‘Don’t be like your ancestors and your brothers who turned away from Yahweh, the God of their fathers; for He handed them over for destruction, as you can see has truly happened.

⁸ ‘Don’t stiffen your necks as did your fathers; give glory to Yahweh, your God! Come to the Holy Place that He made holy throughout the ages, and serve your God Yahweh, then He will turn His rage and anger away from you.

⁹ ‘For when you return to Yahweh, your brothers and your children will be shown pity by those who’ve taken them captive, and He will return this land to you! Yahweh our God is merciful and He feels compassion, so He won’t turn His face from us if we return to Him.’

¹⁰ Well, the runners traveled from city to city throughout the mountains of Ephraim and ManasSeh and into ZebuLun... And everywhere, people made fun of them and ridiculed them!

¹¹ However, some of the men of Asher, ManasSeh, and ZebuLun did feel ashamed, and they came to Judah and into JeruSalem; ¹² and the hand of God gave them a united heart to do as the king and his governors had ordered… To follow the instructions of Yahweh.

¹³ Then they all gathered in JeruSalem, and so many people attended to observe the celebration of the fermentation-free bread (in the 2nd month), [that it turned into] a huge assembly!

¹⁴ And thereafter, everyone got up and demolished all the [pagan] altars in JeruSalem and they tore down all the altars upon which they’d burned incense to their lying idols, and threw them into the Cedar (Kidron) Wadi! Then they sacrificed the Passover on the 14th day of the 2nd month.

¹⁵ Well, the Priests and the Levites all felt ashamed, so they purified themselves and carried whole burnt offerings into the Temple of Yahweh.

¹⁶ Then each one took his station and handled his responsibilities, just as Moses (the man of God) had commanded, and the Priests received the [sacrificial] blood from the hands of the Levites, ¹⁷ because many of them had been purified.

However, not all of the Levites who were to sacrifice the Passover had yet been purified to Yahweh, ¹⁸ and most of the people who had come from Ephraim, ManasSeh, IsSachar, and ZebuLun had not purified themselves... Yet they all ate the Passover, which was contrary to [what was written in] the Scriptures.

¹⁹ Then HezekiAh prayed for them, saying:

‘O Yahweh, the good God,

‘[Please] cover [the sins] of those of us who’ve straightened our hearts to search for You, the God of our ancestors, and who haven’t been purified as the Holy Things have been purified.’

²⁰ Well, Yahweh listened to HezekiAh and He healed the people.

²¹ Then all the sons of IsraEl who were found in JeruSalem celebrated the holiday of the fermentation-free bread for 7 days with great joy, singing praises to Yahweh each day, as the Priests and Levites played their instruments to the Lord.

²² Then at the conclusion of the holiday of the fermentation-free bread loaves (at the end of 7 days of sacrificing for salvation and for praising Yahweh the God of their ancestors), HezekiAh spoke to the hearts of the Levites and to all those who were searching for Yahweh with a pure heart.

²³ And thereafter, the entire assembly agreed to observe [the festival] for another 7 days…
So they joyfully celebrated for 7 more days!

²⁴ Then HezekiAh dedicated 1,000 calves and 7,000 sheep on behalf of those who had assembled from Judah, and the governors dedicated 1,000 calves and 10,000 sheep on behalf of the people… Giving many holy things to the Priests.

²⁵ So, everyone was happy – the Priests, the Levites, the whole assembly of Judah, and everyone else who was found in JeruSalem, including the foreigners who had come from the land of IsraEl and those who were living in Judah.

²⁶ It was a joyful day in JeruSalem, for there hadn’t been one like it since the days of Solomon, son of David, the king of IsraEl!

²⁷ Then the Levite priests got up and blest the people… And the things they said were heard, because their prayers reached to the Sacred Home in the heavens.

2 Chronicles 31

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¹ Well after that, all the IsraElites in the cities of Judah broke down the monuments and sacred poles, then they tore down the high places [of worship] and the shrines throughout Judah, BenJamin, Ephraim, and ManasSeh, until they were all gone; and all IsraEl returned to the lands and cities of their inheritance.

² Then HezekiAh reestablished the different responsibilities and the daily rotations of the Priests and Levites for sacrificing the whole burnt offerings, for offering sacrifices of salvation, and for praising, acknowledging, and officiating at the gates and courtyards of the Temple of Yahweh.

³ He also set aside a portion of his own possessions as whole burnt offerings to be sacrificed early each morning, at dusk, on the Sabbaths, on the New Moons, and on the holidays, as it was written in the Law of Yahweh.

⁴ Thereafter, HezekiAh spoke to the people who lived in JeruSalem about giving their due portion to the Priests and Levites, so these men could do more in their services at the Temple of Yahweh, ⁵ and he sent word to all sons of IsraEl to bring in the first fruits of their grain, wine, olive oil, honey, and the offspring of their fields.

As a result, a huge number from IsraEl and Judah brought in their 1/10th portion... ⁶ Also, those from the cities of Judah brought 1/10th of their calves, sheep, and goats, which they [offered] as holy to their God Yahweh. They brought it all in and piled it in heaps upon heaps!

⁷ It was in the 3rd month that they started the heaped piles of [offerings], which they [continued to bring] until the 7th month. ⁸ And when HezekiAh and his governors came and saw all the heaps, they praised Yahweh and His people IsraEl.

⁹ Then HezekiAh spoke to the Priests and the Levites about the heaps.

¹⁰ He said to AzariAh (the High Priest and the head of the house of ZaDok):

‘When the first-fruits were brought to the Temple of Yahweh; after we all ate and drank, we left a huge amount behind... Yes, Yahweh has blest His people so much that we still have a lot left over.’

¹¹ Then HezekiAh told him to prepare a place for it in the Temple of Yahweh, which he did. ¹² So they carried in all the remaining first fruits and 1/10th portions, and stored them away.

The Levite ConaniJah was thereafter put in charge of it all, and his brother ShiMei was assigned as his assistant, ¹³ as were:

• JeiEl,

• OzaziAh,

• NaEth,

• AsahEl,

• JeriMoth,

• JoZabad,

• EliEl,

• ShamachiAh,

• MaAth,

• BenaiJah ,

• his sons.

They were all assigned under ConaniJah and his brother ShiMei by King HezekiAh and AzariAh (who was in charge of the Temple of Yahweh).

¹⁴ JemNa, the Levite (who was in charge of the east gate) was then assigned to distribute the gifts, the first-fruits that were donated to Yahweh, and the holy things in the Holy of Holies ¹⁵ that were brought by the singers and from BenJamin, JeShua, ShiMei, AmariAh, and ShechoniJah, as well as the things that the Priests had stored away.

Then he divided it among the Priests by the size of their families (counting all males from three years old and up) and their daily rotations, ¹⁶ regardless of their genealogy, and to all those who served at the Temple of Yahweh by the number of days that they actually served in the arrangement of the daily rotations.

¹⁷ It was also distributed among the Levites by the houses and families of those who were 20-years-old and older, by their arrangement of daily rotations, ¹⁸ classifications, genealogies, and by the number of sons and daughters they had, because they were entrusted with purifying the Holy Place.

¹⁹ Among the sons of Aaron (those who served as the officiating Priests from each of the cities), all the men were given assignments as Priests, as were those who were considered to be Levites.

²⁰ HezekiAh did this throughout all Judah, and everything he did was good and upright before his God Yahweh!

²¹ In all that he did – whether it was the work at the Temple of Yahweh, or having to do with the Law, or with giving instructions – he relied upon his God with his whole soul, and his ways were blest.

2 Chronicles 32

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[Editor note: By this point, the northern 10-tribe Kingdom of IsraEl had been previously destroyed by the Assyrians 10 years earlier, with its people deported to other parts of the Assyrian Empire. The details are covered in 2 Kings chapters 17 and 18.]

¹ Well, when word of this was spread, the things that were happening there came to the attention of SenNacherIb, the king of Assyria... So he marched into Judah and camped around its walled cities, as he talked about conquering them!

² Then when HezekiAh saw that SenNacherIb had arrived and that he intended to wage a war with JeruSalem, ³ he met with his councilors and generals and discussed ways to stop up the springs and streams that were outside of the city wall… And they vigorously assisted him in doing this.

⁴ So he recruited a large number of people and stopped up the waters of the springs, as well as the river that runs [in front] of the city.

For they asked:

‘Should the king of Assyria be able to find a lot of water and grow strong?’

⁵ Then HezekiAh strengthened his position by rebuilding all the walls that had been torn down and all the battle towers. In fact, he built a perimeter wall all the way around the city wall!

He also strengthened the citadel in the City of David, and he made many other preparations... ⁶ Then he declared Marshall Law, and he gathered all his military leaders in the square at the gate that leads into the valley, and he spoke to their hearts, saying:

⁷ ‘Be manly and strong!

‘Don’t allow the king of Assyria or any of those nations that are marching with him to frighten or terrify you, because there are more with us than there are with him!

⁸ ‘For while those who are with him have arms of flesh, we have our God Yahweh to save us and to fight our battles!’

Well, the words of HezekiAh the king of Judah inspired confidence in the people.

⁹ But then SenNacherIb (the king of Assyria) sent his personal servant to JeruSalem (while he was marching on [the city of] LachIsh with his entire army), who spoke to HezekiAh and to all the Judeans that were gathered in JeruSalem, saying:

¹⁰ ‘This is what SenNacherIb, the king of the Assyrians, has said:

‘What are you people relying on that you’ve all [fled] to the stronghold of JeruSalem?

¹¹ ‘Has HezekiAh deceived you into thinking that he can save you from hunger, thirst, and death by telling you that your God Yahweh will save you from the hands of the king of Assyria? ¹² For, isn’t this the same HezekiAh that tore down His altars and high places of worship, and said to Judah and to those who live in JeruSalem:

‘Now bow before this Altar, and here is where you should burn incense?’

¹³ ‘Don’t you know what my ancestors and I have done to similar peoples?

‘For none of the gods of any of the other nations on the earth have been able to save their peoples from my hands! ¹⁴ Which of any of the gods of these nations that my ancestors and I destroyed were able to rescue their people from my hands, and how can your God save you from my hands?

¹⁵ ‘Now, don’t allow HezekiAh to fool you and persuade you to do what he says… Don’t trust him! For there’s no way that any god of any nation or kingdom has been able to save his people from my hands… And there’s no way that your God will save you from my hands!’

¹⁶ Well, he just kept on speaking against Yahweh God and His servant HezekiAh.

¹⁷ [SenNacherIb] also wrote a letter to berate Yahweh, the God of IsraEl, that said concerning Him:

‘No other god of any nation on earth has rescued his people from my hands, so there’s no way that the God of HezekiAh will save his people from me!’

¹⁸ Then [the envoy] yelled in the Jewish language to the people of JeruSalem who were manning the walls, telling them to tear down the walls so that he could just take the city... ¹⁹ And he [again] spoke against the God of JeruSalem, as well as against all the gods of the rest of the peoples of the earth (those who men made with their hands).

²⁰ Well, King HezekiAh and the Prophet IsaiAh (son of Amoz) prayed about these things, calling into the heavens... ²¹ Then Yahweh sent a messenger who wiped out all the mighty warriors, all the rulers, and all the leaders in the camp of the king of Assyria, forcing [SenNacherIb] to return to his own land in shame!

And when he went to the temple of his god, those who came from his own belly overthrew him, [murdering] him with a broadsword.

²² So Yahweh saved HezekiAh and the people who were living in JeruSalem from the hands of SenNacherIb the king of Assyria (as well as all those who were with him), and He provided a period of rest throughout the land.

²³ And thereafter, many people brought gifts to Yahweh in JeruSalem, and they brought presents to HezekiAh, the king of Judah. For after that, he became highly respected by all the surrounding nations.

²⁴ However, sometime later, HezekiAh became ill to the point of dying... So he prayed to Yahweh, and God heard him and gave him a sign.

²⁵ But after that, HezekiAh failed to deal with [Yahweh] in the same way that [God] had dealt with him; for he became proud in his heart, which brought [God’s] anger upon Judah and JeruSalem.

²⁶ As a result, He started to humble the proud hearts of HezekiAh and those who lived in JeruSalem.

However, thereafter, Yahweh’s anger didn’t come again to HezekiAh throughout the rest of his days. ²⁷ So HezekiAh became very rich and famous. He filled his treasuries with silver, gold, precious gems, aromatics, weapons, and all sorts of desirable things. ²⁸ His cities had all types of produce, grain, wine, and olive oil; and his towns had stables for all sorts of animals and huge pens for the flocks [of sheep].

²⁹ Then he built cities for himself, and he came to own vast herds of sheep and oxen; for [Yahweh was blessing] all of his holdings.

³⁰ It was HezekiAh who had blocked up the upper [spring] of GiHon and rerouted it to the south of the city of David… And all of HezekiAh’s projects prospered.

³¹ Then ambassadors came to him from the rulers of Babylon to ask about the miracles that had taken place in his land; and that’s when Yahweh left [HezekiAh], as a test, to find out what was really in his heart.

³² {Look!} All of the rest of the things that HezekiAh said (and of his mercy) are written about in the prophecies of IsaiAh (son of Amoz) the Prophet, and in the scrolls of the kings of Judah and IsraEl.

³³ Then HezekiAh went to sleep with his ancestors and they buried him in the tomb that’s along the road that leads up to the tombs of the sons of David. And all the people of Judah and those living in JeruSalem showed him great honor after he died.

Thereafter, his son ManasSeh started reigning in his place.

2 Chronicles 33

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¹ ManasSeh was 12 years old when he started his reign, and he ruled from JeruSalem for 55 years.

² However, he acted wickedly before Yahweh and he started doing the same disgusting things that the nations Yahweh had destroyed before the sons of IsraEl had been doing:

• ³ He rebuilt the high places [of worship] that his father HezekiAh had torn down.

• He erected columns to the BaAls.

• He erected sacred poles, and he bowed before them and served all the armies of the heavens!

• ⁴ He even built altars inside the Temple of Yahweh, the place where Yahweh had said:

‘[I will establish] My Name in JeruSalem throughout the ages.’

• ⁵ He erected altars to all the armies of the heavens inside the Temple courtyards.

• ⁶ He even [sacrificed] his own children in the fire at GeHenna.

• He [personally] foretold the future.

• He administered potions and went to fortunetellers.

And he did many other bad things before Yahweh, so as to anger Him.

⁷ He also carved and molded images and placed them inside the very Temple of God where Yahweh had said to David and to his son Solomon:

‘I have chosen this House and JeruSalem from all the tribes of IsraEl, and I will put My Name here throughout the ages.

⁸ ‘And I will not shake the foot of IsraEl from this land that I gave to their ancestors, as long as they’re careful to do all the things that I’ve instructed them and they follow the Laws, orders, and decisions that they were given through the hands of Moses.’

⁹ So, ManasSeh misled Judah and the people of JeruSalem into acting worse than all the nations that Yahweh had removed from before the sons of IsraEl! ¹⁰ And although Yahweh spoke to ManasSeh and his people, they just wouldn’t listen... ¹¹ As a result, Yahweh led the rulers of the army of the king of the Assyrians against them, and they captured ManasSeh and put him shackles, then they led him off to Babylon!

¹² Well, it was while he was in this terrible situation that [ManasSeh] finally searched for the face of Yahweh his God, and he became very humble before the God of his ancestors... ¹³ He prayed to Him, and [God listened]. He heard his cries and returned him to JeruSalem [as king] over his kingdom; for ManasSeh had finally learned that Yahweh is The God!

¹⁴ After that, [ManasSeh] built a wall around the City of David, from GiHon in the south, along the [Cedar] Wadi, and all the way around to the Fisherman’s Gate.

He also had a huge number of weapons [made], and he assigned generals and troops to guard each of the walled cities of Judah.

¹⁵ Then he removed the foreign gods and carved images from the Temple of Yahweh, along with all the altars that he’d built on the mountain where the Temple of Yahweh was located, as well as those inside JeruSalem and outside of the city.

¹⁶ He also erected an Altar to Yahweh, where he sacrificed a salvation offering and a praise offering… And he told Judah to serve Yahweh, the God of IsraEl.

¹⁷ However, the people kept on offering sacrifices in the high places, which was something that wasn’t acceptable to their God Yahweh.

¹⁸ {Look!} The rest of the things that ManasSeh said… Of his prayer to God and of the [warnings that came from] the Seers who spoke to him in the Name of the Lord God of IsraEl, ¹⁹ and of how he prayed and God listened to him, and of all his sins and defections, and of the locations of the high places that he built, and of the sacred poles and the images that he’d erected before he returned [to God], are written about in the words of the Seers.

²⁰ Then ManasSeh went to sleep with his ancestors, and they buried him in a tomb in the garden [behind] his palace.

So his son Amon started ruling in his place.

²¹ Well, Amon was 22 years old when he started his reign, and he ruled in JeruSalem for just 2 years.

²² As his father ManasSeh had done, he started acting wickedly before Yahweh. For he worshiped and sacrificed to all the idols that his father had made, ²³ and he was never humbled before Yahweh as his father ManasSeh had been humbled.

So he then committed sins that were even worse than those of his father!

²⁴ However, his own servants attacked him and killed him in his palace... Then the people of the land attacked those who’d killed King Amon, and they appointed his son JosiAh to be king in his place.

2 Chronicles 34

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¹ JosiAh was only 8 years old when he started his reign, and he ruled in JeruSalem for 31 years.

² He did what was upright before Yahweh and he followed in the ways of his ancestor David… He didn’t deviate to the right or to the left!

³ It was in the 8th year of his reign (while he was still a boy) that he started searching for Yahweh, the God of his ancestor David... And in the 12th year of his reign, he started cleansing Judah and JeruSalem of the high places [of worship], the sacred poles, the shrines, and the molded images.

⁴ He totally destroyed the things that were there before his face… The altars and high places of the BaAls, as well as all those who were in charge of them!

He cut down the sacred poles and carved images, and he had the molded images crushed into a fine powder and the dust was thrown on the tombs of those who had sacrificed to them... ⁵ He also incinerated the bones of the priests on their own altars, and he totally cleaned up Judah and JeruSalem.

⁶ Then he did the same things throughout the cities of ManasSeh, Ephraim, SimeOn, and NaphTali, and all the places around them. ⁷ He tore down the altars and the sacred poles, and he cut the idols into fine pieces... And after beating down all the high places throughout the land of IsraEl, he returned to JeruSalem.

⁸ It was during the 18th year of his reign that he called for a cleansing of the land and of the Temple. So he sent ShaPhan (son of EseliJa), MaAsa (the city mayor), and the City Recorder JoAh (son of JoAhaz) to repair the Temple of his God Yahweh.

⁹ And thereafter, they went to the High Priest HelkiAh, and gave him the money that had been collected by the Levites at the gates, which had been donated to the Temple by those from ManasSeh, Ephraim, the governors, and all the rest of Judah, BenJamin, IsraEl, and the people of JeruSalem.

¹⁰ He in turn gave it to those who were in charge of doing the work in the Temple of Yahweh, to repair and fortify it. ¹¹ So they paid the builders and contractors that bought blocks of cut stone and wooden beams for the roof, since all of that had been destroyed by the kings of Judah.

¹² Now, the overseers that were in charge of the men who supervised the construction were Jeth and ObadiAh (Levites who were descendants of MeraRi), as well as ZachariAh and MosShaloam (descendants of KoHath).

Then all the Levites, including the musicians and singers, kept an eye on the project, ¹³ while the Levite scribes, gatekeepers, and judges watched over the laborers and their foremen.

¹⁴ Well, it was while they were delivering the money that had been collected for the Temple of Yahweh that the High Priest HelkiAh found a scroll of the Law of Yahweh that [had been written] by the very hand of Moses!

¹⁵ And HelkiAh said to ShaPhan (the scribe):

‘We’ve found the scroll of the Law in the Temple of Yahweh!’

So HelkiAh gave the scroll to ShaPhan, ¹⁶ and he carried it to the king, who started off by saying:

‘All your servants have been paid for doing their work.

¹⁷ ‘They also melted down the silver that was found in the Temple of Yahweh and used it to pay the overseers and laborers.’

¹⁸ Then the Scribe ShaPhan said this to the king:

‘This scroll was given to me by HelkiAh the Priest.’

And then he read it before the king.

¹⁹ Well when the king heard the words of the Law, he started ripping his clothes!

²⁰ Then he gave orders to HelkiAh, AchiKam (son of ShaPhan), AbDon (son of MichaiJah), ShaPhan (the scribe), and his personal servant AsaiAh, saying:

²¹ ‘Go and ask Yahweh about the things that are written in this scroll that was found, on behalf of myself and everyone who’s left in IsraEl and Judah... For Yahweh’s rage must surely be burning against us, because we’ve ignored what our ancestors told us about the words of Yahweh when they passed on the things that are written about in this scroll.’

²² So HelkiAh and the others whom the king had called went to see the Prophetess HulDah (the wife of SelLem, son of ThekoE and grandson of Aras, the one who was in charge of guarding the Commandments). She lived in JeruSalem, in the second section. And they told her everything that had happened.

²³ Then she told them:

‘This is what Yahweh the God of IsraEl has said:

‘Tell the man who sent you to me ²⁴ that Yahweh says [He is] calling down evil upon this place because of the things that are written in this scroll that was read before the king of Judah.

²⁵ ‘For they have abandoned Me and burned incense to foreign gods to make Me angry over these things that they made with their hands! So My rage is burning against this place, and it won’t be extinguished!’

²⁶ ‘And say this to the King of Judah that sent you to search for Yahweh… Tell him that Yahweh the God of IsraEl says:

²⁷ ‘Because you felt shame in your heart over the words that you heard, and because you humbled yourself before Me when you heard what I said about this place and those who live here, and because you were humbled and ripped your clothes then wept before Me... I have listened to you.’

‘And Yahweh said:

²⁸ ‘{Look!} I will count you among your ancestors and send you to your tomb in peace, so your eyes won’t see any of the bad things that I will bring upon this place and upon those who live here.’

Well thereafter, they brought the message back to the king, ²⁹ and then the king gathered all the elders of Judah and JeruSalem, ³⁰ and they went to the Temple of Yahweh, along with all the people of Judah and JeruSalem (including the Priests and Levites)… All the people from the least to the greatest.

Then he read all the words of the scroll of the Sacred Agreement that was found in the Temple of Yahweh.

³¹ The king got up on the podium and proposed a sacred agreement there before Yahweh… That they would obey His Commandments, testimonies, and orders with their entire hearts and lives, so as to observe the words of the Agreement that were written in the scroll.

³² Then he asked all those in JeruSalem, Judah, and BenJamin to ratify this agreement with the Temple of Yahweh, the God of their ancestors.

³³ Thereafter, JosiAh removed all the disgusting things from the land that the sons of IsraEl had made, and he decreed that everyone in JeruSalem and IsraEl would start serving Yahweh as their God.

And throughout the rest of his life, he didn’t turn aside from following Yahweh, the God of his ancestors.

2 Chronicles 35

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¹ It was then that JosiAh observed the Passover to his God Yahweh… He offered the Passover sacrifice on the 14th day of the 1st month.

² He also stationed the Priests at their watches and he granted them even more power to do their work at the Temple of Yahweh. ³ Then he urged the most prominent Levites in all IsraEl to dedicate themselves to serving Yahweh and to returning the Holy Chest [to its place] in the Temple… And that’s what they did. They put the Holy Chest into the Temple that was built by Solomon (son of David), the king of IsraEl.

Then the king said to them:

‘It isn’t your job to be carrying anything on your shoulders… Your job is just to serve your God Yahweh and His people IsraEl!

⁴ ‘So, prepare the houses of your families to handle your daily rotations according to the way it was written by David, the king of IsraEl, and by the hand of his son Solomon.

⁵ ‘Then take your stations in the Temple by the order of your houses and families, so you can [help] your brothers, the sons of the people. Select some from each house of the families of the Levites, ⁶ then sacrifice the Passover and prepare the holy things, so that your brothers may observe it as Yahweh had instructed through the hand of Moses.’

⁷ Well, JosiAh dedicated some 30,000 sheep, lambs, and goat kids for the Passover on behalf of the sons of the people, as well as 3,000 calves (which all belonged to the king). ⁸ Then his governors dedicated [animals] on behalf of the people and brought them to the Priests and Levites.

However, HelkiAh, ZachariAh, and JeiEl (the Chief Priests at the Temple of God) also offered 2,600 more sheep, lambs, and goat kids, plus 300 calves for the Passover.

⁹ And ConaniAh, BenaiJah, SamaiJah, his brothers NathaniEl, AsabiJah, JeiEl, and JoZabad (the heads of the Levites) dedicated 5,000 sheep and 500 calves on behalf of the Levites for the Passover.

¹⁰ So after everything was arranged, the Priests then took their stations, and the Levites handled their assignments as they had been commanded by the king. ¹¹ Then they sacrificed the Passover…

The Priests poured out the blood, and the Levites did the cutting and skinning, ¹² as they prepared the whole burnt offerings, and they delivered each one’s portions to the sons of the people by houses and families, so they could present them to Yahweh as it is written in the book of Moses.

This all lasted well into the morning.

¹³ Thereafter, following the Law, they roasted the Passover [sacrifices] over a fire, while the holy pieces were boiled in brass pots and kettles. Everything went well, and they then ran and [distributed the pieces] among the sons of the people.

¹⁴ Well after that, the Priests prepared to sacrifice whole burnt offerings on behalf of themselves, and the fat was burned for themselves and their brothers (the sons of Aaron) until that evening.

¹⁵ So the singers and musicians (the sons of Asaph) then took their stations.

And following the instructions of David, Asaph, HeMan, and JediThun (the king’s Prophet), the gatekeepers and their supervisors who manned the gates didn’t have to go up to offer their holy things, because their brothers the Levites prepared it all for them.

¹⁶ Everything was set up for the service to Yahweh in observation of the Passover on that day, and their whole burnt offerings were placed on the Altar of Yahweh, following the commands of King JosiAh.

¹⁷ Thereafter, all the sons of IsraEl who had come to observe the Passover celebrated the holiday of the fermentation-free bread for 7 days. ¹⁸ There hadn’t been another day like it in IsraEl since the time of the Prophet SamuEl, because none of the kings of IsraEl had observed the Passover [in the way that] JosiAh did!

And the Priests, Levites, all those in Judah and IsraEl, and all those who lived in JeruSalem participated.

¹⁹ This Passover was observed in the 18th year of the reign of JosiAh.

However, the oracles, fortunetellers, family gods, idols, and beloved things that had all still been commonplace throughout the land of Judah and in JeruSalem... So King JosiAh had them all collected and burned, following the Law that was written in the scroll that the High Priest HelkiAh had found in the Temple of Yahweh.

There was never anyone else like him who had turned to Yahweh so wholeheartedly (with his whole soul and strength) when it came to following the Law of Moses, nor was there anyone like him after that.

However, even this didn’t turn away Yahweh’s great anger and rage, because of the many ways in which Judah and ManasSeh had been provoking Yahweh.

For Yahweh said:

‘I will for a fact remove Judah from before My face as I removed IsraEl, and I’ll push away JeruSalem, the city that I chose, and the Temple where I said that I would put My Name.’

²⁰ Then PharaOh Necho (the king of Egypt) set out to make war against the king of Assyria at the River EuPhrates, but King JosiAh went to [intercept him and] fight against him.

²¹ Well at that, [PharaOh Necho] sent messengers to JosiAh, to ask:

‘What have I done to you, O king of Judah? I haven’t come to wage war against you today!

‘I’m fighting my battle here, because God told me to come here quickly... So be careful, for God is with me, and He can also ruin you!’

²² However, JosiAh didn’t turn back… He got ready to wage war, and he refused to listen to the words of Necho (that came from mouth of God). So, he marched into the plains of MegidDo. ²³ Then a bowman shot and hit King JosiAh, and he said to his servants:

‘Take me [home], because I’m in a lot of pain.’

²⁴ So his servants took him out of his chariot and put him in a second chariot that was nearby, and they carried him back to JeruSalem, where he died. Thereafter, he was buried in a tomb with his ancestors, and all Judah and JeruSalem mourned for him.

²⁵ [The Prophet] JeremiAh also mourned over JosiAh, and he spoke a dirge to all the governors and rulers over JosiAh, which is still spoken to this day. For he told IsraEl to say:

‘Look! It’s written in the Lamentations.’

²⁶ {Look!} The rest of the things that JosiAh said and hoped for concerning the Law of Yahweh – ²⁷ all of his words, from the start to finish – are written in the scrolls of the kings of IsraEl and Judah.

2 Chronicles 36

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¹ Then the people of the land took JehoAhaz (JosiAh’s son) and anointed him as king over JeruSalem in place of his father. ² JehoAhaz was 23 years old when he started his reign, and he reigned in JeruSalem for just three months. His mother’s name was AmiTal, and she was the daughter of JeremiAh of LoBena.

He acted as wickedly before Yahweh as his ancestors before him had done. Then PharaOh Necho had him imprisoned in DebLatha (in the land of HaMath), so he could no longer serve as his vassal in JeruSalem, ³ and thereafter he took him to Egypt.

[Necho] also demanded that [the people of IsraEl] were to pay him a tribute of 30 tons (27,000kg) of silver and 60 pounds (27.2kg) of gold.

⁴ PharaOh Necho then put JosiAh’s son EliAkim on the throne of Judah, and he changed his name to JehoiAkim.

That’s when PharaOh Necho carried his brother JehoAhaz to Egypt, where he died. Then [JehoiAkim] paid the silver and gold to the PharaOh, and a tax was imposed on the land by the word of PharaOh. Each person was required to hand over his silver and gold (as they were able) to PharaOh Necho.

⁵ Well, JehoiAkim was 25 years old when he started his reign, and he ruled from JeruSalem for 11 years. His mother’s name was ZeKora, and she was the daughter of NerYow from RamAh.

He also acted wickedly before Yahweh… Every bit as bad as did his ancestors.

It was during his reign that King NebuChadnezzar [II] of Babylon came to the land and made [JehoiAkim] his vassal for three years.

But then he rebelled against him, and Yahweh sent the Chaldeans (as well as bands of Syrian robbers, bands of Moabite robbers, the sons of AmMon, and [the people of] Samaria) against him... However, they all left after Yahweh had sent a warning to them through His servants the Prophets.

Yet, Yahweh was still in a rage against Judah because of the sins of ManasSeh and all the [bad] things that he did, and because of all the innocent blood that JehoiAkim had spilled (for he had filled JeruSalem with the blood of the innocents); so, He planned to remove Judah from before His face.

However, Yahweh didn’t want to destroy everyone.

⁶ Then King NebuChadnezzar [II] of Babylon attacked [JehoiAkim] and had him carried off to Babylon in shackles, ⁷ along with many things that he’d taken from the Temple of Yahweh, which he thereafter put into his own temple in Babylon.

⁸ {Look!} The rest of the things that JehoiAkim said and did were written in the scrolls of the words of the days of the kings of Judah.

Then JehoiAkim went to sleep with his ancestors, and he was buried in a tomb at GanOza with his ancestors… So his son JehoiAchin started reigning in his place.

⁹ JehoiAchin was 18 years old when he started his reign, and he ruled in JeruSalem for just 3 months and 10 days; for he acted wickedly in the presence of Yahweh.

¹⁰ Then towards the end of the year, King NebuChadnezzar [II] had him carried off to Babylon, along with many more valuable things from the Temple of Yahweh; and then his uncle, ZedekiAh, became king over Judah and JeruSalem.

¹¹ ZedekiAh was 21 years old when he started his reign, and he ruled in JeruSalem for 11 years. ¹² But he also acted wickedly before his God Yahweh, and when the Prophet JeremiAh brought him word from the mouth of Yahweh, he wasn’t shamed.

¹³ Thereafter, he annulled his allegiance to King NebuChadnezzar [II] (which he had sworn before God)… He just stiffened his neck and [hardened] his heart, and he refused to return to Yahweh, the God of IsraEl.

¹⁴ Well, during that time, all the most honored men of Judah, as well as the Priests and the people of the land, just got worse... They traded goodness for wickedness and the disgusting things of the nations, and they started defiling the Temple of Yahweh in JeruSalem!

¹⁵ So Yahweh the God of their ancestors sent messages through His Prophets. They got up early each morning and brought [warnings] to spare His people and His Holy Place.

¹⁶ But all [the people] did was sneer at His messengers, treat their words with contempt, and mock His Prophets to the point where Yahweh became furious with His people, since it was so [obvious] that there was no cure.

¹⁷ So He brought the king of the Chaldeans against them, and their young men were slaughtered with broadswords... They didn’t spare His Holy Place, or ZedekiAh, nor did they show any mercy to the virgins.

All the elders were captured and carried away, ¹⁸ and everything in the Temple of God (both large and small) – all its treasures, as well as all the treasures of the king and everyone of importance – was carried off to Babylon.

¹⁹ Then he burned the Temple of Yahweh, tore down the walls of JeruSalem, torched its palaces, and wiped away everything that was of any beauty!

²⁰ And after that, he carried off everyone who was left to [Empire of] Babylon, where they served as slaves for him and his sons… Until the Medes came along. ²¹ This was in order to fulfill Yahweh’s words through JeremiAh , until the land had enjoyed its Sabbath rest and Sabbath-keeping all the years of its desolation, until the 70 years were complete. [Jeremiah 25:11-12]

²² It was in the 1st year of Cyrus, the king of Persia, after the fulfillment of the words of Yahweh through the mouth of JeremiAh, that Yahweh awakened the spirit of Cyrus and commanded him to send a written proclamation throughout his kingdom, that said:

²³ ‘Cyrus the king of Persia says:

‘All the kingdoms of the earth have been given to me by Yahweh, the God of heaven, and He told me to build a Temple to Him in JeruSalem in Judah.

‘So, who of you are His people?

‘His God Yahweh is now with him, so let him [return to JeruSalem]!’

Ezra

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Ezra is an historical account of the return of the Jews to JeruSalem after Babylon was defeated by the Persians.

It covers the period from the 1st year of the reign of King Cyrus of Persia over Babylon, to the reestablishment and cleansing of the Priesthood.

It was written by the Jewish Scribe and Priest Ezra.

One of two versions

This version of Ezra is not the version preferred by the Early Christians.

There were originally two versions of Ezra: Alpha and Beta. Today, most Bible translations use the Beta version, and that’s the version accepted by most Christian and Jewish denominations.

The Alpha version (also known as 1 Esdras) is longer and contains extra information. The early (Greek-speaking) Christians seemed to prefer this version, since they quoted from it far more than the Beta version.

Since the Beta version is almost exactly like the Hebrew version accepted by the Jews, the Catholic Church rejected the Alpha version (through Jerome). However, should we go along with their decision?

Well, the extra material in the Alpha text uses a literary device called an ‘inclusio,’ where the narration forms a certain pattern. The Beta version, however, only includes part of the material, which rips the heart out of the inclusio pattern, ruining it. This is compelling evidence for the the Alpha text being the original, with the Beta text being a later work copied from it.

Why, though, would anyone create a second, shorter Ezra? Well, a few parts in the missing material stand out as being difficult for Rabbinical thought of the time, such as it calling women powerful and wise.

However, it also says that truth from God is supreme – not the teachings of Rabbis. In the 1st century, Rabbinical teachings were supposed to override Biblical ones. They did not believe that God is the source of truth, but that they were.

Further, these words about truth were regarded by early Christians as a Messianic prophecy, since Yeshua also talked about truth. So it’s easy to see why the Rabbinical schools may have wished to produce a shorter version of Ezra – even if it meant destroying the inclusio pattern.

Unfortunately, when we first began this translation, we didn’t understand these issues with Ezra, so we’ve only translated the Beta text.

In the future, we’ll also translate the Alpha text. In the meantime, you can read it at the NETS project.

Ezra 1

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¹ In the 1st year of King Cyrus of Persia, the Word of Yahweh came through the mouth of [the Prophet] JeremiAh to awaken the spirit of King Cyrus.

² So, [Cyrus] sent a written proclamation throughout his kingdom that said:

‘This is what Cyrus the king of Persia has decreed:

‘All the kingdoms of the earth have been given to me by Yahweh, the God of the heavens, and He told me to build a Temple to Him in JeruSalem of Judah. ³ So, who of you are His people? His God Yahweh is now with him!

‘Therefore, let him [return to JeruSalem] and build a Temple for the God of IsraEl who is The God in JeruSalem.

⁴ ‘Therefore, all the Judeans should leave the places where they’ve been staying and take up a collection of silver and gold, as well as of things from among their belongings and their cattle, [to rebuild] the Temple of God in JeruSalem.’

⁵ And thereafter, the family heads of Judah and BenJamin, as well as the Priests and Levites – everyone whose spirit God had awakened to go and build a Temple of Yahweh in JeruSalem – got up and left, ⁶ [carrying along] silver, gold, cattle, and gifts, in addition to their own offerings and personal belongings.

⁷ King Cyrus also brought out the things [that had been taken] from the Temple of Yahweh, which NebuChadNezzar had removed from JeruSalem and put into the temple of his god, ⁸ and [Cyrus] sent them by the hand of his Royal Treasurer MithraDates, who counted everything and gave it all to SasaBasar, the [man who’d been appointed as] the ruler of Judah.

⁹ This is what he sent:

• 30 wine-chillers of gold

• 30 wine-chillers of silver

• 29 sacrificial knives

• 30 gold washbasins

• 410 double-silver items

• 1,000 other items, plus 5,400 smaller things of silver and gold.

SasaBasar had it all carried from Babylon to JeruSalem during the resettlement.

Ezra 2

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¹ These are the ones who returned from Babylon to resettle Judah and JeruSalem [whose families] had been relocated by NebuChadNezzar (the king of Babylon)… Each person returned to his own city.

² Those who returned with ZerubBabel were:

• JoShua,

• NehemiAh,

• SeraiJah,

• ReElaiJah,

• MardecAi,

• BilShan,

• MizPar,

• BigVai,

• Rehum, and

• BaAna.

In numbers, the people of IsraEl included:

³ • 2,172 from ParOsh;

⁴ • 372 from ShephatiJah;

⁵ • 775 from Arah;

⁶ • 2,812 from Pahath MoAb (descendants of JoShua and JoAb);

⁷ • 1,254 from ElAm;

⁸ • 945 from ZatTu;

⁹ • 760 from ZacKai;

¹⁰ • 642 from Bani;

¹¹ • 623 from BaeAi;

¹² • 1,220 from AzGad;

¹³ • 666 from AdoniKam;

¹⁴ • 2,056 from BigVai;

¹⁵ • 454 from Adin;

¹⁶ • 98 from Ater (descendants of HezekiAh);

¹⁷ • 323 from BezAi;

¹⁸ • 112 from JoRah;

¹⁹ • 223 from Hashum;

²⁰ • 95 from GibBar;

²¹ • 123 from BethLehem;

²² • 56 from NetoPhah;

²³ • 128 from AnathOth;

²⁴ • 43 from AzMaveth;

²⁵ • 743 from KiriAth JaiRim, ChaPhira, and BeerOth;

²⁶ • 621 from Rama and GabaA;

²⁷ • 122 men of MichMash;

²⁸ • 223 men of BethEl;

²⁹ • 52 from Nebo;

³⁰ • 156 from MagBish;

³¹ • 1,254 from ElAm;

³² • 320 from Harim;

³³ • 725 from Lod, Hadid, and Ono;

³⁴ • 345 from JeriCho;

³⁵ • 3,630 from SenaAh;

³⁶ • 973 Priests of the house of JoShua from JedaiJah;

³⁷ • 1,052 from ImMer;

³⁸ • 1,247 from PashUr;

³⁹ • 1,007 from Harim.

⁴⁰ There were also the following:

• 74 Levites who were descendants of JoShua and KadmiEl from HoDaviJah;

• ⁴¹ 128 singers from the family of Asaph;

• ⁴² 139 gatekeepers from ShalLum, Ater, TelMon, AkKub, HatiTa, and ShobAi.

• ⁴³ The Nethinim from SiHa, HaSupha, TabaOth, ⁴⁴ Keros, SiaHa, Padon, ⁴⁵ LebanAh, HagAbah, AkKub, ⁴⁶ HagAb, ShalmAi, Hanan, ⁴⁷ GidDel, Gahar, ReaJah and ⁴⁸ Rezin, and

• 12 from NekoDa and GazZam.

⁴⁹ As well as [ones] from:

• UzZa,

• PaseAh,

• BesAi,

• ⁵⁰ AsNah,

• Mehunim,

• Nephousim,

• ⁵¹ BakBuk,

• HakUpha,

• HarHur,

• ⁵² BazLuth,

• MehiDa,

• HarSha,

• ⁵³ Barkos,

• SiSera,

• ThamAh,

• ⁵⁴ NeziJah,

• HatiPha, and

• ⁵⁵ Descendants of the servants of Solomon from SotAi.

From SopherEth there were:

• Peruda ⁵⁶ of JaAlah,

• DarKon,

• GidDel,

• ⁵⁷ ShephatiJah,

• HatTil,

• PocherEth,

• Zebaim, and

• Ami.

⁵⁸ Altogether, there were 392 Nethinim and descendants of the servants of Solomon.

⁵⁹ Those who came from TelMelah, TelHarsa, Cherub, AdDan, and ImMer were unable to report on their houses and children, because [it was questionable] whether they were actually IsraElites.

⁶⁰ In addition, there were 652 from TobiJah and NekoDa.

⁶¹ Although the records of the priests from HabaiJah, Koz, and BarZilLai who married women from BarZilLai (in GileAd) had once existed, ⁶² they couldn’t be found when they went looking for their genealogy, so they were suspended from the priesthood.

⁶³ AtherSastha told them this:

‘You may not eat from the Holy of Holies until a Priest returns [with] the Lights and Perfections [possibly meaning the Urim and Thumim, or the Revelation and Truth] to [tell us what we should do].

⁶⁴ Altogether, there were 42,360 who returned, ⁶⁵ plus 7,337 male and female servants and 200 male and female singers.

⁶⁶ They brought back:

• 736 horses,

• 245 mules,

• ⁶⁷ 435 camels, and

• 6,720 burros.

⁶⁸ The family heads who went to the Temple of Yahweh in JeruSalem who were willing and able to contribute to its reconstruction, ⁶⁹ contributed 61,000 gold coins and 5,000 silver coins, plus 100 outfits for the Priests, which was all then put into the treasury.

⁷⁰ However, the Priests, Levites, [dedicated] people, singers, gatekeepers, and Nethinim went and lived in their own cities, as did all the rest of IsraEl.

Ezra 3

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¹ Well, by the 7th month, all the sons of IsraEl had returned and were settled in their cities.

And thereafter, all the people gathered in JeruSalem as one man, ² and JoShua (son of JoZadak), his brothers the Priests, and ZerubBabel (son of ShealtiEl) and his brothers all got up and built an Altar to the God of IsraEl upon which they could offer whole burnt offerings, as it was written in the Law of Moses, the man of God.

³ They prepared the Altar in a [hidden] place, because they were afraid of the people in the land... However, they kept bringing the whole burnt offerings to Yahweh from morning until evening.

⁴ Thereafter, they celebrated the Festival of Temporary Dwellings, following the written instructions, and they offered whole burnt offerings each day for the number of days that they understood were required.

⁵ And from then on, they continued to sacrifice whole burnt offerings on the New Moons and on all the holy celebrations of Yahweh, in addition to the free-will offerings that they brought to the Lord.

⁶ It was on the 1st day of the 7th month that they started sacrificing the whole burnt offerings to Yahweh, but the foundation for His Temple hadn’t been laid yet.

⁷ So, they then hired quarry workers and laborers, and they offered food, drink, and olive oil to the Sidonians and the people of Tyre to get them to transport cedar boards from Lebanon across the sea to JopPa, as it had been decreed by Cyrus, the king of Persia.

⁸ Then when they assembled at the Temple of Yahweh God in JeruSalem, which was in the 2nd year and the 2nd month, ZerubBabel (son of ShealtiEl), JoShua (son of JoZadek), and the rest of their brothers among the Priests and Levites (as well as everyone else who had left captivity and returned to JeruSalem) assigned all the Levites who were 20-years and older to ensure the success of the ones who were doing the work on the Temple of Yahweh.

⁹ So, JoShua and his sons, as well as his brother KadmiEl and his sons (who were all Judeans) were put in charge over those who were doing the work at the Temple of God, along with the sons of HenAdad and their brothers the Levites.

¹⁰ Well, when they started laying the foundation for the Temple of Yahweh, the Priests donned their robes and got their trumpets, and the Levites (the descendants of Asaph) picked up their cymbals to praise Yahweh with [the songs] of David, the king of IsraEl.

¹¹ Then, before Yahweh, they praised and acknowledged that He’s good and that His mercy would remain upon IsraEl throughout the ages.

Meanwhile, all the people were shouting and praising Yahweh together as the groundwork for the Temple of Yahweh was being prepared.

¹² There was so much noise, because many of the Priests, Levites, family heads, and elders that were standing there watching the groundwork for the preparation of the Temple started weeping, while many others were shouting in joy (which made the sounds even louder).

¹³ So, it soon became difficult to distinguish the difference between the sounds of people shouting in joy and the sounds of the weeping... For the sounds of the cheering and weeping could be heard for [miles]!

Ezra 4

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¹ Well, when the people who opposed Judah and BenJamin heard that those who had returned were building a Temple to Yahweh the God of IsraEl, ² they approached ZerubBabel and the family heads and said to them:

‘You should allow us to build the Temple with you, so we can also ask [for things] from your God...

‘For we’ve been offering sacrifices to Him since the time of EsarHaddon the king of Assyria, who brought us here.’

³ But ZerubBabel, JoShua, and the rest of the family heads of IsraEl replied:

‘It isn’t up to us to decide whether you can help us to build a Temple to Yahweh the God of IsraEl, for we were told to do this by Cyrus, the king of Persia.’

⁴ But thereafter, the people of the land did whatever they could to weaken the people of Judah and to impede the construction project. ⁵ They even hired advisors to strongly oppose their plans during all the days of King Cyrus of Persia, right up until the kingdom of Darius of Persia.

⁶ Then, at the beginning of the reign of AhaSuerus, they wrote a letter against the people who were living in Judah and JeruSalem. ⁷ And in the days of ArthaSastha, MithraDates, TabeEl, and his fellow servants wrote to ArthaSastha (the king of Persia) about them.

And because they wrote it in Syrian, [the king’s] tax collector had to translate it for him.

⁸ It was Lord Rehum that wrote the letter against JeruSalem to King ArthaSastha through his scribe ShimShai, which said:

⁹ ‘This is what our lord, Judge Rehum, as well as the scribe ShimShai, the rest of our fellow servants, the Dinaites, ApharSathchites, Tarpelites, Apharsites, Archevites, Babylonians, Sousanchites, Dehavites, Elamites, ¹⁰ and all the other nations that were resettled in the cities of Samaria and across the river by the great and esteemed Asnapper [AshurBanipal] have to say’…

¹¹ This is what they wrote to King ArthaSastha:

‘From your servants on the other side of the river;

¹² ‘We wish to inform the king that the Judeans whom you sent among us have come to JeruSalem (an apostate and wicked city), where they’ve raised a foundation and they’re getting ready to rebuild its walls.

¹³ ‘So, we want the king to know that if the city should be rebuilt and its walls re-erected, they’ll stop paying their tolls and taxes, and they’ll treat the king wickedly!

¹⁴ ‘It’s because we don’t wish to see such indecent treatment of the king that we’re sending [this letter], and we want to let the king know what’s really happening.

¹⁵ ‘If you’ll examine the records of your ancestors, you’ll see that [JeruSalem] is an apostate city that treats their kings badly, and that they’ve been escaping and rebelling throughout the ages…

‘This is why their city was destroyed!

¹⁶ ‘Therefore, we’re informing the king that the city should not be rebuilt and that they should not be preparing its walls.

¹⁷ ‘From us on the other side of the river, to the king.

‘From Lord Rehum, ShimShai the scribe, and from the rest of their fellow servants that live in Samaria and across the river.

‘We wish you Peace.’

¹⁸ [Then the king replied]:

‘I just called the tax collector before me whom you sent, ¹⁹ and as a result, I’ve issued a decree.

‘For after examining [the records], this is what I found:

‘That city has for a fact rebelled against the kings throughout the ages, and all sorts of uprisings and defections have happened there... ²⁰ For they once had [their own] mighty kings who ruled from JeruSalem all the way to the other side of the river, and that used to collect their own taxes and tolls.

²¹ ‘So now, [I have] passed a decree that those men should stop their work and that their city must never be rebuilt again!

²² ‘I appreciate the ways that you’ve followed my decrees, and for your concern that the power of the king may never be lost to evil deeds.’

²³ [Then upon his return], King ArthaSastha’s tax collector read [the letter] in the presence of Lord Rehum and the scribe ShimShai and their fellow servants, and they quickly traveled to JeruSalem [and throughout] Judah with their army and cavalry to force them to stop doing their work.

²⁴ As a result, construction on the Temple of God in JeruSalem came to a halt, and it remained on hold until the 2nd year of the reign of Darius, the king of Persia.

Ezra 5

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¹ It was then that the Prophets HagGai and ZechariAh (son of IdDo) [each] spoke prophecies about the Jews in Judah and JeruSalem in the Name of the God of IsraEl.

² So, ZerubBabel (son of ShealtiEl) and JoShua (son of JoZadek) got up and started rebuilding the Temple of God in JeruSalem once again, along with the Prophets of God who came to help them.

³ Then TatNai (the vassal king on the other side of the river) and ShetharBozNai and their fellow servants came to them and asked:

‘By whose decree are you rebuilding this Temple?

‘Where did you get the money? ⁴ And what are the names of the men who have started rebuilding this city?’

⁵ Well, the eyes of God had been watching over the captivity of Judah and He didn’t make them stop working on the Temple during the time that a report was being carried to Darius by his tax collector, and while they were thereafter awaiting his reply.

⁶ This is what the letter that was sent to King Darius by TatNai (the vassal king from the other side of the river), ShetharBozNai, and their fellow servants (who were ApharSachaeans that lived on the other side of the river) said:

⁷ ‘To Darius the king,

‘May you have peace in everything.

⁸ ‘Let it be known to the king that we went into Judea to the Temple of the great God, and found it being rebuilt with the best of stone and with timbers being inserted into the walls. We also found that the workmanship was well done and proceeding very well under them.

⁹ ‘So, we asked the elders there by whose decree this Temple was being rebuilt, who was providing the money for the construction, ¹⁰ and what their names were, so we could send [this information] to you.

¹¹ ‘And this was their reply:

‘We are servants of the God of the lands and the skies, and we’re rebuilding the Temple that was built here many years ago by a great king of IsraEl, who prepared it for [His people].

¹² ‘But when our ancestors made the God of of the heavens angry, He handed them over to NebuChadNezzar, the Chaldean king of Babylon.

‘So, this Temple was allowed to rest and the people were resettled in Babylon.

¹³ ‘However, in the 1st year of Cyrus (the king [that conquered] the Babylonians), he issued a decree to rebuild this Temple of God, ¹⁴ and to return the items of gold and silver to the Temple of God which NebuChadNezzar had taken from the Temple in JeruSalem and carried to his own temple in Babylon.

¹⁵ ‘Then King Cyrus had these things taken from the temple in Babylon and he gave them to SheshBazzar (his royal treasurer), telling him to go and return it all to the Temple of God in JeruSalem, so that it could be rebuilt in the place where it once stood.

¹⁶ ‘So, SheshBazzar went to JeruSalem and laid the Temple foundation… Which has been under construction since that time, but it hasn’t been finished yet.’

¹⁷ ‘Now, if the king approves... Please send someone to the treasury in the king’s temple in Babylon to see if King Cyrus really did issue such a decree to rebuild the Temple of God in JeruSalem.

‘And when the king finds out, may he send a reply to us.’

Ezra 6

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¹ Well, after examining the library at the treasury in Babylon, King Darius thereafter issued a decree. ² For in the city of AchMetha, in the palace of the Medes, he found a scroll with a record that was written in the 1st year of King Cyrus, where he rendered a decree concerning the Temple of God in JeruSalem.

³ It said:

‘Allow a Temple to be built where they’ll offer sacrifices!

‘Let them set in place the foundations.

‘[The building] must be 100 feet (30.5m) high and 100 feet (30.5) wide.

⁴ ‘It should be made with three layers of durable stones and a layer of durable timbers.

‘It’s decreed that the expense [of this construction] will be paid for by the palace of the king. Also, the items of gold and silver that were confiscated from the Temple of God by NebuChadNezzar should be removed from his temple and returned to the one in JeruSalem… It should be taken from Babylon and transported to the Holy Place in JeruSalem, the Temple of God.’

⁶ So [the king] told King TatNai, ShetharBozNai, and his fellow servants (the ApharSachites from the other side of the river) to leave that place and to allow the work on the Temple of God [to be completed]… ⁷ [not to bother] the elders and those who were directing the work of the Judeans, so they could rebuild [the Temple] where it once was.

⁸ [He said]:

‘My decree through the elders of those Judeans is for them to build the Temple of God using tax money from the [vassal] kings on the other side of the river. The expenses must be carefully calculated and then paid to those men, so the work doesn’t stop.

⁹ ‘Also, where they’re lacking enough male calves, rams, and lambs for their whole burnt offerings to the God of heaven, or wheat, salt, wine, or olive oil… Whatever the Priests in JeruSalem need, must be given to them each day.

‘There must be no arguing... Whatever they ask for ¹⁰ should be provided, so a pleasant aroma may be offered to the God of heaven, and so that prayers may be offered on behalf of the king and his sons.

¹¹ ‘This decree has come from me, and any man who challenges what I’ve said will have his house demolished and its boards placed upright! Thereafter, he will be impaled on top of them, and everything in his house will be looted.

¹² ‘May the God who camps and puts His Name there wipe out any people and their kings who raise a hand against, or change, or hide the Temple of God in JeruSalem.

‘For I, Darius, have rendered this decree after thoughtful consideration…

‘May it be so!’

¹³ Then TatNai (the vassal king) from the other side of the river (as well as ShetharBozNai and his fellow servants) did exactly as they were told, because of what King Darius had decreed.

¹⁴ So, the Judean elders kept on building… And they were blest, just as the Prophets HagGai and ZechariAh (son of IdDo) foretold. They got everything ready and did the rebuilding, following the instructions of the God of IsraEl by the decrees of Cyrus, Darius, and ArthaSastha, the kings of the Persians.

¹⁵ Well, the Temple was completed by the 3rd day of the month of Adar in the 6th year of the reign of King Darius.

¹⁶ So, the sons of IsraEl, the Priests, the Levites, and all the rest that had returned in the resettlement joyfully declared a holiday of rededication of the Temple of God.

¹⁷ And this is what they offered for the rededication:

• 100 calves,

• 100 rams,

• 200 lambs, and

• 400 winter-yearling goats as sin offerings for all IsraEl.

And they repeated this 12 times (for the number of the tribes of IsraEl).

¹⁸ They also reestablished the divisions of the Priests and they distributed the duties at the Temple of God in JeruSalem among the Levites, just as it was written in the book of Moses.

¹⁹ Thereafter, those who had returned went on to observe the Passover on the 14th day of the 1st month. ²⁰ For by then, all the Priests had been purified and all the Levites were clean.

So they slaughtered the Passover for those who had returned and for their brothers the Priests. ²¹ Then, all the sons of IsraEl (those who had returned and separated themselves from the uncleanness of the gentiles so they could ask for things from Yahweh the God of IsraEl) ate the Passover, ²² and they joyfully observed the holiday of Fermentation-free Bread for seven days, because Yahweh had filled them with joy.

Thereafter, even the king of Assyria assisted them by providing [workers] for the Temple of the God of IsraEl.

Ezra 7

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¹ It was during the reign of ArthaSastha the king of Persia, that Ezra returned from Babylon.

[Ezra was:]

• The son of SeraiYah,

• The son of AzariJah,

• The son of HilkiJah,

• ² The son of ShalLum,

• The son of ZaDok,

• The son of AhiTob,

• ³ The son of AmariJah,

• The son of AzariJah,

• The son of MeraiOth,

• ⁴ The son of ZerahiJah,

• The son of UzZi,

• The son of BukKi,

• ⁵ The son of AbiShua,

• The son of PhneHas,

• The son EliEzer,

• The son of Aaron, The first Priest.

⁶ He was a scribe who was well-versed in the Law that Yahweh the God of IsraEl had given to Moses. And because the hand of his God Yahweh was with him, the king gave him everything that he requested.

⁷ Then the sons of IsraEl, the Priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, ⁸ and the Nethinim returned to JeruSalem in the 5th month of the 7th year of the reign of King ArthaSastha.

⁹ It was on the 1st day of the 1st month that he arranged for their return from Babylon, and it was on the 1st day of the 5th month that [Ezra] came to JeruSalem, because the good hand of his God was upon him.

¹⁰ Now, Ezra had prepared his heart to search the Law of Yahweh and then to practice and teach all its regulations and decisions to IsraEl.

¹¹ King ArthaSastha also gave a copy of the following edict to the Priest Ezra (who was the scribe of the scroll of the words of the Commandments of Yahweh), which contained his orders concerning IsraEl.

[The decree said]:

¹² ‘ArthaSastha (the king of kings) to the Priest Ezra, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven:

¹³ ‘May my reply to this matter now be initiated, for I’ve sent a decree that tells all those in my kingdom among the people of IsraEl, including their Priests and Levites who wish to return to JeruSalem with you, that they may go there.

¹⁴ ‘And here, before the king and his 7 advisors, I’m sending you to oversee Judah and JeruSalem according to the Law of your God! ¹⁵ You are to carry all the silver and gold to the Temple of Yahweh that the king and his counselors are willing to donate to the God of IsraEl who camps in JeruSalem, ¹⁶ as well as all the silver and gold that you can find in Babylon, as an offering.

‘This is in addition to whatever your people may wish to offer to the Temple of your God in JeruSalem.

¹⁷ ‘Now, for everyone who’s willing to go, you must (by this edict) arrange for them to bring along calves, rams, lambs, sacrifices, and drink offerings for presentation at the Altar of your God in JeruSalem.

¹⁸ ‘Also, carry along anything that you and your brothers see that you [will need], in addition to the silver and gold.

‘Do whatever pleases your God!

¹⁹ ‘Carry with you the items that were given to you for the services at the Temple of God, and present them before your God in JeruSalem. ²⁰ Also, carry along anything else that you see will be needed for your God from the treasury in the king’s palace.

²¹ ‘I, King ArthaSastha, have also sent a decree regarding the treasuries that are on the other side of the river, that whatever Ezra the Priest and scribe of the Law of the God of heaven asks of [those people] must be readily obeyed.

²² ‘They must give you:

• 3 tons (2,700kg) of silver,

• 600 bushels of wheat,

• 600 gallons (2,200l) of wine,

• 600 gallons (2,200l) of olive oil, and

• salt (no amount was specified).

²³ ‘They must supply whatever the God of heaven has decreed for the Temple of the God of heaven!

‘They must be very careful to do this, for any attempt against the Temple of the God of heaven at any time will bring [my] rage upon the king of that kingdom and upon his sons.

²⁴ ‘And let it be made known that in regard to all the Priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, Nethinim, and officials at the Temple of God... No one is authorized to impose any sort of tax or toll upon them!

²⁵ ‘As for you, O Ezra:

‘Use the wisdom of God that’s been placed in your hands to appoint scribes, as well as judges who know the Laws of your God, so as to judge all the people on the other side of the river and to teach them to anyone who doesn’t already know them!

²⁶ ‘Then you must decide whether any person who doesn’t diligently obey the Laws of God and the laws of the king must be killed, exiled, taught, fined, or locked in prison.’

²⁷ O praise Yahweh the God of our ancestors who put it into the heart of the king to glorify the Temple of Yahweh in JeruSalem this great way, ²⁸ and for causing the eyes of the king, his advisors, and his leading men to look so mercifully upon me!

[And praise] the good hand of my God Yahweh that has strengthened me, so that I could gather all the leaders of IsraEl and bring them back with me!

Ezra 8

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¹ Now, these are the heads of families and the genealogies of those who came with me from the kingdom of ArthaSastha, the king of Babylon:

² From the descendants of PhiNehas there was:

GerSom.

From the descendants of IthaMar there was:

DaniEl.

From the descendants of David there was:

HatTush.

³ From the descendants of ShechaniJah and the sons of PharOsh there was:

ZechariAh, and with him were 150 that could trace their genealogies.

⁴ From the descendants of PahathMoab there was:

EliHoEnai (son of ZereHijah) and 200 males with him.

⁵ From the descendants of ShechaniJah there was:

AziEl and 300 males that came with him.

⁶ From the descendants of Adin there was:

Ebed (son of JoNathan) and 50 males that came with him;

⁷ From the descendants of ElAm there was:

IsaiJah (son of AthaliAh) and 70 males that came with him;

⁸ From the descendants of ShephatiJah there was:

ZebadiJah (son of MichaEl) and 80 males that came with him;

⁹ From the descendants of JoAb there was:

ObadiJah (son of JehiEl) and 218 males that came with him;

¹⁰ From the descendants of ShelomIth there was:

JoSephiJah and 160 males that came with him;

¹¹ From the descendants of BebAi there was:

ZechariAh (son of BebAi) and 28 males that came with him;

¹² From the descendants of AzGad there was:

JoHanan (son of HacKatan) and 110 males that came with him;

¹³ From the descendants of AdoniKam (the latter) there was:

EliPhelet, JeiEl, and ShemaiJah, and 60 males that came with them;

¹⁴ From the descendants of BigVai there was:

UthAi and ZaboUd, and 70 males that came with them.

¹⁵ I gathered them by the river that flows past Evi, where we camped for three days.

But then I noticed that there were no Priests or Levites to be found among the people, ¹⁶ so I sent [a message] to:

• EliEzer,

• AriEl,

• ShemaiJah,

• ElNathan,

• JaRib ElNatham,

• Nathan,

• ZechariAh, and

• MeshulLam (who were their leaders)

...as well as to JoiArib and ElNathan (their supervisors), ¹⁷ and told them to go see IdDo, the ruler of the area of CasiPhiJa.

I told them to tell IdDo and their brothers the Nethinim (who were the treasurers of CasiPhiJa) to send us officials and singers for the Temple of our God... ¹⁸ And because the hand of our God was good to us, a very wise man from among the sons of MahLi (a descendant of Levi, son of IsraEl) was sent to us, along with SherEbiJah and his sons and family (18 people).

¹⁹ Also, HashAbiJah and JeShaiJah from the family line of MeraRi and their families and sons (some 20 people) came with them. ²⁰ And from the Nethinim whom David had appointed to be in charge of the services for the Levites, there were 220 more that were all [chosen by] name.

²¹ Then I called for a fast there at the Ahava River to humble ourselves before our God and to ask Him to straighten the way for ourselves, our children, and our possessions, ²² because I was ashamed to ask the king for troops and cavalry to protect us from our enemies along the way, since I’d told the king that the hand of our God would be with all those who search for good things from Him, and that His might and rage would come upon all those who abandon Him.

²³ So, we fasted and [put our trust] in our God about this matter, and He listened to us.

²⁴ Then I selected 12 of the leaders from among the Priests and 10 from among the brothers of SherEbiJah and HashAbiJa, ²⁵ and I assigned them [to watch over] the silver, gold, and the items of the first-fruits that were dedicated to the Temple of our God by the king, his counselors, his governors, and by all the people of IsraEl.

²⁶ I handed over to their charge:

• Some 25 tons (22,700kg) of silver,

• 4 tons (3,600kg) of items made of silver,

• 3 tons (2,700kg) of gold, and

• ²⁷ 1,000 gold bowls weighing 20 pounds (9kg) each,

• Plus many items of shiny high-quality brass that was as good as gold.

²⁸ And I said to them:

‘Now, you are holy to Yahweh God, and these items of silver and gold are also holy, for they’re voluntary offerings to Yahweh the God of our ancestors.

²⁹ ‘So, stay alert and watch over these things until we can hand them over to the Chief Priests, the Levites, and the heads of the families in JeruSalem for the place of worship in the Temple of Yahweh!’

³⁰ Therefore, the Priests and Levites weighed all the silver, gold, and other items before they were to carry them to JeruSalem and to the Temple of our God.

³¹ Then we got up and left the Ahava River on the 12th day of the 1st month, as we started our journey towards JeruSalem, and the hand of our God was upon us, for He protected us from our enemies and everyone else along the way.

³² Well, when we finally arrived in JeruSalem, we [rested up] for three days... ³³ Then on the 4th day, we took all the silver, gold, and other items for the Temple of our God, and handed it over to:

• MeremOth (son of UriJah) the High Priest,

• EliEzer (son of PhiNehas),

• JoZabad (son of JoShua), and

• NoAdiJah (son of BinNai the Levite).

³⁴ [And these men] weighed and recorded everything once again.

³⁵ Then all those who had traveled with us in our return from captivity brought whole burnt offerings to the God of IsraEl, which consisted of:

• 12 calves (one for each of the tribes of IsraEl),

• 96 rams,

• 77 lambs, and

• 12 winter-yearling goats for the sin offering.

It was all to be sacrificed as whole burnt offerings to Yahweh.

³⁶ And thereafter (following the mandate that was given by the king and his administrators), the vassal kings on the other side of the river [provided the rest of the things that] the people needed for the Temple of God.

Ezra 9

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¹ Well after that, the leaders came to me and pointed out that we hadn’t yet separated the people of IsraEl (or even the Priests and Levites) from the peoples of the land and the disgusting things of the CanaAnites, Hittites, Pherezites, Jebusites, AmMonites, MoAbites, Moserites, and Amorites.

² For [many] had taken these people’s daughters [as wives] for themselves and for their sons! So, the offspring of what is holy had become mixed with the peoples of the land… And even the governors and generals had become involved in this breach-of-contract.

³ Well when I heard about this, I ripped my clothes and underwear, and I was so furious that I ripped hair from my head and beard!

Then I had to sit down to calm myself.

⁴ And all those who had gathered around me started trembling because of what the God of IsraEl had said about a breach-of-contract in the resettlement [of our people].

So I just sat there calming myself until [it came time for] the evening sacrifice... ⁵ Then I got up and I felt ashamed over ripping my clothes and underwear.

So, I fell to my knees and spread my arms towards my God Yahweh, ⁶ and I said:

‘Lord, I’m so ashamed… I’m too ashamed to stand up and face You, O my God, because we’re in over our heads with lawbreaking, and our errors are so bad that they’ve reached into the heavens!

⁷ ‘For from the time of our ancestors down to this day, we’ve been guilty of great sins. And it’s because of our lawbreaking that our kings, our Priests, and [our people] were handed over to the kings of the nations to be killed with swords and carried off into captivity…

‘Yes we were seized, and our faces have been shamed to this day.

⁸ ‘Now, O Yahweh our God,

‘You’ve been patient with us and You’ve allowed us to return [to our land] so that we could be taught to rely on Your Holy Place, to open our eyes, and to put a little life into our service [to You].

⁹ ‘And because we’re Your servants and we haven’t abandoned our service to our God, the kings of Persia have been merciful to us and given life to us, so that we could return to our deserted [homes] and rebuild the Temple of our God, and to fence Judah and JeruSalem off [from the surrounding nations].

¹⁰ ‘So, what can we say to our God after this?

‘For we’ve abandoned the Commandments ¹¹ that You gave to us through the hands of Your servants the Prophets when You said:

‘The land that you’re returning to as its heirs is a land in motion... For the people who once inhabited that land have been removed from it because of the disgusting things and the filth that spilled from their mouths.

¹² ‘Therefore, you must not give your daughters to them or take their daughters for your sons… Nor should you expect peace with them throughout the ages!

‘So now, to grow stronger, you must eat the good [produce] from this land, which you’ll share with your sons throughout the ages!’

¹³ ‘Then after all of these things that happened to us because of our own wickedness and great errors, and after You (our God) [forgave] us for our lawless actions and delivered us, ¹⁴ we still turned around and disregarded Your commandments by creating alliances with the people of these lands through marriages.

‘But, please don’t become angry with us and destroy us, so that none of us remain!

¹⁵ ‘O Yahweh, the God of IsraEl,

‘You are righteous, for you’ve preserved us down to this day.

‘And look:

‘Here we stand before You in our errors… And we know that no one can stand before You in such a condition.’

Ezra 10

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¹ Then Ezra prayed, confessed, and cried as he fell [to his face] before the Temple of The God, along with a vast gathering of men, women, and young people from IsraEl that joined him, weeping bitterly.

² Then one of them (ShechaniJah, son of JehiEl, a descendant of ElAm) said to Ezra:

‘We’ have broken our contract with our God by [taking] women from among the people of this land... So because of this, there’s no hope of IsraEl ever having a contract with our God!

³ ‘But, what if we agree (before our God) to lead away all the women and all those who were born to us, so that we can then start following the counsel of Yahweh, and so that those of us that are trembling before our God today can start following His commandments?

‘If [He will accept this], we can make it happen!

⁴ ‘So, you must now arise [and be strong], because this matter also affects you! Since we’re all with you, you must have the strength to do whatever must be done!’

⁵ Well at that, Ezra stood up and he made the leaders, Priests, Levites, and all IsraEl swear to do the thing that [ShechaniJah] had proposed.

⁶ And thereafter, he left from that place in front of the Temple of God, and he went to the treasury of JoHanan (son of EliAshib) and he started living there. But he refused to eat any food or drink any water as he mourned over the breach-of-contract by those who had returned to resettle [the land].

⁷ Well, this was soon reported throughout Judah, JeruSalem, and wherever the people had resettled, and everyone was then called to assemble in JeruSalem.
⁸ In fact, the governors and elders [had decreed] that all those who didn’t come in [the next] three days would have everything they owned destroyed, and they’d be cut off from the gathering of those who’d returned in the resettlement!

⁹ So, all the men of Judah and BenJamin gathered in JeruSalem over the next three days. It was in the 9th month and on the 20th day of the month that all the people had finally arrived.

Then they sat down in the square before the Temple of God… And they were all shaking, because of the seriousness of this matter.

¹⁰ Then Ezra (the Priest) stood up and said to them:

‘You have added to the sins of IsraEl and broken our contract [with God] by settling here with foreign women!

¹¹ ‘Now, praise Yahweh the God of our ancestors and do whatever is pleasing before Him… Separate yourselves from the people of this land and from your foreign women!’

¹² Then the entire assembly shouted loudly:

‘We’ll do just as you said!’

¹³ But the crowd was huge and it was wintertime; one couldn’t even stand outside [for too long]... So, the job couldn’t be done in just a day or two, for that would’ve made all the wrongs even worse!

¹⁴ [Therefore, it was agreed that] the governors would call an assembly in each of the cities, and that all who’d taken foreign women were to come there at a prearranged time to meet with the city elders and judges, so that God’s anger and rage over this matter could be removed from them.

¹⁵ Now, with the help of JoNathan (the son AsahEl) and JahaziJah (son of TikVah) and their assistants MeshulLam and the Levite ShabBethAi, everyone who had returned in the resettlement did as they were told.

¹⁶ So the Priest Ezra and each of the heads of the family lines started their inquiry on the 1st day of the 10th month, ¹⁷ and the process of questioning all the men who had settled in with foreign women lasted until the 1st day of the 1st month.

¹⁸ As a result, it was found that among the Priests, those who had taken foreign women were:

• The sons of JoShua (son of JoZadek).

And those of his brothers:

• MaAseiJah,

• EliEzer,

• JaRib, and

• GedaliJah.

¹⁹ So they each gave their hand in a pledge to bring in their women, along with a sin offering of a ram from among their sheep, to cover their errors.

²⁰ From among the sons of ImMer there was:

• HanaNi and

• ZebadiJah.

²¹ From the sons of Harim there was:

• MaAseiJah,

• EliJah,

• ShemaiJah,

• JehiEl, and

• UzZiJah.

²² From the sons of Phasur there was:

• EliWenai,

• MaAseiJah,

• IshMaEl,

• NathaniEl,

• JoZabad, and

• ElAsah.

²³ Among the Levites, there was:

• JoZabad,

• Shemei,

• KelaiJah (also known as Kelita),

• PethAhiJah,

• Judah, and

• EliEzer.

²⁴ Among the singers, there was:

• EliAshib.

And from among the gatekeepers, there was:

• ShalLum,

• TelEm, and

• Uri.

²⁵ From IsraEl there were:

• The sons of ParOsh,

• RamiJah,

• JeziJah,

• MalchiJah,

• MiAmin,

• EliEzer,

• MalchiJah, and

• BenaiJah.

²⁶ From the sons of ElAm there was:

• MattaniJah,

• ZechariAh,

• JehiEl,

• AbDi,

• JeremOth, and

• EliJah.

²⁷ From the sons of ZatTu there was:

• EliWenai,

• EliAshib,

• MatTaniJah,

• JeremOth,

• Zabad, and

• AziZa.

²⁸ From the sons of BebAi there was:

• JehoHanan,

• HaNaniJah,

• ZabBai, and

• AthLai.

²⁹ From the sons of Bani there was:

• MeshulLam,

• MalLuch,

• AdaiJah,

• JaShub,

• SheAl, and

• RamOth.

³⁰ From the sons of PahathMoab there was:

• Adna,

• ChelAl,

• BenaiJah,

• MaAseiJah,

• MatthaniJah,

• BezaleEl,

• BinNui, and

• ManasSeh.

³¹ From the sons of Harim there was:

• EliEzer,

• IshiJah,

• MalchiJah,

• ShemaiJah, and

• ShimeOn.

³² From BenJamin there was:

• MalLuch and

• ShemariJah.

³³ From the sons of Hashum there was:

• MatTenai,

• MatTathAh,

• Zabad,

• EliPhelet,

• JeremAi,

• ManasSeh, and

• ShiMei.

³⁴ From the sons of Bani were:

• MaAdai,

• AmRam,

• Wel,

• ³⁵ BenaiJah,

• BedeiJah,

• ChelLah,

• ³⁶ VaniJah,

• MeremOth,

• EliAshib,

• ³⁷ MattaniJah, and

• MattenAi.

³⁸ There were also the sons of Bani:

• ShiMei,

• ³⁹ ShelemiJah,

• Nathan,

• AdaiJah,

• ⁴⁰ MachNadebAi,

• SharAi,

• ShashAi,

• ⁴¹ AzareEl,

• ShelemiJah,

• ShemariJah,

• ⁴² ShalLum,

• AmariJah, and

• JoSeph.

⁴³ From the sons of Nebo there was:

• JeiEl,

• MatithiJah,

• Zabad,

• Zebina,

• JaDau,

• JoEl, and

• BenaiJah.

⁴⁴ They had all taken foreign women for themselves that had each given birth to sons.

Nehemiah

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Nehemiah is a short history book covering the period of about 12 years sometime in the mid 5th Century BCE, when many Jews returned to JeruSalem and pure worship was reestablished at the Temple of Yahweh.

It was witten by NehemiAh, the Jewish cup-bearer to King ArthaSastha whom the account also describes as the ruler of Babylon.

Not exactly the 1st century text

The Greek manuscripts of Nehemiah have some words and phrases ‘missing,’ at least, when compared to the Hebrew Masoretic text. These are ‘missing’ from:

• Nehemiah 4:5-6,

• Nehemiah 11:12-35,

• Nehemiah 12:2-9,

• Nehemiah 12:25, and

• Nehemiah 12:29.

Now, the ‘critical edition’ of the Greek source text that we used to translate this book into English had generously ‘filled in’ these missing words for us. How? They seem to have made Greek translations of the Hebrew Masoretic text.

So these ‘gaps’ were filled with text from a different Bible.

Therefore, we will eventually remove these ‘filled-in’ bits, allowing you to see exactly the first century Christians saw. There are only a small number of ‘missing bits,’ and we don’t know why they’re missing. Could it just have been shoddy translation work back in the day that they created the Septuagint?

Maybe, but it doesn’t seem very likely. You see, the Greek Septuagint version of Nehemiah is a remarkably literal translation from the Hebrew. Indeed, it’s the most literal translation in the entire Septuagint! The translator working for the NETS project called the text ‘pedantic’ and an ‘interlinear’! To go to such great lengths to produce an exact translation, and then to leave out some random pieces, seems very puzzling.

So, could the additional words found in the Hebrew text be later fake additions? Again, maybe. After all, we’ve learned that it’s wise to trust the Septuagint. But we don’t know.

Nehemiah 1

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¹ These are the words of NehemiAh, son of HachaliJah.

It was in the 20th year, during the month of Chislev, while I was in the city of Susa in AbiRa, ² that HanaNi (one of my brothers) arrived with some men from Judah.

So I asked him about those who’d survived and escaped the captivity, and about JeruSalem. ³ And he said to me:

‘Those who survived the captivity and are still in [Judah] are a joke and they’re extremely wicked.

‘As for the walls of JeruSalem; they’ve been knocked down and its gates have been burned.’

⁴ Well when I heard this, I sat down and cried... Then I mourned for days, and I fasted and prayed to the God of heaven.

⁵ I said:

‘No, O Lord God of the heavens, the mighty, great, and fearful One who’s guarded our Sacred Agreement and who shows mercy to those who love Him and keep His Commandments...

⁶ ‘May Your ears hear [what my brother is saying], and may Your eyes be open so that You pay attention to Your servant today – throughout this day and night – who is praying on behalf of Your servants, the sons of IsraEl!

‘I openly admit to the sins that the sons of IsraEl have committed against You... For even the house of my father and I have sinned, ⁷ because we left You and we haven’t obeyed the Commandments, decisions, and instructions that You gave to Your servant Moses.

⁸ ‘However, please remember what You told Your servant Moses when You said:

‘If you break our contract with Me I’ll spread you among the peoples.

⁹ ‘But if you return to Me and start observing and obeying My Commandments… Even if you’re scattered to the wings of the skies, I’ll gather you back and return you to the place where I’ve chosen to camp and where I’ve put My Name.’

¹⁰ ‘Now, they are Your children and Your people whom You ransomed by Your great power and with the ‘fortress’ of Your hand.

¹¹ ‘No, O Yahweh... Allow Your ears to pay attention to the prayer of Your servant and to the prayers of Your children who fear Your Name!

‘Bless the way of Your servant today, and make the [king] compassionate before this man; for I’m [just] a wine server to the king.’

Nehemiah 2

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¹ Well, it was in the month of Nisan in the 20th year [of the reign] of King ArthaSastha that I was bringing him some wine… I took it up and handed it to the king in private, ² and then the king asked me:

‘Why’s your face so downcast and why are you so unhappy? This appears to be nothing other than a [broken] heart!’

Well, I was frightened, ³ but I said to the king:

‘O king, may you live throughout the ages!

‘Why shouldn’t my face be sad? For the city where the houses and tombs of my ancestors are, has been destroyed – and its gates have been burned with fire!’

⁴ Then the king asked me:

‘So, what is it that you’re looking for?’

Well, I then prayed [silently] to Yahweh the God of heaven, ⁵ and thereafter I said to the king:

‘If the king is moved to do such a good thing, and if he’s pleased enough with his servant that stands before him... Please send me to Judah and to the city of the tombs of my ancestors, so that I can rebuild it!’

⁶ Then the king (who was sitting next to his concubine) asked me:

‘How long will this take and when will you return?’

Well, the king [found my proposal] to be good and he sent me off. Then I [wrote a letter of] confirmation to him, which said:

⁷ ‘To the king:

‘If it pleases the king, please give me letters to the vassal kings on the other side of the river, so as to allow me safe passage to Judah.

⁸ ‘Also provide me a letter to Asaph, the king’s groundskeeper, and ask him to provide me with enough wood to make roofs for the gates along the city’s walls and for the house where I’ll be staying.’

Then, by the hand of God, the king provided this to me.

⁹ And when I reached the vassal kings on the other side of the river, I gave them the letters from the king. The king had also sent his top general along with me, as well as a contingent of cavalry.

¹⁰ But when SanBalLat the Horonite and TobiJah (his AmMonite servant) heard of it, all of this appeared wrong to them, since they were very unhappy that anyone would be coming to do good things for the sons of IsraEl.

¹¹ Well, when I got to JeruSalem, I [rested] for three days.

¹² Then I got up during the night and I took a few men with me. I didn’t have to report to anyone, because it was God who’d put it into my heart to do this for JeruSalem. And I didn’t bring along any animals, except the one that I rode.

¹³ I traveled through the City Gate out to the mouth of the Well of Dragons, and past the Manure Gate...

Then I examined the walls of JeruSalem that had been torn down and the gates that had been burned with fire.

¹⁴ I passed by the Fountain Gate, then I went up to the Pool of the King to a place where I could get through [on horseback], ¹⁵ then I rode down into the Cedar (Kidron) Valley that night, studying the walls, until I had reached the Valley Gate.

That’s when I turned around and went back.

¹⁶ Well, the guards didn’t know why I went there or what I was doing, nor did I report what I was doing to any of the Judeans, the Priests, the important ones, the generals, or to any of the rest that had been doing the work until then.

¹⁷ But later, I said this to them:

‘Do you see this wicked condition that we’re in?

JeruSalem is a waste and its gates have been burned. Come on, let’s build a wall around JeruSalem so we’re no longer a joke!’

¹⁸ Then I explained how the hand of God had blest me with the things that the king had said to me, and I told them:

‘Now, let’s get up and build!’

Well, this emboldened their hands to do what was good!

¹⁹ But when SanBalLat the Horonite, his servant TobiJah the AmMonite, and the Arab Gesham heard about this, they laughed out loud... For were disgusted with us, and they asked:

‘Just what do you think you’re doing?

Have you chosen to revolt against the king?’

²⁰ But I spoke right back to them and said:

‘The God of the heavens will bless us, because we (His servants) are pure; therefore, we’ll arise and build!

‘However, you may have no part in doing this or in giving us the legal right to do so, nor will your [names] be remembered in JeruSalem.’

Nehemiah 3

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¹ Well thereafter, the High Priest EliAshib and his fellow Priests rebuilt the Sheep Gate and made it holy. They set its doors in place and completed [the walls] from the Tower of the Hundred to the Tower of HanaNeEl.

² Then, next to him, ZacCur (son of ImRi) and men from JeriCho rebuilt [the adjoining portion of the wall].

³ The sons of HasSenaAh rebuilt the Fish Gate… They roofed it and set its doors, bolts, and bars in place.

⁴ And from that point, MaremOth (son of UriAh and grandson of Kos) took control [of rebuilding the adjoining wall].

Then MeshulLam (son of BarAchiJah and grandson of MeShezaBeel) did more repairs, and ZaDok (son of BaAna) also handled a section [of the wall].

⁵ From there, the Tekoites repaired the next section… Although their mightiest men refused to lift their necks in the service of their Lord.

⁶ Then JehoiAda (son of PaseJah) and MeshulLam (son of BoSodeiJah) repaired the Gate of JasanAh… They roofed it and set its doors, bolts, and bars in place.

⁷ Next to them, MeLatiJah the GibeOnite, JaDon the Meronothite, and the men of GibeOn and MizPah (who were being ruled by those on the throne on the other side of the river) made the repairs.

⁸ And next to them, UzZiEl (son of HarHaiJah the refiner) made the repairs, and HanaNiAh (son of the perfumers) made the repairs and rebuilt JeruSalem all the way to the Broad Wall.

⁹ From there, RephaiJah (son of Sur, the ruler of part of the area around JeruSalem) made the repairs.

¹⁰ And next to him, JedaiJah (son of HaruMaph) made the repairs all the way to his house.

Then next to him, HatTush (son of HashaBaniJah) made the repairs.

¹¹ The second section [of the wall] was repaired by MelchiJah (son of Harim) and Hashub (son of PahathMoab) all the way to the Tower of Furnaces.

¹² And next to them, ShalLum (son of HaloHesh, the ruler of the other half of the area around JeruSalem) made the repairs with the help of his daughters.

¹³ Then Hanun repaired the Valley Gate with the help of the people of Zanoa… They built it and set its doors, bolts, and bars in place, and they also rebuilt 1,700 feet (520m) of the wall to the Manure Gate.

¹⁴ The Manure Gate was repaired by MelchiJah (son of RechAb, the ruler of the area around BethHakKarim) and his sons. They covered it and set its doors, bolts, and bars in place.

¹⁵ ShalLum (son of ColHozeh, the ruler of part of MizPah) was in charge of the Spring Gate... He rebuilt it, roofed it, and set its doors and bars in place, then he rebuilt the wall around the Pool of SiloAm, the King’s Garden, and the stairway that leads down from the [Citadel] of David.

¹⁶ And next to him, NehemiAh (son of AzaBuk, the ruler of half of the area around BethSur) made repairs from the garden of the Tomb of David to the man-made pool and the House of the Mighty.

¹⁷ Next to him, the Levites under Rehum (son of Bani) did the repairs, and then AsabiJah (the ruler of half of the area around KeiLa) made the repairs around his [house] by himself.

¹⁸ And after him, his friend Benei (son of HenAdad, the ruler of the other half of the area around KeiLa) made the repairs.

¹⁹ Then Ezer (son of JoShua, the ruler of MizPah) made the repairs to the corner of a second wall opposite the armory, all by himself.

²⁰ After him, BarUch (son of Zabai) made the repairs from the corner of the second wall up to the door of the house of EliAshib the High Priest.

²¹ And after him, MeramOth (son of UriAh and grandson of HaKoz) rebuilt a measured section from the door of the house of EliAshib and all along the area behind that house (which was also being rebuilt).

²² And next to him, the Priests who were descendants of EkChechar repaired the wall.

After him, BenJamin and Hashub did the repairs by their houses.

²³ Then AzariAh (son of MaAseJah and grandson of HananiAh) did the repairs next to his house.

²⁴ And BinNui (son of HenAdad) repaired another measured section from the house of AzariAh to the corner, and then around the bend.

²⁵ Thereafter, PaLal (son of UzAi) did the repairs to the opposite corner and to the tower that protrudes from the king’s palace and overlooks the prison courtyard.

Then PedaiJah (son of ParOsh) ²⁶ and the Nethinim that lived in Ophel rebuilt the eastern Garden-Watering Gate and the tower that protrudes from it.

²⁷ Next, the Tekoites repaired a measured section that was across from the Great Tower, up to the wall of Ophel.

²⁸ And from there, the Priests repaired the portion of the Horse Gate that was across from their own houses.

²⁹ Then ZaDok (son of ImMer) did the repairs across from his own house. And ShemaiAh (son of ShechaniJah, who was in charge of the Eastern Gate) did the repairs there.

³⁰ Also, HanaNiAh (son of ShelemiJah) and Hanun (the sixth son of ZalAph) repaired another measured section.

MeshulLam (son of BarAchiJah) made the repairs across from his treasury.

³¹ And from there, MelchiJah (son of SarEfi) did the repairs up to the House of the Nethinim and the market that’s in front of the Gate of MiphKad, and then around the corner.

³² And [finally], the goldsmiths and venders repaired the section of wall that ascends back up to the Sheep Gate.

Nehemiah 4

←3 | All books | All chapters | 5→

¹ Well, when SanBalLat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he thought this was a bad thing and he was extremely angry. He also laughed out loud about the Judeans ² when he spoke before his people and the army of the Samaritans.

For he said:

‘What do these men of Judah – these Jews – think they’re doing? Do they think we’ll just leave them alone?

‘Do they think that they’ll be able to offer sacrifices there, and do they think that they’ll be able to finish the job?

‘For today they’re making their repairs with stones that they find in heaps of rubbish that should have been burned!’

³ Then TobiJah the AmMonite (who was standing next to him) said:

‘Even if they do build, won’t a fox go there and demolish their wall of rocks?’

⁴ [So I prayed:]

‘Listen, O our God, to the people who are sneering at us, and bring their scorn down upon their own heads! Make them do their sneering as captives in [faraway] lands.

⁵ ‘Don’t cover over their lawlessness, and may their sins never be wiped away from before Your face, because they’re taunting You in front of those who are doing the rebuilding!’

⁶ [not present in LXX source]

⁷ So, when SanBalLat, TobiJah, the Arabians, the AmMonites, and the AshDodites heard that the gaps in the walls of JeruSalem were being repaired, this appeared wrong to them, ⁸ and they all gathered to distract us and to undo our work on JeruSalem.

⁹ So, we prayed to our God and we posted guards [outside the walls] both day and night.

¹⁰ But then the Judeans said:

‘Our enemies have broken our resolve, and now there’s so much dust that we just can’t finish building the wall!’

¹¹ And thereafter, those who were oppressing us said:

‘They won’t know and they won’t see us when we come among them to murder them and make them stop the work!’

¹² But the Judeans who lived in their midst came to us and told us what they were saying, and they warned us that our enemies were all around us!

¹³ So I posted men in fortified trenches behind the walls whom I armed with broadswords, wooden spears, and bows. ¹⁴ And after looking the situation over, I got up and spoke to the leaders, generals, and the rest of the people, and said:

‘When you face them, don’t be afraid… You must remember that our God is great and someone to be feared!

‘So, prepare yourselves to fight in order to protect your relatives, sons, daughters, wives, and your homes!’

¹⁵ Well, when our enemies found out that we’d learned about their plans and that God had blocked their schemes, we were all able to start rebuilding the walls once again... Therefore, everyone went back to doing their jobs!

¹⁶ But from that day on, half of us did the work while the other half stood armed and ready for battle with their lances, shields, bows, and armor.
So, the rulers and the whole house of Judah ¹⁷ protected those who were building the wall... And those who carried things on their shoulders did their work with one hand, while they held arrows in the other. ¹⁸ Also, all the workers – every man – had his broadsword tied to his waist as he built.

Meanwhile, I kept the trumpeters next to me, ¹⁹ and I told the rulers, generals, and the rest of the people (since the work covers a vast area and we were spread all along the walls with each man working some distance from his brother) that ²⁰ whenever they heard the trumpets being blown, everyone was to gather here with me, and we would allow our God to fight the war for us.

²¹ Well, that’s how we did it… With half of us [ready for battle] as we worked from sunrise until we could see the stars.

²² Then I told the people:

‘All those with children should sleep in the middle of JeruSalem, and we’ll keep guards posted all night long.

‘However, during the day, everyone must work!’

So I stood there with my brothers and the younger men flanked by guards, and nobody took off their clothes or removed their swords, even when they went to draw water.

Nehemiah 5

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¹ Then, many of the people (especially their wives) started complaining loudly about their brothers, the Judeans.

² Some were saying:

‘Even though we have many sons and daughters, we still have enough grain to eat and to get by.’

³ But others were saying:

‘We had to mortgage our fields, vineyards, and houses to buy enough grain to eat.’

⁴ And others were saying:

‘Because we had to borrow money to pay the king’s taxes on our fields, vineyards, and houses, our flesh now belongs to our brothers… Our sons have become their sons, and our daughters have become their daughters!

⁵ ‘And look! They’re tyrannizing our sons and they’re using our daughters as though they were slaves… Many of them are being tyrannized, and there’s nothing we can do [to help them], because our fields and vineyards now belong to the important ones!’

⁶ Well when I heard the things they were saying in their outcries, I was deeply disturbed, ⁷ and my heart moved me to do something... So I confronted the important ones and the rulers, and said to them:

‘Should any man ask the things of you that you’re asking of your brothers?’

Then I called for a great assembly against them, ⁸ at which I said to them:

‘We once had to ask you for contributions in order to buy back many of our Judean brothers who had been sold to the gentiles... So are you now going to sell your brothers back, or do you think that they should all be returned to us?’

Well... No one said a word!

⁹ Then I said:

‘What you’re doing here isn’t good, because it doesn’t reflect a fear of our God!

‘Should we be giving our enemies from the nations even more reason to treat us with contempt?

¹⁰ ‘Why, my own friends, brothers, and acquaintances have [had to lend these people enough] of their own money and grain money to repay you!

‘However, I’m now bringing an end to these exacting accounting practices, ¹¹ and you must return these people today… Along with their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses.

‘Also, you must provide them with some money, some grain, some wine, and some olive oil.’

¹² And they replied:

‘We’ll give it all back and we won’t ask any more of them…

‘We’ll do just as you’ve said.’

Then I called the Priests up and I made them swear with an oath that they’d be sure that these people did what they said.

¹³ And I shook off my cape and added:

‘This is how God will shake off any man who doesn’t stand by his word on this matter… His house and everything he’s worked for will be shaken off like this!’

Well at that, the entire assembly said:

‘May it be so!’

Then they praised Yahweh, and the people did just as they’d agreed to do.

¹⁴ Also, on that day, they appointed me to be their ruler in the land of Judah… From the 20th year to the 32nd year of the reign of King ArthaSastha (for the next 12 years). And during that entire period, my brothers and I who governed didn’t accept any [compensation].

¹⁵ But before that, those who’d been the rulers actually oppressed the people by taking the last of their bread and wine, and by applying a tax of 40 silver coins!

So, although they and their servants had once dominated over the people, I didn’t do that, because of my fear before the Face of Yahweh.

¹⁶ I also worked on repairing the walls myself, and I didn’t acquire any land… I sent my [household] servants and field workers there to do the work! ¹⁷ In addition, I allowed many of the Judeans and the rulers (about 150 men) who had returned to us from the nations roundabout, to eat at my table.

Each day, they consumed:

• 1 calf,

• 6 choice sheep, and

• 1 winter-yearling goat.

¹⁸ I also needed huge quantities of wine to be delivered every 10 days.

Yet I didn’t seek any compensation for my work, because everyone else was slaving so hard. ¹⁹ Please remember me, O my God, for all the good that I’ve done for these people!

Nehemiah 6

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¹ Well when SanBalLat, TobiJah, Gesham the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies heard that I was finishing the wall, they became quite dispirited.

However, the doors hadn’t been set in the gates yet.

² Then SanBalLat and Gesham sent me [a letter] that said:

‘Come and meet with us in one of the towns in the plains of Ono!’

But because they were just planning to [kill] me, ³ I sent messengers to them that said:

‘I still have a tremendous amount of work to do, and I can’t stop right now, because that would bring the work to a halt.

‘I’ll come and see you after it’s finished.’

⁴ Well they sent me 4 more messages after that, but I just kept giving them the same reply. ⁵ Then SanBalLat sent his servant a 5th time, who opened the letter and read it to me.

⁶ It said:

‘Geshem told me (and it’s being rumored among the nations) that you’re planning to rebel, and that’s why you and the Judeans are building the wall… So you can become their king.

⁷ ‘For you’ve appointed your own prophets to proclaim throughout JeruSalem that you’re now the king of Judah! So, tell the king that these words aren’t true… Come here and let’s discuss the matter!’

⁸ Well, I sent a reply that said:

‘None of these things have happened, and you’re lying from your heart about this… ⁹ All you’re really trying to do is frighten us.

‘You’re saying:

‘If we worry them enough, we can stop the work so it won’t be completed!’

‘However, now I’m more determined than ever to get it done!’

¹⁰ Then later, when I went to the house of ShemaiAh (son of DalaiJah and grandson of MeHetaBeel), he acted like he was very worried, and he said to me:

‘We must all gather in the middle of the Temple of God [for safety] and lock its doors, for they’re coming to murder you tonight!’

¹¹ But I asked him:

‘Which man must I run from?

‘And who could possibly make me run for my life into the Temple?

¹² ‘I’m not going to do that!’

And it was then that I realized that {Look!} God really hadn’t sent him.

Rather, his ‘prophecy’ was just part of a plot against me, for he’d been hired by TobiJah and SanBalLat ¹³ to scare me into doing something that would cause me to sin and give me a bad reputation, so they could thereafter have something bad to say about me.

¹⁴ O my God,

Remember these things that TobiJah, SanBalLat, the prophetess NoAdiJah, and the rest of the prophets have done to frighten me!

¹⁵ Well, we finished the wall on the 25th day of the month of Elul, after 52 days!

¹⁶ And when our enemies heard about it, they and all the nations roundabout became extremely fearful, because they realized that it was our God who had brought the work to a completion.

¹⁷ Then I found out that during the entire time, several important men of Judah had been sending messages to TobiJah, and that he’d been sending messages back to them, ¹⁸ because many in Judah had sworn allegiance to him, since he was the son-in-law of ShechaniJah (son of Arah), and his son JoHanan had married the daughter of MeshulLam (son of BarAchiJah).

¹⁹ So he’d been using these connections to his advantage when he was writing to me... For, everything that I said was being reported back to him, and the letters from TobiJah were just sent to frighten me.

Nehemiah 7

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¹ Well after the walls were finished and the gate doors were set in place, we took a census of the gatekeepers, singers, and Levites.

² Then we assigned a job to my brother HanaNi and to HanaNiJah (the man in charge of the palace in JeruSalem), because they feared God and were more righteous than most of the rest.

³ I told them:

‘Don’t let the city gates be opened before sunrise each morning, and as a safety precaution, make sure that they’re locked [each night].

‘Also, select guards from among the people of JeruSalem and assign them to posts near their homes.’

⁴ I did this because the city was wide and spread out, not many people lived there yet, and none of their homes had been completed.

⁵ Then God inspired my heart and I gathered all of the important people, the rulers, and the common people into groups and I had them registered. That’s when I found a scroll that listed all the people who had first returned [to JeruSalem] and the ⁶ cities that they’d returned to in Judah after the captivity and the resettlement by King NebuChadnezzar of Babylon.

⁷ The men of IsraEl that had returned with ZerubBabel, JoShua, NehemiJah, AzariAh, RaAmiJah, NaHamani, MordecAi, Balsan, MisPereth, BigVai, Nehum, BaAna, and Masphar were:

⁸ The descendants of ParOsh – 2,172

⁹ The descendants of ShephatiJah – 372

¹⁰ The descendants of Arah – 652

¹¹ The descendants of PahathMoab (including the sons of JeShua and JoAb) – 2,818

¹² The descendants of ElAm – 1,254

¹³ The descendants of ZatTu – 845

¹⁴ The descendants of ZacCai – 760

¹⁵ The descendants of BinNui – 648

¹⁶ The descendants of BebAi – 628

¹⁷ The descendants of AzGad – 2,322

¹⁸ The descendants of AdoniKam – 667

¹⁹ The descendants of BigVai – 2,067

²⁰ The descendants of Adin – 655

²¹ The descendants of Ater (from the line of HezekiAh) – 98

²² The descendants of Hashum – 328

²³ The descendants of BezAi – 324

²⁴ The descendants of Hariph – 112

The descendants of Asen – 223

²⁵ The men of GibeOn – 95

²⁶ The men of BethLehem and NetoPhah – 123

²⁷ The men of AnathOth – 128

²⁸ The men of BethAzmaVeth – 42

²⁹ The men of KiriAth JaiRim, ChephiRah, and BeerOth – 743

³⁰ The men of RamAh and GabaA – 621

³¹ The men of MichMash – 122

³² The men of BethEl and Ai – 123

³³ The men of Nebo – 152

³⁴ The men of ElAm – 1252

³⁵ The men of Harim – 320

³⁶ The men of JeriCho – 345

³⁷ The men of LodHadid and Ono – 721

³⁸ The men of SenaAh – 3,930

³⁹ The priests from the sons of JedaiJah and the house of JeShua – 973

⁴⁰ The descendants of ImMer – 1,052

⁴¹ The descendants of PashUr – 1,247

⁴² The descendants of Harim – 1,017

⁴³ The Levites from the sons of JeShua (son of KadmiEl) and the sons of HodeVah – 74

⁴⁴ The singers that were the descendants of Asaph – 148

⁴⁵ The gatekeepers that were the descendants of ShalLum, Ater, TalMon, AkKub, HatiTa, and ShobAi – 138

⁴⁶ The Nethinim that were the sons of HashUpha, TabBaOth, ⁴⁷ Keros, Sia, Padon, ⁴⁸ Lebana, HagaBa, ShalmAi, ⁴⁹ Hanan, GidDel, Gahar, ⁵⁰ ReaJah, Rezin, NekoDa, ⁵¹ GazZam, UzZa, and PhaseAh – 54.

⁵² From BesAi, there were the sons of:

• MeUnim,

• NephiShesim,

• ⁵³ BakBuk,

• HakuPha,

• HarHur,

• ⁵⁴ Bazlith,

• MehiDa,

• HarSha,

• ⁵⁵ Barkow,

• SiSera,

• Tamah,

• ⁵⁶ NeziJah, and

• Hatiph.

⁵⁷ Among the servants of Solomon, there were the descendants of:

• SotAi,

• SopherEth,

• Perida,

• ⁵⁸ JaAla,

• DarKon,

• GidDel,

• ⁵⁹ ShephatiJah,

• HatTil,

• PochEreth, and

• Zebaim (who were all AmMonites).

⁶⁰ Altogether, the Nethinim and the servants of Solomon numbered 392.

⁶¹ Those who had come from TelMelah, TelHaresha, Cherub, AdDon, and ImMer weren’t able to say which houses and families they were from, or even if they were the offspring of IsraEl!

⁶² From the descendants of DalaiJah, TobiJah, and NekoDa, there were 642.

⁶³ Priests who were descended from HabaiJah, Koz, and BarzilLai (those who married the daughters of BarzilLai the GileAdite and took their family name) ⁶⁴ searched for their family lines but couldn’t find them, so they were expelled from the Priesthood ⁶⁵ ([King] ArthaSastha told them that they couldn’t eat from the Holy things until a Priest could stand and provide some light on this).

⁶⁶ Altogether, the entire group consisted of 42,360, ⁶⁷ plus their male and female servants, who numbered 7,337, and 245 male and female singers.

⁶⁸ There were 736 horses, 245 mules, 435 camels, ⁶⁹ and 6,720 burros.

⁷⁰ Then [King] ArthaSastha sent 1,000 large gold coins to the family heads for the reconstruction (which was all put into the treasury), plus 50 [gold] bowls and 530 robes for the Priests.

⁷¹ Thereafter, the family heads contributed 2,000 more large gold coins for the work, plus 2,300 large silver coins, which was all put into the treasury.

⁷² And then the rest of the people contributed 20,000 large gold coins, 2,000 silver coins, and 77 outfits for the Priests.

⁷³ Well after that, the Priests, Levites, gatekeepers, and singers each returned to the cities that their families were from, as did the Nethinim and all IsraEl.

Nehemiah 8

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¹ By the 7th month, all the sons of IsraEl had had returned to their cities.

Then all the people came and gathered as a single man in the wide area in front of the Water Gate, and they asked the Scribe Ezra to bring out the scroll of the Law of Moses that gave Yahweh’s instructions to IsraEl.

² So on the 1st day of the 7th month, the Priest Ezra carried the Law before the gathering, because everyone (both the men and the women) wanted to hear what it said.

³ Then from sunrise until about noon, Ezra read it to them there in the square in front of the Water Gate, and everyone paid very close attention to what was written in the scroll of the Law.

⁴ Ezra did this as he was standing on a wooden podium that he’d made for such public speaking, while to his right were standing:

• MatTithiYah,

• ShemaiAh,

• AnaiJah,

• UriAh,

• HilkiAh, and

• MaAseJah.

And on his left were standing:

• PedaiJah,

• MishaEl,

• MelchiJah,

• Hashum,

• HashBadana,

• ZechariAh, and

• MeshulLam.

⁵ So Ezra opened the scroll before all the people as he stood above everyone who was gathered there, ⁶ and he praised their great God Yahweh.

And the people said:

‘May it be so, may it be so,’

As they were raising their arms and bowing low before Yahweh with their faces to the ground.

⁷ Well, after that, the Levites along with...

• JeShua,

• Bani,

• SherebiJah,

• JaMin,

• AkKub,

• ShabbethAi,

• HodiJah,

• MaAseJah,

• Kelita,

• AzariAh,

• JoZabad,

• Hanan, and

• PelaiJah

...explained the Law to the people, as they were all standing in their places.

⁸ And as he read from the scroll of the Law of God, Ezra taught and instructed them in order to give them a deeper knowledge of Yahweh… And the people understood!

⁹ Then NehemiAh (who was also known as AtarSatha) stood up next to the Scribe and Priest Ezra and the Levites (who’d been explaining things to the people) and said:

‘Because this is a holy day to our God Yahweh, you must stop being sad and crying’ (because all the people had been crying as they were listening to the words of the Law).

¹⁰ He continued:

‘Rather, you should each [sit down] and eat the fatness and drink the sweetness, then share what you have with those who have nothing, because, this is a holy day to our God Yahweh!

‘Don’t be shy before our God, because the joy of Yahweh is what will make us strong!’

¹¹ Well thereafter, the Levites had to settle the people down.

They shouted:

‘You have to be quiet, because this is a holy day… You must stop falling to the ground!’

¹² So at that, all the people started eating, drinking, and sharing whatever they had... For they were all very joyful after learning of the things that they’d just been told.

¹³ Then on the 2nd day, the governor gathered all the family heads, along with all the people, the Priests, and the Levites, before the Scribe Ezra, so that they could listen to the [reading of] more of the words of the Law.

¹⁴ That’s when they found that it was written in the Law that God gave to Moses, that the sons of IsraEl were to live in temporary dwellings during the holiday of the 7th month, and that this was to be announced by the blowing of trumpets throughout all their cities and in JeruSalem.

¹⁵ So Ezra said:

‘Everyone should go into the mountains and gather olive branches, along with the branches of cypress trees, myrtle trees, palms, and branches from bushes (as we were told to do in the writing) to make temporary dwellings for ourselves.’

¹⁶ So all the people went out and gathered whatever they needed to make the temporary dwellings, and they erected them on their roofs, in their courtyards, in the courtyards of the Temple of God, in the square by the Water Gate, and in the square by the Gate of Ephraim.

¹⁷ Then everyone who had returned from captivity spent time living in the temporary dwellings, which is something that the sons of IsraEl hadn’t done from the time of JoShua (son of NaWeh) until that day, and everyone was extremely happy!

¹⁸ Thereafter, [Ezra] continued to read from the scroll of the Law of God from the 1st day to the last of the 7 days of the holiday.

Then they ended it on the 8th day, just as they were told.

Nehemiah 9

←8 | All books | All chapters | 10→

¹ Well, it was on the 24th day of the month that the sons of IsraEl had gathered to fast wearing sackcloth and with ashes on their heads.

² Then, after separating the foreigners from among themselves, they all stood and openly confessed their sins and the lawbreaking of their ancestors.

³ They each took their positions, as the scroll of the Law of their God Yahweh was being read over the next 4 days, and they were each speaking openly to Yahweh and bowing before the Lord, their God.

⁴ All the while, the Levites (JeShua, son of KadmiEl; plus SecheniJah, son of SherebiJah and grandson of ChenAni) were standing on the ascent calling out loudly to their God Yahweh.

⁵ Then the Levites (JeShua, KadmiEl, Bani, SherebiJah, HodiJah, SecheniJah, and PethahiJah) said to the people:

‘Stand up and praise Yahweh that’s been our God throughout the ages and into the ages of ages!

‘Praise His glorious Name and raise it high with blessings and praises!’

⁶ Then Ezra said:

‘O our only Lord,

‘It was You who made the skies and the heavens above the skies!

‘You’re the One who put everything in its position… The land and all that’s on it, the seas and everything that’s in them, and You gave life to everything... So to You, all the armies of the heavens must bow.

⁷ ‘O Yahweh our God,

‘It was You who chose Abram and led him out of the [land] of the Chaldeans; then You changed his name to ‘AbraHam,’ ⁸ because You found his heart worthy before You.

‘And You concluded a Sacred Agreement with him, promising to give the land of the CanaAnites, Hittites, Amorites, Pherezites, Jebusites, and Gergesites to his offspring…

‘And then You did what You said You’d do, because You are righteous.

⁹ ‘And when You saw how our ancestors were being humiliated in Egypt and You heard their cries at the Red Sea, ¹⁰ You sent signs and miracles to the PharaOh of Egypt on their behalf and to all his servants and all the people of his land, because You saw how [the Egyptians] were dominating them.

‘Then You made a Name for Yourself that has lasted to this day!

¹¹ ‘For You ripped open the sea before them and threw those who were chasing them to the bottom of that sea – like stones in turbulent waters!

¹² ‘And after that, You guided them with a column of clouds by day and by a column of fire by night… To light their way as they followed behind it.

¹³ ‘And on Mount SinAi, You went down and spoke to them from out of the sky and You gave them Your righteous Commandments, Laws of truth, orders, and good [instructions], ¹⁴ as You explained to them about Your Holy Sabbath, [which had been written about] among the Commandments, orders, and Laws that You gave to them by the hands of Your servant Moses.

¹⁵ ‘Then You sent them bread from heaven as their provisions, and You brought water out of a rock to quench their thirst.

‘Thereafter, You spoke to them and told them to enter and inherit the land that You stretched out Your hand to give them…

¹⁶ ‘But our ancestors were too proud. They stiffened their necks and refused to listen to Your Commandments… ¹⁷ They shook their heads and refused to listen, because they forgot the wonders that You had just performed among them!

‘And although You [could have] appointed a leader to return them to their slavery in Egypt, since they’d stiffened their necks... Because You, O God, are merciful, compassionate, lenient, and filled with patience when it comes to forgiving sins, You didn’t abandon them.

¹⁸ ‘But then they molded a calf for themselves and said:

‘This is our God who led us out of Egypt!’

‘...which made You very angry.

¹⁹ ‘However, in Your great compassion, You didn’t abandon them in the desert or remove the column of clouds that guided them on their way during the day, or the column of fire that lit their way during the night! ²⁰ With Your beautiful Breath, You made them understand, and You didn’t withhold Your manna from their mouths or the water that You gave them to quench their thirst.

²¹ ‘Thereafter, You fed them in the desert for 40 years, and they lacked nothing, because their clothes didn’t become old and their sandals didn’t wear out. ²² And You gave them kingdoms… You divided the people from among them, and they inherited the land of SeOn the king of HeshBon, and the land of Og the king of BaShan.

²³ ‘And all the while, You multiplied their sons as the stars in the skies, and You brought them into the land that You told their ancestors they would enter and inherit.

²⁴ ‘Then, after their sons entered and inherited the land, You wiped out those who’d lived in the land before them. You gave the CanaAnites into their hands, both their kings and the people of the land, to do whatever they saw fit with them.

²⁵ ‘There, they conquered cities with high walls and entered a fertile land, where they inherited houses that were already furnished, as well as quarries, vineyards, olive groves, and plenty of things to eat.

‘So they ate until they were full and fat, as they indulged in Your goodness.

²⁶ ‘But then they changed and rebelled against You… They threw away Your Laws and killed the Prophets whom You sent as witnesses and to turn them back to You, which made You extremely angry.

²⁷ ‘So You handed them over to those who oppressed them... And as they were being oppressed, they called out to You in their time of need, and You again heard them from Your heavens.

‘Then in Your great compassion, You saved them and delivered them from those who were oppressing them, ²⁸ and You allowed them to rest.

‘But then they turned around and started acting wickedly before You once more; So You abandoned them into the hands of their enemies, who started ruling over them.

‘And they once again yelled out to You, and once again You listened from the heavens and rescued them, because of Your great compassion; ²⁹ and You advised them to return to Your Law.

‘However, they acted superior and they wouldn’t listen to Your Commandments and judgments that bring life to a man… And they kept on sinning! They turned their backs and refused to be persuaded… They stiffened their necks and just wouldn’t listen.

³⁰ ‘But You put up with them for many years, until Your patience finally ran out. Then, through Your Breath, You warned them by the hands of Your Prophets, before handing them over to the people of the land.

³¹ ‘Yet, in Your great compassion, You didn’t destroy them or abandon them… You were strong and merciful, and You felt pity.

³² ‘And now, O our strong, great, fearsome, and mighty God who is merciful and guards His Sacred Agreement; Don’t allow all the troubles that have found us, our kings, our rulers, our Priests, our Prophets, our fathers, and all Your people since the days of the kings of Assyria down to this day, to go unnoticed.

³³ ‘For You have been just when it comes to all the things that have happened to us. You have acted righteously while we were being led into sin.

³⁴ ‘For our kings, rulers, Priests, and our fathers didn’t obey Your Laws or pay attention to Your Commandments and the things that You testified to them!

³⁵ Yet, they continued to live in Your kingdom, enjoying the abundant goodness that You gave to them, and they [inherited] the wide and beautiful land that You had set before them.

‘However, they still wouldn’t serve You or turn from their wicked ways.

³⁶ ‘But look!

‘We are Your servants today in this land that You gave to our ancestors, so that we might eat its fruit and enjoy its good things. Look… We are Your servants here!

³⁷ ‘Yet, the abundant fruitage of this land now belongs to the kings who were put over us because of our sins – as were our bodies and our cattle – to do whatever they pleased.

‘So we are extremely oppressed, ³⁸ and we’re entrusting these things [to You].

‘We’ve written all of this down, and now our rulers, Levites, and Priests will put their seal upon it.’

Nehemiah 10

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¹ Well, those in charge of setting the seal were:

• Governor NehemiAh (son of HachaliJah),

• ZidKiJah,

• ² AraiJah,

• AzariAh,

• JeremiAh,

• ³ PashUr,

• AmariJah,

• MelchiJah,

• ⁴ HatTush,

• ShebaniJah,

• Harim,

• MalLuch,

• ⁵ MeremOth,

• ObadiAh,

• ⁶ DaniEl,

• GinNethou,

• BarUch,

• ⁷ MeshulLam,

• AbiJah,

• MiJamin,

• ⁸ MaAziJah,

• Bilgai, and

• ShemaiAh (the Priests).

⁹ The Levites were:

• JeShua (son of AzaniJah),

• BinNui (of the sons of HenAdad),

• KadmiEl ¹⁰ (and his brothers),

• ShebaniJah,

• HodiJah,

• Kelita,

• PelaiJah,

• Hanan,

• ¹¹ Micha,

• ReHob,

• HaShabiJah,

• ¹² ZacCur,

• SherebiJah,

• ShebaniAh,

• HodiJah, and

• ¹³ The sons of BeniNi.

¹⁴ These rulers of the people [also agreed to the seal]:

• ParOsh,

• PahathMoab,

• ElAm,

• ZatThu,

• The sons of Bani,

• ¹⁵ Agad,

• BebAi,

• ¹⁶ AdoniJah,

• BigVai,

• Adin,

• ¹⁷ Ater,

• HezekiAh,

• AzZur,

• ¹⁸ HodiJah,

• Hashum,

• BezAi,

• ¹⁹ Hariph,

• AnathOth,

• NebAi,

• ²⁰ MagPiAsh,

• MeshuLam,

• Hezir,

• ²¹ MeShezaBeel,

• ZaDok,

• JadDua,

• ²² PelatiJah,

• Hanan,

• AnaiJah,

• ²³ HoSheA,

• HanaNiJah,

• Hashub,

• ²⁴ HalLohesh,

• PiLeha,

• Shobek,

• ²⁵ Rehum,

• HashabNah,

• MaAseJah,

• ²⁶ AhiJah,

• Hanan,

• Anan,

• ²⁷ MalLuch,

• Harim, and

• BaAnah.

²⁸ And thereafter, all the rest of the people also [agreed to the seal]... Yes, the Priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, Nethinim, and all the other people of the land who had dedicated themselves to the Law of God, plus their wives, sons, and daughters… All who were able to know and understand.

²⁹ They all supported their brothers and they swore bad things and curses upon themselves with an oath, that they’d follow the Law of God that had been given at the hand of Moses (the servant of God), and that they would guard and observe all the Commandments of our God Yahweh, as well as His judgments and orders.

³⁰ [They also swore] not to give their daughters to the peoples of the land, or to take their daughters for their sons.

³¹ Then they agreed that they wouldn’t buy anything that the peoples of the land would bring in to sell on the Sabbath or on other holy days, and that every 7 years, they would each go up and forgive all debts.

³² In addition, they all agreed to pay 1/3 of a large gold coin each year to support the services at the Temple of our God, ³³ and to provide the show bread, the daily sacrifice offerings, the whole burnt offerings, and the sacrifices for the Sabbaths, the New Moons, and the holidays, along with the holy things for sin offerings for ourselves and for all IsraEl, and to help with the repairs and upkeep of the Temple of our God.

³⁴ Then we [held] a lottery among the people (by houses and families) to determine who would carry wood to the Temple for the Priests and Levites during each season and by time of day each year, to be burned on the Altar of Yahweh our God – as it was written in the Law.

³⁵ [We also agreed to] bring the first produce of our lands and the first produce of the fruit from every tree to the Temple of Yahweh each year, ³⁶ as well as the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle (as it’s written in the Law)… The first-born of our oxen and our flocks.

We agreed to bring them to the Temple of our God for the Priests who serve there in the Temple of our God, ³⁷ as well as the first-fruits of our grain and other offerings (the fruit of every tree, and of our wine and olive oil), which was to be be delivered to the Priests and stored in the treasury in the Temple of our God.

In addition, we agreed to pay a 10% tithe for the Levites (they were to receive 1/10th in each city for their services), ³⁸ in which the descendants of Aaron (the Priests) were also to share. Then, even the Levites were to offer 1/10th from their 1/10th to the Temple of our God, which would be put into the Temple treasury.

³⁹ The treasuries were to be used to store all that the sons of IsraEl and the Levites would bring to the Temple – the first fruits of the grain, wine, and olive oil – where it would be stored in holy containers for the Priests, servants, gatekeepers, and singers.

Then we all agreed that we’d never abandon the Temple of our God!

Nehemiah 11

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¹ Well, after the rulers had all settled in JeruSalem, the rest of the people threw lots to choose 10% [from among] them who would then [live in] the Holy City. The other 90% could settle in other cities, ² and they praised all the people who were willing to settle in JeruSalem.

³ So, the rest of the IsraElites, including the Priests, the Levites, the Nethinim [meaning, Temple servants], and the descendants of the servants of Solomon, brought their possessions to other cities.

These are the rulers of the land who settled in JeruSalem ⁴ along with many Judeans and some from the tribe of BenJamin:

[The leader] of the sons of Judah was AthaliAh (the son UzziAh and grandson of ZechariAh, son of SamariAh, son of ShephatiJah, son of MaHalaleEl).

[Over] the sons of Perez ⁵ was MaAseJah (son of BarUch, grandson of ColHozeh, son of HazaiJah, son of AdaiJah, son of JoiArib, son of ZechariAh, son of Seloni).

⁶ Altogether, there were 428 mighty men who were descendants of Perez that settled in JeruSalem.

⁷ [The leader from] the tribe of BenJamin was SalLu (son of MeshulLlam, grandson of JoEd, son of PedaiJah, son of KolaiJah, son of MasSeJah, son of IthiEl, son of JesaiJah).

⁸ And under him were GabBai and SalLai, with 928 men.

⁹ JoEl (son of Zichri) was their overseer, and Judah (son of Asam) was second in charge of the city.

¹⁰ From the Priests, there was JedaiJah (son of JoiArib), JaChin, ¹¹ and SeraiJah (son of HilkiAh, grandson of MeshuLam, son of ZaDok, son of MaraiOth, son of AhiTub) that were in charge of the Temple of God.

¹² And under them were 822 of their brothers that did the work.

This included AdaiJah (son of JeroHam, grandson of PelaliJah, son of Amzi, son of ZechariAh, son of PashUr, ¹³ and 242 of his brothers that were the rulers of families, including AmaShai (son of AzareEl, grandson of SikiAh, son of MeshilLemOth, son of ImMer) ¹⁴ and his brothers, some 128 mighty men who were ready for battle.

Their overseer was ZabdiEl, who was a descendant of a great line of warriors.

¹⁵ From the Levites, there was ShemaiJah (son of Hashub, grandson of AzriKam, son of HashabiJah, son of BunNi), ¹⁶ and MatTaniJah, and JoZabad, who were in charge of the work outside the Temple of God, who were the rulers of the Levites.

¹⁷ There was also MatTaniJah (son of Micha, grandson of ZechRi, son of Asaph) who was in charge of the praises, Judah was in charge of the prayers, his brother BakBukiJah was second under him, and then there was AbDa (son of ShamMua, grandson of Galal, son of JediThun).

¹⁸ Altogether, there were 284 Levites in the Holy City.

¹⁹ Over the gatekeepers were AkKub and TalMon. And under them there were 172 of their brothers that guarded the gates.

²⁰ All the rest of IsraEl and the Priests and Levites settled in the lands of their inheritance, in the other cities of IsraEl.

²¹ The Nethinim [meaning, the Temple servants] settled in [the area of JeruSalem called] Ophel; and Ziha and Gispa were [in charge of] the Nethinim.

²² The overseer of the Levites in JeruSalem was UzZi (son of Bani, grandson of SabiJah, son of MatTaniJah, son of Micha).

The singers (who were descendants of Asaph) had to do their work before the Temple of God, ²³ for this was commanded by the king, and each one had his own daily assignment.

²⁴ PethAhiJah (son of MeShezaBeel) from the line of Zerah of the Tribe of Judah, reported directly to the king on matters pertaining to the people, ²⁵ and regarding their properties and lands.

Some from the Tribe of Judah settled in KiriAth Arba and its suburbs, in Dibon and its suburbs, in and around KabSel, ²⁶ in JeShua, in MolAdah, in BethPhelet, ²⁷ in HazarShual, in BeerSheba and its suburbs, ²⁸ in ZikLag, in MabNe and its suburbs, ²⁹ in RimMon, in ZeriJah, in JariMoth, ³⁰ in ZaNoah, in and around AdulLam, in and around LachIsh, and in AzekAh and its suburbs.

They also camped near BeerSheba in the Valley of Hinnom.

³¹ The Tribe of BenJamin settled in GebaA, in MichMash, in AiJa, in BethEl and its suburbs, ³² in AnathOth, in Nob, in AnaniAh, ³³ in Hazor, in RamAh, in GitTaim, ³⁴ in Hadid, in Zeboim, in NebalLat, ³⁵ in Lod, and in OnoKareSeim.

³⁶ Also, some of the Levites settled throughout Judah and BenJamin.

Nehemiah 12

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¹ These are the Priests and Levites who came here with ZerubBabel (son of ShealtiEl) and JeShua:

• SaraiJah,

• JeremiAh,

• Ezra,

• ² AmariAh,

• MalLuch,

• HatTush,

• ³ ShechaniJah,

• Rehum,

• MeremOth,

• ⁴ AdiJah,

• GinNetho,

• AbiJah,

• ⁵ MiAmin,

• MaAdiJah,

• BilGah,

• ⁶ ShemaiAh,

• JoiArib,

• JedaiJah,

• ⁷ SalLu,

• Amok,

• HilkiAh, and

• JedaiJah.

⁸ These are rulers of the Priests and their brothers in the days of JeShua and the Levites:

• JeShua,

• BinNui,

• KadmiEl,

• SherebiJah,

• JoiAda,

• MatTaniJah (who, along with his brothers, was over [the gifts] of confession),

• ⁹ BakBukiJah,

• UnNi...

...and their brothers, who handled the daily rotations.

• ¹⁰ JeShua fathered JoiAkim,

• JoiAkim fathered EliAshib,

• EliAshib fathered JoiAda,

• ¹¹ JoiAda fathered JoNathan, and

•JoNathan fathered JadDua.

¹² Now, during the days of JoiAkim, these were the Priests and the rulers of the families:

The leader of the family of SeraiJah was MeraiJah;

The leader of the family of JeremiAh was HanaNiJah; ¹³ The leader of the family of Ezra was MeshulLam; The leader of the family of AmariAh was JehoHanan; ¹⁴ The leader of the family of MeliKu was JoNathan; The leader of the family of SecheniJah was JoSeph; ¹⁵ The leader of the family of Ares was Adna; The leader of the family of MaraYoth was HelkAi; ¹⁶ The leader of the family of IdDo was ZechariAh; The leader of the family of GinNethon was MeshulLam; ¹⁷ The leader of the family of AbiJah was Zichri; The leader of the families of MinJamin and MoAdiJah was PiltAi; ¹⁸ The leader of the family of BilGah was ShamMua; The leader of the family of ShemaiAh was JehoNathan; ¹⁹ The leader of the family of JoiArib was MattenAi; The leader of the family of JedaiJah was UzZi; ²⁰ The leader of the family of SalLai was KalLai; The leader of the family of Amok was Eber; ²¹ The leader of the family of HilkiAh was HashaiJah; The leader of the family of JedaiJah was NethaneEl.

²² The Levites in the days of EliAshib were:

• JoiAda,

• Joa,

• JoHanan, and

• JadDua.

They were the recorded heads of their families and the Priests in the kingdom of Darius the Persian.

²³ The [names of] the sons of Levi that were the family heads had been written in the scrolls of the records of those days until the time of JoHanan (son of EliAshib). ²⁴ The rulers of the Levites were:

• HashabiJah,

• SherebiJah,

• JeShua,

• the sons ,

• family of KadmiEl.

These were in charge of praising and acknowledging, [which was an office] that David (the man of God) had set up in daily rotations.

²⁵ [Those] in charge of assembling and assigning the watches of the gatekeepers were:

• MatTaniJah,

• BakBukiJah,

• ObadiAh,

• MeShulLam,

• TalMon, and

• AkKub.

²⁶ It was in the days of JoiAkim (son of JeShua and grandson of JoZadak), and in the time of NehemiAh (the ruler) and Ezra (the Priest and scribe) ²⁷ and during the festival of dedication of the wall of JeruSalem that they went searching for the Levites in the places where they lived, to bring them to JeruSalem so they could handle the holiday of rededication with happiness, praises, and with music played on their cymbals, reed instruments, and stringed instruments.

²⁸ Then they gathered singers from around JeruSalem (from NetoPhalthi, ²⁹ Beth GilGal, the fields of Geba, and from AzMaveth), because the singers had built homes for themselves close to JeruSalem. ³⁰ Then the Priests cleansed themselves, as well as the Levites, the people, and the [city] gates and walls.

³¹ Thereafter, the [singers] marched in front of the leaders of Judah around the tops of the [city] walls.

I had stationed two large groups of [musicians and singers] along the walls that were to walk towards the Manure Gate, ³² as HoshaiJah and half of the rulers of Judah walked behind them.

³³ AzariAh, Ezra, and MeshulLam ³⁴ represented Judah, and ShemaiAh and JeremiAh represented BenJamin.

³⁵ Under [the leadership of] ZechariAh (son of JoNathan, grandson of ShemaiAh, son of MathaniJah, son of MichaiAh, son of ZacCur, son of Asaph), some of the of the Priests were blowing trumpets, ³⁶ while the rest of his family (ShemaiJah, AzaraEl, GilalAi, MaAi, NathaniEl, Judah, and HanaNi) walked behind Ezra the scribe playing the songs of David (the man of God) on their instruments.

³⁷ Then when they reached the Gate of the Spring, they marched down the stairway of the City of David and back up along the wall over the house of David, heading eastward towards the Water Gate.

³⁸ And as they were marching along [playing and singing their] songs of praise, the 2nd group was marching to meet them, as I walked behind them. Half of the people walked along the wall near the Furnace Tower, then along the Broad Wall ³⁹ over the Gate of Ephraim, and over the Gate of EiSiana, the Fish Gate, the Tower of HaNaneEl and the Tower of MeAh, all the way to the Sheep Gate, and then on to the Prison Gate, ⁴⁰ where both groups stopped to offer their praises at the Temple of God, as half of the commanders and I stood there.

⁴¹ Then the Priests (EliAkim, MaAsiJah, MiniAmin, MichaiAh, ElioEnai, ZechariAh, and HanaNiJah) blew their trumpets, ⁴² as MaAseJah, ShemiAh, EliEzer, UzZi, JehoHanan, MelchiJah, AiLam, Ezer (and their overseer, JezRahJah) started singing!

⁴³ Well, they offered many sacrifices that day and everyone was extremely happy, for God had made them, their wives, and their children very happy!

And the sound of their joy could be heard a long distance from JeruSalem!

⁴⁴ It was on this day that they ordered those who were over the treasures in the treasuries (the first fruits and the tithes) to go out and gather the portions for the Priests and Levites from the cities and the fields.

And everyone in Judah was very happy for the Priests, Levites, and the guards ⁴⁵ that kept the watches for their God, and for those in charge of the cleansing, for the singers, and for the gatekeepers, all of whom were doing everything according to the commandments of David and of his son Solomon.

⁴⁶ Because, it was in the days of David and Asaph that singers were first assigned to sing praises to God. ⁴⁷ And it was during the days of ZerubBabel and NehemiAh that all the people started contributing a portion to the singers and gatekeepers each day.

It was handed over as something holy to the Levites, who handed it over as something holy to the sons of Aaron.

Nehemiah 13

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¹ Well on that day (when they were reading the scroll of Moses before the ears of the people), they came to understand that it was written that the AmMonites and MoAbites were not to enter the gathering of God throughout the ages, ² because they hadn’t greeted the sons of IsraEl with bread and water, but hired BalaAm to curse them (which our God turned into blessings).

³ And when they heard this read in the Law, they separated such people who had been mixed among the IsraElites.

⁴ Before that time, however, the Priest EliAshib had assigned TobiJah to be in charge of the treasury of the Temple of our God, ⁵ [and he had moved into] the large room in the treasury where the sacrifice offerings, the frankincense, the sacred utensils, the tithe grain, the wine, and the olive oil was supposed to be stored (as it was commanded) for the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, along with the first fruits for the Priests.

⁶ I wasn’t in JeruSalem when he did this, for (because it was the 32nd year of the reign of ArthaSastha the ruler of Babylon) I had gone to see the king, and then (after some time) I asked the king for a few things ⁷ before returning to JeruSalem.

But when I [got back and] saw the wicked thing that EliAshib had done for TobiJah by giving the treasury to him there in the courtyard of the Temple of God, ⁸ this looked very wrong to me.

So, I took all of TobiJah’s things out of the treasury and threw them outside!

⁹ Then I gave the order and they cleansed the treasury, and I had the Temple of God’s sacred utensils, sacrifice offerings, and frankincense all brought back.

¹⁰ I also realized that the Levites weren’t being given their portions, so the Levites, singers, and workmen had all returned to their own fields! ¹¹ Therefore, I had a heated exchange with those who were in charge, and I asked:

‘Why has the Temple of God been abandoned?’

And afterward, I called everyone back and assigned them to their stations, ¹² as everyone in Judah once again started bringing their tithes of the wheat, wine, and olive oil to the treasury. ¹³ I then put all of this into the hands of the Priest ShelemiJah, the scribe ZaDok, and PedaiAh and Hanan (the sons of ZacCur and grandsons of MatTaniJah) who represented the Levites, since I thought that they could be trusted. And I left it up to them to divide it all among their brothers.

¹⁴ Remember me for this, O my God, and don’t forget my acts of mercy on behalf of the Temple of my God Yahweh and [the assignment of] His watches!

¹⁵ Well, it was then that I noticed that the people of Judah were treading their wine vats and collecting sheaves of grain and loading them on their burros (along with wine, grapes, figs, and everything else) and carrying them into JeruSalem on the Sabbath day!

Yes, I can testify to the fact that they were even selling these things on that day!

¹⁶ People from Tyre were also bringing in fish and all sorts of things, and they were sitting there offering them for sale to the sons of Judah in JeruSalem on the Sabbath!

¹⁷ So I quarreled with the free men of Judah and asked:

‘Why are you doing this wicked thing… Why are you profaning the day of the Sabbath?

¹⁸ ‘Isn’t this the same thing that your fathers did that caused God to bring all the evils down upon this city and upon us?

‘Now you’re adding to His anger upon IsraEl by profaning the Sabbath!’

¹⁹ Well, after I said that, they started locking the gates of JeruSalem before the Sabbath, and I told them not to unlock them until after the Sabbath.

Then I had some of my young men stand at the gates to make sure that no one carried loads on the Sabbath day, ²⁰ and that all the traders were forced to find lodging.

Oh, some did business outside of JeruSalem’s walls once or twice, ²¹ but I spoke to them and asked:

‘Why are you lodging so close to the city wall?

‘If you do this a second time, I’ll be forced to take action against you!’

Well from that time on, they no longer came on the Sabbath.

²² Thereafter, I had a talk with the Levites who were being cleansed and with those who had come to guard the gates, about the need to keep the Sabbath day holy.

Remember me, O my God, and protect me by Your great mercy!

²³ Back then, I saw Judeans that had settled in with women who were AshDodites, AmMonites, and MoAbites… ²⁴ They were even speaking the AshDod language and they weren’t learning Judean, for they were speaking the languages of these people and those people!

²⁵ So I quarreled with them and I cursed them… I hit some of the men, pulled their hair, and made them swear before God not to take those people’s daughters for their sons or for themselves.

²⁶ [I said]:

‘Isn’t this how Solomon the king of IsraEl sinned?

‘Yet among all the nations, there wasn’t another king like him, because God loved him and God appointed him to be the king over all IsraEl.

‘But it was this thing that turned him aside… Foreign women!

²⁷ ‘So, should we allow you to do such wickedness and break your relationship with God by taking foreign women?’

²⁸ [I said this to] the sons of JoiAda and to EliAshib (who was the High Priest and a relative by marriage of SanBalLat)… Then I threw them all out!

²⁹ Remember them, O my God, because they opposed the rights of inheritance of the Priesthood [as was set forth in] Your Sacred Agreement for the Priests and the Levites!

³⁰ I cleansed them of all their connections with foreigners, then I established the daily rotations for the Priests and Levites, so that every man had an assignment among the Priests, ³¹ whether it was just to provide gifts of wood for the offerings by seasons and times, or [to bring in] the first fruits.

Please remember me, O our God, for the goodness that [I’ve shown]!

Esther

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Esther is a short story about how the Jewish girl Esther (possibly Damasphia) became the wife of the Persian Emperor (called ArtaXerxes in the Greek text), and of how she saved the Jews from a plot to destroy them, which led to the creation of the Jewish Feast of Purim.

This ArtaXerxes appears to be ArtaXerxes I of Persia, and the account tells us that these events happened in the 3rd year of his reign (by our calculations, around 472 BCE).

Additional material

Although this version is from the Greek Septuagint, we don’t include the six pieces of additional material that were added to the Septuagint’s version (the ‘Old Greek’ version) several centuries after the original writing. These six pieces of extra material are not fake texts pretending to be original, no, they seem to have always been understood as additional, unoriginal, and uninspired material – added to help readers by giving them background information and extra context.

Our translation of Esther only includes the original material; these happen to be the same passages that appear in the Hebrew manuscripts.

However, the additions are probably (more or less) accurate in what they say. For example, some claim to be copies of the king’s letters that are mentioned in the main text. The last addition even tells us when it was added (the 1st century BCE) and who translated it (someone called Lysimachus)!

So while these additions are not part of the original text, they were commonly attached to Esther in ancient times and were likely familiar to Greek-speaking Early Christians and the Apostles.

In the future, we’ll add the additional material to this translation of Esther, but make it clear that the six additions are uninspired.

Esther 1

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¹ This all happened in the days of ArtaXerxes (the ArtaXerxes that ruled an area of 127 regions all the way to India).

² Back in those days, after ArtaXerxes had been enthroned as king in the City of Susa and ³ during the 3rd year of his reign, he held a great [wedding] banquet to which he invited his friends, foreign dignitaries, the most honorable Medes and Persians, and those who were in charge of the governors of the various regions.

⁴ Then, over the next 180 days, he took them and showed them all the wealth of his kingdom and the glory of the things that he’d accomplished.

⁵ Well, after the days for celebrating his wedding were completed, the king held another banquet inside the courtyard of the king’s palace for the foreigners who lived in his city, which lasted 7 more days.

⁶ The [banquet] area was decorated with fine linen and cotton cloth that was stretched over lines of fine linen and purple cloth, which were fastened with gold and silver cubes to Parian-marble columns.

⁷ [There were also] beds of gold and silver on a Parian-marble floor [that was set with] emerald stones and mother of pearl, and this was strewn with transparent beds that were variously decorated with cups of gold and silver.

In addition, they had an abundance of the finest wines (the type that was reserved for the king).

⁸ The banquet wasn’t handled as it was specified in their laws, but because that’s the way the king wanted it, he gave instructions to those who were in charge of the workers to handle things his way.

⁹ Meanwhile, Astin (the queen) was holding a banquet for the women of the kingdom in the same place where ArtaXerxes was holding his.

¹⁰ Then on the 7th day, because the king was in a particularly happy mood, he gave orders to HaMan, BizTha, Harbona, BigTha, AbagTha, Zethar, and Carcas (the king’s 7 [most trusted] eunuchs) to bring the queen to him, ¹¹ so she could receive her coronation and be given a royal turban, and so that he could display her beauty before all the princes and the foreigners (because she was very beautiful).

¹² But Queen Astin refused to go along with the eunuchs, which made the king very angry.

¹³ So he said to his friends:

‘If this is how Astin has chosen to answer, then you deal with this matter according to the law and judge her!’

¹⁴ Well, Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, TarShish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan (the 7 sub-rulers of the Persians and Medes who were closest to the king and who sat by him) came forward ¹⁵ and told the king what the laws required them to do to Queen Astin for not following the orders that the king had given to his eunuchs.

¹⁶ Memucan spoke and said this to him and to the other rulers:

‘Not only has Queen Astin dishonored the king, but she has dishonored all of the king’s rulers and leaders.’

¹⁷ Then after describing to them all the things that the queen had said and how she had disobeyed the king, he proclaimed:

‘Because she has disobeyed King ArtaXerxes, ¹⁸ and because all the wives of the sub-rulers and leaders of the Persians and Medes have heard what the queen said, they might also dare to dishonor their husbands!

¹⁹ ‘Therefore, if it seems good to the king, let him write out and sign a royal decree passing a law among the Medes and Persians that she should not be treated as the queen and that she may no longer sleep with the king.

‘Then may the king find a woman better than her!

²⁰ ‘This law should be announced throughout the entire kingdom, so that all the women will learn to respect their men, both the rich and the poor!’

²¹ Well, because what he said pleased the king and his rulers, the king did as Memucan had proposed... ²² He sent a proclamation everywhere throughout his entire realm in each of their languages, requiring women to show respect for the men in their households.

Esther 2

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¹ This ended the king’s rage, and he never mentioned Astin again, or the things that she said, or his condemnation of her.

² So then the king’s servants said to him:

‘Have them search for a young woman for the king who is both pure and beautiful to look at.

³ ‘Send judges throughout your kingdom and have them choose young women who are virgins and pretty, then have them taken to your harem in the City of Susa where they’ll be handed over to the king’s eunuch that’s in charge of the women, to take care of them and give them beauty treatments.

⁴ ‘And after that, the woman who best pleases the king will reign instead of Astin.’

Well, because this pleased the king, it was done.

⁵ Now, there was a man (a Judean) in the City of Susa whose name was MordecAi. He was the son of JaiRus, the grandson of SemeYas, and the great-grandson of KisaYus from the tribe of BenJamin, ⁶ who had been carried off as a captive from JeruSalem by NebuChadnezzar, the king of Babylon.

⁷ MordecAi had a child whom he’d raised who was the daughter of his uncle (his father’s brother), and her name was Esther. For after her parents died, he [agreed to] take [care of] the young woman, who was very pretty.

⁸ Well, after the king’s proclamation [was read], many young women were gathered to the City of Susa [to be seen by] Gai (the harem keeper), and then Esther was led before him... ⁹ He found the young woman very pleasing and he liked her, so he hurried to give her the beauty treatments and her share [of good things], and 7 young women from the royal palace were brought there [to serve] her.

Thereafter, he treated [Esther] and her handmaidens very well in the harem chamber. ¹⁰ However, Esther didn’t discuss her race or her fatherland with him, because MordecAi had told her not to mention it.

¹¹ Then, every day, MordecAi would walk by the women’s courtyard to see what was happening to Esther.

¹² Well, at the end of 12 months, the time finally came for the young women to go in to the king (for that’s how long the beauty treatments were to last). They also underwent 6 months of treatments with fragrant oils.

¹³ It was then, after 6 months of being bathed in myrrh oil, that she was taken in to the king, along with any others that the king told them to bring from the harem chamber to the royal palace.

¹⁴ She was brought in to him that evening, and the next morning, she returned to the secondary harem where the Eunuch Gai (the king’s harem keeper) stayed, and she couldn’t go before the king after that, unless she had been called.

¹⁵ Well eventually, Esther (the daughter of AbiHail, MordecAi’s uncle) was brought before the king again, and she carefully followed all the eunuch’s instructions, so that everyone who saw her came to like her.

¹⁶ Esther had been taken to King ArtaXerxes in the 10th month (TeBeth) of the 7th year of his reign, ¹⁷ and he fell passionately in love with her, preferring her to all the other virgins! He then placed the royal turban of the queen on her head, ¹⁸ and he held a banquet for all of his friends and the governors that lasted 7 days.

He also made the wedding feast of Esther greater by [releasing all the prisoners] in his kingdom.

¹⁹ Meanwhile, MordecAi had been put in charge of matters having to do with [the king’s] courtyard. ²⁰ And he reminded Esther not to mention her fatherland. Rather, he told her to just fear God and obey His orders, the same as she did when she lived in his home…

And Esther never deviated from doing this.

²¹ Well, MordecAi kept growing more important, ²² and when two of the king’s eunuchs (the chiefs of his bodyguards) became worried about ArtaXerxes and decided to assassinate him, MordecAi heard about this and sent a warning to the king through Esther about their plot.

²³ So after the king interrogated the eunuchs, he had them hung, and he had a record written in the royal library about the goodwill that MordecAi had shown, saying that he was to be commended for this.

Esther 3

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¹ However, after that, King ArtaXerxes honored HaMan (son of AmaDathes the AgAgite). He promoted him over all his friends and seated him in [the most prominent position].

² So thereafter, everyone in the courtyard had to bow before HaMan, because the king said that they had to do so… However, MordecAi refused to do this. ³ As a result, the people in the king’s courtyard started asking MordecAi why he was disobeying the order of the king.

⁴ And although they spoke to him about this every day, MordecAi just didn’t pay any attention to them... So someone thereafter pointed out to HaMan that MordecAi had been disobeying the king’s orders, and he also mentioned that MordecAi was a Judean.

⁵ Well, when HaMan found out that MordecAi wasn’t bowing before him, this made him very angry! ⁶ So, that’s when he started making plans to remove all the Judeans from the kingdom of ArtaXerxes.

⁷ Then, during the 12th year of the reign of ArtaXerxes, he drafted a law, and he threw lots for each day and month to determine when the best time would be to destroy the race of MordecAi…

And it fell on the 14th day of the month of Adar.

⁸ So he went and spoke to King ArtaXerxes and said this:

‘There’s a nation that’s mixed among all the nations of your kingdom whose laws are different from those of the other nations, and they disregard the laws of the king!

‘Therefore, it isn’t to the king’s advantage to keep them... ⁹ So if it seems good to the king; may he approve this decree [that I’ve written], which says that they must be destroyed!

‘Then I’ll appropriate 10,000 gold coins from the king’s treasury to get it done.’

¹⁰ Well, the king removed his ring and handed it to HaMan to seal the judgment that he had written against the Judeans.

¹¹ And the king said to HaMan:

‘As for the [money]; you have it.

‘And as for that nation; treat them in any way that you wish!’

¹² So then the king called in his scribes (on the 13th day of the 1st month) and they copied HaMan’s orders [and sent them to] all the military commanders and governors from India to Ethiopia… To 127 districts.

[HaMan also] sent letters to all the rulers of the nations in their own languages in the name of King ArtaXerxes.

¹³ He sent them by couriers throughout ArtaXerxes’s kingdom, [telling the people] to wipe out the race of the Judeans on the [13th] day of the 12th month (Adar), and he told them that they could plunder all their possessions.

¹⁴ So, copies of the letters were put on display everywhere... And then the day was set and everything was being prepared and made ready… ¹⁵ Even in Susa.

And after that, the king and HaMan toasted each other, as the whole city was in an uproar.

Esther 4

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¹ Well when MordecAi realized that this was the end, he ripped his clothes, put on sackcloth, [covered himself with] ashes, and he rushed to the city square, where he yelled as loudly as he could:

‘A nation is being removed that has wronged no one!’

² Then after that, he went and stood outside the palace gate (because he wasn’t allowed to enter the courtyard in sackcloth and ashes). ³ And everywhere that the letters were on display there was crying, beating on chests, and great mourning among the Judeans, as they put on sackcloth and made beds for themselves in ashes.

⁴ Well, the queen soon learned about this plot through her handmaids and eunuchs, who came to her and told her about it… And she was very upset when she heard what had happened.

Meanwhile, she sent a robe to MordecAi and told him to stop wearing his sackcloth; but he refused to do it.

⁵ Then Esther called Hatach (her personal eunuch) and sent him to MordecAi, ⁶ so she could learn the details of the situation. ⁷ And MordecAi explained to him how it all came about… Of how HaMan had gotten the king’s promise to receive 10,000 gold coins from his treasury so he could destroy the Judeans... ⁸ And then he gave a copy of the decree that was on public display in Susa (which said that they were to be destroyed) to Hatach, who carried it to Esther.

He also told the eunuch to ask her to [go before] the king [to beg for his mercy] and for her to prove worthy by speaking on behalf of her people.

He said:

‘Tell her to explain to him about how lowly she was once considered and of how I took her in and raised her, because HaMan (the king’s second in command) is talking about killing all of us.

‘Tell her to call upon the Lord [our God], and then go speak to the king about us and rescue us from death!’

⁹ So Hatach returned and told Esther everything that [Modecai] had said.

¹⁰ And then Esther told Hatach to go to MordecAi and say:

‘Everyone in the kingdom knows that there’s no hope for any man or woman who goes into the king’s inner courtyard without being called [first]. ¹¹ Only those to whom the king stretches out his scepter is safe… And I haven’t been called to see the king for some 30 days now!’

¹² Therefore, Hatach went and told MordecAi everything that Esther said, and MordecAi told him:

¹³ ‘Go and tell Esther not to think that she’s the only Judean who’ll be saved. ¹⁴ And if she wants to ignore us this time, the Judeans will get help from somewhere else… Then she and the house of her father will be destroyed!

‘But... Perhaps she was made queen for this very purpose?’

¹⁵ Then Esther sent a reply to MordecAi, saying:

¹⁶ ‘Gather all the Judeans in the City of Susa and ask everyone to fast for me… Don’t eat or drink anything for three days and three nights!

‘Also, my handmaids and I will go without food before I go in before the king, because I’ll be breaking the law.

‘Yet, even if it’s necessary for me to die, I’ll do it!’

¹⁷ And thereafter, MordecAi did everything that Esther told him to do.

Esther 5

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¹ Well on the 3rd day, Esther dressed in her royal clothes, then she went and stood in the palace courtyard, inside the inner courtyard, which is right outside of the king’s residence.

And when the king went and sat down on his royal throne (which was inside his palace but it faced the front entryway) ² and he saw Esther the queen standing in his courtyard, he was pleased.

So he stretched out the gold scepter towards her that he held in his hand, and Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.

³ Then the king asked:

‘What do you want Esther… What’s your request?

‘Ask for half of my kingdom and it’s yours.’

⁴ And Esther said:

‘This is a special day for me... So if it seems good to the king, may both the king and HaMan attend a banquet that I will hold for them today!’

⁵ So the king said to HaMan:

‘Hurry, let’s go and do what Esther has asked!’

And they both went to the banquet that Esther had prepared.

⁶ Well, when they arrived, the king said to Esther:

‘Tell me what it is that’s so important to you, Queen Esther, and I’ll do whatever is worthwhile.’

⁷ Then she said:

‘My only request and petition is this:

⁸ ‘If I’ve found the favor of the king, may you and HaMan come again tomorrow for [another] banquet that I’ll hold for you, the same as today.’

⁹ Well after HaMan left the king that day, he was very cheerful and happy. But when he noticed the Judean MordecAi standing in the courtyard, he was furious.

¹⁰ Then when he got home, he called his wife ZoSara and his friends, ¹¹ and he showed them all the wealth he’d gained. He also told them of the glory that the king had vested upon him, and of how the king had appointed him to be the most important and how he had given him the lead position in his kingdom.

¹² Then HaMan said:

‘Today, the queen didn’t invite anyone to a banquet that she held other than just me and the king, and she has invited me again tomorrow!

¹³ ‘However, the thing that really bothered me was seeing that Jew – MordecAi – standing there in the courtyard!’

¹⁴ Then his wife ZoSara said to him and his friends:

‘You should cut down a very tall tree, then at dawn tomorrow morning, you should go and speak to the king about hanging MordecAi on it, so that when you attend the banquet with the king, you can do it joyfully!’

Well, because this seemed to be a good idea, HaMan went and prepared the tree.

Esther 6

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¹ However, because the Lord [God] had removed sleep from the king that night, he gave orders to his servant to bring in the memorandum letters and to read them to him. ² And that’s when he found the letter concerning MordecAi, which told of how he’d reported that two of the king’s eunuchs were looking to get their hands on ArtaXerxes.

³ So the king asked:

‘What glory or favor was shown to MordecAi for doing this?’

And the king’s servants replied:

‘Nothing has been done for him.’

⁴ Well, it so happened that, just as the king was asking about doing good things for MordecAi, {Look!} HaMan arrived in the courtyard... For he’d come to speak to the king about hanging MordecAi on the pole that he had prepared!

So the king asked:

‘Who is in the courtyard?’

⁵ And the king’s servants replied:

‘Look, its HaMan standing in the courtyard.’

And the king said:

‘Call him in!’

⁶ Then the king asked HaMan:

‘Tell me... What [would you suggest that] I do for a man whom I wish to honor?’

Well, HaMan thought to himself:

‘Whom would the king wish to honor other than me?’

⁷ So he said to the king:

‘As for the man whom the king wishes to honor...

⁸ ‘The king’s servants should bring him the same fine linen that the king wears, as well as the king’s horse.

⁹ ‘Then one of the king’s most honored friends should dress the man who’s loved by the king in royal robes, mount him on the horse, and then lead him around the city square proclaiming:

‘This is how any man who’s honored by the king must be treated!’

¹⁰ And at that, the king said to HaMan:

‘Well spoken!

‘That’s what I want you to do for my courtyard attendant, the Jew MordecAi…

‘Be sure that you do everything that you said!’

¹¹ Well thereafter, HaMan went and got the robes and the horse, then he dressed MordecAi and mounted him on the [king’s] horse, and he led him around the city square proclaiming:

‘This is how any man who’s honored by the king must be treated!’

¹² And after he brought MordecAi back to the courtyard, he went home extremely upset and with a worried mind.

¹³ So when he got back home, he told his wife ZoSara and his friends everything that had happened.

Then his wife and friends said:

‘Since MordecAi is of the Judean race and you’ve started being humbled before him, this means that you’re going to fall…

‘There’s no way to defend yourself against that man, because the Living God is with him!’

¹⁴ Well, it was while they were still speaking to him that the eunuchs arrived to hurry HaMan along to the banquet that had been prepared by Esther.

Esther 7

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¹ So then, the king and HaMan went in to [eat and] drink with the queen on the 2nd day of the banquet, ² and the king asked Esther:

‘What would you like, Queen Esther?

‘What’s your request or petition?

‘Whatever you may ask is yours… Up to half of my kingdom!’

³ And she replied:

‘If I’ve found favor before the king, my request and petition is for him to grant life to my people...

⁴ ‘For my people and I have been sold for destruction, ravaging, and as male and female slaves… Including our children!

‘I haven’t mentioned this to you before, but the one who slandered us is no longer worthy to sit in the courtyard of the king.’

⁵ Well at that, the king asked:

‘Who would have dared to do such a thing?’

⁶ And Esther said:

‘A man… An enemy… HaMan… This wicked man!’

Well, HaMan became very upset before the king and queen, ⁷ and the king just got up and walked out into the garden.

So then HaMan appealed to the queen, because he saw that he was in a bad situation.

⁸ Then when the king returned from the garden, he found that HaMan had fallen on the queen’s bed as he was begging her.

And the king asked:

‘Are you attacking my wife here in my own home?’

Well when HaMan heard that, he didn’t know what to say. ⁹ Then Harbonah (one of the king’s eunuchs) said to the king:

‘{Look!} HaMan has prepared a very tall pole [on which he’s planned to hang] MordecAi, the man who protected the king…

‘He had it erected next to his home.’

And the king said:

‘Then let him be hung on it!’

¹⁰ So HaMan was hung on the pole that he’d prepared for MordecAi that day, and this ended the king’s rage.

Esther 8

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¹ Then on that same day, King ArtaXerxes offered everything that had once belonged to the slanderer HaMan, to Esther.

And after Esther explained how MordecAi was related to her, the king called him in ² and gave him the ring that he’d removed from the hand of HaMan! Esther also put MordecAi in charge of all the possessions of HaMan.

³ Then, later that day, [Esther] went in and spoke to the king.

She fell to his feet and begged him to undo all the evil things that HaMan had [planned] to do against the Judeans. ⁴ So the king held out his gold scepter to Esther, and she got up on her feet and stood next to the king and said:

⁵ ‘If it seems good to you, and if I’ve found your favor; have those letters that HaMan wrote and sent out about destroying all the Judeans in your kingdom, recalled.

⁶ ‘For, how could I watch my people being so mistreated, and how could I personally be saved when everyone else in my fatherland is being destroyed?’

⁷ But the king said to Esther:

‘Since I’ve already granted you everything that HaMan owned, and I had him hung on a pole for raising his hands against the Judeans, what more are you asking?

⁸ ‘You may write whatever seems good to you in my name and then seal it with my ring. However, once the king has given an order and has sealed it with his ring, it may never be changed!’

⁹ Well, it was the 23rd day of the 1st month (Nisan) of the same year that the scribes were called in, and [an edict] was written concerning the Judeans that was thereafter sent to all those in authority... To those who were in charge and to all the governors from India to Ethiopia, 127 governors by districts, in each of their own languages.

¹⁰ It was written in the name of the king, sealed with his ring, and sent out by couriers. ¹¹ It gave instructions on how his laws were to be executed in each city, and explained that [the Judeans] should be helped in dealing with their opponents and enemies in any way they wanted, ¹² all on a single day, throughout the entire kingdom of ArtaXerxes, on the 13th day of the 12th month (Adar)... ¹³  And [how] copies should be displayed for everyone in the kingdom to see, and how all Judeans should prepare themselves for war against their enemies!

¹⁴ So, the king’s edict was carried on horseback to be quickly delivered throughout the whole realm, and it was also put on display in Susa.

¹⁵ Well after that, MordecAi was dressed in royal robes, and a gold crown was placed on his head over a purple turban.

And when the people of Susa saw this, they all rejoiced…

¹⁶ And the Judeans were also very relieved and happy. ¹⁷ Then in every place and city where the edict had been displayed, there was rejoicing and feasting among the Judeans!

And as a result (because of their fear of the Judeans), many people of the nations got circumcised and became converts to Judaism.

Esther 9

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¹ Well, by the 13th day of the 12th month (Adar), all the letters from the king had been distributed. ² So on that day, all the enemies of the Jews were destroyed, because everyone was afraid to oppose them!

³ And everyone (including the heads over the governors, the vassal kings, and the royal scribes) treated the Judeans with respect, because they were afraid of MordecAi, ⁴ since the king had ordered his name ⁵ to be proclaimed throughout the kingdom.

⁶ In the city of Susa alone, the Judeans killed about 500 people, ⁷ including:

• PharShandatha,

• Daiphon,

• Aspatha,

• ⁸ Pharadatha,

• Barea,

• Sarbaka,

• ⁹ MarMasima,

• Ruphaeus,

• Arseus,

• ZabuThaeus,

• ¹⁰ The 10 sons of HaMan, and

• The son of AmaDathes the Bougean (who were all enemies of the Judeans).

However, they didn’t do any plundering that day.

¹¹ Well when the king heard how many had been destroyed in Susa, he said to Esther:

¹² ‘Since the Judeans have destroyed 500 men in the city, how do you suppose they were treated in other areas?

‘You can ask for whatever you wish and it’ll be yours!’

¹³ And Esther said to the king:

‘Allow the Judeans to do the same thing tomorrow [here in Susa], and let them hang [up the bodies of] the 10 sons of HaMan.’

¹⁴ So he agreed to let it happen, and the Judeans in the city hung up the bodies of the sons of HaMan. ¹⁵ Then they all gathered in Susa on the 14th day of Adar and killed 300 more men… But again, they didn’t plunder them.

¹⁶ Meanwhile, the rest of the Judeans throughout the kingdom had also gathered to protect themselves, which finally gave them some rest from those warlike men. Altogether, they destroyed 70,000 of them on the 13th of Adar… But they didn’t do any plundering either.

¹⁷ Then they rested on the 14th day of the month, proclaiming it a day of rest, joy, and gladness. ¹⁸ The Judeans in the city of Susa also gathered for rest on the 14th day, then they celebrated on the 15th day with joy and gladness.

¹⁹ And because of this, all the Judeans who were scattered outside [of Judea] still celebrate the 14th day of Adar as a happy day, during which they each send food to their neighbors.

²⁰ For MordecAi wrote that they should write this in a scroll that he would then send to the all Judeans throughout the kingdom of ArtaXerxes, both near and far, ²¹ establishing the 14th and 15th days of Adar as good days of celebration, ²² because those were the days when the Judeans were gained rest from their enemies…

It was the month when their mourning was turned into joy and their grief was turned into happy days. As a result, they were to celebrate those days happily with wedding feasts and by sending food to their friends and to the poor.

²³ The Judeans were also happy when MordecAi wrote of ²⁴ how HaMan (son of HamaDathes the Macedonian) had waged war against them by authoring a referendum to wipe them out, ²⁵ and of how he’d gone before the king to hang MordecAi [on a pole].

Then he told of how [HaMan’s] attempt to do bad things to the Judeans resulted in his own hanging, along with his children.

²⁶ So they call those days Purim (Lots), because these were the days [that HaMan] had chosen by throwing lots (which in their dialect was called Purim).

Well, because of the words in that letter, all the things that [the Jews] had suffered and that had been done to them, came to an end.

²⁷ And the Judeans adopted [Purim as a holiday] for them and their offspring, and they agreed to observe it exactly as [MordecAi] suggested. It was to be a memorial from generation to generation in every city, family, and place. ²⁸ These days were to be celebrated for all time, and were never to be forgotten throughout the generations!

²⁹ Then Queen Esther (the daughter of AbiHail) and MordecAi (the Judean) wrote about all that they’d done, in confirmation of what was written in the letter about Purim.

³⁰ MordecAi and Esther attested to all that they’d done, of how they had fasted, and to the things that they had each said. ³¹ And thereafter, Esther established the matter throughout the ages by [having it written] as a memorial.

Esther 10

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¹ Well after that, the king also wrote about this matter to everyone in his kingdom, both on land and at sea; ² however, he also wrote about his strength, valor, riches, and the glory of his kingdom.

Look! It’s all written as a memorial in the scrolls of the Persians and Medes.

³ From then on, MordecAi provided great relief to King ArtaXerxes, and he became great in his kingdom. He was also highly praised by the Judeans, because he fondly [watched out for] the welfare of their nation.

Job

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Job is an epic poem.

It’s about what happened to the man Job (whose name rhymes with ‘lobe’). Job was a rich cattle farmer who worshipped Yahweh. He probably lived somewhere to the east of the Jordan River. While the poem was put into writing by Moses, it’s clearly much older than him. Job probably lived sometime between 2140 BCE and 1980 BCE.

For more information on Job’s identity, please see this commentary on Job.

Was this a true story and was there really a faithful man named Job? Well, in Ezekiel, God mentioned him by name as being one of the three most faithful men in Ezekiel 14:14, 20. He was also mentioned by James, one of Yeshua’s 12 disciples in James 5:11 as an example of endurance.

Ancient poetry

Job is one of the oldest Bible accounts. In the Hebrew sources, it’s recorded in an ancient form of Hebrew that dates to before the Egyptian bondage, known as Ugaritic. It was originally a song or a poem, although the Greek translation entirely strips out all attempt at poetry.

In our translation, in accordance with our project charter, we’ve tried to restore a poetic cadence into the text, but without sacrificing accuracy.

The original Greek version of Job is lost

We do not have the earlier Greek text of Job used by the Early Christians, and there is uncertainty over the Hebrew version.

You see, in the 3rd century CE, Origen tried to ‘correct’ the Septuagint text of Job and Jeremiah by incorporating differences from newer Greek translations made by the Jewish scholars Theodotion, Aquila, and Symmachus. He assumed that the Greek Septuagint text was in error and acted as editor. When he created his great Hexapla, he noted where he made these changes.

Yes, some words, phrases, and verses in our version of Job and Jeremiah were not found in the earlier Greek Septuagint version which was used by many First Century Christians. Instead, we now have a version containing edits made by Origen around the year 240 CE.

Can we restore the original Greek Septuagint version that Yeshua’s apostles may have used?

No.

While Origen did, at least, mark his text to show where he was making changes, most of Origen’s work is lost. It only survives in fragments and in quotes made by others. We cannot restore the original Greek version of Job until new manuscripts are discovered. For now, it is impossible.

At least one change is quite serious. Christians regard Job 19:23–29 to be a Messianic prophecy. From the Hebrew source, it reads like this:

‘For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that at the last he will stand upon the earth; and after my skin has been thus destroyed, then in my flesh I shall see God.’ –NRSV

However, these verses read quite differently in the Greek Septuagint:

‘For I know that the One who made me this weak

Has walked ‘round the earth throughout the ages;

And it’s due to Him, that my skin has grown tired…

I’m worn out because of Lord [euphemism for YHWH].’

Yes, words that could easily be read as a Messianic prophecy do not appear in the Greek Septuagint version that has come down to us today. This is odd, since 5th Century scholar Jerome quoted these words (and others did too). So Christians knew these words – in their own languages!

So yes, it seems that competing Greek versions of Job co-existed. The version created by 3rd Century Origen is the only Greek version we have today, and these specific words are very different.

Remember, Origen’s ‘corrections’ came from Jewish scholars like Theodotian who retranslated the Hebrew text into Greek. In these translations, many Messianic prophecies either change or disappear. The evidence indicates that in the 1st Century, Hebrew Bible texts were deliberately altered to rewrite or remove Messianic prophecies quoted by Christians. We can confirm this by looking at the Dead Sea Scrolls, which predate these changes.

So while we normally trust the Greek Septuagint over the Hebrew text, in the case of the books of Job and Jeremiah, we can’t, because Origen decided to ‘correct’ them.

Therefore, the original Greek version of Job is currently lost. So should we just switch to the Hebrew version? It’s not that simple, because we have no idea if the early Rabbis made changes to that too (and we know they did to other books). The Dead Sea Scrolls confirm that changes took place to many books to remove Messianic prophecies, but those scrolls can’t help us to restore Job, because they only contain fragments of that book.

We are all waiting for a new manuscript discovery.

Having said all this, any changes that we don’t know about are likely to be a very small percentage of the total. We have no reason to think that they change the overall message of Job.

We will soon update our translation of Job to mark the parts unique to the Greek Septuagint with this marking: [LXX].

Job 1

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¹ There was a certain man named Job who lived in the land of the AuSitidi.

He was true, blameless, righteous, God fearing, and he distanced himself from all that was wicked. ² He had seven sons, three daughters, and he also had:

• 7,000 sheep,

• 3,000 camels,

• 500 teams of oxen, and

• 500 grazing female burros.

In addition, he had a huge work force to serve him, and many more to care for his land... ³ For the man had been born into a prosperous family from the sunrise in the east.

⁴ [Job’s] sons prepared banquets for each other each day, and their three sisters were always invited to eat and drink with them. ⁵ Then, after all the banqueting was done, Job would get up early each morning to purify them. He offered sacrifices on their behalf, which included a calf as a sin offering for their lives.

As Job said:

‘[I’m doing this] just in case my children even think something bad about God.’

And that’s how Job always did things.

⁶ Then one day, {Look!} the [angelic] messengers of God went to stand before Yahweh, and the Opposer came along with them.

⁷ So, Yahweh asked the Opposer:

‘Where have you come from?’

And the Opposer replied to Yahweh:

‘I’ve been on the earth, walking around everywhere under the sky.’

⁸ Then Yahweh asked him:

‘Have you noticed and thought about My child Job? There’s no one else like him on the earth, because he’s blameless, true, God fearing, and he distances himself from anything that’s bad.’

⁹ So the Opposer stood up before Yahweh and said:

‘Is Job really free to bow before You, Yahweh?

¹⁰ ‘Haven’t You protected him and all in his household from anything that might be harmful to him? You’ve blest everything he does, and You’ve provided huge herds of cattle for him that cover the entire land!

¹¹ ‘However, if You were to just reach out Your hand and touch all the things that he has, then he’d surely rave against You to Your face!’

¹² Then Yahweh said to the Opposer:

‘{Look!} I’m putting everything he has into your hands… Just don’t touch him personally.’

And at that, the Opposer left the presence of Yahweh.

¹³ Well, on that day, all of Job’s sons and daughters had all been enjoying wine in the house of their older brother. ¹⁴ But then, {Look!} a messenger came to Job and told him:

‘We were plowing with the teams of oxen, and the female burros were grazing nearby, ¹⁵ when slavers came and took them all and killed all your servants with swords!

‘I’m the only one who escaped, so I could bring this message to you!’

¹⁶ Then while he was still speaking, another messenger arrived and said to Job:

‘Lightning came out of the sky and burned up all the sheep! And the shepherds were destroyed the same way!

‘I’m the only one who escaped, so I came to report it to you!’

¹⁷ And while he was still speaking, another messenger arrived and said to Job:

‘Three companies of mounted troops attacked us, then they rounded up the camels and took them, and they killed all your servants with swords!

‘I was the only one who escaped, so I’ve come to report this to you!’

¹⁸ Well, while that one was still speaking, another messenger arrived and told Job:

‘Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking with their older brother, ¹⁹ when a tornado came towards them from out of the desert and touched down on the four corners of his house and destroyed it, killing all your children!

‘I’m the only one who escaped, and I came to report it to you!’

²⁰ And with that, Job got up and started ripping his clothes, then he cut all the hair off his head, and he bowed all the way to the ground and said:

²¹ ‘I came from my mother’s belly naked and I’ll return there naked… Yahweh gave it, and Yahweh took it away.

‘So, what seems good to Yahweh has come to pass.

‘May the Name of the Lord be praised!’

²² Well, despite all of these terrible things that happened to him, Job didn’t sin against Yahweh a single time, nor did he accuse God of foolishness.

Job 2

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¹ Then on another day, when God’s [angelic] messengers came to stand before Yahweh, the Opposer once more came among them to stand before the Lord. ² And Yahweh asked the Opposer:

‘So, where have you come from?’

And the Opposer again replied:

‘I’ve been on the earth, walking around everywhere under the sky.’

³ So Yahweh asked him:

‘Have you been paying attention to my child Job? For there are no others like him on the earth. He’s not a wicked man… He’s true, blameless, God fearing, and he avoids anything that’s evil, so he’s still innocent.

‘However, you told me [that he wouldn’t remain faithful] if everything he had was destroyed without a reason.’

⁴ Then the Opposer said to Yahweh:

‘Skin for skin… A man will give everything he has for his life! ⁵ For a fact, if You send Your hand to touch his flesh and bones, he’ll surely rave against You to Your face!’

⁶ And Yahweh replied to the Opposer:

‘{Look!} I’m giving him to you… Just don’t take his life!’

⁷ So the Opposer left Yahweh and struck Job with terrible sores from his head to his feet. ⁸ And as a result, [Job] had to carry a broken piece of pottery to scrape the pus as he sat in a pile of ashes.

⁹ Then his wife asked him:

‘How much longer are you going to endure this?

‘Just speak a word to God and end it!’

¹⁰ But he looked at her and said:

‘Why are you acting like such a foolish woman? If we’ve looked for good things from the hand of Yahweh, shouldn’t we also endure the bad?’

¹¹ Then, when three of his friends heard of all the bad things that had happened to him, they each came from their lands to see him. There was:

• EliPhaz the Temanite (a king),

• Baldad the Shuhite (a sovereign ruler),

• and Zophar the Minaean (a king).

They had all come to visit him for the purpose of comforting him.

¹² However, as they approached, they didn’t even recognize him! So they each started shouting, crying, ripping their clothes, and throwing dust in the air.

¹³ Then they all sat down beside him for seven days and seven nights without speaking a word... For they recognized that this was a terrible calamity, which was much worse than anything they’d anticipated.

Job 3

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¹ Well, after this, Job opened his mouth and cursed his day, ² saying:

³ ‘May the day I was born be destroyed,

Along with the night when they said, It’s a boy!

⁴ ‘May that night become very dark...

May the Lord up above never seek it,

And may it not see the coming of dawn.

⁵ May it be taken by darkness

And by the shadow of death.

‘May that day forever be dimmed…

May that day forever be cursed,

⁶ And its night carried into the darkness.

‘No more, may it be a day of the year,

Nor may it be counted in one of the months.

⁷ May that night become one of grieving,

Not one who’s happy and joyful.

⁸ ‘May the One who brought a curse to that day

Also heap curses upon it.

May it be [swallowed by] beasts of the sea

⁹ And may darkness cover the stars of that night,

So they’ll no longer be seen…

And may they not shine ever after.

‘May the morning star not arise,

¹⁰ For it failed to close the womb of my mother,

So my eyes wouldn’t see all of this misery.

¹¹ ‘Why didn’t I die in her belly

Instead of having to ever be born?

Why wasn’t I killed there and then?

¹² Why did her knees come to meet me,

And why did her breasts come to nurse me?

¹³ ‘May I go to my bed and lie still…

¹⁴ May I sleep and find rest among kings…

The councilors of the lands where they once pranced with swords…

¹⁵ With the rulers that once had so much gold

And that once filled their houses with silver.

¹⁶ ‘O if I’d just been miscarried

Within the womb of my mother,

Like babies that don’t see light of day,

¹⁷ And go where the anger and rage of the Godless

Has all been burned up in fire.

‘It’s that place where the tired find rest for their bones,

¹⁸ And where none that have lived throughout the ages

Hear tax collector’s voices again.

¹⁹ It’s where the small and the great must all go…

The servants [along with] their masters.

²⁰ ‘Why must those who are bitter see light,

And why is life given to those who are grieved,

²¹ Then long for death that won’t come…

Those rooting for death as though it were treasure,

²² And who’d be overjoyed to attain it?

²³ ‘For to such a man, death becomes rest,

When there’s nowhere else he can go…

Yes, when [our] God has opposed him.

²⁴ ‘My grain has now become groaning,

And I’m crying and shaking in fear;

²⁵ For the things I once feared in my dreams have come true,

And what I held in awe has now met me.

²⁶ I’m not at peace, or still, or at rest,

For [His] rage has now come upon me.’

Job 4

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¹ Then EliPhaz the Temanite decided to speak. He said:

² ‘Do you often complain of your problems?

Who can stand such strong talk?

³ ‘To many people, you’ve given advice,

And to the hands of the weak, you’ve brought comfort;

⁴ You’ve lifted the timid with words,

And encouraged the ones who had feeble knees.

⁵ But now that this misery has arrived to touch you,

You tend to be in a hurry!

⁶ ‘Aren’t you rather in fear of your own foolish ways…

Your own wrong hopes and bad paths?

⁷ Can you think of any who are truly pure

That [God has] ever destroyed,

Or any of the true who’ve been wiped away?

⁸ ‘I’ve seen people who plow in strange places,

And those who plant there, reap grief for themselves.

⁹ Then, by [God’s] order, they perish…

With the spirit of His wrath, they’re then wiped away.

¹⁰ ‘So the strength of the lion and the lioness’ roar,

And the prancing of beasts is no more.

¹¹ Like the lion’s cubs that die without prey,

The young won’t come to each other’s aid.

¹² ‘So, if the things that you said are all true,

And if they’ve all really happened;

Then, none of these things would’ve happened to you.

‘Should my ears now start to believe

That He’s done something so strange?

¹³ ‘An echo in the night brings fear to all men…

¹⁴ It stuns them, makes them tremble, and rattles their bones.

¹⁵ But a spirit once came and looked in my face,

Which made my flesh shudder and my hair stand erect.

¹⁶ I jumped, for I didn’t understand what I saw;

But, there it was in front of my eyes.

‘Then I felt a breeze and I heard a voice say:

¹⁷ Why should a man be pure before God?

For He doesn’t even trust His own servants,

And He thinks of His angels as crooked.

¹⁹ ‘Those who live in houses of clay

Are made from its very same mortar;

So, both are destroyed in the very same way.

²⁰ [They come] in the morning, then by evening, are gone…

And they die, if they can’t help themselves.

‘He just breathes upon them and they wither…

They perish in their own foolish ways.’

Job 5

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¹ ‘So, shout and see who’ll listen;

Will holy angels appear?

² Even a fool will end all his madness,

And a man who wanders will soon end his search.

³ ‘I’ve seen fools making plans…

And then, their homes were destroyed.

⁴ And although their sons were in a safe place,

At the doors of lesser men, they were crushed;

For, no one would come to their aid.

⁵ ‘Even though the hungry can eat what they harvest;

Those who bear arms can siphon their strength.

⁶ So the ground will only bring work,

As misery sprouts in the hills.

⁷ ‘Even though a man is just born to do work,

And young vultures are made to fly in the skies;

⁸ I’ll still beg to Yahweh…

Yes, I’ll still call to the Almighty God

⁹ Who does great things that can’t be explained…

Things of honor, unnumbered, and odd.

¹⁰ ‘He’s the One who sends water down to the ground

And rain to all places under the skies.

¹¹ He’s the One who raises the humble

And returns life to those who are dying.

¹² ‘He alters the plans of the clever,

So that they’re unable to do what’s true.

¹³ He conquers the wisdom of the wise,

And surprises the plans of the crafty.

¹⁴ ‘For, in daylight, darkness can still come to meet them,

And at noon, they may grope as though it were night.

¹⁵ They may also be killed in a war,

While the weak may escape from the mighty.

¹⁶ ‘So, there’s still hope for those without strength,

And unrighteous mouths may also be closed.

¹⁷ ‘Blest is the man who’s whipped by the Lord,

And those who don’t ignore the Almighty!

¹⁸ For, although He brings pain, He also restores…

He strikes, and then He heals with His hands.

¹⁹ ‘Six times, He will save you from problems,

But in the seventh, He will give you what’s bad.

²⁰ In times of famine, He will save you from death;

And in war, He will free you from shackles of iron.

²¹ From the whip of the tongue, He will hide you,

And you won’t have to fear the evils that come.

²² ‘Then you’ll laugh at the unrighteous and lawless,

And not have fear of any wild beasts.

²³ For with you, the wild will be peaceful,

²⁴ And you’ll know there’s peace in your house

When you tent in your home without sin.

²⁵ ‘You’ll know that your offspring will be many,

And your children will sprout like weeds in the fields.

²⁶ Then you’ll go to your grave like grain in the harvest…

Like heaps on the floor at the time it’s reaped.

²⁷ ‘{Look!} These are the things that we’ve concluded,

And these are the things that we’ve heard.

But, within yourself, only you know

Whether you’ve done something evil.’

Job 6

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¹ Then Job spoke. He said:

² ‘If you’d use a balancing scale

To measure my anger against all my grief,

You’d find that they both balance out…

³ But they’re still as heavy as the sands of the seas.

‘For it seems as though you’ve not heard what I’ve said…

⁴ That my body has been pierced by God’s arrows…

That His rage has been drinking my blood,

And this stings me whenever I’m starting to speak.

⁵ ‘Why do wild burros cry out

When they aren’t looking for grain?

And why do cattle bawl from their stables

When there’s plenty of grain?

⁶ ‘As bread should be eaten with salt;

What taste can be found in your empty words?

⁷ Yet, I still can’t drive them out of my life.

‘Now I groan when I see my cereal grains;

For [to me], they have the odor of lions.

⁸ ‘If He would just give me the things that I ask…

If the Lord would just give me the things that I’ve hoped…

⁹ But, Yahweh has started to pierce me,

And it’s not been withdrawn or come to its end!

¹⁰ ‘So if the place of the dead could now be my city,

Upon its walls I’d jump…

Yes, I’d gladly accept it.

¹¹ ‘Since I haven’t lied about God’s holy words,

Why have I still got the strength to remain…

Why do I have the strength to live on?

¹² Am I as mighty as the rocks…

Are my body parts made of bronze?

¹³ ‘In Him, have I not put my trust?

Yet His help has been taken away!

¹⁴ Has His mercy to me been forbidden,

And have the visits of the Lord overlooked me?

¹⁵ ‘Those closest to me, now see me no more,

For I’m like a stream that’s gone dry,

Or a wave that’s already passed by;

For now, everyone just walks past me.

¹⁶ ‘Those who once showed deep respect

Now view me like banks of ice or of snow

¹⁷ That has melted away in the heat [of the day],

And no longer is seen as what it once was.

¹⁸ That’s how I’ve been abandoned by all…

I’m destroyed and I’ve become homeless.

¹⁹ ‘Behold the Temanite trails

And all the passes of the Sabaeans,

O you, who now think that you’re seeing things clearly.

²⁰ They [exist because of] those living in towns,

And they’re the things that they rely upon there.

²¹ ‘Now, with no mercy, you all stand [away],

As if you’re afraid of my sores.

²² Yet, what have I asked you to give me?

And how much of your strength have I asked for?

²³ Just save me from my enemy’s hands,

And snatch me away from the mighty!

²⁴ ‘Teach me, and I’ll then remain silent…

If I’ve strayed, then prove it!

²⁵ For, you view the words of someone who’s true

As though they’ve become very foul.

‘I haven’t asked for your strength,

²⁶ And your scolding won’t stop me from speaking.

I won’t put up with the things that you say;

²⁷ For you’re coming down on an orphan,

And you’re attacking a friend!

²⁸ ‘Now, as I gaze at your faces,

I’ll tell you no lies.

²⁹ So, just sit here and don’t be unrighteous…

Just sit here together with one who’s just;

³⁰ For, nothing wrong has come from my tongue,

And from my throat will come things to consider.’

Job 7

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¹ ‘The purpose of man on the earth

Is surely not just to be tried.

For he lives his life as a hired day worker,

² And as a servant in awe of his master…

One who stands in the shade of his shadow

As he’s awaiting his wages.

³ ‘Thus, for months, I’ve waited in vain,

To only receive nights of grief.

⁴ For, when I go to bed, I now say:

How long will it be ‘til day comes again?

And thereafter, I must ask when I rise,

How soon will it become night?

‘I’m filled with grief from morning ‘til night;

⁵ For my body is rotting and covered with worms.

Like clods of dirt, I’m melting away,

As I’m scraping away all the pus.

⁶ My life now weighs less than my words …

It has perished in hopes unattained.

⁷ ‘My soul has become like a breeze,

And my eyes no longer see good.

⁸ The eyes of those searching, don’t see me…

Even though their eyes are upon me, I’m gone

⁹ Like a cloud that drifts away in the sky.

¹⁰ ‘When a man goes down to his grave,

He doesn’t come back again.

There’s no way he will return to his house…

For, even his home doesn’t know him.

¹¹ But, I’ll not close my mouth…

Yes, I’ll still speak of my plight.

I’ll bear open my soul

To show you the bitterness it holds…

¹² I won’t be like the sea’s dragons.

¹³ ‘I once said that my bed brings me comfort.

But now, all I have to offer myself

Are my own words, as I lie on my cot,

¹⁴ Where I’m frightened by dreams

And by visions that strike me with terror.

¹⁵ ‘[Please] let my breath leave my soul,

And may my bones be handed to death!

¹⁶ May I no longer live in [this] age…

For, why must I just keep on waiting,

When all in my life is so empty?

¹⁷ ‘O what’s a man that You’d make him so great,

Or notice the things that he thinks?

¹⁸ Why visit him until morning arrives

And judge him as he lies there asleep?

¹⁹ ‘How long will [You] keep me alive

And refuse to provide my release,

As I swallow my spit in my grief?

²⁰ ‘If I’ve sinned, then what can I do,

O You who knows the minds of all men?

Why have You made me [a person] who blames You,

And why have You made me Your burden?

²¹ ‘Why not rather forget the laws that I broke,

And then cleanse me from all of my sins?

Please let me go into the ground,

And no longer rise early again.’

Job 8

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¹ Then Baldad the Shuhite spoke. He said:

² ‘How long will you use the breath from your mouth

To speak in such a talkative way?

³ ‘Does Yahweh sin when He judges,

And does the Maker of all harm the righteous?

⁴ Surely your sons had sinned before Him…

Because they were lawless, He took them away!

⁵ ‘To seek Yahweh, you always rose early,

And before the Almighty, you’ve begged.

⁶ But, if you were truly pure,

He’d have listened to all your requests

And restored your position in justice.

⁷ Then, if at first, your men had been few;

In the end, they’d be beyond number.

⁸ ‘Ask the first generations,

And trace the race of the fathers!

⁹ For, while they were here, they were not aware

That shadows would cover their lives in the ground.

¹⁰ Doesn’t this tell you and doesn’t this teach?

Don’t such sayings arise from your heart?

¹¹ ‘Can papyrus live without water?

Can bulrushes live without drinking?

¹² As long as the plant has its roots,

And before it has been cut down;

If it can’t drink from the garden,

Doesn’t it wither and dry?

¹³ ‘As it is with those forgetting Yahweh;

Since there’s no hope for the Godless,

¹⁴ His home won’t be lived in again,

And spiders will spread out their tents there.

¹⁵ ‘If no one comes to care for his house,

It won’t be able to stand…

It won’t remain unless it’s claimed!

¹⁶ ‘Whenever it’s wet under the sun,

From things that are rotten, a branch starts to sprout.

¹⁷ So, on a pile of stones, a man goes to bed,

And he lives there amidst all the gravel;

¹⁸ His place then swallows him down,

And thereafter, it covers him over.

Haven’t you witnessed such things?

¹⁹ ‘Yes, that’s how the godless all come to their end…

And then, from the ground, sprouts another.

²⁰ ‘No way will the Lord harm the good,

And He accepts no gifts from the godless.

²¹ With laughter, He fills the mouths of the true

And those who use their lips in His praise.

²² To their enemies, He will always bring shame,

And the homes of the Godless, He soon wipes away.’

Job 9

←8 | All books | All chapters | 10→

¹ Then Job spoke. He said:

² ‘I know for a fact, what you’re saying is true;

For, how can a man say he’s righteous to God?

³ So, if he wishes to argue this point,

He won’t prove God wrong with thousands of words.

⁴ For, all of God’s thoughts are wise, strong, and great.

‘Thus, who can approach Him in anger

And still have some hope of survival?

⁵ Do the mountains know who destroys them in rage?

⁶ ‘All that’s under the sky,

He can shake to its core…

And then He can shake all its columns.

⁷ He can speak to the sun and it won’t rise,

And He can also close up the stars.

⁸ ‘By Himself, He can stretch out the sky,

And walk on the sea like a floor.

⁹ He’s the One who made the PleiAdes,

As well as Hesperus and ArcTurus…

He’s the One who arranged the skies in the south.

¹⁰ ‘He does things that are great and unfathomed…

Honorable things beyond number and odd.

If He passed over me, I’d not see it…

If He passed me by, I’d not be aware.

¹² ‘When He sends someone away,

Who can thereafter return him,

And who can ask why He did it?

¹³ ‘For, God doesn’t turn back His rage…

To Him, even the whales bow under the skies!

¹⁴ ‘So, why should He ever obey me,

Or why should He judge all my problems?

¹⁵ And if could I prove myself righteous,

He’d [have no reason to] hear men…

Although I’d still ask Him for His decisions.

¹⁶ ‘Thus, should I call, He may not give an ear,

Nor should I trust that He’s heard my voice.

¹⁷ ‘But He shouldn’t destroy me in darkness,

Nor bruise me without any reason.

¹⁸ For, although He’s allowed me to breathe,

I’m now filled with what’s bitter.

¹⁹ ‘Because He’s so mighty and strong,

Who can stand and oppose Him?

²⁰ So, even if I’ve been righteous,

My mouth would still say wicked things.

And although I might [truly] be blameless,

I’d still produce what’s wrong.

²¹ ‘But, if I’m really ungodly,

In my soul, I remain unaware…

Even though my life has been taken away.

²² ‘I’ve said:

‘The mighty kill in their rage;

²³ And for the vile, death isn’t uncommon.

‘They’re the ones who laugh at the righteous

²⁴ When they’re handed to those who are Godless.

‘For He covers the eyes of the judges…

And if He doesn’t do it, who does?’

²⁵ ‘O that my soul was as light as a sprinter…

Yet, my days have passed by without notice.

²⁶ Can my ship still be seen on the horizon

By eagles in search of their prey?

²⁷ ‘So to you here before me, I’ll say:

If I’d just forget about speaking,

Then bow my head and just groan;

²⁸ And if I’d just let my limbs shiver,

Wouldn’t you still find me guilty?

²⁹ ‘But, if I’m someone who’s godless;

Why haven’t I already died?

³⁰ If I’d wash myself in the snow,

And if I scrubbed all the dirt from my hands,

³¹ You’d still dip me in filth,

And even my clothes would detest me.

³² ‘Yet, you are men just like me

By whom I’m judged and compared.

Before His Judgment Seat, we all stand together…

³³ Before the lawyers and accusers,

And in front of the One [who] listens to both.

³⁴ ‘So, may He set me free from the [whip],

And may I not be twisted in fear.

³⁵ Then, I’ll speak and I won’t be afraid,

For I’m still unaware of my crimes.’

Job 10

←9 | All books | All chapters | 11→

¹ ‘Since my soul has become tired of groaning;

I’ll now tell Him how bad I now feel.

² Yes, to Yahweh, I’ll say:

‘Don’t tell me that I’m ungodly…

So, why have You judged me that way?

³ ‘Would You think it good if I’d sinned,

Or if I’d disavowed the works of Your hands?

Why do You believe what the godless have said

⁴ And look at things the way humans do?

‘When You look, do You see as men see?

⁵ Is Your existence like that of a man?

Are Your years as those of just men?

⁶ ‘Since You’ve searched for all my law breaking

And You’ve traced out all of my sins,

⁷ You must know that I’m not ungodly;

But, from Your hands, who can wrest me away?

⁸ ‘It was Your hands that made me and shaped me,

Then You turned around and You struck me.

⁹ O remember the day that You shaped me,

Then, stand me erect on the ground once again!

¹⁰ ‘You extracted me as though milking,

And then I was curdled like cheese.

¹¹ You put me together with meat, skin, and bones,

And then, with nerves, You entwined me.

¹² In mercy, You put life within me,

Then You watched over me and guarded my breath.

¹³ ‘You did all these things by Yourself;

And it’s a fact that You can do all…

There’s nothing that You can’t do.

¹⁴ So, if I should sin, please protect me…

Declare me free of law breaking.

¹⁵ ‘[Don’t count me] among the ungodly!

Yet, even though I’m righteous, I can’t raise my head;

For, I’ve become so dishonored.

¹⁶ ‘I’ve been caught like a lion for slaughter…

For You’ve turned around to destroy me.

¹⁷ You’ve disciplined me once again,

And dealt with me in great rage

By bringing these trials upon me.

¹⁸ ‘Why did you lead me out of the belly?

Why didn’t I die, so my eyes wouldn’t see

¹⁹ As one whom had never been born?

Why wasn’t I just sent away…

Sent to the tomb like how I came from the womb?

²⁰ And why have I lived for so many years?

‘Now, allow me to rest for a while

²¹ And go to the place where I’ll not return…

To a land that’s shrouded and dim…

²² A land that’s dark throughout the ages,

Where light and life can’t be seen.’

Job 11

←10 | All books | All chapters | 12→

¹ Then Zophar the Minaean spoke, saying:

² ‘This One who has so much to say

Should also listen in turn;

Is this one who’s so very well-spoken

Proclaiming himself to be just?

‘Those born of women who only live short lives

³ Are blest, because they have much less to say.

⁴ ‘Now, no one’s comparing himself to you,

And don’t try to say that your deeds are all pure…

That you’re blameless, as you’re standing before Him.

⁵ ‘O that Yahweh would speak

And tell you what He has to say.

⁶ ‘Should He speak to you of His wisdom?

His wisdom is so much greater than yours!

But if He did, you’d know that what’s happened

Has come about because of your sins against God.

⁷ ‘Search for the ways of Yahweh,

And you’ll find the Almighty’s prepared for your end.

⁸ ‘Because the heavens are ever so high;

What can you do, and what do you know?

‘There are things much deeper than the place of the dead…

⁹ They’re longer than the span of the land,

And wider than the breadth of the seas.

¹⁰ And if He’d destroy all those on the earth,

Who could question His reason?

¹¹ ‘He knows the deeds of those who break laws,

And He doesn’t overlook their wrongdoing…

¹² Yet, men keep swimming in words.

For all men who are born of a woman,

Are no wiser than the desert’s wild burros.

¹³ ‘But, if you have a truly pure heart,

And you can spread your hands out before Him;

¹⁴ Should He find that you’ve broken no laws,

And you’ve stayed a long way from injustice

(That you’ve kept it away from your home);

¹⁵ Your face would then have a shine…

Pure water would wash off your filth,

And you’d have nothing to fear.

¹⁶ ‘You’d forget all your troubles like waves passing by,

And you’d have no reason for terror.

¹⁷ In the morning, your vows would be like the stars,

And at noon, your life would return.

¹⁸ ‘You’d have some hope, if you would comply,

And have peace in place of trouble and strife.

¹⁹ For you, there would be no more battles,

And many would turn and beg for your aid.

²⁰ ‘But for them, will come no salvation,

Since their only hope is destruction,

And the eyes of the godless will melt.’

Job 12

←11 | All books | All chapters | 13→

¹ Then Job spoke. He said:

² ‘Have you and the men who are with you

Reached the end of your wisdom?

³ ‘I too have a heart that’s like yours.

⁴ But it seems that a man who’s righteous and just

Has only been born to be taunted!

⁵ ‘There’s a time appointed when each man must fall,

And for his house to be pillaged by crooks…

But, may the wicked not trust [in their ways].

For the guileless will [be given] support,

⁶ While [the bad] will be taught by God’s rage.

⁷ ‘You could ask the four-footed creatures

(If they could give you an answer),

Or ask the things that fly in the sky

(If they could give a report)

⁸ To explain all they know of the earth,

Or to even describe all the fish in the sea.

⁹ ‘Are there any among them that don’t realize

That they were made by God’s hand?

¹⁰ For, in His hands are the lives of all things,

As well as the breath of every man.

¹¹ ‘Men listen with their ears and examine each word,

Then they taste the meanings inside their throats.

¹² ‘Wisdom is ancient, and knowledge is old,

¹³ For from Him comes all wisdom and power…

Along with understanding and all good advice.

¹⁴ ‘So, if He chooses to tear something down,

Who can thereafter rebuild it?

And if He chooses to lock up a man,

Who can thereafter release him?

¹⁵ ‘If He should choose to hold back the rain,

All the lands would go dry.

But, He can also choose to release it,

To destroy them and wash them away.

¹⁶ ‘In Him, there’s both might and strength;

In Him, there’s knowledge and all comprehension.

¹⁷ He strips council away from advisors,

And He [can also make fools of] earth’s judges.

¹⁸ ‘He’s the One who sets kings on their thrones

And who ties a sash ‘round their waists.

¹⁹ But He’s also the One who sends priests off as slaves,

And can wipe away all the mighty.

²⁰ ‘The lips of the honest, He understands,

And the words of the elders, He knows.

²¹ Upon rulers, He can pour out dishonor,

While to those who are humble, He heals.

²² ‘He uncovers the darkness of very deep things,

And from the shadow of death, He can lead into light.

²³ ‘He destroys the nations that stray,

And He cuts down those who mislead them.

²⁴ He knows the hearts of the rulers of lands,

And He leads them in ways they don’t know.

²⁵ ‘So, may they corrupt the darkness, not light…

May they wander like they’re drunk.

Job 13

←12 | All books | All chapters | 14→

¹ ‘{Look!} I’ve seen such things with my eyes,

And I’ve heard such things with my ears.

² ‘I know the same things that all of you know,

And I have as much sense as do you.

³ Thus, I’ll speak before God,

And I’ll scold you, if He will allow it.

⁴ ‘For, you’ve been unrighteous doctors,

And as healers, you’ve done a very poor job.

⁵ So, it would be a blessing if you’d stay still…

Yes, that would be the course that’s wise.

⁶ ‘Now, hear these things that I’ll tell you,

And heed the judgments that come from my lips.

⁷ ‘Aren’t you speaking here before God,

And before Him, aren’t you being deceitful?

⁸ Isn’t it time for you to back off;

For, aren’t you just judging yourselves?

⁹ ‘If He should choose to examine your tracks

And pay attention to all that you do,

¹⁰ Then discipline you for the [bad] things you’ve done…

You’d worry that He sees all your secrets.

¹¹ ‘Wouldn’t He spin you in His awesome power…

Wouldn’t fear of Him overcome you?

¹² For your prancing would then become ashes,

And your bodies would turn back to clay.

¹³ ‘So, stay still as I pour out my rage;

¹⁴ For, I’ll grab my flesh with my teeth now,

And hold myself with my hands.

¹⁵ ‘But, if the Almighty should grab me,

I’d still speak to Him and complain…

¹⁶ I’d argue that I should be spared,

For He’d not find me guilty of evil.

¹⁷ ‘Listen to me… Hear my words,

For I’ll shout them into your ears!

¹⁸ Look at me… Yes, gaze upon me!

For, as I stand here before you in judgment,

I know that you’ll not call me righteous…

¹⁹ Yet, the One who’s my judge is impartial.

‘Now, I’ll say nothing more, because I’m through,

²⁰ And I’ll allow you two things to finish me off…

Then I’ll go and hide from your presence.

²¹ But, keep your hands at a distance,

And give me no reason to fear you.

²² ‘You can call out to me and I’ll listen;

So, speak and I’ll give a reply.

²³ Of how many sins am I guilty,

And how many laws have I broken?

Yes, tell me just what they’ve been!

²⁴ ‘What are you hiding from me,

And why do you think I’m lesser than you?

²⁵ Will you avoid me like leaves in the wind,

Or face me like grass in the air?

²⁶ ‘Against me, you’ve written so many bad things,

And accused me of sins that are common to youth…

²⁷ You’ve opposed me, although I’m righteous.

But by now, you’ve examined all of my deeds,

And to the roots of my feet, you’ve reached.

²⁸ ‘Yet, I’ve been aging [so quickly],

And I look like a bag made of leather,

Or like a robe that’s been eaten by moths!’

Job 14

←13 | All books | All chapters | 15→

¹ ‘For men born of women, life is too short,

And our lives are filled with rage…

² Then we drop like flowers that have blossomed,

And escape like shadows that have passed.

³ ‘But, you’ve required an accounting of me,

And although I’ve stood in judgment before You;

⁴ Which [of you] can claim that you’re free of all filth?

I’m sure there’s not one among you!

⁵ ‘Men live but a day on the earth,

And we count off the months of our lives

Until we reach the time we’re allowed…

[A time that] we can’t go past.

⁶ Therefore, leave me alone so that I can be still,

And think well of the work that I’ve done.

⁷ ‘For a tree, there’s still hope after it’s cut,

Since it may blossom again;

For the sprouting of its shoots never fail,

⁸ Although its roots may be old in the ground.

Yet, even rocks will grow old,

And even the stones [eventually] melt away.

⁹ ‘When the trunk of a tree can smell water,

It’ll blossom and fruit once again,

Like it was something that’s new.

¹⁰ But, when a man reaches his end,

That won’t be undone…

When he falls, he no longer exists.

¹¹ ‘In time, even the seas will be gone,

And all the rivers will become barren and dry.

¹² But, when man goes to sleep, he won’t rise again

Until [the stars] are all sewn together…

From that sleep, we never awaken.

¹³ ‘O that in the grave, You’d hide me and guard me

Until all Your anger has passed.

Please order a time to be set for me,

When You’ll mention my name once again.

¹⁴ ‘Can a man live again after he dies,

Once the days of his life have all past?

As for me; I’ll wait ‘til I live again,

¹⁵ When You’ll call out to me and I’ll hear You…

Please don’t undo the work of Your hands!

¹⁶ ‘You’ve counted all the things that I’ve done in my life,

And none of my sins have You overlooked.

¹⁷ So, take all the laws that I’ve broken,

Then seal them up in a bag,

And [remove] the ones that I meant not to do.

¹⁸ ‘A mountain will fall into ruin,

And a rock wears out where it stands.

¹⁹ In water, even stones become smooth,

And floods wash away the earth’s cliffs.

This is how You’ve destroyed the lengths of men’s lives…

²⁰ You stab them through and they die…

You just turn Your face and they’re gone.

²¹ ‘We don’t know how many descendants we’ll have,

And we’re unaware if they’re few.

²² For, our flesh just knows aches and pains,

And in mourning, our lives have been spent.’

Job 15

←14 | All books | All chapters | 16→

¹ Then EliPhaz the Temanite spoke. He said:

² ‘May I reply to a man who’s so wise,

And in a spirit that he understands…

Who’s known misery since he came from the womb,

³ But, who scolds with words that will never be true,

And with things that will never bring profit?

⁴ ‘Have you forgotten your fear

As you speak before God?

⁵ What’s come from your mouth has proven your guilt;

For you’ve failed to examine the words of the great.

⁶ So, may your own mouth now correct you (not me);

Since against your own lips, you’ve spoken.

⁷ ‘Were you the first man to ever be born

Before the hills had been piled?

⁸ Did you hear how Yahweh arranged it,

And did God then ask your advice…

Did He gain all His wisdom from you?

⁹ ‘What do you know that we don’t know,

And what do you see that we’ve missed?

¹⁰ For, we’re each much older than you,

And we’ve lived more days than your father!

¹¹ ‘Because of your sins, you’ve been whipped just a bit,

And you’ve blown this all out of proportion!

¹² Dare you see with your eyes or examine with your heart,

How this rage has torn you away from the Lord,

¹³ By spewing such things from your mouth?

¹⁴ ‘Which man do you know who’s free from all blame

Among those whom from women are born?

¹⁵ For, [God] trusts not even the holy…

Before Him, the heavens aren’t pure!

¹⁶ And the filth of man is disgusting…

For he sucks unrighteousness down like a drink!

¹⁷ ‘So now, pay attention and I’ll give my report…

Yes, I’ll announce what I’ve seen,

¹⁸ And mention the things that the wise men have said…

Things that from their sons, they’ve not hidden.

¹⁹ ‘This land was once given to our fathers

When there were no strangers among them.

²⁰ And for the ungodly, there’s just been confusion,

While years have been added to the mighty.

²¹ ‘In times of peace, men listen in fear,

And this brings about their undoing.

²² So, may they not hope to return from the dark

When they’re gripped by hands made of iron.

²³ ‘For, the grain of vultures, they’ve now become,

As they await the death of their bodies…

The dark day that whisks them away,

²⁴ As by distress and disaster, they’re sucked down,

And they fall like generals in battle.

²⁵ ‘It’s against Yahweh that they’ve raised their hands,

And before the Almighty, they’ve stiffened their necks.

²⁶ So, for their insolence, they’re forced to retreat,

And behind their shields, hide their thickness,

²⁷ Since their faces have been covered with fat,

And their thighs have become very flabby.

²⁸ ‘So, in abandoned cities, may they now lodge,

And in houses where people no longer live…

Where all those who had once been found there

Have now been carried away.

²⁹ ‘May they not be rich or keep what they own,

Or cast a shadow again on the ground,

³⁰ Nor may they flee from the darkness.

‘May their buds soon wither away…

May their flowers be taken by the wind.

³¹ May they not trust that they’ll survive,

For soon, they’ll have nothing at all.

³² ‘Corruption will prune them away,

So their branches won’t grow into trees.

³³ May they be gathered like unripened grapes,

And fall like blossoms that don’t become olives.

³⁴ ‘For the unrighteous, the judgment is death;

And for those taking bribes, their homes will be burned.

³⁵ This is all that comes from the womb…

To all that are born, only comes grief.

Emptiness is all that they’ll receive,

And in their guts, they must live with their lies.’

Job 16

←15 | All books | All chapters | 17→

¹ Then Job spoke, saying:

² ‘Things like this, I’ve heard all before;

And as those who should offer comfort,

You surely have done a poor job!

³ ‘Where is the order to your windy words,

And why do you bother to answer?

⁴ ‘Now, I’ll speak the same as you’ve been doing,

As if my life had been traded for yours.

Then, with my words, I’ll attack you,

And at you, I’ll now shake my head.

⁵ ‘O may my mouth be given the strength…

May the movement of my lips serve me well.

⁶ For, if I speak, my sores won’t ache;

And if I stayed silent, would they hurt me less?

⁷ ‘Now, after He’s worn me out,

You’ve latched onto this festering fool.

⁸ As I’m sitting here, I’ve proven what I’ve said,

And I’ve thrown back your lies in your faces.

⁹ ‘I’ve been debased by the One I must deal with,

And against me, He’s grinding His teeth.

The arrows of marauders have struck me,

¹⁰ And sharp darts from His eyes have been shot in my knees…

They’ve all arrived to attack me!

¹¹ ‘He’s handed me over to the unrighteous,

And delivered me to the ungodly.

¹² He’s removed my chance to ever make peace,

And as an example, He plucked the hair from my head.

¹³ ‘With their lances, they now have me surrounded,

And they’ve stabbed them into my kidneys…

They’ve done nothing at all that would spare me,

And they’ve poured my bile on the ground.

¹⁴ ‘They’ve knocked me down time and again…

They’ve attacked me and won!

¹⁵ Then, to my skin, they sewed sackcloth,

And my strength, they’ve driven into the ground.

¹⁶ ‘My belly now burns from my crying,

And my eyelids are darkened with shadows.

¹⁷ Yet, I’m guilty of nothing at all,

And my hands are clean from the things that I’ve vowed.

¹⁸ ‘O ground, don’t cover the blood of my flesh,

And don’t allow room for my cries.

¹⁹ ‘Look; the heavens have served as my witness,

And the heights above testify for me.

²⁰ May the things that I beg reach up to Yahweh,

And may the tears from my eyes drip before Him.

²¹ ‘O that man might plead before God

As he would on behalf of a neighbor.

²² Yet, the days of my life have been counted and reached,

And from where I’m going, there’s no return.’

Job 17

←16 | All books | All chapters | 18→

¹ ‘I’ve been destroyed and I’m borne on the wind…

I’ve begged to be buried and had no success.

² So I wearily ask:

‘Just what have I done?

Have I stolen from strangers?

³ For, who has shackled my hands?’

⁴ ‘From these men’s hearts, You’ve hidden all wisdom,

And You’ll never exalt them.

⁵ You’ll announce their badness to all,

And make the eyes of their sons melt away.

⁶ ‘But, among the nations, You’ve made me a joke;

And that’s why they’re laughing at me.

⁷ Yet, my eyes are now callused to their rage,

Since I’ve been attacked by them all.

⁸ But the righteous have wondered and asked:

‘Then, why can’t the just beat the lawless?’

⁹ ‘O may the faithful maintain their [right] course,

And the hands of the clean receive courage.

¹⁰ Yes, may it all be established;

For among you here, I’ve found little truth.

¹¹ ‘In groaning, my days are now spent,

And the hopes of my heart have been ripped away.

¹² Night for me is now day,

As the face of darkness draws closer.

¹³ ‘Although I’m still here, the grave is my home,

And I’ll make my bed where it’s dim.

¹⁴ For now, my father is death,

And decay is my mother and sisters.

¹⁵ ‘O what hope do I have,

And where will I ever find goodness?

¹⁶ Along with me, it has gone to its grave,

And we’ll all be buried together.’

Job 18

←17 | All books | All chapters | 19→

¹ Then Baldad the Shuhite spoke, saying:

² ‘When are you going to end it?

Stop for a while and let us speak too!

³ Why must we stay silent before you

Like beasts that walk on four feet?

⁴ ‘Anger has gotten the better of you…

So what, if you have to die?

Will all life under heaven then come to an end?

Will mountains be wiped from their bases?

⁵ ‘The light of the godless will soon be put out,

And his flame will be there no longer.

⁶ The light in his home will be darkness,

And his lamp will thereafter be gone.

⁷ ‘The least of men search for the things they once owned,

And they trip on their own good advice.

⁸ So, may his feet fall into a snare,

And in a net, may they get entangled.

⁹ ‘Yes, let him fall into a trap,

And may the snare hold him tighter.

¹⁰ For the trip line is hidden under the ground…

Yes, the thing that’ll grab and destroy him

Is already there in the road!

¹¹ ‘May grief surround and destroy him,

¹² And may hunger encircle his feet.

For him, a downfall has been prepared,

¹³ And the soles of his feet will be eaten away.

‘May death now consume his beautiful things,

¹⁴ And may the place of his healing be taken away…

For these things have happened by royal decree

¹⁵ That will camp in his tent throughout the night.

‘May his beautiful things be covered with sulfur;

¹⁶ May his roots dry out underneath him.

May what he has reaped fall upon him,

¹⁷ And the memory of his face be wiped from the land.

¹⁸ ‘May he be pushed from the light into darkness…

¹⁹ May even his family forget his name.

May his house remain under the sky;

²⁰ But, may it be lived in by others.

‘For, even though he once lived in wonder,

In the end, he just sits here and moans.

²¹ This is the home of someone unrighteous…

It’s the place where Yahweh is no longer known.’

Job 19

←18 | All books | All chapters | 20→

¹ Then Job spoke again and said:

² ‘How long are you going to weary my soul,

And demolish me with your words?

All you know is the things God has done,

³ And speak ill of me with no shame…

You just keep on pressing against me.

⁴ ‘It’s a fact that I’ve been misled,

And delusions are lodging within me.

For I’m speaking words that should never be said…

That mislead, and at the wrong time.

⁵ ‘Now you use me to look more important,

And you attack me in scorn.

⁶ But, know that the Lord is the One who’s disturbed…

He’s the One who built this fortress against me.

⁷ So look; I now laugh at your scorn!

‘Therefore, I’ll stop all this banter;

For if I shout, it won’t bring me justice.

⁸ I’m stuck in a circle that I can’t get out of,

And darkness now covers my face.

⁹ He’s taken away all my glory,

And removed the garland that I wore on my head.

¹⁰ ‘He’s pulled me apart and scattered [my bones];

I was marked and cut down like a tree.

¹¹ In His rage, He’s treated me badly,

As though I’d been His opposer.

¹² His marauders have gathered and attacked me,

And in an ambush, they have me surrounded.

¹³ ‘Now, all my brothers have left me,

Preferring strangers to me;

And my friends no longer feel pity,

Pretending that they don’t know me!

¹⁴ ‘Those dearest to me have forgotten my name…

¹⁵ I’m a foreigner to all of my neighbors

And a stranger to the women who’ve served me.

¹⁶ ‘When I call to my servant, he doesn’t obey,

Even though, with my mouth, I keep begging.

¹⁷ I call out to even my wife,

And call sweetly to my concubines’ sons.

¹⁸ But they listen not… They just stand there.

¹⁹ ‘Those who once knew me, dislike me,

And those I once loved, now oppose me.

²⁰ For, my skin and flesh are festered with sores,

And my teeth have come loose from my jaws.

²¹ ‘Please show mercy… Show mercy my friends;

For the hand of Yahweh has touched me!

²² Why treat me the same as Yahweh has done…

Aren’t you filled enough with my flesh?

²³ ‘May my words be written down in a scroll,

And be preserved throughout the ages.

²⁴ With a pen of iron, inscribe them on lead,

And may they be set within stone.

²⁵ ‘For I know that the One who made me this weak

Has walked ‘round the earth throughout the ages;

²⁶ And it’s due to Him, that my skin has grown tired…

I’m worn out because of Yahweh.

²⁷ ‘All I’m aware of and seen with my eyes,

Has happened to me, not to others.

²⁸ But, what can I ask and what can I say…

Is the root of my problem in Him?

²⁹ ‘Please turn around and send me what’s good,

Or just cover me over.

May Your rage be sent to the lawless instead…

May they be the ones who reap this reward.’

Job 20

←19 | All books | All chapters | 21→

¹ Then Zophar the Minaean spoke, saying:

² ‘So far, I’ve not disagreed

With any of the words that you’ve spoken,

Since we both view things in much the same way.

³ So I’ll heed your instructions that shame me,

And note the spirit of your reply.

⁴ ‘But, haven’t you known about all these things…

That since man was put on this earth,

⁵ The irreverent one’s glee brings his downfall,

And the joy of lawbreakers brings their destruction?

⁶ ‘For, even if his gifts should ascend to the heavens,

And his offerings should reach to the clouds;

⁷ When he thinks that all’s going well,

That’s when he’ll meet with his end.

‘Then, those who know him will ask where he is.

⁸ But like dreams, he’ll no longer be found.

⁹ From then on, all eyes will overlook him,

And no one will note where he’s been.

¹⁰ ‘Even though his sons once destroyed weaker [peoples],

And their hands lit fires that brought others grief…

¹¹ Their bones that once held the vigor of youth

Will make their beds under the ground.

¹² ‘For, evil was sweet in their mouths,

So they hid it under their tongues.

¹³ It wasn’t left or abandoned,

But they brought it up from their throats.

¹⁴ ‘So, now they can’t help themselves;

For, the poison of asps is inside of their guts.

¹⁵ And all the wealth that they’ve unjustly gained

Will be collected and vomited out,

As angels drag them out of their homes.

¹⁶ ‘May they have to endure the rage of wild beasts…

May the tongues of snakes now destroy them.

¹⁷ May they never again see cows being milked,

Or see pastures of butter and honey.

¹⁸ ‘Then their wealth will seem empty and vain,

And for such things, they’ll lose all their taste,

Since they’ll become too tough to be chewed,

And they’ll find that they can’t take it with them.

¹⁹ ‘And although they once crushed the homes of the mighty,

And by force, took their houses;

What they have will no longer be theirs…

²⁰ For, what they owned, will no longer be safe,

And they won’t keep the things that they loved.

²¹ ‘For them, there’ll be no more food,

And good things will no longer blossom.

²² Even though they once had [all they desired],

Problems arose and then it was cursed.

²³ ‘When they’ve had enough to fill up their bellies,

God sends someone else to succeed them.

So, may He now send His anger and rage,

And upon them, pour out floods of grief.

²⁴ ‘From hands of iron, may they not be saved…

May they be shot through by a brass bow.

²⁵ May the arrows go clean through their bodies,

And may fear then walk through their homes.

²⁶ ‘May they have to wait in the darkness,

To be burned by the fire of the ages.

May strangers bring what’s bad to their homes;

²⁷ May the heavens uncover all their lawless deeds;

And may the ground rise up against them.

²⁸ ‘May their homes be destroyed ‘til the end,

And may the day of rage come upon them.

²⁹ For, this is what the irreverent get…

It’s their reward from the One who keeps watch.’

Job 21

←20 | All books | All chapters | 22→

¹ Then Job spoke, saying:

² ‘Listen to me… Hear my words!

I don’t need such comfort from you!

³ Now, please help me up, and I’ll speak;

For, I won’t accept such abuse!

⁴ ‘Since it’s by men that I’m being accused,

Don’t I have a good reason for rage?

⁵ ‘Why are you looking at me in such wonder,

As you put your hands under your jaws?

⁶ When I try to think of a reason,

I tend to be a bit quick to conclude,

Because of the grief in my flesh.

⁷ ‘Why do the godless continue to live,

And why do they grow rich and old?

⁸ For, they plant whatever their souls might desire,

And their children are there in front of their eyes.

⁹ ‘Their houses continue to prosper,

And they don’t seem to know any fear;

For they fail to feel the whip of the Lord.

¹⁰ ‘None of their cattle are stillborn,

And their pregnant are also protected;

So, none of them stumble or fall.

¹¹ ‘Their sheep remain throughout the ages,

And their children are playing before them.

¹² They hold their flutes to their mouths,

And enjoy sacred hymns strummed on harps.

¹³ ‘For as long as they live, they have good things…

Then they lie down to rest in the grave.

¹⁴ They say that God doesn’t see,

Since they’ve chosen not to know of His ways.

¹⁵ ‘So, why should we continue to serve Him…

For us, what good does it do,

¹⁶ Since He doesn’t inspect godless hands;

So, they’re always filled with what’s good?

¹⁷ ‘But, their lamps will soon be extinguished…

Their reward is to feel the pain of His rage.

¹⁸ They’ll be like straw that’s blown in the wind,

And as clouds of dust in a storm.

¹⁹ ‘May their possessions and sons all be lost,

And may they know that God has repaid them.

²⁰ May they see their slaughter with their own eyes,

When God won’t be there to save them.

²¹ Then, what joy will they have in their homes

When they see that their months have been numbered?

²² ‘Doesn’t Yahweh send wisdom?

For who else gives people their insight…

Isn’t He the One who makes judges wise?

²³ ‘Yet, this one dies doing just as he wished,

Enjoying prosperity and pleasure…

²⁴ Full, fat, and filled up with marrow.

²⁵ While another ends life with what’s bitter,

Having never tasted what’s good.

²⁶ Then they both go to sleep in the ground;

And with decay, they’re both covered.

²⁷ ‘So, I know what you’ll say as you’re pressuring me:

²⁸ Where are the houses where princes will live

And safe tents where the godless will dwell?

²⁹ ‘Ask those passing by on the roads, and you’ll see

That the signs are all very clear;

³⁰ For the day of destruction will come

When He will enlighten the wicked…

And in that day of His rage, they’ll be gone.

³¹ ‘Then, to their faces, He’ll accuse them,

And speak of the bad things they’ve done.

Yes, He will come to repay them

³² As they lie awake upon heaps of trash,

And then, to their tombs, they’ll be led.

³³ ‘In gravel, thereafter, they’ll be covered,

As other men come to see them…

Yes, they’ll come in great numbers to stand there.

³⁴ ‘So, why waste your time to offer me comfort,

Since you’ve done nothing to bring any rest!’

Job 22

←21 | All books | All chapters | 23→

¹ Then EliPhaz the Temanite spoke, saying:

² ‘Doesn’t wisdom and understanding come from the Lord?

³ So, why should He be concerned

If what you’ve been doing is pure?

‘What good [do you think] it would do Him

If all of your ways had been clean?

⁴ Will He discipline you for the things that you say,

Or join with you in your judgments?

⁵ ‘Haven’t you done many bad things…

Could anyone count all your sins?

⁶ Haven’t you taken what your brothers need

Without any justification?

Haven’t you claimed the clothes of the naked…

⁷ Refused to give water to the thirsty…

And taken scraps of food from the famished?

⁸ ‘You’ve shown favor to the faces of some,

While you removed the poor from their land.

⁹ You’ve sent away widows with nothing at all,

And orphans, you’ve treated badly.

¹⁰ So, the snares that you’ve set have now captured you,

And this is why such a war has arrived.

¹¹ ‘So, light for you is now darkness,

And when you sleep, you’re covered in dew.

¹² For the Living One is paying attention,

And He humbles those who think themselves high.

¹³ ‘You’ve asked, What does the Almighty know?

And, Can He judge what happens in darkness?

¹⁴ He’s concealed by the clouds, so He can’t be seen

As He travels across the arc of the sky!

¹⁵ ‘You can’t guard the roads of the ages,

Which have been walked by the righteous

¹⁶ Who were taken away in untimely [deaths],

Like rivers overflowing their banks!

¹⁷ Yet, even they had once asked:

‘What will God do to us…

Yes, what will the Almighty bring?’

¹⁸ ‘He’s the One who filled their homes with good things,

While the council of the the Godless, He’s pushed away.

¹⁹ The righteous all laugh when they see this,

And the blameless sneer at such ones.

²⁰ For, their supports will soon vanish,

And their clothes will be burned up in fire.

²¹ ‘So you must be strong if you want to survive,

And then you’ll receive your reward

For all the good things that you’ve done.

²² Remove all the [bad] from your mouth,

And keep His words in your heart!

²³ ‘Turn back and be humbled by God,

And stay away from wrongdoing!

²⁴ Then you’ll lay away gold as though it were dust

From the rivers of Ophir…

²⁵ The Almighty will then watch over you,

And you’ll have plenty of silver.

²⁶ ‘So, confess [your sins] to Yahweh,

And look to the heavens in joy.

²⁷ Make vows to Him and He’ll listen to you,

Then He’ll give you the strength to do as you’ve vowed

²⁸ And restore you to a righteous condition,

So your ways can be bright once again.

²⁹ ‘For, those who humble themselves

Will admit that they’ve been too proud;

And [God] will save those who are humble.

³⁰ Yes, He’ll rescue those free from guilt…

But first, you must keep your hands clean!’

Job 23

←22 | All books | All chapters | 24→

¹ Then Job spoke, saying:

² ‘I know for a fact that my change of state

Is something that’s out of my hands.

For, it’s His hand that’s been heavy on me,

And He’s the source of my groaning.

³ So who knows if I’ll ever find Him again,

And bring these things to a conclusion.

⁴ ‘Now, on myself, I’ll pass judgment,

And with scolding words, I’ll fill my mouth.

⁵ Then I’ll learn the cure, for He’ll show it to me…

I’ll understand, because He’ll explain it!

⁶ ‘He’ll come to me with great strength,

And I know He won’t do so unsurely.

⁷ He’ll send me truth and correction,

And bring an end to my case.

⁸ ‘But, if I should be the first one to go,

And if I should no longer be;

How could I know how it ends?

⁹ ‘With His left hand, He acts… I can’t stop Him;

And what He covers with His right, I can’t see.

¹⁰ He already knows all my ways;

For He’s searched me through as if I were gold.

¹¹ ‘My feet have walked in His footsteps…

I’ve kept His ways and not swerved.

¹² I’ve never rejected commands from His lips,

And I’ve held in esteem the words from His mouth.

¹³ But, if He’s judged me as guilty,

Who can say that He’s wrong?

¹⁴ ‘So I’ve always turned towards Him quickly,

And when I’m corrected, I keep Him in mind.

¹⁵ For, grave are the things that come from His face…

They’re things that leave me in terror.

¹⁶ ‘Yet, Yahweh has softened my heart…

The Almighty has moved me to action.

¹⁷ For, I never suspected that darkness would come

And that before my face, all would go dim.

Job 24

←23 | All books | All chapters | 25→

¹ ‘Why hasn’t Yahweh noticed this time

² When the godless are overrunning our borders…

Those who seize both the shepherds and sheep?

³ ‘From the orphans, they’ve taken their burros,

And the cows upon which the widows relied.

⁴ They keep the disabled from walking upright,

So the gentle of the land must run off and hide.

⁵ ‘They act like burros that stray into fields

And find the bread of infants delicious.

⁶ They harvest in fields not their own,

And reap it before it’s ripe.

‘The godless hire the disabled

And put them to work in their vineyards…

But then, they don’t pay them or feed them!

⁷ They leave them naked, without any clothes,

And they take all they need to survive.

⁸ So, in mountain mists, such poor ones must bathe,

And hide in the rocks for protection.

⁹ ‘They then snatch away babies…

They take them away from the breasts

In payment for debts that are owed.

¹⁰ They mistreat and rest of the naked,

And take scraps of food from the famished.

¹¹ ‘In alleys, they lie in wait to do harm,

And righteous ways, they don’t know.

¹² They throw people from their homes in the cities,

And bring groaning to the lives of their children.

¹³ ‘So, why does the One who’s watching

Fail to act on this earth,

While people like this just ignore Him,

Disregarding all that’s just

And taking the easiest way?

¹⁴ ‘In the cover of darkness, they murder,

And during the night, they break in and steal.

¹⁵ ‘The adulterer waits for darkness and says:

‘They won’t know that my eyes will be watching!’

And as he keeps his face hidden,

He carves peepholes in homes in the night.

¹⁶ ‘Then, during the day, he locks himself in,

So he never comes to know light.

¹⁷ For at dawn, he would see the shadow of death,

And observe the bad things that it brings…

¹⁸ But when he looks in the [reflection of] water, he still sees a good face.

‘May his portion on the earth be forever cursed,

And may all that he plants wither and dry…

¹⁹ For he even grabs the arms of orphans!

²⁰ ‘So, [please] remember his sins!

Like fog, may he soon pass away,

And may he vanish like dew.

‘Please repay him for all that he’s done…

Like rotting wood, may he just waste away.

²¹ For, those with no sons, he’s mistreated,

And he shows no mercy to those who need aid.

²² ‘The disabled, he’s knocked to the ground in his rage;

So, no man’s life can ever feel secure.

²³ Thus, may he get sick and never be healed…

And may his illness then lead to his death!

²⁴ ‘Since many are harmed by his arrogant ways,

Like mallows, may he wither in heat…

Like an ear of grain that just falls on its own.

²⁵ ‘If such things aren’t so, then say that I’ve lied,

And disregard everything I’ve said!’

Job 25

←24 | All books | All chapters | 26→

¹ Then Baldad the Shuhite spoke and said:

² ‘What kind of insight and fear does he have…

This one who makes it sound so important?

³ ‘Let’s not think that [God] will save us from robbers

Or that we’ll never be ambushed.

⁴ For, which man can say that he’s righteous to God…

Can men born of women make themselves pure?

⁵ ‘[God] can order the moon not to shine,

And before Him, the stars are impure.

⁶ [So to Him], all mankind is rotten,

And the sons of men are like worms.’

Job 26

←25 | All books | All chapters | 27→

¹ Then Job spoke, saying:

² ‘Who are those closest to you…

Those you’d turn to for aid?

Aren’t they the ones who are mighty…

Those with great muscled arms?

³ ‘To whom do you turn when you need advice…

Isn’t it to those who are known to be wise?

And whom do you chose to follow…

Isn’t it those who have power?

⁴ So, to whom are you speaking these words,

And whose breath is now coming from you?

⁵ Will giants start acting like midwives

And go under the water for neighbors?

⁶ ‘For, the grave lies naked before Him,

And He’s wrapped in a robe of destruction.

⁷ He stretches the north wind on nothing,

And on nothing, He’s hung the earth.

⁸ ‘He takes water and binds it in clouds;

Yet, the bottoms of the clouds never rip.

⁹ And He hides the face of [the moon]

By spreading the clouds as its cover.

¹⁰ ‘By His order, the sea’s face is round,

From where the light reaches to darkness.

¹¹ The columns of the skies, He’s spread all around,

And they shake when they hear of His rage.

¹² ‘By His might, He settled the seas in their beds,

And in wisdom, He spread it for whales.

¹³ Of Him, the bolts in the skies stand in awe,

And by His order, the dragon defector is killed.

¹⁴ ‘{Look!} These are just a small part of His ways;

For when He breathes a word, we’ll listen!

So, who knows when He will bring change…

When He’ll bring the strength of His thunder?’

Job 27

←26 | All books | All chapters | 28→

¹ Then Job continued in his own defense:

² ‘As God lives, He’s the One who has judged me…

It’s the Almighty who’s made my life bitter.

³ But, as long as my spirit is in me,

And the Divine One’s Breath remains in my nose...

⁴ My lips won’t speak lawless things,

And my inner person won’t contemplate wrong;

⁵ For, such things bring the sentence of death!

‘I’m not saying that I’m free from blame…

⁶ But, I’ll cling to what’s right and never let go,

For, I know when I’m doing what’s wrong.

⁷ ‘May my enemies disappear with the godless,

And my opposers be destroyed with lawbreakers.

⁸ ‘What kind of hope have the godless?

Do they think they’ll be saved by Yahweh?

⁹ That God will hear what they pray,

Or He’ll come when they’re in need?

¹⁰ Can they stand before Him as securely

As those who can call and be heard?

¹¹ ‘I’ll tell you about the things [God] holds in His hands…

I won’t lie about the Almighty.

¹² {Look!} For He piles what’s foolish upon the foolish…

¹³ This is what the impious will get from the Lord,

And it’s what their most mighty receive.

¹⁴ ‘Should the Almighty One come to their aid,

And should the sons [of the wicked] grow many? No!

Their purpose is just to be slaughtered,

And they’ll beg to be allowed to grow into men.

¹⁵ But those who remain will die of the plague,

And on their widows, none will show mercy.

¹⁶ ‘If they gather silver like it was dirt,

And set aside gold as if it was mortar;

¹⁷ The righteous will [soon] own these things,

And those who are true will control it.

¹⁸ ‘Then his house will belong to the moths,

And to the cobwebs of spiders.

¹⁹ The rich man will sleep and not rise again…

He’ll be dead – even though his eyes are wide open.

²⁰ ‘Grief will pour on him like water,

And darkness will overtake him during the night.

²¹ A burning wind will snatch him away,

And like chaff, he’ll be blown from his place.

²² ‘He’ll be sent where nobody can save him…

By [God’s] hands, he’ll be taken to exile.

²³ Then, all men will be clapping their hands,

And they’ll whistle at him from wherever they are.’

Job 28

←27 | All books | All chapters | 29→

¹ ‘There’s a place where silver is mined,

And a place where gold is refined.

² Men take iron out of the ground,

And copper is quarried like stones.

³ This is how He’s established an order for darkness,

And precisely set all its limits.

‘Like the darkness [that’s inside a mine]…

So is the shadow of death...

⁴ And as they [pan for gold] in fast-running streams,

The ways of the just are discovered…

By mortal men, they’re sifted.

⁵ Even our bread comes out of the ground

As if roasted in fires down below.

⁶ ‘There are places where sapphires are found,

And places where gold may be mined.

⁷ There are also roads that birds don’t know…

By the eyes of eagles, they’re overlooked.

⁸ They haven’t been walked by sons of the rich,

Nor have lions ever been there.

⁹ ‘For He sticks out His hand and chisels a place,

And the roots of mountains, He overturns.

¹⁰ The banks of rivers, He’s destroyed…

And my eyes have beheld such great things.

¹¹ ‘The depths of rivers, He’s laid bare,

And in the [day]light, He’s shown all their might.

¹² But where can wisdom be found?

And what’s the source of great knowledge?

¹³ ‘For no man really knows of its ways,

Since such ways can’t be found among men.

¹⁴ Says the abyss, ‘It’s not found in me,’

And says the sea, ‘Nor in me!’

¹⁵ So, nobody can invest in it,

And with silver, it can’t be bought.

¹⁶ ‘It can’t be compared to all Ophir’s gold,

Nor to precious onyx or sapphires.

¹⁷ With [diamonds] and gold, it can’t be compared,

And it can’t be bought with gold coins.

¹⁸ ‘I won’t compare it to crystals or coral,

For wisdom is higher than everything we could want.

¹⁹ To topaz from Etheopia, it can’t be compared,

Nor can it be equaled by the finest gold.

²⁰ ‘So, where can wisdom be found?

And where does great understanding come from?

²¹ It escapes the notice of every man,

And it’s hidden from the birds in the skies.

²² ‘Thus says the days of destruction and death:

‘We’ve heard of its fame,

²³ For, God well speaks its ways,

And He alone knows where it’s found.’

²⁴ ‘He looks down from the heavens above,

And from there, He passes inspection…

For He sees all that happens throughout the earth.

²⁵ ‘He also weighs the things that He makes…

He’s measured the wind and the water…

²⁶ When He made them, He saw them and counted it all,

Then He made a way for the thunder.

²⁷ ‘He saw [what He made] and described it…

The One who prepared it has tracked all its ways,

²⁸ And this is what He’s concluded:

‘{Look!} [Having] wisdom is being like God,

And [having] higher knowledge is staying away from what’s bad.’

Job 29

←28 | All books | All chapters | 30→

¹ Then Job continued, saying this:

² ‘O that He’d let me return,

Back to that month once again…

To those days when He watched over me,

And His lamp was lit over my head.

³ ‘By His light, I traveled through darkness,

⁴ As I walked down the streets in importance,

And when God watched over my house…

⁵ When I was exceedingly plump,

And I had all my children around me.

⁶ ‘When all that I did poured like butter that’s warm,

And mountainous things poured like milk…

⁷ When, in the morning, I entered the city,

And they’d set a chair for me in the square.

⁸ ‘Before me, the young ran and hid,

And the elders arose in respect.

⁹ Stout men would all stop their speaking,

And place their fingers over their mouths.

¹⁰ ‘Then, all who listened said I was blest,

And their tongues would stick in their throats.

¹¹ With their ears, they listened and praised me,

And when they saw me, they all stepped aside.

¹² For I rescued the poor from the hands of the mighty,

And to helpless orphans, I supplied aid.

¹³ ‘So, you who are dying; please praise me again…

May the mouths of the widows praise me once more!

¹⁴ For, I once dressed up to give justice

In a robe doubled over;

¹⁵ Then I served as eyes for the blind,

As well as feet for the lame…

¹⁶ And to the disabled, I became like a father.

‘When I didn’t know the right thing to do,

It worked out well anyhow.

¹⁷ I broke the molars of the unrighteous,

And I snatched their prey from their teeth.

¹⁸ ‘I said:

‘I’ll grow old and round like the trunk of a palm,

And I’ll live for many more years;

¹⁹ For my roots have reached deep to the water,

And on my harvest, the dew always settles.’

²⁰ ‘Back then, my glory meant little to me;

For, I had entrusted my bow to His hands.

²¹ Then, men would pay close attention to me,

And stay silent as I offered council.

²² ‘When I was speaking, they never spoke;

And they were joyful whenever I talked…

²³ As the ground enjoys rain when it’s thirsty,

That’s how they thought of my words.

²⁴ ‘For at them, I never laughed…

Which is why they trusted my council.

For the light of my face was before them,

²⁵ And I showed them the right ways to go.

‘So I was always their prince...

And even though I camped like a king ‘midst his army,

I remembered to comfort the mourning.’

Job 30

←29 | All books | All chapters | 31→

¹ ‘Now, even their least are laughing at me;

And those whose fathers I’ve viewed with contempt

Now dare to give me correction…

Those whom I once thought unworthy

To serve as dogs to watch over my flocks.

² ‘So, what value is the strength of their hands before me,

Since their vigor has already perished?

³ They’re in need and hungry, with nothing…

They’re miserable, like those who flee from a war

To hide in a place with no water!

⁴ ‘They stand on the shore and pick seaweed;

For, plants from the sea are their grain.

They have no honor, and nothing to give;

They’re looked on as worthless and lacking all good.

‘In hunger, they’ve gnawed upon tree roots…

⁵ These who’ve risen against me like thieves…

⁶ Those who once burrowed in rocks.

⁷ ‘But now, they look for places to yell

(Such ones with homes made of sticks).

⁸ They’re the sons of dishonored fools,

Whose fame will be wiped from the land.

⁹ ‘Yet now, they’re strumming their harps about me…

I’m the topic of all their discussions.

¹⁰ They dislike me and stay far away,

And into my face, they now spit.

¹¹ ‘For [God’s] opened His quiver and shot me,

Then He led me away from His presence.

¹² ‘So, the hands of their sons have risen against me…

They stick out their legs and kick me!

¹³ They’ve wiped my ways from their wicked paths,

And they’ve taken the clothes that I wore.

‘For, He’s run me through with His spear,

¹⁴ And He’s judged me the way that He wished.

Thus, with anguish, I’m now befouled,

¹⁵ And all my grief has returned.

My hope has passed by like the wind,

And my salvation has faded like clouds.

¹⁶ ‘So, may my life soon be poured out,

Since I’ve had enough days of this grief.

¹⁷ All night long, my bones are burning within me,

And my nerves are broken and shattered.

¹⁸ With great power, my robe has been wrinkled…

And within its folds, I’ve been wrapped.

¹⁹ ‘So, now you treat me like dirt,

And think that ashes are all I deserve.

²⁰ Even though I’ve cried out to you, you don’t listen…

You just stand and think of my plight.

²¹ ‘Together, you’ve joined to attack me,

And with mighty hands, you’ve whipped me.

²² You’ve handed me over to grief

And removed any hope of salvation.

²³ ‘I know that death will soon wipe me away,

For the ground is the home of all mortals.

²⁴ So, should I consider killing myself?

Or ask someone else to do it?

²⁵ ‘Even though I cried over all the disabled,

And moaned when I saw people in need,

²⁶ I’m still waiting for good things to come [to me],

And I hope for good days, not bad.

²⁷ ‘My belly is noisy and rumbles,

As more days of suffering confront me.

²⁸ I’m groaning because of discomfort,

And among the gathering, I weep.

²⁹ ‘To trapped demons, I’m now a brother,

And to the ostrich, I’m a companion.

³⁰ My skin has become very dark,

As my bones continue to swelter in heat.

³¹ ‘So in mourning, I now strum my harp,

And my hymns are all about weeping for me.

Job 31

←30 | All books | All chapters | 32→

¹ ‘I’ve made a vow that my eyes

Won’t pay [inappropriate] attention to virgins.

² For, what I have, came from God up above…

It’s the inheritance of what the Almighty saw fit.

³ ‘To the godless comes woe and destruction,

And those who break laws are alone.

⁴ So, why won’t He look at my ways

And count all the footsteps I’ve taken?

⁵ For, I haven’t traveled with those who play jokes,

And my feet haven’t rushed to do evil.

⁶ So, I can now step on a scale

And prove myself just in the balance.

‘For, Yahweh knows that I haven’t done wrong

⁷ And my feet haven’t turned from His way

(although my eyes often follow my heart),

And my hands have never touched bribes.

⁸ Yet, what I’ve planted, others now eat…

I no longer have roots in the ground.

⁹ ‘If my heart had followed another man’s wife,

And if I had stood in wait at her door;

¹⁰ May my wife then please other men,

And my babies be humbled thereafter.

¹¹ ‘For, the One who dirties another man’s wife

Should receive [God’s] unrestrained anger.

¹² May a fire burn in all of his parts,

And may he be destroyed to his roots.

¹³ ‘If I’ve disregarded what I owe my servants,

And if my maids ever had to beg before me;

¹⁴ What could I say to my God

When I’m beaten by Him…

When He visits, how could I reply?

¹⁵ For, weren’t they also born from a womb…

Didn’t they come from the belly?

¹⁶ ‘But the disabled and needy never missed out,

And the eyes of the widows weren’t wasted.

¹⁷ For, when I ate my food all alone,

I always set some aside for the orphans.

¹⁸ Like a father, I fed them the food from my mouth,

And I led them as though from my own mother’s womb.

¹⁹ ‘If I hadn’t provided for those without clothes,

²⁰ Or to the disabled, failed to give aid,

Unless they gave me a blessing;

Or if I’d refused to take my lamb’s wool

And used it to warm up their shoulders;

²¹ If I failed to lift a hand to aid orphans,

Or helped those who trusted in me to give aid;

²² May my shoulders be pulled from my collars

And my arms be broken at the elbows.

²³ ‘It was the fear of Yahweh that caused me to act;

For, without His care, I couldn’t endure.

²⁴ If I’d trusted in gold for my strength,

Or in gems, had put all my trust;

²⁵ If I [did these things] to make myself rich,

Or to get my hands on great treasure;

²⁶ May my eyes see the sun growing dim,

And the moon, as it’s starting to darken.

²⁷ ‘So, if my heart has deceived me,

And if I’ve secretly [kissed] my own hand;

²⁸ May this be considered the worst of my crimes,

For I’ve lied to the Most High, Yahweh.

²⁹ ‘If I rejoiced at my enemy’s fall,

And if I’d said in my heart, ‘Well done’;

³⁰ Then, let my ears hear the curses I’m due,

And may everyone speak of my badness.

³¹ ‘I’ve never said to my female attendants,

‘Please give me some of your flesh!’

³² Nor have I forgotten the need to be kind,

And to lodge strangers, my door was kept open.

³³ ‘Unintentional sins, I’ve not hidden,

And I’ve never been swayed by the masses.

³⁴ The disabled, I’ve never turned from my door,

Or with empty stomachs, sent them away.

³⁵ ‘So, please may I find a person to listen…

Someone in awe of the hand of the Lord!

For I’ve never sent anyone bills,

³⁶ Nor read what they owed me while wearing a crown.

³⁷ I just tore up [the debts] and returned them,

Without getting whatever they owed.

³⁸ ‘Have I given the ground a reason to groan…

Have I given her furrows reasons to weep?

³⁹ If I’ve taken some of her strength,

⁴⁰ And ate it alone without paying;

Or, if I’ve made the land’s owner angry,

And he’s been bothered by this;

⁴¹ May my wheat just become stinging nettles,

And may my barley be turned into weeds.’

Well, with that, Job stopped speaking.

Job 32

←31 | All books | All chapters | 33→

¹ Then, for a while, all got quiet... And Job’s three friends stopped contradicting him, for they started thinking that he was truly a righteous man.

² That’s when EliHu (son of BarachiEl the Buzite, a descendant of Ram from Ausis) became very angry with Job for declaring himself righteous before God. ³ He was also indignant with Job’s three friends, because they couldn’t give Job a reply and they found him to be a righteous man.

⁴ EliHu had patiently waited to give Job an answer, because the others were much older than him. ⁵ But when he saw that no more replies were coming being said by these men, he became angry and went into a rage!

⁶ So, EliHu (son of BarachiEl the Buzite) then said:

‘Because I’m younger in years,

And you’re much older than me;

I’ve chosen not to speak – until now,

For I was scared to say what I’ve got to say.

⁷ I said:

‘This isn’t the time to speak out;

For, with their years, they’ve gained much more wisdom.’

⁸ Yet, even though there’s breath in humans,

The Almighty’s Breath does the teaching.

⁹ And since the wise don’t live long enough,

The old don’t always know what’s right.

¹⁰ ‘Now, I beg you all to listen to me,

And I’ll tell you the things that I know.

¹¹ Give an ear to what I’ll say,

And I’ll speak to you free of charge.

¹² ‘Examine my words and you’ll see

That you’ve not given Job the correction.

¹³ Don’t say that you’ve found wisdom from God,

¹⁴ For you got your commission from men!’

¹⁵ Well at that, they were all afraid and they refused to say anything more, because the words they were hearing sounded mature. ¹⁶ Also, he’d [politely] waited and refused to speak until they stood there with no [further] reply.

¹⁷ So EliHu [continued and] said:

‘Now, I’m ready to speak,

And I’ve got many things that I wish to say.

¹⁸ ‘I can’t hold back the wind in my chest,

¹⁹ For within me, it bubbles like very young wine…

It’s been tied up in me like a bellows,

And awaiting the time to break out!

²⁰ So now, I’ll speak and give myself rest,

For the time has arrived to open my lips.

²¹ ‘I’m not embarrassed to speak before men,

Nor will I feel shame before humans.

²² For, if I should show special favor to men,

By moths, may I then be devoured!

Job 33

←32 | All books | All chapters | 34→

¹ ‘Listen, O Job, to my words…

Give ear to what I’m saying!

² For, {Look!} I’ll now open my mouth

And use my tongue to instruct.

³ These words are pure and come from my heart,

And what comes from my lips is all clean.

⁴ ‘By the Breath of [God], I was made;

And by the Almighty’s Spirit, I’ve been taught.

⁵ So, if you’re able to answer,

Then, reply to me about these things!

Yes, wait… Just stand here [and face] me,

And I’ll now stand up to you!

⁶ ‘Both you and I were made from the clay…

From the same dirt, we were formed;

⁷ So don’t twist against me in fear.

⁸ ‘Now, the things I heard you say,

And the claims I heard you make, are:

⁹ ‘I’m pure and I haven’t sinned…

I’m blameless and I’ve broken no laws.

¹⁰ ‘Yet, even though He doesn’t have a complaint,

God thinks me to be His opponent.

¹¹ ‘For He’s put my feet into stocks made of wood,

Even though He’s watched all the [good] things I’ve done.’

‘But, how can you claim to be righteous

And say that He’s paid no attention to you?

¹² For, He’s lived throughout the ages,

And He’s far above all us mortals.

¹³ Yet, you ask:

‘Why hasn’t He seen my just ways…

Why hasn’t He heard what I’ve said?’

¹⁴ ‘Yahweh may only speak once,

Or He may reply even twice.

¹⁵ He may send a dream or a vision at night,

Bringing us fear as we lie in our beds.

¹⁶ ‘He uncovers the things that men think,

And He sees the things that we fear…

Then He uses such things just to scare us…

¹⁷ To turn us away from our sins

And to rescue our bodies from downfall.

¹⁸ From death, He’s saving our lives,

And protecting us from many battles.

¹⁹ ‘When we’re sick in our beds,

And when our bones can’t move;

This discipline is coming from Him!

²⁰ So, when we’re offered grain, we won’t take it,

Despite food being what we really need.

²¹ ‘Our flesh will just lie there and fester

Until our bones can be seen

²² And death has finally approached…

Then it sends our lives down to the grave.

²³ ‘But, even though thousands of [angelic] messengers may come to bring death,

No way will one pierce you through,

If in your heart, you’d just make a change,

And turn to Yahweh again.

‘So, it’s about ourselves that we should complain…

We should speak of the laws that we’ve broken;

²⁴ For then, our God would support us…

Not allow us to fall into death.

‘Then like someone who plasters a wall,

He’d make our bodies new once again,

Refilling our bones with their marrow,

²⁵ And renewing our flesh like a child,

To restore us to what we’d once been.

²⁶ ‘If you make a vow to Yahweh,

And your vow is thereafter accepted,

You’ll walk away with a face that’s clean

And a mouth that’s speaking His praises…

For, He always deals justly with men.

²⁷ ‘So, we each should blame ourselves and then say:

‘What are the things that I’ve done?

What have I done to be disciplined,

And what are the sins I’ve committed?

²⁸ O save my soul from corruption,

So I can see light once again!’

²⁹ ‘{Look!} This is how the Almighty deals with each one,

And there are three things that He does.

³⁰ For, from death, He’s rescued my soul,

So my life can go on to praise Him in light.

³¹ ‘O Job,

‘Lend me an ear and hear what I say…

Be quiet, for I’m now speaking!

³² But, if there are words you can use to reply,

Then speak! For you should be given your due!

³³ Yet, if you don’t, then just hear me out…

Be quiet, and I’ll tell you what’s wise!’

Job 34

←33 | All books | All chapters | 35→

¹ Then EliHu continued:

² ‘And hear me now, O you wise men…

Give ear, O you who have knowledge!

³ For the ear judges words in the way the mouth tastes it’s food…

⁴ And that’s how we should be judging ourselves,

Since we already know if we’ve been good!

⁵ ‘Now, Job has said:

‘Although I’m righteous,

Yahweh has ended my case,

⁶ And when He judged me, He lied.

So, at His injustice, I now shake my spear!’

⁷ ‘Although Job is a man who drinks [wine],

And sneers as if it was water,

⁸ He says he’s not sinful or godless,

And had nothing to do with the lawless,

Or gone along with those who show no respect.

⁹ ‘Now, perhaps you think it’s wrong

For someone to watch over men.

¹⁰ Yet, we’re all watched by Yahweh,

And He searches through all our hearts!

‘Listen, yes – hear me, my God;

For, in no way do I wish to show disrespect…

May the Almighty not think me unjust!

¹¹ ‘He pays men back for all they deserve,

And in his own paths, each man finds Him.

¹² ‘Can you imagine Yahweh being guilty of wrong?

Or the Almighty One of being unjust?

Isn’t the earth His creation?

¹³ Didn’t He make everything under the skies?

¹⁴ ‘So, if He’d hold back His power,

Or if He’d remove all His Breath;

¹⁵ Life on earth would come to an end,

And mortals would return to where they were formed.

¹⁶ ‘But, what if He didn’t correct us?

Shouldn’t we hear the sounds of His words?

¹⁷ {Look!} He’s the One who hates all lawbreaking,

And throughout the ages, He’s proven to be righteous;

So, He will destroy all the wicked!

¹⁸ ‘It’s impertinent to say to a king:

‘You’ve broken the law!’

Or to say to a prince:

‘You’ve acted ungodly!’

¹⁹ ‘So, who may show disrespect

To such a person of honor?

For, He’s never appointed the mighty

Because He thought well of their faces.

²⁰ ‘Nothing good can come when we cry out to men;

For they’re all unrighteous and they won’t help the poor.

²¹ But, He observes all the things that they do,

And their deeds don’t escape His attention.

²² ‘There’s no place where the lawless can hide;

²³ For, He tolerates men no more than He must.

²⁴ So all men are inspected by God,

And He notices all the wrong that they do.

‘He observes the things that are hidden,

As well as things to be honored…

Extraordinary things unnumbered.

²⁵ He knows all the [bad] things we do,

And He humbles us during the night.

²⁶ ‘He wipes away the ungodly

Because He can see the things that they’ve done…

²⁷ When they’ve turned from God’s Laws,

And given no thought to His rules.

²⁸ ‘The cries of the needy reach up to Him,

And He hears the calls of the poor.

²⁹ So, since He’s the One who’s bringing them rest,

Who would dare to condemn Him?

‘If He hides His face, who’ll see Him,

Whether a nation or just a man?

³⁰ But, He can appoint a hypocrite king

If He finds the people unruly.

³¹ ‘Has anyone heard a mighty one say:

‘I’m so blest, so I really don’t need Him?’

³² Or:

‘Unless He can prove that He knows of my sins,

There’s nothing that He can require?’

³³ ‘Will He pay for the things that you’ve thrown away?

Give me an answer… Yes, tell me!

³⁴ ‘Understanding hearts will reply to such things,

And a wise man will hear what I’ve said.

³⁵ But, Job hasn’t thought about this,

Since his words don’t reflect higher knowledge.

³⁶ ‘So learn, O Job… Don’t be a fool…

³⁷ Don’t add any more to your sins!

For we’re all considered law breakers

When we stand and speak [before God].’

Job 35

←34 | All books | All chapters | 36→

¹ Then EliHu continued:

² ‘Why does justice matter to you…

Who are you to call yourself righteous,

And say you deserve no vengeance from God?

³ ‘You’ve asked what sins you’ve committed.

And about this, I’ll give you an answer,

Then I’ll tell it to these, your three friends.

⁴ ‘Look up to the sky and see

How high the clouds are above you!

⁵ So, if you’ve sinned, what will you do?

⁶ Yes, what can you do if you’ve broken [God’s] laws?

⁷ ‘And if you’re truly so righteous,

What things can you offer to Him?

And what will He take from your hands?

⁸ Will He accept irreverence from men,

Or unrighteousness from all their children?

⁹ ‘Many call out when they’ve been robbed…

But they yell at the strong one who robbed them!

¹⁰ They don’t ask:

‘Where is [God] who made me…

The One who’s in charge of night watches,

¹¹ And made me different from the beasts of the earth,

As well as from the birds in the sky?’

¹² ‘Oh, they can cry out, but no one will listen;

For, there’s insolence in those who are wicked.

¹³ Yet, there’s nothing that goes unnoticed by God,

Because He’s the Almighty.

¹⁴ ‘He observes all those who break laws,

And you can ask Him to save you…

That is, if you’re praising Him now!

¹⁵ ‘He assigns no numbers to His rage,

And He sets no limits on sins.

¹⁶ Yet, Job has foolishly opened his mouth,

And in ignorance, he’s weighed out his words.’

Job 36

←35 | All books | All chapters | 37→

¹ EliHu continued, saying:

² ‘Be patient for a while and I’ll teach you...

Because, I still have [much] more to say.

³ ‘I was taught in a faraway land,

And I’ve learned to do as I say.

⁴ So, I’ll speak of what’s true and righteous,

And you’ll find that I’m not telling lies.

⁵ ‘I know that Yahweh won’t harm a good man…

One who’s mighty and has strength of heart.

⁶ But, to the irreverent, He won’t return life.

‘He will give justice to those who are poor,

⁷ And He doesn’t turn His eyes away from the righteous.

For, they’ll sit as kings upon thrones…

They’ll be raised and treated like winners!

⁸ ‘The crook that’s led off in shackles,

In poverty’s cords, will be wrapped.

⁹ Then, He’ll speak of all the bad things he’s done,

And of his many transgressions.

¹⁰ ‘But, [God] listens to what the righteous ones say,

And He warns them to turn away from all badness.

¹¹ So, if they should listen and serve [Him],

They’ll live a very long time

And spend many years having good things.

Then, when they come to the end of their days,

Many beautiful things, they’ll own.

¹² ‘But the godless won’t be preserved;

For, they fail to look to Yahweh.

And even though they’ve been warned time and again,

They keep on refusing to listen.

¹³ ‘Although the hypocrite’s heart will know rage,

He won’t call out, for [God] has him bound.

¹⁴ So his life will end while he’s still young,

Since angels will come here to pierce him…

¹⁵ If he’s mistreated the weak and disabled.

Yet, they’ll be fair to the humble.

¹⁶ ‘When an enemy uses his mouth to deceive,

[God] opens a pit underneath him,

Where his table of good things is thrown.

¹⁷ ‘To the righteous, He’ll always bring justice,

¹⁸ While on the impious, He sends His rage.

For if, in godless ways, they’ve taken bribes;

In justice, they’ll receive what they deserve.

¹⁹ ‘So don’t be blind to the cries of the disabled,

Or send away those who seek aid in the night.

²⁰ Rather, you should go out and help them,

So that others can see your example.

²¹ Be careful to never mistreat them,

Or take advantage of their lowly condition.

²² ‘{Look!} Although the strong use their strength to overpower…

Who are these who are feeling so mighty?

²³ Who examines the things that they do,

And tells them when they’ve done wrong?

²⁴ ‘Remember that it’s the great things we do

That give us control over men.

²⁵ And each man knows deep within his own heart

How many mortals he’s stabbed through.

²⁶ ‘{Look!} The Almighty is great…

Yet, we don’t really know Him;

For, there’s no end to His years.

²⁷ He can count the number of rain drops

Before they’re even formed in the clouds.

²⁸ Then they fall and flow past the things that grow old…

Past the shadows of the uncounted dead.

‘He’s established a time for the animal’s lives,

And this order of things, they comprehend.

Yet, you haven’t bothered to think about this,

And your heart doesn’t know your own body.

²⁹ But remember, as you watch the clouds passing by…

This will also happen to the tent that is you.

³⁰ ‘{Look!} He’s stretched the light out above us,

And the roots of the seas, He’s covered.

³¹ Then, between them, He judges the people,

And He nourishes those who’ve shown strength.

³² ‘He can cover the light with His hands,

And tell the clouds what to do.

³³ Yet, we can trust that He’ll speak to His friends,

And provide them a place of refuge from evil.

Job 37

←36 | All books | All chapters | 38→

¹ ‘So, this is what’s bothered my heart…

They’re the things that make my heart drop.

² Pay attention to my report on God’s rage;

For, what I’ve said has come from His mouth!

³ ‘He’s the sovereign of all under the heavens,

And His light shines to the wings of the earth.

⁴ ‘Although voices may yell out against Him;

He thunders at the sound of their insults.

For, He must bargain with no one…

With none of those who may hear His voice.

⁵ ‘When the Almighty speaks, it’s like thunder,

Which tells of the great things He’s done.

⁶ He orders the snow in the winter,

And instructs it to cover the ground…

And the rain also follows His orders

⁷ ‘He’s the One who shackles men’s hands,

To make them aware of their weakness.

⁸ ‘Wild beasts live within His protection;

So, in their lairs, they’re tranquil,

⁹ While in your bedrooms comes grief,

And from far away, comes a chill.

¹⁰ ‘From the Almighty’s Breath comes the ice,

And water is steered where He chooses.

¹¹ If He covers a cloud, it passes away,

Followed by light in its order.

¹² ‘Cyclones are turned aside by His rules

(The ways by which they must work),

¹³ Sparing the land on which He shows mercy…

He’s the One who orders such things for the land.

¹⁴ ‘So, pay attention, O Job!

You should stand in awe of God’s power!

¹⁵ For we know that it all comes from God,

Who created light from the darkness.

¹⁶ ‘He knows the difference between every cloud,

As well as the ways that the wicked will fall.

¹⁷ ‘So, even though your clothes are all hot and sticky;

From the south, blows peace for this land.

¹⁸ ‘Can you join Him as He spreads out the skies,

And turns them into bronze mirrors?

¹⁹ ‘So now, teach me what I should tell Him,

And let’s bring an end to this banter!

²⁰ Is there a scribe with a scroll next to me,

To whom must I now be pleasing?

²¹ ‘For the light is now shining so brightly,

To illuminate everything that’s old.

It’s as if He’s parted the clouds,

²² And made them glow like gold in the north!

So, their honor and glory reflect the Almighty;

²³ For, in no one else may such strength be found.

‘Since He’s the One who brings honest judgments,

Don’t you think that He’s listened to you?

²⁴ So, we’ve all got good reasons to fear Him…

Even those who think that their hearts are wise!

Job 38

←37 | All books | All chapters | 39→

¹ Then, after EliHu finished his speech... Yahweh spoke to Job from the clouds during a storm!

[He said:]

² ‘Who is it that’s hiding counsel from Me,

And thinks he can cover the things in his heart?

³ Now, wrap up your loins and act like a man,

For I’ll ask the questions and you – answer Me!

⁴ ‘Where were you when I laid the foundations of earth?

Tell me, if you know, and if you understand!

⁵ Who planned and laid out its measures… Do you know?

And who laid the string down upon it?

⁶ Upon what have its hooks been supported,

And who set the slabs for its foundation?

⁷ ‘When I did this, all the stars praised Me,

And My angels shouted a cheer.

⁸ Then I locked the seas in their gates,

When they first burst from the womb.

⁹ ‘I established the clouds as clothes [for the seas],

And I wrapped it in fog, like a child.

¹⁰ Thereafter, I established its limits

And I bolted its gates into place.

¹¹ I said:

‘This is as far as you go…

You can’t go any farther,

So your waves must now break within you.’

¹² ‘Did I use you to bring about morning light?

Or to set the morning star in its place?

¹³ [Can you] grab the wings of the earth,

And shake off all the ungodly?

¹⁴ ‘Have you picked up a piece of clay from the ground,

And used it to make something living?

And who brought the powers of speech to the earth?

¹⁵ ‘Have you removed the light from the godless,

Or broken the arms of the proud?

¹⁶ Have you found the springs of the seas,

And walked in the tracks of the deep?

¹⁷ ‘Do the gates of death open before you,

And do the keepers of the place of the dead

Get alarmed whenever they see you?

¹⁸ ‘If you’ve been told about everything under heaven,

Then, tell Me how great it all is!

¹⁹ Where’s the land that the light comes from?

And from what kind of place does the darkness come from?

²⁰ ‘If you could lead Me up to their limits

(That is, even if you even knew of their paths),

²¹ You’d already know all these things.

And if you were born on that day,

Your years by now, would be many.

²² ‘Have you found the treasuries of the snow?

Have you seen where the hail is all stored?

²³ For you, has the time of enemies been reserved,

Or the days for battle and war?

²⁴ ‘When the frost leaves, where does it go?

And where under the skies goes the south wind?

²⁵ Who prepares the storms when they blow?

²⁶ And who holds back rain from the ground?

²⁷ ‘Who made the deserts where no men can live,

But then fills unwalked, uninhabited lands

With sprouts and new shoots of green?

²⁸ ‘Who is the father of rain,

And who gives birth to the dewdrops?

²⁹ In whose womb does the ice start to form,

And who gives birth to frost from the skies,

³⁰ And then turns it into drops to make streams?

‘Who is it that changes the face of the godless,

And who creates their alarm?

³¹ ‘Have you seen what bonds the PleiAdes?

Have you opened the barriers of Orion?

³² Have you opened MazurOth when it can be seen?

Or have you led Venus by its tail?

³³ ‘Do you know how the orbits of the heavens all work,

Or how things under the sky work together?

³⁴ Can you call to a cloud and cause it to shake,

Then obey you and pour out a storm?

³⁵ ‘Are you able to send for the lightning?

Will it ask, ‘What is it?’ and obey you?

³⁶ ‘Who gave women the wisdom to weave,

And who gave them the skill to embroider?

³⁷ ‘Who in his wisdom can count all the clouds?

Who can lean on the sky and the ground?

³⁸ ‘Who poured out the powder that created the earth,

And stuck it together as a stone block?

³⁹ ‘Will you hunt for lions as prey,

And be filled with the souls of wild beasts?

⁴⁰ Yet, they must be feared when they’re in their lairs,

Or when they’re lying in wait in the woods.

⁴¹ ‘Who gives carrion to the crows for their young,

As they call to Yahweh while searching for grain?’

Job 39

←38 | All books | All chapters | 40→

¹ ‘Tell Me this, if you know:

When do rock antelopes give birth?

And have you seen the birthing of hinds?

² Have you counted the months for them to give birth?

And do you know how long they have birth pangs?

³ ‘Do you know how their offspring are fed,

And can you bring an end to their labor?

⁴ For their young rip out and many are born…

Then they just walk away.

⁵ ‘Who is it that set zebras free…

Who untied them from bondage?

⁶ I’m the One who [gave him] his home

There, in the deserts, and in the salt flats…

I’m the One who gave him his dwelling.

⁷ ‘He laughs at the complaints of those living in towns,

And tax collectors, he can ignore.

⁸ He views the mountains as his pastures,

As he searches for green things to eat.

⁹ ‘Can you make the rhinoceros do what you say?

Can you force him to sleep in your barn?

¹⁰ Can you tie him with straps and put on a yoke,

Then use him to plow up your fields?

¹¹ ‘Can you trust him to do this because of his strength,

And will he lighten the work that you do?

¹² Can you trust him to carry your grain,

And haul it to threshing-floors for you?

¹³ ‘Consider the wings of the ostrich…

Whose feathers the storks use for their nests.

¹⁴ They lay their eggs on the ground,

Then incubate them in the dust.

¹⁵ ‘If she forgets them, they then might be lost,

Or crushed by wild beasts in the fields.

¹⁶ So, she’s hardened herself against her own young,

And she isn’t sad when her work is in vain.

¹⁷ ‘It was God who removed all her wisdom,

And gave her such scant understanding.

¹⁸ But, when she spreads her feathers to run,

She laughs at the horse and its rider.

¹⁹ ‘Was it you who gave the horse all its strength,

Or that caused his neck [to tremble] in fear?

²⁰ Are you the one who gave him full armor,

And put the glory of daring in his breast?

²¹ ‘In the fields, he grazes and prances,

And with strength, he runs in the plains.

²² He laughs when he meets up with spears,

And from weapons of iron, he never retreats.

²³ ‘When he’s struck by arrows and swords,

²⁴ He just gets angry and tears up the ground.

He doesn’t quit ‘til the trumpet is blown,

²⁵ And then he just says, Well done!

‘He can even smell war from a distance,

Then he stands on his [back] legs and whinnies.

²⁶ ‘Was it you who gave hawks their look of defiance

As they set their wings to fly towards the south?

²⁷ Was it by your order that eagles fly high,

Or vultures to lodge in nests ²⁸ among rocks?

²⁹ ‘From such places, [these birds] search for food,

For their eyes can see from a distance.

³⁰ Then their young become covered in blood,

Because they can find whatever has died.’

³¹ Then Yahweh God said this to Job:

³² ‘Have you chosen to correct this One who’s so mighty…

And can one who teaches God give an answer?’

³³ Then Job replied to Yahweh:

³⁴ ‘So, why must I still go on begging?

And for what am I being corrected?

Why are my prayers just being ignored?

‘Since I can’t reply [to Your questions],

I’ll just cover my mouth with my hands…

³⁵ I’ve spoken and I’ll say no more.’

Job 40

←39 | All books | All chapters | 41→

¹ Then Yahweh God replied to Job, asking:

² ‘Are you judging the One who’s so mighty…

And when someone scolds God, must He reply?’

³ So Job thought about this and then he asked the Lord:

⁴ ‘But, why must I stand here and beg…

Being scolded and disciplined by God?

‘No, I’m nothing at all,

And yes, I’ve heard all that You said;

So what answer can I give in reply?

‘Now... I’ll cover my mouth with my hands,

⁵ For I’ve spoken and I’ll say no more.’

⁶ Then the Lord once again spoke to Job from out of the clouds, saying:

⁷ ‘Now, wrap up your waist and act like a man;

Then, I’ll ask you, and you must reply!

⁸ ‘Should you undo My decisions?

And do you think it was Me who sent these [bad] things?

Or that you’d have to prove yourself righteous to Me?

⁹ ‘Is your arm like the arm of Yahweh?

Is your voice like His… Can it thunder?

¹⁰ If so, lift yourself in stature and might,

And clothe yourself with glory and honor;

¹¹ Then, send out [His] [angelic] messengers in rage

To humble those who are proud,

¹² And to bring an end to the haughty…

Right now, cause the godless to rot!

¹³ Hide them together inside of the ground,

And with dishonor, then cover their faces!

¹⁴ For, surely you know that your right hand can save!

[Editor note: It’s our opinion that many of the following verses have been somewhat corrupted (in both the Hebrew and Greek texts), making much of what follows is disjointed and unclear.

We feel that part of the reason for this is that those who sang, copied, and translated this song, simply didn’t understand its cryptic message… That the ‘beast’ or ‘dragon’ in Job is a fictional animal representing the evil spirit who was bringing these woes upon Job.

Such fictional, composite animals were common in the ancient world – the most famous one being the Sphinx in Egypt. Composite animals took features from different mammals, birds, and reptiles to create a super-animal, with each feature representing a different ability or trait. They were most commonly used to represent gods and spirits, such as the Egyptian gods.

This cultural practice was very familiar to ancient people, but was entirely forgotten in later periods, leading people to misinterpret the ‘dragon’ as just another description of some unidentified animal, or even an extinct creature, like a dinosaur. However, what’s described fits the common ancient practice of creating a composite, mythological creature, to represent a powerful spirit.

If true, this would explain why, later at Job 41:9, God remarks that Job can’t see the ‘dragon’ – because it wasn’t really an animal at all, but the spirit creature introduced in Job chapter 1.

We’re not dogmatic about this point, we may be wrong. However, it’s important to tell you this, since it’s influenced how we’ve translated the remaining chapters.]

¹⁵ ‘Now, notice the ‘dragon’ who’s standing beside you;

He eats the same grass as the ox.

¹⁶ Yes, behold the strength in his loins,

And the power in the navel of his belly.

¹⁷ ‘He makes his tail tall like a cypress,

And his nerves are all closely entwined.

¹⁸ His sides are like something that’s made out of brass,

And his spine is much like cast iron.

¹⁹ ‘He’s the beginning of the things [that I] shaped,

And he was made to be mocked by My [angelic] messengers.

²⁰ ‘When he climbs upon chiseled mountains,

He brings joy to those four-footed beasts

That within Tarsos dwell.

²¹ ‘He sleeps under all kinds of trees…

By the papyrus, reeds, and bulrushes.

²² In his shadow, [rest] birds in the trees,

Who unknowingly sway in [his branches].

²³ ‘When storms come, he pays no attention;

For, he trusts that it runs to the JorDan,

And from there, it flows into his mouth.

²⁴ ‘When he’s on watch, who can take him?

But if, in a snare, you could catch him,

Would you drill [a hole] through his nose?

Job 41

←40 | All books | All chapters | 42→

¹ ‘Can you lead this ‘dragon’ around with a hook;

Can you put a halter ‘round his nose?

² Will you put a hook through his nose as a clasp,

And bore a hole in his lip?

³ ‘Will he speak and beg you in an earnest, soft way…

⁴ Will he make an agreement with you…

Will you keep him as your servant throughout the age?

⁵ ‘Will you play with him like a bird…

Would you cage him like a sparrow for a child?

⁶ Wouldn’t you rather feed him to the different races…

To Phoenicians, carve him as [steaks]?

⁷ ‘If all that floats were assembled,

There’s no way they could carry his hide or his tail,

Nor could fishermen’s boats bear his head.

⁸ ‘Could you lay your hands down upon him,

Then, consider the war in his flesh,

And make it no longer take place?

⁹ ‘[While it’s true] that you can’t see him.

Haven’t those who’ve spoken ever wondered…

¹⁰ Aren’t they in awe of this thing I’ve prepared?

‘But, who can really stand and oppose Me…

¹¹ Yes, who can resist Me and win,

Since all under heaven is Mine?

¹² ‘So, I won’t remain silent for his sake;

For, the word of My power to show mercy

Is greater than all that he has to say.

¹³ ‘Who’ll uncover the front of his clothes

And enter the fold of his chest plate?

¹⁴ Yes, who’ll open the gates of his face,

And see that in his teeth, there really is fear?

¹⁵ ‘His insides are like shields of brass,

And his sinews are like emery stone.

¹⁶ They each cleave tightly together,

And no wind [can blow] through them…

¹⁷ They’re as close as a man and his brother,

And they can’t be driven apart.

¹⁸ ‘His sneezing brings about brightness,

And his eyes are like morning stars.

¹⁹ From his mouth come lamps that are burning

Like the scattered coals of a fire.

²⁰ ‘From his nostrils come the smoke of a furnace,

Burning with the fire of live coals.

²¹ For his soul is much like live coals,

And flames shoot out of his mouth.

²² ‘Within his neck, there’s power,

And before him, there’s much destruction.

²³ The flesh of his body cleaves tightly,

So, he’s never bothered by rain.

²⁴ ‘His heart is fixed like a stone…

He stands as an anvil that can’t be bent.

²⁵ When he turns, he frightens the four-footed beasts,

As well as those [flying over] the ground.

²⁶ ‘With lances, he can’t be harmed,

Nor does he fear armor or spears.

²⁷ He views iron weapons as straw,

And brass ones, just like rotting wood.

²⁸ ‘By bows of brass, he can’t be pierced,

And he views [stone] slingers as grass.

²⁹ He thinks of hammers as stubble,

And he laughs at the quaking of those who bear fire.

³⁰ ‘His bed is strewn with sharp needles;

And all the gold in the seas,

Under him, are as coals on the grates or as mud.

³¹ ‘From the abyss, he breaks, as though a brass pot;

He thinks of the seas as his own ointment jar,

³² And the depths of Tartarus as his captive.

For to him, the abyss is just a promenade.

³³ ‘Nothing else on the earth is quite like him…

He was made to be mocked by My [angelic] messengers.

³⁴ ‘He can see all things that are lofty,

And he’s the ruler over everything in the waters.’

Job 42

←41 | All books | All chapters

¹ Then Job spoke to the Lord saying:

² ‘I know that You can do all,

And there’s no end to Your power.

³ So, who can hide their thoughts before You,

And who can hold back their words,

Thinking that You can’t [hear them]?

‘You’ve just told me some things that I never knew…

Great and wonderful things,

Of which I had no understanding.

⁴ ‘So, listen to me, O my Lord,

For, there are things that I’d like to say…

I’ll ask You, and You can teach me!

⁵ ‘In the past, I’ve heard men talk about You,

But now that I’ve seen You with my own eyes,

⁶ I think of myself as having no value.

For before You, I’ve melted away,

And I think of myself as ashes and dirt.’

⁷ Well, after the Lord had spoken about all these things to Job, Yahweh then said this to EliPhaz the Temanite:

‘You and your two friends have sinned;

For, you haven’t spoken the truth,

As did My faithful friend Job.

⁸ ‘So, take seven calves and seven rams,

And carry them to My faithful friend Job,

So that he can offer them on your behalf…

For, no way do I hold him in blame.

‘If it wasn’t for him, I would have destroyed you,

Because of what you’ve said to My faithful friend.’

⁹ So, EliPhaz the Temanite, Baldad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Minaean went and did as Yahweh had told them. Then He forgave the sins that they’d committed against Job.

¹⁰ Thereafter, Yahweh blest Job. And because they were his friends, he vowed to forgive those men for all their sins.

Then Yahweh [blest Job] with double, giving him twice as much as he had before!

¹¹ And when his brothers and sisters heard of the good things that had happened to him, they all went to see him, and he ended up with twice as many friends as he had at first. Everyone ate and drank with him, and they offered him much consolation. Yet, they each wondered about all the things that had happened, and about all the things that Yahweh had done. Then each one gave him a lamb and an unmarked 4-drachma coin.

¹² So, Yahweh blest the ending for Job, and he gained much more than he had before. For He came to have:

• 10,000 cows,

• 4,000 sheep,

• 6,000 camels,

• 1,000 oxen teams, and

• 1,000 grazing mares.

¹³ Seven more sons were also born to him, and he had three more daughters. ¹⁴ He named the first daughter Day, he named the second one Cinnamon, and he named the third one Horn of Plenty. ¹⁵ And among all the women under the sky, nobody was prettier than Job’s daughters. He also gave them an inheritance among their brothers.

¹⁶ Well, after his calamity had passed, Job lived on for 170 more years, reaching the age of 240. Job lived to see his sons, and the sons of his sons, through to the fourth generation.

¹⁷ Thereafter, Job finally came to his end, an old man who had lived a full life.

Psalms

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Psalms is the IsraElite holy songbook.

Each song, or psalm (which means ‘hymn’), originally had a poetic cadence. We can see this clearly in our Greek Septuagint source text. We’ve tried to restore the poetic beauty in our English translation by adding or deleting extraneous words to compensate for the language differences, while not allowing the poetic changes to harm the integrity of the original message.

We’ve found that doing this (looking for natural cadence and following the laws of Hebrew poetry) has actually helped us to locate translator and scribal errors. For example, Psalm 68 has suffered obvious losses, which required us to work harder to restore the natural cadence and a logical order to the sentence structures.

Note: Since each chapter is a song, the correct way to refer to a psalm is to say ‘Psalm 1,’ not ‘Psalms 1.’ Also (as you may know) the ‘p’ is silent, so ‘Psalm’ sounds like ‘sarm.’

Psalm 151

The Greek Septuagint includes a short extra Psalm that doesn’t appear in any Hebrew source, Psalm 151. However, it appears to be a fake later addition, added by someone who didn’t know Greek very well. It may have been made by mushing two existing non-Biblical Hebrew poems together. We don’t include it here.

Psalm 1

All books | All chapters | 2→

¹ Blest is the one who ignores the impious And won’t side with the sinners, Or sit among the disgusting. ² For, he wants to do the Will of Yahweh, And consider His Laws day and night.

³ So he will be like a tree that’s planted near water, And he will bear fruit every season… He will thrive and his leaves won’t drop.

⁴ But, for the impious, this won’t be so; For they’re like the dust that’s blown ‘cross the earth. ⁵ So, they won’t be raised in the Judgment, Nor will sinners see the [blessings] on the righteous.

⁶ For, Yahweh knows what the righteous have done, And the ways of the irreverent will perish.

Psalm 2

←1 | All books | All chapters | 3→

A Psalm by David.

[Editor note: Superscriptions, such as the one above, are all translated from the original source manuscripts. They’re notes that show things like: who wrote the song, to whom it was written, what tune it should be sung to, what inspired its writing, and when it should be sung.]

¹ Why do the nations and all of the peoples Think about things that are worthless? ² For, the rulers of their lands and their kings Are against Yahweh and His anointed.

³ They say:

‘We should strip off their bonds,

And we should throw off their yokes.’

⁴ But, the One in the heavens is laughing… At them, Yahweh is laughing.

⁵ So, in His anger, He will speak, And in His rage, He will disturb them and say:

⁶ ‘I’ve placed My king on Mount Zion

To be the ruler over My Holy Place.’

⁷ Then the Lord spoke to me about His decree. [He said]:

‘You are My son,

And today, I’ve become your own Father.

⁸ So, just ask and I’ll give you the nations

All the way to the ends of the earth,

As those whom you’ll inherit.

⁹ With a rod of iron, you’ll lead them,

And break them like pots made of clay.’

¹⁰ O kings of the earth, pay attention; And those judging the lands should now learn ¹¹ To serve Yahweh in fear… Yes, all should tremble and praise Him.

¹² Give ear to all these instructions, So you don’t provoke Him to rage. For, if you should kindle His anger, Away from the righteous, you’ll perish, While those yielding to Him will be blest.

Psalm 3

←2 | All books | All chapters | 4→

A Psalm by David, [written] when he was running from his son AbSalom.

¹ O Yahweh,

Why are so many against me And why are so many attacking? ² Concerning my life, they’re saying:

‘He won’t be saved by [his] God!’

³ But, You are my shield, O Yahweh… You’re my glory who raises my head. ⁴ So, with my voice, I’ve called to the Lord, And from His holy mountain, He heard me.

⁵ Then I went to bed and I slept, And when I awoke, God sent me His aid. ⁶ So, I won’t fear tens of thousands Who’ve surrounded me and [planned to] attack.

⁷ Arise and act, O Yahweh… Deliver me please, O my God! Now, You’ve cut down all those Who had no reason to hate me, And You’ve broken the sinners’ teeth.

⁸ For from Yahweh, comes salvation, And His people, He blesses.

Psalm 4

←3 | All books | All chapters | 5→

To the music director:

A Psalm by David.

¹ When I called to my God in difficult times, He felt pity and heard what I prayed.

² [So hear me], O sons of men; How long will you stay so hardhearted, And why do you love what’s foolish, Always searching for things that aren’t true?

³ You must be aware of the wonders That God has performed for His clean one; For, He listened to me when I called out to Him.

⁴ So be angry with me, but don’t sin… Complain as you pray in your beds. ⁵ To Him, offer pure sacrifices, And put all your trust in Yahweh!

⁶ Many have asked:

‘Who’ll show us His good things…

Who’ll show us the light from God’s face?’

⁷ He’s the One who put joy in my heart, And provided me with fruit, grain, and oil.

⁸ So, I’ll lie down in peace, O my Lord, Since You’ve filled me with hope.

Psalm 5

←4 | All books | All chapters | 6→

To the music director:

A Psalm by David to his heir.

¹ Lend me Your ears, O my Lord, Please listen to me when I call… ² Hear my voice and the things that I beg As I pray to Yahweh, my King and my God!

³ Hear my voice in the morning… As I pray, stand by and watch over me. ⁴ For, You aren’t the God of lawbreakers, And the wicked may never travel with You.

⁵ O Lord,

You don’t put up with those who break laws, And before Your face, the lawless won’t stand. ⁶ For, You’ll destroy all the liars And the men of blood and deceit, whom You hate.

⁷ Because of Your mercy, I’ll enter Your House, And towards Your Most Holy, I’ll bow… Yes, I’ll always [show that] I fear You.

⁸ O Yahweh,

Lead me in ways that are righteous When my enemies are standing before me. Straighten out all of my paths, And on them, keep a close watch.

⁹ For, there’s no truth in their mouths, And foolish ways are bound in their hearts. Their throats are like open tombs, And they’ve used their tongues to deceive.

¹⁰ So, bring Your judgments against them, O God, And cause their council to fail. For their irreverence, drive them away, Since they’re rebelling against You.

¹¹ All can be glad who’ve put trust in You… May they cry out and loudly shout cheers! For among them, You dwell in Your Tent, And those loving Your Name will boast about You.

¹² You’re the One who blesses the righteous, O Lord… With the shield of goodness, You’ve crowned us.

Psalm 6

←5 | All books | All chapters | 7→

To the music director:

A psalm by David for the 8-string lyre.

¹ O Yahweh,

Don’t discipline me in Your rage, And please don’t correct me in anger. ² Show mercy on me, for I’m weak, O my God… My bones are shaking, so heal me, O Lord.

³ The man I am within is deeply disturbed! So, where have You gone, O my God… How long will You stay far away?

⁴ Return to me… Please save me [O Lord]; Deliver me please, in Your mercy! ⁵ For the dead are unable to bow before You… In the place of the dead, who can praise You?

⁶ Of groaning, I’ve grown so tired… Each night, I soak my bed with my tears. ⁷ For my eyes are very disturbed By all the troubles they see.

I’ve grown old because of those who oppose me; ⁸ So, please remove all that’s lawless in me And hear the sounds of my weeping, O God.

⁹ Then Yahweh heard the things that I begged… My God showed me favor and listened! ¹⁰ So, may those young lions who hate me, [Forever] be shamed and disturbed… May my enemies all be dishonored.

Psalm 7

←6 | All books | All chapters | 8→

A Psalm by David that he sang to Yahweh because of the things that were said by Cush [of the tribe] of BenJamin.

¹ O Yahweh, my God,

In You, I’ve put all my trust, So save me from those who pursue me. ² May those lions not snatch up my life… Those from whom I can’t be ransomed or saved!

³ O Yahweh, my God,

If I’ve done many bad things, Or if, in my hands, there’s injustice… ⁴ If I’ve repaid bad to those who’ve done good; Before my enemies, may I fall.

⁵ May those who hate me, chase me and catch me, Then trample my soul to the ground, And may it thereafter camp in the dust.

⁶ O Yahweh, my God,

In Your rage, now arise… Before my enemies, stand tall! Awaken, O Yahweh, my God, And give the order to attack them!

⁷ For by many, I’ve been surrounded, So now’s the time for You to arise. ⁸ Condemn all these people, Yahweh, But, please find me guileless and righteous.

⁹ O God,

Bring an end to the badness of sinners, And straighten the ways of the righteous… Examine their kidneys and hearts. ¹⁰ Then, send me aid, O my God, And save all those with straight hearts.

¹¹ My God is just, forgiving, and strong… He’s not One who is angry each day. ¹² But, if you should try to oppose Him; He will shine up His sword And He will stretch tight His bow… ¹³  Yes, He will prepare His weapons of death, And get ready to shoot flaming arrows.

¹⁴ See how the wicked are slaves to their sins; For in misery, they’ve been conceived, And to lawless ways, given birth. ¹⁵ But, whenever they choose to dig out a pit, They’ll fall into the cesspool they’ve made… Yes, into the same pit they dug.

¹⁶ May their misery fall upon their own heads, And may they receive their own wicked ways. ¹⁷ But, I’ll follow my God’s righteous paths, And I’ll strum to His Most-Holy Name.

Psalm 8

←7 | All books | All chapters | 9→

To the director.

[Set to the tune of the song called] The Wine Vats:

A Psalm by David.

¹ O Yahweh, our Lord,

How great is Your Name throughout the earth, For Your majesty has reached to the heavens.

² From the mouths of infants and babies, You’ve ordered up praises. And as for those who oppose You; You’ll remove the opponents and avengers.

³ I see in the skies, the works of Your hands… The moon and the stars that You founded. ⁴ So, what is man that You’d think about him, Or a son of man that You’d visit?

⁵ For, less than Your angels, You’ve made him, Then You crowned him with glory and honor, ⁶ And placed him over the works of Your hands… You put it all under his feet.

⁷ You brought sheep and oxen together, And all the cattle that live in the plains. ⁸ [You put] flying things in the sky, And You put fish in the water, That are treading paths through the seas.

⁹ O Yahweh, our Lord,

How wonderful is Your Name on the earth!

Psalm 9

←8 | All books | All chapters | 10→

To the [music] director:

A private Psalm by David to his son.

¹ O Yahweh,

Wholeheartedly, I’ll praise You, And I’ll describe all Your wonders.

² O Highest One,

In You, I’ll be joyful and glad, And I’ll strum to Your Name.

³ You’ve turned my enemies and made them retreat… Before Your face, they’re weak and destroyed. ⁴ You’ve heard my case and my cause, And from Your throne, You sent righteous decisions.

⁵ For, You’ve scolded the nations, And wiped the irreverent away… Throughout the age and the age of the ages, You’ve wiped away all their names.

⁶ My enemy’s swords have all failed, And the memory of them and their cities Has all been wiped [from our land].

⁷ Jehovah lives throughout the ages, And He’s ready to judge from His throne. ⁸ In justice, He will judge this place where we live; And He will judge all the peoples uprightly.

⁹ Jehovah is a refuge to the needy And a helper to those in distress. ¹⁰ All who know You will trust in Your Name, Since You never reject the ones searching for You.

¹¹ So, strum to Yahweh, you people on Zion… Proclaim His deeds to the gentiles! ¹² For, He remembers whose blood is required, [And He hears] the cries of the needy.

¹³ Show mercy on me, O Yahweh… From the gates of death, please lift me away, ¹⁴ So I can shout in joy about Your salvation And laud You before Zion’s gates.

¹⁵ In their corruption, the nations are mired, And in their own snares, their feet have been caught. ¹⁶ For, Yahweh is known as the One who brings justice, And the One who sets snares for the sinners With the same things their own hands have made.

¹⁷ Now, bring Your vengeance on the sinners, And send those who hate You away to their graves. ¹⁸ Don’t forget those in need, Nor allow the hopes of the poor to be crushed.

¹⁹ Yes, please arise, O Yahweh… May You not be beaten by men! Stand the nations before You in judgment, ²⁰ And appoint [Your servant] to give them their laws… Then, remind them that they’re just mortals.

Psalm 10

←9 | All books | All chapters | 11→

¹ O Yahweh,

Why have You stayed far away? Why have You left us? For we need You now!

² Because of their pride and their wicked ways, The Godless are chasing the poor. But, may those proud ones fall into a trap Because of their slanderous ways.

³ The sinners are blessing themselves With all the things that their [hearts] have desired… It’s how the unrighteous are blest.

⁴ But, those who are sinning provoke God to rage; For, they’ll not search for Yahweh. So, with them, our God never walks, ⁵ And He views their ways as disgusting.

O please don’t decide on their behalf… Make them rule among people who hate them. ⁶ For, they’ve said in their hearts:

‘I will never be shaken…

Through generations, nothing bad will happen to me.’

⁷ Bitterness and cursing is what fills their mouths… Toil, misery, and treachery comes from their tongues. ⁸ With the rich, they lie waiting in ambush To kill the innocent and poor.

⁹ They lie and wait in concealment Like lions inside of their lairs. They lie in wait to capture the poor, So they can snatch them away And keep them under their power.

¹⁰ But this domination of the needy, Is what will lead to their downfall. ¹¹ For they say in their hearts:

‘God’s forgotten…

God’s turned his face and He doesn’t see.’

¹² So arise, O Yahweh my God! Raise your hand and remember the poor!

¹³ The irreverent keep making God angry, Because they’ve said in their hearts:

‘There’ll never be an accounting.’

¹⁴ But, since You can see the misery they bring, In rage, don’t overlook them… Snatch them up with Your hands!

For, the poor and the orphans have nothing, And their only helper is You. ¹⁵ So, break the arms of those sinners… When we search for them, may they not be found!

¹⁶ Jehovah is king throughout the ages, And into the age of the ages. May the gentiles be wiped away from His land, ¹⁷ And may He hear the cries of the poor.

O Yahweh,

Your ears have heard what they’ve planned… The things that they’re saying deep in their hearts. ¹⁸ So, please bring justice to the orphans and poor, And may such men not find reasons to boast!

Psalm 11

←10 | All books | All chapters | 12→

For the [music] director:

A Psalm by David.

¹ Since I’ve submitted to Yahweh, Why has He said to my soul:

‘Like a sparrow, you must fly to the mountains?’

² {Look!} For, sinners are stretching their bows, And preparing arrows for their quivers, To shoot at my heart in the moonlight.

³ Yes, all that You’ve built, they’ve demolished; And where are the righteous… What have they done?

⁴ Jehovah is in His Most Holy Place, And His throne is high in the heavens. Yet, His eyes pay attention to the needy, And His eyelids [are open] to see sons of men.

⁵ About the righteous, Yahweh inquires; But those loving injustice, He hates to the core. ⁶ So upon the unrighteous, He will rain fire… They’ll get sulfur and wind in their cup. ⁷ For, Yahweh is just and He loves what’s true, And His face sees the good things we do.

Psalm 12

←11 | All books | All chapters | 13→

To the [music] director:

David’s 8th Psalm.

¹ O Yahweh,

Please come down here and save me! For there are no holy ones left, And few among men tell the truth.

² Each man, to his neighbor, now speaks foolish things… Deceit and wrong, they speak from their hearts.

³ O Yahweh,

Please destroy the lips of the liars, And the tongues of those who boast of great things… ⁴ Those who say:

‘We’ll make our tongues great,

And ask with our lips, ‘Who’s Yahweh?’’

⁵ [But Yahweh says:]

‘Because of the misery of the poor

And the groaning cries of the needy,

I’ll arise and offer them safety…

To them, I will openly speak.’

⁶ These wise words of Yahweh are like refined silver… They’re wisdom refined seven times in a fire.

Even though you stand tall in the heights, O our Lord, On the sons of men, You still keep an eye. ⁷ So, please watch over and keep us From [the bad of] this generation and age. ⁸ For the Godless now have us surrounded, And around us, they walk everywhere.

Psalm 13

←12 | All books | All chapters | 14→

To the [music] director:

A Psalm by David.

¹ How long, O Yahweh, will I be forgotten? How long will You keep Your face turned? Will it be this way ‘til the end?

² How long must my life endure grief, And plan for it, day and night, in my heart… How much longer will my enemies be stronger?

³ Listen to me, O Yahweh!

O my God, please look down upon me! Brighten my eyes, so I won’t sleep in death… ⁴ May my enemies never say that they’ve won. For, those who oppress me will cheer if I fall.

⁵ I’ve put faith in Your mercy, And Your salvation brings joy to my heart. ⁶ So I’ll sing to Yahweh who’s blest me, And I’ll strum to His Name in the heights.

Psalm 14

←13 | All books | All chapters | 15→

To the [music] director:

A Psalm of David.

¹ ‘There is no God,’ says the fool in his heart, As he does what’s corrupt and disgusting… And none are doing what’s righteous!

² But, Yahweh looks down from the heavens To see if men’s sons are searching for God. ³ Yet, all are crooked and useless; For, no one does good… No, not any!

Their throats are like open tombs, And they use the tongues in their throats to deceive; Under their lips, there’s the poison of asps, And with what’s bitter, their mouths have been filled.

Their feet are in a great hurry To shed innocent blood and destroy; There’s misery in all of their ways; The road to peace they’ve not known; And in their eyes, there’s no fear of God.

⁴ Those who break laws don’t understand, For they swallow down people like bread. But, because they’ve not called to Yahweh, ⁵ They’re afraid when there’s nothing to fear!

With generations of the righteous, God is nearby; ⁶ Yet, most look down on wise words from the poor, And on those putting faith in Yahweh. ⁷ So, who’ll stand up for Zion? And to IsraEl, will bring its salvation?

But, when Yahweh returns all the captured, Jacob will cry out in joy, And in IsraEl, there’ll be many reasons for glee.

Psalm 15

←14 | All books | All chapters | 16→

A Psalm by David.

¹ O Yahweh,

Who is allowed to visit Your Tent? And on Your Holy Mountain, can camp?

² Just the flawless who pursue righteous ways… Just those who speak truth in their hearts… ³ Just those whose tongues don’t speak treachery… Just those who won’t harm their neighbors, Or scorn those who are living nearby… ⁴ Just those who won’t join with the wicked.

They’re the ones who praise those fearing the Lord, And speak well of those who do as they say. ⁵ They don’t lend their money for interest, Nor ask the innocent for bribes… Throughout the ages, such ones won’t be shaken.

Psalm 16

←15 | All books | All chapters | 17→

An inscription by David.

¹ Please watch over me, O Yahweh, For in You, I’ve put all my hope. ² I’ve said to Yahweh:

‘You are my Lord,

And other than You, I have nothing good.’

³ In His land, the holy are in awe of Yahweh, And they’re all willing to serve Him. ⁴ Yet, there are many who give in to weakness And hurriedly search to do what’s bad. I’ll never gather with such men for blood, Or mention their names with my lips.

⁵ O Yahweh,

You’re the share that I've won, And You’re the [good] I’ve received in my cup… For, You’ve given me back what’s mine.

⁶ My borders have fallen across the best parts, And upon the choicest of portions. ⁷ So, I’ll praise the Lord who directs me, And corrects my kidneys at night.

⁸ I see that Yahweh is always beside me… He’s at my right hand, so I’ll never fall. ⁹ For this, my heart will always be glad, And my tongue will speak praises of Him.

Upon Him, my flesh camps in hope, ¹⁰ For, He won’t abandon my life in the grave, Or, let His holy one see corruption.

¹¹ The ways of life, He’s shown me, And His face has filled me with joy. Therefore, to my delight, I’ll sit in perfection at His right hand.

Psalm 17

←16 | All books | All chapters | 18→

A prayer of David.

¹ Please listen, O Lord, to my cries, And pay attention to the things that I beg. Notice the things about which I pray; For my words are not being spoken With lips that have tried to deceive.

² In Your presence, may my judgment be given, And may Your eyes look upon me in fairness. ³ For You’ve tried my heart in Your visits at night… You’ve [tried] me by fire and found nothing To prevent me from speaking [to You].

⁴ Concerning the hard ways of men; Your lips have been my protection. ⁵ Into Your ways, You’ve molded my steps, So my feet may never be caught in a snare. ⁶ Yes, I called out to You and You heard me, O God… Your ears listened to the things that I begged.

⁷ O You who [will bring us] salvation; Please show Your wonderful mercies To those who put trust in Your right hand.

⁸ Guard me like the pupil of Your eye… Take me under Your wings, And there, provide a safe haven for me.

⁹ From the faces of the Godless, protect me… From those who wish to bring misery. For my enemies have me surrounded, ¹⁰ And they speak with mouths filled with pride, As they’re wrapped in their fat.

¹¹ They’ve driven me out and they have me surrounded… Their eyes have plans to cut me to the ground. ¹² They treat me like a lion prepared for the hunt… As a cub that must now run and hide.

¹³ So, please arise, O Yahweh! Cut them off and then knock them down! With Your sword, save my life from the godless… ¹⁴ Use Your hands to destroy those who hate me. Yes, cut their bodies to pieces, And leave them there on the ground!

Please, fill [righteous] bellies with good things, And also provide for their children, Then give what’s left to their babies.

¹⁵ May Your righteous one be seen once again, And may I be filled with Your glory.

Psalm 18

←17 | All books | All chapters | 19→

To the [music] director:

A Psalm by Yahweh’s servant David, which he sang to the Lord on the day that God rescued him from his enemies and from the hands of Saul.

¹ O Yahweh,

With all my strength, I’ll prove that I love You; ² For to me, You’re real, O my Lord… Yes, You are my refuge and savior.

My helper is God, and in Him I’ll trust… He protects me and He’s my defender… He’s the trumpet of my salvation. ³ So in praise, I’ll call to Yahweh, And from my enemies, I’ll be saved.

⁴ By the pangs of death, I was once surrounded… I was attacked by floods of the lawless. ⁵ Of the place of the dead, I was in fear, And I was expecting death’s snares.

⁶ Then, in my distress, I called to my God. I shouted, and He heard me, there in His Home… My cries to Him reached His ears.

⁷ Then the ground trembled and shook, Which disturbed the foundations of mountains, As the rage of my God rumbled against them.

⁸ After that, came the smoke of His rage, Along with the fire that He sent, Which ignited the coals all around Him.

⁹ He leaned and came down from the heavens, As darkness was under His feet. ¹⁰ He arrived riding on cherubs, With their wings spread out on the winds.

¹¹ For concealment, He came in the darkness; For, He was wrapped in a tent of dark fog. ¹² The radiance of His presence was covered by clouds, As well as by hail and by fire.

¹³ Jehovah thundered from out of the sky, And the Most High spoke with His voice. ¹⁴ All around them, He shot His arrows, And with lightning, He then filled the skies.

¹⁵ Then He opened the sources of water, And the foundations of homes were exposed. O Yahweh, this came from Your scolding… From the blast of the Breath of Your rage.

¹⁶ Down from the heights, He arrived, Then He grabbed me and took me away from the floods. ¹⁷ From the mighty, He came down and saved me… From those mighty ones who detest me.

¹⁸ They opposed me during bad days, But Yahweh became my support. ¹⁹ He then carried me to a [safe] place… Yes, because He chose me, He saved me!

²⁰ The Lord will provide my reward According to the righteousness of my ways. Yes, for my clean hands, He will repay me, ²¹ Since I’ve kept watch on His ways… Unlike the irreverent, I’ve never left God.

²² His decisions are now here before me, And from His Laws, I’ve never departed. ²³ So flawlessly, I’ll stand here before Him, As I guard against any Law breaking. ²⁴ Then Yahweh will repay me for my righteous ways, Since His eyes have seen that I’ve kept my hands clean.

²⁵ To the holy, we must always be holy, And be blameless to those free from blame. ²⁶ Then, among the elect, we’ll be chosen… But, turned away if we’re crooked.

²⁷ On the humble, Your people must watch, As they humble the eyes of the proud!

²⁸ Light my lamp, O Yahweh my God… Please, light my way in the darkness. ²⁹ From bands of marauders, please save me… Then, by my God, I can scale any wall.

³⁰ The ways of my God are all flawless, And His words have been proven by fire. He’s the defender of all that believe, ³¹ And there’s no other God than Yahweh… Who else can be compared to our God?

³² He’s the God who wrapped me in power, And showed me ways that are flawless. ³³ He’s made my feet firm like those of a stag, And He’s lifted me into the heights. ³⁴ He taught my hands about ways of war, And He turned my arms into bows made of brass.

³⁵ You’ve prepared a shield to protect me… You’ve taken me in Your right hand And given me all Your instructions; So, with Your guidance, I can stand ‘til the end.

³⁶ You’ve widened the path underneath me, And You’ve given me strength. ³⁷ So I’ll chase my enemies and catch them, And not return ‘til I’ve won. ³⁸ I’ll squeeze them until they’re unable to stand, And at my feet, they’ve fallen.

³⁹ You’ve wrapped me in the power of war… You’ve bound my enemies, both hand and foot. ⁴⁰ You’ve shown me my enemy’s backs, And destroyed all those who detest me.

⁴¹ They shouted, but no one could save them… They called to their Lord, but he didn’t hear. ⁴² So I’ll grind them into powder and throw them away… Like dust in the squares that’s blown by the wind.

⁴³ You’ll rescue me from their disputes, And place me as the head over nations. Unknown peoples will serve me… ⁴⁴ They’ll hear my voice and obey me. And those sons of foreigners who’ve told lies ⁴⁵ Will grow old and lame in their unrighteous paths.

⁴⁶ Jehovah lives, so may [He] be praised… May [the Name] of the God who saves me be raised… ⁴⁷ The God who handles my vengeance, And makes all the peoples submit. ⁴⁸ From all my enemies, He’s saved me… Yes, from those who’ve attacked and opposed me.

You’ve raised me above the unrighteous… You’ve rushed to my aid and You’ve saved me. ⁴⁹ So, I’ll praise You before all the nations… O Yahweh, I’ll strum to Your Name. ⁵⁰ For You’ve shown the ways that You can save the king… You’ve shown mercy upon Your anointed… To David and his offspring throughout the ages.

Psalm 19

←18 | All books | All chapters | 20→

For the [music] director:

A Psalm by David.

¹ The heavens describe the glory of God, And the firmament speaks of things that He’s made with His hands. ² Day after day, His words bubble up, And He brings us knowledge night after night.

³ There is no more speaking nor words, And the sounds of voices can’t be heard. ⁴ For, throughout the earth, their [death] knell has gone, And these words have reached to the ends of man’s home… That He’s put up His Tent on the sun!

⁵ Like a groom that has come from his [wedding], He makes a mighty shout in His journey. ⁶ He leaves from one end of the sky, And from the other side of heaven, returns. So, no one can hide from His heat.

⁷ The Law of Yahweh is perfect, And it brings changes to lives! What God says can always be trusted, And from it, even young ones learn wisdom.

⁸ Jehovah’s rules are all straight, And they bring joy to our hearts. The Commandments of the Lord radiate, Providing light for everyone’s eyes.

⁹ The fear of Yahweh is pure… It lasts throughout the age and throughout ages of ages. The judgments of the Lord are all true, For they bring equal justice to all.

¹⁰ More precious than gold or gems are [His Laws], And they’re sweeter than honey in its comb. ¹¹ For, when His servants obey them, They’ll receive grand rewards.

¹² Yet, none of us see all our sins, So from sins that are hidden, please cleanse us.

¹³ From foreign peoples, protect me; For, if they can’t control me, I’ll remain unblemished and free of all sins. ¹⁴ Then, good prophecies will flow from my mouth, And all thoughts in my heart will be of Yahweh; For, He’s always my helper.

Psalm 20

←19 | All books | All chapters | 21→

To the [music] director:

A Psalm by David.

¹ In bad times, you should turn to Yahweh… Let the Name of Jacob’s God be your shield. ² For, from His Holy Place, He will send help… He will send you assistance from Zion.

³ May He remember what you’ve sacrificed… Yes, all of your fattened burnt offerings. ⁴ May God provide you with what your hearts crave, And fulfill whatever you’ve planned. ⁵ Then, all will shout about His salvation, And praise the Name of our God… So, may Yahweh grant whatever you ask.

⁶ I’ve now [seen] Yahweh’s salvation; For, from His holy place in the heavens He heard the things His anointed had asked, And now it’s all under control.

Yes, with His right hand, He saved me ⁷ From the attacks of chariots and horsemen. For, when I called on the Name of [my] God, ⁸ They fell and were bound hand and foot, While I arose and stood firm.

⁹ O Yahweh, please save the king, And hear us whenever we call out to You.

Psalm 21

←20 | All books | All chapters | 22→

A Psalm by David.

¹ O Yahweh,

The king submits to Your power, And for Your salvation, he cries out in joy, ² Since You’ve given him all that his heart could desire, And provided everything that he asked.

³ And even before he’d asked You, You [poured] great blessings upon him, And placed a gemmed crown on his head.

⁴ When he asked for life, You gave him long days, Into the ages of ages. ⁵ Through Your salvation, You glorified him, And laid splendor and majesty upon him. ⁶ Throughout the age, You’ve blessed him, And made him glad with the joy of Your face.

⁷ The king has put his hope in Yahweh, And he trusts in the mercy that comes from above. ⁸ So, may his enemies be found in Your hands; May Your right hand grab all those who hate him, ⁹ And in Your Day, throw them into an oven.

In Your rage, please send them disturbance, And then, destroy them in fire. ¹⁰ Destroy their fruit from the earth, And their offspring from among sons of men.

¹¹ For, their purpose towards You was just to do bad, And they argued over plans unfulfilled. ¹² So, throw them away with Your garbage, And prepare their faces for this.

¹³ O Yahweh, may Your might be exalted, And we’ll sing and strum about Your mighty deeds.

Psalm 22

←21 | All books | All chapters | 23→

To the [music] director:

For help in the early morning.

A Psalm by David.

¹ O God, my God, please listen to me! Why have I been abandoned by You? Are the words about all my errors, Keeping me from Your salvation?

² For, all day long, I call out to You; However, my God, You don’t listen… So don’t think that I’m thoughtless during the night.

³ You dwell within Your Most Holy Place As the One who sends IsraEl blessings. ⁴ In You, our fathers put faith, And then You brought them salvation. ⁵ They called out to You as their only hope, And they were never disgraced.

⁶ People think of me as a worm, not a man… I’m the scorn and contempt of my people. ⁷ Yes, those who see me [are laughing]… They’re shaking their heads and they’re saying:

⁸ ‘Since he’s putting his trust in Yahweh;

If God wants him, let Him come down and save him!’

⁹ It was You who pulled me from [my mother’s] womb, And You were my hope when I nursed at her breasts. ¹⁰ By You, I was thrust from the womb… And from the belly of my mother, You’ve been my God. ¹¹ So, please don’t leave me when trouble is near, For no one else will come to my aid.

¹² I’m surrounded by great herds of ‘cattle,’ And by mighty ‘bulls,’ I’m encircled. ¹³ Like lions, against me, they’ve opened their mouths… Like those who roar and drag off [their prey].

¹⁴ My bones have become just like water, And the heart in my chest has melted like wax. ¹⁵ My strength has dried out like a clay pot, And my tongue is stuck to my throat; For, to the dust of death, I’ve been led.

¹⁶ Many dogs now have me surrounded, And the wicked have gathered against me. They’re cutting into my hands and my feet, ¹⁷ And they count all my bones as they watch me and think. ¹⁸ They’ve divided my garments among them, And thrown dice for the clothes that I wear.

¹⁹ O Yahweh,

I know that Your help is not far away, For You’ll notice and come to my aid. ²⁰ So, please save my life from the broadsword… [Your] one-and-only from the hands of the ‘dogs!’

²¹ Save me from the mouths of the lions; On rhinoceros horns, May I not be disgraced. ²² Then I’ll speak of Your fame to my brothers, And among the congregation, I’ll praise You.

²³ All you who fear Him: Give praise to Yahweh! Yes, glorify Him, offspring of Jacob, And offspring of IsraEl, show Him your fear! ²⁴ For He’s never looked on you with contempt, And He’s never loathed the prayers of your poor… Nor from me, has He turned His face, For I’ve called out to Him and He listened!

²⁵ So, before the gathering, I’ll praise Him, And before them all, I’ll confess. I’ll also pay all my vows In the presence of those who respect Him.

²⁶ Then the stomachs of the poor will be filled once again, And those who are seeking Yahweh Will offer Him praise from their hearts Throughout the age and throughout ages of ages.

²⁷ So, remember Him… Turn to Yahweh, All you to the ends of the earth. All the ethnic families should bow before Him, ²⁸ For the right to rule is just His.

Yes, He’s the King of all nations, ²⁹ And He’d feed all the mighty on earth, If they’d just bow down before Him, [Instead of] choosing to be buried.

So, with my whole soul, I’m living for Him, ³⁰ And my offspring will serve Him alone. They’ll proclaim Him to future generations, ³¹ And they’ll speak of His justice to those not yet born.

Psalm 23

←22 | All books | All chapters | 24→

A Psalm by David.

¹ Because Yahweh has watched over me, There’s nothing that I’ve ever lacked. ³ In Him, my life is renewed; And He’s guided me in righteous paths, For the sake of His Name.

⁴ So, should I travel through the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, because He is near… In His scepter and staff, I find comfort.

⁵ Now, before me, He’s set a spread table, Away from those who’ve opposed me. My head, He’s anointed with oil, And with His excellent cup, made me high.

⁶ Since His mercies have pursued me throughout my whole life; I’ll dwell in the House of Yahweh Throughout the rest of my days.

Psalm 24

←23 | All books | All chapters | 25→

A Psalm by David [to be sung] on the Sabbath.

¹ The land and its goodness belongs to Yahweh… The world and all that live in it. ² For, He’s the One who created its rivers, And the One who founded its seas.

³ Who can ascend the mountain of God, And who can stand in His Holy Place? ⁴ Just those with innocent hands And those with hearts that are pure… Those who’ve chosen not to do what’s foolish, Or sworn evil things against neighbors. ⁵ Yes, only such ones will be blest by Yahweh, And see the charity of our Savior, God.

⁶ This generation is seeking Yahweh… They’re seeking the face of Jacob’s God. ⁷ So, open the gates of your rulers… Yes, open the gates of the ages, That your glorious King may now enter.

⁸ Who is this glorious King? He is the Almighty Yahweh… The dynamic Lord with the power of war.

⁹ Yes, open the gates of your rulers… Open the gates of the ages, So your glorious King may now enter.

¹⁰ And who’s this glorious King? His Name is Yahweh of Armies!

Psalm 25

←24 | All books | All chapters | 26→

A Psalm by David.

¹ O Yahweh,

To You, I’ve lifted my soul, ² For You’re the God to whom I submit. So, throughout the age, may I not be disgraced, And my enemies not make fun of me.

³ Don’t bring disgrace to those clinging to You, But, bring shame to those who rebel without cause.

⁴ O Yahweh,

You have shown me Your ways, And now teach me to walk in Your paths! ⁵ In Your ways of truth, please guide me, And teach me that You’re My Savior and God; For I’ve waited on You all my days.

⁶ Remember Your compassions, O Lord, And the mercy that You’ve shown throughout the ages. ⁷ Please overlook the sins of my youth… Forget the ignorant things that I’ve done. Speak to Yourself about mercy for me… Please be kind, O Yahweh!

⁸ Jehovah is upright and kind, But He enforces His Laws against sinners. ⁹ He guides the meek ones towards justice, And He teaches the gentle His ways.

¹⁰ [God’s] ways are all about mercy, And to those hearing His words, He sends the truth… To those [who live by] His Sacred Agreement.

¹¹ Because of Your Name, O Yahweh, Please cover over my sins!

¹² To those in fear of Yahweh, He gives His laws [and straightens] their paths. ¹³ Then their souls will lodge among good things, And their offspring will inherit the land. ¹⁴ For, Yahweh’s a fort to all those who fear Him, And to them, He’s given His promise.

¹⁵ So, my eyes always look to my Lord, For He pulls the snares from under my feet. ¹⁶ O look upon me and feel mercy, For I’m a poor only-child ¹⁷ Whose pain of heart keeps on growing.

Please lead me towards the things I need… ¹⁸ Please notice my humiliation; Yes, look at my deeds and forgive all my sins!

¹⁹ For my enemies have kept on increasing, And the unrighteous all hate and detest me. ²⁰ So, guard my life and please save me… May I not be disgraced, for I’m trusting in You.

²¹ The guileless and upright have stuck close to me, Because I’ve been sticking by You, O [my God]. ²² So, ransom us please, O IsraEl’s God… [Save us] in our time of distress.

Psalm 26

←25 | All books | All chapters | 27→

A Psalm by David.

¹ O God,

Please provide me with justice! For, the ways that I’ve walked are free from all blame, And I’ve put my trust in Yahweh.

² O Lord,

I’ll never waver; So, test me and put me on trial… Set my heart and kidneys on fire!

³ Before my eyes are Your mercies, And I’m pleased with Your truths. ⁴ I don’t sit in the high court with fools, Nor hang out with those who break laws.

⁵ I’ve detested the gatherings of those who are bad, And with the irreverent, I’ve never stayed. ⁶ In innocence, I’ve washed my hands, As I’ve walked ‘round Your Altar, O Lord.

⁷ Hear my voice as I’m singing Your praises, And as I’m lauding Your wonders. ⁸ The beauty of Your House, I’ve loved, O Lord… That place where You Tent in glory.

⁹ So, don’t destroy my soul with the Godless, Nor with men of blood, end my life… ¹⁰ Those whose hands are filled with what’s lawless, And those who’s right hands take bribes.

¹¹ Ransom me, for I’m free from all blame… Please show mercy upon me! ¹² For with my feet, I’ve walked a straight path, And among the congregation, I’ve praised You, O Lord.

Psalm 27

←26 | All books | All chapters | 28→

A Psalm by David, [composed] before his anointing.

¹ Jehovah’s my Light and my Savior; So, whom should I have reason to fear? The Lord is my life’s defender; So, before whom, should I ever be shy?

² For, those who attacked to bring evil, And those who wished to ‘devour my flesh’ (Those enemies of mine who’ve oppressed me) Have now all weakened and fallen.

³ Should they set their camps up before me, And should they attack me in war; My hope is that my heart won’t show fear.

⁴ There’s one thing that I’ve asked of Yahweh (Yes, this is the one thing I’m seeking): To dwell in His House all the days of my life, Where I can see the delights of the Lord, And visit His Most Holy Place.

⁵ For, whenever evil arrives, He hides me inside His Tent, And during bad days, He’s my shelter. Within His Tent, He conceals me, And He stands me high on a rock.

⁶ For, look… He’s lifted my head Higher than my enemies! So, around His Tent, I’ll walk and bring gifts… A sacrifice of praise, I’ll offer, And I’ll sing and strum to Yahweh!

⁷ I’ve said to You in my heart:

‘I’ll always search for my God!’

⁸ Yes, within my heart, I’ve been saying:

‘I’ll always search for Yahweh!’

My face will always be looking to You, And Your face, I’ll always be seeking. ⁹ So, please don’t turn from me, O my God… Don’t turn from Your servant in anger; Rather, keep on being my helper!

Don’t ever curse me or send me away… Don’t leave me and don’t overlook me. O God, may I trust that You are my Savior!

¹⁰ Even though my father and mother have left me, Jehovah’s chosen me as His own. ¹¹ So Lord, put Your ways in my heart, And before my enemies, straighten my paths. ¹² Don’t hand me to those who oppress me… Those who’ve witnessed against me and lied, And whose justice has lied to itself.

¹³ I trust that I’ll get what’s good from the Lord While I’m still in the land of the living. ¹⁴ Thus I’ll wait on Yahweh and act like a man… I’ll wait on the Lord who strengthens my heart!

Psalm 28

←27 | All books | All chapters | 29→

A Psalm by David.

¹ I’ll call out to You, O Yahweh… My God, I won’t remain silent! So, don’t be silent with me, Or make me like those who enter the pit.

² Listen, O Lord, to my voice as I beg And I raise my arms towards Your Temple.

³ Don’t draw me along with the sinners, Nor destroy me with the unjust. For, although they speak peace to their neighbors, Inside their hearts, there’s evil.

⁴ O Yahweh,

Repay them for the bad things that they do, And for all of their wicked deeds. Return upon them the [bad] things they’ve done… Yes, give them a just compensation!

⁵ O Lord,

Because they don’t notice the things that You do (All the works that You do with Your hands), You should wipe them away, And never rebuild them again.

⁶ Praise Yahweh, for He’s heard my prayers… ⁷ He’s my helper and my defender, So in Him, my heart has put hope. And because He’s helped me, my flesh has done well, So to Him, I’ll always sing praises.

⁸ Jehovah’s the fort of His people… His anointed’s Defender and Savior. ⁹ So upon Your inheritance, pour blessings, And bring salvation to Your people… Throughout the ages, please tend to them and lift them.

Psalm 29

←28 | All books | All chapters | 30→

A Psalm by David, [composed] for when the Sacred Tent was being transported.

¹ O sons of God,

To Yahweh, you should bring sacrifices… The offspring of rams, you should offer to God. To the Lord, offer glory and honor… ² [Yes, speak] of His Glorious Name, And bow to Him in His courtyard.

³ His voice is over the waters… The glory of God causes thunder, And it also brings [rain]. ⁴ The voice of Yahweh is mighty, And of His majesty, it speaks.

⁵ The voice of Yahweh breaks [trees]… Even Lebanon’s cedars. ⁶ He thins them out like Lebanon’s calves, And as rhinoceros calves.

⁷ Like [lightning], the voice of Yahweh cuts through… ⁸ The voice of the Lord shakes the desert. The Deserts of KaDesh tremble before Him, ⁹ For with His voice, He fashioned the hinds.

So, He tears down all sacred poles, Since those who wish to glorify Him Should [worship Him at] His [Temple].

¹⁰ Jehovah brings calmness to storms, And He seats His king throughout the ages. ¹¹ Jehovah shows His strength for His people, And our Lord will bless them with peace.

Psalm 30

←29 | All books | All chapters | 31→

A Psalm for the dedication of David’s palace.

¹ O Yahweh,

I praise You for lifting me high, And for not bringing joy to my enemies. ² I’ve called out to You, O my God, And You have sent healing to me.

³ O God,

You’ve saved my life from the grave… And from those going into the pit. ⁴ So You holy ones, play music to Him… Remember and acknowledge His pureness.

⁵ For, while there’s wrath in His rage, There’s also life in His Will. And even though weeping may come in the evening, In the morning, there’ll be much rejoicing.

⁶ In prosperous times, I once said:

‘Throughout the ages, no way will I [stumble],

⁷ For, by Your Will, I received [power].’

But thereafter, You just turned away, And I was very disturbed. ⁸ So, O Lord, I cried out to You… Before my God, I was begging.

⁹ What value has my blood if I die And rot away under the ground? Is there knowledge of You in the dust, And will dirt testify to Your trueness?

¹⁰ Jehovah then heard and showed mercy on me… He was my helper [once more]. ¹¹ So my [heart] which once beat in fear, Has now returned to rejoicing.

¹² You tore off my sackcloth and wrapped me in joy, So I’ll strum to You in my glory. And, O Yahweh, my God, There’s no way that I’ll ever be angry [with You], And throughout the age, I’ll keep singing Your praises.

Psalm 31

←30 | All books | All chapters | 32→

To the [music] director:

A Psalm by David about his change of state.

¹ In You, O Yahweh, I’ve put all my hope; So, may I not be disgraced throughout the age. Please rescue me in Your justice, And take me away from this place. ² Incline Your ear and listen to me… Hurry and take me away!

Become to me a God of defense, And make Your House a place of salvation… ³ A fortified place and safe haven!

For the sake of Your [Holy] Name, Please direct me and feed me, ⁴ Then, lead me away from their snares… For Yahweh, You are my defender.

⁵ Into Your hands, I’ve entrusted my breath, And You’ve paid my ransom, O God of truth.

⁶ You detest all those who waste time Doing things that are foolish; So I’ll put my trust in Yahweh, ⁷ And I’ll shout in praise of His mercy.

For He’s noticed my humiliation, And He’s witnessed the distress in my life. ⁸ Then He saved me from my enemies’ hands, And He set my feet in a safe place.

⁹ So show mercy on me, O Yahweh, For I’m in great distress. My eyes are disturbed and enraged, As is my belly and soul.

¹⁰ My life has been wasted in grief, And through most of my years, I’ve had to groan. For my strength has been weakened by poorness, And there has been pain in my bones.

¹¹ By my enemies, I’ve been scorned, And I’m even scorned by my neighbors. So, those who know me now fear me, And the rest have all run away.

¹² I’ve been forgotten like one of the dead, And like a [chamber] pot, my heart has become. ¹³ I’ve heard the complaints of those moving about, As they’ve gathered against me.

Although they’ve assembled to kill me, ¹⁴ I’ve put my trust in Yahweh. I’ve said to Him:

¹⁵ ‘You are my God,

And I’ve left my [life] in Your hands.

So, please rescue me from my enemy’s hands,

And from all those who pursue me.

¹⁶ Please show Your face to your servant…

In Your great mercy, please save me!’

¹⁷ O Yahweh, don’t let me meet with disgrace, For I’m calling to You. May all the godless be shamed, And let them be led to their graves.

¹⁸ May the lips of deceivers be speechless… Those who condemn righteous people In contempt and in proud, lawless ways.

¹⁹ O Yahweh, Your ways are all kind, But, they’re hidden from those who don’t fear You. Before them, You send aid to the faithful, ²⁰ And within Your face, You conceal them From the disturbance of those who are evil. Yes, You shelter them inside Your Tent, Away from all scolding tongues.

²¹ So, praise Yahweh for His mercy, And for the miraculous things that [He brings] To those cities that are under attack.

²² I said, when I saw things had changed:

‘He’s thrown me away from His eyes!’

But then, You listened to me, And You heard what I said when I called out to You.

²³ So, love Yahweh, you holy ones; For such trueness is what God requires. But, He will send retribution To those who have too much pride. Therefore, act like men and strengthen your hearts, And put all your faith in Yahweh!

Psalm 32

←31 | All books | All chapters | 33→

A prayer by David, [asking God] for understanding.

¹ Blest are those forgiven for breaking the Law And those whose sins He’s covered. ² Blest are those in whom He doesn’t find sin, Or treacherous words in their mouths.

³ I’ve become more settled as my bones have aged… I no longer cry out all day long. ⁴ For, day and night, Your hand pressed against me, And in misery, I writhed, as though run through by thorns.

⁵ My lawless deeds, I’ve admitted to You, And my sins, I’ve not tried to hide. I’ve openly confessed to the Lord About all of my lawless ways, And You forgave the godless thoughts in my heart.

⁶ For this, the holy should pray at right times, So the flood will never approach them:

⁷ ‘You’re my refuge from the troubles I face,

And You’ve ransomed my soul

From those who had me surrounded.’

⁸ [And in response, God will reply]:

‘I’ll send understanding to you…

I’ll teach you the ways you should go,

And I’ll always watch over you.

⁹ So don’t act like horses or mules

That have to be bridled and don’t understand,

And whose jaws must be squeezed to behave.’

¹⁰ Sinners will be whipped many times, But, mercy surrounds those who trust in the Lord. ¹¹ So, you should find joy in Yahweh; Shout about Him in joy, all you righteous… Wholeheartedly boast about Him!

Psalm 33

←32 | All books | All chapters | 34→

A Psalm by David.

¹ You righteous ones – rejoice in Yahweh, Because He blesses the upright. ² Play psalms to Yahweh on harps; Strum to Him on your lutes of 10 strings; ³ Then before Him, sing a new song… Yes play, shout loudly, and cheer!

⁴ The words of Yahweh are righteous; So, trust in the things that He does. ⁵ For our God loves charity and fairness, And the earth is filled with His mercy.

⁶ By the Word of Yahweh, the skies came to be, And the Breath from His mouth formed their powers. ⁷ As in a leather bag, He pulled them together, And in treasuries of the deep, He put water.

⁸ So, fear Yahweh, all dwellers on earth; Before Him, let all stand in awe. ⁹ For, He just spoke and it all came to be… When He gave the orders, it started.

¹⁰ He wipes the plans of nations away, And annuls the devices and plots of their kings. ¹¹ But Yahweh’s Will lasts throughout the ages… From generation to generation are the things in His heart.

¹² So, Blest is the nation whose God is Yahweh… Those whom He’s chosen to inherit.

¹³ From the heavens, Yahweh looks down, And He watches the things that sons of men do. ¹⁴ From the home that He’s prepared, He watches those dwelling on earth. ¹⁵ He’s the One who fashioned their hearts, And He keeps watch on the things that they do.

¹⁶ So, Kings can’t be saved by large armies, And giants may not be saved by their might. ¹⁷ So don’t look to a horse for salvation, For, even with their strength, you can lose.

¹⁸ {Look!} Yahweh watches all those who fear Him… Those who put faith in His mercy. ¹⁹ Only He can keep their lives from destruction, And in times of famine, provide them with food.

²⁰ So, we must wait on Yahweh, For He’s our defender and helper. ²¹ With your whole hearts, find joy in Him, And trust in His Holy Name.

²² Please send us Your mercy, Yahweh; For in You, we’ve put all our faith.

Psalm 34

←33 | All books | All chapters | 35→

A Psalm by David talking about the time that his view of AbiMelech changed and about how it caused him to send him away.

¹ Throughout the age, I’ll give praise to Yahweh… His praises will stay on my lips, ² And I’ll praise the Lord with my life.

So, listen you meek and be glad… ³ Glorify Yahweh with me… Let’s praise His great Name together.

⁴ I searched for the Lord and He heard me… He rescued me during my travels. ⁵ So, come to Him… Be enlightened, And your faces will never be shamed.

⁶ A poor man once called out to God and He heard, Then He rescued him from all his problems. ⁷ God’s messengers camped all around him, And He saved this one who showed fear of His Name.

⁸ Taste and see that our God is good, For those trusting in Him will always be blest! ⁹ Yes, fear Yahweh, you holy; For those fearing Him will lack nothing. ¹⁰ And although the rich may become hungry and poor, Those seeking the Lord won’t lack anything good.

¹¹ Come to me, children, then listen, As I teach you the fear of Yahweh! ¹² Who is the man who doesn’t want life, And to see better days?

¹³ Remove all that’s evil from your lips… Take treachery away from your tongues… ¹⁴ Turn from what’s bad and do what’s good… Search for peace and pursue it!

¹⁵ For, Yahweh keeps His eyes on the righteous, And His ears hear the things that they ask. ¹⁶ But the face of Yahweh opposes the bad, And He wipes their memory from the land.

¹⁷ The righteous call out and God hears them, Then He rescues them from all their problems. ¹⁸ God’s near to those who have broken hearts, And He saves the humble in spirit.

¹⁹ Although the righteous will have many problems; From such things, God will save them. ²⁰ For, Yahweh watches over their bones, And not a single one will be broken.

²¹ In sadness, the sinners will come to their end, And condemned are those hating the righteous. ²² But Yahweh will ransom the lives of His servants, And no way will He harm those who trust Him.

Psalm 35

←34 | All books | All chapters | 36→

A Psalm by David.

¹ O Yahweh,

Bring judgment on those who are doing me wrong… Wage war with those waging war! ² Take up Your weapons and shield me, my God; Arise and come to my aid!

³ Swing Your sword at those who pursue me… Say that You’ll deliver my soul! ⁴ May those seeking my life feel shame and remorse… May those wishing me bad retreat in disgrace.

⁵ May they be like dust in the wind… May God’s messengers squeeze them all dry. ⁶ May their road become slippery and dark, And may they be chased by God’s angels.

⁷ Although I’ve done them no wrong; Snares, they’ve hidden before me, And about my inner person, they speak badly. ⁸ So, let them be caught in the snares that they’ve set… May the snares that they hunt with, catch them… Into the traps that they’ve set, may they fall.

⁹ I’ll praise Yahweh with my whole soul… Of His salvation, I’ll shout. ¹⁰ With my bones, I’ll say to Yahweh:

‘O Lord, there’s no one else like You!

For You rescue the poor with a hand that’s greater

Than those who tear the needy to shreds.

¹¹ ‘For, they sent lying witnesses against me,

And asked questions that I didn’t understand.

¹² They’ve repaid me with bad for the good things I’ve done,

And left my soul barren.[LXX]

¹³ ‘Because of the troubles they’ve caused me,

I’ve had to wear sackcloth and fast.

So now, I pray that I might be restored.

¹⁴ ‘As neighbors and brothers, they once were so kind;

So in mourning and sadness, I’ve humbled my soul.

¹⁵ But they happily gathered against me,

And they were not sad when they cut me with whips.

¹⁶ ‘They tried me and then they made fun…

Against me, they were grinding their teeth.

¹⁷ O Yahweh, how long will You let this go on?

Rescue my soul from their evil plans!’

¹⁸ [Then God replied:]

‘O My only begotten,

From those lions, I’m coming to save you.

Then, before the assembly, I’ll praise you,

And before those bad ones, I’ll lift you!’

¹⁹ So, may those who hate me unjustly Not [be allowed to] rejoice… Those who detest me without any charge… Those who looked away with their eyes.

²⁰ Even though to me, they once spoke of peace, In anger and treachery, they’ve plotted. ²¹ They’ve opened their mouths against me and said:

‘Well done… Yes, very well done.

For we’ve seen it all happen with our own eyes.’

²² O Yahweh, You’ve witnessed it all! So, don’t remain silent or leave me. ²³ Awaken, O Lord… Pay attention! Take notice of my cause, O my God.

²⁴ Judge me, O Lord, and bring justice… My God, don’t let them rejoice! ²⁵ Don’t allow them to say of my soul in their hearts:

‘Well done… Yes, very well done.’

And please don’t allow them to say:

We’ve swallowed him down!

²⁶ May those who’ve rejoiced at my harm feel ashamed, And may those who witnessed against me feel bad, ²⁷ As those who seek justice are joyful. Then, may they cry:

‘Praise Yahweh,

Because He brought peace to His servant!’

²⁸ Then I’ll use my tongue to sing of Your justice, And I’ll praise You throughout the rest of my days.

Psalm 36

←35 | All books | All chapters | 37→

To the [music] director:

About David, Yahweh’s servant.

¹ About his sins, the lawbreaker says:

‘As I see it, there is no God we should fear.’

² So before Him, he acts wickedly… Yet, [God] will expose his lawbreaking.

³ Their mouths speak of treacherous things, And they talk about breaking [God’s] laws, Since they have no desire to know what’s good. ⁴ They dream of crimes as they lie in their beds And do nothing at all that’s worthwhile; For they’ve never learned to hate what’s bad!

⁵ O Yahweh, who lives in the heavens; Your mercy and truth ascends to the clouds. ⁶ Your justice is like the mountain of God, But Your judgments are like an abyss, Which protects both men and their cattle.

⁷ O God,

In many ways, Your mercies are seen. And sons of men put their hope In the protection of Your wings.

⁸ They feast on the things that come from Your House, And they delight in the water from its streams. ⁹ For, the springs of life come from You, And from Your light, we’ve come to see light. ¹⁰ So send mercy to all those who know You, And give justice to those with straight hearts.

¹¹ May I not be kicked by the feet of the proud, Nor may hands of sinners ever shake me. ¹² May all those who work at lawlessness fall, Rejected and unable to stand.

Psalm 37

←36 | All books | All chapters | 38→

A Psalm by David.

¹ Never be jealous of the wicked, Nor envy those who break laws. ² For like grass, they’ll quickly be dried, And they’ll wilt away like young shoots. ³ Rather, put your hope in Yahweh, And always act in kind ways.

Its wealth will serve those who live off the ground, ⁴ And they’ll find delight in Yahweh. For He will give you all that your hearts may desire.

⁵ Open your ways to Yahweh; Yes, trust in Him, and He will act. ⁶ He will shine a light on your righteous deeds, And brighten them as though it were noon.

⁷ Yes, put your trust in Yahweh, And to Him, you must always keep praying. Don’t envy those who prosper from crime, ⁸ And never be angry… Abandon your rage!

Don’t let jealousy move you to do what’s wicked, ⁹ For the wicked will soon be destroyed, As those who wait on Yahweh Will thereafter inherit the land.

¹⁰ Soon the sinners will no longer be here… You’ll look where he was and not find him. ¹¹ But, the meek will inherit the land, And find great delight in the abundance of peace.

¹² For, sinners keep their eyes on the righteous And grind their teeth when they see them. ¹³ But, at them, Yahweh is laughing, For He sees what He will do to them in His Day.

¹⁴ Sinners have unsheathed their swords And stretched their bows very tight To attack the needy and poor, And to kill all those with straight hearts. ¹⁵ But, may their swords strike their own hearts, And may their bows be broken to bits.

¹⁶ A little is better to the righteous Than an abundance of wealth is to sinners. ¹⁷ For the arms of sinners will be broken, And the Lord will support all the just.

¹⁸ He knows the ways of the flawless, And their inheritance will last throughout the ages. ¹⁹ They won’t be disgraced in hard times, And when famine arrives, they’ll be filled.

²⁰ But the sinners will all be destroyed. And then, those enemies of God Who think they’re glorious and exalted, Will be blown away just like smoke.

²¹ The sinners borrow and don’t repay, But the righteous feel mercy and lend. ²² So, those praising them will inherit the land, While those who curse them will be wiped away.

²³ Jehovah straightens the footsteps of men, And all should [walk in] His ways. ²⁴ Then, if you should fall, you won’t break; For the Lord will be holding your hand.

²⁵ I was once young, and now I’ve grown old; Yet I’ve never seen the righteous abandoned, Or his offspring ever begging for bread. ²⁶ Because, each day, he shows mercy and lends; His offspring will always be blest.

²⁷ So, turn from evil… Do what’s good, And live throughout ages of ages! ²⁸ For Yahweh is a lover of justice, And throughout the ages, He won’t abandon the holy… So the righteous will always be guarded, As the lawless are driven away.

The offspring of the Godless will perish; ²⁹ But the righteous will inherit [the] land, And throughout ages of ages, they’ll camp there.

³⁰ Mouths of the righteous think first and then speak… They talk of fairness and justice. ³¹ And because they have God’s Law in their hearts, They won’t stumble and fall.

³² But, when the sinner thinks of the righteous, He searches for ways to destroy them. ³³ Yet, [God] won’t abandon them into their hands, Nor in the judgment, will they be condemned.

³⁴ Wait on Yahweh and follow His ways, And you’ll inherit the land. Then, you’ll see the sinners destroyed, ³⁵ While they’ll see you lifted high… As high as Lebanon’s cedars.

³⁶ Yes, I went to see… And look, he was not! I searched in his place and he’s gone!

³⁷ So, guard your innocence and honest ways; For those who love peace are the ones who’ll survive, ³⁸ While the lawless will all be destroyed, Along with any godless who still might remain.

³⁹ For Yahweh will save all the righteous And He will be their defender when they’re oppressed. ⁴⁰ Yes, the Lord will help them and save them… He will snatch them away from the sinners… He will deliver and save them, Because they’ve put faith in Him.

Psalm 38

←37 | All books | All chapters | 39→

A Psalm by David, [intended] to be remembered on the Sabbath.

¹ O Yahweh,

Don’t discipline me in Your rage, And in anger, don’t give me correction. ² For Your arrows have already struck me, And Your hand has been heavy upon me.

³ My flesh has not healed from the rage of Your face, And there’s no peace in my bones because of my sins. ⁴ All my bad deeds hang over my head… They oppress me and weigh me down.

⁵ The stripes of my foolishness fester and smell, ⁶ And in misery and sadness, I walk through the day. ⁷ My flanks have been covered by mocking, And in my flesh, there’s no healing.

⁸ I’ve been humbled and afflicted for my wicked ways. So from the groaning in my heart, I’ve roared:

⁹ ‘O Yahweh, my desire is to stand before You,

So by You, my groaning will be seen!’

¹⁰ For my heart is disturbed and my strength is all gone… Even my eyes don’t work. ¹¹ My friends and neighbors oppose me… They approach, but they stand at a distance.

¹² Those seeking my life and wishing me bad, Speak foolishly as they plan to deceive me. ¹³ But I pretend that I don’t hear them, As if I’m someone who’s deaf, And like the mute, I don’t open my mouth.

¹⁴ I became like a man with no hearing, And with nothing to say in reply. ¹⁵ For in You, O Yahweh, I’ve put all my trust… And my God, I’ve hoped that You’d listen.

¹⁶ May my enemies not rejoice at my fall… May my legs not shake as they’re plotting against me.

¹⁷ I’m ready for all of their whips… I’m prepared and ready to suffer. ¹⁸ I’ll admit to all of my lawless deeds, And I’m anxious because of my sins.

¹⁹ My enemies have camped all around me… All those who hate me unjustly. ²⁰ They’ve repaid my good deeds with bad, And lied when I was on trial.

²¹ So, don’t leave me, Yahweh! Yes, my God, don’t desert me! ²² Hear my pleas for help, O my God; O Yahweh, please come here and save me!’

Psalm 39

←38 | All books | All chapters | 40→

To the [music] director:

An ode by David to IdiThun.

¹ I promised to guard all my ways, And not to sin with my tongue. So I always put a lock on my mouth When sinners are standing before Me.

² Then, I became humble and mute, And I spoke not even good words, As my pains kept on growing.

³ Then, within me, my heart became hot, Burning away all my thoughts. So my tongue spoke out and I said:

⁴ ‘Yahweh, please show me my limits,

And the number of days I’ll live,

So I’ll know what I haven’t accomplished.

⁵ ‘{Look!} The days of a palm, You’ve given to me;

Yet, I’m nothing before You.

For, foolish are the ways of all men.’

⁶ When men travel, they may carry an idol… For they trust in things that are foolish. They may also carry their treasures along… Yet they know not why they collect them. ⁷ But, I believe that I can endure With just the aid of [My God].

⁸ So, please save me from my lawless ways, And from the scorn of the foolish.

⁹ I was mute and I wouldn’t open my mouth, For these trials have come from Yahweh. ¹⁰ But, please bring an end to the whippings, For in mighty hands, I’m failing. ¹¹ This correction is what You’ve sent me… And along with the lawless, You’ve disciplined me.

Like spiders, men’s lives waste away, And this is the folly of humans. ¹² So, hear my prayer, O Yahweh… Listen as I beg in my tears!

Please don’t stay silent with me, For, like my fathers, I’ve traveled with You! ¹³ Refresh me and spare me before I must leave… Before I no longer exist.

Psalm 40

←39 | All books | All chapters | 41→

To the [music] director:

A Psalm by David.

¹ I’ve endured and waited on God, Then He noticed and heard what I prayed. ² He led me from the misery of the pit… From the mud and slime, He removed me.

Then He stood my feet on a rock, And straightened the paths that I walk. ³ He put a new song in my mouth… A sacred hymn to my God.

When they’re afraid, many look to the Lord. ⁴ And blest are those who trust in His Name… Those who don’t search for what’s foolish, And those who don’t act in rash ways.

⁵ O Yahweh,

You’ve done such wonderful things… Wondrous and great are Your ways, O my God, And there are none who are equal to You! So I’ll speak and tell of Your glorious ways And the unnumbered ways they keep growing.

⁶ Sacrifices and offerings, You didn’t want, Nor did You seek whole burnt offerings Or sacrifices for [the covering of] sins; Yet, You prepared a body for me.

⁷ So I said:

‘Look, I’ve arrived…

In the knob of the scroll this was written about me:

⁸ ‘I’ve come to do Your Will, O my God;

‘For Your Laws lie deep in my [heart].’

⁹ ‘I’ve announced the good news of [Your] righteous ways

Among the great congregation…

O Lord, I’ve not held back my lips!

¹⁰ ‘I’ve not hidden Your righteous ways in my heart,

And I’ve told the truth about Your salvation…

I’ve not hidden Your mercy and truth

Before the great congregation.

¹¹ ‘So Yahweh, don’t hide Your compassions from me…

May Your mercy and truth give me strength.

¹² ‘Bad things are now all around me,

For my lawless deeds overtook me

And I’m no longer able to see.

They’ve multiplied like the hairs on my head,

And by my own heart, I’m abandoned.

¹³ ‘So think well of me and save me, O God…

O Yahweh, pay attention and help me!

¹⁴ May those who are seeking my life

(Those who wish to lift it away)

Together, feel shame and disgrace.

‘May those who wish to do evil

Feel shame and be forced to back off.

¹⁵ Let them feel their shame right away…

Those who are saying of me:

‘Well done, yes very well done.’

¹⁶ ‘May all those who seek You be happy, O Lord,

And may they start shouting in joy…

May all that love Your salvation

Start shouting aloud, ‘Praise Yahweh!’

¹⁷ I now find myself poor and in need; So, please don’t forget me, my God. Since You’re my defender and helper, Please don’t wait or delay!

Psalm 41

←40 | All books | All chapters | 42→

To the [music] director:

A Psalm by David.

¹ Blest are those who are paying attention To the needs of the poor. For God will save them when bad days arrive.

² May Yahweh bless them and guard them… May He keep them alive on the ground And save them from their enemy’s hands. ³ May God give them aid in their beds of grief, And turn their beds when they’re ill.

⁴ I said:

‘O Yahweh, show mercy on me;

Heal my soul, for I’ve sinned against You,

⁵ And my enemies are saying bad things,

Asking about me, ‘When will he die?’’

⁶ Once foolishness came here to visit, And he spoke to me from his heart. He also brought the lawless along, And they all went outside to talk.

⁷ To each other, my enemies whispered, And developed a plot [to destroy] me. ⁸ They planned to do something illegal… They said:

‘He will go to bed, but never arise.’

⁹ And a man with whom I always had peace (One upon whom I had always relied And who once ate bread at my table), Against me, made plans of deceit.

¹⁰ But You, O Lord, showed mercy on me. You lifted me up and repaid him. ¹¹ By this, I knew that you [loved] me, And my foes will never find joy over me.

¹² You helped me because I’m not guilty, And throughout the age, I stood strong before You. ¹³ So, Praise Yahweh, IsraEl’s God, Throughout the age and the age of the ages…

May it ever be so!

Psalm 42

←41 | All books | All chapters | 43→

To the [music] director:

The contemplation of the sons of KorAh.

¹ As a stag searches for springs of water, Is how my heart longs for You, O my God… ² Since my soul thirsts for the Almighty God, When may I come and stand before You?

³ My tears have become my ‘bread’ day and night… Each day, people ask me, ‘So, where is your God?’ ⁴ I think of such things and thereafter, [Before You], I pour out my soul.

I’ll go to Your wonderful Tent… I’ll go to the House of my God. I’ll go shouting aloud, singing praises of You, As though it were a great holiday.

⁵ O man within me; why are you so sad… Why do you bother me so? We must put trust in our God… Sing in praise of the ways that He saves!

⁶ O my God,

I’m so bothered within, And it’s about You that I’m concerned. In the land of the JorDan, I think about You, Here on little Mount Herman.

⁷ Because of the roar of floods in the deep, I cried out to You [in my fear]; For by Your waves and their crests, I’ve been covered.

⁸ Each day, I beg God for His mercy, And each night, I pray that He will send it… This God [who watches over] my life.

⁹ Then I say to God:

‘Since You’re my shield,

Why do You still overlook me…

Why must I always look downcast,

And have to push past my opposers?

¹⁰ ‘They berate me as they’re breaking my bones,

And afflict me each day, as they ask:

‘So now, where is your God?’

¹¹ O man within; why are you dejected, And why do you bother me so? We must put our hope in Yahweh… Give praise to our Savior and God!

Psalm 43

←42 | All books | All chapters | 44→

A Psalm by David.

¹ Judge me, O God… Try my case Here in an unholy nation… Save me from the unjust and deceitful!

² Since You’re my God and my fortress, Why have you thrust me away… Why must I be so downhearted, And oppressed by my enemies?

³ From Your Tent and Your Holy Mountain, Send Your light and truth as my guide. ⁴ Then I’ll go to the Altar of God… To the God of my youth who once brought me joy.

⁵ Why have You rejected my soul And allowed me to be so upset? Yet, I still have faith in my God, And I’ll still sing praises to Him… So, rescue my soul, O my God!

Psalm 44

←43 | All books | All chapters | 45→

To the [music] director:

A Contemplation of the sons of KorAh.

¹ O God,

With our ears, we’ve heard about it; For our fathers told us the stories Of the deeds that You did back in their day. ² How, with Your hand, You replanted nations, And of how You also destroyed them… How You oppressed them and drove them away, ³ And how they couldn’t inherit this land with their swords; For, all of their arms couldn’t save them… Just by Your right hand and mighty arm, And by the light of Your face, if You liked them.

⁴ So, You are my King and my God… You’re the One who told us how Jacob was saved. ⁵ So [we’ll trust] that our enemies will also be gored, And that in Your Name, those rising against us Will come to know Your contempt.

⁶ Thus, I won’t trust in my bow, Nor in my broadsword to save me… ⁷ Just in the One who’ll save us, And disgrace all those who detest us.

⁸ Yes, we’ll praise our God every day, And throughout the ages, speak of Your Name.

⁹ But now, You’ve pushed us away in disgrace And no longer take the lead of our army. ¹⁰ From our enemies, You’ve forced us to flee, And given us as plunder to them.

¹¹ Like sheep, You gave us as food, And scattered us among all the nations… ¹² You treated Your people as worthless, And assigned us as having no value.

¹³ You’ve made us the scorn of our neighbors, To be taunted and sneered at by those roundabout. ¹⁴ You’ve made us a parable to the gentiles… As those at whom they can just shake their heads.

¹⁵ So, all day long, I’m taunted, And with shame, my face has been covered. ¹⁶ The sounds of berating and disrespect Is what I hear from our enemies, Who’ve carried us off.

¹⁷ Yet, even though all these things have happened to us, We’ve not forgotten our God, Nor have we broken our Agreement with You. ¹⁸ We’ve not left our hearts in the rear, Nor have we turned from Your righteous paths.

¹⁹ In this God-forsaken place, we’ve been humbled, And we’re covered by the shadow of death. ²⁰ If we’d forgotten the Name of our God, And chosen the hands of foreign gods, ²¹ We should have expected such things. For God knows all the secrets deep in our hearts.

²² Because of You, we’re slaughtered all day… We’re thought of as sheep to be butchered. ²³ So, wake up… Why are You sleeping, O Lord? Stand up… Don’t push us away ‘til the end.

²⁴ O why have You turned away, And not noticed our misery and affliction? ²⁵ For our souls have been humbled down to the dust, And our bellies have been forced to the ground.

²⁶ So arise, O Yahweh, and help us! Ransom us for the sake of Your Name!

Psalm 45

←44 | All books | All chapters | 46→

To the [music] director:

[Set to the tune of the song called] Regarding the Changes.

An ode of contemplation of the loved one by the sons of KorAh.

[Editor note: This appears to be a prophecy about the powers of the coming Messiah, with him being represented by the then-ruling king. So we’re not using the capitals normally used when talking about God, because the text is actually calling the human king a ‘god,’ who then prophetically represents Yeshua in the future. Please read the commentary by one of our translators for more information.]

¹ From my heart, I thrust out good words, Then quickly, I wrote my work for the king; For my tongue had become like a reed pen… As one who’s held in the hands of a scribe.

² More beautiful than the children of men, Is the favor that pours from your lips. And for this, may our God be praised throughout the age.

³ So now, strap your sword to your thigh, And in your fineness, stretch tight your bow! ⁴ Bless us and rule us in truth… In your gentle ways and in justice, Give us direction with your right hand!

⁵ Sharpen your arrows, O mighty one. For the peoples beneath you must fall… All the enemies in the heart of the king.

⁶ Your throne, O god, is throughout ages of ages, And your Kingdom is ruled by your scepter. ⁷ For, you’ve loved what’s right, And you’ve hated law breaking.

And for this, The God who is also your God Has anointed you with His oil And praised you above all your peers.

⁸ Your clothes smell of myrrh, balsam, and fruit, Which is found in your palace of ivory. ⁹ In your honor, the daughters of kings find delight, While your queen is at your right hand, Wearing finest clothes embroidered with gold.

¹⁰ So listen, O daughters, and look… Incline your ears and forget your own kin… Those in the house of your father. ¹¹ For the king has desired your beauty, And he’s your [sovereign] lord.

¹² So, you daughters of Tyre, bow before him, And you rich, bring gifts to curry his favor! ¹³ The king’s daughter is glorious within, And she’s wrapped in clothes embroidered with gold.

¹⁴ Then, all the virgins who follow in her train (Those closest to her) will be carried to you. ¹⁵ They’ll be carried there singing praises of joy, And led to the Most Holy Place of the king.

¹⁶ Then, in place of your fathers, sons will be born, And you’ll appoint them as rulers over the lands.

¹⁷ From one generation to another, All will remember your name. Yes, all the peoples will praise you, Throughout the age and the age of the ages.

Psalm 46

←45 | All books | All chapters | 47→

To the [music] director:

By the sons of KorAh, about secret things.

¹ Our God is our refuge and powerful aid Against the many problems we face.

² Because of this, we won’t be afraid When the whole earth is upset, And the mountains fall into the seas. ³ For, by His force, the waters will roar, And the mountains will all be disturbed.

⁴ A river brings joy to the city of God… To the Holy High Tent of Yahweh. ⁵ Since God is in there, [the city] won’t fall; For, morning-after-morning, God sends it His aid.

⁶ Kingdoms were tilted and nations had trembled, For the Most High shouted and then shook the earth. ⁷ But, Yahweh of Armies is with us; Yes, Jacob’s God is our shield!

⁸ Come and witness the works of our God… The miracles that He brings to our land! ⁹ For He’s driven wars to the ends of the earth… He’s destroyed all their bows, And He’s burned all their weapons and shields in a fire!

¹⁰ [For He says:]

‘Relax and know that I am your God;

And among the nations, I’ll be raised high…

Throughout the whole earth, I’ll be praised.’

¹¹ Yes, Yahweh of Armies is with us; The God of Jacob is our shield!

Psalm 47

←46 | All books | All chapters | 48→

For the [music] director:

By the sons of KorAh.

¹ Clap your hands, all you nations And joyfully call to our God! ² Fear Yahweh, for He’s the Most High; Yes, He’s the King of the earth!

³ He’s caused the peoples to yield, And He’s put all the nations under our feet. ⁴ For, as His inheritance, He chose us; And He loves the beauty of Jacob.

⁵ With a shout, our God has ascended… From Yahweh, the sound of the trumpet was heard. ⁶ So, to our God, play your music… Strum [your harps] to our King. ⁷ Since our God is the King of the earth, Before Him, play your instruments well.

⁸ God rules over the gentiles, And He reigns from His holy throne. ⁹ So, under AbraHam’s God, The rulers of the peoples are gathered; For He owns all the kings of the earth, And by them, He’s greatly respected.

Psalm 48

←47 | All books | All chapters | 49→

A Psalm; an ode by the sons of KorAh for the second Sabbath.

¹ O how great is Yahweh… May He be praised in the city… Praise our God on His Holy Mountain!

² Leap for joy, all you on the earth; For, just to the north of Mount Zion Is the city of the great king. ³ In her estates, God is well known, And He’s the One who comes to her aid.

⁴ {Look!} The kings of the earth have assembled… Yes, they’ve all come to this place, ⁵ And when they saw it, they were amazed… It shook them and they were disturbed. ⁶ After that, they started to tremble Like a woman with birth pangs.

⁷ With storms, You’ll wreck boats from TarShish, ⁸ And the things that we’ve heard are what we believe… That the city of Yahweh the Almighty (Yes, the city of God) Was established by Him throughout the ages.

⁹ We’ve received Your mercies, O God, And among Your people, we’re standing. ¹⁰ O God, may Your Name always be praised To the ends of the earth; For, from Your right hand comes true justice.

¹¹ So Mount Zion, you should be joyful… And shout in joy, you daughters of Judah Over the judgments of God.

¹² Encircle Zion and grab hold of her… Describe each one of her towers. ¹³ Keep her army close to your Hearts, And make her palaces strong, So that future generations can see her.

¹⁴ For this is our God throughout the ages And into the age of the ages. For, throughout the ages, He’s watched over us.

Psalm 49

←48 | All books | All chapters | 50→

To the [music] director:

By the sons of KorAh.

¹ Listen to this, all you nations; Give ear, all you who dwell in the land; ² You earth-born ones and sons of men, Both the rich and the poor...

³ For my mouth will now speak about wisdom, And the thoughts that my heart has come to know. ⁴ So, incline your ears and listen to proverbs, For I’ll explain my riddle in this song:

⁵ ‘Why should I fear that wicked day

When the lawless are chasing my heels,

And when they have me surrounded…

⁶ Those who enforce their own power,

And brag of their wealth before all?

⁷ ‘A man’s brother can’t serve as his ransom,

Since he can’t pay God for even himself!

⁸ And if he should try to ransom himself,

Throughout the age, he will grow weary by trying.

⁹ Thus, may he live ‘till the end,

So his body won’t see corruption.

¹⁰ ‘Whenever a wise man comes to his end;

Along with the foolish and mindless he leaves,

And his wealth is then passed on to strangers.

¹¹ ‘So thereafter, his home is his tomb…

It’s his tent through the next generations.

And even though they may call the land by his name,

¹² He will see no honor in that,

For, he becomes like the cattle;

And like them, he thinks nothing at all…

¹³ So, this is the snare in his path.

‘Although his mouth once found pleasure in the things that he said,

¹⁴ Like a sheep, he goes to the the place of the dead,

And he’s put in a place where he’s tended by death.

‘In the morning, he may have been ruled by the upright,

But their help grows old and ends in the grave

Where they and their glory are banished.

¹⁵ ‘For, only God can ransom our lives

From the hands of the grave,

Whenever He chooses to take us.

¹⁶ ‘So, fear not those who make themselves rich,

Or those whose houses receive all the glory.

¹⁷ For when we die, we take nothing away,

And all of our glory is gone.

¹⁸ ‘Yet, while we’re alive, we think our lives blest,

When men have given us praise.

¹⁹ But, from one generation to another,

We all just go down to our fathers,

And throughout the ages, we never see light.

²⁰ ‘For an honored man doesn’t realize

That he’s like his unthinking cattle,

And [his end] is also like theirs.’

Psalm 50

←49 | All books | All chapters | 51→

A Psalm of Asaph.

¹ Yahweh is the God of all gods; For He speaks and calls the sun from the east, Where it crosses the earth to where it descends.

² It’s from Zion that His beauty is shining, ³ And when His coming is seen, He won’t be silent thereafter!

For, a fire will go before Him and burn, And a gale will blow all around Him. ⁴ He will call to the earth from the heavens above, And then, He will set separate people.

⁵ He will gather His holy ones to Him (Those who [follow] His Sacred Agreement), ⁶ Then, across the skies, He will shout His decisions. For, God is truly our judge.

⁷ He says:

‘Listen, My people, and I’ll tell you…

Yes listen, O IsraEl, and I’ll testify!

For, I am God… I’m your God!

⁸ ‘I won’t discipline you over your sacrifices,

Since your whole burnt-offerings have always been there.

⁹ Yet, I never asked you for calves,

Or for your winter yearlings or flocks.

¹⁰ ‘For the beasts in the fields are already Mine,

As are your cattle and oxen,

¹¹ And all the birds in the skies…

The beauty of the fields came from Me!

¹² ‘If I were hungry, I’d never tell you;

For, everything in man’s habitation is Mine.

¹³ So, why should I eat meat of bulls,

Or drink the blood of male goats?

¹⁴ ‘Why not offer Me praise as your sacrifice,

And just pay the vows that you’ve made?

¹⁵ Then, you could call out to Me,

And I’d [be there to] save you…

And thereafter, you’d speak of My glory.’

¹⁶ So, to the sinners, God asks:

‘Why do you bother to take up My Laws

And speak of My Sacred Agreement,

¹⁷ When you really hate My instructions,

And disregard everything that I’ve said?

¹⁸ ‘If you saw a thief, you’d run with him,

And you’d join with those committing adultery!

¹⁹ For your mouths are filled with what’s bad,

And your tongues are twisted in lies.

²⁰ ‘Against your own brothers, you sit and speak ill…

You set snares for the sons of your mother!

²¹ Then, if I don’t speak when you’re breaking My Laws,

You think that I’m like you!

‘But, I’ll soon discipline you…

I’ll stand in your face [and speak of] your sins!

²² So notice, all you who’ve forgotten your God;

For the time will come when I’ll snatch you away,

And no one will be there to save you.

²³ ‘And even though you may have offered Me glory

With your sacrifices and praises…

There’s no way that I’ll then spare you!’

Psalm 51

←50 | All books | All chapters | 52→

To the [music] director:

A Psalm by David, [about the time] when the Prophet Nathan came to him over his taking BathSheba (the wife of UriAh).

¹ Show mercy on me, O my God! In Your abundant compassions, Please erase the ways that I’ve broken Your Laws… ² Wash away all my lawless deeds, And cleanse me from all my sins. ³ For I know all the laws that I’ve broken, And my errors are ever before me.

⁴ Against You alone, have I sinned, And before You, I’ve done wicked things. So, Your decisions are righteous, And in Your judgments, You’ve proven just.

⁵ {Look!} But in lawlessness, I was conceived… Yes, in the strange food of sin That I’ve craved [since I came from] my mother.

⁶ However, You love what’s true, And now You’ve revealed the bad things I did From the hidden, private things of Your wisdom.

⁷ So, may I be sprinkled with branches of hyssop, That I may be clean once again… Wash me with the snow from above, So I can stand whitened before You.

⁸ Please let me know cheering and gladness again… Let my humbled bones be joyful once more! ⁹ Turn Your face away from my sins And erase all of my lawless deeds!

¹⁰ O God, please give me a heart that’s clean, And with a righteous spirit, renew me within. ¹¹ Don’t reel and turn Your face in disgust, Nor take away Your Holy Breath.

¹² Return the joy of salvation to me… Support me and [help me] rule [well]. ¹³ Then I’ll teach Your ways to the lawless, And I’ll turn the irreverent towards You.

¹⁴ O my Savior and God,

If You’ll save me from the guilt of this blood, ³¹ My tongue will shout in praise of Your justice.

¹⁵ O Yahweh,

To You, I’ll open my lips, And with my mouth, I’ll praise You!

¹⁶ If You wanted sacrifices, I’d give them, But You don’t think well of burnt offerings. ¹⁷ What You want is a spirit that’s broken, And You don’t overlook humbled hearts.

¹⁸ O Yahweh,

In Your good will, Do the best thing for Zion… Let JeruSalem’s walls be rebuilt. ¹⁹ Think well of our righteous sacrifices, And we’ll bring burnt offerings to Your Altar. [missing from our Septuagint source, probably added later]

Psalm 52

←51 | All books | All chapters | 53→

To the [music] director:

A Psalm of David’s musings about the time when Doeg the Edomite went to Saul to tell him that David had gone to the house of AhiMelek. [1 Samuel 22:9]

¹ O you who think you’re so mighty; Why do you boast of the evil you’ve done, And of your lawless deeds, all day long?

² For, unrighteousness thinks of your tongue Like the treachery of a razor, ³ Since you’ve preferred evil to goodness, And lies to telling the truth. ⁴ You’ve loved words that cause drowning, As well as tongues of deceit.

⁵ For this, our God will destroy you… He will pluck you out of your tent, And uproot you from the land of the living.

⁶ Of the righteous, you’ll come to know fear; For they’ll laugh at you and they’ll say:

⁷ ‘Notice this one who won’t lean on God,

But rather, puts trust in his wealth,

And feels strong in his own foolish ways.’

⁸ But, in the House of my God, I’ve been like a tree of ripe olives. For, throughout the age, I’ve trusted His mercy… Throughout the age, I’ve put faith in my God.

⁹ Therefore, throughout the ages, I’ll praise Him, For He’s finally brought me good results. And I’ll trust in His Name, Because He provides for His holy ones.

Psalm 53

←52 | All books | All chapters | 54→

To the [music] director:

A Psalm for the harp.

A contemplation of David.

¹ ‘There is no God,’ say the fools in their hearts; So, they’re corrupt and disgusting. For, they’re breaking [God’s] Laws, And they don’t choose to do what’s right!

² God looks upon them from His place in the skies, Since He watches what sons of men do To see if they’re paying attention, And if any are searching for Him. ³ But, they’ve all turned aside and are useless; There are none who do good… No, not one!

⁴ Don’t they know (those acting without law… Those eating [God’s] people like bread), That they should [search for] Yahweh? ⁵ And for this, they fear when there’s nothing to fear.

For, God will scatter the bones Of those who try to please men. And since they live their lives in disgrace, God treats them all with contempt.

⁶ Now, who’ll be appointed from Zion To become IsraEl’s savior? For, when God returns all the captives, Jacob will cry out in joy, And IsraEl will once more be happy!

Psalm 54

←53 | All books | All chapters | 55→

To the [music] director:

One of the hymns of contemplation by David, about the time when the Ziphites said to Saul: ‘{Look!} Isn’t David hiding among us?’ [1 Samuel 23:19]

¹ O God,

Please save me for the sake of Your Name, And use Your powers to bring us what’s fair.

² O God, please listen to my prayer… Hear the words that come from my mouth. ³ For, strangers have risen against me, And the mighty who don’t know You are seeking my life!

⁴ But look! God came and He helped me… Jehovah has shielded my soul! ⁵ To my enemies, He’s sent what’s bad, And He’s used the truth to destroy them.

⁶ So I’ll offer sacrifices to You, And I’ll give praise to Your Name. ⁷ For, from great danger, You’ve saved me, And my eyes have seen my prayers answered.

Psalm 55

←54 | All books | All chapters | 56→

To the [music] director:

One of the hymns of the contemplations of Asaph.

¹ Give ear, O God, to my prayer… Don’t overlook the things that I beg… ² Please pay attention and listen!

I sat alone and was worried; For, by my enemy’s voice, I became very disturbed, ³ As well as by the oppression of sinners. For in lawless ways, they’ve all turned against me, And in anger, they’ve shown me their rage.

⁴ So my heart was pounding within me, And fear of death overcame me… ⁵ I was afraid, shaking, and covered by darkness, ⁶ So I begged:

‘Please give me the wings of a dove,

That I may spread them and go find some rest!’

⁷ {Look!} I was driven far away into exile, And I was forced to live in the desert, ⁸ Where I waited for someone to save me From my own fears and the storms.

⁹ O Yahweh,

Please sink them… Make them speak different tongues! For I’ve seen how lawless they are, And I hear of their wars in the cities.

¹⁰ Lawless ways and misery dwell in their midst… Day and night, they encircle our walls, ¹¹ Bringing injustice to our city squares, By treacherously charging interest for loans.

¹² Had I been slandered by my enemies, I’d have been happy to endure it. And if someone who hates me had threatened, I’d have just hidden from him.

¹³ But it’s you, O man, someone like me… A leader of mine and a Seer! ¹⁴ It was you who once sweetened my food, And we lived in the same house together!

¹⁵ But may death now come to them all, And alive, may they fall into their graves. For, wickedness travels among them, And in their midst, it is living.

¹⁶ Then I cried out to God, and He heard me. ¹⁷ So at morning, noon, and during the night, I’ll beg Him for the things that I need, And He will listen to all my requests.

¹⁸ Because I was peaceful, He will ransom my soul… He will save me from those who were once on my side, But who’ve now come to attack me.

¹⁹ Yes, our God, who exists throughout the ages, Will listen and then make them humble… He won’t negotiate with them, Because they’ve not learned how to fear Him.

²⁰ He will stretch out His hand and repay All those who’ve profaned His Sacred Agreement. ²¹ With the rage of His face, He will cut them to shreds, And then He will snatch out their hearts. For although His words may sound as soft as olive oil, He can also shoot them like arrows.

²² So upon Yahweh, throw your concerns, Then He will nourish and watch over you. For He won’t allow ages to pass, As the righteous are being abused.

²³ Yes You, O God, will soon lead them (Those men of blood and deception) Into the well of corruption. There’s no way that they’ll live half of their days; And Yahweh, I’m trusting in You.

Psalm 56

←55 | All books | All chapters | 57→

To the [music] director:

For the people.

From the holy things of David and for an inscription [about the time] when the Philistines held him at Gath.

¹ Show mercy on me, O my God; For a man has trampled on me all day long, And he’s oppressed me in war.

² All day long, my enemies are winning… From higher ground, they’ve fought me. ³ But today, I won’t be afraid, For in You, I’m putting my trust.

⁴ I’ll praise You with words throughout the whole day; For in my God, I’m putting my hope, So I’ll not be afraid of what flesh can do.

⁵ Every day, they’ve hated my words, And they think of ways they can hurt me. ⁶ They run and hide, then watch for my heel, As they patiently wait for my soul. ⁷ Yet, You won’t bring them salvation, But in rage, You’ll thereafter destroy them.

⁸ O God, to You, I’ve given My life, And as You promised, You’ve noticed my tears. ⁹ So, when I must call out to You, Please drive my enemies away.

{Look!} I’ve always known that you are my God, ¹⁰ So I’ve [paid attention to] Your council, And I’ve spoken in praise of Your words. ¹¹ So because I’ve put faith in my God, I’ll not be afraid of what men can do.

¹² Within me, O God, are the vows That I made as I was speaking Your praises… ¹³ For from death, You ransomed my soul. There are also tears in my eyes, For You didn’t allow them to trip me. Thus, here in the light of the living, I can keep pleasing Yahweh.

Psalm 57

←56 | All books | All chapters | 58→

To the [music] director:

[Set to the tune of the song called] Do Not Destroy by David.

For an inscription on a monument about the time he ran away from Saul [and hid in] a cave.

¹ O God, show mercy upon me… Yes, please be merciful to me! For to You, I’ve given my life, And in the shadow of Your wings, I’ve put faith.

Until these lawless things pass me by, ² I’ll call out to God, the Most High… The One by whom I’m blest.

³ From the heavens, He’s sent me protection, And heaped scorn on those who were walking on me. God sent me His mercy and truth, ⁴ And from those young lions, He saved me.

For, whenever I went to bed, I was bothered when I thought about sons of men Whose teeth are just like their weapons, And whose arrows are like sharpened swords.

⁵ May You be exalted, my God, Above the highest of the heavens… Above all the lands, may Your glory be raised!

⁶ Now, they’ve set snares for my feet, And my soul, they’ve dragged to the ground. And even though they dug a cesspool in front of my face, They were the ones who fell in it.

⁷ So, my heart is now ready, O God, To sing and strum to Your glorious Name. ⁸ Therefore, awaken my glory and ready my harp When I arise in the morning.

⁹ Then among the peoples, I’ll praise You, O Lord, And among all the nations, I’ll strum to [Your Name]. ¹⁰ For, above the heavens, Your mercy is raised, And Your Truth is higher than the clouds. ¹¹ So, above the skies, may You ever be raised… O God, may Your glory [shine] over the earth.

Psalm 58

←57 | All books | All chapters | 59→

To the [music] director:

[Set to the tune of the song called] Do Not Destroy by David.

An inscription on a monument.

¹ Won’t You speak out for righteous ways, And won’t You, in justice, judge sons of men? ² For their hearts have brought lawless ways to our land, And their hands are wrapped in injustice!

³ Sinners come out of the womb And wander from the belly speaking lies. ⁴ Their rage is like that of serpents, And as asps that can’t speak, for their ears have been closed, ⁵ So they can’t hear the sounds of [snake] charmers, [And they strike] with the potions of witches. ⁶ But now, God has broken the teeth in their mouths… Their molars of lions, He’s shattered.

⁷ He views them as though they’re just water, And He will stretch tight His bow ‘til they’re conquered… ⁸ Like melted beeswax, they’ll be removed; For, He will strike them with fire, And thereafter, they’ll not see the sun anymore. ⁹ As white-thorned shrubs, He views their thorn-bushes; And He will swallow them down still alive.

¹⁰ We’ll all rejoice when we see they’ve been punished, And wash our hands in the blood of those sinners. ¹¹ Thereafter, each man will be forced to declare That this is the fruitage of justice, And there’s a God who brings what’s fair to the land.

Psalm 59

←58 | All books | All chapters | 60→

To the [music] director:

[Set to the tune of the song called] Do Not Corrupt by David.

An inscription on a monument about the time when Saul sent men to watch his house in order to kill him.

¹ From my enemies, please save me, O God… Ransom me from those attacking. ² Deliver me from those who are breaking the Law… From those men of blood, please save me!

³ {Look!} For, they hunted for my life… Yes, they’ve sent their mighty against me. But Yahweh; I’ve not broken Your laws, Nor are [they coming] because of my sins!

⁴ Although I’ve done nothing illegal, From them, I’ve been forced to flee… So awaken to meet me and notice!

⁵ O God, Yahweh of armies… O God of IsraEl, take notice… Come and visit those nations!

Don’t pity those who are lawless… ⁶ May they come back starved in the evening, And like dogs, may they roam through the [streets]!

⁷ They shout with their swords held up to their lips, As they ask:

‘Who is paying attention?’

⁸ But You, O Lord, should be laughing out loud, And treating them all with contempt.

⁹ For, You’re my strength, O my God… You’re my shield [and protector]. ¹⁰ So Your mercy travels before me, And to my enemies, You send whatever I ask.

¹¹ But don’t kill them, so Your Laws are not overlooked; Rather, scatter them with Your power. O my defender, Yahweh; Have them be led far away!

¹² For the sins of their mouths and the words on their lips, Let them be taken as captives… May they be cursed for their pride and their lies.

¹³ In Your rage, come down and consume them, So that they’ll no longer exist. Then, everyone to the ends of the earth Will know that Jacob’s Lord is the [only true] God.

¹⁴ When they arrive in the evening; May they be starved upon their return, And like dogs, may they roam through the [streets]. ¹⁵ May they be scattered to search for their food, And let them grumble as they’re starving.

¹⁶ Then I’ll sing of all Your great powers, And I’ll praise Your mercies each morning; For, You’re my refuge and shield In my day of distress.

¹⁷ Because You’re my helper, I’m strumming to You… I’m playing to You, for You’re my God. O God, You truly are my shield, And You’ve shown mercy upon me.

Psalm 60

←59 | All books | All chapters | 61→

To the [music] director:

[Set to the tune of the song called] The Changings.

For an inscription on a monument by David, as a lesson about when he burned [the land of] Syrian MesoPotamia and [the nation of] SoBal in Syria, and [also] when JoAb returned and cut down 12,000 men of Edom in the Salt Valley [referencing 1 Chronicles 18:12-15 where 18,000 were killed, but perhaps JoAb was responsible for 12,000 of those deaths].

¹ O God,

You’ve knocked us down and pushed us away, But, along with Your rage, You felt pity. ² For although You shook our land and disturbed it; You’ve healed the cracks that resulted.

³ You’ve taught Your people hard lessons, And we’ve melted in the wine of Your rage. ⁴ But, to those who feared You, You then sent a sign, To flee from the face of the bow. ⁵ So, since You’ve saved all those whom You love, Please listen, and with Your hands, save me!

⁶ Then, from His Holy Place, our God spoke. He said:

‘I’ll shout and I’ll divide SheChem…

The Valley of Tents, I’ll split.

⁷ ‘GileAd is Mine and ManasSeh is Mine;

Ephraim is the fort of My head,

And Judah is the place of My king.’

⁸ Then, over Edom He said:

‘MoAb is the kettle of My hope;

So, I’ll stretch out My sandal,

And make the Philistines submit.

⁹ So, who’ll take Me up to their forts,

And who can guide Me to Edom?’

¹⁰ O Lord, Why did You thrust us away? O God, Won’t You be with our army?

¹¹ Help us in our day of oppression, For, there’s no salvation from men. ¹² Only by God do we have any strength… Only He can show His contempt For those who’ve been our oppressors.

Psalm 61

←60 | All books | All chapters | 62→

To the [music] director:

One of the hymns by David.

A Psalm.

¹ Listen, O God, to the things that I beg… Please pay attention to my prayer!

² From the ends of the earth, I called out to You When my heart was discouraged at the Rock [1 Samuel 23:25]; Then You lifted me high and showed me the way.

³ When my enemies were there in front of my face, You were my only reason for hope… You were my tower and strength.

⁴ So, I’ll go to Your Tent throughout the ages; In the protection of Your wings, I’ll seek shelter. ⁵ For You, O God, have heard what I vowed, And an inheritance is what You’ll give To those who are fearing Your Name.

⁶ Day after day, add life to the king From one generation to another. ⁷ Throughout the ages, may he live there before You And search for Your mercies and truth. ⁸ Then, throughout the ages, I’ll sing to Your Name, And I’ll render my vows every day.

Psalm 62

←61 | All books | All chapters | 63→

To the [music] director:

For [the priest] IdiThun [1 Chronicles 16:41].

A Psalm by David.

¹ Shouldn’t my life be devoted to God? In His salvation, shouldn’t I trust? ² For, He’s my God and my Savior… He’s my shield, so I’ll not be afraid When I must fight larger armies.

³ So, how long will You pile so much upon men? For like walls that lean, we’ve become… Like fences that have many gaps… And then, to each one, You send death.

⁴ Because they’ve conspired to remove all my honor; From them, I’ve run away. For although, with their mouths, they’ve blest me; Within their hearts, they’ve cursed me.

⁵ But I’ve given my life to my God And I’ve trusted in Him to survive. ⁶ He’s my God and my Savior… He’s my shield, so I’ll never leave Him. ⁷ Yes, He’s my salvation and glory… God is my hope, so I’m trusting in Him.

⁸ In Him, the congregation should also put faith… Since He’s their helper, they should pour out their hearts. ⁹ In the sons of men, they shouldn’t put trust, Since they’re the same as false weights That are used to cheat them on scales… To mislead them and do them wrong.

¹⁰ Nor should they trust in unrighteous ways, Or long for things they can steal. And should they find great treasures before them, They shouldn’t let it enter their hearts. ¹¹ For the Lord spoke to me and said this:

‘God sends His mercy along with His might,

¹² And He pays each one back for the things that he does.’

Psalm 63

←62 | All books | All chapters | 64→

A Psalm by David about the time he spent in the desert of Idumea.

¹ God, O my God, I rise early, Because my inner person is thirsting for You. Yes, my flesh has been longing for You In this land that’s barren, unwalked, and dry.

² So, to Your Holy Place, I’ve now come To behold Your power and glory. ³ And since Your mercies are better than life, My lips will [sing praises about them].

⁴ With my whole life, I’ll praise You, And to Your Name, I’ll raise my hands. ⁵ So may my life be filled with the fatness of fat, And with joyful lips, may my mouth offer praise.

⁶ I’m thinking of You as I lie in my bed… I’m meditating at the breaking of dawn. ⁷ And because You’re my helper, I’m shouting in joy, As I lie in Your wings of protection.

⁸ To You, my soul will stick closely, And I’ll grab hold tightly of Your right hand; ⁹ For, there are those who are seeking my life.

May they be sent to the depths of the ground… ¹⁰ May they be handed up to the sword… The reward of foxes, may they receive.

¹¹ May the king find joy in [his] God, And may he swear oaths here before Him; For, He’s stopped up the mouths Of those who’ve spoken against him.

Psalm 64

←63 | All books | All chapters | 65→

To the [music] director:

A Psalm by David.

¹ O God, please listen to my voice; For, I’m begging before You. Of my enemies, I’m afraid… So, please come and save my life!

² From the conspiracies of the wicked, give me shelter… And from the crowds of the unrighteous. ³ For they’ve sharpened their tongues just like broadswords, And in bitterness, stretched tight their bows. ⁴ They aim from hiding at the unblemished, Then shoot at me without fear.

⁵ They’ve decided to do evil things, And they’ve talked about how they’ll hide all their snares… Asking each other, ‘Who will see them?’

⁶ For lawless ways, they’ve searched, But, all their searching has failed; For, not a single man would step forward, Who had any depth of heart.

⁷ So, may Yahweh be praised; For, even to their infants, calamity arrived.

⁸ Although they spoke in contempt with their tongues, And all who viewed them were frightened; ⁹ Of the works of my God, they all were in awe, When they realized He was with me.

¹⁰ So, may the upright find joy in Yahweh, And in Him, may they put all their trust; For He blesses those with straight hearts.

Psalm 65

←64 | All books | All chapters | 66→

To the [music] director;

A Psalm by David.

¹ From Zion, I’m sending this hymn, O my God; From JeruSalem, I’m sending this vow. ² Please hear this prayer [that I offer]; For, before You, all flesh must approach.

³ Although we were overwhelmed by our errors, Our irreverent ways, You’ve covered.

⁴ Blest are those whom You’ve chosen and claimed; For, in Your courtyards, they’ll camp, And there, You’ll fill them with the good things That come from Your House and Your Holy Tent.

⁵ Of Your righteousness, we all are in awe; So, hear us, our God and our Savior! ⁶ You’re the hope of all to the ends of the earth, And of those far away on the seas.

You’re the One who made mighty mountains, ⁷ And the One who brings disturbance to the seas (The roar of which no one can stand). ⁸ But, that’s how the nations will soon be disturbed… It’s how those at our borders will come to know fear.

⁹ Your signs bless the comings of mornings and evenings, And You’ve made the land drunk with Your visits. With the river of God, You’ve enriched it… You’ve nourished [our land] with the water You sent.

¹⁰ Yes, You’ve sent [much water to the land] To saturate the rows and make them produce. You’ve sent raindrops to make it all grow, And we’re happy to watch as it springs from the ground.

¹¹ You graciously bless the crown of the year, When You fill our fields up with fatness. ¹² Then the beautiful mountains will also be fat, Along with all of the deserts. And wrapped [in green], the hills will become, ¹³ As the rams and sheep grow much wool. For, in the valleys, You’ve made the grain grow, So of You, we’ll shout and sing praises.

Psalm 66

←65 | All books | All chapters | 67→

To the [music] director:

An ode. A Psalm of awakening.

¹ Shout to Yahweh, all you on the earth, ² And then play music to His Name! Shout in praise of His Glory!

³ Tell Him:

‘We fear the things that You do;

So may Your enemies submit to Your power.

⁴ May the whole earth bow down before You,

And may they strum to You in the heights.’

⁵ Come witness the works of our God, For they’re more to be feared than men realize… ⁶ He changed the sea to dry ground, And He did the same to the river! For they walked across both on their feet.

So in Him, we all should find joy, ⁷ For, He’s the master of His domain. And throughout the age, He’s been watching the nations; So, may those who enrage Him not think themselves great.

⁸ O nations,

Give praise to our God… May we hear the sounds of your voices! ⁹ For, He’s the One who gave life to my inner person, And let nothing stumble my feet.

¹⁰ Yes, You’ve tried us, O God, For, You’ve refined us like silver. ¹¹ First, You led us into a snare, And upon our backs, laid oppression. ¹² Then, You assigned men to be over our heads… But through fire and water, You led us to rest.

¹³ So, with my offerings, I’ll go to Your House And render to You all my vows… ¹⁴ Those things that my lips have opened to say… The words my mouth spoke in my distress.

¹⁵ I’ll bring burnt offerings before You, As well as incense and marrow… My rams, winter yearlings, and bulls.

¹⁶ Come listen to me and I’ll tell you About my fear of my God, And of the things He’s done for my soul.

¹⁷ To Him, my mouth has cried out, And with my tongue, I then shouted this:

¹⁸ ‘If in my heart, You’ve found injustice;

O Yahweh, please overlook me.’

¹⁹ However, He listened to all that I said… He heard the sounds of my prayers! ²⁰ So, may our God forever be praised, Since He didn’t overlook what I said, Nor did He remove His mercy from me.

Psalm 67

←66 | All books | All chapters | 68→

To the [music] director:

A hymn among the Psalms by David.

¹ O God, feel pity and bless us… Show mercy and shine Your face on us!

² Throughout the whole earth, may Your ways be made known, And may all the nations see how You save… ³ May everyone come to know You, O God… May they all be aware of Your [powers].

⁴ You gentiles:

Be glad and cry out [in joy], For He judges the peoples in straightness, And He’ll lead every nation on the earth. ⁵ So, may all come to know You, O God… May they all be aware of Your [greatness].

⁶ The earth has provided us all with her fruit… And it was from God (our God) That such a blessing arrived. ⁷ So, may our God continue to bless us, And may He be feared to the ends of the earth.

Psalm 68

←67 | All books | All chapters | 69→

To the [music] director:

A Psalm by David.

¹ May God chase away those who hate Him, And may those who detest Him, flee far from His face. ² Like smoke, may they just blow away, And melt like beeswax in fire. Yes, that’s how the sinners will all be destroyed Before the face of our God.

³ But the righteous have reasons for joy; So, may they happily shout in His presence… May they all be joyful and may they be blest!

⁴ So, sing to God… Yes, strum to His Name! Open the way to the One riding west… The One whose Name is Yahweh!

May they all shout before Him in joy, And before His face, may they all be concerned. ⁵ For, He’s a Father to orphans, And the One who gives justice to widows… He’s the God who dwells within our Most Holy.

⁶ He settles common people in homes, And releases all those bound in shackles. He [provides] for even the bitter, And for those who dwell among tombs.

⁷ O God,

As You passed by Your people, And as You were crossing the desert, ⁸ The land was shaken and the skies dripped with dew, Before the face of our God upon SinAi… Before the face of IsraEl’s God.

⁹ O God,

You sent rain to Your people, And then, You set us apart. ¹⁰ You also gave life to the beasts [in the fields], And Your kindness provides for the poor.

¹¹ So, the Great God Yahweh will speak And announce the good news to our army, ¹² That the king and his armies of loved ones Will divide up the spoils in his palace.

¹³ Then, if you must sleep among sheep folds; You’ll also sleep amidst doves… The types that have silver wings, With the colors of green and gold on their backs.

¹⁴ The Heavenly One scatters kings Like snow when it falls on Mount SelMon ¹⁵ (The mountain of God and the Hill of BaShan… The fourth great mountain of provision).

¹⁶ So mountains:

Why does God dwell upon you? For Yahweh camps at the extremes, ¹⁷ And His chariots number into the millions. Yet, from His Holy Place on Mount SinAi, The Lord still sends His provisions.

¹⁸ To the highest places, he’s stepped up, And he’s taken captives into captivity; Then, he gave gifts to the people, As he camps among those who resist Him!

¹⁹ So, praise Yahweh our God… Yes, praise Yahweh each day! For, He is the One who’s blest us… Our God is the One who’s saved us!

²⁰ Yes, our God is the God of salvation… For, from the brink of death, He’s saved [us]! ²¹ So our God will shatter our enemies’ heads… The tops of hairy heads of those walking in sin.

²² For Yahweh spoke and said this:

‘I’ll bring them back from the depths of the seas…

From BaShan, I will return them.

²³ Then I’ll dip their feet in their enemy’s blood,

And it will stain the tongues of their dogs.’

²⁴ O God,

Your travels are seen from Your Holy Place… The comings and goings of my God the King. ²⁵ Rulers have traveled before You, As women played harps and [shook] tambourines.

²⁶ May God be praised in the gathering All the way to IsraEl’s springs. ²⁷ It’s the place where (to our surprise), Young BenJamin was appointed the ruler Of the governors and princes of Judah, And the leaders of ZebuLun and NaphTali.

²⁸ Give orders, O God, and send us Your power… Give us the strength to accomplish All the things that You want us to do! ²⁹ Then the kings [of the earth] will bring gifts To Your Holy Place in JeruSalem.

³⁰ Scold those ‘wild beasts’ who live in the reeds, And the ‘bulls’ who are mixed among heifers. Lock away those putting trust in their silver, And scatter the nations… All those who want war.

³¹ Yes, send ambassadors from Egypt, With Ethiopians in front and their hands stretched towards God.

³² O you kingdoms throughout the whole earth:

Sing before God and play music! ³³ Yes, strum to Yahweh who lives in the skies… In the heavens above, towards the east!

{Look} Let them shout in a powerful voice ³⁴ And give glory to IsraEl’s God, Whose majesty and power [is seen] in the clouds.

³⁵ God’s wonders are in His Most Holy Place. And from there, IsraEl’s God sends the power That He uses to strengthen His people. So, all should give praise to [Yahweh]!

Psalm 69

←68 | All books | All chapters | 70→

To the [music] director:

[Set to the music of the song called] For the Changes.

A Psalm by David.

¹ Save me, please, O my God, For my soul [is drowning] in water. It’s deep and slimy, and I have no support… ² I’ve gone into the depths of the sea, And by the winds of a gale, I’ve been sunk.

³ From shouting, I’ve become tired, And my throat is now very sore. But, although my eyes have started to fail, I still have faith in my God.

⁴ My enemies number more than the hairs on my head… Yes, there are many that hate me. And my foes are now very strong (Those who’ve unjustly driven me out). And for things that I didn’t steal, They tell me that I must repay.

⁵ O God,

You know of my sins, And You know of my foolish ways… For from You, they’ve never been hidden.

⁶ But, may all those who put trust in You Never feel ashamed over me. Yes, O Yahweh of Armies; May those who are seeking IsraEl’s God Never feel ashamed about me.

⁷ But, because of You, I’m scorned, And my face has been covered with shame. ⁸ I’ve been driven away from my brothers… I’m a stranger to the sons of my mother.

⁹ Although zeal for Your House has consumed me, The scorn of blasphemers has fallen on me. ¹⁰ So my life is now wrapped up in fasting, And this gives them more reasons to laugh. ¹¹ For, when I was covered in sackcloth, I became a parable among them.

¹² Those sitting at the gates now think about me, And about me, even drunks are singing songs. ¹³ But to You, O Yahweh, I’ve cried out in prayer:

‘O God, I’ll wait ‘til the time that You’ve set,

When in Your mercy, You’ll heed me once more,

And show them the truth of how You can save.’

¹⁴ O save me, for I’m stuck in this ‘mud’… Pull me out of the ‘waters’ of those who detest me! ¹⁵ May the ‘gale’ not sink me in water, Nor swallow me down in the mouth of its ‘well.’

¹⁶ Please listen to me, O Yahweh, For Your mercies are all very tender. Yes, in Your compassion, please look upon me!

¹⁷ Don’t turn Your face from Your servant… In my time of affliction, please notice! ¹⁸ Pay attention and ransom my soul… From my enemies, please come here and save me!

¹⁹ You know of my shame and remorse, And before You, my enemies scorn me. ²⁰ Although I thought they’d grieve over my misery; They didn’t, and they brought me no comfort.

²¹ As food, they offered me bile, And gave me vinegar instead, to quench my thirst. ²² May [what they offered] become their own snare… May [it keep them] from their reward.

²³ May their eyes become dark, so they can’t see, And may their backs be bent over double. ²⁴ Please pour out Your anger upon them… May they be caught in Your rage.

²⁵ May the houses they own become empty, And may no one ever live in their tents. ²⁶ For they’ve chased this one whom You struck, And added to the pain of my wounds.

²⁷ For their lawless ways, may they see lawless ways… May they not enter Your justice. ²⁸ In the Scroll of Life, may their names not be written… Among the righteous, may their names be erased.

²⁹ I stand in Your presence, poor and in pain; So God, please take care of me! ³⁰ Then I’ll praise Your Name [every day]… With songs, I’ll sing of Your glory.

³¹ So, God above, I’ll please You… [I’ll offer] hoofed calves that are just sprouting horns. ³² Then, may all the poor people see it, And may they all start rejoicing!

Inquire of God who gives life to our souls; ³³ For Yahweh pays attention to the needy, And He listens to those bound in shackles… He never looks at them in contempt.

³⁴ So, praise Him You heavens, you earth, and you sea, And all the things that may crawl there; ³⁵ For, Zion will be saved by our God, And the cities of Judah will then be rebuilt, Which the people will inherit thereafter… Yes, that’s where they’ll dwell. ³⁶ The offspring of Your servants will own it, And those loving Your Name will all camp there.

Psalm 70

←69 | All books | All chapters | 71→

To the [music] director:

A Psalm by David in remembrance of his being saved by Yahweh.

¹ O God, please hear me and help me… O Yahweh, please rush to my aid! ² May those seeking my life feel shame and remorse… May those wishing me harm retreat in disgrace. ³ May those saying of me, ‘Well done, well done,’ Turn back and then be ashamed.

⁴ But, may those who seek You be glad and rejoice… May those who love Your salvation Give praise to You, O Yahweh.

⁵ Help me, O God, for I’m poor and in need… Become my helper and Savior… I [need You now], so don’t delay!

Psalm 71

←70 | All books | All chapters | 72→

A Psalm by David which was sung by the sons of JonadDab, who were the first to be carried off as captives.

¹ In You, O Yahweh, I’ve put all my hope; So, may I not be disgraced throughout the age. ² In Your justice, please take me and save me… Incline Your ear and deliver!

³ Become to me, a God of defense, And carry me to a fortified place. For, You are my trust and my refuge!

⁴ Then, from the hands of sinners, God saved me… From the lawless and those who were doing me wrong. ⁵ O Yahweh; you’re the One who helped me endure… The One whom I’ve trusted since youth.

⁶ From the womb, I’ve always put faith in You, And from the belly of my mother, You watched over me. So to You, I’ll always sing praises.

⁷ You’ve been a miracle to many, And You’ve been my fortress and helper. ⁸ So, may my mouth sing in praise Of Your glory and majesty, each day.

⁹ When I grow old, please don’t toss me away; Don’t abandon me when my vigor is gone.

¹⁰ My enemies met, and against me, they spoke… Together, those seeking my life laid their plans. ¹¹ They said:

‘God’s left him, so let’s chase him down,

Since there’s no one who’ll come to his aid.’

¹² So my God, don’t stay far away… My God, pay attention and send me Your aid! ¹³ May those slandering my soul become failures… May those wishing me bad feel shame and remorse.

¹⁴ In You, I’ll always trust, And I’ll continue to praise You. ¹⁵ My mouth will speak of Your justice all day, And of Your salvation, I’ll write.

¹⁶ I’ll walk in the might of Yahweh… My Lord, I’ll speak of Your justice. ¹⁷ O God; from my youth, You’ve taught me, And now, I’ll speak of Your wonders.

¹⁸ My God,

Don’t leave me when I’m old and grey, Or until I’ve spoken to the next generation Of [the power of] Your mighty arm.

¹⁹ O God; I’ll speak of Your justice and might, And of the magnificent things that You’ve done… For my God, to no other, can You be compared.

²⁰ You once showed me hard times and affliction, Then You turned around and gave back my life. You brought me back from the pit… You led me up out of the ground.

²¹ In the abundance of Your greatness, You blest me… You returned to offer me comfort. You led me up from the abyss, And lifted me out of the ground.

²² So Yahweh, I’ll praise You to all, And I’ll sing songs about Your just ways… About IsraEl’s Most Holy, our God.

To You, I’ll also strum on my harp, ²³ And while I’m playing before You, I’ll be shouting aloud, Because You’ve ransomed my soul! ²⁴ With my tongue, I’ll speak of Your justice, And make those wrongdoers feel shame and remorse.

Psalm 72

←71 | All books | All chapters | 73→

For Solomon.

A Psalm by David.

¹ O God, show the king Your decisions And teach the king’s son to be just, ² So we can judge Your people uprightly, And always be fair with the poor.

³ May the mountains send peace to Your people, And may the hills send them justice that’s true. ⁴ Help [my son] to be fair with the poor… May he save the sons of the needy And humble all those who’d extort them.

⁵ As long as the sun, may he live… For generations of generations, like the moon. ⁶ May he be like dew upon fleece, And as the rain that falls to the ground.

⁷ May his days stand for justice and peace Until the moon is no more. ⁸ From sea to sea, may he rule… From the river to the ends of man’s home.

⁹ Before him, may all Ethiopians fall… May his enemies all lick the dust… ¹⁰ May the Kings of Tharsis and the islands Come to him bearing all of their best… May the kings of Saba and Arabia bring gifts.

¹¹ May all the earth’s kings bow before him… May all the nations start serving him. ¹² For he’ll save the poor from the mighty, As well as the needy, who have no one else.

¹³ May he spare the poor and the needy; May he save the lives of those who have little. ¹⁴ From interest and injustice, may he ransom their souls, And may his name be valued among them.

¹⁵ May he live a very long life, And may he receive Arabian gold. May he be someone who they pray for, And may they praise his name every day.

¹⁶ Let grain be abundant throughout his land… On the tops of the hills, may it sway. May the grain grow like Lebanon’s trees… May it thrive like grass in the fields.

¹⁷ May his name be praised throughout the ages… May his name endure [as long as] the sun. May the tribes of the earth praise his name, And may all nations call him the Blest One.

¹⁸ Praise Yahweh, IsraEl’s God, For, He’s the One who brings wonders! ¹⁹ Throughout the ages, praise His Name and His glory, And on throughout the age of the ages… May the earth be filled with His glory… Amen!

²⁰ This was the last of the hymns of David, son of JesSe [before he died].

Psalm 73

←72 | All books | All chapters | 74→

A Psalm by Asaph.

¹ O how good is IsraEl’s God To those who have hearts that are straight!

² But my feet had once been unsteady, So I slipped and fell in my tracks, ³ Because I was jealous of unrighteous things, As I noticed the peace of the wicked.

⁴ I noticed that they have no fear of death, And I’ve not seen them whipped [for their badness]. ⁵ They don’t work as hard as other men do, And they never seem to be beaten.

⁶ So because of this, they’re proud to the end… In injustice and irreverence, they’re wrapped! Injustice pours from their fatness, As they follow the ways of their hearts.

⁸ They think, and then speak wicked things… In their pride, they speak of injustice. ⁹ But, since they’ve set heaven against their own mouths, Their tongues will go under the ground, ¹⁰ While [from there], Your people will all be returned And then, full days, they’ll know.

¹¹ Yet they ask:

‘Doesn’t God ever notice?

Aren’t all these things known up above?’

¹² For {look!} the sinners continue to prosper, And throughout the ages, hold onto their wealth!’

¹³ This is why my heart justified foolish things, And from innocence, I then washed my hands. ¹⁴ So, I deserved to be whipped all day long, And to be scolded each morning.

¹⁵ I said:

‘This is how I’ll describe what I’ve done...

{Look!} With Your sons, I’ve broken the contract,

¹⁶ But now, I’ve stopped and thought it all through,

And what I’ve done weighs heavily on me…

¹⁷ So I’ll take it before God to see what I’m due.’

¹⁸ Upon the deceitful, He’s appointed what’s bad, And from their high perches, He will throw them down… ¹⁹ Yes, how far they’ll fall to meet with this end… Because they’re lawless, they’ll be suddenly gone.

²⁰ O Yahweh,

When I came to my senses, I awoke and examined Your city, Then I noticed how You treat the bad with contempt. ²¹ Then my heart came on fire and my kidneys were changed; ²² For, I was the one deserving Your contempt… An unthinking brute, I’d become!

²³ But You never left me, despite all I’d done… You held me by my right hand. ²⁴ You gave me correction and led me, Then into Your glory, returned me.

²⁵ Now, what do I have in the heavens… Well, other than You, what else do I need? ²⁶ O God; although my heart and flesh have both failed, Throughout the age, You’ve been my portion and strength.

²⁷ Look! All will perish, who stay far from You… The unfaithful, You will destroy. ²⁸ But, please keep me close to You, O my God, For I need to trust in my Lord. At Your gates, may I always sing praises of You Before the daughters of Zion.

Psalm 74

←73 | All books | All chapters | 75→

A Psalm of contemplation by Asaph.

¹ O God,

You’ve pushed us away to the end… But, what made You angry with the sheep in Your pasture?

² Remember the ones whom You purchased first… Your inheritance and those whom You’ve ransomed When You first arrived to camp on Mount Zion.

³ Please come and look at these ruins… See what they’ve done to Your Most Holy Place. ⁴ For, those who hate You now feel that they can boast, And on Your Holy Days, claim success as their sign. ⁵ But the thing that they really don’t notice Is that all this came from above.

So, they went to the woods and cut down the trees, ⁶ Then with axes and chisels, broke down our gates, ⁷ And they burned Your [Tent] to the ground.

They’ve profaned the Tent that carries Your Name, ⁸ And they said in their hearts to their brothers:

‘Let’s drive His Holy Days from the land!’

⁹ Now from You, we haven’t seen signs, Nor have we had a Prophet among us, For we’re no longer known by our God.

¹⁰ O God,

How much longer will [You let them] berate us? Will they oppose Your Name throughout the ages? ¹¹ Why have You taken Your right hand away, And drawn it back on Your chest?

¹² For our God and King lives throughout the ages, And to our land, He’ll bring back salvation. ¹³ He’s the One whose might holds back the seas, And who smashed the head of the dragon… The one who rules over the waters.

¹⁴ Yes, You fractured the head of the beast And fed him to the peoples of [the wilderness like in] Ethiopia. ¹⁵ You tore open his rivers and springs, And dried all the creeks that held water.

¹⁶ The days are Yours, and so are the nights; For it’s You who created the sun and the moon. ¹⁷ You’re the One who set the earth’s borders, And the One who made summer and spring… ¹⁸ So, please don’t overlook the things that You’ve made!

Our enemies speak badly of [You], And the foolish are provoking Your Name. ¹⁹ So, don’t leave the praise of Your Name to wild beasts, And [forever] forget those who need You.

²⁰ Yes, we’ve overlooked Your Sacred Agreement, And for this, our land has grown dark… It’s covered with the homes of lawbreakers! ²¹ But, please don’t turn from the humble And let them be brought to disgrace, For these poor and needy still praise Your Name.

²² So stand up, O God, and judge Your great cause… Then notice those fools who are laughing at You! ²³ Don’t overlook the voices of Your servants, Or the pride of all those who hate You And oppose You throughout the whole day.

Psalm 75

←74 | All books | All chapters | 76→

To the [music] director:

[Set to the tune of the song called] Do Not Destroy.

A Psalm by Asaph.

¹ I will praise You, O God… Of You, I’ll speak, and I’ll call on Your Name. I’ll describe all Your wonders, ² For, at the right time, You’ll send justice.

³ Now the land has just melted away, As have [the righteous] who live there… In that place where You once set its columns.

⁴ But I’ve spoken to the unrighteous And warned them to stop breaking laws. Then, to the sinners, I said:

‘Stop raising your trumpets [for battle]…

⁵ Don’t lift your horns to the heights,

Or say unrighteous things about God.

⁶ ‘For, you can’t escape to the valleys,

Or into the mountains or deserts.

⁷ Since God is our judge, He humbles one,

While He’s elevating another.’

⁸ A cup is now in the hand of the Lord, Which He’s filled with pure wine. And even though He leans it this way and that, His wine and its dregs never spill… And from it, the sinners must drink!

⁹ Throughout the age, I’ll shout in praise of Yahweh, And to Jacob’s God, I’ll strum. ¹⁰ For the trumpets of the sinners, He will shatter, While the horns of the righteous, He will raise.

Psalm 76

←75 | All books | All chapters | 77→

To the [music] director:

One of the Psalms by Asaph.

An ode about Assyria.

¹ In Judah, our God is well known, And in IsraEl, His Name’s become great. ² Since His home is on Zion, this place now knows peace, ³ And He’s broken all the bows, shields, and swords, So, there can be no more war.

⁴ From this mountain of the ages, You have sent us Your light, ⁵ While You disturbed those with ignorant hearts. For, all the rich fell asleep, And then, in their hands, they found nothing.

⁶ The men riding horses slept also, And the God of Jacob was laughing at them. ⁷ For, they should fear You, since none can oppose You, And none can [survive] when You’re angry.

⁸ From the heavens, Your decisions were heard, As the earth stood still in its fear. ⁹ But then, You stood up for justice, O God, And You saved the meek of the land. ¹⁰ So, the minds of men are [singing] Your praises, And the rest of their thoughts, celebrate You.

¹¹ What you vow, you should pay to Yahweh… And you who are living nearby Should also bring gifts before Him!

¹² Yes, always be in fear of Yahweh, Because He can break the spirit of rulers… And of Him, even kings are in terror!

Psalm 77

←76 | All books | All chapters | 78→

To the [music] director:

A Psalm by Asaph for IdiThun.

¹ With my voice, I called out to Yahweh… I shouted to God [in hope] that He’d hear. ² In the day of attack, I begged to my God, And my hands were [folded] before Him all night.

I could not [find any comfort], And my soul refused to find rest; ³ For I thought of my God and was bothered… As I thought, my spirit grew faint.

⁴ Then, each time that I closed my eyes, All I saw was my enemies… Which disturbed me so much that I couldn’t speak.

⁵ So I reasoned about days of old, And I thought of the years of the ages. ⁶ In my heart, I pondered it greatly… And I remembered the songs that I sung in the night, Then suddenly, my breath became still.

⁷ Has God pushed me away throughout the age? Will the Lord care about me no more? ⁸ Throughout the age, will His mercy be gone? Through generations, will He not reply? ⁹ Will God forget to show pity? In His rage, will He forget His tender compassions?

¹⁰ Then I said:

‘I’ll now make a change…

And perhaps His right hand will change.

¹¹ I’ll recall the works of Yahweh,

And think about all of His wonders.

¹² Of the things He’s done, I’ll now meditate,

And I’ll contemplate all of His works.’

¹³ O God,

Your ways are all holy, And what God is as great as our God? ¹⁴ You’re the One who does wonderful things, And among all mankind, Your powers are known. ¹⁵ For, with Your arm, You ransomed Your people… The sons of Jacob and JoSeph.

¹⁶ O God,

The waters beheld You… They looked at You and their depths were in fear. ¹⁷ So, rain and thunder came from the clouds, And Your arrows shot both near and far. ¹⁸ From the thundering of Your wheels, there came lightning, Which trembled and shook the home of mankind.

¹⁹ Your ways can be found in the seas, And Your roads are [covered by] rivers, So Your footsteps can never be seen. ²⁰ But, You guided Your people like sheep Through the hands of Aaron and Moses.

Psalm 78

←77 | All books | All chapters | 79→

A contemplation of Asaph.

¹ My people,

Pay attention to my laws… Incline your ears to the words from my mouth! ² For, I’ll now speak illustrations, And I’ll talk in riddles from the start.

³ We’ve heard about it so many times, For our fathers told us the stories… ⁴ From their children, they didn’t hide it… For the Lord and His rule, the next generation also praise, And the wondrous things that He’s done.

⁵ He provided a witness in Jacob, And to IsraEl, He sent us a Law, Which He ordered the fathers to teach to their sons, ⁶ So each generation would know, And the sons being born would pass it along… ⁷ That they all must trust in Yahweh, And never forget the things He’s done, Or fail to inquire about His Commandments, ⁸ So they won’t become crooks like their fathers, Who were a crooked and a bitter generation That never straightened their hearts And had a spirit that God couldn’t trust.

⁹ Ephraim’s sons stretched tight their bows, Which they shot and which saved them in the days of their wars. ¹⁰ But they failed to keep their Agreement with God, And His Laws, they chose not to follow.

¹¹ They forgot all the good things He’d done, And all the wonders that He’d shown them… ¹² The wonders that He showed to their fathers in Egypt (In plains of Tanis, where it happened), ¹³ When He ripped open the sea, And through its midst, led them through… As He held back the waters as though in a bag.

¹⁴ Then He led them with a cloud during the day, And by the light of a fire throughout the night. ¹⁵ He split open the rock in the desert, And from a pit, gave them something to drink… ¹⁶ He brought water out of a stone, And a river, thereafter flowed from it!

¹⁷ But then they turned and they sinned against Him… They embittered the Most High in that dry place… ¹⁸ They put God to the test in their hearts By demanding the type of food that their souls craved. ¹⁹ And of God, they spoke ill when they asked:

‘Can’t God set a table in the desert?’

²⁰ Since He struck the rock and from it flowed water (And a stream poured across the whole land); How could they ask if He’d provide bread, Or set a table for His people?

²¹ So when Yahweh heard all of this, It raised His anger against them. Then He lit a ‘fire’ within Jacob, And He brought His rage upon IsraEl. ²² For they’d failed to put faith in their God And in His power to save them.

²³ Then He ordered the clouds up above, And the gates of the heavens were opened. ²⁴ Manna rained down for them to consume… The bread of heaven, He gave them. ²⁵ So the bread of angels was eaten by men, And He sent enough to make them all full.

²⁶ Thereafter, He sent the winds from the skies… By His power, He brought the winds from the south, ²⁷ And meat rained upon them like dust… Feathered creatures, as the sands of the seas. ²⁸ They fell in the midst of their camp, As well as all around their tents. ²⁹ So they ate and became very full, Since He’d brought them all they desired.

³⁰ No, they weren’t deprived of the things that they’d asked; But, while the food was still in their mouths, ³¹ The rage of Yahweh came upon them, And there amidst plenty, He killed them… IsraEl, His chosen, He then pushed away. ³² For by saying these things, they had sinned, Since they’d failed to believe in His wonders. ³³ So in folly, they ended their days, And their years concluded too soon.

³⁴ Then, after those deaths, they turned back to Him… They again arose early to search for their God. ³⁵ They remembered that God was their helper… The Most High God had redeemed them.

³⁶ But, although with their mouths, they spoke of their love; With their tongues, they also told lies. ³⁷ With Him, their hearts had never been straight, Nor did they trust His Agreement with them.

³⁸ Yet, He felt pity and covered their sins… He didn’t destroy them or show them His rage… Or allow His anger to blaze. ³⁹ He remembered that they were just flesh… Like winds that blow by to never return.

⁴⁰ Then they made Him bitter in the desert, And provoked Him to rage in a waterless land. ⁴¹ They turned around and put God to the test… The Holy One of IsraEl, they angered.

⁴² They forgot the hand that He used on that day To buy them from their oppressors… ⁴³ All the signs that He’d sent upon Egypt, And the miracles that came upon Tanis’ plains… ⁴⁴ How He turned their rain and rivers to blood, So they were unable to drink it… ⁴⁵ And of how He sent fleas there to bite them, Followed by frogs, bringing ruin… ⁴⁶ Or of how He appointed blight on their fruit, And sent them the misery of locusts.

⁴⁷ Then He killed their grapevines with hail, And He sent killing frost to their sycamore trees. ⁴⁸ He also brought hail on their cattle, And burned their possessions in fire.

⁴⁹ Then He sent them His rage to show His displeasure By commissioning wicked angels against them… ⁵⁰ He opened the road of His anger, And He didn’t spare them from death… Even their cattle were chosen to die.

⁵¹ He struck all the firstborn in Egypt… He sent misery upon the tents of Ham. ⁵² But like sheep, He set His people aside, Then like a flock, He led them into the desert.

⁵³ They weren’t afraid, so He led them; Then He covered their enemies under the sea. ⁵⁴ To His Holy Mountain, He brought them… All of those whom He’d purchased With His mighty right hand.

⁵⁵ Then before them, He drove away nations, And created a place for them to inherit. He allowed them to set up their camps… The tents of IsraEl’s tribes.

⁵⁶ But they tested and embittered God the Most High; For His [Laws], they chose not to keep. ⁵⁷ They turned and annulled their [Agreement with Him], And became crooked bows like their fathers. ⁵⁸ In their hills, they provoked Him to rage, And made Him jealous with things carved by hand.

⁵⁹ Then, because God heard what they’d done, He turned from IsraEl in contempt. ⁶⁰ The Tent in ShiLoh, He then pushed away… The Tent where He’d camped among men.

⁶¹ Then, into captivity, He handed their strength… Their beauty, to their enemy’s hands. ⁶² He gave His people to broadswords… His inheritance, He then overlooked.

⁶³ Their young men were burned up in fires, And for their virgins, there weren’t any wedding songs. ⁶⁴ Their Priests all fell by the sword, And no one wept for their widows!

⁶⁵ Then, Yahweh awakened from slumber Like a Mighty One who was dizzy from wine. ⁶⁶ He struck their enemies and made them retreat, Appointing them to scorn throughout the ages.

⁶⁷ But the tent of JoSeph, He rejected, And Ephraim’s tribe, He no longer chose. ⁶⁸ It was Judah’s tribe that He wanted, And Mount Zion would be the place that He loved… ⁶⁹ It’s where His Most Holy Place would be built. So He laid its foundation out on the ground, [As something that would last] throughout the ages.

⁷⁰ Then He chose David, His servant, And took him away from his flocks. ⁷¹ To tend Jacob, He left [his sheep] giving birth… God’s inheritance… IsraEl, His servant. ⁷² David cared for them with an innocent heart, And with skilled hands, he then led them.

Psalm 79

←78 | All books | All chapters | 80→

A Psalm by Asaph.

¹ O God,

To Your inheritance, the nations have come, And defiled Your Temple in JeruSalem, Turning it into a storehouse for fruit!

² The decaying flesh of Your servants Is now food for the birds in the skies… Yes, Your holy ones have become food For the wild beasts of the earth.

³ In [the streets of] JeruSalem, Their blood has been poured out like water, And their bodies have been left unburied. ⁴ So, we’re now the scorn of those living nearby… We’re sneered at and taunted by neighbors.

⁵ O Lord,

How long will You let this go on… Will You forever be angry with us? How long will Your zeal keep burning like fire?

⁶ Please pour out Your rage on the nations instead… On those who don’t know You and who don’t bear Your Name. ⁷ For, they’ve swallowed down Jacob And turned his place into a ruin.

⁸ Please forget our past lawless deeds… Send Your compassions, for we [need Your aid]! ⁹ Help us, O our Savior, God For the sake of Your glorious Name!

Yahweh, for the sake of Your Name, Please save us and cover our sins, ¹⁰ So the nations may never have reason to ask:

‘What has become of your God?’

To the nations before us, make [Your Name] known… Avenge the blood of Your servants! ¹¹ Bring an end to the moans of the shackled… By the might of Your arm, protect them from death!

¹² Repay our neighbors with seven times worse For scorning and speaking badly of You.

¹³ O God,

We are Your people, And we’re the sheep of Your pasture. Then, throughout the ages, we’ll tell about You… And praise You to coming generations!

Psalm 80

←79 | All books | All chapters | 81→

To the [music] director:

[Set to the tune of the song called] For the Changings.

A testimony by Asaph. A Psalm about the Assyrians.

¹ Pay attention, O IsraEl’s Shepherd; May the One who sends cherubs arrive, And to JoSeph’s sheep, serve as our guide! ² Awaken before Ephraim, BenJamin, and ManasSeh, And use Your might for salvation!

³ O God,

Please return to us once again… Show Your face and we’ll be saved! ⁴ O Yahweh, [the Great] God of armies; How long will our prayers make You angry?

⁵ The bread of tears, You’ve fed us… A measure of tears, we’ve been given to drink. ⁶ You’ve brought us war with our neighbors, And allowed our enemies to sneer in disgust. ⁷ O Yahweh, God of armies; Turn Your face towards us and we’ll be saved!

⁸ You removed Your grapevine from Egypt, And in front of us, drove away nations, To provide a place for our planting. ⁹ Before us, You opened the way, Then You sunk our roots deep into the ground. ¹⁰ You gave us mountains to shade us, As well as the branches of cedars.

¹¹ To the sea, we then spread our limbs, And we stretched our roots east towards the river. ¹² So, why have You now torn down our fences, And given our fruit to all that pass by? ¹³ For we’re being destroyed by boars in the woods… You’re allowing pigs to consume us!

¹⁴ O God of armies, turn back… Look down from the heavens and visit this vine! ¹⁵ Tend to those who were planted by Your right hand… For [the sake of Your Name], give strength to these men!

¹⁶ For, we’ve been dug up and burned… By reproach from Your face, we’re being destroyed. ¹⁷ Again, stretch Your hand towards Your people… Towards these sons of men, please stretch out Your hand… To these ones whom You once made mighty.

¹⁸ Don’t allow this separation from You… Return our lives and we’ll call on Your Name. ¹⁹ O Yahweh, God of armies; Turn Your face towards us and we’ll be saved!

Psalm 81

←80 | All books | All chapters | 82→

To the [music] director:

[Set to the tune of the song called] The Wine Vats.

A Psalm by Asaph.

¹ Shout in joy to our helper, God; Yes, call out before Jacob’s Lord. ² Sing and beat on your tambourines… Make beautiful music on harps. ³ Blow trumpets on all the New Moons… On the holy days, blow your horns!

⁴ To IsraEl, He once gave these orders (They were the decisions of Jacob’s God); ⁵ As a witness, He sent them to JoSeph After he had been taken to Egypt, Where he heard a language that he didn’t understand:

⁶ ‘I removed the heavy loads from your backs,

And I freed your hands from serving as slaves

Who had to bear [heavy] loads.

⁷ ‘It was there that you first called upon Me,

And from their oppression, I saved you…

I heard you when you had to hide from their storms,

Then I tested you at the Waters of Dispute.

⁸ ‘So, listen to Me, O my people,

For, I’ll now testify.

Yes, O IsraEl… You should listen and hear Me!

⁹ ‘No new gods may you have,

Nor may you bow before others.

¹⁰ For, I am Yahweh, your God…

The One who led you from Egypt.

So now, widen your mouths and I’ll fill them!

¹¹ ‘But My people just wouldn’t listen…

IsraEl paid no attention!

¹² So I drove them away for the things that they did,

And for the bad they’d conceived in their hearts.

¹³ ‘If only My people had listened…

If IsraEl had followed My ways,

¹⁴ They wouldn’t have been humbled by their enemies…

For, against their oppressors, I’d have stretched out My hand!’

¹⁵ But although God’s enemies lay before Him, The time will arrive in this age, ¹⁶ When you’ll be fed on the fatness of wheat, And out of the rocks, you’ll suck honey!

Psalm 82

←81 | All books | All chapters | 83→

A Psalm by Asaph.

¹ God stands in the gathering of gods, And among them, He’s passing judgment. ² So, how long will You judge their injustice And put up with the presence of sinners?

³ Please defend the orphans and the poor… To the afflicted and oppressed, please bring justice! ⁴ Rescue the weak and the needy… From the hands of sinners, please save them!

⁵ Yet, the [sinners] don’t know, nor do they perceive (Because they travel in darkness), That the earth will be shaken to its foundations.

⁶ ‘I said to them:

‘You are gods…

You are sons of the Most High!

⁷ But, like men, you’ll perish too,

And like their rulers, you’ll fall.’

⁸ ‘So arise, O god, and judge the whole earth,

For, You’ll inherit the nations!’

Psalm 83

←82 | All books | All chapters | 84→

An ode. A Psalm by Asaph.

¹ O God,

To whom can You be compared?

O God,

Don’t remain silent.

² For, {Look!} Your enemies have shouted their battle cries, And those who hate You have now raised their heads.

³ Against Your people, they’ve planned treachery… Yes, against Your holy ones, they’ve gathered. ⁴ They’re saying:

‘Come, let us destroy them,

So they’re no longer a nation…

May IsraEl’s name be forgotten!’

⁵ But it’s against You, that they’ve met and conspired, And now they’ve reached an agreement… ⁶ Those tent-dwellers in Edom… Those of Hagar, ⁷ AmMon, and Gebal… The Amalekites and Philistines, And all the peoples of Tyre.

⁸ Even Assyria has joined them, And to the sons of Lot, they sent aid. ⁹ So, do to them as You did at the Kishon, To SiSera, MidiAn, and JaBin. ¹⁰ For, You destroyed them at EnDor, And made them like manure on the ground.

¹¹ Make their rulers like Oreb and Zeb, And like ZebeE and SalMona, ¹² Who said, ‘We’ll inherit God’s Most Holy Place.’

¹³ Make them like whirlwinds, O God… Like stubble that’s blown in the air… ¹⁴ Like fire that burns down a forest… Like flames that consume on the mountains!

¹⁵ Send storms to chase them away… Send Your rage to disturb them! ¹⁶ Fill their faces with dishonor, So they’ll have to search for Your Name!

¹⁷ O Yahweh,

Make them ashamed… Disturb them throughout ages of ages. Make them all feel ashamed Just before You destroy them! ¹⁸ Let them know that Your Name is Yahweh, And that You alone are God, the Most High!

Psalm 84

←83 | All books | All chapters | 85→

To the [music] director:

[Set to the tune of the song called] The Wine Vats.

By the sons of KorAh.

¹ O Yahweh of armies,

I have proven my love for Your Tent, ² And that I’ve longed for Your courtyards… For, about my living God, my flesh shouts in joy, ³ Since by Him, even sparrows find homes, And doves find nests for their young!

O Yahweh of armies,

[How I’ve longed for] Your Altar; For, You are my King and my God! ⁴ Blest are those who’ve stayed close to You, And those who’ve praised You throughout the ages.

⁵ Blest is the man who trusts in Your aid; For, You’ll send joy to his heart. ⁶ Then, when he must enter the valley of tears, He’ll be in line for great blessings From the One who gave him His Laws. ⁷ For, He will be strong once again Thanks to the God of all gods who is dwelling on Zion.

⁸ O God, Yahweh of armies,

Please hear the things that I’m praying. ⁹ Look upon me, my defender and God… Gaze at the face of [the one] You anointed!

¹⁰ For a day that’s spent in Your courtyard Is better than thousands spent elsewhere. And I’d rather be one who’s rejected In the House of my God, Than to live in tents among sinners.

¹¹ For Yahweh is a lover of truth, And mercy comes from our Lord! Because God cares, He will send glory… To the blameless, He’ll send what’s good.

¹² O Yahweh of armies,

Blest are those who put faith in You!

Psalm 85

←84 | All books | All chapters | 86→

To the [music] director:

For the sons of KorAh.

¹ O Yahweh,

You’ve thought well of Your land, For, You have returned Jacob’s captives… ² You’ve forgiven the lawless deeds of Your sons, And all of their sins, You’ve covered.

³ You’ve brought rest to Your anger, And turned away from Your rage. ⁴ So, become a God of salvation to us… Turn from Your anger and rage!

⁵ Will You always stay angry with us? Will Your rage last through generations?

⁶ O God,

Return to us and make us alive… Let Your people know joy once again!

⁷ O Yahweh,

Please show us Your mercy, And send Your salvation to us!

⁸ O Yahweh,

I’ll listen to all that You say, For, God will speak to His people in peace… He’ll speak to those who are holy And wish to return with their whole hearts. ⁹ For He’s close to all those who fear Him… He saves, so in glory, we’ll camp in His land.

¹⁰ Now, mercy and truth have been joined, And justice and peace have now kissed. ¹¹ Truth has arisen throughout the whole land, And justice peers down from the heavens.

¹² Because Yahweh kindly provides, Fruit will [grow] in our land once again. ¹³ Then from Him, justice will flow, And in His footsteps, we’ll walk.

Psalm 86

←85 | All books | All chapters | 87→

A prayer of David.

¹ O Lord,

Turn Your ear and listen to me; For, I’m poor and in need. ² Watch over my life, because I am pure… Please save Your servant who’s trusting in You!

³ O Yahweh,

Show mercy upon me, And all day long, I’ll call out to You. ⁴ Bring joy to the life of Your servant, For to You, I’ve lifted my soul.

⁵ O Lord,

You are my provider… You’re merciful and You’re patient With all those who call out to You.

⁶ So, give ear to my prayer, O Yahweh, And heed my voice as I beg. ⁷ In the day of distress, I called out to You, And to me, You paid close attention.

⁸ O Yahweh,

You’re unequaled among other gods… No others can do what You do. ⁹ So You’ll make all the nations bow before You, And they’ll glorify Your Name as their Lord. ¹⁰ For You’re great and You perform wonders… You are the only [true] God.

¹¹ Guide me, O Lord, in all of my ways, And I’ll walk in Your truth. Let my heart rejoice, O my God, And I’ll give praise to Your Name.

¹² Jehovah, my God, I’ll praise You… With my whole heart, I’ll glorify You. ¹³ For Your mercies towards me have been great, And from the place of the dead, You’ve rescued my soul.

¹⁴ But the lawless have risen against me, O God… They’ve ignored You and gathered to kill me.

¹⁵ Yet, You’re patient, Yahweh my God… You’ve displayed Your mercy, pity, and truth.

¹⁶ So now, look upon me… Please show mercy! Show Your might on behalf of Your child… Save the son of your slave girl… ¹⁷ Give me a sign that [You’re with] me, And let those who hate me see it in shame… Let them know that it was You who came to my aid, And You’re the One who provided me comfort.

Psalm 87

←86 | All books | All chapters | 88→

To the sons of KorAh; a Psalm of an ode.

¹ Because you stand on His Holy Mountain, ² The gates of Zion are more loved [by Him] Than the rest of the tents within Jacob’s land. ³ So, glorious things have been said about you, O you holy city of God.

⁴ To Babylon and RaHab, I’ll speak, As well as to all those who know me. {Look!} To the Philistines I’ll speak also, As well as to the peoples of Tyre, And to the Ethiopians, I’ll say:

⁵ ‘There are men who call Zion their mother,

For men have been born on her heights.

⁶ This is how it’s described in the writings of men,

Which tell of the kings who were born there.’

⁷ For all of these reasons, you should rejoice… You people who are dwelling upon her!

Psalm 88

←87 | All books | All chapters | 89→

For the [music] director:

An ode. A Psalm by the sons of KorAh to be played on the harp.

The contemplation about HeMan, the IsraElite.

¹ O Yahweh, my Savior and God; During the night, I’m calling to You. ² My prayer is ascending to You; So, hear the things that I’m begging.

³ With all kinds of trouble, my life has been filled, And my life is approaching the grave. ⁴ Among those in the pit, I’ve been numbered… A man with no cure, I’ve become.

⁵ I’m free, like one of the dead… Like one who’s been killed and thrown into a tomb… I’m someone who You’ve forgotten… From Your hands, they took me and threw me away.

⁶ They’ve put me into the lowest of pits… In a place that’s dark like the shadow of death. ⁷ For upon me, Your anger’s remained, And I’ve received all Your rage.

⁸ You’ve driven away all my friends, And made me disgusting to them. From them, I’ve been taken away, And no other place, may I go.

⁹ My eyes are now sore from crying, As I call to You throughout the whole day. To You, I’ve spread out my arms… Towards You, they’re now opened wide.

¹⁰ Can the dead speak to others of Your wonders? Will the dead arise and give praise to You? ¹¹ Will those in tombs tell of Your mercy? And will the destroyed [speak of] Your truth? ¹² Can Your wonders be seen in the darkness? Will Your justice be known in lands that are lost?

¹³ O Lord,

In the morning, I cried out to You, And You knew my prayer before it was said! ¹⁴ So why, O Lord, have You pushed me away? When will You turn Your face towards my soul?

¹⁵ I’ve been poor and troubled since youth… I was humbled and left with nothing at all. ¹⁶ For upon me, You’ve poured out Your rage, And sent frightful things to disturb me.

¹⁷ Like water, they had me encircled all day, And now they have me surrounded. ¹⁸ You’ve driven away all my dearest of friends, And because of my miserable condition, They’re [pretending that] they never knew me.

Psalm 89

←88 | All books | All chapters | 90→

A Psalm of contemplation by Ethan the IsraElite.

¹ Your mercies, O Lord, last throughout ages. So, throughout generations, I’ll sing about them, And my mouth will report of Your truths. ² For, throughout the ages, Your mercies will grow, And Your truths will be lifted high into the skies.

³ [God says:]

‘With My anointed, I’ve made an agreement…

I’ve sworn an oath to David, My servant,

⁴ That I’ll watch over his offspring;

And from one generation after another,

I will establish his throne.’

⁵ So the heavens will praise all your wonders, O Lord, And among the assembly, we’ll speak of Your truths. ⁶ For, who in the clouds can be likened to [him], And which of God’s sons is his equal?

⁷ So you councils of the holy: Glorify God! For He’s great and He should be feared by us all.

⁸ O God of armies,

There’s no other like You, For You’re the Almighty Yahweh, And You’re surrounded by truth.

⁹ Of the strength of the seas, You’re the Master; For You can calm the waves when they rise. ¹⁰ You humble and kill those who have too much pride, And Your mighty arm drives our enemies away.

¹¹ Yours is the heavens and Yours is the earth… You founded man’s home and its fullness. ¹² It’s You who created the north and the west, So, Tabor and Herman are shouting Your Name!

¹³ You dominate all with Your mighty arm; So, strengthen Your hand and raise [Your arm] high. ¹⁴ For, justice and fairness come from Your throne, And from Your face, comes mercy and truth.

¹⁵ Blest are those who are shouting in joy… In the light of Your face, may they travel, O Lord! ¹⁶ May they shout in joy of Your Name every day, For Your justice has lifted them higher.

¹⁷ You’re the power in which they can boast; So may they trumpet in praise of Your goodness! ¹⁸ For, Yahweh God is our helper… The Holy One of IsraEl is our King!

¹⁹ In a vision, You spoke of Your son and You said:

‘I’m sending them help through this great one I’ve raised…

This one whom I’ve chosen from My people.

²⁰ ‘For, I found David, My servant,

And with My holy oil, I anointed his head.

²¹ So, with My right hand, I’ll help him,

And with My right arm, I’ll make him strong.

²² ‘His enemies will take nothing from him,

And the lawless will do him no harm.

²³ Before him, I’ll cut his enemies down,

And I’ll chase away all those who hate him.

²⁴ My truth and My mercy are with him,

And his battle horn will be raised in My Name.

²⁵ ‘I’ll set his [left] hand over the sea

And his right hand over the river.

²⁶ Then he’ll call out to Me and he’ll say:

‘Father, You are my God…

Yes, You’re my Savior and shield.’

²⁷ ‘I’ll appoint him to be my firstborn,

And put him over the kings of the earth.

²⁸ In mercy, I’ll guard him throughout the age,

And he can trust in the things that I’ve promised.

²⁹ ‘I’ll establish his offspring throughout the ages,

And his throne, as the days of the skies.

³⁰ But, if his sons should abandon My Laws

And choose not to walk in My ways…

³¹ If My rules, they choose to profane,

And My Commandments, they no longer keep…

³² For their lawless ways, I’ll send them My switch,

And whip them for all of their sins.

³³ ‘But in mercy, I’ll not wipe them away,

Nor in any way, will I wrong My truth.

³⁴ To My agreements, I’ll always be true,

And I won’t annul the things that I’ve said.

³⁵ So, after I’ve sworn My oath to him,

Could My holiness lie before David?

³⁶ ‘So, his offspring will last throughout the ages…

His throne will stand for as long as the sun,

³⁷ And it’ll endure like the moon…

These things I’ve prepared throughout the ages

As My trustworthy witness above in the skies.’

³⁸ So, why have You thrust him away in contempt, And against Your anointed, lifted [Your hand]? ³⁹ Have You wiped away the promise You made, And defiled his safe havens throughout the land?

⁴⁰ You’ve removed the barriers around him, And turned his forts into places of fear. ⁴¹ Those walking the roads have taken what’s his, And he’s become the scorn of his neighbors.

⁴² You’ve raised the hands of those who oppress him, And given his enemies joy. ⁴³ You’ve turned Your help from his broadsword, And refused to assist him in war.

⁴⁴ You’ve stopped making him clean, And You’ve ripped his throne to the ground. ⁴⁵ You’ve shortened the days of his reign, And upon him, You’ve poured shame.

⁴⁶ How long, O Yahweh, will You turn away? How long will Your rage keep on burning? ⁴⁷ Please notice these problems that I’m facing!

In folly, You made sons of men; ⁴⁸ For, which living man will never see death? Can he save his own soul from the grave?

⁴⁹ So, where is Your mercy, O ancient Lord? When You swore to David, were You telling the truth? ⁵⁰ Notice the scorn that Your servant’s received… The scorn that the nations have sent to my belly… ⁵¹ At Your anointed, Your enemies are laughing!

⁵² Amen… Throughout the age, may Yahweh be Praised!

Psalm 90

←89 | All books | All chapters | 91→

A prayer of Moses, the man of God.

¹ O Yahweh, You’ve been our refuge From one generation to another. ² Before the mountains existed, And the earth (the dwelling of man) took its shape… Throughout ages of ages, You’ve been there.

³ So, please don’t humble Your people. For You said:

‘Return to Me, sons of men!’

⁴ Why, a thousand years in Your eyes, O Yahweh, Are like yesterday, after they’ve passed… They’re like a watch in the night. ⁵ But the years [of men] are looked on in scorn, For like sprouting plants, we just pass away… ⁶ In the morning, we blossom and sprout, And in the evening, we dry up and fall.

⁷ Now, we’ve failed in the face of Your anger, And we’ve been disturbed by Your rage. ⁸ For the Laws that we’ve broken are all there before You… They stand in the light of Your face.

⁹ Yes, all of our days have been failures, And we’ve even failed when it comes to Your rage. Our years are as brief as the time that it takes For a spider to think [of catching its prey].

¹⁰ Our days may last for 70 years, Or if You command, until 80. But they’re mostly spent in misery and toil, ‘Til we mellow and accept [Your] correction.

¹¹ Who knows the power of Your rage? And because of the fear of Your anger, How can we number our days?

¹² So, please expose Your right hand to me, And send Your wisdom into my heart, That I may receive Your correction.

¹³ How long will it be, O Yahweh, Until You turn back to us? Please send comfort to Your servants!

¹⁴ For, in the morning, O Lord, We were filled with Your mercy… We shouted in joy and were happy each day. ¹⁵ We were grateful for even the days we were humbled, After many years of seeing the bad.

¹⁶ So please, look on Your servants (Your works), And to our sons, send Your guidance. ¹⁷ Send us Your light, O Yahweh our God, And bless all things that we do with our hands… Yes, please bless the works of our hands!

Psalm 91

←90 | All books | All chapters | 92→

A Psalm of Praise by David.

¹ Those who live in the care of the Most High And lodge under the God of heaven’s protection ² Will say:

‘You’re my refuge and shield…

You’re my God, and You’re the One whom I trust.’

³ From the snares of hunters, He’ll save you… He’ll rescue you from all your problems. ⁴ With the shadow of His back, He will shield you, And under His wings, He will hide you, Where you’ll be surrounded by truth.

⁵ You won’t be afraid of things in the night; Of arrows that fly during the day; ⁶ Of things that happen, which you haven’t planned; Of things that travel in darkness; Or of the demon at noon.

⁷ A thousand will fall at your right, And ten thousand, you’ll hold in your hand. ⁸ You’ll see it all with your eyes and then think:

‘This is the outcome for sinners.’

⁹ O Yahweh, You’re the One whom I trust.

If you’ll make the Most High your refuge, ¹⁰ Nothing bad will approach you And the whip won’t enter your tent. ¹¹ For, to His messengers, He will give orders… He’ll tell them to keep an eye on your ways, ¹² So then, with their hands, they’ll lift you, And no stone will stumble your feet. ¹³ You can step on an asp or a cobra, And trample on lions or dragons.

¹⁴ [And God says:]

‘Because he trusts Me, I’ll save him…

I’ll be his shelter, for he knows My Name.

¹⁵ He will cry out to Me and I’ll listen,

And during hard times, I’ll be there.

‘I’ll rescue and glorify him…

¹⁶ I’ll extend the days of his life,

And show him the many ways that I can save.’

Psalm 92

←91 | All books | All chapters | 93→

A Psalm for the Sabbath Day.

¹ It’s good to praise You, O Most High Yahweh, And to strum to Your Name… ² To [sing] of Your mercies each morning And about Your truths every night, ³ As [I strum] on my lute of 10-strings… Playing songs of You on my harp.

⁴ O Yahweh,

You bring me much joy With all the things that You do. So I’ll shout in praise of the works of Your hands.

⁵ How great are Your deeds, O Yahweh, And how deep are the things that You think!

⁶ A foolish man won’t understand, And such things, the senseless can’t comprehend; ⁷ Although sinners keep arising like grass, And the lawless keep on increasing; Throughout ages of ages, they’ll be destroyed.

⁸ Throughout the ages, You’ve been the Most High! ⁹ So, when you notice Your enemies, Lord, {Look!} You’ll scatter them and they’ll perish… All those who work at doing what’s bad.

¹⁰ Like a great rhinoceros, I’ll raise my horn high, And until I’m old, offer You plenty of oil.

¹¹ Although my eyes must look on my enemies (Those who are rising against me), And although my ears must still hear of the wicked; ¹² Soon the righteous will blossom like palms, And grow like Lebanon’s cedars… ¹³ Those who are planted in the House of the Lord, And those in God’s courtyard, will bloom. ¹⁴ There, they’ll grow old and have plenty, And take much pleasure in proclaiming:

¹⁵ ‘Our God, Yahweh, is righteous,

And in Him, there’s no injustice.’

Psalm 93

←92 | All books | All chapters | 94→

For the Sabbath Day, after being resettled in the land. A song of praise by David.

¹ Jehovah reigns and brings beauty… He’s wrapped Himself in great power… Man’s home, He’s made steady and firm… ² And your throne, He’s prepared throughout the ages.

³ O Yahweh,

The rivers have risen, And the waters have lifted their voices. ⁴ But the rivers will be taken away… By the sounds of many waters, You’ll wear them away.

How wonderful are the tides of the sea, As well as all the high places.

⁵ [And God says:]

‘The witness that you’ve given can be trusted;

So to your House, will come what’s clean,

Throughout the rest of your days.’

Psalm 94

←93 | All books | All chapters | 95→

A Psalm of David for the 4th Sabbath.

¹ Jehovah is a God who seeks vengeance, And this God who seeks vengeance has spoken. ² So arise, O Judge of the earth, And pay the haughty all that they’re due!

³ O Yahweh,

How much longer will the sinners remain? How much longer will the sinners have reason to boast? ⁴ For, when they speak, they do so unjustly, And they boast when they’re breaking [Your] Laws!

⁵ O Yahweh,

They’re mistreating Your people… To Your inheritance, they’re doing what’s bad. ⁶ They’re killing the orphans and widows, And murder the foreigners who come here.

⁷ They’ve said:

‘Yahweh can’t see…

Jacob’s God doesn’t know [what we’re doing].’

⁸ Look, you fools among [men]… You should think it over, then stop! ⁹ Is the [maker] of ears unable to hear… Is the shaper of eyes unable to see?

¹⁰ Won’t the One who corrects all the nations And teaches knowledge to men, Also bring correction to you? ¹¹ Jehovah knows what wise men think, [and their thoughts] are useless.

¹² O blest is the man who’s corrected by You… So please, Lord; teach him Your Laws. ¹³ Back him away from his evil days, And then, he’ll dig graves for the sinners. ¹⁴ For, Yahweh won’t push His people away… His inheritance, He will never abandon.

¹⁵ How long until righteous judgments return… Until those with straight hearts receive what’s fair? ¹⁶ Who will oppose the wicked with me… Who’ll stand and oppose the law breakers? ¹⁷ For, if it weren’t for the help of Yahweh, My soul would have gone to the place of the dead.

¹⁸ Did I ask for my feet to start shaking? O Yahweh, show mercy and help me! ¹⁹ Despite all the grief in my heart; To my soul, You’ve brought comfort and love.

²⁰ Will the thrones of the lawless continue before You… Those turning order into chaos? ²¹ Will You let them keep hunting for the souls of the righteous, And keep on shedding innocent blood?

²² Jehovah has become a refuge to me… My God is my helper and hope. ²³ He will give the lawless what they deserve, And remove them from view for their badness.

Psalm 95

←94 | All books | All chapters | 96→

A song of praise by David.

¹ Come and shout praise to Yahweh… About God, our Savior, we’ll yell! ² We should stand in His presence and praise Him… To Him we should sing sacred hymns! ³ For God, Yahweh, is great… He’s the King of the whole earth!

⁴ In His hands, He holds the ends of the earth As well as the tops of the mountains. ⁵ His are the seas, for He made them, And with His hands, He shaped the dry land.

⁶ So, let us all bow down before Him… Let’s weep before Him, since He made us. ⁷ We’re the sheep of His pasture and He is our God… We’re the sheep that He holds in His hands.

⁸ Therefore, if you should hear His voice on this day, Don’t harden your hearts… Don’t be bitter like they were in that day When they put Him to the test in the desert.

⁹ [For God says:]

‘I was tested and tried by your fathers,

Although they’d already seen the things that I’d done.

¹⁰ So I came to loathe that generation,

And they wandered for the next 40 years.

‘In their hearts, they knew not My ways,

¹¹ So I swore this oath in My rage:

‘They will not enter My rest.’

Psalm 96

←95 | All books | All chapters | 97→

¹ Sing a new song to Yahweh! Sing to the Lord of the earth! ² Yes, you should sing to Yahweh, And shout in praise of His Name!

Proclaim the good news every day… The good news about how He saves. ³ Speak of His glory to the gentiles… Tell others about all His wonders!

⁴ Jehovah is great and worthy of praise… He’s more to be feared than all other gods! ⁵ For the gods of the nations are demons, But Yahweh created the heavens.

⁶ Before Him are beauty and praiseworthy things… Clean and majestic is His Holy Place.

⁷ O you families from all of the nations; You should offer [gifts] to Yahweh… To the Lord, give glory and honor, ⁸ And speak in praise about His great Name!

Bring offerings to His holy courtyard, And before the Lord, you should bow; ⁹ For, in front of His face, the earth trembles!

¹⁰ Say to the nations:

‘Yahweh is King…

He’s the One who established man’s home

So that it’ll never be shaken,

And He will judge the peoples in justice!’

¹¹ Be glad you heavens, and earth, shout in joy… May the seas and what’s in them be shaken! ¹² Rejoice, O you fields and you crops; And you trees in the forests should cry out in joy ¹³ Before the face of Yahweh.

For He’s coming to judge the whole earth, And bring justice to man’s habitation… All the people will be judged by His truth!

Psalm 97

←96 | All books | All chapters | 98→

A Psalm of David for when his [kingdom] was established.

¹ Shout in joy, O earth, because the Lord reigns! Let all of the islands be happy! ² For, although He’s surrounded by darkness and clouds, On justice and judgments, He’s founded His throne, ³ And flames shoot out from before Him To consume His enemies in fire.

⁴ The lightning that He sent was seen by [all men]. They saw it, and it shook the whole earth. ⁵ Like bee’s wax, the mountains have melted before Him… Before the face of the Lord of the earth.

⁶ The heavens speak of His justice, And His glory is seen by all peoples. ⁷ So those bowing to carvings are shamed, As are those who boast of their idols. For, before Him, the angels bow to their feet!

⁸ Zion is happy and Judah’s daughters are shouting in joy Over Your judgments, O Lord. ⁹ For, You’re the Most High of the whole earth… You’re higher than all other gods!

¹⁰ All those who are loving Yahweh Must [learn] to hate what’s bad! For Yahweh guards the lives of the holy, And from the hands of sinners, protects them.

¹¹ Upon the righteous, light is shining, And those with straight hearts will have reasons for joy. ¹² So you righteous: take joy in Yahweh! Remember and praise all His ways!

Psalm 98

←97 | All books | All chapters | 99→

A Psalm of David.

¹ Sing a new song to Yahweh About the wonderful things He’s done. For He brings salvation with His holy right arm.

² Jehovah is known to the nations [As a God] who can save and bring justice. ³ For, He remembered His mercy to Jacob, And to the house of IsraEl, He sent His truth. Yes, to the ends of the earth, they’ve seen how He saves, And they know that our God can deliver!

⁴ So, shout to [Yahweh], all you on the earth! Yes, sing… Cry out and strum! ⁵ Play to Yahweh with harps, And along with the strumming, sing psalms! ⁶ With brass trumpets and the blowing of horns, Shout to Yahweh, our King!

⁷ Roar, O seas, and all that’s in them… Man’s home and all those who live there! ⁸ Clap your hands, O you rivers, And mountains, cry out in joy at His face!

⁹ For He’s coming to judge the whole earth… In fairness and justice, He will judge Man’s home and all of its peoples.

Psalm 99

←98 | All books | All chapters | 100→

A Psalm of David.

¹ Because Yahweh now reigns, Many people will be very angry. For the One who’s sitting on cherubs Is coming to shake up the earth.

² Great is Yahweh on Zion, For, He’s above all the peoples. ³ So, may they all give praise to His Name, Because He’s holy and fearsome.

⁴ Our Mighty King is a lover of justice; So, He’s prepared righteous judgments… Yes, He will bring justice to Jacob.

⁵ May our God Yahweh be raised… He’s holy, so all should bow at His feet!

⁶ Among His Priests, numbered Moses and Aaron, And SamuEl is someone who called on His Name. They called to the Lord and He heard them, ⁷ Then He spoke to them from a column of clouds. For, they had guarded His words And they obeyed the orders He gave them.

⁸ Yes, O Yahweh, You heard them! O God, You became their provider, And You punished them for the bad things they did.

⁹ So our God Yahweh should be raised high, And to His holy Mountain, all should bow low; For Yahweh is the most holy God.

Psalm 100

←99 | All books | All chapters | 101→

A Psalm of praise by David.

¹ Shout to God, all the earth… ² Yes, serve Yahweh in joy! Go before Him with happy shouts, ³ And know that Yahweh is God!

For, we didn’t do it… He made us! We’re His people… The sheep of His pasture. ⁴ So, go to His gates shouting praises, And enter His courtyard with hymns.

Go praising His Name and confessing; ⁵ For, throughout the ages, He’s proven His mercy… Throughout generations, He’s proven His truth.

Psalm 101

←100 | All books | All chapters | 102→

A Psalm of David.

¹ O Yahweh, I’ll sing of Your mercy and justice… ² Of Your perfect ways, I’ll strum. How long will it be until You return? For in my home, there are innocent hearts.

³ I’ve not set my eyes on things that are bad, And illegal things, I’ve hated. ⁴ Towards things that are crooked, my heart has not turned, And evil men, I’ve rejected.

⁵ Those who privately speak ill of friends, I have driven away, And I’ll not eat beside eyes that are proud, Nor with those who have hungry hearts.

⁶ My eyes are on the trustworthy… They’re the ones with whom I’ll sit… Those who’ve chosen to walk in pure ways, And those who’ve shared in my rule.

⁷ For, no one with pride can stay in my house, And before my eyes, the unrighteous can’t stand. ⁸ In the morning, I’ll destroy the land’s sinners, Along with the lawless who live in the towns.

Psalm 102

←101 | All books | All chapters | 103→

A prayer for the poor when they’re discouraged and come before Yahweh to pour out their hearts.

¹ Please hear my prayer, O Yahweh… Please listen to my cries when I come before You. ² Don’t turn Your face when I need You, But incline Your ear closer to me… Whenever I call, please respond!

³ For my days have passed by like smoke, And my bones are parched like dry twigs. ⁴ Like grass, I’ve been mowed down, So my heart forgets to eat bread.

⁵ My bones stick out from my flesh, And they’re [tired] of the sounds of my groaning. ⁶ Like a pelican, I [travel] alone… I’ve become like the owl in its range.

⁷ Sleepless, [I lie throughout the whole night], And I live like a sparrow alone on the roof. ⁸ All day, my enemies berate me, And those who once praised me now swear oaths against me.

⁹ Ashes, I’ve eaten for bread, And my drink has become my own tears. ¹⁰ For, with the anger and rage of Your face, You lifted me up and then broken me down.

¹¹ Like shadows, my days have declined, And I’ve dried up like hay. ¹² But You, O Lord, live throughout ages… From generation to generation, You’re remembered.

¹³ So arise and feel pity for Zion, Since the time for its pity is due. ¹⁴ To Your servants, her stones are all very dear, And over her dust, they feel sorrow.

¹⁵ O Lord,

Among all the nations, Your Name is revered, And all kings of the earth speak of Your glory. ¹⁶ For Yahweh will rebuild Zion once more, And there, He will appear in His glory.

¹⁷ He [hears] the prayers of the humble, And He has no contempt for the things they request. ¹⁸ So, let this be written for each generation, Then those born anew will all praise the Lord.

¹⁹ Jehovah looks down from His home in the heights… He sees the earth from the heavens. ²⁰ From there, He hears the moans of the shackled, And He releases the sons of the condemned.

²¹ In Zion, announce the Name of the Lord, And shout His praises in JeruSalem! ²² For, all the peoples, as well as their kings, Will soon be serving Yahweh.

²³ Then, in His mighty way, He will speak And tell me how few of my days yet remain. ²⁴ But, please don’t [give me] just half of my days; For Your years are throughout generations.

[Editor note: Verses 25 to 27 are applied to Yeshua at Hebrews 1:10-12, so for the remainder of this Psalm, we haven’t capitalized the words ‘you,’ ‘him,’ and ‘your,’ which is normally done for God Almighty. Greek and Hebrew didn’t have capital letters back then.

²⁵ In the beginning, Lord, you founded the earth, And the heavens are the works of your hands. ²⁶ Yet, they’ll pass by, while you still remain, And like clothes (an old robe), they’ll grow old.

Then you’ll wrap them up and they will be changed. ²⁷ But, you’re the same, for your years don’t expire. ²⁸ So the sons of your servants will live in [your] camp, And throughout ages, their offspring will remain.

Psalm 103

←102 | All books | All chapters | 104→

A Psalm of David.

¹ I’ll praise Yahweh with my whole soul… Yes I’ll praise Him with all that’s in me, And I’ll give praise to His Holy Name!

² Praise Yahweh, my soul, And don’t forget how He’s blest us. ³ For He’s covered our sins and law breaking, And He’s cured us from all of our ills… ⁴ He’s ransomed us from life’s corruptions, And then He crowned us with mercy.

⁵ With good things, He fulfills our desires, And like mighty eagles, He gives back our youth. ⁶ For Yahweh freely provides, And sends justice to those who’ve been wronged.

⁷ To Moses, His ways were revealed, And to IsraEl’s sons, He showed His desires.

⁸ Jehovah feels pity and mercy… He’s forgiving and filled with compassion. ⁹ To the end, you won’t make Him angry, Nor throughout the ages, will He cherish wrath.

¹⁰ He hasn’t repaid us for our lawlessness deeds, Nor has He kept count of our sins.

¹¹ As high as the heavens are over the earth Is His mercy towards all those who fear Him. ¹² And as the distance between east and west, Has He set us from the laws that we’ve broken.

¹³ As a father shows mercy upon his own sons, Is how He feels mercy for all those who fear Him. ¹⁴ For, He remembers how we were once formed, And He doesn’t forget that we’re just dust.

¹⁵ For, the days of a man are like grass, Or like the blossoms of flowers in a field. ¹⁶ So, when the wind blows, he passes away, And his place is thereafter forgotten.

¹⁷ God shows ages of mercy to all those who fear Him, And gives justice to the sons of their sons… ¹⁸ On all those who guard His Sacred Agreement, And on those who obey His Commandments.

¹⁹ Jehovah has prepared His throne in the skies, And in His Kingdom, He’s the Master of all. ²⁰ So, praise Yahweh, you angels; For He shows His might and His strength To those who pay attention to His words.

²¹ Yes, praise Yahweh, His armies… All His servants who are doing His Will. ²² Praise Yahweh, all of His works, Every place within in His dominion. Yes, praise Yahweh, my soul!

Psalm 104

←103 | All books | All chapters | 105→

A Psalm of David

¹ O my soul; give praise to the Lord… Give praise to Yahweh, my God!

You’ve made Yourself great and praiseworthy, And clothed Yourself in much beauty. ² You wrap Yourself up in light like a robe, And You stretch out the heavens like leather.

³ With water, You’ve filled its ‘roof’ and ‘upper rooms,’ And as Your ‘chariot,’ You created the clouds, Which You ride on the wings of a breeze. ⁴ Your angels, You’ve made like the winds, And Your servants are like flames of fire.

⁵ You’ve laid and made firm the foundations of the earth, So throughout ages of ages, it won’t fail.

⁶ The depths [of the seas] are Your wrap, And on the mountains, You’ve piled water. ⁷ But, at Your reproach, they’ll all pass away… They’ll quake at the sound of Your thunder.

⁸ Then the waters will pour down the mountains, And descend from there to the plains… To wherever You tell them to go.

⁹ You’ve set limits that [the seas] may not pass, So they can’t cover the land. ¹⁰ You send rain as springs into valleys, So that, from the mountains, rivers will flow.

¹¹ To wild beasts in the fields, You send water, Which wild burros use to satisfy thirst… ¹² As do the winged creatures that live in the skies, Which build their nests between rocks, Where they can sound out their cries.

¹³ You send water to the mountains from Your upper rooms To fill the lands with the fruits of Your works… ¹⁴ And to make grasses grow for the cattle to eat, As well as all the young sprouts, Which bring us food from the ground.

¹⁵ [You give] wine to men to make their hearts glad, And olive oil, as a blessing to their faces… Then, for their hearts, You provide them with bread.

¹⁶ The plains, You’ve filled up with [trees], And the cedars of Lebanon were Your planting. ¹⁷ It’s there that the sparrows build nests, Until herons take over their dwellings.

¹⁸ [You created] high mountains for wild goats to roam… You made rocks as the refuge for badgers. ¹⁹ You made the moon to show us the seasons, As well as the sun, which knows when to set.

²⁰ You made the darkness of night, Where beasts in the woods roam about… ²¹ It’s when lion cubs roar and attack, Seeking by God, to find food.

²² But, when the sun rises, they gather And return to their dens to lie down. ²³ That’s when men arise and then go to work, Continuing their toil until dusk.

²⁴ So, how great are Your works, O Yahweh; You created it all in Your wisdom… You’ve filled the earth with the things that You’ve made.

²⁵ You made the vast lands and great seas, Where animals that slither may dwell. There’s no way to count all Your creatures… All the great and the small.

²⁶ For, boats pass over [other] wild beasts, Which You created in fun. ²⁷ Yet, they all expect to be nourished by You, And to receive it at the right time.

²⁸ So, You’re the One [whom they trust] to provide… You open Your hand and they’re filled with what’s good. ²⁹ But if You turn away, it upsets them; And if you should hold back their breath, They’d die and go back to the dust.

³⁰ Then, with Your Breath, You’ll create them again, When You renew the face of the earth. ³¹ So, may God’s glory last throughout the ages, And may He find joy in the things that He’s made.

³² He just looks at the earth and it trembles… He touches the mountains and they start to smoke. ³³ So, with my whole soul, I’ll sing to the Lord… For as long as I live, I’ll strum to my God.

³⁴ May He find my verses delightful… May they make Yahweh’s heart glad. ³⁵ May all the sinners expire from the earth, And may all the lawless no longer exist!

Yes, praise Yahweh, my soul!

Psalm 105

←104 | All books | All chapters | 106→

¹ Praise Yahweh… Yes, call on His Name… Tell all the nations of the things He’s done! ² Sing to Him and strum well… Try to describe all His wonders, ³ Then applaud His most holy Name… May the hearts of those who seek Him find joy!

⁴ Yes, seek Yahweh and you’ll grow strong… Always search for His face. ⁵ Don’t forget the wonders He’s brought… The miracles and judgments that come from His mouth.

⁶ You offspring of AbraHam… His servants; You sons of Jacob… His chosen; ⁷ He is Yahweh our God Whose decisions are [seen] throughout the whole earth.

⁸ He remembers His age-long Agreement… His promise throughout a thousand generations… ⁹ The Agreement that He made with AbraHam, And the oath that He gave to IsaAc.

¹⁰ With Jacob, He set out the rules That IsraEl [was to follow] throughout the ages. ¹¹ Then He said:

‘To you, I’ll give CanaAn’s land…

Your inheritance is a measured allotment of ground.’

¹² [Yet, back then], their numbers were few (Not many were visiting [the land]), ¹³ And they traveled from nation to nation… From one kingdom on to another.

¹⁴ But, He allowed no one to harm them… He sent warnings to their kings, in which He said:

¹⁵ ‘Don’t touch My anointed,

And don’t do any harm to My Prophets.’

¹⁶ Then, to their lands, He sent famine, So they could not trust in their bread. ¹⁷ And a man named JoSeph, He sent them… A slave who’d been purchased [with money].

¹⁸ He’d been humbled with shackles on his feet, And his soul had been pierced through by iron. ¹⁹ But, after the Word had arrived, Signs from the Lord purified him.

²⁰ For the king sent word to release him… By a ruler of the peoples, he was set free. ²¹ Then this man made him master over his house, And put him in charge of all his domain.

²² So [JoSeph] appointed rulers, as he saw fit, And for wisdom, he looked to the elders.

²³ Then IsraEl traveled to Egypt… Ham’s land was visited by Jacob. ²⁴ And there, his people grew greater… Mightier than their enemies, [God] made them.

²⁵ Then [God] brought a change to [Egyptian] hearts, So they’d start hating His people, And with His servants, deal badly.

²⁶ So, He sent His servants, Aaron and Moses (Those whom He’d chosen to serve Him), ²⁷ And through them, He sent the [Egyptians] His signs… To the land of Ham, He sent miracles.

²⁸ [God] sent darkness and it became dark, But against His words, [PharaOh] chose to rebel. ²⁹ Into blood, He then changed their water, And He killed off all of their fish.

³⁰ Then frogs crawled onto their land, And into the closets of kings. ³¹ He spoke, and stable flies came, Which was followed by fleas, to their borders.

³² Into hail and fire, He then turned their rain, Which burned throughout the whole land. ³³ Thereafter, He struck their grapevines and figs… He broke every tree in their country.

³⁴ He spoke, then locusts and grasshoppers came… So many that they couldn’t be counted, ³⁵ Which devoured all their grasses and fruit.

³⁶ Thereafter, He struck down their firstborn… The first-fruits of all they’d accomplished. ³⁷ And with silver and gold, He then led us away, So our tribes were no longer poor.

³⁸ The Egyptians were happy just to see us go, For with fear, they’d been overcome. ³⁹ Then He spread out a cloud to protect us, And sent fire as our light throughout the night.

⁴⁰ We asked Him for [meat], so He sent us quail, And with bread from the sky, we were filled. ⁴¹ He tore open the rock and water poured out; So a river then flowed through the desert.

⁴² For, He hadn’t forgotten His Holy Word… What He’d promised to AbraHam, His servant. ⁴³ So He led out His people shouting in joy… His chosen, thereafter left happy!

⁴⁴ Then He gave us the lands of great nations… We inherited things for which others had worked. ⁴⁵ So, we should now guard His decisions, And always search for His Laws.

Psalm 106

←105 | All books | All chapters | 107→

Praise Yah!

¹ Praise Yahweh, because He provides, And His mercies endure throughout the ages.

² Who’ll tell of His mighty deeds, And speak out loud in His praise?

³ Blest are those who are honest, And do what’s righteous each season.

⁴ O Yahweh, please don’t forget us… Remember the kindness that You’ve shown Your people… Please come visit and save us!

⁵ Your elected find joy in seeing the good, And Your people should loudly applaud The inheritance that You assigned them by lots.

⁶ But, we and our fathers have sinned… We’ve broken [Your] Laws and done wrong! ⁷ Why, even our fathers in Egypt, Didn’t understand all Your wonders, Nor did they remember Your mercies.

For, they’d even rebelled, While going down through the Red Sea. ⁸ Yet, You saved them because of Your Name, And You let them see all Your powers.

⁹ You scolded the Sea and it dried, Then You guided them through that abyss, [And led them up] into the desert.

¹⁰ From those who disliked them, You saved them… You ransomed them from their enemy’s hands. ¹¹ Then You covered their oppressors with water, Leaving not a single survivor.

¹² When they trusted Your Word, they were blest… ¹³ But, they quickly forgot the things that You did, And they failed to await Your instructions. ¹⁴ For, they wanted the things they desired, And they put You to the test in the desert.

¹⁵ Then You gave them the things they’d asked for, And You sent them enough to satisfy them. ¹⁶ But then, they provoked Moses to rage, As well as Your holy one, Aaron.

¹⁷ So You opened the ground, and it swallowed Dathan! Then it covered all of AbiRom’s group, ¹⁸ As a fire blazed in the midst of the camp, Where its flames consumed all the sinners.

¹⁹ Then, in that dry place, they made a [gold] calf, And they bowed to the thing that was carved. ²⁰ They changed [Your] Glory to a calf that eats grass, ²¹ Forgetting the God who had saved them… The One who did those great things in Egypt ²² (The wonders [that He’d sent] to Ham’s land), And His awesome deeds at the Red Sea.

²³ So He spoke and said He’d destroy them; But, Moses (His chosen) just stood there Among those whom God wished to destroy. [Then Moses] approached and turned back His rage, So He chose not to wipe them away.

²⁴ But then, they looked with contempt On that glorious land, And in the things that He’d promised, they didn’t have faith. ²⁵ So they stood in their tents and they grumbled, Refusing to hear the voice of the Lord.

²⁶ Thus against them, He then raised His hand, To cut them down in the desert… ²⁷ To scatter their offspring to the nations, And to spread them among many lands.

²⁸ For, they also bowed to BaAl Peor, And sacrifices to the dead, they consumed. ²⁹ They did all that they could to provoke Him, And to bring more blows on themselves.

³⁰ Yet, PhineHas stood and offered atonement, And held back [God’s plans to] destroy them. ³¹ As a result, he was thought of as righteous, Throughout all generations and ages.

³² Then they made Him angry once more, There at the Waters of Dispute, Where a bad thing happened to Moses. ³³ For they made his spirit grow bitter, And then he drew open his lips.

³⁴ Thereafter, they failed to destroy all the nations, As Yahweh had told them to do… ³⁵ They mixed with the gentiles and learned of their ways, ³⁶ Bowing to their idols, to offend Him, ³⁷ And offering their sons and daughters to demons!

³⁸ They poured out innocent blood… The blood of their own sons and daughters! To the carvings of CanaAn, they sacrificed them, And polluted the land with murder and blood.

³⁹ [So the land] was defiled by the things they did, And they became practicing whores. ⁴⁰ So with His people, Yahweh was angry… His inheritance, He started to hate.

⁴¹ Then He gave them into their enemies’ hands… Those who hated and ruled over them. ⁴² He allowed their enemies to oppress them, And humble them under their hands.

⁴³ Although He came back to save them time and again, They kept on making Him angry, And all they did was talk back. So, they were humbled for the bad things they did.

⁴⁴ Yet, when He saw how they were oppressed, He listened to the things that they begged. ⁴⁵ He remembered His Sacred Agreement, And mercifully turned to them once again… ⁴⁶ Before those who had captured them, He showed them deep compassion.

⁴⁷ So, Yahweh our God, please save us, And gather us back from the nations, So we may praise Your most Holy Name, And boast about You once again!

⁴⁸ O praise Yahweh throughout ages of ages! To this, all should shout:

‘May it be!’

Psalm 107

←106 | All books | All chapters | 108→

Praise Yah!

¹ Praise Yahweh, because He provides… His mercies endure throughout the ages.

² About Yahweh, this has been said By those whom He saved from their enemies’ hands… ³ From the places from which He’d gathered them back… From the north, south, east, and the sea.

⁴ They wandered in the desert without water, And no town could they find as their home… ⁵ So their lives were failing from hunger and thirst.

⁶ Then in great distress, they called to the Lord, And He rescued them from this condition. ⁷ He guided them in a straight path To a city that they could call home.

⁸ So, may they give praise to Yahweh, For all the mercies [He’s shown], And the wonders that He brings to sons of men.

⁹ He sends fulfillment to empty lives, And He fills the hungry with good things… ¹⁰ Those who sit in the shadow of death, And the poor who are shackled in irons.

¹¹ But, against God’s Word, they rebelled, And counsel from above, they rejected. ¹² So their hearts were humbled and troubled… They were weakened and no one came to their aid!

¹³ Then, in their affliction, they called to the Lord, And He saved them from their distress. ¹⁴ Thereafter, He tore off their shackles, And led them from the shadow of death.

¹⁵ So, let them praise [God] for His mercy, And the wonders that He brings to sons of men. ¹⁶ For He broke down all those brass gates, And He smashed their iron bars into pieces.

¹⁷ Due to their lawless ways, He kept humbling them to drive out their pride ¹⁸ Until they no longer could eat their own food, And they were approaching death’s gates.

¹⁹ Then, in their distress, they called to the Lord, And He saved them from their condition… ²⁰ He sent them His word and it healed them, And saved them from their corruption.

²¹ So, may they praise [God] for His mercy, And the wonders that He sends to sons of men. ²² Sacrifices of praise, they should offer, And then shout in joy for the things He’s done!

²³ The men who go down to the sea in their boats And those who work across many waters, ²⁴ Have all beheld the works of Yahweh, And they’ve seen the wonders that He brings to the depths.

²⁵ For He spoke and established the winds and the gales, Which arise and create the tall waves ²⁶ That lift them high into the sky; Then, to the abyss, they descend… And this melts away the bad in their lives.

²⁷ For, this upsets them and shakes them, Then they swallow their wisdom like drunks. ²⁸ When they’re in danger, they cry to the Lord, And from their distress, He then leads them.

²⁹ For, He sends His orders to the gales, Which become just a breeze to quiet the waves. ³⁰ Then they’re all joyful after it’s still, And He guides them towards the harbors they seek.

³¹ So, let them praise [God] for His mercy, And the wonders that He shows to sons of men. ³² Before gatherings of peoples, they should praise Him, And before the seats of their elders.

³³ Although He created a river in the desert, And to a thirsty land, brought water; ³⁴ The land still bore fruit that was bad, Because of the evil of those living there.

³⁵ But He turned a desert into water-filled lakes, And into dry ground, [He put] springs, ³⁶ Where He thereafter settled the hungry, And led them to cities in which they’d live.

³⁷ There they planted vineyards and fields, Which brought the produce of fruit. ³⁸ He blest them, and soon they were many, And not very few were their cattle, ³⁹ After they’d been decreased and mistreated… Afflicted with evil and grief.

⁴⁰ Contempt had been poured on their rulers, And they’d wandered in places without any roads. ⁴¹ But He removed poor conditions from their needy, And He treated their families like His own flock. ⁴² Then, all the upright were joyful, As the mouths of the lawless were blocked.

⁴³ So, who now has enough wisdom, To understand all the mercies of God?

Psalm 108

←107 | All books | All chapters | 109→

A Psalm of David.

¹ My heart is prepared, O my God… In my glory, I’ll now sing and play! ² Awaken my glory, my lute, and my harp, As I’m arising at dawn.

³ O Lord,

Among all the peoples, I’ll offer You praise; About You, I’ll strum to the nations, ⁴ Because Your mercy is great… It’s higher than even the skies, And Your truth reaches into the clouds!

⁵ May Your glory grow higher than the heavens, O God… Yes, far above the whole earth.

⁶ Please bring salvation to Your loved ones… Please hear me and save me with Your mighty hand!

⁷ Then in Holiness, God spoke and said this:

‘[My Name] will be lifted high.

For, I’ll subdivide SheChem,

And lay out My tents in its valley.

⁸ GileAd is Mine, ManasSeh is Mine,

And Ephraim is the pillow for My head.

⁹ Judah [is the place of] My king,

And of My plans against Edom, MoAb’s the kettle.

‘So I’ll stick out My shoe [and step down],

And to Me, the Philistines will bow.

¹⁰ Can they save their fortified cities from Me?

Can they serve as My guide into Edom?’

¹¹ However, O God, You’ve pushed us away… So Lord, won’t You send us Your [angels]?

¹² In this time of oppression, please send us Your aid; For the salvation of man has no value. ¹³ Only by God do we have any strength… On our enemies, only He can show our contempt.

Psalm 109

←108 | All books | All chapters | 110→

To the [music] director:

A Psalm of David.

¹ O God of my praise, don’t stay silent, ² For sinners and liars have spoken against me. They speak against me with deceitful tongues, ³ And I’m covered with their hateful words.

⁴ They battle with me for no reason… Instead of love, they send slander… So to You, I’ll lay out my prayer!

⁵ Instead of good, they’re bringing what’s bad, And they’re showing hate [in return for] my love.

⁶ So, send them away with the sinners, And put the Slanderer at their right hand. ⁷ When they’re judged, may they leave as condemned, And may their prayers be thought of as sins.

⁸ May their days no longer be many, And may others take their positions. ⁹ May all their sons become orphans, And may all their wives become widows.

¹⁰ Let their sons wander and beg… May they be driven away from their homes. ¹¹ May bankers search for the things that they own, And may strangers loot all they’ve worked for.

¹² May no one come to protect them, And may no one pity their orphans. ¹³ May all their children be wiped away… In one generation, may their names be erased.

¹⁴ May Yahweh remember the sins of their fathers… May the sins of their mothers remain. ¹⁵ May they stand [in judgment] before You, O Lord… May their memory be wiped from the land.

¹⁶ For, they forgot to show mercy, And they chased a man who’s needy and poor… Someone whose heart has been broken.

¹⁷ Since they love curses, may they get them; Since they offer no blessings, may they go far away.

¹⁸ They wore curses as though they were clothes, Which poured like water within them, And became like oil in their bones.

¹⁹ So, may they wear their curses like robes… May they wear them like belts on their waists. ²⁰ May this be the reward from Yahweh For all those [guilty of] slander, And for those speaking bad of my soul.

²¹ O Lord, Yahweh, please help me, For the sake of Your Name and Your mercy. ²² Rescue me, for I’m poor and in need, And my heart is deeply disturbed.

²³ Like a shadow that passes, I’ve been removed… I’ve been [eaten] away as by locusts. ²⁴ My knees are now weakened from fasting, And for lack of oil, my flesh has been changed.

²⁵ To them, I’m someone to laugh at… They look at me and just shake their heads. ²⁶ So help me, Yahweh, my God; In Your mercy, please send me your aid, ²⁷ And let them know that this came by Your hand… That it’s You, O Yahweh, that did this!

²⁸ Upon themselves, may their curses fall, But please, [my God], send [me] blessings. May those who’ve risen against me be shamed; But, may Your servant find joy.

²⁹ On those guilty of slander, bring shame… Wrap them in shame as though it were clothes. ³⁰ Then, I’ll offer You praises, my Lord… With my mouth, I’ll praise You to many.

³¹ Now He stands at this poor one’s right hand, To save me from those pursuing my soul.

Psalm 110

←109 | All books | All chapters | 111→

A Psalm of David.

¹ Yahweh said this to my lord:

‘Sit here at My right hand

’Til I set your enemies as a stool for your feet.

² A powerful scepter, I’ll send you from Zion,

And amidst your enemies, you’ll rule.

³ ‘You’ll be sovereign in the day that you start to rule,

And your holy ones will then shine.

For, since the time that you came from the womb

I’ve made you the [bright] morning star.’

⁴ This oath was sworn by Yahweh, And for it, He will never repent:

‘You’ll be a Priest throughout the ages

In the order of MelchiZedek,

⁵ And at My right hand, you’ll sit.

‘In the day of your rage, you will shatter kings,

⁶ And you’ll be the judge of the nations.

‘Then you’ll fill their [lands] with the dead,

And you’ll shatter many heads on the earth.

⁷ From the [Kidron] Wadi, you’ll drink,

And there, you’ll raise your head high.’

Psalm 111

←110 | All books | All chapters | 112→

Praise Yah!

¹ I’ll praise You, Yahweh, with my whole heart, And Your instructions, [I’ll share with] the righteous.

² The deeds of Yahweh are great, And He searches for those whom He loves. ³ Majestic and worthy are the things that He does, And throughout ages of ages, His justice endures.

⁴ He’s made His wonders not to be forgotten, And Yahweh shows pity and great empathy. ⁵ He nourishes all those who fear Him, And throughout ages, remembers what He promised.

⁶ His powerful deeds, He’s announced to His people, And they’ll inherit the nations.

⁷ The works of His hands are all just and true, And His commands are very trustworthy. ⁸ So, throughout the age of the ages His truth and uprightness will stand.

⁹ He will ransom His people, And throughout ages, He will give them instructions Concerning His Holy Sacred Agreement, And of how His Name should be feared.

¹⁰ Wisdom starts with the fear of Yahweh, And those who take this [to heart] Will be understanding and good… They’ll be praised throughout the age And into the age of the ages.

Psalm 112

←111 | All books | All chapters | 113→

Praise Yah.

¹ Blest are those who fear Yahweh And desire to obey His Commandments. ² For their offspring will grow strong on the land, And throughout generations, their ways will be blest.

³ Glory and wealth will dwell in their homes, And throughout ages of ages, The good things they do will endure.

⁴ For the upright, they’ll light up the darkness, And show pity and mercy to the righteous.

⁵ Kind people feel compassion and lend, And they manage their matters uprightly. ⁶ So, they’ll endure throughout the ages, And the righteous won’t be forgotten.

⁷ They won’t have to fear any bad news, For they’ve readied their hearts to trust in the Lord. ⁸ And because their hearts are so sure; They’ll not fear enemies.

⁹ For, they contribute to the needy, And throughout the ages, they prove themselves just; So their trumpets will be lifted in glory.

¹⁰ But in anger, the sinners will see this… They’ll grind their teeth, and then melt away Along with the things they desired.

Psalm 113

←112 | All books | All chapters | 114→

Praise Yah.

¹ His servants should all praise Yahweh… Yes, praise the Name of the Lord. ² May the Name Yahweh be praised Both now and into the ages.

³ From the time the sun rises until it descends, It praises the Name of the Lord. ⁴ For Yahweh is above all the nations, And His glory exists in the heavens.

⁵ Who else is like Yahweh our God, The One who dwells in high places? ⁶ To the humble, He pays close attention… Both those in the heavens and those on the earth.

⁷ He raises the poor from the ground, And from cesspools, He raises the needy. ⁸ Then He sits them next to the rulers… Those who are over His people.

⁹ He provides homes for the childless, And large houses for those who have many [children].

Psalm 114

←113 | All books | All chapters | 115→

Praise Yah.

¹ After IsraEl left Egypt, And the house of Jacob fled the barbaric; ² Judah was chosen for [God’s] Holy Place, And IsraEl was His power to accomplish.

³ So, when the sea beheld them, it shied away, And the JorDan turned around and flowed backwards. ⁴ Then the mountains started leaping like rams, And the hills were behaving like lambs.

What was it with you, O sea… Why did you withdraw from before them… Yes, why did you move away? And JorDan, why did you flow backwards? ⁶ You mountains... Why were you leaping like rams? And Hills, why were you behaving like lambs?

⁷ In the presence [of the Lord], the ground rattled… It shivered before Jacob’s God! ⁸ For, from a rock, He brought water, And from stone, He chiseled a spring.

Psalm 115

←114 | All books | All chapters | 116→

The Idols.

¹ Don’t just do it for us, O Yahweh… Don’t just do it for our sakes! Do it to glorify Your Name, And to show them all Your mercy and truth, ² So the nations won’t ever have a reason to ask:

‘What has become of your God?’

³ Our God dwells in the heavens, And on the earth, He does as He wishes. ⁴ Yet, the nations worship idols of silver and gold… Things that are made by men’s hands.

⁵ These idols have mouths that can’t speak; They also have eyes that can’t see; ⁶ Although they have ears, they can’t hear, And their noses smell nothing at all.

⁷ They have hands they can’t grab things with; And although they have feet, they can’t walk, Nor can they speak with their throats. ⁸ So, let those who made them, be like them, Along with all who are bowing before them.

⁹ The house of IsraEl puts faith in Yahweh; For, He’s their defender and helper. ¹⁰ The house of Aaron puts hope in the Lord; For, He’s their defender and helper. ¹¹ All those who are fearing Yahweh Are those who put trust in their Lord; For, He’s their defender and helper.

¹² Jehovah remembered and blest us… The house of IsraEl, He blest, And the house of Aaron, He blest… ¹³ He’s blest both the great and the small… All that put trust in the Lord.

¹⁴ May the Lord provide for you and your sons… ¹⁵ May you all be blest by Yahweh… The One who created the heavens and earth. ¹⁶ And even though the heavens belong to [our God], To the sons of men, He gave the earth.

¹⁷ The dead won’t praise You, Yahweh, Nor will those who are going into the grave. ¹⁸ It’s only the living who’ll offer You praise, Both now and into the ages.

Psalm 116

←115 | All books | All chapters | 117→

Praise Yah.

¹ I love the fact that Yahweh will listen To the words of [my prayers]. ² He leans His ears down to hear [what I pray], So I’ll call upon Him throughout the rest of my days.

³ In the pangs of death, I’d once been wrapped, And fear of the grave was around me; So, I was afflicted and grieved. ⁴ But I called out in the Name of the Lord:

‘O Yahweh, please rescue my soul!’

⁵ Merciful and just is Yahweh, For our God is the One who shows mercy. ⁶ And this Lord who humbles and saves me Also keeps watch over the young.

⁷ O my soul,

Return to your restful state, For Yahweh has watched over you.

⁸ O my soul,

He’s saved you from death, And He’s removed the tears from your eyes By keeping your feet from taking wrong steps. ⁹ So, to Yahweh, I wish to be pleasing, And to stay in the land of the living.

¹⁰ I was too proud and that’s why I spoke; But thereafter, I learned to be humble. ¹¹ For in ecstasy, I once said That every man is a liar.

¹² With what can I repay Yahweh For all that He’s done for me? ¹³ I’ll accept His cup of salvation, And continue to call on the Name of the Lord.

¹⁴ I’ll render my vows to Yahweh Before all of His people. ¹⁵ For, when His holy ones die, They’re never forgotten by God.

¹⁶ O Yahweh,

I’m Your servant… I’m the son of Your female slave, And it’s You who tore off my shackles. ¹⁷ So I’ll offer sacrifices of praise, As I call on the Name of the Lord.

¹⁸ To You, I’ll pay whatever I vow There in front of Your people… ¹⁹ There in Your Temple courtyard In JeruSalem’s midst.

Psalm 117

←116 | All books | All chapters | 118→

Praise Yah.

¹ Praise Yahweh, you nations… May He be praised by you all. ² For His mercy upon us is strong, And His truth endures throughout the ages.

Psalm 118

←117 | All books | All chapters | 119→

Praise Yah.

¹ Praise Yahweh, because He’s good, And His mercies endure throughout the ages.

² May the house of IsraEl say, ‘He is good,’ And His mercies endure throughout the ages.

³ May Aaron’s house say, ‘He is good,’ And His mercies endure throughout the ages.

⁴ May those fearing Yahweh say, ‘He is good,’ And His mercies endure throughout the ages.

⁵ In my time of distress, I called to the Lord, And He answered my prayers in great ways.

⁶ Jehovah’s my helper, so I won’t fear; For, what can men do to me? ⁷ And because Yahweh’s my helper, I’ll also judge those who hate me.

⁸ It’s better to yield to Yahweh Than to give in to men. ⁹ It’s better to hope in the Lord Than to trust in your rulers.

¹⁰ Many nations once had me surrounded, But in the Name of the Lord, I pushed them away. ¹¹ Yes, they once had me encircled; But, although they had me surrounded, In the Name, Yahweh, I pushed them away.

¹² As bees on a comb, I was covered; But, they were then burned like thorn bushes… In the Name of the Lord, I pushed them away.

¹³ I was stabbed and fell flat on the ground, Then the Lord took hold of my [hand]. ¹⁴ So, Yahweh’s my strength and my song of praise… He’s become my Salvation… ¹⁵ He’s the voice of shouting in joy, And the Savior of the tents of the righteous.

Yahweh’s right hand showed its power, ¹⁶ And by His right hand, I was lifted… Yes, the Lord’s right hand showed its power. ¹⁷ So, I won’t die, I’ll live, And I’ll speak of the works of Yahweh.

¹⁸ By Yahweh, I once was corrected, So He didn’t hand me over to death. ¹⁹ The gates of justice were opened to me, So through them, I’ll walk and confess to the Lord.

²⁰ Yes, this is the gate of Yahweh, Through which the righteous will pass. ²¹ Because You heard me, I’ll confess, That You are truly my Savior.

²² So, the stone that the builders rejected Has become the foundation cornerstone… ²³ It’s by Yahweh that this came to pass, And in our eyes, it’s a beautiful thing.

²⁴ This day was made by Yahweh, And for it, we’ll cry out in joy:

²⁵ ‘O Yahweh, please save us!

O Lord, please bless all our ways!

²⁶ And blest is this one who comes in God’s Name…

In the House of Yahweh, we’ll praise him!’

²⁷ Our God Yahweh is shining on us; So, gather for a great holiday! Come with many sacrifices To present them on the horns of the Altar.

²⁸ You’re my God, and I’ll confess That You are my Lord, and I’ll hold You high. I’ll confess that You’ve listened to me, And explain that You’re my Savior.

²⁹ I’ll confess to Yahweh, because He’s good, And His mercies endure throughout the ages.

Psalm 119

←118 | All books | All chapters | 120→

Praise Yah.

¹ Those who are spotless are blest… Those who obey the Laws of Yahweh. ² And blest are those who search for His [words]… Those who seek Him with their whole hearts. ³ But, those who practice what’s lawless Will never walk in His ways.

⁴ You’ve told us to follow Your orders; ⁵ So, straighten our paths to follow Your Laws, ⁶ Then we’ll never be shamed By failing to keep Your Commandments.

⁷ To You I’ll confess with a pure heart, And I’ll study Your judgments and justice. ⁸ I’ll always follow Your Laws, So that You’ll never desert me!

⁹ How can a young man keep his ways straight? By wholeheartedly obeying Your words. ¹⁰ So, from my heart, I’ve inquired of You, And from Your Commandments, don’t push me away!

¹¹ I’ve hidden Your prophecies deep in my heart, So against You, I’ll not sin. ¹² May You be praised, O Yahweh… Please teach me Your ways!

¹³ With my lips, I’ll declare the decisions That have come from Your mouth. ¹⁴ I’ve found delight in the things that You’ve said, And I view them as greater than treasure.

¹⁵ On Your Commandments, I’ll meditate, And I’ll contemplate all Your ways. ¹⁶ I’ll also think of Your Laws, And never forget what You’ve promised.

¹⁷ So, bless and enliven Your servant, And I’ll do as You’ve told me. ¹⁸ Uncover my eyes and I’ll contemplate The wondrous ways of Your Laws.

¹⁹ I’m just a sojourner on earth, So, please don’t hide Your Commandments from me. ²⁰ For my soul has longed for Your judgments… They’re the things that I’ve always desired.

²¹ You’ve scolded the proud, And those who reject Your Commandments are cursed. ²² So, take away my scorn and contempt; For I’ve searched through the proofs that You’ve sent.

²³ But against Your servant, the rulers speak badly, Even though I’ve pondered Your ways. ²⁴ I’ve thought about the proofs You’ve provided, And Your Laws have been my advice.

²⁵ Although my soul has been pushed to the ground, Your Word has kept me alive. ²⁶ My [foolish] ways, I’ve admitted to you, And You’ve heard [all my prayers].

So, teach me Your rules ²⁷ and show Me Your Laws… Teach me to fully understand them, And to contemplate all Your wonders.

²⁸ My soul was asleep and indifferent; But now, make me firm in Your words. ²⁹ Remove injustice from all of my ways, And let Your Laws teach me mercy.

³⁰ The way of truth, I’ve chosen, And Your decisions, I’ve never forgotten. ³¹ In Your just paths, I’ve always remained, So Lord, don’t put me to shame.

³² Towards Your Commandments, I’ve run From the time that You widened my heart. ³³ So, establish Your Laws deep within me, And I’ll follow them always, O Lord.

³⁴ Please teach me to understand, And I’ll search for Your Laws, Then guard them with my whole heart. ³⁵ Towards Your Commandments, please lead me; For they’re what I’ve always desired.

³⁶ Lean my heart towards Your righteous ways, And remove my desire for wealth. ³⁷ To my eyes, please give good direction, So they’ll never desire what’s foolish.

Enliven me in Your ways, ³⁸ And send Your servant an omen of fear! ³⁹ Remove my scorn and the things that I dread; For, all Your decisions are kind.

⁴⁰ Your Commandments, I’ve always desired; So, make me alive in Your righteous ways. ⁴¹ Then send me Your mercies, O Lord… And as You once promised, please save me, ⁴² So I’ll be able to give a reply To those who speak ill of me, And I can put faith in Your words.

⁴³ Don’t remove Your words of truth from my mouth; For, in Your judgments, I’ve raised hopes. ⁴⁴ I’ll guard Your Laws throughout the ages And into the age of the ages.

⁴⁵ Because I’ve searched Your Commandments, My life has become more important… ⁴⁶ I’ve spoken of Your ways before kings, And for this, I’ve never been shamed.

⁴⁷ On Your Commandments, I’ve pondered, And I’ve come to love them so dearly. ⁴⁸ I’ve sworn to obey all Your orders… I’ve considered and loved all Your rules.

⁴⁹ Remember Your words to Your servant, For, they’ve given me hope. ⁵⁰ They’ve provided me comfort in times of shame, And Your signs have given me life.

⁵¹ Although the proud have all been unjust; From Your Laws, I’ve not turned away. ⁵² Throughout the age, I’ve remembered Your rules; And Yahweh, they’ve brought me much comfort.

⁵³ Because of the sinners, I was depressed… By those who’ve abandoned Your Laws. ⁵⁴ But Your rules became like music to me, And [remain within me] wherever I go.

⁵⁵ During the night, I think of Your Name; And Yahweh, I’ve followed Your Laws. ⁵⁶ All the [good] that has happened to me, Has come because I’ve searched for Your ways.

⁵⁷ O Lord, You’re the share I was given, And of guarding Your Laws, I’ve spoken. ⁵⁸ With my whole heart, I’ve begged to Your face:

‘Show mercy on me as You’ve promised.’

⁵⁹ Although against Your ways, I once argued; My feet then turned towards the things that You said. ⁶⁰ So, I’ve prepared to keep Your Commandments, And by them, I won’t be disturbed.

⁶¹ Although in the cords of the sinners, I’ve been twisted; I’ve not forgotten Your Laws. ⁶² So at midnight, I wake up to thank You For Your decisions and justice.

⁶³ I’m a partner to all those who fear You… To those who obey Your Commandments. ⁶⁴ For the earth is filled with Your mercy, And I’ve learned from Your rules.

⁶⁵ You’ve used Your servant to do what’s good, According to Your Word, O Yahweh. ⁶⁶ Now, teach me to know what’s right And to ever trust in Your judgments.

⁶⁷ I was a sinner before I was humbled; But since then, I’ve guarded Your words. ⁶⁸ You’ve provided so kindly for me, O my Lord, So in kindness, please teach me Your Laws.

⁶⁹ The injustice of the proud is a burden to me; But I’ll seek Your Commandments with my whole heart. ⁷⁰ Although the hearts of such ones have curdled like milk, I’ve still pondered Your Laws.

⁷¹ It’s good that I’ve been humbled by You, So I’d learn to follow Your rules. ⁷² For to me, the Laws that come from Your mouth Are worth more than silver and gold.

⁷³ It was Your hands that made me and shaped me; So, help me to understand better And to comprehend Your Commandments.

⁷⁴ Now, those who fear You, rejoice when they see me, For I’ve raised their hopes through Your words.

⁷⁵ O Yahweh,

Through Your judgments, I’ve learned to be just, And by Your truth, I’ve been humbled.

⁷⁶ May Your mercy bring comfort to me As You’ve revealed to Your servant in signs. ⁷⁷ Show compassion on me and I’ll live, So I can continue to study Your Laws.

⁷⁸ May the proud be shamed for treating me badly; For, they’ve broken Your Laws, While I’ve kept Your Commandments in mind.

⁷⁹ May those who fear You support me… Those who’ve heard the things that You’ve said. ⁸⁰ So, put Your rules in my heart, Then I’ll never be shamed. ⁸¹ Yes, Your salvation is what I’ve sought, And Your words have given me hope.

⁸² My eyes have failed as I’ve searched for Your signs; So, when will You send me some comfort? ⁸³ Although I’m like a leather bag in the frost, I haven’t forgotten Your rules.

⁸⁴ How many more days will Your servant remain, And when will You judge those who chase me? ⁸⁵ For lawbreakers are plotting against me, But not by Your Laws, O Yahweh.

⁸⁶ Your Commandments are true… So please help me! For, they’re chasing me down for no reason. ⁸⁷ Yes, soon they’ll wipe me out of this land, Even though I’ve never left Your Commandments.

⁸⁸ In Your mercy, please strengthen my soul, And I’ll guard the words that have come from Your mouth. ⁸⁹ For, throughout the ages, O [God], Your Words have been in the heavens… ⁹⁰ From one generation to another, Your truth has always [been found] there.

You laid the foundations of the earth, And it has continued to be… ⁹¹ It’s at Your choosing that each day arrives; For, it’s all under Your power.

⁹² Had I not thought of Your Laws, In shame, I’d have now been destroyed. ⁹³ So, don’t let me forget Your rules throughout the age, Since they’ve given me life.

⁹⁴ Because I’m Yours, please save me; For, I’ve searched for Your rules! ⁹⁵ But sinners now wait to destroy me, Because I’ve followed Your ways.

⁹⁶ When I thought that I was seeing the end, Your Commandments brought me [more] time. ⁹⁷ So I’ve loved Your Laws, O Yahweh; Throughout the whole day, they stay on my mind.

⁹⁸ For You’ve made me wiser than my enemies, And Your Commandments are mine throughout the age. ⁹⁹ I’ve seen more than all those who taught me, Because I’ve obeyed Your instructions. ¹⁰⁰ I’ve also seen more than the elders, Because I’ve searched for Your rules.

¹⁰¹ I’ve held back my feet from what’s evil, So I can guard all Your words. ¹⁰² From Your judgments, I’ve not turned aside, And You’ve established my laws.

¹⁰³ How sweet to my throat are the things that You say… They’re like honey inside of my mouth. ¹⁰⁴ And from Your Commandments I’ve learned To hate the ways of injustice.

¹⁰⁵ Your Law is a lamp to my feet, And it’s a light to my paths. ¹⁰⁶ So I’ve stood before You and sworn with an oath To guard Your justice and judgments.

¹⁰⁷ O Yahweh,

I’ve been knocked down; So, lift me back up, as You promised.

¹⁰⁸ The offerings that come from my mouth Bring pleasure to me, O my Lord. So, teach me all Your decisions.

¹⁰⁹ O Lord,

My life is now in Your hands, And Your Laws, I haven’t forgotten. ¹¹⁰ Although sinners set snares in my paths, From Your Commandments, I’ve never strayed.

¹¹¹ I’ve inherited Your proofs throughout the age, And they’ve made my heart leap for joy. ¹¹² I’ve inclined my heart to follow Your rules Throughout the age, in repayment to You.

¹¹³ I’ve detested lawbreakers, And I’ve loved all Your rules. ¹¹⁴ So, You’re my helper and shield, And by Your words, I’ve raised other’s hopes.

¹¹⁵ Please turn me away from what’s wicked, And for Your Commandments, I’ll search. ¹¹⁶ Take hold of me, [as You promised] in signs… Make me strong and don’t shame my faith.

¹¹⁷ Send me help and I’ll be saved… For I’ll always think of Your rules. ¹¹⁸ But, those who turned from me in contempt Have broken Your Laws with unrighteous thoughts… ¹¹⁹ This land’s sinners are breaking Your Laws, While I’ve loved the things that You’ve said.

¹²⁰ Nail down my body[LXX] due to my fear of You, For I [reverentially] feared Your judgments, ¹²¹ Yes, I’ve done what’s just and right… So don’t hand me over to those abusing me.

¹²² Keep an eye on Your servant for good… Don’t allow the proud to extort me. ¹²³ For my eyes await Your salvation And to hear the sacred words of Your justice.

¹²⁴ Deal with Your servant in mercy And teach me all Your righteous ways. ¹²⁵ Help me to know, for I’m Your slave; Then, I’ll teach [others] Your words.

¹²⁶ It’s now time to act, O Yahweh; For, they’ve wiped away all Your Laws! ¹²⁷ But, I’ve loved Your Commandments More than topaz or gold. ¹²⁸ I’ve also followed Your Laws, And their unrighteous ways, I have hated!

¹²⁹ Wondrous are the proofs that You’ve given; So, with my whole soul, I’ll search for Your words. ¹³⁰ For, the revealing of them sheds much light, And they bring understanding to the simple.

¹³¹ I’ve opened my mouth and I’ve sighed… And for Your Commandments, I’ve longed. ¹³² So, look upon me and show mercy… Show mercy to those who are loving Your Name.

¹³³ Please straighten my steps towards the ways I should walk, And by lawless ways, may I never be ruled. ¹³⁴ From men’s extortions, please save me, And I’ll keep Your Commandments.

¹³⁵ Please show Your face to Your servant And teach me Your righteous rules. ¹³⁶ For, streams of water will flow from my eyes Should I find myself breaking Your Laws.

¹³⁷ You are so righteous, Yahweh, And all Your decisions are straight. ¹³⁸ For You’ve told us [that we must be] fair, And the things that we say must be true.

¹³⁹ But Your zeal is being [overlooked], For my enemies have forgotten the things that You said… ¹⁴⁰ Although the signs that You sent them were blazing like fire, And Your servant has loved them as truth.

¹⁴¹ Because of my youth, I’m shown no respect; But Your rules, I haven’t forgotten. ¹⁴² Throughout the ages, it has proven true, That You and Your Laws are righteous and just.

¹⁴³ Although distress and afflictions have found me, About Your Commandments, I’ve pondered. ¹⁴⁴ Throughout the ages, Your words have all proven true; So, help me to fully understand them, That I may continue to live.

¹⁴⁵ With my whole heart, I’ve cried out to You:

‘Hear me, O Lord, and I’ll search for Your rules.’

¹⁴⁶ To You, I’ve called out:

‘Please save me; and in Your righteous ways, I’ll walk.’

¹⁴⁷ Before midnight, I called out [to You], And in Your words, I’ve put hope. ¹⁴⁸ Then, as my eyes opened at dawn, I noticed the signs You provided.

¹⁴⁹ In mercy, O Yahweh, please hear my voice… In Your justice, please save my life! ¹⁵⁰ Turn from those who chase me unjustly; For, they’ve turned from Your Laws.

¹⁵¹ You’re always near me, O Lord, And truthful are all of Your ways. ¹⁵² From the beginning, I’ve known of Your words, And they’ve served as my rock throughout the age.

¹⁵³ Look down and save me, so I’m not disgraced, For I’ve not forgotten Your Laws. ¹⁵⁴ Judge my case and [give justice]… For the sake of Your Word, let me live!

¹⁵⁵ Take me away from the sinners… Those who haven’t searched for Your rules. ¹⁵⁶ But, You’re filled with compassion, O Lord… With Your righteous decisions, please save my life.

¹⁵⁷ Although many are trying to drive me away, And many are those who oppress me; I haven’t strayed from Your words.

¹⁵⁸ I’ve seen others that are lacking good sense, And because they don’t follow Your words, They’re just wasting away.

¹⁵⁹ Notice how I’ve loved Your Commandments, O Lord! So in mercy, please save my life! ¹⁶⁰ For Your words have been true from the start… Age-long are Your judgments and justice.

¹⁶¹ Without any reason, I’m being pursued, And my heart is in dread of Your words. ¹⁶² But I’ll shout in praise if You’ll send me a sign, As one who’s found great rewards.

¹⁶³ I’ve detested and abhorred all injustice, And Your Law, I’ve always loved. ¹⁶⁴ Seven times each day, I praise Your decisions, And I think well of Your justice.

¹⁶⁵ Peace comes to those who are loving Your Laws, And nothing can stand in their way. ¹⁶⁶ So, in Your salvation, I’ve trusted, O God, Because I’ve loved Your Commandments.

¹⁶⁷ My soul has guarded Your words… I can prove how I truly have loved them. ¹⁶⁸ I’ve kept Your words and Commandments, And my ways, O Yahweh, are open before You.

¹⁶⁹ O Lord, please hear what I’m begging, And help me to understand all Your signs.

¹⁷⁰ If You find me worthy, please let me approach… Save me, as You’ve shown me through omens. ¹⁷¹ Then, with my lips, I’ll sing hymns, And I’ll let You teach me Your rules. ¹⁷² With my tongue, I’ll sing of Your omens, And of how Your Commandments are righteous.

¹⁷³ Please send Your hand down to save me, For I’ve accepted all Your Commandments. ¹⁷⁴ Your salvation is what I’ve longed for, O Lord, And I’ve meditated on all of Your Laws.

¹⁷⁵ So, if You’ll allow me to live, I’ll [continue to] praise You, And Your decisions will serve as my guide.

¹⁷⁶ But, I’ve strayed like a lamb Who would’ve perished alone. So, please come and search for Your servant, For Your Commandments, I’ve never forgotten.

Psalm 120

←119 | All books | All chapters | 121→

A song [to be sung] while ascending [to the Temple on Mount MoriAh].

¹ In my despair, I called to the Lord, And to [my prayer], He then listened:

² ‘From unrighteous lips, please save me, O Lord…

[Save me] from those with deceitful tongues.

³ ‘What can I give and what can I add

When it comes to those with tongues that tell lies?

⁴ For against me, the arrows of the mighty

Are now being sharpened in coals.

⁵ ‘I’ve run far away to escape them,

And in [the Valley of] Cedars, I’ve camped.

⁶ My soul was forced to run off and hide

From these men who hate peaceful ways…

⁷ Although I’ve spoken mildly to them,

They’ve battled with me for no reason.’

Psalm 121

←120 | All books | All chapters | 122→

A song [to be sung] while ascending [to the Temple on Mount MoriAh].

¹ I’ve lifted my eyes towards that Mountain From which I receive all my aid. ² For, my help all comes from Yahweh… The One who made the heavens and earth.

³ He will never let your feet stumble, For the One who keeps watch doesn’t sleep… ⁴ No, IsraEl’s protector never slumbers.

⁵ Jehovah’s your guard and protector… He’s always at your right hand. ⁶ So by day, the sun won’t beat down upon you, Nor will the moon, in the night.

⁷ Jehovah will protect you from evil, For the Lord watches over your soul. ⁸ Jehovah will guard your comings and goings, From now and into the ages.

Psalm 122

←121 | All books | All chapters | 123→

A song [to be sung] while ascending [to the Temple on Mount MoriAh].

¹ I’m overjoyed when they tell me:

‘To the house of Yahweh, we’ll go,

² And we’ll stand within JeruSalem’s gates.’

³ JeruSalem was built as a city That we can all share together, ⁴ And the tribes of Yahweh go up there; For, this is required by IsraEl’s Law.

⁵ There sits the throne from which judgments come… The throne of the house of [King] David. ⁶ It’s where you can [pray] for JeruSalem’s peace, And prosperity for all whom you love.

⁷ [Pray:]

‘Let there be peace for our army,

And prosperity for our fortified towns.

⁸ On behalf of my brothers and neighbors,

I pray for peace upon all…

⁹ I’ve come to the Temple of Yahweh our God

To pray for good things [to come].’

Psalm 123

←122 | All books | All chapters | 124→

A song [to be sung] while ascending [to the Temple on Mount MoriAh].

¹ I’ve lifted my eyes To the One who lives in the heavens. ² For, as the eyes of a slave look to his master, And as the eyes of a handmaid look to her lady; Our eyes should look to Yahweh, our God Until He shows His pity for us.

³ Show mercy upon us, Yahweh… Please extend Your mercy to us! For, we’ve been treated with much disrespect… ⁴ Our lives have been filled with the scorn of the rich, And with the contempt of the haughty.

Psalm 124

←123 | All books | All chapters | 125→

A song [to be sung] while ascending [to the Temple on Mount MoriAh].

¹ Unless Yahweh is with us… ² Say it, O IsraEl! ³ Unless Yahweh is with us, The men who attack will swallow us down… ⁴ In their rage, we would’ve been drowned, And their streams would’ve taken our lives… ⁵ Their raging waters would’ve taken our lives!

⁶ So, praise Yahweh, because He provides, And we won’t be given as game for their teeth. ⁷ Like sparrows, our lives will be rescued From the traps of men who are hunting us down.

Yes, their snares have been broken and we’ve been saved, ⁸ Since we’ve looked to the Name of Yahweh for aid… The One who made the heavens and earth.

Psalm 125

←124 | All books | All chapters | 126→

A song [to be sung] while ascending [to the Temple on Mount MoriAh].

¹ All those who put faith in Yahweh Are like those [who live on] Mount Zion. For, those who live in JeruSalem Have remained firm throughout the ages.

² And as [that city’s] surrounded by mountains, The Lord will encircle His people From now and throughout eons of time.

³ For, He won’t allow whips of sinners To [fall on the backs] of the righteous… They won’t be stretched out before them, Or by their hands, be mistreated.

⁴ O Yahweh,

Do good for those doing good And for those whose hearts have been straight. ⁵ But remove those who are turning towards badness… Take them away with the lawless, O Lord; Then in IsraEl, may there be peace!

Psalm 126

←125 | All books | All chapters | 127→

A song [to be sung] while ascending [to the Temple on Mount MoriAh].

¹ When Yahweh returns Zion’s captives, It’ll bring comfort to us. ² With joyful [cries], our mouths will be filled, And our tongues will be shouting cheers.

Then, those of the nations will say:

‘Yahweh has proven Himself to be great

By the ways that He’s dealing with them.’

³ Yes, He will prove Himself great By the good ways that He treats us… Yes, He will make us all joyful!

⁴ O Yahweh,

Please bring back our captives, As water returns to the streams in the south. ⁵ Then, those who are planting with tears Will harvest with cries that are joyful.

⁶ For the ones who’ve been taken are gone, So those scattering seeds, now do so with tears. But, when they return, we’ll be shouting in joy As we carry our sheaves [to Your Temple].

Psalm 127

←126 | All books | All chapters | 128→

A song [to be sung] while ascending [to the Temple on Mount MoriAh].

¹ If the house isn’t built by Yahweh, Its builders have [worked hard] in vain. And if He isn’t guarding a city, It’s in vain to stay awake and keep watch… ² Although they arise early and go to bed late, It’ll all be in vain.

O you who must eat bread of grief; He will still bring rest to those He loves.

³ {Look!} The inheritance of Yahweh is sons, And your wage is the fruit of the belly. ⁴ For the sons born to you are like arrows In the hands of the mighty.

⁵ So, those filling their [quivers] with [sons] are the blest, For, they’ll not be disgraced When they must oppose enemies Who’ve arrived at their gates.

Psalm 128

←127 | All books | All chapters | 129→

A song [to be sung] while ascending [to the Temple on Mount MoriAh].

¹ Blest are those in fear of Yahweh… Those who walk in His ways. ² For from the works of their hands, they’ll eat… They’ll be blest and all will go well.

³ Your women will prosper like grape vines, Which grow on the walls of your homes. And your sons will be like young olive trees, As they sit ‘round your table.

⁴ {Look!} Those who fear Yahweh are blest… ⁵ Yes, may He bless them from Zion. May they all see good from JeruSalem Throughout the rest of their lives… ⁶ May they live to see the sons of their sons, And on IsraEl, may there be peace!

Psalm 129

←128 | All books | All chapters | 130→

A song [to be sung] while ascending [to the Temple on Mount MoriAh].

¹ Many times, they’ve waged war against me Since the time of my youth… Say it, O IsraEl! ² Many times, they’ve waged war against me Since the time of my youth, Yet, they’ve been unable to beat me.

³ Behind my back, the sinners conspired, As they continued in their lawless ways. ⁴ But [our God Yahweh] is righteous, For He’s chopped them off at their necks.

⁵ Let them be shamed and be forced to retreat… All those who are hating Mount Zion. ⁶ Let them become like grass on the roofs After it’s pulled up and dried.

⁷ Why hasn’t the harvester filled up his hands, Or collected the sheaves to his chest? ⁸ Because, those passing by didn’t offer this blessing:

‘We bless you in the Name of the Lord.’

Psalm 130

←129 | All books | All chapters | 131→

A song [to be sung] while ascending [to the Temple on Mount MoriAh].

¹ I cried out to You from the depths, O my Lord:

² ‘O Yahweh, please hear my voice…

May Your ears hear the words of my prayers!

³ ‘If You just look upon our lawless ways;

O Lord, who’ll be able to stand?

⁴ But, although we have reason to fear You,

You’ve covered our sins.

‘Because of Your Name, I’ve waited for You…

⁵ O Yahweh; My soul has awaited Your word…

⁶ My soul has put hope in the Lord

From early-watches until late at night.’

⁷ Let IsraEl put faith in Yahweh, For in mercy, He’s paid our ransom… ⁸ IsraEl has been repurchased by Him From their own lawless ways.

Psalm 131

←130 | All books | All chapters | 132→

A song [to be sung] while ascending [to the Temple on Mount MoriAh].

¹ O Yahweh,

I haven’t exalted my heart, Nor have my eyes been too lofty. I haven’t traveled with great ones, Nor in the wonders of those who are above me… ² For if I’ve failed to be humble, I’ve sinned!

But now, my life has been raised As one who’s been weaned from his mother. So, please ransom my soul, ³ And may IsraEl put faith in Yahweh From now on and into the ages.

Psalm 132

←131 | All books | All chapters | 133→

A song [to be sung] while ascending [to the Temple on Mount MoriAh].

¹ O Lord,

Remember [King] David, And all of his gentle ways. ² For he swore an oath to Yahweh… To the God of Jacob, he made this vow:

³ ‘When I get home and I go to bed,

⁴ Could I let my eyes fall asleep

Or my eyelids to slumber as I rest in my house,

⁵ Before I find a place for Yahweh…

A Tent for the God of Jacob [to dwell]?’

⁶ Look! We’ve heard it was there in EphRatha… It was found in the plains among groves. ⁷ So we went to His Tent and we bowed there, In the land that serves as His footstool.

⁸ Now, arise from Your rest, O Yahweh, And visit the Chest in Your Most Holy Place. ⁹ Then Your Priests will make themselves righteous, And Your holy ones will cry out in joy.

¹⁰ Then, from [King] David Your servant… From Your anointed, You’ll not turn away. ¹¹ For Yahweh swore this to David as truth, And He will never annul it:

‘On your throne, I’ll establish the fruit of your belly.

¹² So, if your sons guard My Sacred Agreement

And obey all the rules that I’ll teach them;

Throughout the ages, their sons will sit on your throne.’

¹³ Now, Yahweh has chosen [Mount] Zion… He took it as His place to dwell when He said:

¹⁴ ‘Here, I’ll rest throughout ages of ages…

‘It’s [the place that] I’ve chosen and where I’ll stay.

¹⁵ ‘I’ll bless the blest among her wild beasts,

And with bread, I’ll fill up her poor.

¹⁶ Her Priests, I’ll clothe with salvation,

And her holy ones will sing songs of joy.

¹⁷ ‘There, I’ll raise David’s trumpet,

And for My anointed, I’ll prepare a lamp.

¹⁸ Then I’ll clothe his enemies with shame,

And on him, I’ll make holiness blossom.’

Psalm 133

←132 | All books | All chapters | 134→

A song [to be sung] while ascending [to the Temple on Mount MoriAh].

¹ {Look!} How good and delightful it is When brothers can all live together. ² It’s like perfumed oil which runs down the beard… Upon Aaron’s beard and then down his clothes.

³ It’s like the dew on [Mount] HerMon That runs to the mountains of Zion. For it’s there that Yahweh gave meaning To the blessing of life throughout the ages.

Psalm 134

←133 | All books | All chapters | 135→

A song [to be sung] while ascending [to the Temple on Mount MoriAh].

¹ Praise Yahweh, His servants… Those who stand in the House of the Lord… Those who stand in the courtyards Of the House of our God throughout the night.

² Raise your hands to His Holy Place, And give praise to the Lord. ³ May Yahweh bless you from Zion… The One who made the lands and skies.

Psalm 135

←134 | All books | All chapters | 136→

Praise Yah.

¹ Praise the Name of the Lord… Yes, praise Yahweh, His servants… ² All you who stand in His Temple… In the courtyards of the House of our God.

³ Praise Yahweh, because He’s good… Play music to His Glorious Name. ⁴ For, He chose Jacob as His own… IsraEl is the Lord’s prized possession.

⁵ I know that Yahweh is great, And our Lord is higher than all other gods. ⁶ He’s done His Will in the Heavens and earth, As well as in the seas and their depths.

⁷ He leads the clouds from the ends of the earth… He made the lightning and rain, And He brings the winds from His storehouse.

⁸ He struck the firstborn of Egypt… All those from men to their cattle. ⁹ Signs and wonders, He sent to [that land]… Upon PharaOh and all of his servants.

¹⁰ He’s the One who struck many nations, And brought death to their mightiest kings. ¹¹ There was SeOn, the Amorite king, As well as Og, king of BaShan, And all the kingdoms of CanaAn. ¹² Then He gave us their lands to inherit… For IsraEl (His people) to own.

¹³ O Yahweh,

Your fame [will last] throughout the ages… For generations, it’s how You’ll be known. ¹⁴ Jehovah will judge all His people, And they’ll bring Him much comfort.

¹⁵ The idols of the nations are silver and gold… They’re just the works of men’s hands. ¹⁶ A mouth they have, but they can’t speak; Eyes they have, but they can’t see; ¹⁷ Ears they have, but they can’t hear, Nor have they any breath in their mouths. ¹⁸ So, may those who made them be like them, As well as all those who serve them.

¹⁹ O House of IsraEl, give praise to Yahweh! O House of Aaron, give praise to Yahweh! ²⁰ O House of Levi, give praise to Yahweh… All those fearing the Lord, praise Yahweh! ²¹ May Yahweh be praised in JeruSalem… Praise [the God] that tents upon Zion.

Psalm 136

←135 | All books | All chapters | 137→

Praise Yah.

[Editor note: This is a ‘responsive’ form of song, and that’s why it has the repetitive phrase ‘And His mercies endure throughout the ages’ repeated so many times. A single singer will sing the main words, and the audience (or a choir) will respond by singing the repeated phrase. This was a common kind of song in ancient times, and very common among the Early Christians.]

¹ Let’s confess to Yahweh, because He is good, And His mercies endure throughout the ages. ² Let’s confess to the God of all gods, For His mercies endure throughout the ages.

³ Let’s confess to the Lord of all lords, For His mercies endure throughout the ages. ⁴ Only He does things that are wondrous and great, And His mercies endure throughout the ages.

⁵ He crafted the skies with great skill, And His mercies endure throughout the ages. ⁶ Over water, He raised solid ground, And His mercies endure throughout the ages.

⁷ He alone made the lights [in the skies], And His mercies endure throughout the ages. ⁸ He made the sun the ruler of day, And His mercies endure throughout the ages. ⁹ The moon and stars, He made rulers of night, And His mercies endure throughout the ages.

¹⁰ He’s the One who struck the firstborn of Egypt, And His mercies endure throughout the ages. ¹¹ Then, from their midst, He led IsraEl, For His mercies endure throughout the ages, ¹² With His arm and hand lifted high, For His mercies endure throughout the ages.

¹³ Then He split apart the Red Sea, For His mercies endure throughout the ages; ¹⁴ And through its midst, He led IsraEl, For His mercies endure throughout the ages. ¹⁵ He shook PharaOh and his army into the sea, For His mercies endure throughout the ages.

¹⁶ Then He led His people into the desert, For His mercies endure throughout the ages; ¹⁷ And there, great kings, He struck down, For His mercies endure throughout the ages… ¹⁸ Yes, many strong kings He destroyed there, For His mercies endure throughout the ages, ¹⁹ Such as SeOn the Amorite king, For His mercies endure throughout the ages, ²⁰ As well as Og, king of BaShan, For His mercies endure throughout the ages.

²¹ Then, as our inheritance, He gave us their land, For His mercies endure throughout the ages… ²² An inheritance to IsraEl, His servant, For His mercies endure throughout the ages.

²³ He didn’t forget us when we shamed ourselves, For His mercies endure throughout the ages; ²⁴ He ransomed us from our enemies’ hands, For His mercies endure throughout the ages. ²⁵ Then, He nourished our flesh, For His mercies endure throughout the ages. ²⁶ So, confess to God, O you heavens, For His mercies endure throughout the ages.

Psalm 137

←136 | All books | All chapters | 138→

A Psalm of David [handed down to us] through JeremiAh.

¹ At Babylon’s rivers we sat, And we wept, as we thought of [Mount] Zion. ² And there in [Babylon’s] midst, We hung our instruments on willows.

³ For there, our captors had asked us To sing the words of our psalms… Yes, those who took us away, dared to say:

‘From the odes of Zion, please sing us a song.’

⁴ But, how can we sing the songs of the Lord, There in an alien land?

⁵ O [City of] JeruSalem,

Should I ever forget you, May I also forget my right hand. ⁶ May my tongue stick to the [roof of my mouth] If I ever fail to remember And prefer the joys of JeruSalem, Which I had known long ago.

⁷ Remember the sons of Edom, O Lord, In JeruSalem’s day… Those who said:

‘Make it empty…

Cut it down to its very foundations!’

⁸ O miserable daughters of Babylon; Blest are those who’ll repay you With the same sort of payment that you sent to us… ⁹ Yes, blest is the one who’ll grab hold of you And dash your infants on rocks!

Psalm 138

←137 | All books | All chapters | 139→

A Psalm for David, [composed] by HagGai and ZachariAh.

¹ With my whole heart, I thank You, O Lord, And I’ll sing Your psalms before angels… May You hear these words that will come from my mouth.

² I’ll bow towards Your Holy Temple, And I’ll give thanks to Your Name. Because of Your mercy and truth, [I’ll sing] about Your Holy Name That You have raised above all.

³ In whatever day that I call upon You, Please quickly answer my prayer, And give my soul the strength to endure.

⁴ Let all kings of the earth give thanks to You, For they’ve heard all the words that came from Your mouth. ⁵ Then, let them sing of the ways of the Lord, For the glory of Yahweh is great.

⁶ Even though Yahweh is higher than all, He still watches out for the lowly, While the haughty, He sees from afar.

⁷ Although I’ve had to walk through difficult times, It was You who gave me the strength. And against my enemy’s rage, You thereafter, lifted Your hands, And with Your right hand, You saved me.

⁸ O Yahweh… Repay them for me, For Your mercy, O Lord, lasts throughout ages… Don’t overlook the works of Your hands!

Psalm 139

←138 | All books | All chapters | 140→

To the [music] director:

A Psalm.

¹ O Yahweh, You’ve known me and tried me. ² You knew me when I got up or sat down… From far away, You’ve known all my thoughts.

³ You’ve traced out my path through bent grass, And looked ahead to the ways that I’ll go; ⁴ So, You know that there’s no deceit on my tongue.

O Yahweh,

There’s nothing that You don’t know… ⁵ Both the things that have past and the things that will be.

It was You who shaped me and made me… You laid me out in [the palm] of Your hand. ⁶ So the knowledge of You brings me wonder and strength, And no way can I fully comprehend it.

⁷ Where could I go [to hide] from Your Breath, And where could I flee from Your presence? ⁸ If I flew to the sky, You’d be there; And I’ll still be in Your hand When I must go to the place of the dead.

⁹ If I could grow wings [and fly towards] the dawn, Or if I could camp at the ends of the seas, ¹⁰ Your hand would be there to guide me, And in Your right hand, You’d hold me.

¹¹ I said:

‘I’ll surely be trampled by darkness,

And around me, the light will turn into night.’

¹² But the dark isn’t darkness to You… Night is as day and darkness as light.

¹³ For, You [have examined] my kidneys, And it’s You who took me from my mother’s womb; ¹⁴ So, I’ll offer You praise.

The wonders of Your works, I’ve thought of in fear… And the man within me knows this is true.

¹⁵ Even my bones weren’t hidden from You When You made me in secret. When I was conceived on the earth, ¹⁶ You saw me before I was finished; For, You write the lives of all men in Your scroll On the day they’re formed and alone.

¹⁷ How precious are Your thoughts, O my God; They’ve been mighty ever since the beginning. ¹⁸ And if I were able to count them, They’d be more than the sands [of the seas]… Yet, when I wake up You’re still with me.

¹⁹ Please destroy the sinners, O God… Turn [Your face] from all men of blood! ²⁰ For, concerning their thoughts, You’ve said:

‘They’ve acted like fools in My [land].’

²¹ O Lord,

I hate all who hate You, And against Your enemies, I’ve shown zeal. ²² In perfect hatred, I’ve learned to detest them, And they’re my enemies too!

²³ So, try me, O God, and examine my heart… Search me through and know all my paths. ²⁴ See if any lawless ways are within me, Then guide me towards the paths of the ages.

Psalm 140

←139 | All books | All chapters | 141→

To the [music] director:

A Psalm of David.

¹ Please take me away, O Yahweh, From all of these wicked men… Save me from the unrighteous… ² Those whose hearts are unrighteous all day, And are always ready for war! ³ For like snakes, they’ve sharpened their tongues, And the poison of asps is under their lips.

⁴ From the hands of sinners, please guard me, O Lord… Remove me from the unrighteous… Those who’ve laid plans to stumble my feet. ⁵ For against me, the proud have hidden their snares… Ropes, they’ve held out to trip me, And obstacles they’ve placed in my path.

⁶ I said to Yahweh:

‘You are my God;

O Lord, please hear the sounds of my prayers!

⁷ O Mighty Lord, who else can save me?

Watch over my head in the day of the war.’

⁸ O Lord,

Don’t grant them the things that they want… Those sinners that are railing against me… Don’t leave me, so they won’t grow [stronger].

⁹ Bring trouble to those who surround me, And thereafter, close up their lips. ¹⁰ Into coals of fire, please throw them… Into a miserable place where they’ll not rise again!

¹¹ May those slandering me never prosper… May the unrighteous hunt them like prey And search for great ways to harm them.

¹² I know that Yahweh keeps watch on the poor, And He stands up for the needy. ¹³ So, may the righteous sing songs to His Name, And may the upright dwell in [the light] of His face.

Psalm 141

←140 | All books | All chapters | 142→

A Psalm of David.

¹ O Yahweh,

I’ve called out to You; So, please pay attention to my cries. ² May my prayers rise before You like incense, And the raising of my hands as an evening sacrifice.

³ O Yahweh,

Set a watch for my mouth And a fortress door for my lips. ⁴ Don’t allow wicked words to enter my heart, Or the deeds of the lawless to become my excuse.

If I’ve ever been guilty of taking their things, ⁵ May the righteous correct and rebuke me. May I not be considered a friend to the wicked, And may my prayers be in opposition To all the things they desire.

⁶ For their judges were swallowed down next to the rocks, So they didn’t hear the sweet words I’ve spoken. ⁷ The ground beneath them ripped open, And pulled their bones into the grave.

⁸ In You, O Yahweh my Lord, My eyes have trusted in the hope That You’ll keep watch on my life.

⁹ So, keep me away from the snares that they’ve hidden… The obstacles that the lawless have set. ¹⁰ Within their own nets, may those sinners be caught, And may they remain there until I’ve passed by.

Psalm 142

←141 | All books | All chapters | 143→

A Psalm of contemplation by David about the time when he was praying in the cave.

¹ With my voice, I cried to Yahweh… Before Him, I [bowed down to] beg. ² I poured out before Him the things that I need, And I spoke of how I’m being oppressed. ³ For He knows that my spirit has failed me, And they’ve hidden their snares on the roads that I walk.

⁴ Then I looked to the right and I noticed There was no one around whom I knew… There was also nowhere to run, And about my life, no one was concerned.

⁵ So I cried out to Him:

‘O Yahweh!

‘I’m calling to You, for You’re my hope…

Since You’re all that I have in the land of the living,

⁶ Please listen to the things that I’m begging;

For before You, I’ve humbled my soul.

‘Save me from those who pursue me,

Because they’re stronger than me.

⁷ Lead my soul out of this ‘prison’

So that I can keep praising Your Name.

Then the righteous will gather around me,

Because of the goodness You’ve shown.’

Psalm 143

←142 | All books | All chapters | 144→

A Psalm of David about when his son was pursuing him.

¹ Please hear my prayer, O Yahweh… In Your truth, hear the things that I beg! Listen to me in Your justice, ² And please don’t pass judgment on me. For I know that none of the living Can ever be righteous before You.

³ My enemy had chased me and humbled my soul… My life had been cut to the ground! And throughout the rest of the age, He’d have me thrown into the darkness Which is reserved for the dead.

⁴ So the spirit within me was troubled, And my heart was very disturbed. ⁵ Then, days of old, I remembered… I thought of the things that You’ve done, And I pondered the works of Your hands.

⁶ So I opened my [arms] and spread them to You, For my life had become like a desert. ⁷ Then, quickly You heard me, Yahweh… [Before] I had to give up my breath.

So from me, please don’t turn Your face, Or make me like those going into the pit. ⁸ May I be heard in the morning once more; For, I’ve put faith in Your mercy.

O Yahweh,

Please show me the way I should go, For to You, I’ve lifted my soul. ⁹ From those who hate me, please save me, O Lord; For I’ve taken refuge in You.

¹⁰ You’re my God, so teach me Your Will; For Your Spirit is good and will serve as my guide To lead me in paths that are straight.

¹¹ Because of Your Name, O Yahweh; You’ll allow me to live, And Your justice will lead me away From all of this pain in my life.

¹² To my enemies, please send destruction, And please show mercy on me… Wipe away those who are trying to kill me, For, I’m Your servant, O Lord.

Psalm 144

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A Psalm of David to GoliAth.

¹ Praise Yahweh my God Who’s taught my hands to fight battles, And the arts of war to my fingers.

² He’s my mercy, my refuge, and shield… He’s my defender and Savior. Since He made my people obey me, In Him, I’ve put all my hope.

³ What is mankind to You, O Yahweh, That to us, You’d make Yourself known, Or the son of man, that You’d think about him? ⁴ For we really don’t have any value, And our days pass by like the shadows.

⁵ O Yahweh,

Lean down from Your heavens… Touch the mountains and cause them to smoke. ⁶ Shoot Your arrows to disturb them… Flash lightning and drive them away.

⁷ Reach Your hand down from the heights, Then grab me out of the water… From the sons of strangers, please save me! ⁸ For, with their mouths, they say foolish things, And their right hands are filled with unrighteous ways.

⁹ O God,

To You, I’ll sing a new song, Which I’ll play on my harp of 10 strings:

¹⁰ ‘Please bring salvation to this king…

From the sword, save David, Your servant!

¹¹ ‘From these sons of strangers, please save me.

For their mouths have said foolish things,

And their right hands are filled with unrighteous ways.

¹² ‘Whose sons are these… They’re like newly-planted seeds,

Which feel secure in their youth.

Their daughters are well dressed and brightly adorned…

As nicely as you’d see in a temple.

¹³ ‘Their storerooms are all overflowing,

And their sheep are very prolific…

For they multiply in the streets,

¹⁴ While their oxen have grown thick [and strong].

‘None of their fences are broken;

None of their streams are [befouled];

And no crying is heard in their squares.

¹⁵ ‘Rather, bless the people of whom this is true…

Bless those whose God is Yahweh!’

Psalm 145

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A praise of David.

¹ I’ll raise Your [Name] high, my God and my King, And throughout the age and the age of the ages, I’ll [sing] praises about You. ² I’ll praise Your Name every day… I’ll praise Your Name throughout the rest of the age And into the age of the ages.

³ Jehovah is great and praiseworthy… There’s no end to His greatness. ⁴ To one generation after another, I’ll sing in praise of Your works And I’ll report of Your power.

⁵ I’ll speak of Your majesty also, And about Your holiness and glory; Then, I’ll describe all Your wonders.

⁶ I’ll speak of Your power and Your fearful deeds, And I’ll describe all Your greatness, ⁷ So the memory of all the kindness You’ve shown Will keep on growing [among them].

Then, about Your justice, they’ll shout:

⁸ ‘Yahweh is very forgiving…

He’s filled with kindness and mercy.

⁹ The Lord is benevolent also…

He shows compassion in all that He does.’

¹⁰ May all of Your works give praise to You… Yes, may all of Your holy ones praise You! ¹¹ May they speak of Your glorious Kingdom, And boast of the realm of Your rule.

¹² To all sons of men, may Your rule become known, And the glory of the majesty of Your Kingdom. ¹³ Your Kingdom is a kingdom of the ages, And Your authority is throughout generations.

What Yahweh says can be trusted, And the things that He does are all holy. ¹⁴ He gives support to the fallen, And He builds up all of the broken.

¹⁵ Yes, to You, all eyes look in hope, And at right times, You provide them their food… ¹⁶ You just open Your hand, And all living things are then filled.

¹⁷ Jehovah is righteous in all of His ways, And the things that He does are all holy. ¹⁸ Jehovah is near to those calling on Him… To those who call upon Him in truth.

¹⁹ He will do the will of all those who fear Him… He will hear their prayers and He will save them. ²⁰ For Yahweh guards all those who love Him, But the sinners, He will wipe away.

²¹ So my mouth will speak in praise of Yahweh… May all flesh speak well of His Name. Praise Him throughout the rest of this age, And into the age of the ages!

Psalm 146

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Praise Yah. A Psalm of HagGai and ZachariAh.

¹ Praise Yahweh, my soul! ² With my whole life, I’ll give praise to the Lord And I’ll strum to my God for as long as I live!

³ Don’t put faith in your rulers; For, sons of men can’t save you. ⁴ Their breath goes out and they’re gone from their land… In that day, their thoughts pass away.

⁵ Blest are those who have Jacob’s God as their aid… Those who put trust in Yahweh… ⁶ The One who made the heavens and earth… The seas and everything in them… The One who guards truth throughout the ages… ⁷ The One who brings justice to those who’ve been wronged, And who provides food to the hungry.

For, Yahweh releases the shackled, ⁸ And to the blind, He gives wisdom. Those who’ve been broken, Yahweh restores, And He loves all those who are righteous.

⁹ The Lord guards foreigners, orphans, and widows; But the ways of sinners, He wipes away. ¹⁰ O Zion; Yahweh reigns throughout the age… Throughout all generations, He is your God!

Psalm 147

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Praise Yah. A Psalm of HagGai and ZechariAh.

¹ Praise Yahweh, for our God is good, And praising Him is delightful! ² For our Lord will rebuild JeruSalem, And return all of His scattered people.

³ He’s the One who mends broken hearts, And wraps all those who are broken. ⁴ He’s counted all of the stars, And He calls each one by its name.

⁵ Great is our Lord and great is His strength… There’s no way to count all the things that He knows. ⁶ Jehovah watches over the meek, While sinners are humbled and led to the ground.

⁷ So, take the lead in praising Yahweh… Strum to our God on your harps! ⁸ For He made the clouds that cover the skies, And from them, sends rain to the ground, Which makes the grass grow on the mountains, And shoots to sprout for men [to consume]. ⁹ He’s the One who gives food to their cattle, And to the infants of crows… To all that are calling upon Him.

¹⁰ He doesn’t need the strength of a horse, Nor has He any use for men’s legs. ¹¹ But, Yahweh thinks well of all those who fear Him, And of those who trust in His mercy.

¹² So, praise Yahweh, JeruSalem… O Zion, give praise to your God! ¹³ For He’s strengthened the bars on your gates, And He allows you to give your sons blessings.

¹⁴ He’s the One who brings peace to your borders, And the fatness of wheat to your bellies. ¹⁵ He’s the One who sends His signs to the earth, And the things that He says happen quickly.

¹⁶ He sends us His snow as though it were wool, And He strews the fog as though ashes. ¹⁷ Like breadcrumbs, He scatters His ice, And who can withstand His chill? ¹⁸ But, by His word, it’ll all melt… He can blow His breath and turn it to water.

¹⁹ He’s the One who gave signs to Jacob… To IsraEl, He sent His rules and decisions. ²⁰ He’s done this for no other nation… To no other lands have His judgments been shown… So we should [sing] praises about Him!

Psalm 148

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Praise Yah. A Psalm of HagGai and ZechariAh.

¹ All you in the heavens; give praise to Yahweh… Yes, praise Him in all the high places. ² All of His angels should praise Him… Yes, praise Him, all you in His armies!

³ Praise Him, O sun and moon; Yes, praise Him, all stars and all lights! ⁴ Praise Him, O heavens of heavens, And praise Him, you waters above the sky!

⁵ Praise the Name of the Lord, For He just spoke and they came to be… He gave the instructions, and then they began! ⁶ He’s established them into the ages, And into the age of the ages. So, since He’s the One who set them in place, They’ll not pass away.

⁷ You beasts on the ground, give praise to Yahweh, As should those who dwell in the deep! ⁸ For fire, hail, and snow, and icy wind blasts, All arrive by His Word, ⁹ As did the mountains and hills, And all the fruit-bearing trees.

He’s the One who made all the cedars… ¹⁰ All the wild beasts and slithering things, And all the feathered, winged creatures. ¹¹ He made all the kings and their subjects… The rulers and all of the judges… ¹² The young men and virgins, the old and the young; ¹³ So, let them all praise the Name of the Lord!

His Name alone is the highest, And He’s higher than all the skies and the lands; ¹⁴ So, all should be raising their horns And [singing] hymns to His holy ones… Yes, to the sons of IsraEl … A people whom He’s held so dearly.

Psalm 149

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Praise Yah.

¹ Sing a new song to Yahweh… In the gatherings of the holy, sing His praises. ² Let IsraEl [take pride in] their maker, And may Zion’s sons rejoice in their king.

³ Then, may they all dance to His Name… May they dance to the strumming of lutes, And to the beating of tambourines.

⁴ Jehovah finds pleasure in His people, And the meek, He will lift up and save. ⁵ Then the holy will boast of their glory, And shout in joy from their beds.

⁶ They’ll praise God with their throats; For with a double-edged sword in His hands, ⁷ He’s coming to punish the nations, And to scold them for the bad things they’ve done.

⁸ He will tie up their kings and put them in stocks, And put shackles of iron on their nobles. ⁹ For He’s coming to bring execution Because of the judgments that He’s written about them, And to bring His holy ones glory.

Psalm 150

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Praise Yah.

¹ In His Most Holy Place, praise our God… Throughout all of the firmament, praise His power. ² In His dominion, shout praises of Him… In the expanse, give praise to His greatness.

³ Praise Him by the blowing of trumpets; Praise Him with lutes and with harps; ⁴ Praise Him with tambourines, And with the company of dancers.

Praise Him with the strings of the lyre, Praise Him with the sounds of woodwinds. ⁵ Praise Him with the clashing of cymbals; And along with the cymbals, add shouts… ⁶ May all that breathe praise Yahweh!

Proverbs

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Proverbs is a collection of wise sayings and advice, mostly written in the style of poetry or song.

It was mostly written or compiled by King Solomon about 1000 BCE, but it was later added to by others.

While it’s considered an inspired book, some of the proverbs within it were simply common sayings at the time. We don’t know exactly how many are original to the Bible.

Our version of Proverbs will read differently to other Bibles in certain places. Why? We use the older Greek Septuagint text, which mostly escaped later censorship and corruption. We think that the Septuagint version makes a lot more sense, is more harmonious with other Bible books, and is therefore likely the closest version to the original text.

For example, Proverbs 18:1 is completely different in this older text.

In the future, we’ll publish a list of all the differences between the later Hebrew version of Proverbs, and this more faithful Greek version.

Proverbs 1

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¹ These are the proverbs of Solomon, son of David, who reigned over IsraEl.

² To get to be wise and to truly learn, You must understand intelligent words. ³ [You must see how] words can be shifted and turned, And used to unlock enigmas.

You must also understand true justice… How to make judgments that are straight, ⁴ So that all your decisions can be sincere and wise. Yet, you must perceive and reflect like a child.

⁵ Yes, if you’ll listen, the wise will get wiser And receive intelligent guidance. ⁶ You’ll understand dark illustrations… The sayings of the wise and enigmas.

⁷ True wisdom starts with the fear of Yahweh; And all who follow that rule Will be understanding and good, Since perception begins with reverence for God. For, those who fail to respect Him, Treat wisdom and learning with contempt.

⁸ Hear, O son, the laws of your father, And don’t reject the rules of your mother. ⁹ Then, a garland of favor, you’ll get for your head, And a gold chain for your neck.

¹⁰ O son,

Don’t let the godless lead you astray, And don’t follow their ways. ¹¹ For they’ll offer you comforting words and then say:

‘Come with us and we’ll [shed] blood!

For we’ll treat the righteous unfairly,

Then we’ll hide their bodies under the ground.

¹² ‘Like the grave, we’ll swallow them down still alive,

And remove their memory from the land.

¹³ Then we’ll take all their things that have value,

And fill our houses with loot.

¹⁴ So, come with us and join what we do,

And we’ll each gain large sacks of money!’

¹⁵ But, don’t ever follow their ways… Turn your feet from their paths! ¹⁶ For their feet always run to do evil, And they’re quick to shed blood.

¹⁷ Haven’t they wrongfully spread out their traps, As would be done to catch birds… ¹⁸ Then murder to gain evil treasures? ¹⁹ Yes, these are the ways of the unrighteousness; And because of their lack of respect, They’re bringing destruction upon their own lives.

²⁰ However, the praises of wisdom are sung in the streets… She’s celebrated in all public places. ²¹ For she shouts aloud from the tops of the walls, And at city gates, she courageously says:

²² ‘As long as the honest have justice,

They’ll never be shamed.

‘But the insolent fools who crave [what’s not theirs],

And those who don’t fear [God]

Are the ones who are lacking good sense…

²³ So, they’ll be disciplined.

‘{Look!} Now I’ll set free the sayings of my spirit,

And to teach you, I’ll be speaking [wise] words.

²⁴ ‘Although I called out to you, you didn’t obey…

I explained it, but you wouldn’t listen.

²⁵ You’ve ignored all my council,

And to my scolding, you’ve paid no attention.

²⁶ So I’ll laugh when you’re destroyed,

And I’ll shout in joy at your ruin.

²⁷ ‘Yes, when troublesome times come upon you,

And in a blast, you’re quickly undone…

When you’re oppressed and assaulted,

²⁸ And you feel the need to cry out to me,

I won’t listen to you.

‘For when evil men search, they can’t find me,

²⁹ Because they’ve detested what’s wise,

And they’ve failed to show fear for Yahweh.

³⁰ ‘To my council, they chose not to listen,

And when they were scolded, they sneered.

³¹ So they’ll have to eat their own fruitage,

And ever after, they’ll be disrespected.

³² ‘Because they’ve done wrong to the simple,

They’ll soon be destroyed…

Yes, after they’re tried, they’ll be slaughtered.

³³ But, those who’ve chosen to listen to me

Have camped in peace, and never fear what’s bad.’

Proverbs 2

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¹ O son,

Hear the things that I’m saying… Take them and hide them within you. ² Your ears should obey these wise sayings… Understand them and put them deep in your heart, Then pass them along to your sons.

³ If you should call out for wisdom, And if you’ll seek understanding… ⁴ If you’ll search for perception like treasure, ⁵ You’ll learn the fear of the Lord And find the knowledge of God. ⁶ For, wisdom comes from Yahweh… In His presence, you’ll find understanding and knowledge.

⁷ For those who are walking straight paths, He has treasured away their salvation, And He’ll shield them wherever they travel, ⁸ Since He guards the ways of the righteous, And protects those who show Him respect. ⁹ Then, you’ll understand justice and judgments, And set yourself on a course to do good.

¹⁰ Now, should you decide to make wisdom your goal… If your soul decides to search for perception… ¹¹ If you’ll choose to follow good council, And if you’ll be careful to do holy things… ¹² From evil ways, this will save you, And from [the wiles] of men who tell lies.

¹³ They’re the ones who’ve abandoned straight paths, And in ways of darkness, they’ve chosen to walk. ¹⁴ For, badness is what makes them happy, And about what’s perverse, they rejoice. ¹⁵ All of their pathways are crooked, And curved are all of their tracks. ¹⁶ Away from straight paths, they’ll lead you, And from righteous plans, they’ll drive you away.

So, don’t let bad council mislead you… ¹⁷ Rather, [follow] the things that you’ve learned since your youth, And don’t overlook God’s Sacred Agreement.

¹⁸ There are women who put death near their homes, For the things that they do lead to the grave. ¹⁹ Those who approach them will never return, For they’ll not turn back to straight paths… From the road of life, they’ve strayed.

²⁰ But, smooth are the roads that the righteous have found; For the meek will inherit the land, And the honest are those who’ll remain there. ²¹ Then, only the upright will camp in the land, And those who’ll remain are the holy. ²² Disrespectful ways will be gone, And those who break laws will be banished.

Proverbs 3

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¹ O son,

Don’t forget the laws [that I’ve shown you], And keep the things that I’ve said in your heart; ² For, this will add length to your life. Yes, you’ll live [many] years, And peace will be added to you.

³ May charity and faith never fail you… If around your neck, you’ll tie them And write them on the tablet of your heart, ⁴ You’ll find the favor [of God].

Before Yahweh and men You should always plan to do what’s good. ⁵ Wholeheartedly trust in your God, And on your own wisdom, never rely.

⁶ Keep sight of [wisdom] in all of your ways; For before you, she cuts a straight path. ⁷ So, in your own skills, never trust… Fear God and turn from all that’s bad. ⁸ Then, healing will come to your body, And care will be shown to your bones.

⁹ You must always honor Yahweh… Work hard at doing what’s good. As first fruits, offer Him your righteousness ways, ¹⁰ Then with grain, your stores will be filled, And wine will gush from your vats.

¹¹ O son,

Never treat Yahweh’s instructions lightly, Or give up when He disciplines you. ¹² For Yahweh loves those who accept His correction, And He whips those whom He welcomes as sons.

¹³ The man who finds wisdom is blest, As is the mortal that’s smarter. ¹⁴ She’s a better trade than silver or gold, ¹⁵ And she’s worth more than all that’s expensive.

Nothing of value is worth more than her; ¹⁶ For long life and survival are in her right hand, And in her left, is glory and wealth.

Out of her mouth flows true justice; On her tongue, there’s mercy and law. ¹⁷ Goodness is found in her ways, And all of her paths lead to peace.

¹⁸ She’s a tree of life to all who’ll grab hold (Those leaning on her as they do on the Lord)… They’re the ones who’ll get away safely.

¹⁹ For in wisdom, God founded the earth, And with intelligence, He assembled the skies. ²⁰ By His perceptions, the valleys were formed, As dew flowed down from the clouds.

²¹ So, don’t let my council slip by… Pay attention and learn to gain insight; ²² Then, the person you are will continue to live And [God’s] favor will be tied ‘round your neck. For, to your flesh, this brings healing, And comfort to all of your bones.

²³ Then, peace will follow in all of your ways, And your feet will never be stumbled. ²⁴ When you sit, it’ll be without any fear; And when you lie down, your sleep will bring rest.

²⁵ You won’t tremble at terrible things, Nor will the godless push you aside. ²⁶ For Yahweh will watch all your ways And make straight paths for your feet, So you’ll never stumble and fall.

²⁷ And don’t overlook those who are poor When you have what they need in your hands. ²⁸ Don’t say, ‘You should come back tomorrow… I’ll give you what you need at some other time.’ Give them what’s good when you have it, So you’ll never see the birth of what’s evil.

²⁹ And never plot to do bad to a friend, Or to those with whom you must travel… Those who’ve put trust in you. ³⁰ Nor should you quarrel without a good reason, So people don’t try to get even.

³¹ Don’t follow the evil of those you despise, Or ever be jealous of the bad things they do. ³² Since Yahweh considers lawbreakers unclean, The righteous should not sit among them.

³³ The houses of those who show no respect Have all been cursed by the Lord, While the homes of the righteous are blest. ³⁴ For Yahweh opposes the proud, And shows favor to those who are humble. ³⁵ So the wise will inherit all glory, While the godless will just get dishonor.

Proverbs 4

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¹ O child,

Hear the words of your father! Listen, so you can gain insight! ² For I’m going to give you a gift, And from these instructions, don’t stray!

³ I was also the son of a father, And one who was loved by his mother; ⁴ So, by them both, I was taught. [They said], ‘Keep our words in your heart… Don’t forget our instructions! ⁵ You should seek knowledge and wisdom… Don’t forget or ignore the words from our mouths, Or ever turn aside from these things! ⁶ Stick with this way, don’t leave it… Love it with passion and you’ll be kept [safe].’

⁷ Wisdom is the basis for all [that’s good]; So with all you acquire, gain wisdom! And among all the things you possess, Be sure that you gain understanding! ⁸ Build her a fort and she’ll lift you… Hold her in esteem and she’ll watch over you… She’ll place a garland on your head… ⁹ A luxurious crown that will shield you.

¹⁰ Hear, O son, and receive all my words; For they’ll multiply the years of your life, And many ways, you’ll then understand.

¹¹ I’m teaching you the ways of the wise… On you, I’m piling tracks that are straight, ¹² So the ways that you go won’t hem you in, Or ever be a block to your footsteps; Thus, when you must run, you won’t tire.

¹³ Grab my instructions and don’t let them go… Hold them tight for yourself and your life!

¹⁴ Don’t follow in the ways of the godless Or be jealous of the ways of lawbreakers. ¹⁵ Don’t go to places where they hang out… ¹⁶ Yes, alter your course and divert; For they won’t sleep until they’ve done wrong. And since they can’t sleep, they don’t go to bed… ¹⁷ On the grain of irreverence, they feed, And on the wine of lawless ways, they get drunk.

¹⁸ But the ways of the righteous are like light… They illuminate and shine until morning. ¹⁹ While the ways of the irreverent are dark, And they don’t know how often they stumble.

²⁰ O son,

Pay attention to the things that I’m saying And listen to my words with your ears; ²¹ For then, your wells won’t fail you. Yes, store them deep in your heart, ²² For those who find them will live, And to your flesh, they’ll bring healing.

²³ With all the things that you guard, Pay close attention to your heart, Because it’s the source of your life.

²⁴ From your mouth, remove all that’s crooked, And keep unrighteous lips far away. ²⁵ Let your eyes always look straight ahead… And don’t let their lids wink at injustice.

²⁶ Make straight tracks for your feet, And straighten out all of your paths. ²⁷ Don’t turn aside to the right or the left… Just turn your feet from what’s bad. For God knows the ways that are righteous, And those who pervert them, He puts on His left. But if you’ll choose to make your tracks straight, He’ll lead you in ways that bring peace.

Proverbs 5

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¹ O son,

Pay attention to my wisdom And lend your ears to my words So that you can understand clearly… ² Then my lips will tell you the things I’ve perceived.

To bad women, you should pay no attention! ³ For the lips of a whore drip with honey, Which may fatten the throat for a while… ⁴ But then, you’ll find them more bitter than bile And sharper than a double-edged sword.

⁵ Foolish are the feet of those turning to her, For this leads to death and the grave… And the tracks aren’t easily noticed. ⁶ Her ways don’t lead to life, And the tracks that she makes are slippery and dark.

⁷ O son, please listen to me… Don’t ignore these things that I’m saying! ⁸ From them, you should stay far away… Don’t approach the doors to their homes ⁹ So you don’t pass your life onto others And share your vigor with those who lack mercy.

¹⁰ No, don’t fill a stranger with your vigor… Your strength shouldn’t enter [a whore]… ¹¹ For you’ll then be sorry when your flesh falls away. ¹² And you’ll say:

‘How I hated to be told…

How discipline [bothered] my heart…

¹³ So I wouldn’t accept their correction,

And my ears wouldn’t hear the things I was taught.

¹⁴ So, little by little, I fell into bad

And away from [God’s] congregation.’

¹⁵ O son,

Drink water from your own jar… Just that which flows from your own well! ¹⁶ Let the waters of your springs overflow… Carry your own water when you go to the squares!

¹⁷ Let it be yours all alone… Don’t share it with strangers! ¹⁸ Let your spring be just yours alone, And find joy in the wife of your youth… ¹⁹ Your favorite filly, and your friendly hind.

Let her share conversation with you… Hold her high and keep her nearby, For this friendship will mean a great deal.

²⁰ Don’t spend time with strange women, And never hold one who’s not yours. ²¹ For the eyes of God watch the ways of a man, And He’s tracking the things that we do.

²² Unlawful acts are a snare to all men, And for your sins, you’ll be wrapped up in chains. ²³ Those who don’t learn this will come to their end, And then they’ll lose all they own… They’ll perish in their own foolish ways.

Proverbs 6

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¹ O son,

When you co-sign a loan for a friend, You’ve put yourself in your enemy’s hands. ² From your own lips you’ve been captured and snared… By words that came from your own mouth.

³ O son,

Save yourself by heeding my words. For, if you choose to do such a thing, Into evil hands, you’ll fall.

Don’t leave yourself [in such a position]; For you’ll find that you’ll even anger your friend… The one for whom you co-signed the loan!

⁴ So, don’t let your eyes go to sleep ⁵ Or allow your eyelids to slumber, Before you’ve escaped like a doe from a noose, And as wild fowl from a snare.

⁶ Lazy one; You should learn from the ant… Feel zeal when you see what he does. Yes, you should become just like him… But, you should also be wiser!

⁷ For he doesn’t own his own farm, And he has no one to urge him to work, Nor is he under a master. ⁸ But, during the summer, he gathers much food, As he prepares to feast in the harvest.

⁹ O lazy one,

How much longer will you continue to lie there… Yes, when will you awaken from sleep? ¹⁰ You sit for a while, then rest for a while, And after a while, you slumber With your hands and arms on your chest, ¹¹ As poverty overtakes you like a mugger, And lack catches you like a sprinter.

¹² A man (a fool and lawbreaker) Will travel in ways that are evil. ¹³ He beckons with his eyes, Makes signs with his feet, And teaches with the motions of his fingers.

¹⁴ He plans to do bad, since his heart is perverse, And he brings disturbance into his own city. ¹⁵ But because of this, his death will come soon… He’ll be cut off and not be brought back, ¹⁶ Since he rejoices over things that God hates.

He will be destroyed, since his life is unclean… ¹⁷ Because his eyes are insulting… Because his tongue is unrighteous… Because his hands have shed righteous blood… ¹⁸ Because his heart conspires to do bad And his feet have run to do evil.

¹⁹ When [a man] tells a lie [in a courtroom], This unrighteous witness lights fires, And between even brothers, brings lawsuits.

²⁰ O son,

Guard the laws of your father, And don’t cast aside the rules of your mother! ²¹ Fasten them tight to your soul… Tie them around your neck with a cord!

²² Bring them along wherever you walk, And make sure they’re always nearby. When you sleep, you should let them keep watch, And have them remind you when you arise.

²³ For the Law’s Commandments are a lamp and a light… They’re a complete way of life! They’re correction and instruction to guard you ²⁴ From bad women who are already married, And from the distractions that come from strange tongues.

²⁵ Don’t let their beauty entice you… Don’t get trapped by the things you can see, Or be beguiled by their eyes. ²⁶ For, less than bread is the value of a whore, And a woman of men ensnares precious lives.

²⁷ Can a man light a fire upon his own chest Without it burning his clothes? ²⁸ Can someone walk on live coals Without them consuming his feet?

²⁹ For, when you [have sex with] another man’s wife, That’s what will happen to you, Since none that touch her are found free from guilt.

³⁰ It’s no surprise when someone’s caught stealing, For, to fill a hungry soul, men will steal. ³¹ Then, when they’re caught, 7 times they’ll repay… They’ll give all they own to be saved.

³² But by the lack of good sense, The man who’s committing adultery, Upon himself, brings destruction. ³³ For he suffers both grief and dishonor, And his scorn won’t be forgotten Throughout the rest of the age.

³⁴ Because of the jealous rage of her man, He won’t be spared in the day that he’s judged. ³⁵ And because of the hate of this person, He’ll not be able to bargain, Nor will many gifts buy his freedom.

Proverbs 7

←6 | All books | All chapters | 8→

¹ O son,

Keep my words and commandments… Hide them inside of yourself! ² Have deep respect for Yahweh, And He will make you grow stronger… In addition to Him, fear no other!

Keep His commands and live [a long] life… Like the pupil of your eye, guard His words. ³ Wrap them around all your fingers, And inscribe them in the depths of your heart.

⁴ Also guard wisdom as your own sister And intelligence as your best friend, ⁵ So they’ll keep you away from strange women, As well as from all that is wicked. Then, about you, good things will be said.

⁶ She leans from the window of her house on the square, ⁷ And whenever she views foolish offspring (Young men who are lacking good sense) ⁸ Passing the corner near the path to her house; ⁹ She speaks from the darkness of the evening, When all are at rest in the dimness of night.

¹⁰ She meets with him and she looks like a whore, And the young man’s heart starts to flutter. ¹¹ She’s so enticing and carnal… But, don’t let your feet stop by her [door].

¹² At times, she’ll stray outside of her house, And stand on the corner of the square. ¹³ There she reaches out and she fondles, And with an impudent face she might say:

¹⁴ ‘A sacrifice of peace, I must offer,

And today, I must render my vows…

¹⁵ So, that’s why I’ve met up with you.

I noticed your face [as you’re passing],

And I came over here just to find you.

¹⁶ ‘Now, while I was sewing, I laid out my bed,

And spread it with sheets [made in] Egypt.

¹⁷ With saffron, I sprinkled my bed,

And cinnamon, I’ve put ‘round my house.

¹⁸ ‘So, come and enjoy my friendship ‘til dawn…

Come, and we’ll wrap up in passion!

¹⁹ For, my husband isn’t at home…

He’s gone away on a journey.

²⁰ He left with a bundle of silver,

And he’ll not be back for several more days.’

²¹ She leads him astray and acts like a friend, While tying a noose ‘round his neck. By the words from her lips, she then reels him in; ²² And he follows like an ox to the slaughter… Like a dog that’s being led on a leash, Or a stag that’s been shot in the liver. ²³ So he hurries like fowl towards a snare, Not knowing that he’s running for his life.

²⁴ Now, hear and pay close attention To the sayings that come from my mouth! ²⁵ Don’t turn aside to her ways in your heart, And don’t be misled by her wiles.

²⁶ Many she’s stabbed through and then thrown away… Unnumbered are those whom she’s murdered. ²⁷ Her house is on the road to the grave, And it leads to the storeroom of death.

Proverbs 8

←7 | All books | All chapters | 9→

¹ If you’ll call out for wisdom, Intelligence will also obey you! ² He’s higher than all of the others, And he stands in the midst of all roads.

³ He’s the home of the mighty, And in their doorway, he sings:

⁴ ‘O men, I’ll bring comfort to you,

And I’ll sing this aloud to your sons:

⁵ ‘All you guileless should learn to be shrewd,

And the unlearned should store it deep in their hearts!’

⁶ ‘So, you should listen to me,

For I’m speaking of serious things…

From my lips comes something that’s true!

⁷ So my throat will be speaking truly,

Since those with lying lips, I’ve hated.

⁸ ‘Righteous are the sayings that come from my mouth…

Nothing in them is crooked or evil.

⁹ So the discerning should stand face to face

With the one who’s teaching them knowledge.

¹⁰ ‘Seek instruction, not silver…

Put knowledge above proven gold!

¹¹ And wisdom is better than most precious gems…

Nothing is worth more than it,

¹² Since wisdom camps with counsel and knowledge!’

‘And as I’m reflecting, I’ll say this:

¹³ ‘Those fearing Yahweh will hate all injustice,

As well as insolence and pride,

And ways that lead to what’s evil…

For He hates the perversions of those who do bad.’

¹⁴ ‘Council and safety are mine!

Intelligence and strength are mine also!

¹⁵ For by me, the kings start their reigns,

And the mighty write about justice.

¹⁶ ‘By me, the great become sovereigns…

Through me, they rule the whole earth.

¹⁷ Those fond of me are always beloved,

And those who seek me find favor.

¹⁸ ‘By me, wealth and glory exist,

As well as the lands of the just.

¹⁹ So the blest will gather my fruitage

Before seeking gold or rare gems…

For my reward is better than silver.

²⁰ ‘I walk in the ways of the righteous

And return in the pathways of reason.

²¹ I provide for all those who love me,

And I fill their treasuries with things that are good.

²² ‘I’ll proclaim what happens each day,

And I’ll speak of the things of the ages.

For, by Yahweh I was created,

And He made the head of His ways…

I’m the one [in charge] of His works.

²³ ‘In the beginning, He made me,

Before this age came to be…

Before He decreed the creation of lands…

²⁴ Before He made the abysses,

And before the springs gushed with water.

²⁵ ‘Yes, I was fathered by Him

Before the mountains and hills…

²⁶ Before He made the places to live,

Or the ends of man’s home under the skies.

²⁷ ‘As He was preparing the heavens,

I’m the one who presented them to Him.

Then He placed His throne on the winds,

²⁸ And moved clouds above with His strength.

‘Then He made all the springs under the skies,

²⁹ And set limits for the waters of the seas,

So they couldn’t cross over their borders.

And when the foundations of the earth were made strong,

I’m the one who stood there beside Him.

³⁰ ‘By Him, all things worked together,

And He found joy in them all.

Each day that I stood there before Him,

In this, I also found much delight.

³¹ Then He was pleased when He finished man’s home,

And over sons of men, He was happy.’

³² Now, listen to me, O my son:

Blest are those who are guarding his ways! ³³ Learn from wisdom and you’ll be wise… Don’t cover it over!

Blest is the man who listens to it… The man who guards all its ways… ³⁴ The one who’s awake at its entrance each day, And that pays close attention at its doors!

³⁵ For, those who seek it find life And receive the favor of God! ³⁶ But, those who are sinning against it Are disrespecting their souls… All who hate it are lovers of death.

Proverbs 9

←8 | All books | All chapters | 10→

¹ Wisdom has built a house for himself, And atop seven columns, he’s propped it. ² He has offered the needed sacrifices… He’s mixed the wine in their jars, And he has readied his table. ³ Then he sends his servants to call [all the guests], And with a grand proclamation, he says:

⁴ ‘All you who are foolish; turn here to me!’

⁵ He says to those who are lacking good sense:

‘Come eat my bread and drink my wine

That I’ve mixed up for you!

⁶ Stop being a fool, become smarter,

So you’ll live a long time…

Get straight with wisdom and knowledge!’

⁷ Those who attempt to straighten the godless, Upon themselves, bring dishonor. For, when you scold those who have no respect, You just make a fool of yourself.

⁸ So, don’t scold those who are evil, For they’ll just start to detest you! But, reprove the wise and they’ll love you… ⁹ Give them help and they’ll be wiser… An explanation to those who are righteous, Will thereafter, bring them much more.

¹⁰ Wisdom starts with the fear of Yahweh, And counsel about holiness brings understanding. Also, knowledge of the Law is good to consider; ¹¹ For if you learn it, you’ll live a long time… Many years, it’ll add to your life.

¹² O son, If you choose to seek wisdom, You’ll make yourself wise. But, if you choose to seek evil, You’ll just bring bad things on yourself.

¹³ A woman without food who’s foolish and bold, Has no knowledge of shame. ¹⁴ She sits at the door of her house in a chair To make herself seen in the square.

¹⁵ Then she calls out to those who pass on the street, And to those who are walking straight paths:

¹⁶ ‘You who are the most foolish;

Turn aside and come here to me!’

She arouses the stupid by saying:

¹⁷ ‘You’ll touch secret ‘bread loaves’ in pleasure,

And steal ‘sweet water’ to drink!’

¹⁸ But the thing that they don’t understand, Is that she brings destruction upon earthly men… That she’s perching them on the edge to the grave!

Proverbs 10

←9 | All books | All chapters | 11→

¹ A wise son gladdens a father; But a foolish son brings his mother distress.

² Treasures bring no help to the lawless; But, they can rescue the righteous from death.

³ Jehovah won’t let the righteous go hungry; But, impious ways [lead to famine].

⁴ Poverty humbles a man; But, hard-working hands will enrich him.

Correcting a son makes him wiser; So the foolish, he’ll treat as his servants.

⁵ An intelligent son will be saved And he won’t [have to slave in] sweltering heat; But wind will destroy all the harvest Of the son who’s a lawbreaker.

⁶ Jehovah sends blessing to the heads of the righteous, And mourning to the mouths of the wicked.

⁷ The righteous are remembered and commended; While the names of the irreverent will perish.

⁸ A wise heart does as it’s told; But, back-talking lips will be stumbled.

⁹ For those who comply, things go easy; But, resistance won’t be forgotten.

¹⁰ The eye that winks at bad things Is creating distress for the rest. But, the man who openly scolds, Is the one who’s bringing them peace.

¹¹ Mouths of the righteous are like springs of life; But a mouth that curses, leads to destruction.

¹² Hatred leads to a war; But, those who won’t fight create friendships.

¹³ Those whose lips bring forth wisdom Are beating the heartless with a stick.

¹⁴ The wise learn to hide their perceptions; But, mouths that speak rashly, bring destruction.

¹⁵ The rich man’s wealth is his fortress, While poverty brings ruin to the poor.

¹⁶ The deeds of the righteous bring life, While the fruit of the irreverent brings sin.

¹⁷ Following instructions leads you to life; For, without instructions, you’ll stray.

¹⁸ Righteous lips cover your hatred; But, those who shout insults are fools.

¹⁹ A sin can’t be covered with many words; So it’s wise for your lips to say little.

²⁰ A righteous tongue is like refined silver, But the hearts of the irreverent are worthless.

²¹ The lips of the righteous speak of high things, While fools die for the lack of understanding.

²² Jehovah blesses the heads of the righteous… He enriches and brings no distress to their hearts.

²³ The fool will laugh when he’s doing what’s bad; But, wisdom makes a man act much smarter.

²⁴ By destruction, the impious are carried away, While the righteous will receive the things that they crave.

²⁵ A blast will come to destroy the impious; But the righteous will turn and escape in that age.

²⁶ As green grapes are bad for your teeth, And smoke is bad for your eyes; So are lawless ways to those who are harmed.

²⁷ The fear of Yahweh adds days to your life, While the lives of the irreverent are shortened by years.

²⁸ Happiness stays with the righteous, While the irreverent one’s hopes are destroyed.

²⁹ Jehovah’s a fort of those who show mercy, But a ruin to those who are doing what’s bad.

³⁰ The righteous will live throughout the ages; But the impious won’t live long in the land.

³¹ From the mouths of the righteous, drips wisdom, While unrighteous tongues lead to ruin.

³² From the lips of the righteous comes loving care; But rejection comes from the mouths of the godless.

Proverbs 11

←10 | All books | All chapters | 12→

¹ Dishonest scales are disgusting to [God]… Fair weights are what He approves.

² Those who shout insults show their dishonor, While the mouths of the humble speak wisely.

³ The righteous leave no regrets when they die; But, the irreverent are ridiculed when they’re gone.

⁴ The perfection of the righteous will guide them, While the Godless are plundered by failure… In the day of [God’s] rage, their possessions will fail, As the righteous are rescued from death.

⁵ Holiness keeps the righteous on their straight paths; But by their godless ways, the unrighteous fail.

⁶ The right ways of the good is what saves them; But the thoughtless ways of lawbreakers Is the thing that leads them to jail.

⁷ When a righteous man comes to his end, The things that he’s hoped for are never destroyed. But the boastful ways of the godless Will soon bring about their destruction.

⁸ When the righteous are saved from a trap, The irreverent thereafter fall in it.

⁹ The mouths of the irreverent are snares to their friends; But the mouths of the righteous bring blessings.

¹⁰ By the good of the righteous, a city is born, And the destruction of the irreverent brings it joy.

¹¹ By the praises of the upright, a city is raised; But the mouths of the impious tear it back down.

¹² A senseless man sneers at his comrades; But, an intelligent man leads them to rest.

¹³ A double-tongued man reveals other’s plans, While the trustworthy keep matters hidden.

¹⁴ Those with no guidance will fall like the leaves; But, salvation is found [by seeking] advice.

¹⁵ The wicked act badly among righteous men, And the sounds of their safety, they hate.

¹⁶ A praiseworthy woman brings glory to her man, But those hating what’s right, bring dishonor.

The lazy will never be wealthy, While those who work hard will be rich.

¹⁷ A merciful man brings good to his soul, While the merciless bring themselves ruin.

¹⁸ The impious receive what’s wrong as their wage, While the offspring of the righteous is their reward.

¹⁹ A righteous son will gain life, While an irreverent son will bring his own death.

²⁰ Twisted ways are disgusting to [God]… He just approves of those who walk in straight paths.

²¹ Those who lay hands on another for bad reasons Won’t go unpunished for their evil ways. But, those who are fair are assured a reward.

²² As a gold ring in the snout of a pig Is a pretty woman with evil desires.

²³ The righteous will receive what’s good, While the hopes of the godless will perish.

²⁴ There are those who’ll plant seeds and reap more… But, there are some that will also reap less.

²⁵ A generous man will be blest… For, those who water will be watered.

²⁶ A man who hoards grain will leave it to [others], While the heads of those who share it are blest.

²⁷ Those planning to do good, seek its blessings; But, those who plan to do evil, Will be captured by those who do what’s good.

²⁸ Those who trust in their wealth won’t succeed; But, those who help the righteous will last.

²⁹ The man who doesn’t love those in his own home Will just inherit the wind… To the intelligent, he’ll be just a fool and a slave.

³⁰ From the tree of life, the righteous [gather] fruit, While the souls of the lawless are lost.

³¹ If the righteous will be saved [by the skin of their teeth]; What hope is there for the impious and sinners?

Proverbs 12

←11 | All books | All chapters | 13→

¹ Those who love to be taught, love understanding, While those hating correction are fools.

² Those who find the favor of [God] Are the ones who’ll receive what’s best, While the lawless just get condemnation.

³ Those who break laws won’t endure; While the righteous won’t be uprooted.

⁴ A virtuous woman is a crown to her man; But, one who’s bad will eat him away Like a worm that’s boring through wood.

⁵ True judgments are the ways of the righteous, And treacherous are the ways of the godless.

⁶ The impious lie in wait to shed blood, While righteous mouths offer protection.

⁷ When the irreverent lose, they just pass away, While the homes of the righteous remain.

⁸ The mouths of the discerning are praised by all men, While those with dull hearts are just sneered at.

⁹ It’s best for the dishonored to be servants Than be too proud and go without bread.

¹⁰ The righteous are concerned for the lives of their cattle, While the impious feel no compassion or mercy.

¹¹ Those who work their ground will eat bread, While those who chase vain things go hungry.

There are those who drink wine as their pastime… But they leave their honor behind.

¹² The desires of the impious are evil; But the roots of those who show deep respect Will become strongly entrenched.

¹³ By the sins of his lips, a sinner is snared, While the righteous will flee from such things.

¹⁴ From the fruits of his mouth, a man’s soul receives good… He’ll be repaid for the things his lips say.

¹⁵ Fools will follow in their own ways, While the wise will follow advice.

¹⁶ A fool bares his rage before all, But the wise will hide his dishonor.

¹⁷ The righteous put trust in telling the truth; But an unrighteous witness will lie.

¹⁸ There are some that speak as though stabbing with swords, While the tongues of the wise send healing.

¹⁹ Lips that are straight will speak what’s true, While unrighteous lips are too hasty.

²⁰ Those planning to do bad have treachery in their hearts, While those planning peace will find joy.

²¹ Injustice displeases the righteous, While the godless [find pleasure] in all that’s bad.

²² Lying lips are disgusting to [God]… He only accepts those whose lips He can trust.

²³ The wise don’t show all the things that they know; But the hearts of fools blurt their folly.

²⁴ Hands that are honest, easily win, While the hands of the deceitful are plundered.

²⁵ Frightful words disturb hearts of men, But a message that’s good brings them joy.

²⁶ A friend is one who suggests what’s right. But, sinners support evil and impious ways.

²⁷ A deceitful man won’t get what he wants, While those with pure hearts will be wealthy.

²⁸ The ways of the righteous lead them to life… From death, it turns them away.

Proverbs 13

←12 | All books | All chapters | 14→

¹ A wise son does as his father directs, While those who won’t listen will meet with destruction.

² From the fruit of righteous lips, good people will eat, As the lives of the lawless are all wiped away.

³ Those who keep watch on the things that they say Are also keeping watch on their lives; While those who let their lips go Are turning their lives into failure.

⁴ While idle men think of the things that they want, Hardworking hands bring results.

⁵ The righteous hate words that aren’t true, While the lies of the wicked bring themselves shame.

⁶ Righteousness guards the ways of the honest, While the irreverent are led into sin.

⁷ There are those who seek wealth and get nothing; And there are those who put themselves low that get rich.

⁸ A man’s wealth may be used to ransom his life, While the poor have nothing to fear.

⁹ The righteous will always have light, While the light of the irreverent is extinguished.

¹⁰ Those practicing evil, [shout] insults, While the wise argue just with themselves.

¹¹ Things gained in haste by the lawless Will soon lose all of their value, As things that are gathered by the righteous Will keep on growing in worth.

¹² Those who plan in their hearts to help others Are better than those who just promise And raise [false] hopes in [the poor].

A tree of life is the will to do good; ¹³ But those who hate to do what’s right Will be hated for that very same reason.

Those who deceive will get nothing good, While the wise ways of a servant will prosper.

¹⁴ The Law is a well of life to the wise, Which turns them away from death’s snares.

¹⁵ Understanding what’s good, brings [God’s] favor… Knowing and considering [His] Law, is what’s good. But the roads of all those who hate it Are the paths that lead to destruction.

¹⁶ A wise man acts on the things he’s learned, While the fool continues in his evil ways.

¹⁷ A hasty king will find trouble… But wise counselors can save him from this.

¹⁸ Poverty and dishonor are removed by instruction, And those following correction, will be blest.

¹⁹ The irreverent desire whatever delights them. But, ignorance is all they accomplish.

²⁰ Those who travel with the wise will be wise, While those traveling with fools will also be fools.

²¹ Sinners will do evil things. While the righteous will do what’s good.

²² A good man will inherit the sons of his sons, And the wealth of the impious is reserved for the righteous.

²³ The righteous will spend many years with their wealth, While the wicked will suddenly perish.

²⁴ Those who don’t spank them, dislike their sons, While those who love them give careful correction.

²⁵ The righteous will eat and make their lives full, As the lives of the godless go lacking.

Proverbs 14

←13 | All books | All chapters | 15→

¹ A woman who’s wise will strengthen her home; But the foolish rips theirs down with their own hands.

² Those on straight paths fear Yahweh, While those on crooked paths [truly] hate Him.

³ From the mouth of a fool comes an insult, While the lips of the wise hold it back.

⁴ Where there are no cattle, the stables are clean; But the strength of the ox is apparent In barns that are prospering well.

⁵ A trustworthy witness won’t lie; But a lying witness will commit other sins.

⁶ The bad who seek wisdom, won’t find it; But, to the discerning, it comes easily.

⁷ Whatever the foolish say will be wrong; But wise lips are the weapons of those with good sense.

⁸ From their wisdom, the wise get direction, While fools are misled by their own thoughtless ways.

⁹ The homes of the lawless need cleaning, While the homes of the righteous are worthy of praise.

¹⁰ A man whose heart is easily hurt Will always be in distress. But, insults won’t bother a heart filled with joy.

¹¹ The homes of the impious will meet with destruction, While the tents of the upright will last.

¹² There are ways that may seem straight to a man, But they end in the depths of the grave.

¹³ Bold hearts are always filled with their ways, While a good man is filled with his thoughts.

¹⁵ A gullible man believes every word, While the wise will think it all through.

¹⁶ In fear, a wise man will turn from what’s bad, While a fool gives in and breaks laws.

¹⁷ A man prone to rage will act without thought, While the wise will endure many things.

¹⁸ A fool will share in doing what’s bad, While the wise will maintain their good sense.

¹⁹ Evil men slip in among those who are good, And the irreverent watch the doors of the righteous.

²⁰ Friends dislike friends that are poor, While many are the friends of the rich.

²¹ Those who dishonor the needy are sinners, While those who show mercy are blest.

²² Those who stray, contrive evil schemes, While the good contrive mercy and truth.

The bad have no mercy or faith, While the good are generous and trusting.

²³ For those who care, there’s more than enough, While those who seek pleasure are lacking.

²⁴ The crown of the wise is their wealth; But, evil is the pastime of fools.

²⁵ A trustworthy witness snatches lives from the evil, While a deceitful man will just lie.

²⁶ Those who trust in the strength of Yahweh, Will leave an inheritance for their children.

²⁷ The rules of Yahweh are life-giving springs That lead men away from death’s snares.

²⁸ A prosperous nation brings glory to its king; But a nation in want brings him ruin.

²⁹ An intelligent man forgives freely; But a faint-hearted man [holds a grudge].

³⁰ A practical man is a healer of hearts; But a sensitive man is a moth to the bones.

³¹ The man who’s extorting the needy Is provoking the One by whom he was made; But, those whom He holds in esteem Are the ones who show mercy to the poor.

³² For their evil, the irreverent will be shunned, While the righteous will be looked on as holy.

³³ In the heart of a good man, rests wisdom, Which can’t be found in the heart of a fool.

³⁴ Justice will build up a nation; But, sinners will bring its decline.

³⁵ Wise counselors are [a joy to] the king, For they can remove his dishonor In very ingenious ways.

Proverbs 15

←14 | All books | All chapters | 16→

¹ Even the smart are destroyed by their rage; For harsh words will make others angry, While an answer that’s mild turns back rage.

² Tongues of the wise bring forth knowledge; But the mouths of fools just speak evil.

³ The eyes of Yahweh see all… He watches both the good and the bad.

⁴ A tree of life, is the tongue that brings healing… Those who have it are filled with [God’s] Breath.

⁵ A fool will sneer at his father’s instructions, While the wise will do what he says.

Where there’s justice, [a nation] is strong, For the irreverent will be rooted out of their land.

⁶ There’s strength in the homes of the righteous, While the fruits of the impious bring them ruin.

⁷ The lips of the wise are bound by good sense; But, the hearts of fools can’t be trusted.

⁸ Sacrifices of the irreverent are disgusting to God… He accepts just the vows of those who walk straight.

⁹ The ways of the irreverent are disgusting to God; But He loves those who do what’s righteous.

¹⁰ Those who heed the instructions of the guileless Will be the ones who follow straight paths.

Those who dislike correction Will come to their end in disgrace.

¹¹ Of destruction and the grave, God has warned us; So, why isn’t this in the hearts of all men?

¹² The ignorant hate those who correct them, And they don’t wish to stay near the wise.

¹³ A happy heart makes a face shine; But a heart in distress makes it downcast.

¹⁴ An upright heart will seek understanding; But an ignorant heart knows just evil.

¹⁵ Evil eyes enjoy seeing what’s evil, While the [eyes] of the good [search for] peace.

¹⁶ It’s better to have little and the fear of Yahweh, Than to have great treasures and no fear of God.

¹⁷ It’s better to eat vegetables in a place where there’s love, Than to dine on calves where there’s hatred.

¹⁸ An outraged man is ready to fight; But, with an apology, he can be soothed.

A forgiving man prevents lawsuits, While the irreverent would rather create them.

¹⁹ The roads of the lazy lead into thorns, As the industrious travel on busy highways.

²⁰ A wise son brings joy to his father; But a foolish son sneers at his mother.

²¹ The paths of the unthinking don’t make any sense; But the ways of the wise lead them in a straight line.

²² From the hearts of advisors, there’s much to be [learned]; ²³ But a man who’s bad won’t [take their advice], Nor will he learn from what’s useful. For to him, what’s good is mundane.

²⁴ The thoughts of the discerning lead men to life, And they’ll turn a man back from the grave.

²⁵ Jehovah tears down the homes of the proud, While He gives support to the widows.

²⁶ The ways of the unrighteous are disgusting to God… He only respects the requests of the pure.

²⁷ Those who takes bribes, bring themselves ruin, While those who hate them are saved.

Mercy and faith wipe away sins, And the fear of Yahweh turns us from bad.

²⁸ Faithful hearts think of what’s righteous, While irreverent mouths speak of what’s evil.

The ways of the righteous are accepted by God… By them, even enemies become friends.

²⁹ From the irreverent, God stays far away; But He hears the vows of the righteous.

It’s better to be fair and gain little Than to gain many things through injustice.

³⁰ An eye that sees good, brings joy to the heart, And good news puts fat on the bones.

³¹ Those who heed the corrections of life Will find themselves lodging with those who are wise.

³² Those who won’t listen to instruction, Really don’t care for themselves, While those who heed correction, love life.

³³ The fear of Yahweh is instruction and wisdom… Heeding Him is the sum of all glory, And the humble will be led to this glory.

Proverbs 16

←15 | All books | All chapters | 17→

¹ May the heart of a man consider what’s righteous, So that God can set their feet on straight paths.[LXX]

² The deeds of the humble are apparent to God… But He’ll destroy the irreverent in His day.[LXX]

³ [no equivalent verse in LXX source][LXX]

⁴ [no equivalent verse in LXX source][LXX]

⁵ To God, proud hearts are unclean, And He will never forgive Those who lay their hands on another unjustly.

⁶ Goodness starts with doing what’s right… ⁷ It’s better than offering sacrifices.

⁸ Those seeking Yahweh find knowledge and justice… Those who righteously seek Him, find peace.

⁹ A man’s heart is what sets his direction, But Yahweh sets the course for his feet.

¹⁰ Although a curse may be on the lips of a king, His mouth must not err in his judgments.

¹¹ A scale that gives a true measure Is something that’s righteous with God… And His ways require honest weights.

¹² The king is disgusted by those who are bad, For the sovereignty of his throne is based upon justice.

¹³ Righteous lips are what the king will accept… Your lord loves things that are straight.

¹⁴ The rage of a king is a messenger of death; But a man who’s wise can appease him.

¹⁵ The sons of a king are the light of his life, For to Him, those he loves are like gentle rain.

¹⁶ Sources of wisdom are better than gold, And understanding is worth more than silver.

¹⁷ The road [to long] life avoids what’s bad, And righteous ways lead to growing old.

Those willing to learn are counted as good, And those accepting correction are thought of as wise.

The man who keeps watch on his ways Is someone who’s protecting his soul… So, those who love life will watch what [they say].

¹⁸ Insolent ways lead to destruction, And evil thoughts lead to a downfall.

¹⁹ It’s better to share a little with the meek Than to share great spoils with the haughty.

²⁰ The discerning are inventors of good things, And those yielding to God find His blessings.

²¹ Although the vile may shout to the wise and discerning, Those with sweet words are the ones they’ll hear.

²² Understanding brings life to its seekers, While the instruction of fools brings bad results.

²³ From their own mouths, the hearts of wise learn, And from their own lips, they’ll gain knowledge.

²⁴ Sweet words are like combs filled with honey, For their sweetness brings healing to the soul.

²⁵ There are ways that may seem straight to a man, But they end on the road to the grave.

²⁶ A hardworking man works for himself, And this leads him from poverty, As the rest wear failure over their mouths.

²⁷ The foolish search for what’s evil, And to their own lips, they bring fire.

²⁸ A man who’s crooked spreads evil… With treachery, he lights many fires, And in this, he drives friends apart.

²⁹ A lawbreaking man puts his friends to the test, And he leads them into corruption. ³⁰ for his eyes are fixed as he plans to do wrong, And he confirms what’s bad with his lips… Such a man is a furnace of evil.

³¹ Old age is a crown of which one can boast When it’s found among those who are righteous.

³² It’s better to be forgiving than strong, And smartness is better than owning much land. But, better than taking a city, Is the ability to keep your temper in check.

³³ Unrighteous lips will bring what’s bad; While all that’s good comes from [God].

Proverbs 17

←16 | All books | All chapters | 18→

¹ A scrap of food that’s eaten in peace Is better than a house of feasting with fights.

² Over foolish masters, a smart slave will win, And he’ll divide what he takes with his brothers.

³ As silver and gold are refined in a furnace, Is how Yahweh tries hearts.

⁴ A bad man obeys what lawbreakers say, And the unrighteous will heed lying lips.

⁵ Those who make fun of the poor Provoke the One by whom they were made.

Those who rejoice at the downfall of others Won’t [find their sins overlooked]; For, mercy comes to those who show that they care.

⁶ The crown of old age is grandchildren, And fathers will boast of their sons.

The arrangements of [God] can be trusted; But the faithless won’t know how [He] did it.

⁷ Trustworthy lips aren’t enough for a fool, Nor will lying lips pleasure the righteous.

⁸ Instruction pays well to those who’ll learn, And all who use it, will prosper.

⁹ Those covering offenses are looking for love; But the unforgiving leave family and friends.

¹⁰ Intimidation breaks the heart of someone who’s wise; But a fool who’s whipped never learns.

¹¹ All evil men like to argue; But against them, Yahweh sends merciless angels.

¹² An intelligent man will be anxious [for right]; But, about evil things, fools will argue.

¹³ The one who repays good things with bad, Will never see evil removed from his home.

¹⁴ When a ruler supports righteous words, There are fewer fights and divisions.

¹⁵ When the righteous must judge the unjust, They’ll find them unclean and disgusting.

¹⁶ Value means nothing to fools; For, in their hearts, there’s no wisdom.

As those who are building tall houses Make plans for something that will fall… Evil plans bring the downfall of the crooked.

¹⁷ Use your time to gain friends; For in bad days, they’ll be your brothers… It’s for such favor that they’ve been born!

¹⁸ A foolish man claps and shakes hands, Then he [co-signs] a loan for a friend.

¹⁹ Those fond of sinning bring strife, And those with hard hearts bring nothing good.

²⁰ A tongue that twists words will bring evil, And the heart of a fool brings grief to himself.

²¹ A father won’t be proud of an ignorant son… But, smart ones bring joy to their mothers.

²² While a joyful heart brings good health; A worried heart dries a man’s bones.

²³ The unrighteous want gifts to be dropped in their laps So that they can pervert true justice.

²⁴ Faces of the discerning look wise; But the eyes of the foolish look distant.

²⁵ A foolish son angers his father And brings grief to the [mother] that bore him.

²⁶ It’s wrong to penalize the righteous And unholy to plot against a just king.

²⁷ Those holding back harsh words show insight, And a man who concedes shows his wisdom.

²⁸ When an unthinking man asks a question, He’s often thought of as wise; And when he refuses to argue, He’ll be thought of as a person who’s smarter.

Proverbs 18

←17 | All books | All chapters | 19→

¹ Those making excuses are rejected by friends, And they’ll always be spoken of poorly.

² Those lacking good sense have no use for wisdom; For, by what’s foolish, they wish to be led.

³ When the irreverent reach the depths of their evil, They don’t notice that they’re scorned and dishonored.

⁴ A word that touches the heart Is like very deep water… Like a river or a life-giving spring.

⁵ It’s evil to favor the wicked, And unholy to deny justice to the righteous.

⁶ A fool’s lips will lead him towards bad, And the boldness of his mouth beckons his death.

⁷ The mouth of a fool will destroy him, For his lips are snares to his own soul.

⁸ The lazy are easily frightened, And timid souls will go hungry.

⁹ A man who won’t work for himself Is a brother to the one who brings himself ruin.

¹⁰ In the Name of the Lord there’s power… It’s where the righteous can turn for their strength.

¹¹ The wealth of the rich is a fortified town, And its glory casts a long shadow.

¹² Before his ruin, a man’s heart is proud, And just before glory, it’s humbled.

¹³ When a man replies before hearing, It’s foolish and it brings him much scorn.

¹⁴ A man can endure a [long] illness; But, who can endure a spirit that’s worried?

¹⁵ The hearts of the smart gain perception And the ears of the wise search for insight.

¹⁶ When a man brings a gift, he makes friends, And he will sit beside rulers.

¹⁷ Before speaking, the righteous examine themselves; For they know that they’ll be reproved By those who don’t agree.

¹⁸ Choosing by lottery ends a dispute And it defines the boundaries of rulers.

¹⁹ A brother who’s helped by his brothers Is like a high city with fortified walls, And a castle that’s well-built and strong.

²⁰ From the fruits of his mouth, a man’s belly is filled… From the fruits of his lips, he will get what he needs.

²¹ The handle of the tongue carries both life and death, And those who fail to restrain it Will end up eating its fruitage.

²² The man who’s found a good woman Has done himself a great favor… Joy from Yahweh is what he’s received.

The man who sends a good woman away Doesn’t recognize things that have value; But the one who keeps an adulteress Is a foolish and irreverent man.

²³ Although those in need make many requests, The rich will respond very harshly.

²⁴ A man should seek many friendships, For some friends will stick closer than brothers.

Proverbs 19

←18 | All books | All chapters | 20→

¹ [not present in LXX sources]

² [not present in LXX sources]

³ Doing what’s foolish lays waste to men’s ways; But in their hearts, they’ll blame it on God.

⁴ Wealth will bring many friends; But, friends will be few when you’re poor.

⁵ A lying witness won’t go unpunished, And a false accuser will never escape.

⁶ Many will seek the king’s favor, And all that bring gifts are his friends.

⁷ Those who hate a brother who’s poor Will never be good at making friends.

Insight is good for all those who seek it, And an intelligent man will soon find it.

The evil are good at doing what’s bad, And those who aggravate won’t be saved.

⁸ Those [willing to learn], love themselves; For those seeking what’s wise will find what’s good.

⁹ A lying witness won’t go unpunished, And those bringing evil will perish by it.

¹⁰ Luxury is no advantage to the fool; And it’s wrong for a servant who’s been given some power To use it in ways that are haughty.

¹¹ A merciful man is forgiving, And he triumphs over those who’ve sinned against him.

¹² Intimidation from a king is like a lion’s [roar]; But, bringing him joy is like dew on the grass.

¹³ A foolish son will bring shame to his father.

Impure, are all of the vows That are paid with the wage of a whore.

¹⁴ Although fathers may leave us homes and possessions, A sensible wife comes from [God].

¹⁵ Worry holds back a cowardly man, And the lives of the idle go hungry.

¹⁶ Those keeping the Commandments are protecting their souls, While those hating its ways will soon perish.

¹⁷ God lends to those showing mercy to the poor, And He repays them according to the gifts that they give.

¹⁸ Although correction builds confidence in sons, You can’t make them better with insults.

¹⁹ An evil-minded man will be punished; And if he [kills], he must pay with his life.

²⁰ Listen, O son, to the words of your father, So that in your last days, you’ll be wise.

²¹ There are many choices in a man’s heart; But counsel from God lasts throughout ages.

²² Charity is what’s desired of a man; And it’s better to be righteous and poor Than to be rich and a liar.

²³ The fear of Yahweh brings life to a man; But, those who have no such fear Will lodge where no knowledge is found.

²⁴ The unrighteous hide their hands behind folded arms, So they can’t bring [what’s good] to their mouths.

²⁵ When you whip a foolish man for his mischief, It’ll make all simple men wiser; But an intelligent man will understand more, And he will make the needed corrections.

²⁶ Those who show their fathers disrespect And push their mothers away, Will always be reviled and disgraced.

²⁷ Sons that disobey their father’s instructions Will focus on the evil that they hear.

²⁸ The man who [co-signs] a loan Is the same as a child that’s foolish.

The mouths of the irreverent will swallow All those who show disrespect for the Law.

²⁹ Whips are prepared for all those Who fail to watch what they say, And for the backs of the foolish.

Proverbs 20

←19 | All books | All chapters | 21→

[Editor note: In the oldest Greek Septuagint manuscripts, verses 14-22 are missing. Of those, verses 20-22 do appear in very similar wording, but elsewhere in the chapter – inside verse 9. Nobody knows why that happened, and we don’t know what the original order was, however most scholars believe the words in verses 14-22 are genuine and original. Therefore, we show them here from the Greek manuscripts that include them.]

¹ Wine and strong drink can make you drunk, And fools will get involved in such things.

² The intimidation of a king is like a lion’s rage, And those who dare to provoke him Are sinning against their own lives.

³ It’s glory for a man to avoid shouting insults; But a fool stays involved in such matters.

⁴ If you scold the lazy, he’ll never be shamed… He even borrows grain in the harvest.

⁵ Instruction is deep water within a man’s heart From which the intelligent can draw.

⁶ A respected man has much value, And a merciful man isn’t easily found… But it’s harder to find one who’s faithful.

⁷ Those who offer true justice Will leave many blessings for their children.

⁸ When a just king sits on a throne, He won’t abide evil in his presence.

⁹ Who can boast that he has a pure heart, And openly say that he’s clean from all sins?

The man who speaks badly to his father or mother Will find that his torch is extinguished, And the pupils of his eyes will see darkness.

Whenever a thing is easily gained, In the end, it’ll have little value.

Don’t ever say you’ll get even… Just wait on Yahweh to help you.

¹⁰ An untrue weight, whether large or small, Is something unclean to Yahweh… So, both the weights and their makers Will be bound hand and foot for using such things.

¹¹ A young man who’s [a friend] to the holy Will surely find his ways straight.

¹² Ears can hear and the eyes see; For they’re both the works of Yahweh.

¹³ Don’t love too much sleep, So that you don’t end up as poor; Rather, open your eyes and be filled with bread!

[Editor note: The following verses are missing from the earliest Septuagint manuscripts.]

¹⁴ The barterer says, ‘It’s bad, it’s bad!’ But, after he [buys it], he’ll boast.

¹⁵ There [are treasures] of gold and of precious gems; But understanding lips have more value.

¹⁶ If you should offer all of your clothes As security for the loan of a stranger; May that stranger thereafter reclaim them.

¹⁷ The bread of deceit may seem good to a man; But he’ll find his mouth filled up with gravel.

¹⁸ Make plans with discussion, counsel, and guidance, Before you go to fight battles.

¹⁹ Double-tongued is the man who reveals someone’s plan When he’s speaking to others; For his lips shouldn’t speak of things that aren’t his.

[Editor note: The above verses are missing from the earliest Septuagint manuscripts.]

²⁰ [appears in verse 9]

²¹ [appears in verse 9]

²² [appears in verse 9]

²³ Two different weights are disgusting to [God], And a balance that’s off is evil to Him.

²⁴ A man’s steps must be set straight by [God]; For, how can mortals know the right ways to go?

²⁵ It’s a snare to offer something as holy too quickly; For, after you vow, you might change your mind.

²⁶ A wise king rejects those who don’t show respect, And he’ll have them put on the wheel.

²⁷ The spirit of men is a light to Yahweh, Which He uses to see what’s inside them.

²⁸ Mercy and truth safeguard a king; For, to his throne, they’ll bring justice.

²⁹ The glory of young men is their strength, And the glory of old age is gray hair.

³⁰ The bad will have bruises and broken [bones], And illness will come to their bellies.

Proverbs 21

←20 | All books | All chapters | 22→

¹ The heart of a king is like waves [of the sea] When it’s in the hand of our God. For, wherever He wishes, He nods, And that’s the way he will go.

² All men like to think themselves righteous; But, Yahweh’s the One who weighs all their hearts.

³ Telling the truth and doing what’s right Is more pleasing to God than a blood sacrifice.

⁴ A high-minded man is insolent and bold, And the torch of the impious is sin.

⁵ The thoughts of hard-workers are of [gaining much] more; But, those who’re too hasty will end up with less.

⁶ Those who seek treasures by lying Are really pursuing in vain; For, in death’s snares, they’ll be caught.

⁷ The ruin of the irreverent is welcomed as a guest By those who prefer righteous ways.

⁸ To the crooked, God sends what’s crooked; For His ways are all straight and pure.

⁹ It’s better to live on the corner of a roof Than in a house whitewashed with injustice, Or to live in one that’s unclean.

¹⁰ Since the godless prefer to do what’s bad, They’ll never see mercy from others.

¹¹ When you discipline men for their lack of restraint, You make the guileless more clever; For, by his insight, the wise man will learn.

¹² Impious hearts are examined by the righteous Who treat their evil ways with contempt.

¹³ Those who close their ears to the weak Will call out and no one will listen.

¹⁴ A gift that’s given in private Will soothe [a person who’s angry]; But, where there’s no gift, the rage may remain.

¹⁵ The pure are joyful when the righteous get justice; But this terrifies those who do evil.

¹⁶ A person who travels in righteous ways, Will rest among gatherings of great ones.

¹⁷ A man who loves pleasure won’t end up with much; And those fond of wine and [olive] oil Will never [find themselves] wealthy.

¹⁸ To the righteous, the wicked are trash… And that’s also how they view the Law-breakers.

¹⁹ It’s better to live in the desert Than with a wife who argues and fights, Or with one who’s prone to be angry.

²⁰ Treasure rests in the mouths of the wise, For the foolish just swallow theirs down.

²¹ Those who seek charity and justice, Will also find glory and life.

²² A wise man can attack a fortified city, And he can demolish the forts In which the irreverent put trust.

²³ Those who keep watch on their mouths and their tongues Are saving their souls from the problems they cause.

²⁴ A bold, self-willed, and presumptuous man, Is one who’s considered a plague; For, all resent those who live without law.

²⁵ Lazy desires bring death to a man, For his hands will choose to do nothing.

²⁶ The irreverent just want to do evil, While the righteous show pity and mercy.

²⁷ The sacrifices that the irreverent bring Are viewed as disgusting by [God]; For, whatever they bring is not by the Law.

²⁸ Since a witness that lies deserves death; A [wise man] will watch what he says.

²⁹ The irreverent impudently stand in the front, But the upright know what they’re planning.

³⁰ The godless have no wisdom or courage, And the advice that they offer is bad.

³¹ Although a horse is prepared for the day of the war, Help really comes from Yahweh.

Proverbs 22

←21 | All books | All chapters | 23→

¹ A good name is better than wealth, And good favor is better than silver and gold.

² The rich and the poor should meet with each other; For, both were made by Yahweh.

³ When a clever man sees the bad being punished, He makes corrections in himself… But this escapes the fools that pass by.

⁴ The fear of Yahweh is the father of wisdom… Its rewards are wealth, glory, and life.

⁵ Thistles and snares line ways of the crooked; But those guarding their souls will avoid them.

⁶ Raise your child [in good] ways, And when he grows old, he won’t leave them.

⁷ The rich are in control of the poor… They’re the masters of all those who borrow.

Those planting evil will harvest what’s bad… Calamity is what they’ll reap From all the bad things that they sow.

⁸ God loves those who are cheerful givers, And overlooks the foolish things that they do.

⁹ Those who show mercy to the poor Will eat the same bread that they give them.

Gift-givers buy victory and honor, While those who withhold them may lose their lives.

¹⁰ If you keep mischief-makers out of your group, Their unpleasantness also goes with them. For, you’re dishonored when they sit in your midst.

¹¹ Jehovah loves hearts that are holy… Those with pure ways, He accepts.

¹² The eyes of Yahweh keep guard on good sense, And He treats lawbreakers as [refuse].

¹³ The lazy make many excuses… They say, ‘There’s a lion out in the street; So, I could be killed in the square.’

¹⁴ The mouths of the lawless are cesspools, Into which those whom God hates will fall.

¹⁵ Foolish ways delight the hearts of the young; But instruction and spankings will drive them away.

¹⁶ Those who swindle the needy, Upon themselves, bring what’s evil… And they’ll give all they’ve gained to the wealthy.

¹⁷ Lean your ears towards these wise words from my mouth… Pay attention to the things that I’m saying. Yes, prepare your heart to fully comprehend; ¹⁸ For, what I’m saying is good! If you’ll store it all deep in your heart, You’ll see that it’ll bring joy to your lips.

¹⁹ Put your hope in Yahweh, And He will show you His ways. ²⁰ Write them down three times for yourself, For your own instruction and knowledge.

²¹ I’m teaching you words that are true; So, listen closely and learn. Then, you can reply with words that are true, When people are asking you questions.

²² Don’t push away the needy and poor, And don’t dishonor the weak at your gates. ²³ Since it’s Yahweh who argues their cause, You’ll save your soul from reprisal.

²⁴ Don’t be a friend to a man prone to rage, And don’t lodge men prone to anger, ²⁵ So that you don’t learn from their ways, And bring a noose to your life.

²⁶ Don’t shame your face by ensuring a loan; For, if [your friend] can’t repay it, They’ll take the bed that’s under your back.

²⁸ Never move the markers of the ages, Which were set in place by your fathers.

²⁹ An observant man who’s sharp in his ways Will also stand beside kings… He won’t stand beside the dull witted.

Proverbs 23

←22 | All books | All chapters | 24→

¹ If you’re invited to dine with a ruler, Pay attention to all that’s around you. ² Especially pay attention to your hands… Have them prepared at such [times]. And although you may be very hungry, ³ Don’t be too fond of his meal, For that won’t save your life.

⁴ And should you find yourself in great need, Don’t reach out to the wealthy… Use insight and stay at a distance. ⁵ For, although you keep watch, they won’t appear, Since they have the wings of an eagle, Or they can stay in their homes.

⁶ Don’t dine with a man prone to envy, Nor should you desire his food… ⁷ Eat and drink like you’re swallowing hair. And don’t bring him into your house for a meal; ⁸ For, he will just vomit it out And lay waste to the things you’ve prepared.

⁹ Don’t speak into the ears of a fool, So he doesn’t sneer at your wisdom.

¹⁰ Don’t move the markers of the ages, And never take an orphan’s possessions, Since their ransom is paid by Yahweh… ¹¹ He’s mighty and He’ll argue their case.

¹² Open your hearts to great learning, And prepare your ears for sensible words!

¹³ Don’t avoid correcting the young… For, if you spank him, no way will he die. ¹⁴ And if you give him a spanking; From death, you may rescue his soul.

¹⁵ Son,

If you teach yourself to be wise, You’ll bring much joy to my heart. ¹⁶ And if [what you say] should prove to be straight, We’ll spend time sharing the words from our lips.

¹⁷ Don’t let your heart be jealous of sinners… Fear Yahweh all day! ¹⁸ For, if you choose to take this advice, You’ll have many descendants, And you’ll get all that you’ve hoped for.

¹⁹ Hear me O son and be wise… Straighten the thoughts in your heart! ²⁰ Don’t be a person who drinks too much wine, Or reclines with the meat in the markets! ²¹ For, whoremongers and drunks will be poor… The nightgowns they wear will be ragged and torn.

²² O son, pay attention to your father, And don’t disrespect your old mother. ²³ With all you have, [search for] the truth… And don’t reject wisdom, instruction, or knowledge!

²⁴ A righteous father is one who provides, And a son who’s wise brings joy to his soul. ²⁵ So, please bring joy to your father and mother… May the one who bore you, rejoice!

²⁶ Lend me your heart and your eyes… O son, pay attention to my words! ²⁷ The house of a [whore] is a keg with a hole… It’s a well that’s narrow and strange, ²⁸ And all [who enter] will perish! For, those who break laws are destroyed.

²⁹ Who is the one who has problems and woes… For whom are there many disputes… For whom is there intrigue and rancor… Who is destroyed for no reason… And who’s the one with dark eyes? ³⁰ It’s those who linger with wine, And those who go looking for parties! So, don’t be a man who drinks too much wine, Or hangs out with [the unrighteous]… Don’t go around [with those who are bad]! ³¹ For, if you search for [the contents of] cups, You’ll end up as bare as a pestle… ³² Stretched out like one who’s been struck by a snake, Or one poisoned by the bite of horned vipers.

³³ When your eyes behold a strange woman, And your mouth starts to speak perverse things; ³⁴ For if you lie with her, you’ll then be Like one who’s fallen in the depths of the sea… As a sailor who’s been covered by waves!

³⁵ You’ll say:

‘They beat me, but I felt no pain;

They mocked me, but I didn’t know it.

How long will it be ‘til it’s dawn

So I can go back and do it again?’

Proverbs 24

←23 | All books | All chapters | 25→

¹ Son,

Never be jealous of evil men, Or desire to go along with them. ² For their hearts just think about lies, And misery is found in their lips.

³ Wisdom has built a house for himself, And it was erected with skill. ⁴ Its storerooms are filled with good sense… Things of value, goodness, and wealth.

⁵ Gaining wisdom is better than gaining strength, And being smart is better than owning much land.

⁶ Seek guidance before going to war; For from the hearts of advisors, comes aid.

⁷ Wisdom and insight are good, And they’re found in the gates of the wise.

The wise won’t turn from the Laws of Yahweh, ⁸ And they consider His things in their meetings. Those who fail to learn this will die, ⁹ Since the fool will fail because of his sins.

With what’s dirty, don’t get involved; ¹⁰ For when a day of trouble arrives, You’ll see how such things have worked out.

¹¹ Rescue those being led to their deaths, And ransom those about to be slain! ¹² Don’t say that you never knew them, For the Lord knows what’s in the hearts of all men, Since He’s the One who put breath in them all. So, He’s aware of all that we do, And He pays us back for the [sins] we commit.

¹³ Son,

To eat honey from the comb is delightful; For into your throat, this brings sweetness… ¹⁴ And that’s how wisdom should be in your life; For, if you find it, your death will be good, And your hopes won’t be abandoned.

¹⁵ Never lead the irreverent into the field Of any man who’s righteous, Or join with them in deception. ¹⁶ For, even though the righteous may fall seven times, They’ll also stand up again, While the irreverent will be plagued for their badness.

¹⁷ Don’t rejoice if your enemy falls, And after his fall, he can’t rise. ¹⁸ For, Yahweh will see this and He will be displeased, Then He will send His rage upon you.

¹⁹ And don’t rejoice over those doing evil, Or ever be jealous of sinners! ²⁰ For the lives of the wicked will come to an end, And the torch of the irreverent will be extinguished.

²¹ Fear God, O son, as well as the king… Never resist their persuasion! ²² For they both can bring sudden death Upon those who show no respect. So, who can know how they’ll punish?

²³ I’m saying this to the wise and to you: If you’re in awe of a person you’re judging, That’s a poor way to start out a trial. ²⁴ For a man who declares the irreverent just Will be cursed among all his people And detested within every nation. ²⁵ But, those who reprove will look better, And upon such one will come praise… ²⁶ Lips will kiss his righteous decisions.

²⁷ Now, prepare to stop what you’re doing, And let’s go out to work in your field… Then, follow me, and we’ll work on your house!

²⁸ Don’t ever be a witness that lies, And don’t be too quick to open your lips. ²⁹ Don’t say, ‘I’ll do what he did to me… I’ll get even with the one who’s wronged me!’

³⁰ A foolish man is much like a farm, And one lacking good sense, like a vineyard. ³¹ For, if you just leave them alone, They each will become overgrown… Their stone walls will fail and fall down.

³² I once decided to change… I planned to just [sit back] and learn. ³³ Then I started to doze and fell fast asleep With my hands folded over my chest. ³⁴ And if you allow this to happen to you, Poorness will soon overtake you, And lack will pass you like a sprinter.

Proverbs 25

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¹ These are the [proverbs] of Solomon that were recorded by friends of HezekiAh, the king of Judah.

² God’s glory covers a matter; But, kings view all things as important.

³ As the heavens are high over the earth… So is the heart of a king.

⁴ Beating out unrefined silver Is one way to make it more [pure].

⁵ Slay the impious surrounding the king, And you’ll make his throne one of justice.

⁶ Don’t boast when you’re standing in front of the king, Nor do it in gatherings of the mighty.

⁷ It’s better if [a king] says, ‘You may approach,’ Than to be humbled in the presence of the mighty.

Tell the king only those things That you’ve seen with your eyes.

⁸ Don’t be too quick to start fights; Or in the end, you’ll wish you had not.

Whenever a friend wants to scold you, ⁹ Don’t pull away or get angry. ¹⁰ For, if his scolding makes you hate him, It’s the same as bringing his death. Since favor and friendships bring freedom, Pay close attention to the things that you do, And give him no reasons to scold you… Don’t do things that cause trouble!

¹¹ As a gold apple in a pendant of rubies Is the value of words that are wise. ¹² And as a gold earring with a setting of [gems] Are wise words to ears that will listen.

¹³ A trustworthy messenger is like falling snow In the heat of the harvest; For he benefits the lives of all whom he tells.

¹⁴ As winds, clouds, and rain are apparent; So is the man who chooses to boast Of gifts that he didn’t give.

¹⁵ Patience before a king brings success, And a mild reply will break bones.

¹⁶ When you find honey, just eat what’s enough, Lest you should get filled and vomit it out.

¹⁷ Be sparing in the ways that you [visit] your friends So they don’t get tired and start to detest you.

¹⁸ The same as clubs, swords, and arrows, Is the person who slanders a friend.

¹⁹ For their evil, the lawless will die In the bad days that are [coming].

²⁰ As vinegar on a [cut] will bring [pain] Is a heart in distress to its body. Like a moth in [wool] clothes and as worms inside wood Is how worry [will eat] a man’s heart.

²¹ If your enemy is hungry, you should feed him, And if he’s thirsty, you should give him a drink! ²² By this, you’ll pile burning coals on his head, And Yahweh will repay you for the good things you did.

²³ As a wind from the north will bring clouds… An impudent tongue will cause aggravation.

²⁴ It’s better to live on the corner of a roof Than with a woman who likes to complain.

²⁵ As cold water is enjoyed by the thirsty; So is good news that comes from afar.

²⁶ As unbecoming as plugging a spring, Which results in wasting the water, Is the fall of someone who’s righteous Before those whose ways are impious.

²⁷ As eating too much honey isn’t good; Kind words can also give too much praise.

²⁸ As a city without walls and protection Is the person who won’t take advice.

Proverbs 26

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¹ As snow in the summer and rain in the harvest; It’s wrong for a fool to be honored.

² As sparrows and other winged creatures May spread [their wings, but not] fly; An undeserved curse won’t happen.

³ Like a whip to a horse or a spur to a mule; A nation of the lawless must be beaten.

⁴ Don’t answer a fool in his same foolish way So you’re not thought of being just like him. ⁵ Rather, reply to show how he’s foolish, So he doesn’t think himself wise.

⁶ The man who sends a foolish report Heaps scorn upon all his ways.

⁷ Remove from fools their reasons [to speak], And take their proverbs out of their mouths. ⁸ For, as a man who ties a stone to a sling, Is the person who gives glory to a fool.

⁹ As thorns will grow in the hands of a drunk; Slavery grows in the hands of a fool.

¹⁰ As a bad storm may cause damage; The flesh of fools will meet with destruction Over things in which they find pleasure.

¹¹ As a dog returns to its vomit; A fool will return to the evil he’s done And commit same sins again.

¹² I’ve seen men who thought themselves wise, Yet, they were no better than fools.

¹³ When you send out the lazy, they’ll say: ‘There are lions in the roads and murderers in the squares.’

¹⁴ The lazy one rolls in his bed Like a door that’s swinging on hinges.

¹⁵ When the lazy one hides his hands in [his robe], He’s unable to bring them up to his mouth.

¹⁶ The lazy one thinks himself wiser When something he says appears to be true.

¹⁷ As one who grabs hold of the tail of a dog Is the man who joins in a quarrel not his.

¹⁸ As doctors also need healing; Those who give council will stumble.

¹⁹ When a man is caught stealing from friends, He’ll claim that it was a joke.

²⁰ Where there’s plenty of wood, a fire will grow; But, when there’s no reason to disagree, There’s also no reason to fight.

²¹ As a grate filled with coals or wood on a fire; A man who shouts insults is seeking a fight.

²² The words of those who are bad may sound soft; But they beat the insides of the bowels.

²³ Silver that you get from treacherous deeds Is the same as a fine pot that’s cracked.

Comforting [words] will bring rest To hearts that are deeply distressed.

²⁴ An enemy who cries will always agree, As he makes wicked plans in his heart.

²⁵ When an enemy is calling to you, Don’t pay him any attention; For, there are 7 kinds of evil in his heart.

²⁶ Treacherous are those who hide hatred; But in a court, their sins are revealed.

²⁷ The man who digs a pit for his neighbor Will be the one who falls in it; And the one who’s rolling a boulder Will roll it back on himself.

²⁸ A lying tongue hates the truth, And an open mouth can bring problems.

Proverbs 27

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¹ Don’t boast of the things that you’ll do tomorrow; For, [no one] knows what tomorrow will bring.

² Let your praises come from your friends (not from you)… Let them come from the lips of strangers (not yours).

³ Rocks and sand are heavy to bear; But the rage of a fool is greater than both.

⁴ Rage has no mercy and anger is sharp; But, before the zealous, no one can stand.

⁵ It’s better to offer correction Than to use many flattering words.

⁶ The wounds of a friend can be trusted More than an enemy’s kisses.

⁷ At honeycombs, the foolish will laugh; And to the starving, what’s bitter tastes sweet.

⁸ Like a bird that flies from its nest, Is the man who strays from his home.

⁹ Perfume, incense, and wine Can make the heart very happy; But, things that go wrong will shatter a soul.

¹⁰ Don’t leave a friend or a friend of your father, And in hard times, don’t go to the house of your brother. For a friend who’s near is much better Than a brother who lives far away.

¹¹ Become wise, my son, and make my heart glad… Don’t shout hateful words!

¹² When the clever see evil, they flee; But a fool passing by gets involved.

¹³ Take the clothes from the man who shouts insults And from one who destroys the goods of a stranger.

¹⁴ Shouting praises of a friend too early in the day Is the same as when you shout curses.

¹⁵ As a house leaking rain in the winter; A nagging wife drives a man from his home.

¹⁶ Since wind from the north blows so hard, It’s fittingly called the north wind.

¹⁷ As iron is sharpened by iron; A man can sharpen the face of a friend.

¹⁸ The man who’s planting a fig tree Is the one who’ll gather its fruit; And the man who guards [the life of] his master Is the one who’ll be held in esteem.

¹⁹ As faces aren’t like other faces; Men’s hearts are also quite different.

²⁰ As the grave and destruction can never be filled; The eyes of men can’t be satisfied. But the [desires] of the eyes are disgusting to [God], As are the stupid that don’t mind their tongues.

²¹ As silver and gold are refined in a fire; A man is refined by correction.

²² You can dishonor a fool with a whip before crowds, But you can’t drive his foolishness from him.

²³ Know the condition of the lives of your flock, And keep your herd in your heart.

²⁴ A man’s might and strength won’t last throughout the ages… Through generations, he can’t retain them.

²⁵ If you tend the greens that grow in your field, You’ll take their cuttings for food. And if you’ll gather hay from the hills, ²⁶ You’ll also have wool for your clothes. Therefore, hold your fields in high esteem, So you can own many lambs.

²⁷ O son,

All of these proverbs that I’ve spoken Will add many years to your life… And they’ll also bring life to your servants.

Proverbs 28

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¹ The godless will flee when they’re not being chased; But, as secure as lions, are the righteous.

² From the sins of the irreverent come lawsuits; But a clever man can avoid them.

³ An energetic man who does evil things Can damage the poor like a storm.

⁴ Those leaving the Law will praise godless ways; But for those who love it, the Law is a wall.

⁵ The evil don’t understand fairness… But those seeking Yahweh know what it means.

⁶ It’s better to be poor and walking in truth Than to be rich and a liar.

⁷ A discerning son will follow the Law; But those driven by lust dishonor their parents.

⁸ Those who gain wealth from interest on loans Will [pay it] to those who are kind to the poor.

⁹ [God] hates the prayers of any man Who turns his ears from the Law.

¹⁰ Those who lead the righteous towards evil Will also fall into corruption. Then the honest will claim all their good things, And won’t let them enter among them again.

¹¹ A rich man thinks himself wise; But, an intelligent poor man sees through him.

¹² When the righteous triumph, there’s glory; But when the wicked succeed, men will hide.

¹³ Those who excuse their ungodly ways Won’t live to see prosperous times. But, those who admit and make the correction Will find themselves truly loved.

¹⁴ Blest is the man who worships in awe When those with hard hearts see only what’s bad.

¹⁵ Like a thirsty wolf or a lion that’s starved Is the king who rules a poor nation.

¹⁶ A king who doesn’t tax learns to extort; But those hating corruption will live a long life.

¹⁷ The man who stands good for a loan Is the same as a man blamed for murder; For, he will be sent into exile, Where he won’t find a safe place to hide.

¹⁸ The one who travels right ways will be helped, While those walking crooked paths will get tangled.

¹⁹ The man who works his land will eat bread; But, the lazy will always be poor.

²⁰ A trustworthy man will be praised over much; But, any evil won’t go unpunished.

²¹ The evil look down on the righteous… For a scrap of food, I’d sell such a man.

²² Although evil eyes quickly want to get rich; They don’t know that poverty awaits them.

²³ Those offering correction will be loved More than those who just flatter.

²⁴ Those who throw out their fathers and mothers Assume that they haven’t sinned… But, to the godless, they’ve become partners.

²⁵ A dissatisfied man makes bad choices; But those trusting in God find His [love].

²⁶ Fools will yield to rash ways in their hearts, While those who act wisely stay safe.

²⁷ Those who give to the poor won’t be in want, While those passing them by will never be filled.

²⁸ Where the rulers are godless, the righteous will groan; And the righteous will prosper when they’re destroyed.

Proverbs 29

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¹ It’s better to accept your correction Than to be someone who’s proud. For, upon the proud will come flames From which they’ll never be healed.

² When the righteous are honored, the people rejoice; But, when the godless rule, people groan.

³ Lovers of wisdom bring joy to their parents; But, those who seek whores destroy wealth.

⁴ A righteous king makes his land firm, While a lawless king tears it down.

⁵ The one who sets a snare for a friend, Wraps it around his own feet.

⁶ A snare is set for those who choose sin… Which brings gladness and joy to the righteous.

⁷ The righteous give justice to the poor… But, because the godless don’t understand justice; To the poor, they’re very bad judges.

⁸ Those fond of mischief will burn their own city; But the wise can turn back their rage.

⁹ A wise man will judge many nations, While the ignorant will only bring rage, Along with ridicule and disrespect.

¹⁰ Partners in blood hate the holy and upright, So they’re always seeking their lives.

¹¹ A fool will show all his rage, While the wise will hold it within.

¹² A king who’ll listen to unrighteous things Brings joy to [the hearts] of the lawless.

¹³ In meetings between lenders and debtors; Yahweh observes their agreements.

¹⁴ When a king gives justice to the poor, He brings good reports to his throne.

¹⁵ Spanking and scolding brings wisdom; But a child who’s left to his own ways Will soon bring shame to his parents.

¹⁶ When the godless are many, many will sin. But, when they fall, the righteous learn fear.

¹⁷ Correct your son and he’ll bring you rest… He’ll be a decoration throughout your whole life.

¹⁸ No one can save a lawbreaking nation; But, those who obey the laws will be blest.

¹⁹ You can’t correct stubborn servants with words; For, if they understand, they still won’t obey.

²⁰ When you see a man who speaks hasty words, Know that he shares the same hopes as a fool.

²¹ A man who’s raised without purpose Will soon become somebody’s servant, And he’ll grieve for himself in the end.

²² An angry man looks for reasons to fight, And a man who’s enraged will seek ways to sin.

²³ Insolence tears down a man; But, meekness brings glory from God.

²⁴ The man who shares with a thief Is a man who hates his own life. And if he should hear public cursing, He will never report it.

²⁵ Those who fear men will be stumbled; But those yielding to God will find joy.

Disrespect is what stumbles a man; But the one who yields to his lord will be saved.

²⁶ Although many come to stand before rulers, True justice comes from Yahweh.

²⁷ To the wicked, the righteous are foolish; And to the lawless, those walking in straight paths [are fools].

Proverbs 30

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The proverbs of Agur, son of JahYeh.

¹ Thus says this man to those trusting in God: ‘I’m weary, ² for I’m the most foolish of men, And the intelligence of man isn’t in me. ³ Yet, God has taught me much wisdom, And the holiest of knowledge, I know.’

⁴ Who’s gone up into the sky and returned? Who has gathered the winds to His chest? Who has bundled the seas in His robe? Who has held the ends of the earth? Yes, what’s the name by which He’s known, And by what names has He called His sons?

⁵ All of God’s words are truly pure, And He’s a shield to those showing respect. ⁶ But don’t add to His words or He will whip you, And He will prove you a liar.

⁷ These are the things that I’ve asked Him to do:

• May I find Your favor [throughout my life].

• ⁸ Please take away my vain, foolish words.

• Don’t give me poverty or wealth…

Just give me the things that I need

So I can remain self-sufficient.

• ⁹ Don’t leave me in need, so I’d steal,

And thereby profane the Name of my God.

¹⁰ Don’t return a [slave] to his master So he will have no reason to curse you.

¹¹ A bad son curses his father And doesn’t speak in praise of his mother.

¹² A bad son is one who judges himself And refuses to clean up his ways.

¹³ A bad son is one who’s [proud] And holds himself high in his own eyes.

¹⁴ A bad son has teeth that are swords And molars that are like pruning knives, Which he uses to consume the weak of the land And to take from the needy.

¹⁵ To the leech was [born] three beloved daughters; But, with the three, she wasn’t satisfied, So she also [gave birth to] a 4th, Since she couldn’t say, ‘That’s enough!’ ¹⁶ For, the desires of a woman and the grave can’t be filled, As the ground never gets too much water… As with fire and water, it’s never enough!

¹⁷ May the eyes of those who make fun of their fathers And dishonor their mothers in their old age Be removed by crows in ravines, And be devoured by the chicks of vultures.

¹⁸ There are three things that I can’t comprehend, And there’s a fourth that I don’t know:

• ¹⁹ The tracks of the flight of an eagle,

• The ways of a snake on a rock,

• The path of a ship as it travels the seas,

• And the ways of men in their youth.

²⁰ As an adulterous wife is still washing herself, She’ll claim that she has done nothing wrong.

²¹ These three things shake the ground, And the fourth it’s unable to bear:

• ²² When someone’s servant becomes king,

• When a fool has plenty of food,

• ²³ When a handmaid’s released by her lady,

• When a hateful woman gets a good man.

²⁴ There are four lesser things on the earth, And these are wiser than the wise:

• ²⁵ The ants that are weak,

But spend their summers storing food.

• ²⁶ Rabbits that form a weak nation,

But make their houses in rocks.

• ²⁷ Locusts that live all alone,

But march in order when given the command.

• ²⁸ And the lizard with hands that are sticky…

For, although they’re easily caught,

They live in the castles of kings.

²⁹ There are three things that continue to prosper, And a fourth that’s best overlooked:

• ³⁰ The cub of a lion; for although it’s not strong,

It won’t turn away and it doesn’t know fear.

• ³¹ A rooster that struts among hens.

• A male goat that takes the lead of his flock.

• And a king who addresses his nation.

³² When you lose your joy and raise fists to fight, You’ve lost all your honor.

³³ If you churn cream, you’ll get butter; If you squeeze your nose, it’ll bleed; And if you just keep on talking, Arguing and fights will result.

Proverbs 31

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The words of the King Belonging to God.

¹ These words [that I’ve written] were spoken by God… Through a king came an answer divine.

He was once asked by his mother: ² ‘What, O my child, what should I tell you… Which saying of God should I tell my firstborn? What, O child of my belly… What, O child of my vows?

³ ‘Don’t [waste] your money on bad women, Nor your abilities and mind seeking pleasure. Think it all over and follow [my] words… And [don’t] drink [too much] wine!

⁴ ‘Since the mighty are easy to anger; Never offer them wine, ⁵ Lest they lose their wisdom in drink. For they make poor decisions when they’re weak.

⁶ ‘Give liquor to those in distress; Offer wine to those who are grieving, ⁷ So they can forget their condition, And remember their misery no more.

⁸ ‘O son,

Open your mouth to speak Godly words, And offer fair judgments to all. ⁹ Open your mouth with righteous decisions… Stand up for the needy and weak!

¹⁰ ‘Who can find an industrious wife? More than precious gems, is her value! ¹¹ If the heart of her man courageously guards her, He’ll never be lacking good treasures; ¹² For, she’ll uses her strength to support him, And she’ll not waste her life in doing what’s bad! ¹³ She’ll work with her hands spinning linen and wool, ¹⁴ And act like a ship that trades far away… For, that’s how she’ll gather her money.

¹⁵ ‘She gets up while it’s still dark, Along with her female attendants, To ready the food for her household. ¹⁶ She may see a farm and then buy it… From the fruits of her hands, she’ll gain more.

¹⁷ ‘She wraps her waist to give it support, And readies her arms to do work. ¹⁸ She’s tasted and found work to be good, And keeps her lamp lit all night long.

¹⁹ ‘She reaches for things advantageous, And applies her hands to the spindle. ²⁰ She opens her hands to the needy, And stretches her arms towards the poor.

²¹ ‘She wouldn’t consider using what’s yours Whenever you’re gone for a while; And all that are hers will have enough clothes.

²² ‘A doubled coat made of goat’s hair, She has sewn for her man; And from the bolt-ends of linen and purple, She’s also made one for herself. ²³ So, her man is admired when he sits at the gate, And meets with the rest of the elders.

²⁴ ‘She takes fine linen to make loincloths For all of her CanaAnite [servants]. ²⁵ She’s [proud] of her strength and her beauty, And is happy throughout the rest of her days.

²⁶ ‘She opens her mouth to speak wisdom and Law, And charity rests on her tongue. ²⁷ Her pastimes are things that shelter her home, And the grain of laziness, she doesn’t eat.

²⁸ ‘She raises her sons so they’ll grow rich, And her man sings praises of her. ²⁹ Her many daughters will also be rich By doing the things that she’s [taught them].

‘But, you’re still the first [in her eyes]… Above all the rest, she holds you.

³⁰ ‘For, beauty and allurement are false; So, that isn’t what you should seek. Rather, find a woman who’s praised and discerning… One who’s known for her fear of God. ³¹ Take from her, the fruit of her lips, And you’ll always be praised at the gates.’

Ecclesiastes

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Ecclesiastes is a long poem (or song) about the meaning of life.

It was written by King Solomon about 1000 BCE.

Ecclesiastes 1

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¹ These are the sayings of the great congregator, son of David, the king of IsraEl in JeruSalem.

² The Great Congregator said:

‘All is foolishness and waste,

Foolishness and waste… All that’s done is in vain.’

³ ‘What value does man gain from the things he’s done,

And the things he’s worked hard for under the sun?

⁴ ‘For, one generation passes away,

And then another arrives…

Yet, the earth remains throughout the ages.

⁵ ‘The sun keeps on rising and setting

As it draws to it’s place,

⁶ And the winds blow in from the south,

As they move north in a circle…

Then they go back and come ‘round again.

⁷ ‘Even though all the rivers flow into the sea,

The sea doesn’t become filled.

For, to the places from which they all came,

They return and flow back again.

⁸ ‘So, no man can speak all the words he might say,

And his eyes can’t be filled with all he can see,

Nor can his ears handle all that they hear.

⁹ ‘What’s this thing that [just] happened?

The same thing will happen again!

What’s this thing being done?

The same will be done in the future…

For there’s nothing that’s new under the sun!

¹⁰ ‘Who can say, Look, here’s something new?

For the same thing has happened for ages

To those who have lived before us.

¹¹ But the things that they did were forgotten,

And those who are born in the future

Won’t remember the things that we’re doing now.'

¹² The great congregator is the king over all of IsraEl from JeruSalem.

¹³ ‘So I set my heart to survey and inquire

About all that has happened under the sky.

God gave me this to distract me from bad,

And to lead sons of men back to Him.

¹⁴ ‘I’ve seen all that’s done under the sun,

And I find it to be a waste of [good] breath.

¹⁵ For, things that go wrong are never made right,

And there’s too much that’s wrong to be counted.

¹⁶ ‘Once I spoke in my heart and I said:

‘Look how great I’ve become!

For, I’ve been given more wisdom

Than all who have lived before me!’

‘So, I set my heart to learn wisdom and knowledge;

¹⁷ And wisdom and knowledge, my heart then beheld,

As well as higher learning and proverbs.

‘So, it became the resolve of my spirit

¹⁸ To gain an abundance of wisdom,

Along with vast volumes of knowledge.

But, those who gain knowledge also gain pain.’

Ecclesiastes 2

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¹ ‘Then I said to my heart:

‘Well come now;

I’ll [fill] you with joy and then you’ll know good!’

‘But, even that was just folly.

² ‘To laughter, I said, ‘You’re a burden!’

And to joy, I asked, ‘What have you achieved?’

³ So I thought in my heart:

‘I’ll drink wine for my flesh!’

‘But my heart then led me towards wisdom.

‘Next, I decided to hold onto joy

Until I could see just what kind of good

There is to be found among sons of men,

And what they can do in their short years of life.

⁴ ‘So thereafter, I went into action…

I planted vineyards and built many homes.

⁵ I made myself gardens and parks,

Which I planted with all sorts of fruit.

⁶ ‘Around them, I dug ponds and lakes

To water the groves filled with trees.

⁷ I acquired many slaves (both men and women),

And many native servants were born.

‘I also acquired great herds and flocks…

More than all who had come before me.

⁸ I collected much silver and gold for myself…

The possessions of kings and estates.

‘I prepared for myself, many singers…

Men and women, I brought to amuse me.

I had men and women who just served me wine.

⁹ ‘Then, I became great as my wisdom increased

(More than all who had come before me);

And indeed, my wisdom was proven.

¹⁰ ‘Everything that I could ask for

Was there in front of my eyes,

And no joy was withheld from my heart.

But, although these efforts of my heart brought me joy;

This was the sum of all I’d achieved.

¹¹ ‘For, when I looked at the things I had done,

And the things that I’d made with my hands…

When I considered the effort it took,

I saw that it all was just folly.

Since, no matter what our spirits may choose to do;

It brings no advantage under the sun.

¹² ‘So thereafter, I examined my wisdom,

And I saw that it too was just folly.

For, who under the sun will follow my words…

Which man will do [what I’ve said]?

And although the wise may have eyes in their heads,

The fools will still travel in darkness.

‘I also realized that both them and I

Will eventually all meet together.

¹⁵ So, in my heart I said this:

‘Since the fate of fools will also take me;

What value is there in my wisdom?’

‘And I also said this in my heart:

‘The things that I’ve said about being a fool

Are also just [wasted breath];

¹⁶ For, both the wise the fools are forgotten,

And what they do won’t be remembered.

So, how are the wise any better than fools?’

¹⁷ ‘Then, I became disgusted with life;

For, all that I’ve done under the sun

Will eventually end up as bad…

It’s all foolish and a waste [of good] breath.

¹⁸ ‘I became disgusted with all of the things

That I had accomplished under the sun,

For I’ll leave it to the one who comes next…

¹⁹ And who knows if he’s wise or another poor fool…

Who knows if he’ll care for the things I’ve made,

Or the things I’ve learned under the sun?

So, all of this is just folly!

²⁰ ‘Thus I turned to dismiss it all from my heart…

All the results of my efforts,

And all that I’d made under the sun.

²¹ ‘For there’s a man who worked hard to gain wisdom,

As well as knowledge and courage.

But, there’s also a man who made no such effort,

And he will receive the same fate.

So, this is a great wicked folly.

²² ‘What happens to a man and his efforts,

And the resolves of his heart under the sun?

²³ During all of his days there’s pain,

And rage over things that are being destroyed;

So, during the night, his heart knows no rest…

Indeed, this too is just folly.

²⁴ ‘Nothing worthwhile comes to a man

But eating, drinking, and searching for good…

These things truly come from God’s hands;

²⁵ For, without Him, who’s able to eat or to drink?

²⁶ ‘To those whom He declares to be good,

He bequeaths wisdom, knowledge, and joy…

But, from the sinners, He rips this away!

They’re just given to those whom He finds to be good,

And to those who can stand before Him.

Yet, this is also just folly,

And just a waste of [good] breath.’

Ecclesiastes 3

←2 | All books | All chapters | 4→

¹ ‘For all that’s under the sky

There’s a season and time…

² ‘There are times to give birth and times that bring death;

There are times to plant and to harvest;

³ ‘There are times to heal and times to destroy;

There are times to build and tear down;

⁴ ‘There are times to laugh and to cry;

There are times for mourning and dancing;

⁵ ‘There are times to pick stones and to throw them;

There are times to hug and times to reject;

⁶ ‘There are times to lose and to find;

There are times to collect and discard;

⁷ ‘There are times to plant and times to rip out;

There are times to speak or be quiet;

⁸ ‘There are times to love and times to show hate;

There are times for peace and for war…

⁹ ‘So, what can your efforts accomplish?

¹⁰ ‘I’ve seen the amusements God’s given

To the sons of men to distract them…

¹¹ Yes, all that God’s made is good in its time.

And although He’s put the ages into our hearts,

No man can know all that’s been done

From the most ancient times to the present.

¹² ‘I knew that there’s nothing good in [his efforts],

Unless they please [him]

And do him good in life;

¹³ So, when a man has it all

(All that he needs to eat and to drink),

He will know that his ways have been blest,

And he’ll know that these gifts came from God.

¹⁴ ‘All that God does lasts through ages;

So to them, you can add nothing more,

Nor can you take it away.

For, all that God has accomplished

Was done so we’d live before Him in fear.

¹⁵ And all that is, has been before…

Yes, it’s all happened before,

And God searches to see what we’ve chosen.

¹⁶ ‘I’ve also noticed that under the sun,

There’s a place where the godless are judged

And a place where the righteous are judged.

¹⁷ So, in my heart, I’ve concluded

That both the unrighteous and just will be judged.

Yes, there’s a season for all,

And for every deed, there’s a right time.

¹⁸ ‘I said in my heart what sons of men say…

That God views us like we’re cattle.

¹⁹ For, man’s outcome is the same as his herds…

As this one dies, so dies the other,

Since we all share the very same breath.

‘So, how are men better than cattle? They aren’t,

And it’s all just a joke!

²⁰ For we all return to the very same place…

We come from the dust and return to the dust.

²¹ So, who knows if man’s breath goes upward,

Or the breath of his cattle goes into the ground?

²² In all of this, I saw [little] that’s good,

Except to find joy in the things that we do…

Yes, this is all we’ve been given.

For, who’ll lead us to see

The things that will happen after [we’re gone]?

Ecclesiastes 4

←3 | All books | All chapters | 5→

¹ ‘Yes, I’ve turned and I’ve seen it all…

The extortions and other such things

That will happen to all under the sun.

I’ve seen power in the hands of extorters,

And I’ve seen the tears of the swindled…

Then, no one arrived to bring comfort.

² ‘I’ve also praised the things of the dead;

For, more have died than have lived,

³ And the best of these two is the one not yet born…

The one who has not seen the evil

In what will be done under the sun.

⁴ ‘I beheld all their efforts and acts of great courage…

Men’s rivalries with their companions.

And I see that it all is just foolish…

It’s all a huge waste of breath.

⁵ ‘The fool folds his hands… Then he eats his own flesh!

⁶ But it’s better to enjoy a handful in peace

Than to have twice as much in distress;

For, this is also a waste of good breath.

⁷ ‘I turned and noticed man’s foolish ways…

All that he’s done under the sun.

⁸ For, there are those who live all alone,

And who have had no dependents.

But, although they have no brothers or sons,

They deprive their lives of things that are good.

And indeed, this too is just folly…

It’s just a distraction from evil.

⁹ ‘Two are better than living alone,

For the efforts of two return a good wage…

¹⁰ If he stumbles, his partner will lift him.

But, woe to the one who stumbles and falls,

And has no partner to raise him.

¹¹ ‘When two share a bed, they’ll be warm…

But, one alone can’t keep himself warm.

¹² And a person alone can be beaten,

While two make a better defense…

Yet a three-corded rope is harder to break.

¹³ ‘It’s better to be a poor but wise child

Than a king who’s foolish and old…

One who no longer listens [to council].

¹⁴ For he reigns within his own ‘prison,’

And in his own kingdom, has nothing.

¹⁵ ‘I’ve gazed upon all of the living

(All who are walking under the sun),

And I see the next generation

That will soon become their replacements.

¹⁶ ‘There’s no limit to all of the people,

Or to those who have come before.

And since the last take no joy in the first;

This too is foolish and a waste of good breath.

Ecclesiastes 5

←4 | All books | All chapters | 6→

¹ ‘Watch your feet as you enter God’s House

(Whenever you go there to listen),

And bring an offering that’s better

Than the rest of the gifts of the foolish

Who are unaware of the evil that comes.

² ‘Don’t let your mouths speak too quickly

Or let your hearts be too hasty

When making [a vow] in the presence of God.

For, God is up in the heavens,

And you’re here on the earth;

So, let your words remain few.

³ ‘As many [concerns] bring [bad] dreams;

Many words are heard from the voices of fools.

⁴ So, when you make a vow to [your] God,

Don’t waste any time to repay it,

Since He doesn’t like vows that are foolishly made.

‘So, whatever you vow, you should bring!

⁵ And it’s best that you don’t make a vow

Than to vow and then fail to pay it!

⁶ ‘Don’t let your mouth lead your flesh into sin,

And don’t say too much in the presence of God.

[Don’t say] stupid things,

And don’t make Him angry with your words,

Or He’ll bring destruction to the works of your hands.

⁷ ‘So, although you may have many daydreams and follies,

Fear to say many words,

Whenever you stand before God.

⁸ ‘If you see the needy extorted and robbed

By lawsuits or other legal actions;

Don’t give this too much attention.

For, from above, the High One keeps watch…

He sees all that happens under [the sky].

⁹ ‘And although the land’s bounty is there for us all,

Even a king needs his fields to be worked.

¹⁰ ‘But for those who love silver, there’s never enough,

And with plenty comes even more young…

And indeed, this too is just folly.

¹¹ For, when you have many good things,

There’ll also be many to eat it.

So what value is there in getting much more,

When it’s just to be seen by your eyes?

¹² ‘Sleep is always sweet to a slave,

Whether he has little or much…

But the rich never get enough sleep.

¹³ ‘I’ve seen all this illness under the sun…

For there are those who store up much treasure,

¹⁴ Which is thereafter lost in hard times.

So, wealth is just a distraction from bad.

‘When a man fathers a son,

The child arrives here with nothing at all.

¹⁵ Naked he comes from his mother’s womb,

And when he dies, he leaves the same way…

With nothing to show for his efforts,

And nothing to carry back in his hands.

¹⁶ ‘Indeed, this is illness that’s evil;

For, as he arrives is how he returns.

And what advantage has he gained from his efforts,

When they’re [blown away] in the wind?

¹⁷ ‘In darkness and mourning, men fill their days…

In anger, illness, and rage.

¹⁸ Yet, I’ve seen good in the things that we eat and drink,

And I’ve also seen good from man’s efforts…

In the things he’s accomplished under the sun,

And in the portion that God has allowed him.

¹⁹ ‘For, those who gain wealth and possessions from God,

Are allowed to own them and eat them.

Thus, they reap the joy of their efforts…

And these are [the true] gifts from God!

²⁰ So, although they’ll forget most days of their lives,

God amuses them with the joy in their hearts.

Ecclesiastes 6

←5 | All books | All chapters | 7→

¹ ‘There’s something bad that I’ve seen,

Which is common to all under the sun.

² It’s when God gives a man wealth,

Along with possessions, and glory,

So that he lacks nothing his soul could desire…

Then he’s not allowed the time to [enjoy] it,

And thereafter, it’s given to strangers…

Yes, this is a sickness and folly.

³ ‘If a man should live to 100

(No matter how long the days of his years),

And his life has never known good things;

Before he’s buried, I’d say:

‘It would have been better if he’d been miscarried.’

⁴ For, from darkness he came and in darkness he left,

And in darkness his name will be covered.

⁵ ‘Indeed, he knew not the sun,

And none would know him from others.

⁶ And if he came back and lived thousands [of years],

But he still never saw any good;

Wouldn’t things still be the same?

⁷ ‘So, all men can do is just fill their mouths,

Since their lives never reach their fulfillment.

⁸ And what advantage have the wise over fools?

For, only the poor put just living first.

⁹ ‘It’s better to have a dream in your eyes

Than to see what will really happen in life;

So, all of that’s just folly…

It’s just a waste of good breath.

¹⁰ ‘Whenever something new comes along,

It was already named [in the past].

And although a man may know his own [strength],

He can’t know when someone is stronger.

¹¹ ‘There’s so much that makes foolishness grow,

¹² And what does this mean for a man?

Who knows what will be the best parts in his life,

Or how many of his days will be foolish?

For, his life is much like a shadow,

And who can report to a man

What under the sun will succeed him?’

Ecclesiastes 7

←6 | All books | All chapters | 8→

¹ ‘A good name is better than oil,

And the day that you die is much greater

Than the day you were born.

² ‘So it’s better to go to a funeral

Than to spend time at a banquet…

For, that’s the end of all men,

And it’s good for all who are living

To take such good warnings to heart.

³ ‘Indignant rage is better than laughter;

For a face that’s been hurt creates a good heart.

⁴ So the wise at heart are at funerals,

While the foolish heart [searches for] pleasure.

⁵ ‘It’s better to hear the scolding of the wise

Than to listen to the [praising] of fools.

⁶ ‘As the [crackling] of tinder under a pot,

Is the sound of the laughter of fools;

For, this is also just folly.

⁷ ‘Extortion makes wise people crazy;

For it destroys the greatest plans of their hearts.

⁸ ‘The way that a matter turns out

Is [more important] than how it began.

‘It’s better [for a man] to forgive

Than to have a high-minded spirit.

⁹ ‘Don’t get angry too quickly;

For, rage rests in the bosoms of fools.

¹⁰ ‘Don’t ask why past days were better;

For in asking such things, there’s no wisdom.

¹¹ ‘True wisdom brings plenty of good

To those who can still see the sun;

¹² For, wisdom is in the sun’s shadow,

And in the shadow of silver.

‘The advantage of those who have wisdom

Is that those who’ve found it will live [longer] lives.

¹³ ‘Behold the actions of God;

For, who can add to the things that He brings?

¹⁴ ‘Enjoy the good life during good days,

For you know that bad days will come!

‘Look! Harmonious words, God sent through this man,

So people will need nothing more!

¹⁵ ‘I’ve seen it all in my foolish days…

I’ve seen the righteous unjustly destroyed,

And the irreverent allowed to keep doing what’s bad.

¹⁶ ‘Don’t be too discerning or righteous,

So you won’t overwhelm all the others.

¹⁷ Nor should you be disrespectful of them,

Lest you harden and die before it’s your time.

¹⁸ ‘It’s best to hang on to all that’s good

And not to get your hands dirty;

For, everything comes to those who fear God.

¹⁹ ‘Wisdom has much greater power

Than 10 mighty men in a city.

²⁰ ‘There’s no man on earth who’s righteous…

There are none who are good and free from all sins.

²¹ ‘Don’t keep all the bad that’s said in your heart,

And don’t notice when you’re cursed by your servants.

²² For, against you, they’ll say wicked things,

And often they’ll hurt you at heart…

Just as you’ve often cursed others.

²³ ‘All of these things, I’ve tested as wisdom;

But, although I may say that I understand,

It has stayed too far from my grasp…

²⁴ It’s too high above me and too deep below;

So, who’s able to find it?

²⁵ ‘To understand, I’ve searched my heart through…

I’ve looked it all over and sought what’s wise.

I’ve reasoned and seen how the godless are fools,

And of how they’re misled to do wrong.

²⁶ ‘I find her more bitter than death…

The woman with snares and nets in her heart,

And who creates slaves with her hands.

Only those who are found to be good before God

Will be delivered from her,

While those who sin will be captured.’

²⁷ The Great Congregator says:

‘Look! This is what I’ve found,

I’ve counted and carefully searched…

²⁸ Seeking for such ones with my whole soul…

But, I was unable to find

A man in a thousand who’s [righteous],

And none at all among women!

²⁹ ‘Yet, this is the one thing I’ve found:

God deals with the man who’s upright,

And He searches for ways to reward him.’

‘But, who knows who truly is wise,

And who understands the meanings of proverbs?’

Ecclesiastes 8

←7 | All books | All chapters | 9→

¹ ‘Wisdom will make faces brighter,

While impudent faces are hated.

² ‘Watch the mouth of a king

Because of the oath that God swore!

³ Don’t depart from his face in a hurry,

And don’t go to him for wrong reasons;

For, he’ll do whatever he pleases,

⁴ And then, who can ask of the king:

‘Why did you make [that decision]?’

⁵ ‘Those who keep the Commandments don’t contemplate evil;

For, wise hearts discern right ways and right times.

⁶ ‘There’s a time and a ruling for all,

And the knowledge of men ranges widely.

⁷ But, since no one knows what will happen,

Who can foretell what the future will hold?

⁸ ‘No man controls [his own] life,

Nor is he able to keep it in check.

None can avoid the day of their deaths,

And none can avoid days of war…

Nor can the irreverent avoid what they’re due.

⁹ ‘I’ve now seen it all…

I’ve given my heart to all under the sun…

And I’ve found that all men can do,

Is just bring to bad on themselves.

¹⁰ ‘I’ve seen the irreverent carried to tombs

From a place that’s Holy.

They were also praised in the city

For the things they’d done…

And this is also just folly.

¹¹ ‘When no one opposes the wicked,

Men’s hearts feel safe in turning towards bad.

¹² And those who are guilty of sins,

Just go on living their lives.

‘But, I know that good comes to those who fear God,

And before Him, the rest should feel fear.

¹³ For, good doesn’t really come to the godless,

And what they do doesn’t lengthen their days.

So, they’re nothing but shadows [that pass],

Because they’ve shown no fear of God.

¹⁴ ‘There’s even more folly that’s done on the earth…

As when the righteous receive what the guilty deserve,

And the godless receive what the righteous deserve…

Yes, this is also just folly!

¹⁵ ‘So, although I may sing their praises in joy,

There’s nothing good that happens to men

Anywhere under the sun,

Other than eating, drinking, and pleasure…

Yes, that’s all there is to man’s efforts…

It’s what he’s been given by God

As [his portion] under the sun.

¹⁶ ‘So I turned my heart to learn wisdom

And to overlook what’s done on the earth.

For, both day and night, men sleep with [closed] eyes,

So they can’t see all that happens.

¹⁷ ‘Then I started to observe the actions of God,

Which men under the sun haven’t noticed.

For, despite all the efforts they put in their search,

They’ve been unable to find it.

And although the wise speak of knowledge,

They too are unable to find it.

But because I gave my heart to discernment;

These are the things that my heart came to see.’

Ecclesiastes 9

←8 | All books | All chapters | 10→

¹ ‘The deeds of the righteous and wise

Are in the hands of our God.

And with all of their loves and dislikes,

Man can’t really comprehend it…

² For, foolish are the ways of all men!

‘There are things that happen to the righteous,

And things that happen to the godless…

And to either, can come good or evil.

‘There are also the clean and unclean;

There are those who bring sacrifices,

And those who offer God nothing.

Yet, the same things [can happen to] both…

To the good as well as the sinners…

To those who choose to swear oaths,

And to those who fear to swear oaths.

³ In all of this, there’s evil

In what’s done under the sun…

For the same things can happen to both.

‘Indeed; men’s hearts are filled with what’s bad,

And it leads them to madness throughout their lives…

Then they go to the grave.

⁴ ‘But, for the living, there’s still hope,

Since a living dog is much greater

Than a mighty lion that has died.

⁵ For the living know that they’ll die,

While the dead know nothing at all,

Nor do they have a wage,

Since the memory of them is forgotten.

⁶ ‘Their loves and dislikes are both gone,

And their zeal has already perished.

Then, throughout the age they’ll not be involved

In whatever is done under the sun.

⁷ ‘So, eat your bread in contentment,

And drink to your heart with fine wines…

And God will think well of your actions.

⁸ ‘May your clothes always be white,

And may there be plenty of oil for your head.

⁹ ‘Share what you have with the woman you’ve loved

All the days of your wasted life.

For it’s all that you’ll get under the sun,

Since the days of your life are a folly…

Yes, this is the sum of your life

For all of your efforts under the sun.

¹⁰ ‘So whatever your hands find to do,

Do it with all of your power!

For, there’s no doing, thinking, wisdom, or knowledge

In the place of the dead where you’re going.

¹¹ ‘I turned and I saw that under the sun,

The race isn’t won by those quick on their feet,

Nor are battles all won by the mighty.

The wise aren’t always those who eat bread,

And the discerning aren’t always the rich;

Nor are those with knowledge shown favor.

‘Yet, there’s a time and a meeting for all,

¹² And no one knows when this time will arrive.

As fish being caught in a net,

And as birds being trapped in a snare;

The sons of men will be swiftly caught

In a bad time that arrives all too quickly.

¹³ ‘I’ve beheld all this wisdom under sun,

And it rests heavily upon me.

¹⁴ ‘If a city is small with just a few men,

And a mighty king comes to attack,

Building high siege mounds around it;

¹⁵ And if a wise man who’s poor can be found there,

And his wisdom results in saving that town;

All will forget that he’d been poor.

¹⁶ ‘So, this is what I can tell you:

‘Wisdom is better than power.’

But the wisdom of the poor is treated with contempt,

And none pay attention to their words.

¹⁷ Yet, the words of the wise who have nothing

Should be heeded over the words of the foolish

Who may have been given the power,

¹⁸ Since wisdom is better than weapons of war,

And a single error can wipe out the good.’

Ecclesiastes 10

←9 | All books | All chapters | 11→

¹ ‘As a dead fly can spoil a good ointment;

A little folly can conquer great wisdom.

² ‘The hearts of the wise are at their right hands,

But the hearts of fools stay on their left.

³ So, whichever way a fool chooses to go;

In his heart, he’s sure that he’ll fail,

Since he thinks that he can’t succeed.

⁴ ‘If the spirit of a ruler flares against you,

Don’t turn away from your place;

For, [patience] heals all great sins.

⁵ ‘I’ve observed a wickedness under the sun…

It’s when a ruler does something in haste,

⁶ And puts a fool over important things,

While those who’ve proven their worth are put low…

⁷ I’ve seen ‘slaves’ who are riding on horses,

And ‘princes’ who are walking as slaves on the ground.

⁸ ‘The one who’s digging a cesspool

Is also the one who’ll fall in it;

And those who move boundary markers,

Will find themselves bitten by snakes.

⁹ ‘Quarry workers may be harmed by the rocks [they’ve hewn],

And those who split logs are in danger.

¹⁰ ‘If the axe isn’t sharp, you’ll work harder;

So, doing what’s wise paves the way to success.

¹¹ ‘If a snake-charmer whispers and the serpent still bites;

All of his charming is worthless.

¹² ‘Words from a wise mouth bring favor,

While foolish lips rip it away.

¹³ And if foolish words are accepted;

It’ll end in what’s wicked and crazy.

¹⁴ ‘The fool often speaks many words,

Although he doesn’t really know what will happen,

Or what will soon come to be.

So, who’ll walk behind and announce him?

¹⁵ ‘The efforts of fools bring them trouble…

For, they know not the right ways to enter a town.

¹⁶ ‘Woe to you, O great city,

Where your king is just a young [man],

And your princes eat meals in the mornings.

¹⁷ Rather, blest is the land

Where the king has been born of nobles,

And whose princes eat at the right times.

For, the things that they eat makes them strong,

So they’ll never be shamed.

¹⁸ ‘By sloth and neglect a home [falls apart],

And with idle hands, [its roof] starts to leak.

¹⁹ ‘Bread, wine, and oil are made to cause laughter,

And to bring joy to the living…

But, they must also be [paid for].

²⁰ ‘Never curse a king in your mind,

Nor curse the rich in your bedrooms or closets.

For your words will be carried by birds in the skies,

And those with wings will report what you’ve said.’

Ecclesiastes 11

←10 | All books | All chapters | 12→

¹ ‘Scatter your seeds on the water,

And after some time, you’ll find them.

² Yes, share what you have with seven or eight [other people],

Since you don’t know what bad may come to the land.

³ ‘If clouds become filled, they’ll send rain to the ground.

And if a tree falls towards the north of the south,

Wherever it falls, it’ll stay.

⁴ So, those who look to the wind may not plant,

And those who look to the clouds may not reap.

⁵ For, attempting to know which way the wind blows,

Is like knowing the bones in the womb of a mother…

You don’t know the actions of God,

Or any of the things He will do.

⁶ ‘So, start your planting in the morning,

And don’t rest your hand ‘til the evening;

For, you never know what will grow over there,

Or what will grow best over here…

Or if the two will grow well together.

⁷ ‘Daylight is sweet and it’s good for the eyes

To be able to see by the sun.

⁸ But, although a man’s years may bring him much joy,

He will also know many days that are dark…

And all that will come is just folly.

⁹ ‘Take joy, young man, in your youth;

And may your heart do good while you’re young.

May your heart walk in ways that are pure,

Not in the ways that you see with your eyes…

For, know that this leads to God’s judgment.

¹⁰ ‘So, remove all the rage from your heart,

And all the wicked ways from your flesh;

For, youth’s thoughtless ways are all folly!’

Ecclesiastes 12

←11 | All books | All chapters

¹ ‘Remember your Creator in the days of your youth;

For, bad days will come [all too soon],

And the years will arrive when you’ll say:

‘I never really wanted [to see] them!’

² ‘[It’s a time when] the ‘sun’ becomes dark,

And you’ll not see the light of the moon or the stars,

Or the clouds passing by after rain.

³ ‘It’s a day when the ‘watchman’ starts to tremble…

When the powerful man is bent double,

And the grinders cease, because they’re few.

Then, ‘women’ will stare from their ‘windows’ at darkness,

⁴ And they’ll lock all their doors

In fear of the sounds of those grinding in the market.

‘Then the sound of a sparrow will wake you,

And the daughters of song will be humbled.

⁵ From above, you’ll look down and see

Frightening things on the road.

‘Then, at the time when ‘almonds’ should blossom,

The ‘locusts’ will grow to be many,

And ‘capers’ will drop on the ground…

For, you’ll have gone to your home of the ages.

‘Then, people will circle the market,

Beating their chests in mourning for you.

⁶ For the silver cord has been severed;

The gold decoration is broken;

The bucket at the well has been shattered;

And the wheel has rolled into the pit.

⁷ ‘For, that which is dust went back to the ground

From which it once had been taken;

And the breath has also returned

To the God by whom it was given.’

⁸ Says the great congregator:

‘Oh how silly and foolish!’

⁹ Yet to him, came even more wisdom, And he taught all his knowledge to men… He traced it all out and composed it as proverbs.

¹⁰ The Great Congregator searched for the words, And he wrote them as right ways of truth:

¹¹ ‘As words to the wise and as ox goads…

As nails that are hammered in tight.

They’re agreeable things from a shepherd;

¹² So, carefully guard them, my son!

‘For, many scrolls have been written

(Yes, to them, there’s no end),

And spending much time thinking about them

Is just a weariness to the flesh.

¹³ ‘But listen, for this is what I’ve concluded:

‘Fear God and keep His Commandments…

This is all that there is for a man!

¹⁴ ‘The rest just leads to judgment by God,

Who decides whether we’ve been bad or good.’

Song of Solomon

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Song of Solomon is a poem (or song) about the love between a shepherd boy and a young maiden, who could not be together because the girl had become one of the king’s concubines.

It was written by King Solomon around 1000 BCE.

Tricky narration

The Song of Solomon can be one of the most difficult Bible passages, as it’s a two-way conversation between a man and a woman told in song – so it’s not always clear exactly who is speaking. So to help the reader, we’ve looked at both the context and the grammar tenses for clues, and put what appears to be the woman’s words in bold, and those of her beloved shepherd boy in italics. We might not always have it right.

Also, it’s not always obvious when some terms are figurative or literal, so some translations are best-guesses.

Song of Solomon 1

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¹ The song of all songs by Solomon.

² [The Shulamite Girl says:]

‘May you kiss me with kisses from your mouth;

For, [the feel] of your chest is better than wine.

³ And the smell of your scent is much better

Than the odor of all the perfumes

That have been poured in your name…

‘And because of this, young women have loved you.

⁴ For, they’re the ones who drew me towards you,

And towards the scent of your fragrance, we ran.

‘Even though the king has carried me off

Into his private apartments;

I shout in joy and am glad over you,

For I love your chest more than wine,

And what I have for you is [pure] love.

⁵ ‘O daughters of JeruSalem;

I’m as pretty and tan

As the tents in the Valley of Cedars,

And as [King] Solomon’s leathers.

⁶ ‘Yet, don’t bother to look, for I’m very dark,

Because [I’ve worked hard] in the sun.

‘For the sons of my mother quarreled with me

And made me work hard in a vineyard…

Yes, I tended to vines not my own.

⁷ ‘So, tell me, O love by my life;

Where is the place that you tend [your sheep],

And where are you napping at noon?

‘For I wish to be wrapped all around you

There among your companions of flocks.’

⁸ [So the Shepherd Boy says:]

‘Well, if you don’t know, O my fair one,

Follow at the heels of the flocks;

For I tend my kids near the tents of the Shepherds.

⁹ ‘As my horse from the chariots of PharaOh,

Is how I [view] you, my dear one.

¹⁰ ‘Your cheeks are as pretty as doves,

And your neck is much like the pendant

¹¹ That I’ll make for you out of gold accented with silver.’

¹² [To which the Girl says:]

‘When the king came here to lie down with me,

The oils I was wearing gave off their scent.

¹³ ‘But for me, the man whom I truly love

Is like a bundle of balsam,

And between my breasts, I want him to stay.

¹⁴ ‘For my love is a cluster of cypress…

And like the vineyards of EnGedi.’

¹⁵ [And the Shepherd Boy says:]

‘Look… You’re so pretty, my dear one,

And your eyes are like those of doves.’

¹⁶ [And the Girl replies:]

‘And look… You’re so handsome, my dearly-loved man;

And beautiful will be our bed in the shade,

¹⁷ Where the beams of our house will be cedar,

And our barns will be made out of cypress.’

Song of Solomon 2

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¹ ‘I am a flower of the fields…

Yes, I’m a lily of the valley.’

² [And the Boy says:]

‘Like a lily in the midst of thorn bushes,

Is my dear one among many daughters.’

³ [And the Shulamite Girl replies:]

‘And as apples among other trees in the grove,

Is my loved one amidst other sons.

To rest in his shadow, is what I desire,

For I’ve found his fruit to be sweet.

⁴ ‘So, carry me away to the tavern,

And when we get there, order me love!

⁵ Then rub me with fragrant oils,

And pile apples upon me…

For, I’ve been pierced through with love.

⁶ ‘Now, his left hand is under my head,

And with his right, he’s drawing me near.

⁷ ‘O you daughters of JeruSalem;

Swear by the powers and strengths of the fields

That you won’t arise and awaken your love

Until [the time] it’s desired.

⁸ ‘O hear the voice of my dearly-loved man…

{Look!} He’s coming, springing over the mountains,

And leaping above all the hills.

⁹ For my dearly-loved man is [a fawn],

And a stag among many hinds!

‘{Look!} He’s standing outside of my window,

And peeking at me through the shades.

¹⁰ ‘The man whom I love is calling and says:

‘Get up and come here, my dear one…

Yes, my fair one and dove;

¹¹ For look, the winter has passed,

And the rains have poured down and ended.

¹² ‘Flowers have blossomed throughout the whole land,

And the time for pruning’s arrived.

You can hear the voices of doves calling out;

¹³ The fig trees are putting out buds;

And you can smell the blossoms on grape vines.

‘So, arise and come here, my dear one…

Get up and come here, my dove!

¹⁴ Come, my dove, and stay near the rocks

That are piled outside of the wall.

‘Please let me see what you look like,

And let me hear your voice once again

For I love the way that you speak,

And I [love to gaze at] your beauty.

¹⁵ So, grab hold of the foxes destroying the vines;

For my grapevines are now in full bloom!’

¹⁶ [So the Shulamite Girl continues:]

‘Yes, my dearly-loved man is for me,

And I’m his one and only.

But he’s [outside] tending the lilies,

Until a new day when the clouds will be gone.

¹⁷ ‘O my dearly-loved man;

Be like the fawn or a buck among hinds,

And [stay nearby] in the mountains.’

Song of Solomon 3

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¹ ‘During the nights, there in my bed;

Whole-souled, I searched for the one whom I love.

But although I searched, I was unable to find him…

I called to him, but he didn’t reply.

² ‘So I’ll get up and go through the city,

Then I’ll search the markets and squares

For the one whom I love with my whole soul.

‘Well, I searched, but I couldn’t find him.

³ And then they found me… The ones keeping guard…

Those who do rounds in the city.

[And I asked], ‘Have you seen the love of my life?’

⁴ ‘But, shortly after I passed them,

I found the love of my life.

I grabbed hold of him and didn’t let go,

Then I took him to the house of my mother…

To the bedroom of the one who conceived me.

⁵ ‘O daughters of JeruSalem;

Swear by the powers and strengths of the fields

That you won’t arise and awaken your love

Until [the time] it’s desired.’

⁶ [And the Shepherd Boy asks:]

‘Who is this woman who comes from the desert

Like smoke arising from the odor

Of myrrh, frankincense, and the powders of all the perfumers?’

⁷ [And the Girl says:]

‘{Look!} There’s King Solomon’s couch

With 60 mighty men standing [guard] ‘round it

From among all of IsraEl’s great ones.

⁸ ‘Each one is holding his broadsword,

And in ways of war, they all have been trained.

They wear their swords on their hips,

[As they keep watch] throughout the night.

⁹ ‘King Solomon has a carriage made from Lebanon’s cedars,

¹⁰ Which has columns of silver, couches of gold,

And purple carpets that line all its steps…

Gifts of love from JeruSalem’s daughters.

¹¹ ‘So, come and behold, O daughters of Zion…

See Solomon and the garland he got from his mother

On the day that he took me,

And when his heart was so filled with joy!’

Song of Solomon 4

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¹ [And the Shepherd Boy says:]

‘{Look!} You’re so pretty my dear one…

See how pretty you are!

Your eyes look like doves inside of your veil;

Your hair is as [luxuriant as] herds of GileAd’s goats.

² ‘Your teeth [are as white] as freshly-sheared sheep

After they’ve come from the bath…

All of whom have born twins,

And none are childless among them.

³ ‘Your lips are like scarlet ribbons,

And the way that you talk is so pretty.

Your cheeks, when they’re outside your veil,

Are red like pomegranate skins.

⁴ ‘Your neck is like the tower of David

(The one which was built for protection),

In which hangs the shields of a thousand,

As well as the arrows of his mighty.

⁵ And your breasts are as [charming as] twin fawns,

Which are feeding there among the lilies.

⁶ ‘But until a new day arrives,

When all the shadows are gone,

I’ll go to the mountain of myrrh,

And wait for you at the frankincense hill.

⁷ ‘For, entirely lovely is my dear one…

Yes, she is totally perfect.

⁸ ‘So, come from Lebanon, my bride…

From Lebanon, please come here to me!

Come to me through the Archway of Trust…

From the peaks of Shinar and HerMon…

From the mountains of leopards and lions.

⁹ ‘For, you’ve captured my heart,

O my sister and bride…

You’ve captured my heart with your eyes

And your neck of garlands [and flowers].

¹⁰ ‘Pretty are both your breasts,

O my sister and bride.

They’re better than the finest of wines,

And the scent of your clothes exceeds all perfumes.

¹¹ ‘Your lips are like honey as it drips from the comb…

Honey and milk are under your tongue,

And like frankincense, is the smell of your clothes.

¹² ‘But you’re locked in a garden, my sister and bride…

Like a well that’s been covered and sealed.

¹³ ‘All the messages that you’ve sent

Are like pomegranate gardens to me…

They’re like the fruit from the trees…

They’re like the scent of cypress and nard…

¹⁴ ‘Yes, cypress, nard, calamus and saffron…

The smell of cinnamon and Lebanon's cedars,

Along with aloes and the best of perfumes.

¹⁵ ‘They’re like life-giving wells in a garden,

And the springs of life-saving waters,

Which from Lebanon, still pour down to us.

¹⁶ ‘So wake up, O north wind… Come now!

And south wind, breathe life to [you], my garden…

Come and let its scents flow!’

Song of Solomon 5

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¹ [To which the Shulamite Girl replies:]

‘May the man whom I love enter his garden,

And may he eat the fruit from its trees!’

[So the Shepherd Boy says:]

‘Yes, I’ll go to my garden, my sister and bride,

And I’ll gather my harvest of spices and myrrh.

For I’ve eaten my bread and its honey,

And I’ve drunk its milk and its wine.’

[And the Girl says:]

‘Please eat, my dear one, and drink…

Let’s both get drunk, my dearly-loved man!

² Although I [want to] sleep, my heart tells me no;

For my loved one knocked on my door, then he said:

‘Open to me, O my sister…

Yes open, my dear one… My perfect dove.

For my head is covered with dew,

And my curls [are wet] with the mist of the night.

³ ‘I've removed all of my underclothes…

So now, must I put them back on?

I’ve also washed off my feet…

Must I run and get them dirty again?’

⁴ ‘Then my dearly-loved man stuck his hand through [my door],

And he was aroused [by the touch of my skin].

⁵ So I got up and opened to him,

As my hands were dripping with myrrh…

My fingers dripped with myrrh on the lock.

⁶ But, when I opened for the one whom I love;

The man whom I love... Wasn’t there...

‘With my whole soul, I yearned for his voice;

So I searched, but I couldn’t find him…

I called for him, but he couldn’t hear me.

⁷ ‘Then they found me (the guards who make rounds through the town)…

They struck me and hurt me, and took off my wrap

(Those who keep watch at the walls).

⁸ ‘So, O JeruSalem’s daughters;

Swear by the powers and strengths of the fields…

Please tell me if you've seen my dearly-loved man,

For, I’ve been pierced through by love!’

⁹ [And the daughters of Jerusalem ask:]

‘Who is this man whom you love above all,

O prettiest one among women?

Who’s this one whom you so dearly love

That you’ve bound us with such an oath?’

¹⁰ [To which she replies:]

‘My man is impressive and virile…

He's the choicest and my one and only...

¹¹ ‘His head is like gold from Kephas;

His curls are flowing like fir trees,

And they’re as black as a crow.

¹² ‘His eyes are like doves near deep pools…

As though bathed in milk over water.

¹³ ‘His mouth is like a bowl filled with spice,

Which is set out to give a fresh smell.

‘His lips are also like lilies,

Dripping with full-bodied myrrh...

¹⁴ ‘And his hands are like gold from Tharsis and gems.

‘His belly is a tablet of ivory,

Upon which is mounted a sapphire.

¹⁵ ‘His legs are like columns of marble,

Resting on bases of gold.

‘He looks like the finest of Lebanon's cedars,

¹⁶ And his [voice] is desirable and sweet.

‘O daughters of JeruSalem;

He’s my dearest and the man whom I love!’

Song of Solomon 6

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¹ [So the daughters ask her:]

‘O prettiest one among women;

Where has he wandered… Yes, where has he gone,

So we can go search on your behalf?’

² [And the Shulamite Girl replies:]

‘My loved one has gone to his garden

To gather his bowls filled with spices.

He’s gone to tend to his garden,

And to gather his lilies.

³ ‘I belong to my dearly-loved man,

And my dearly-loved man is [just] mine…

This one who’s tending his lilies.’

⁴ [The Shepherd boy says:]

‘You’re so pretty, my dear one…

As pleasing [to me] as JeruSalem!

But you’re also as disturbing

As [men] preparing for war.

⁵ So, turn your eyes from before me,

Because they excite me too much!

‘For your hair is like that of GileAd’s goats,

⁶ And your teeth [are as white] as freshly-sheared sheep

That have just come from the bath,

All of which have born twins,

And none are childless among them.

‘Your lips are like scarlet ribbons,

And the way that you talk is so pretty.

⁷ Your cheeks that show through your veil,

Are as red as pomegranate skins.

⁸ ‘Yet, there are now 60 queens,

And 80 concubines more,

As well as unnumbered young women…

⁹ And one of them is my perfect dove!

‘She’s the only daughter of her mother…

The most-loved one of the mother who gave birth.

The daughters and queens call her blest,

And the concubines all [sing] her praises.

¹⁰ ‘Who is this one who looks like the dawn

And is as fair as the moon…

The chosen one of the sun,

Who's as disturbing as men preparing for war?’

¹¹ ‘To the grove of walnuts, I traveled…

I went down to gaze on their fruits,

Which are there by the stream in the valley.

I went there to see if grapevines had flowered,

And to view the pomegranate blossoms.

¹² For my soul had made me like the chariots of nobles.

¹³ ‘Please return, O Shulamite girl!

Return, return, for I’m searching for you!

How would you know it’s the Shulamite girl?

She arrives like an army in the camp.’

Song of Solomon 7

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¹ ‘How pretty are your feet in your sandals,

O you daughter of nobles.

Your thighs are shaped like fine pendants…

The works of the hands of a craftsman.

² ‘Your navel is like a finely-shaped bowl,

Not lacking a mixture of wines.

Your belly is like a mound of best grain,

That’s wrapped within fields of lilies.

³ ‘Your breasts are as [charming as] two young fawns…

A pair of twins of the doe.

⁴ Your neck is [like] a tower of ivory,

And your eyes are as [deep as] HeshBon’s lakes

(Those by the Gates of Many Daughters).

‘As [strong as] Lebanon’s Tower, is your nose…

The one overlooking Damascus.

⁵ Your head [has the beauty of] CarMel,

And its braids are like the purple cloth

In which the king’s wrapped as he passes.

⁶ ‘How beautiful and delicious you are, O my love,

In the luxurious things you possess.

⁷ In greatness, you’re much like a palm tree,

And your breasts are as [desirable as] clusters of grapes.

⁸ ‘So I said that I’d climb up that ‘palm tree,’

And to its top, I’d cling.

For your breasts are as [desirable as] clusters of grapes on the vine;

The scent from your breath is [sweet] like apples;

⁹ And [the taste] of your [mouth] is like the finest wines.’

[And the Shulamite Girl says:]

‘I’m going to my dearly-loved man straight away,

For [I need him close] to my lips and my teeth.

¹⁰ I’ll turn to the man whom I love,

And he will then turn towards me.

¹¹ ‘Come, O man whom I love;

We’ll run to the fields and lodge in the little villages!

¹² We’ll get up early [and go into] the vineyards,

To see if the grapevines have bloomed;

To see if the flowers have blossomed;

To see if the pomegranates have budded;

And there, I’ll give you my breasts.[LXX]

¹³ ‘The mandrakes have given their odor,

And new and old fruit trees are outside our doors.

O man whom I love; I’ve saved them for you!’

Song of Solomon 8

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¹ [And the Shulamite Girl says:]

‘O man whom I love,

Whom I’d grant to nurse at my mother’s breasts;

If I found you outside, I’d kiss you,

And let none ever be disrespectful.

² ‘Yes, I’d come there and take you…

I’d bring you to the house of my mother,

And into the room where I was conceived,

Where I’d allow you to drink the spiced wine

That comes from my pomegranate nectar.

³ ‘O… His left hand is under my head,

And with his right hand, he’s holding me close.

⁴ ‘O daughters of JeruSalem;

Swear by the powers and strengths of the fields

That you won’t arise and awaken your love

Until [the time] it's desired.’

⁵ [And the daughters of Jerusalem ask:]

‘Who is this who ascends from the desert,

Hanging onto the man whom she loves?’

[And the Shepherd Boy says:]

‘From under apple trees, I awoke you,

And there was your mother beside you…

The one who through pain, gave you birth.

⁶ ‘Please set me as a seal on your heart,

And as a seal on your arm!

For, as strong as death is [my] love for you,

And [my] zeal is as hard as the grave.

‘It sparks with the fire of [love’s] flames,

⁷ Which can't be extinguished with water,

Nor can the rivers engulf it.

But, should a man give all he owns for his love,

[Most] others would think him [a fool].

⁸ ‘Our sister is [young], without breasts;

So, what should we do on the day she's engaged?

⁹ If she should be like a wall,

We’d build a silver parapet around her.

But, if she should be like a door,

With cedar planks, we would board her up.’

¹⁰ [And the Shulamite Girl says:]

‘I’m a ‘wall,’ and my breasts are like towers;

So, in their eyes, I’m [safe and] at peace.

¹¹ ‘[King] Solomon owned a vineyard in BaAl HerMon,

He entrusted it to others to maintain it.

Every man had to pay 1,000 silver pieces for its fruit.

¹² ‘Well, my ‘vineyard’ is before me...

And to Solomon, you must pay your thousands,

And 200 more to those tending his fruit...

¹³ ‘O you who now sits in the garden!

‘My companions have noticed your voice,

And the things that you’ve said to me!

‘So, man whom I love, you must now run away!

[Escape] like the doe or young stag,

Upon the scented mountains!’

Isaiah

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Isaiah is a record of the prophecies that Yahweh gave to the Prophet IsaiAh.

It was likely written by IsaiAh himself during 8th century BCE and into the early 7th century BCE. It covers some historical events recorded in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles, such as IsaiAh’s interactions with King HezekiAh of Judah.

Most of this book is poetry

Something that only a Bible translator would notice is when words are in the form of Hebrew poetry. There’s a definite cadence that can be seen in the original language. Therefore, because this is the chosen style of God, we’ve tried to recreate it as it was originally intended: in poetic verse.

Why use poetry?

Poetry must conform to a certain rhythm and style. These act as memory aids, helping you to recall the words, making it easier for messages to be spread via the most common communication method of the time: song.

Who was talking?

When translating the words of the Prophets, you can’t help but notice the constant changing personal pronouns (I, you, he, they, etc.) used in the text. It makes it very confusing to figure out exactly who’s talking.

However, we now realize one reason for the confusion that’s usually overlooked: God didn’t speak to the Prophets personally. Rather, He sent His messages through a mediator, either referred to as a messenger (an angel), or sometimes as ‘The Word’ (which some interpret to mean Yeshua).

So there are actually three voices speaking:

1. That of the Prophet, who sometimes quotes himself,

2. That of the angelic messenger who’s bringing the message from God,

3. The words of God Himself (which we put in italics).

How can we tell the difference? From the context, the pronouns, and the tenses:

1. When the Prophet speaks, he’s either clearly reporting what he said or did, or is simply saying what was happening.

2. When the angelic messenger speaks, he talks about God in the third person.

3 When God is speaking, all references to God are naturally spoken in the first person.

Did we get it all right? Probably not, but it has been an honest attempt at doing so. If you think you’ve spotted a place where our choice is incorrect, please let us know and we’ll reconsider it.

Isaiah 1

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¹ These are the visions that IsaiAh (son of Amoz) saw during the reigns of UzziAh, JoTham, Ahaz, and HezekiAh, (the kings of Judah) about things that were to come upon Judah and JeruSalem [in the future].

² Hear, O heavens, and [pay attention] O earth, For Yahweh spoke and said this:

‘I fathered sons and I raised them,

But, they’ve paid no attention to Me.

³ ‘Although every ox knows its owner

And every burro knows its own master’s barn;

By IsraEl, I am unknown,

And My people do not understand.’

⁴ So, woe to you, sinful nation; For, you’re a people that’s filled with its sins… You’re an evil offspring and lawless sons, Since you have abandoned Yahweh, And IsraEl’s Holy One, you have provoked… So now, you’ve been pushed to the rear!

⁵ Why be struck down for [your] lawless ways? For your head is in a miserable condition And your heart is in great distress… ⁶ Nothing is healthy from your head to your feet.

Your wounds and contusions are inflamed and unhealed, Since no one has dressed them or applied oil, Nor have they come here to wrap them.

⁷ Your land has been completely destroyed And all of your cities are burned. They’ve devoured the [land] that’s before you… By strangers, it has been destroyed, And foreign peoples have wiped it away.

⁸ For, the daughter of Zion has now been abandoned Like an old shack in a vineyard Or a shed in a cucumber garden, Or like a city that is under attack.

⁹ So unless Yahweh of Armies Should choose to leave us an offspring… Like Sodom and GomorRah, we will be!

¹⁰ Therefore, hear the word of Yahweh O you rulers of Sodom And you people of GomorRah… Pay attention to the Laws of our God; ¹¹ Because, He is asking you this:

‘What good are the things that you offer to Me?

For, of your whole-burnt-offerings of rams,

I’ve received more than enough…

And too much fat from your lambs!

‘Yet, I never asked for the blood of your bulls,

Or the blood of your goats…

¹² And I don’t want you coming to stand before Me!

Who asked for your hands to contribute such things?

‘So I’ll not let you trample My courtyard again;

¹³ And if you should bring fine flour to Me,

You will do it in vain…

Since I find your incense disgusting!

Nor will I accept your New Moons,

Or your Sabbaths or holiday feasts.

¹⁴ ‘With My whole soul, I’ve come to detest

All of your fasts and your Sabbaths…

As well as your holidays and your New Moons!

For with you, I am filled [to the brim],

So I’ll not [overlook] your sins anymore.

¹⁵ ‘Then I’ll turn My eyes when you hold out your hands

And not listen, no matter how often you pray,

Because your hands are so filled with blood!

¹⁶ ‘Why not bathe yourselves and get clean…

Then, remove your wicked [ways] from My eyes?

Stop being bad and ¹⁷ learn to do good…

Insist on [judgments that are] fair!

‘If you’ll rescue those who’ve been wronged,

Decide [in favor of] orphans,

And give justice to widows…

¹⁸ Only then, can you come and plead before Me,’ says Yahweh!

And if your sins should be crimson red,

As white as snow, [I will make them].

Even if they are like scarlet,

I’ll make them as white as fine wool!

¹⁹ ‘If you should choose to listen to Me,

You’ll eat good things that come from the ground.

²⁰ But if you choose to not listen and to rebel,

I’ll send the sword to consume you.’

[Yes, Yahweh actually] said these things.

²¹ How did Zion, that city of faith, Become a whore so worthy of judgment? For, murderers exist where justice once slept; ²² All of your silver is tainted; And your merchants all water their wine.

²³ Your rulers resist all persuasion And they serve as partners to thieves. They are also lovers of bribes… None will stand up for orphans, And none will give justice to widows!

²⁴ ‘Because of this,’ says Yahweh of Armies;

‘Woe to you, O IsraEl’s mighty!

For My rage against the contrary won’t cease,

And on My enemies, I’m now passing judgment!

²⁵ ‘Against you, I’ll be raising My hand,

And I’ll scrub you until you get clean!

I’ll destroy those resisting persuasion;

I’ll remove all the lawless among you;

²⁶ And I will cut down your proud.

‘Then I’ll give you judges like those in the past,

And counselors like those who lived long ago.

Then, the Righteous City, you will be called…

The trusted mother-city of Zion.

²⁷ ‘Through justice and mercy, she will be saved,

²⁸ When I break the lawless and sinners

And those leaving Yahweh are gone.

²⁹ ‘Of the idols that they have preferred

And those [sacred] gardens, which they have loved,

They will then be ashamed.

³⁰ For they’ll be like fallen pine needles…

Like parks that don’t have any water.

³¹ ‘Their strength [will be weak] like the stubble of hemp,

And the things that they do will then be the sparks

That burn the lawless and sinners…

Flames that no one can extinguish.’

Isaiah 2

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¹ These are the words that came to IsaiAh (son of Amoz) regarding Judah and JeruSalem.

² In the last days, The Mountain of Yahweh will be seen, And the Temple of God will be over the hills, Raised above the highest of mountains, And all the nations will go there.

³ Many nations will go there and say:

‘Come, let’s ascend the mountain of Yah…

Let’s go to the Temple of Jacob’s God,

For there, He will show us His way,

And that’s the way we will go.’

Then, Law will come out of Zion, And the Word of the Lord from JeruSalem. ⁴ He’ll judge in the midst of the nations, And he will correct many peoples.

Then they’ll cut their swords into plowshears, And [shape] their spears into sickles… [Against other] nations, they won’t raise their swords, Nor will they learn war anymore.

⁵ O House of Jacob; Return to the light of Yahweh! ⁶ For, from Jacob’s house, He’s now turned [His face], Since it’s become like it was at the start… A [land] that is filled up with takers, And where Philistine children are born.

⁷ They’ve filled their [land] with silver and gold, And there is no limit to all of their wealth. They’ve also filled it with horses, And chariots they have, beyond numbers.

⁸ With the disgusting works of their hands, They’ve also filled up their land… They bow before things made by their fingers… ⁹ Yes, to such things, the people bow low, Bringing disgrace to each person.

‘So, now there’s no way I can spare them!’

¹⁰ Therefore, go to the rocks and hide in the ground In fear of Yahweh and the glory of His Might; For He’s coming to wipe out the land!

¹¹ The eyes of Yahweh are lofty, While the eyes of men are debased; So, in that day, these men will be low, And Yahweh will be lifted high.

¹² For the day of Yahweh of Armies Is coming upon the insulting and proud. And those who are high and important Will soon be brought [to the ground].

¹³ Then, all of Lebanon’s great cedars, And every tall oak tree of BaShan… ¹⁴ Yes, every high mountain and every high hill… ¹⁵ Every high tower and every high wall… ¹⁶ All ships in the seas and their beauty, ¹⁷ And every man will be small. For the pride of men will [fall] in that day, And Yahweh alone will be high.

¹⁸ When He arises to wipe out the land, Men will then hide [all the idols] That they have made with their hands. ¹⁹ They’ll hide them in caves and in cracks between rocks, As well as in burrows under the ground, Because of their fear of Yahweh, And before the might of His glory.

²⁰ Then the disgusting things that they’ve made with their hands (Those worthless things made of silver and gold, Which they’ve made to bow down before) Will be tossed before bats in their caves And in the cracks between rocks, In fear of Yahweh and the might of His glory, When He arises to wipe out the land.

Isaiah 3

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¹ So stop acting like men who breathe through their nose, For [what value] do they really have? Consider Yahweh of Armies (our Lord); For, throughout Judah and JeruSalem, He’ll remove the men and the women, Along with the strength of [their] bread And all the strength of [their] water… ² Their giants, their strong, their soldiers and judges… Their prophets, their thinkers and elders… ³ Their generals and finest of counselors, As well as their wisest of builders… Yes, the most discerning among them.

⁴ Then He’ll appoint young men as their rulers In order to make them look foolish ⁵ And to make the people act like they’re drunk. The men will all be rebellious And arise against their own neighbors; Young boys will be attacking the old, And by those without any honor, Their mighty ones will be shamed.

⁶ Then, men will grab hold of their brothers, And families will go to their fathers and say:

‘You have clothes; so, you be our leader…

Then you can provide us with food!’

⁷ But, in that day, such men will reply:

‘I will not act as your leader…

Since I have no bread or clothes in my home,

I don’t choose to serve as your ruler.’

⁸ Yes, JeruSalem has been forsaken, And Judah has now been debased! For the tongues of their people speak against [God]… They just discuss what is lawless And refuse to make any changes.

⁹ Their glory is also debased, For their faces no longer show any shame, And they publicly announce and admit To sins that are as those of Sodom.

So now, woe to their souls; For they have sought wicked council! ¹⁰ They say:

‘Let’s [lock] up the righteous

Because they’ve become inconvenient.’

So, they’ll reap the fruitage of their bad deeds, ¹¹ And woe will come to the lawless. For the evil that their hands are now doing Will soon be brought back upon them!

¹² O my people,

Those whom you owe are gleaning from you, And those whom you owe are your masters!

O my people,

Those who say you are blest, are misleading you, And they’re [clouding] the paths for your feet. ¹³ For, you’re being judged by Yahweh… Yes, against His own, He’s arisen as judge. ¹⁴ Jehovah Himself is judging the elders, As well as those ruling His people.

‘And you, [O elders and rulers]; Why are you burning My vineyard, And why are the poor [now slaves] in your homes? ¹⁵ Yes, why are you wronging My people, And disgracing the faces of the poor?’

This was asked by Yahweh of Armies (our Lord).

¹⁶ And Yahweh said:

‘Because the daughters of Zion are proud

And walk with their [noses] held high,

As they beckon with their eyes and walk tiny steps

Then drag their underwear with their feet;

¹⁷ I’ll bring down the daughters of Zion,

And expose their true state in that day.

¹⁸ I’ll remove the glory of their clothes…

The fringes, crescents, ¹⁹ and necklaces that they wear,

As well as their facial adornments.

²⁰ ‘[I’ll remove] their armlets and bracelets…

Their wreaths, their rings, and right armbands…

²¹ Their earrings, purple fringes, and all decorations,

²² As well as the cloths for their homes…

Their coverings through which you can see…

²³ Their fine linens interwoven with scarlet and blue…

The linens embroidered with gold and blue threads,

And the lightweight covers for their divans.

²⁴ ‘Then instead of pleasant odors, there’ll be only dust…

Instead of belts, they’ll tie ropes on their [waists].

Yes, because of the things that they’re doing,

Instead of gold [combs], they’ll be bald…

And instead of their purple underclothes,

They will be forced to wear sackcloth.

²⁵ ‘Then the sons you most love will fall by the sword,

As your mighty are disgraced and cut down.

²⁶ You’ll mourn [the loss] of your [most precious things],

And then, you’ll be left all alone,

Beaten down to the ground.’

Isaiah 4

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¹ In that day, Seven women will reach for one man, And this is what they will say:

‘We’ll [make] our own bread and wear our own clothes;

But, let us be called by your name

In order to remove all our scorn!’

² In that day, The glory of the council of God Will shine upon the whole earth In order to raise and bring glory To those few in IsraEl who still remain.

³ And the few in JeruSalem and Zion Will then be called Holy Ones… This will happen to those in JeruSalem [Whose names] have been written for life.

⁴ Then Yahweh will wash away all the filth Of the sons and daughters of Zion. He’ll remove all the blood from JeruSalem’s midst With the spirit of judgment and fire.

⁵ When He comes, every place on Mount Zion Will stand in the shade of a cloud every day, And the light of a fire each night… So, His glory will then be their shelter. ⁶ It’ll be a shade of protection from heat, And a shelter from rain and bad weather.

Isaiah 5

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¹ I’ll now sing [a song] to the One whom I love… A song of my loved One concerning His vineyard:

‘A vineyard belonged to One who was loved… A horn of plenty in a bountiful land. ² Around it, He built a fence and palisade, Then the choicest of grapevines, He planted.

‘In its midst, He then built a tower, And thereafter, He dug out a winepress. Then he waited for grapes to start growing, But, all that grew was thorn bushes.’

³ Now, you who dwell in JeruSalem… Yes, you men of Judea… Judge between Him and His vineyard!

⁴ What can He do for His vineyard That hasn’t already been done? He waited for it to grow grapes, But all it produced was thorn bushes.

⁵ So I’ll tell you what He’ll do to His vineyard: He’ll remove its gate and let it be ravaged… He’ll demolish its walls and let it be trampled. ⁶ He’ll abandon His vineyard, so it won’t be pruned, Nor will it be hoed anymore.

He’ll return it [to the way it once was]… An uncultivated land of thorn bushes. And to the clouds, He’ll then give the order To not provide it with rain.

⁷ The house of IsraEl is the vineyard Of Yahweh of Armies, And Judah’s people are His beloved plants, On whom He waited to give Him what’s due. But they just produced lawless ways… Instead of a tower of justice, Cries of distress is all that they’ve brought.

⁸ So, woe to those who gather in homes And in the fields roundabout. For, after your neighbors are taken away, You’ll live all alone in the land, ⁹ Since Yahweh of Armies has heard what you’ve done!

So, where there were once many houses, There will just be desolation, And no one will live there again.

¹⁰ Then, although you’ll plow with ten oxen teams, You’ll harvest just enough to fill one clay pot. And although you may plant six large measures, Just three measures will grow.

¹¹ So, woe to those who rise early To spend their days chasing liquor And stay up late as they drink it; For, they will burn along with their wine.

¹² They drink to [the sounds] of the harp and the lute As well as pipes and tambourines, As they fail to think of the works of Yahweh… The works of His hands, they have failed to consider.

¹³ So, my people will all become captives Because they’ve forgotten their Lord. Many will die from hunger and thirst; ¹⁴ For the place of the dead has widened its soul And opened its mouth to consume them. Then, the glorious will fall with the great and the rich, And all of those who respect them.

¹⁵ My people will then be cut down, And their men will all be dishonored… Yes, those who [walked proud] will be shamed.

¹⁶ Then the justice of Yahweh of Armies will arise… And because He will have [proven His] justice, Our Holy God will be glorified.

¹⁷ Then, there will come those who will rip you apart, And on your bulls, they will graze… Yes, those who will come to wipe out your land Will also be eating your lambs.

¹⁸ So, woe to those drawing sins as with ropes, And lawless ways as the yoke on a bull… ¹⁹ Those saying:

‘Let Him come and do whatever He wants…

Let Him do it soon, so we’ll see it…

Let the Holy One’s Will come to pass,

So we can all know what it is!’

²⁰ Yes, woe to those who call evil, good And those who are calling good, bad… Those who turn what’s dark into light And turn what’s light into darkness… Those who make bitter sound, sweet And those who turn sweet into bitter.

²¹ Woe to those who think themselves wise, And think that they have greater knowledge. ²² Woe to your strong ones and those drinking wine… The mighty who are mixing their liquor… ²³ Those who favor the wicked, because they’ve been bribed, And from the righteous, snatch justice.

²⁴ For this, they’ll be burned up like stubble… They’ll be burned like coals leaping with flames. Their roots and flowers will be turned into dust For rejecting the Laws of Yahweh of Armies… They’ve despised IsraEl’s Holy One’s words.

²⁵ For with His people, Yahweh of Armies is angry, And to strike them, He’s lifted His hand.

[The smell] of rotting flesh will drive mountains to rage… For, like manure on the roads, they’ll become. Yet, even this won’t [soften] His rage Or still the raising of His hand.

²⁶ So He’ll lift a sign to nations far away... He’ll whistle to them from the ends of the earth, And they’ll take quick notice and come here.

²⁷ They won’t get hungry or tired, Nor will they slumber or sleep. They’ll not untie their belts from their waists, Nor will they loosen their sandals.

²⁸ With stretched-tight bows [they will come], And with the arrows that they’ve sharpened. The feet of their horses will be like hard rocks, And blasts will come from their chariot wheels.

²⁹ Like lions, they will then advance With their cubs all walking beside them… They’ll snatch you and yell like wild beasts, As they carry you off… When no one will be there to save you.

³⁰ Yes, because of you, they’ll yell in that day Like the sounds of the roar of the seas. Then you’ll look to the heavens above, And [to the ground] underneath you, And all you will see is hard darkness In your terrible time of distress.

Isaiah 6

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¹ It was in the year King UzziAh died, that I saw Yahweh sitting on a high, lofty throne, and the Temple [of Yahweh] was filled with His glory... ² The seraphim stood all around Him, each of whom had six wings that touched the wings next to them. Their first [pair of] two wings covered their front sides, the second [pair of] two wings covered their feet, and they flew with their third [pair of] two wings.

³ They were shouting to each other and saying:

‘Holy, holy, holy is Yahweh of Armies…

The whole earth is filled with His glory!’

⁴ Well, the threshold of the Temple shook at the sound of their shouting, and the Temple became filled with smoke!

⁵ And I said:

‘Oh, I’m so unworthy and hurt by this, because I’m just an unclean man who lives among people with unclean lips!

‘Yet now, I have beheld the King, Yahweh of Armies… I’ve seen Him with my own eyes!’

⁶ Then one of the seraphim was sent to me, and in his hand he carried a [live] coal that he’d taken from the Altar with tongs.

⁷ So touched it to my mouth and said:

‘{Look!} Now that your lips have been touched by this coal,

It has removed all of your lawless deeds

And it has purged you of all your sins.’

⁸ Then I heard the voice of Yahweh ask:

‘Whom shall I send?

‘Yes, who will go to these people?’

And I replied:

‘Look! I’m here! Send me!’

⁹ And He said:

‘Then, go to these people and say:

‘When it comes to hearing, you’ll hear,

But no way will you comprehend.

And when it comes to seeing, you’ll see,

But no way will you understand!’

¹⁰ ‘Since the hearts of these people have hardened,

Their ears now listen too slowly,

And their eyes cannot see, since their eyelids are closed.

Thus, they will not hear with their ears

Nor will they see with their eyes.

So their hearts will not understand

And make them turn back, so I’d heal them.’

¹¹ And I asked:

‘How long [will this be true], O Lord?’

And He answered:

‘Until all the cities lie wasted

And there are no people living there anymore…

Until no one is left in their homes

And until the whole land has been ravaged.

¹² ‘Then, God will stay far from these people,

As those who survive, multiply.

¹³ But, only 1/10th will remain there,

For the rest will be [cut down] like pine trees.

‘However; like an acorn that stays in its shell,

The holy seed will remain in the stump.’

Isaiah 7

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¹ It was in the days of Ahaz (son of JoTham and grandson of UzziAh) the king of Judah, that King Rezin of Aram and PekAh (son of RemaliAh) the king of IsraEl came to JeruSalem to wage war against it… However, they were unable to conquer it.

² But when the house of David was told that [the Kingdom of] Aram had joined forces with Ephraim, they were startled and the souls of the people were shaken like a forest of trees in a windstorm!

³ Then the Lord said this to IsaiAh:

‘You and your son JaSub, the one whom you left behind, must now go to meet with [King] Ahaz at the upper pool of the washer women, ⁴ and you must tell him:

‘Do nothing at all and don’t be afraid…

Don’t let those two pieces of smoking wood

Make you feel weak [in your knees].

For, when I [send] them My rage,

You will be saved once again.’

⁵ ‘And as for the sons of RemaliAh and Aram... Because they met and wickedly agreed ⁶ to come to Judah together to conquer and rule over you by setting TabeAl’s son [on the throne]… ⁷ Tell him that Yahweh of Armies said this:

‘There’s no way that your plan will succeed…

It will never take place.

⁸ ‘For the head of Aram is Damascus,

And the head of Damascus is Rezin.

Thus in six, plus another five years,

These people will destroy Ephraim.

⁹ ‘For the head of Ephraim is Samaria,

And the head of Samaria is the son of RemaliAh…

But, no one will understand, unless they believe.’

¹⁰ Then Yahweh [sent a message to] Ahaz, that said:

¹¹ ‘Ask for a sign from Yahweh your God,

Whether from the depths or the heights.’

¹² And Ahaz replied:

‘There’s no way that I’ll ask, nor will I put Yahweh to the test!’

¹³ So [the messenger] said:

‘Listen to this, O house of David…

If it’s too unimportant a thing

To supply enough men for a battle;

How can you fight a war for the Lord?

¹⁴ ‘Now, Yahweh will give you a sign…

{Look!} A virgin will get pregnant and then bear a son

Whom you must call, ImManuEl [meaning, ‘God is with us’].

¹⁵ He’ll eat butter and honey before he is sure

Whether he wants to be wicked or good.

¹⁶ ‘But, before the boy can know good from bad,

By resisting wicked persuasions,

He will choose to do what is right. [see note]

Even the land of two kings of which you’re afraid

Will be totally abandoned!

¹⁷ ‘But first, God will bring Assyria’s king

Upon you, your people, and the house of your father…

These will be unlike any days that have come

Since Ephraim split off from Judah.

¹⁸ ‘For, in that day, Yahweh will whistle

And call for the flies on the [Nile],

As well as for Assyria’s bees.

¹⁹ Then they’ll come and settle in your valleys…

In the burrows, rocks, and in caves…

In every hole and in all the trees.

²⁰ ‘In that day, Yahweh will speak,

And He’ll tell Assyria’s king

To bring his razor and shave off those drunks

[Who live] on the river’s [east banks].

Then he’ll shave their heads and the hair on their feet,

Before he cuts off their beards.

²¹ ‘But, in that day, each man who is left

Will have a cow and two sheep.

²² So, there will be milk for those who remain,

And [plenty of] butter and honey.

²³ ‘Yet, in that day;

Where once grew thousands of grapevines

Valued at thousands in silver,

Only thorn bushes will grow.

For, grape cultivation will have ceased.

²⁴ Then, with bows and arrows they’ll [hunt] there;

For the land will be wild and covered with thorns.

²⁵ ‘But thereafter, they’ll plow up the mountains,

And they won’t be afraid anymore;

For that uncultivated land of thorn bushes

Will then become a pasture for sheep,

And a land that is trampled by oxen.’

Isaiah 8

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¹ Then the Lord said this to me:

‘Go [buy] a large, new scroll of papyrus,

And write on it with the pen of a man

About the plundering and looting

That will be coming upon them!

² ‘Then appoint these two trustworthy men

Who will serve as witnesses on my behalf:

Choose UriAh the Priest,

And ZechariAh, son of BarachiAh.’

³ Well after that, I [had sex] with the Prophetess, and she got pregnant and gave birth to a son.

Then the Lord said to me:

‘Call his name, ‘Quick Gloom and Swift Looting’ [Hebrew: Maher-shalal-hash-baz],

⁴ For, before the child learns how to call out

To his father and mother,

Someone will carry the power of Damascus

And Samaria’s spoils to Assyria’s king.’

⁵ Then the Lord spoke to me again and said:

⁶ ‘Because these people have refused to return

To SiloaAm’s waters in peace,

But prefer Rezin (son of RemeliAh)

To serve instead as their king;

{Look!} Yahweh will be bringing against them

The waters of a great mighty river…

The king of Assyria and his glory.

⁷ For, he will then enter their valleys

And walk right up to their walls.

⁸ ‘Thereafter, he’ll sweep into Judah

And overrun it up to its neck.

So then, the out-spread wings of his camp

Will fill the whole [land] of ImManuEl!

⁹ ‘Know this, O nations, and then be nailed shut!

Pay attention, all you peoples to the ends of the earth…

Ready yourselves to be nailed down tight!

And if you should ever grow strong after that,

Once more, you’ll be nailed down tight!

¹⁰ ‘Then, no matter whom you ask for solutions;

Jehovah will wipe them away.

And no matter what you say you’ll accomplish;

Because Yahweh’s [against] you,

Nothing that you do will succeed!

¹¹ ‘For, this is what Yahweh has said:

‘These people have resisted [My] persuasion

About the ways they should go.

And they say:

¹² ‘What You’ve told us is too hard [to do]!’

‘Yet, whatever they’ve said is too hard to do

Should not be feared or disturbing.

¹³ Just treat Yahweh of Armies as holy,

And only Him, should they fear…

¹⁴ If they’ll yield to Him, He’ll be their Most Holy,

And upon no stones will they stumble,

Nor upon any rocks will they trip!

‘But the house of Jacob is [now] in the trap

Of those lying in wait in their valleys.

¹⁵ Since many of their people are already weak,

They’re about to fall and be broken.

Then [those armies] will come and carry the people

Away from the land where they’ve lived so securely!

¹⁶ ‘Then, it will be easy to see

Which ones were [the chosen and] sealed,

And which wouldn’t [follow] the Law.

¹⁷ For, one will say:

‘I’ll wait on The God

From whom Jacob’s house has now turned its face,

And in Him, I will put all my trust…

¹⁸ {Look} Both the children God gave me and I!’

‘Then, to the house of IsraEl, they will serve

As the miracles and signs of Yahweh of Armies…

The One who dwells on Mount Zion.

¹⁹ ‘And if, at that time, they should tell you

To seek those who interpret omens

That are sent by those who speak from the ground,

Or to those who speak empty words from their guts…

[You should ask them this]:

‘Shouldn’t a nation first ask of its God?

Why ask the dead on behalf of the living?

²⁰ For He gave us His Law as our helper.

So we shouldn’t be turning to those who can’t help!’

²¹ ‘This is why a great famine is coming to you!

‘So, when you’re hungry and worried,

And speak wicked things of your fathers and kings…

When you look to the sky up above you,

²² And to the ground underneath you,

What you’ll see is darkness, distress, and hard times…

A darkness that will last a long time!’

Isaiah 9

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¹ ‘Drink this first and fast… Do it quickly,

O lands of ZebuLun and NaphTali…

You on the coasts and the JorDan’s east shore,

And you, O Galilee of the gentiles!

² ‘The people who were traveling in darkness

Then saw a [very] bright light.

For a light will then shine upon those

Who live in the place of the shadow of death.

³ ‘To a time of joy, He will lead them,

And they’ll all be as happy before Him

As those who take joy in the harvest,

Or as those who’re dividing up loot.

⁴ For they’ll not be wearing a yoke anymore,

Nor [will they feel] the whip on their backs.

‘He’ll destroy the [whip] of all those who use it

As He did in the days of MidiAn’s war.

⁵ Then, those who did this must pay for the clothes

That they, through treachery, have taken;

For the people will [demand] the return of their clothes,

Even if they have been scorched!

⁶ ‘Because a child has been born for us,

And for us, a son has been given;

Upon his shoulders, that authority came,

And by the name Great Councel’s Messenger, he is called.

Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace [spurious words]

‘Then, to this prince, I’ll bring peace and good health;

⁷ And from the throne of David, his rule will be great.

There will be no end to his peace,

For his kingdom will be founded on justice and judgments

Both now and into the age…

Which will come through the zeal of Yahweh of Armies.

⁸ ‘But now, upon IsraEl and Jacob,

Jehovah is just sending death.

⁹ And all the peoples of Ephraim

(Those with haughty and insolent hearts

Who within Samaria, have settled),

Will realize this and then say:

¹⁰ Since all our bricks have now fallen,

Please come and help us shape stones;

Then we’ll cut down some cedars and sycamore trees,

And we’ll build ourselves a great tower.

¹¹ ‘But, God will knock down all those

Who will come against Zion and Him.

He’ll wipe all His enemies away…

¹² The Syrians from where the sun dawns

To the Greeks in the place where it sets…

Those who’ve swallowed IsraEl down with their mouths.

‘But, this won’t bring an end to His rage;

For His hand will still be held high…

¹³ Because His people refused to repent

Or to search for Yahweh of Armies

Until [the day] they were struck.

¹⁴ For the Lord will remove the head and the tail…

All of IsraEl’s small and great in one day.

¹⁵ ‘Their head is the elders and highly regarded,

And the prophets (those teaching lawless ways) are the tail.

¹⁶ They’re the ones who say, ‘These people are blest,’

And mislead them to swallow them down.

¹⁷ ‘Yes, it is because of these things

That God won’t show favor upon their young men,

Nor will He show mercy on their orphans or widows…

Because they’re all lawless and wicked,

And every mouth is unrighteous.

Yet, none of these things will turn back His rage,

For His hand will still be raised high.

¹⁸ ‘Then the lawless will be burned as in fire…

They’ll be devoured like flames through dry grass…

They’ll be burned like thickets in the woods,

And consumed like hay in the hills.

¹⁹ ‘Because of Yahweh’s anger and rage,

All of their land will be burned,

And its people will be as those burned in fire;

For a man won’t show mercy to even his brother.

²⁰ ‘Then they’ll look at their right hands in hunger,

And they will eat their left [arms]…

But the flesh of their arms will not fill them.

²¹ ‘ManasSeh will gnaw upon Ephraim,

And Ephraim will chew on ManasSeh…

Then together, they’ll come against Judah.

Yet, none of these things will turn back [God’s] rage,

For His arm will still be held high.’

Isaiah 10

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¹ ‘Woe to those who write wicked [laws];

For the reasons that they write them are evil…

² To deny equal rights to the poor,

And snatch away justice from the needy…

To loot the orphans and ravage the widows!

³ ‘So, what will you do in the day of inspection…

When hard times come from afar?

Yes, whom will you run to for aid,

And to whom will you give all your wealth…

⁴ For, won’t you be forced to be slaves?

‘And if you should hide under those who are killed,

You’ll see that this won’t bring an end to His rage…

For His hand will still be held high.

⁵ ‘Woe to Assyria (the rod of My wrath)…

Those who hold My rage in their hands.

⁶ But, on that lawless nation, I’ll also send rage…

I’ll order My people to plunder and loot them,

Then trample their cities and turn them to dust.

⁷ ‘But now, they aren’t thinking about this,

For their souls have failed to reflect.

[No, Assyria’s king] doesn’t know…

He just wants to destroy many nations.

⁸ ‘He’ll ask:

‘Am I not your sole ruler?

⁹ Isn’t all above Babylon mine,

As well as CalNeh, where the tower was built?

‘Haven’t I conquered Arabia,

As well as Samaria and Damascus?

¹⁰ Thus, in the same way that I’ve taken all these,

I will conquer the rest!

‘So shriek, O carvings in JeruSalem;

¹¹ For, as I did to Samaria and her idols

(Those things that they made with their hands),

I’ll also do to JeruSalem

And to all of the idols that are there!’

¹² ‘But, after Yahweh completes all these things

That He’ll do to JeruSalem and Zion;

He’ll arise and strike that great mind…

Yes, the mind of Assyria’s king,

And the haughty glory of his eyes.

¹³ ‘For, [this great ruler] has dared to say:

‘I will act in a very strong way.

And in my wisdom and great understanding,

I’ll remove the boundaries of nations

And bring an end to their powers.

¹⁴ ‘I’ll shake the cities in which they all live,

And grab hold of the people who live there

As I’d take a bird’s nest in My hands…

And then, I’ll deport the survivors.

‘No, none will evade or oppose me…

They’ll just open their mouths and let out a chirp.

¹⁵ ‘Does the axe really have any glory

Unless there is someone to swing it?

Does the saw really have any value

Unless there is someone to draw it…

And can a rod swing itself?

¹⁶ ‘So, dishonor will replace all his honor…

And this will be done by Yahweh of Armies.

Upon his glory, He’ll send fire,

And [that king] will be consumed by its flames…

¹⁷ Then this fire will serve as IsraEl’s light.

‘For He’ll make her holy through fire,

Which will eat her like grass in the woods in that day.

¹⁸ It will burn through her mountains, forests, and hills,

And devour all the life from her flesh.

‘Then, those who flee will be running from flames,

¹⁹ And very few will remain…

An infant could write down their numbers!

²⁰ ‘But in that day, those who remain in JeruSalem

Won’t go along [with what’s bad] anymore.

For [the sons] of Jacob who then will be saved

Won’t put up with those who have wronged them.

They will only be yielding to God,

And to the truths of IsraEl’s Most Holy One.

²¹ ‘Then, those of Jacob who survive

Will return to their Almighty God.

²² And the people of IsraEl will then grow to be

As many as the sands of the seas

From the very few that were left.

²³ ‘So, this matter will be finished in justice;

For, Yahweh is the One who is drawing the line.

Yes, Yahweh of Armies will act

Throughout the world [of mankind].

²⁴ ‘For this reason, Yahweh of Armies has said:

Don’t fear the Assyrians, My people…

Yes, you who are dwelling in Zion.

Although they’ll strike with a rod

And distress you as they’re [marching] towards Egypt;

²⁵ In a very short time, My anger will end,

And I’ll turn My rage towards their plans.

²⁶ ‘The God of Armies, Yahweh, will rise

And bring calamity upon them

As He did to MidiAn’s people

In the Place of Oppression.

‘For His rage [will be expressed] by the sea

As they are traveling towards Egypt.

²⁷ Their terrible yoke, He’ll lift from your shoulders,

After He has destroyed them.

²⁸ ‘They’ll enter the City of AngAi;

But, they will bypass MegidDo…

Then they’ll drop their weapons at MichMash.

²⁹ ‘They’ll enter the valley at AngAi;

So, those in Rama will be gripped with fear,

And the city of Saul will then flee.

³⁰ ‘At that time, O daughter of GalLim;

Your voice will sound just like snorting.

And be careful [O you] at LachIsh…

And you at AnathOth must also be wary.

³¹ ‘There’ll be fear in Gebim and MadMenah…

³² To survive, you must all band together

As [Assyria] is marching your way!

‘O daughter of Zion;

You must then flee to the mountains,

And gather upon JeruSalem’s hills!’

³³ O Lord, Yahweh of Armies,

How Your strength has scattered the famous And broken the insolence of the haughty To teach them the need to be humble! ³⁴ For the haughty will all be cut down with swords, And Lebanon will fall with the rest of the proud!

Isaiah 11

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¹ From the root of JesSe, a [shoot] will then sprout, And a flower will grow from his root. ² The Spirit of Yahweh will rest upon him… The spirit of wisdom and understanding… The spirit of purpose and strength… The spirit of reverence and knowledge.

³ The Spirit will fill him with fear of The God, And he won’t judge men by their wealth, Nor scold them for the things that they’ve said. ⁴ He’ll judge the case of the lowly, And [give justice to] the poor of the land.

He’ll strike the earth with the words from his mouth, And wipe the godless away with the breath from his lips. ⁵ Justice will be wrapped ‘round his waist And his sides will be girdled in truth.

⁶ Then the wolf and the lamb, together will feed; The leopard will nap with the kid; Bulls, calves, and lions will all graze together, And by a small child, they’ll be led.

⁷ Together, the ox and the bear will eat grass, And together, their young ones [will play]; For then, the lion will eat straw like the ox.

⁸ On the burrow of an asp, an infant will play, And lay his hands in a bed of young cobras.

⁹ ‘For, on My holy mountain, none will destroy,

Nor will they not do any harm;’

Since the earth will be filled with the knowledge of [God] As the seas are covered by water.

¹⁰ In that day, the root of JesSe [will sprout]… He’ll arise to rule [all] the nations. In him, the gentiles will trust, And upon him, honor will rest.

¹¹ In that day, God will show the zeal of His hands On behalf of the few who remain… The remnants of the few who’ll return From Assyria, Babylon, and Egypt, As well as Ethiopia and ElAm… Those who will come back from the sunrise And from Arabian lands.

¹² For He’ll raise a sign to the nations And collect the IsraElites that were being destroyed… He’ll gather the scattered of Judah From the four [corners] of the earth.

¹³ Then, at that time, Ephraim’s envy, And the enemies of Judah will all be destroyed. For, Ephraim will no longer be jealous of Judah, And Judah will oppress Ephraim no more.

¹⁴ At that time, they will all get together To [attack] the Philistines that live in the west, And plunder the Edomites at the sunrise. MoAb will be conquered first, But the sons of AmMon are first to submit.

¹⁵ Then the Lord will [split] Egypt’s Sea, And He’ll lay His hands on their River… He’ll send gales to its 7 ravines, So it can be walked through in sandals.

¹⁶ Then, it will serve as a road for His people… A path for those left behind, And for those in Assyria that have yet to return. Then for IsraEl, it’ll be the same as that day When they first came out of Egypt.

Isaiah 12

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¹ And in that day, they will say:

‘O Yahweh, we praise You!

For, although You were angry with us,

Your rage has now turned away

And You have shown mercy upon us.

² ‘Look… My God and my Savior!

I’ll do what You say and not be afraid!

For, Yahweh’s my glory and praise,

And He has become my salvation.’

³ Then, water will be drawn from life-giving springs, ⁴ And in that day, you will say:

‘Sing in praise to Yahweh…

Yes, yell aloud about His great Name!

To the nations, announce His honorable deeds…

Say that His Name has been raised!

⁵ ‘Sing in praise to the Name of the Lord

For all of the great things He’s done…

Yes, announce these things throughout the whole earth!

⁶ ‘Shout aloud and be joyful,

All who you are living in Zion;

For the Most Holy One of IsraEl,

Has now been raised in her midst!’

Isaiah 13

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¹ This is the vision that IsaiAh (son of Amoz) saw against Babylon:

² ‘Raise a flag on top of the mountains.

Then, don’t be afraid, shout it loudly.

Open [your mouths], O you rulers…

Put your hands [to your mouths] and call out for aid!

³ ‘For I’m in command and I’ve given the order

To giants that are coming to fulfill My rage…

Together they’re coming, shouting insults.’

⁴ There’s a voice like the sound of great crowds That [you’ll hear from the tops of] the mountains. It’s the sound of a gathering of kings, And a great assembly of troops.

For, Yahweh of Armies has given the order To a nation of warriors with weapons ⁵ That are coming from a faraway land… From the pillars of the skies they’ll arrive. Yes, the Lord and His warriors are coming To bring ruin to the place where you dwell.

⁶ So shriek, for the day of the Lord is at hand, And destruction from God will come quickly! ⁷ So, all of their hands will go limp And the soul of each man will know fear.

⁸ Their elders will all be disturbed And have pains like women about to give birth. They’ll discuss it and they will be sad for each other, And together, they’ll all be in shock… Their faces will be changed into flames!

⁹ For {Look!} the day of the Lord is about to arrive… It’s a day of incurable anger… The rage to destroy the place where you live And wipe away all the sinners.

¹⁰ Then the stars in the skies (including Orion) And the heaven’s arrangement will no longer shine. The rising sun will be darkened, And the moon won’t give out its light.

¹¹ ‘I’ll punish this dwelling place for its evil,

And the irreverent, I’ll destroy for their sins…

I’ll end the insolence of the lawless,

And bring the haughty ways of the proud to the ground.

¹² ‘Then, those left behind will be rarer than gold…

They’ll be rarer than gold from Ophir.

¹³ For the skies will then be enraged,

And the foundations of the land will be shaken

By the anger and rage of Yahweh of Armies

On the day that He sends His wrath.

¹⁴ ‘Then, those who remain will be fleeing like deer…

Like sheep, they will all run away…

No way will a man return to his house,

For they’ll all be fleeing their homes.

¹⁵ ‘The captured will then all be [slaughtered]…

Yes, those who are caught will fall by the sword.

¹⁶ Before them, their young will be dashed to the ground,

All of their homes will be ruined,

And their women will all be dishonored.

¹⁷ ‘{Look!} For against you, I’m arousing the Medes…

Those who think nothing of silver

And those who have no need for your gold!

¹⁸ ‘They’ll break the bows of your young men,

And on your young, show no mercy…

Their eyes will not spare your children!

¹⁹ ‘Then Babylon, home of the king of Chaldea,

Will be wiped away by our God,

As He did to Sodom and GomorRah.

²⁰ And throughout ages, no one will live there again,

For generations, no one will [want to] go there…

No Arabs will go there, and shepherds won’t stop there to rest.

²¹ But wild beasts will surely be found there,

And fill all the houses with growling.

‘It’ll be a place where demons will dance…

²² A place where vultures will dwell,

And where hedgehogs build nests in the homes.’

Isaiah 14

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¹ This will all happen quite quickly… It won’t take very much time And the days [‘til it comes] won’t drag on.

But, [God] will show mercy on Jacob, For IsraEl will still be His chosen, And they will find rest in His land.

To them, foreign peoples will come (To the house of Jacob, they’ll come), ² And they’ll accept the gentiles among them… As an inheritance, they’ll all then be welcomed.

At that time, within the land of our God, There’ll be many servants (both women and men). For, those who once took them as captives Will, in turn, be their [slaves]… They’ll dominate those who once ruled them.

³ In that day, the Lord will send rest And an end to your anger and grief, As well as to the hard labor Under which you had once slaved.

⁴ Then you’ll take up this wail against Babylon’s king… In that day, you’ll say this about him:

‘O how much rest [we now can enjoy]

From this one who once demanded so much…

How much rest [we now have from] our masters!

⁵ ‘For, Yahweh broke the yoke of those sinners,

As well as the yoke of their rulers.

⁶ In His rage, He struck down a nation…

He brought calamity upon them…

He didn’t spare any and He didn’t hold back!

⁷ ‘So now, our land is shouting in joy…

⁸ The trees of Lebanon are happy and say:

From the time that you were laid low,

No one has come here to cut us!

⁹ ‘From below, the grave has arisen to meet them;

And all the giants that once ruled the earth

(Those who stood and opposed you)

Have now been gathered down there.’

Then the kings of those nations will rise from their thrones, ¹⁰ And they will say [to those giants]:

‘Now, you have been captured as we were…

So, are you now considered to be one of us?

¹¹ For your glories and joys have gone down to the grave,

And beneath you, they’ll make a bed of decay

Where you will be covered with worms!’

¹² O how the bright one has fallen (The [star] that arises at dawn); For this one who [once conquered] nations, Has been broken down to the ground.

[Editor Note:

The previous verse could also be translated as:

‘O how you have fallen from the sky;

So, howl, O one who arises at dawn;

For, you who [once conquered] nations,

Have now been broken to the ground.’]

¹³ You’re the one who once said in his heart:

‘I will ascend to the heavens

And I’ll put my throne above all the stars.

Then I’ll sit upon a high mountain…

On the highest one in the north.

¹⁴ Yes, I will ascend above all the clouds,

And I will be like the Most High!’

¹⁵ But now, you’ll go down to the grave… Down to the foundations of the earth. ¹⁶ Then, those who see you will wonder and ask:

‘Isn’t he the one who provoked the whole earth?

Isn’t he the one who once shook its kings?

¹⁷ Isn’t he the one who brought desolation

Upon mankind’s habitation…

The one who demolished its cities

And the one who set no slaves free?’

¹⁸ So, while all the kings of the nations Will go to sleep in full honor (As will every man within his own house); ¹⁹ You’ll be tossed in the mountains along with the slain.

Yes, you’ll be abhorred the same as the rest Who have been run through with swords And gone down to the place of the dead.

²⁰ ‘Like clothes that are dirtied by blood,

You won’t be pure or clean anymore;

For, to My land, you brought desolation,

And you have murdered My people.

So, no way will you last throughout the age,

O you offspring of all that’s evil!

²¹ ‘Prepare your young to be slaughtered

Because of the sins of their fathers!

So, they won’t arise and inherit the land,

Nor again fill the whole earth with wars!

²² ‘For, I will rise up against them,’

Says Yahweh of Armies;

‘I’ll destroy their names, their remains, and their offspring.’

And Yahweh said:

²³ ‘The land of Babylon, I will destroy…

I’ll make it a place where hedgehogs will dwell.

I will bring it to nothing…

It’ll be just a pit of destruction.’

²⁴ Then Yahweh of Armies said:

‘This is how it will happen…

Yes, this is the way it will be;

For this is what I’ve decided:

‘I’ll allow [Babylon] to remain

For just a little while longer,

²⁵ So that it can wipe the Assyrians away

From My land and My Holy Mountain.

They’ll be trampled and their yoke will then be removed,

As their dignity is cut from their shoulders.’

²⁶ Yes, this is the plan that Yahweh laid out For the rest of man’s habitation, As His hand is raised over the gentiles. ²⁷ For, who can erase the Holy One’s plans, Or hold back His hand once it’s been raised?

²⁸ In the year that King Ahaz died, these words came [to IsaiAh]:

²⁹ O Philistines; do not be joyful, For He’s breaking the yoke of those you’ve attacked. And from the snake’s offspring, young asps will arrive, Which will then become flying serpents.

³⁰ While God will feed all the poor And peace will rest on the paupers; Your offspring will starve and be wiped away… Yes, those who are left will be gone.

³¹ So, shriek, O you city of gates, And may your towns start crying aloud! For the Philistines will all be disturbed As they see smoke arise in the north… And no one there, will be left alive.

Now, what answer can the kings of the nations supply? For although the Lord will destroy the foundations of Zion; He’ll still bring salvation to His people!

Isaiah 15

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¹ This is the word against MoAb:

‘In one night, MoAb’s land will be wiped away…

In the dark, its walls will be broken.

² In Dibon, your altars will all be destroyed,

And then, you’ll just go there to weep.

‘In MoAb, there’ll be shrieking on Nebo;

For, every head will be shaved,

And you’ll all wear chains on your arms.

³ ‘In your squares, you all will wear sackcloth,

And under every roof, there’ll be mourning;

For, you will be shrieking and crying

In your squares and in all your streets!

⁴ ‘In HeshBon, there will also be shouting,

As well as in EliAleh…

As far as JaHaz, the sounds will be heard.

‘In MoAb’s land, the mothers will cry;

For, in their souls, they will know…

⁵ In their hearts, they’ll know there’ll be screaming

All the way up to ZoAr.

‘Then they’ll be like 3-year-old heifers

[That are being led to the slaughter];

For there’ll be much weeping in LuHith,

And yelling on the road to HoroNaim,

Where they’ll tremble before they’re defeated!

⁶ ‘At NimRim, the waters will dry,

So her crops will fail and there’ll be no green grass,

⁷ And then, how will they save her?

For, I will send Arabs into her valleys

And everyone there will be captured.

⁸ ‘Yes, there will be screaming and shrieking

In the lands of MoAb and EglaIm.

There will also be screams at their wells,

⁹ For the waters of Dibon will be filled with blood.

‘Yes, against Dimon, I’m bringing the Arabs,

And they will remove MoAb’s offspring…

Those remaining in AriEl and Adama.’

Isaiah 16

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¹ ‘Then I’ll send a male lamb to be lord of their land…

For Mount Zion’s daughter is not just bare rock.

² Then you, O daughter of MoAb,

Will become like a bird that flies all about

After her young have been carried away!

‘O Arnon; sit down and discuss it,

³ Then prepare for continuous mourning.

For at noon, everything will go dark,

And [your people] will be startled and flee.

‘So, do not start celebrating;

⁴ For, with exiles of MoAb, you’ll flee

From the faces of those who pursue you.

They will then be your only protectors,

Since your allies will all have been lifted away,

And your rulers will have been crushed to the ground.

⁵ ‘Then, from a throne [based on] mercy,

[This lamb] will make all things right.

For a man from the tent of David

Will thereafter sit [on a throne]

From which, he will judge righteously.

He’ll demand to know what is true…

Then swift justice, he’ll bring [to the land].

⁶ ‘For I’ve heard the insults of MoAb…

And they have been very insulting.

[I’ve noticed] their pride, their insults, and rage…

And there was no reason for this.

⁷ ‘So, there will be shrieking in MoAb…

Throughout the land, there’ll be screaming.

But you’ll think of those who were dwelling in Seth,

And then, you’ll feel less ashamed.

⁸ ‘In the plains of HeshBon, you’ll mourn

Over the grapevines of SibMah;

For the nations will swallow you down…

And as far as JaZer, they’ll trample your vines.

‘Then no way will you get back together;

But, through the desert, you’ll wander!

And those who were carried away will be lost

Like those who were carried over the sea.

⁹ ‘And I will cry over this,

As will [the people] of JaZer

Who are weeping for the grapevines of SibMah.

‘O HeshBon and EliAleh;

Your trees will all be cut down,

And I’ll trample your harvests and crops…

Yes, all of these things will soon fail!

¹⁰ Then in your vineyards, there will be no leaping for joy,

Since the reasons for joy will be gone…

And none will be treading your wine vats,

For the [growing of grapes] will have ceased.

¹¹ ‘Then my belly will sound like a harp over MoAb,

And I’ll [groan for her cities of bricks].

¹² ‘This should bring shame on them all;

For, MoAb’s shrines will no longer be strong…

Those places where they go to pray

Before the things that they’ve made with their hands…

Which won’t be able to save them!’

¹³ This is what Yahweh proclaimed against MoAb.

¹⁴ Then the Lord spoke again and said this:

‘In just three years,

In the length of someone’s employment,

MoAb will meet with dishonor…

All of her wealth [will be gone],

And just a few peasants will live there.’

Isaiah 17

←16 | All books | All chapters | 18→

¹ This is the word against Damascus.

‘{Look!} Damascus will be lifted away

From among the rest of the cities…

It will [soon] meet its downfall.

² ‘Then, throughout the ages, it’ll serve as a bed…

A resting place and safe haven for flocks.

³ No more will it be a fortified city

(A place of Ephraim’s refuge);

For, the kingdom in Damascus will be gone,

And the Syrians will no longer dwell there.

‘But, it will be better for [those in that city]

Than for IsraEl’s sons and their glory,’

Said Yahweh of Armies.

⁴ ‘For the glory of Jacob will end in that day…

His bountiful glory will be shaken.

⁵ ‘It’ll be as it is in a harvest

Where someone reaps grain in a valley of rocks.

⁶ For, stubble will be all that’s left…

Just two or three olive pits

On the tops of very tall trees

That only have four or five branches.’

This is what The God of IsraEl said:

⁷ ‘In that day, all the people will have to rely

On the One by whom they were made…

To the Holy One of IsraEl, their eyes should then turn.

⁸ ‘They shouldn’t rely on their shrines

Or on the things that they’ve made with their hands.

In that day, they’ll not look to their trees,

Or to the disgusting things [that they’ve made].

⁹ ‘For their cities will all be abandoned,

As were the cities of the Amorites and Hivites

Before the faces of IsraEl’s sons.

‘Desolate places, they will become,

¹⁰ For they have forsaken their Savior…

Yes, they have forgotten their God!

‘So, when they are planting, they’ll do so unsurely,

For they’ll be unsure of their seeds.

¹¹ And about the right day to do planting,

They will then be misled.

So, although they may sow in the morning,

Their seeds will rot before the harvest.

‘Then fathers will be forced to choose

Which of their sons they will [feed],

By casting lots on their behalf.

¹² ‘And woe to you, the rest of the nations;

For, you will also be shaken…

You’ll be disturbed like the sea [in a storm],

¹³ And by raging floods, you’ll be carried away.

‘For I’ll scold them all and then they will flee…

Yes, I’ll chase them a very long way,

And they’ll be like dust on the mountains

That is [blown about] by the winds,

Or like clouds of dust raised by wheels.

¹⁴ ‘In the evening, there will be much mourning,

And by dawn, they’ll no longer exist.’

This is what will happen to those who’ve brought ruin…

It’s the inheritance of those who inherited us.

Isaiah 18

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¹ Woe to you, O land of winged boats Beyond Ethiopia’s rivers… ² Those sending paper treaties and letters Across the waters [to us].

For, messengers will be sent by a nation Of strange and ill-tempered people By whom you don’t want to be trampled.

³ They live in a land divided by rivers, And their place will [soon] be a flag That is lifted above the tall mountains… Like a signal of the blowing of trumpets.

⁴ Then, this is what I was told by the Lord:

‘Although I have protected My city

From the afternoon heat

And by clouds of dew before harvest;

⁵ When the flowers have blossomed and young grapes have formed,

I’ll remove their clusters with a sickle…

Yes, I’ll cut the small branches off of the vines,

⁶ Then leave them behind for the birds of the skies

And for the wild beasts of the earth.

‘So then, all winged creatures that fly in the skies

And all the wild beasts of the earth

Will gather there to consume them.

⁷ ‘Then those people who’ve been afflicted and plucked

Will offer gifts to Yahweh of Armies.

They’re a people who’ve been great [throughout] the ages…

But they’re a nation whose hopes will be trampled.

‘They live in a place that runs from a river

To where the Name Yahweh of Armies

Is found upon His Holy Mountain.’

Isaiah 19

←18 | All books | All chapters | 20→

¹ This is the vision against Egypt:

{Look!} The Lord will arrive upon a swift cloud, And down to Egypt, He’ll go. There He’ll shake the idols that they’ve made with their hands (Those that stand in front of His face), And then, their hearts will be pierced.

² Egyptians will [war] with Egyptians… Against their own brothers and neighbors, they’ll fight. City will rise against city, And houses [will rise] against houses.

³ The Egyptian’s spirits will all be disturbed, And He will wipe out their plans. Then they’ll ask their statues, their prophets, and gods, And those who speak from the ground.

⁴ But, over the Egyptians, He will assign Men who will make them work hard… Bad kings, He’ll appoint over them.

For, this was said by Yahweh of Armies.

⁵ Egyptians will be drinking sea water, Because their rivers will dry up and fail… ⁶ Their aqueducts and their rivers will fail, And all their water will dry.

⁷ Then, papyrus marshes and reeds, As well as what’s green by the rivers (Including the crops that are planted nearby), Will dry up and be blown away.

⁸ So, those who go fishing with hooks, Those who catch fish with dragnets, And those who cast nets in the rivers Will all start mourning and groaning.

⁹ Also, those who shred flax and weave linen ¹⁰ Will all be grieved and ashamed. There’ll also be great concern Among the ones who brew beer, As the lives of all become painful.

¹¹ Then, fools will be appointed their rulers; And those who speak stupid things Will be the king’s councilors in Tanis.

For, they will say to the king:

We are the sons of the wise…

Yes, as sons of kings, [we were born]!

¹² But, where will all your wise men have gone? Yes, let them return and explain What Yahweh of Armies has planned against Egypt!

¹³ Then the princes in Tanis will fail, And the haughty rulers in Memphis Will cause Egypt and its tribes to wander. ¹⁴ For the Lord has concocted for them The spirit of addiction to delusions, Which will cause the Egyptians to [stagger] Like a drunk that goes outside to vomit.

¹⁵ Egypt won’t know its head from its tail, Or discern a beginning or end. ¹⁶ In that day, Egypt’s men will be acting like girls, And they’ll tremble before the hand of Yahweh… He’s the One who will cause this to happen.

¹⁷ Then Egyptians will fear the Judeans… Yes they’ll fear those who call themselves Jews; For against them, Yahweh of Armies has plans.

¹⁸ In that day, in 5 cities of Egypt, They’ll speak the CanaAnite tongue And swear oaths in the Name of Yahweh of Armies. Then ‘The City of [the Sun]’ will be called ‘The City of the [Living God].’

¹⁹ There’ll be an Altar to Yahweh in Egypt, And a monument to the Lord at their border, ²⁰ Which will serve as a sign throughout the ages That, to Yahweh, Egypt belongs.

Then they’ll call to [Him] when they are oppressed, And He will send someone to save them… He’ll save them and He’ll bring them justice.

²¹ So, to the Egyptians, our God will be famous… All Egypt will know who is Lord in that day. Sacrifices and gifts, they’ll offer to Him… They’ll make vows to Yahweh and pay them.

²² For, after He brings bad things upon Egypt, He’ll heal them, and then, they’ll turn to Yahweh… He’ll listen to them and He’ll cure them!

²³ In that day, between Assyria and Egypt, There will then be a road Where the Assyrians will travel to Egypt, And to Assyria, the Egyptians will go… For Assyrians will then serve the Egyptians.

²⁴ In that day, along with Assyria and Egypt, IsraEl will then be the third When it comes to their land being blest.

²⁵ For Yahweh of Armies will offer this blessing:

’Praise My people in Egypt,

And praise those who live in Assyria…

And praise My inheritance, IsraEl.’

Isaiah 20

←19 | All books | All chapters | 21→

¹ It was in the year that Tartan entered AshDod (when he was sent by King Sargon [II] of the Assyrians to wage war against AshDod and captured it) ² that the Lord spoke to IsaiAh (son of Amoz) and said this:

‘Now, remove the sackcloth from your loins,

And untie the sandals from your feet.’

So thereafter, that’s what IsaiAh did… He started walking around barefoot and naked!

³ And the Lord said:

‘As My servant, IsaiAh, walks barefoot and naked;

The same signs and miracles will be sent

Throughout Ethiopia and Egypt

In the coming three years.

⁴ ‘For the king of Assyria will lead you as captives

(Ethiopians and Egyptians, both young and old)

Naked and barefoot, to show Egypt’s shame.

⁵ ‘The Ethiopians who rely on Egyptians

Will then be vanquished and shamed;

For their [only] glory was [Egypt].

⁶ ‘And they’ll say to those in the islands:

‘{Look!} Although we thought we could turn to you to protect us,

You couldn’t save us from Assyria’s king…

And since even you couldn’t save us,

How can we now be delivered?’

Isaiah 21

←20 | All books | All chapters | 22→

¹ The Desert Vision.

As a blast of wind from the desert Blows through a land that is dry; ² I received a frightening hard vision Concerning those who have no regard… Those who have no respect for the Law.

[I dreamt] that the Persians attacked me; So I moaned and tried to find comfort. ³ And because of this, my loins became weak As though I was going through birth pangs.

Unrighteously, I chose not to hear, And I rushed away, so I couldn’t see it. ⁴ For, in my heart I had strayed, And in lawlessness, I had been wrapped… Then my soul became covered with fear.

⁵ So, prepare the table to eat and to drink… Awaken the rulers and ready the shields! ⁶ For, this is what I was told by the Lord:

‘You must go and stand as a watchman,

And you must announce all that you see!’

⁷ Well at that, I looked up and I saw two riders approaching; one [was riding] a burro, and the other [was riding] a camel.

⁸ [And then I was told that] I should listen and that I should call out to UriAh from Yahweh’s observation tower. So I stood there throughout that whole day, and I kept watch over the camp all throughout that night... ⁹ And then, look! I spotted someone riding on a double chariot, and he was shouting that Babylon had fallen along with all of her idols… Yes, all of her idols had been dashed to the ground!

¹⁰ So listen, all of you who’ve survived, And all of you who are grieving… Hear what Yahweh of Armies has said… Hear what IsraEl’s God is announcing to you!

¹¹ The vision of Edom.

From SeIr, He called out to me and He said:

‘Now, you must keep watch on the walls…

¹² Stand there from morning ‘til night…

Keep watch with Me and you’ll live!

¹³ ‘Then, you should bed down in the evening

In the woods on the road to DeDan.

¹⁴ And bring some water for the thirsty you’ll meet…

Those who are coming from TeMan!

‘Also bring bread for the fleeing…

¹⁵ Because of those being slaughtered…

Because of all who must wander…

Because of those who are brandishing swords…

Because of those with tightly-stretched bows…

And because of those who have fallen in war!’

¹⁶ Then the Lord said this to me:

‘In a year (in the time of someone who’s hired)

The glory of Kedar will end,

¹⁷ And few will remain of their bowmen;

For the Lord God of IsraEl has spoken.’

Isaiah 22

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¹ The matter of the valley of Zion.

‘O what has happened to you

That made you foolishly climb to your roofs?

² ‘Although your city is now filled with screaming,

Your slain were not killed by the broadsword

And your people haven’t died because of a war.

³ ‘But your rulers all fled [in fear of] the bow,

And now they’re all tied up together…

Yes your mighty have all run away!’

Well, because of this, I said:

‘Now, please let me go and find someplace to cry… ⁴ And don’t try to offer me any comfort over the destruction of the daughters of my people, ⁵ for this has been a very disturbing day… It’s been a day of trampling and destruction and a day of addiction to delusions that’s come to us from Yahweh of Armies!

‘But, in the valleys of Zion, they wander…

All from the small to the great…

Yes, between the mountains, they wander.

⁶ ‘For the people of ElAm have collected [their arrows]

And their men have mounted their horses,

Then they gathered in battle array.

⁷ So with their chariots, our valleys will be filled,

And their horsemen will block all our gates.

⁸ ‘In that day, they’ll reveal Judah’s gates

And survey the city’s best homes.

⁹ Through the palace of David, they’ll search,

And they’ll see how much they can find there.

¹⁰ ‘You’ll divert the water to the city’s ancient pool

And demolish the outsides of your homes

To strengthen the walls of JeruSalem.

¹¹ Yes, between the two walls, you’ll bring water

And send it inside to that ancient pool.

But to the One who made it, you’ll still fail to look…

To its Creator, you will fail to turn.

¹² ‘For this, Yahweh of Armies

Has called for tears in that day…

For the beating of chests,

For the shaving [of heads],

And for the wearing of sackcloth.’

¹³ Yet, they were all happy and leaping for joy… Slaughtering calves and offering sheep, Then eating the meat and drinking the wine, And saying:

‘We should all eat and drink,

For tomorrow we’re going to die!’

¹⁴ Since this reached to the ears of Yahweh of Armies, These sins will not be forgiven Until the day that you truly die!

¹⁵ Jehovah of Armies said this:

‘Now, go and enter My [Holy Place]…

Go to the store-keeper ShevNa and ask:

¹⁶ ’Just what are you doing here…

What [business] have you been conducting?

Why did you carve a memorial for yourself,

And why have you made an engraving

Of yourself in the stones of this Temple?’

¹⁷ ‘{Look!} Yahweh of Armies will now throw you out…

He’ll wipe away such a man!

Your [official] clothes, He’ll remove,

Along with your garland of honor!

¹⁸ ‘Then He’ll throw you into a dungeon,

And that is where you will die!

On your chariot, He will bring dishonor,

And He’ll trample the homes of your princes…

¹⁹ [He’ll] remove your position and station!

²⁰ ‘In that day, I will call to My servant

(EliAkim son of HelkiAh),

²¹ And I’ll put your garments on him…

Yes, I will give him your garland…

Your duties, I’ll put in his hands…

And then he’ll become like a father

To those in Judah and JeruSalem.

²² ‘And around his shoulders, I’ll also put

The key to the palace of David…

Yes, he’ll be the one who unlocks it!

‘To him, I’ll give the glory of David…

He’ll rule and no one will argue with him.

²³ For I’ll make him the ruler of a place that’s secure,

And he’ll sit on a glorious throne

Within the house of his father.

²⁴ ‘Then the honorable ones of his father’s house

(Those from the least to the greatest)

Will thereafter rely upon him…

Yes, all the small vessels and cups

Will depend on him in that day.’

²⁵ Jehovah of Armies also said:

‘This man [ShevNa] will now be removed

And another will then be entrenched

Within that trustworthy place.

‘He’ll be removed and he’ll fall,

And all of his glory will just waste away.

For, Yahweh [of Armies] has spoken!’

Isaiah 23

←22 | All books | All chapters | 24→

¹ The matter of Tyre.

Now shriek, you on boats out of Carthage; For, [Tyre] has been wiped away, And they won’t be [sailing] from Cyprus again, Since [the people of Tyre] are all captives!

² To whom can I liken their [people]… To Phoenician traders who pass through the seas, ³ Or to the offspring of those traders Who transport the harvests of the nations.

⁴ ‘And you, O Sidon, be ashamed,’ said the sea! Then the power of the sea told them this:

‘I have no pains and I’ve not given birth,

Nor have I fed young or raised virgins.

⁵ But when Egypt hears what’s happened to Tyre,

They’ll be overtaken by grief.’

⁶ So, travel to Carthage and shriek, All you who live on the islands! ⁷ For, she was the source of your insolent ways Back before she had fallen.

⁸ Who was it who planned these things against Tyre? For, isn’t she the strongest and best… Aren’t her merchants the glorious rulers of nations?

⁹ It was Yahweh of Armies who laid out the plans To end the insolence of these glorious ones… To dishonor the glories of the whole earth!

¹⁰ So now, you’ll be forced to be farmers, Since boats won’t be sailing from Carthage again, ¹¹ And your hands won’t control the seas anymore, O you provokers of kings.

Yes, it was Yahweh of Armies Who ordered the destruction of CanaAn’s strength, ¹² So that you would not keep on insulting And wronging the daughter of Zion.

Then, if you should travel to Cyprus, You will not find any rest there. ¹³ And if you should go to Chaldea, You won’t find rest, for her walls will soon fall… The Assyrians will come and destroy it.

¹⁴ So Shriek, you on boats who are coming from Carthage, Because your fort will soon be destroyed!

¹⁵ This is how it will be in that day: Tyre will remain in that state For the next 70 years… The length of the lives of both men and kings. Then, after the 70 years have elapsed, Tyre will become like the song of a whore.

¹⁶ So, pick up your harp and wander away, O whore who will soon be forgotten! Play your harp and sing very well, So there’ll be someone who doesn’t forget you!

¹⁷ Then, after those 70 years have elapsed, God will come and revisit Tyre… He’ll restore her as she’d once been… She’ll be a market for all kingdoms again Throughout man’s home on the face of the earth.

¹⁸ Then her trading will pay a holy wage to the Lord; For their [profits] will not be carried to them… [They’ll be sent] to those who dwell before [God]… All [the wealth of] her trading [will then go to them], Which they’ll use to eat and drink ‘til they’re full, As a compact memorial before God.

Isaiah 24

←23 | All books | All chapters | 25→

¹ {Look!} The Lord will lay waste to the place where you live… He will totally destroy it! Yes, He will uncover its face And scatter those living within it.

² Then, [common] people will serve as the priests; The servants will then be the masters; The handmaids will then be the ladies; Those who buy will be those who sell; Those who borrow will be lenders, And the debtors will be the ones who are owed.

³ ‘With corruption, your land will be wasted,

And by looting, your place will be plundered!’

Yes, these things were said by the mouth of the Lord.

⁴ ‘Then your land will go into mourning,

For your system of things will be ruined.

‘The land’s most important will mourn

⁵ For [the place] that’s considered so lawless…

They’ll wail for the people who lived there…

Those who have broken [God’s] Laws…

Those who’ve wiped out and traded away

The Sacred Agreement of the ages!

⁶ ‘This curse will then devour [your] land;

For, those who live there have sinned!

Then, only the poor will be left …

Just a few men will remain.

⁷ ‘So the wine will mourn and the grapevines will groan

Over the souls of all those

To whom they once brought great joy.

⁸ ‘Happy sounds of tambourines will have ceased,

And those pleased with themselves will be gone,

Along with the wealth of the godless,

Who’ll no longer hear the sounds of the harp.

⁹ ‘And because they’ll be shamed, they won’t drink the wine…

For the liquor will be bitter to even the drunks!

¹⁰ ‘Your cities will then become empty,

And the houses will all be locked up,

So that no one will enter thereafter.

¹¹ ‘Therefore, shriek for the wine everywhere,

Since the joy of the land will have ceased…

Yes, it will be taken away,

¹² And all that will be left behind

Is desolate cities and empty homes,

Which thereafter, will just waste away.

¹³ Yes, all of these things will come to that land

There in the midst of the nations.

‘In the same way that you would glean olives,

Is how such ones will be gleaned…

As though the harvest of crops will have ceased.

¹⁴ ‘So, they will cry out in loud voices…

But, those who remain in the land

Will rejoice to the glory of God.

‘Then the waters of the seas will be shaken,

¹⁵ And the glory of Yahweh will be [seen]

On all the islands throughout the seas…

And the Name of the Lord will be honored.

¹⁶ ‘[For, all the peoples will say]:

O God of IsraEl, Yahweh;

Of [Your] miracles, we’ve heard, throughout the whole earth,

And there’s hope for those who respect You.

‘And once again, they will say:

Woe to those who’ve annulled…

Yes, those who’ve ignored the Laws [of our God],

¹⁷ Since fear, the pit, and a snare

Have come upon those who lived in that land.

¹⁸ For those fleeing in fear fell into the pit,

And those climbing out were captured in snares.

‘Then the windows of the heavens will open,

And the foundations of the earth will be shaken.

¹⁹ Disturbance will come to the ground,

And perplexity will grip the whole land.

²⁰ ‘For, it will be shaken and tipped

As [a horn] that’s filled with the fruits of the earth…

Yes, it will topple and fall

Like someone who’s dizzy and drunk,

And never be able to stand up again

[In that land] where the lawless grew strong.

²¹ ‘For, God will raise His hand in that day

Against the arrangement of the heavens,

And against the kings of the earth.

²² They’ll be gathered as one congregation,

And in castle dungeons, they’ll be locked away,

Where they’ll stay through many generations.

²³ ‘Then the bricks will melt and the walls will all fall;

The moon will be sad and the sun will be shamed;

For the Lord will start reigning in JeruSalem…

And before Zion’s elders, he’ll be glorified.’

Isaiah 25

←24 | All books | All chapters | 26→

¹ O Yahweh, my God, I’ll glorify You, And to Your Name, I’ll sing praises, Because of the wonderful things You have done, And because [Your] ancient council proved true… May it ever be so!

² The towns have been turned into rubble, As have the foundations of cities… And these cities of the godless will not be rebuilt Throughout the rest of the age.

³ Because of this, I offer You praise… With the poor and the wronged, I praise You! ⁴ For to cities of the meek, You sent aid, And You’ve rescued all the depressed… Those whom You saved from the wicked.

To the thirsty, You are a protector… You’re an inviting breeze to those who’ve been wronged. ⁵ For You’ve rescued Zion’s worried and thirsty… From godless men, You have saved us!

⁶ At that time, Yahweh of Armies Will hold a great feast for the nations… Yes, on this mountain, they’ll drink wine in joy, ⁷ And with perfumed oil, they’ll anoint on this hill.

Then, even for the gentiles, You’ll do this, Since this is a plan for all nations.

⁸ And from the mouth of the Lord came these words:

‘Then death, which prevails, will be swallowed;

Yes, Yahweh will wipe the tears from each face,

And remove the disgrace from earth’s peoples.’

⁹ And in that day, they will say:

‘{Look!} This is our God in whom we have hoped…

The One who brought us salvation.

This is Yahweh… We’ve waited for Him!

And because He has brought us salvation,

We’ll joyfully shout praises of Him!’

¹⁰ Then, on this mountain, God will bring rest, While the land of MoAb is trampled Like a threshing floor rolled on by wagons.

¹¹ He’ll unfold His hands and snatch up the haughty… For their insolence, He will destroy them… And the high walls of their homes will be broken.

Isaiah 26

←25 | All books | All chapters | 27→

¹ In that day, in Judah, they’ll be singing this song:

‘Look! [Ours is now] a fortified city…

To save us, He made our walls strong!

² So, open the gates and let all those enter

Who have guarded justice and truth…

³ Those who grabbed truth and guarded the peace!

⁴ ‘Upon You, we’ve hoped throughout the ages,

O Yahweh, God of ages.

⁵ For You’ve humbled and brought down those who lived high…

Fortified cities, You have thrown down…

You’ve torn them down to the ground,

⁶ And as footstools, You’ve set them under Your feet.

⁷ ‘The road for the righteous, You’ve straightened…

You’ve prepared a way for the Godly;

⁸ For, just are the paths of Yahweh!

‘We have put hope in Your Name,

And You, we have never forgotten,

⁹ Since You’re what our souls have desired!

‘In the [morning], my God, I’ll rise early to You,

For Your orders bring light to the land.

‘So, learn justice, all you who live on the earth!

¹⁰ For the irreverent will soon all be gone,

Because they’ve never learned to be fair,

Nor have they ever been truthful.

So, please remove the ungodly,

That they may not gaze on Your glory!

¹¹ ‘O Yahweh,

‘Although You’ve always held Your arm high,

They’ve been unable to see it…

But, when they see it, they all will be shamed.

Then You’ll snatch up those ignorant ones in Your zeal,

And send fire to consume our oppressors.

¹² ‘O Yahweh our God, send us peace;

For, all that we have was given by You!

¹³ Please own us, O Yahweh our God;

For, we have known no other as Lord…

We have only called on Your Name.

¹⁴ ‘But those dead ones will never see life,

Nor will any doctors revive them,

Because You attacked and destroyed them…

From among them, You took every man.

¹⁵ ‘O Yahweh,

‘Add to them all that is bad,

And bring evil upon their glorious ones!

¹⁶ ‘O Yahweh,

‘We thought of You when we were oppressed,

And Your instructions were with us during hard times.

¹⁷ ‘Just like a woman with birth pangs

(One who screams before she gives birth),

Is how we are in Your presence, O Lord.

¹⁸ For we fear You, Yahweh [our God].

‘In fear of You, we conceived in the womb…

We went into labor and then we gave birth

To the spirit of salvation that You’ve brought to our land.

‘So, we will not stumble… Although others may fall,

¹⁹ And our dead will be raised from their tombs.

Then, all in our land will be joyful;

For like morning dew, You’ll send them a cure,

While those in the lands of the godless will fail.

²⁰ ‘O my people,

‘When you awaken, just stay in your bedrooms…

Remain inside and lock all your doors,

Then hide in [your homes] for a while!

For, this will happen, then that;

And the rage of Yahweh will pass.

²¹ ‘Look… From His Most Holy Place,

Jehovah sends rage to those on the earth.

For, He’s uncovered all of the blood,

And He won’t allow the killers to hide.’

Isaiah 27

←26 | All books | All chapters | 28→

¹ So in that day; God will forbid the swords of the mighty… The Dragon’s great ones who will then flee (Those [that belong to] the crooked-back Beast).

² Then, in that day, there will be a good vineyard, And about it, we’ll be singing this song:

³ ‘She’s a fortress that’s under attack,

So it’s foolish to [offer her] water,

Since she will be captured during the night,

And her walls will fall before morning.

⁴ ‘Because none have failed to have [sex with] her,

Jehovah will do as He promised…

For, she’s about to be burned!

⁵ ‘Then, those who live there will be yelling this:

‘We should make peace with Him…

Yes, let us make peace [with Him]!’

⁶ ‘Then, Jacob’s offspring will return,

And IsraEl will burst forth and blossom…

So their homes will be filled with its fruitage.

⁷ ‘It won’t be the same as when He struck others;

For, He would be striking Himself!

No, it won’t be as when He destroyed them;

For, He’d be destroying Himself!

⁸ ‘He’s been their warrior and caretaker.

But, did you study the harsh spirit they showed?

And then, didn’t He embody the spirit of rage?

⁹ ‘On account of this;

The lawless will be taken from Jacob,

And then, [God] will offer this blessing:

I will remove all your sins,

When you rip down the stones of their shrines

And grind them to powder and dust…

When their poles and idols are gone,

Like a far-away forest that’s being [erased].

¹⁰ ‘Then, any flocks that remain will dwell there…

Any flocks that have been left behind.

They will spend time in your pastures,

And there, they will have time to rest.

¹¹ But, they won’t be eating green grass,

Because it all will have dried [into hay].

‘So come, you women, who’ve seen all this happen;

For you’re a people who did not [believe].

He’ll show no mercy on those who made [idols]…

Nor feel pity for those who have shaped them!

¹² ‘In that day, Yahweh will lock them together,

From the aqueducts to the RhinoCorura,

As one by one, IsraEl’s sons are returned,

¹³ Blowing their horns on that day!

‘For, those lost to Assyria will then be returned,

As well as those who went down to Egypt…

They’ll all come back and bow to Yahweh

On His Holy Mountain in JeruSalem.’

Isaiah 28

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¹ Woe to that insolent garland… Ephraim’s faded flower and those whom he hired… Those who have fallen from glory There on their mount of thick branches… Yes, those who get drunk without wine.

² For {Look!} the rage of Yahweh is both strong and hard… It’s like hail that falls with great force In a place where there’s nowhere to [hide]. It’s like a flood that drags away [homes] In the land where He once sent rest to your hands.

³ Then the feet of Ephraim’s hired Will trample their insolent garland, ⁴ And its flowers (its hope of glory) will fall Like the shoots of figs on their mountains. Then, all who see it in front of their hands, Will wish to take it and swallow it down.

⁵ In that day, Yahweh of Armies Will be the only true garland… A crown of glory for His people. ⁶ For by the spirit of fairness, they will survive… By justice and the strength of destruction withheld.

⁷ But there are also those who will stagger and reel Because of their liquor and wine. Yes, it is because of the liquor And because they’ve swallowed the wine That the priests and prophets are out of their minds. And then, when they sober, they’ll stagger… Which will be witnessed by all.

⁸ A curse will thereafter devour their plans; For the plans that they have are just to get rich.

⁹ To whom have we announced all this evil? To whom have we spoken this message? To those being weaned from the milk, And to those being drawn from the breast.

¹⁰ Problems on problems, hope after hope… Still a little, and then a bit more! ¹¹ For in foreign tongues, they’ll speak these foul words:

¹² ‘Since those who are starved are unworthy,

We will have to destroy them’

(Which is something that no one wishes to hear).

¹³ Then this oracle from God is what they’ll receive:

‘Problems on problems, hope after hope;

Still a little, and then a bit more.’

And thereafter, they’ll be faced with great danger. For, first they will have to retreat, And then they’ll be broken and captured.

¹⁴ Thus, hear these words of Yahweh:

‘O men who are being attacked

And you rulers of JeruSalem;

¹⁵ You say that you’ve made a pact with the grave…

That you’ve made a treaty with death,

And that, if a windstorm should blow,

It won’t be blowing on you.

So, you have put hope in [your] lies…

And do you [think] that these lies will protect you?

¹⁶ ‘Because of this,’ says Yahweh;

‘{Look!} Upon the foundation of Zion

I’ll place a valuable stone…

A costly, select cornerstone,

In order to serve as its base…

And those trusting in him will never be shamed.

[see translator note]

¹⁷ ‘Then, in place of hope, will come judgments;

And to My charity, I’ll attach weights.

So those trusting in vain in the lie

Will not be passed by the storm.

¹⁸ For, your treaty with death will be gone,

Along with your pact with the grave.

‘Then, by a blast, you’ll be crushed…

¹⁹ When it’s passing by, it will take you.

Morning after morning, it will blow upon you,

And it will blow throughout the nights…

So, what happens to you will be bad.

²⁰ ‘Learn how to hear, O you who’ve been squeezed…

There’s no way you’ll be able to fight it!

For, you will be weakened, then captured.

²¹ ‘From the godless, the Lord will make hills,

When to GibeOn’s valley, He brings His rage…

That’s where His bitter deed will be done.

‘His rage will be brought in strange ways…

Yes, these rotten deeds will be odd.

²² And for you, there’ll no longer be joy,

Since you won’t have strength, in your chains.’

Yes, all these things will come soon… It’s what He will bring to this land… It’s what Yahweh of Armies has said. ²³ So give ear and listen to all that I say… Pay attention and hear all my words!

²⁴ Doesn’t it take a full day To get things ready for plowing? And doesn’t the planter have to prepare Before he starts working the ground?

²⁵ Doesn’t he level its face Before he plants pepperwort or cumin, At the borders of wheat, barley, and spelt?

²⁶ So, that’s how you’ll be corrected… In the fair ways of your God… Then once more, you’ll [have reasons] for joy.

²⁷ ‘You don’t scrub Pepperwort to clean it,

And you don’t run wagons over cumin!

You beat out pepperwort’s [seeds],

²⁸ And cumin should be eaten with bread.

‘So I won’t stay angry with you throughout the age,

Or with bitter words, will I trample you down.’

²⁹ Rather, from Yahweh of Armies, Miracles will [be sent to your land]! So, you should accept all this counsel, And not raise hopes of comfort in vain!

Isaiah 29

←28 | All books | All chapters | 30→

¹ ‘Woe to the City of the Altar of God,

On which King David waged war.

‘Gather your crops year after year,

And share them with the people of MoAb.

² Then I’ll squeeze the City of the Altar of God,

And all her strength and wealth will be Mine.

³ ‘I’ll encircle [your city] like David,

And throw up a siege mound against it.

With siege towers, I will surround it,

⁴ And your words will be brought to the ground…

Yes, your words will go down to the ground!

Then you’ll speak like those who speak from the grave,

And from the ground, your voices will get weaker.

⁵ ‘Then the wealth that you gained from your godless ways,

Like clouds of dust, will become…

As that which is raised by the passing of wheels.

For then, all those who oppress you

Will be as many as pieces of dust!’

⁶ It will happen right away (in a moment); Then Yahweh of Armies will arrive And consume you with thunder, shakings, and noise, As well as with wind blasts and flames.

⁷ It will be like a nightmare to you, When the wealth of many nations come marching Against the City of the Altar of God. For the armies of all her oppressors Will gather against JeruSalem.

⁸ Then, to all those who are sleeping, And to those who are eating and drinking, It will seem as though it’s a dream… And this is what they’ll be dreaming...

Those who get thirsty and drink Will still be thirsty when they awake. And there’ll be no more hope in their lives When the wealth of many nations marches on Zion.

⁹ Be tipsy, be dizzy, and then be amazed… But not from liquor or wine; ¹⁰ For the Lord will send you frustration to drink!

Then He’ll close the eyes of your prophets, As well as the eyes of your seers and rulers. ¹¹ And all that’s written in this sealed-up scroll Will be given to a man who knows how to read.

Then you’ll say to him, ‘Please read these things!’ But he will reply: ‘I can’t read it, Because the scroll has been sealed!’

¹² Then you’ll hand this scroll to a man who can’t read, And you’ll also ask him to read it; But he’ll answer and say, I can’t read.’

¹³ For, this is what was said by the Lord:

‘With their mouths, these people approach Me,

And with their lips, they offer Me praise…

But they’re far away from Me in their hearts.

So they’re wasting their time when they bow before Me,

Since they’re teaching the ideas and instructions of men!

¹⁴ ‘And it’s because of this, that I’m coming

To bring a change to these people…

Yes, I will come and transpose them!

The wisdom of their wise, I’ll destroy,

And the understanding of their discerning, I’ll hide.’

¹⁵ So, woe to those who’ve come up with plans That haven’t been approved by Yahweh! And woe to those who make them in secret, As they do things in darkness and ask:

‘Since no one can see us or recognize us,

Who can know what we’re doing?’

¹⁶ Aren’t you just clay in the hands of a potter? So can the thing that is shaped say to its shaper:

‘You’re not the one who has shaped me?’

Or can something that’s made say to its maker:

‘I don’t like the way that you made me?’

¹⁷ Soon Lebanon will meet with a change… Her mountains will be changed into crop fields, And the crops on her mountains, into forests.

¹⁸ Then, in that day, even those who are deaf Will hear the words of this scroll. And those in the darkness and those in the fog, And the eyes of the blind ones will see it!

¹⁹ So the poor will cheer because of the Lord, And those without hope will be joyful. ²⁰ For the lawless and evil will then have all failed… The proud will all be destroyed… And those who break laws will be gone, ²¹ With those whose words led them to sin.

Then, all that reprove at the gates Will be known as those who have stumbled; For, they have twisted [the law], And the righteous ones, they have wronged.

²² ‘And concerning the house of Jacob,’ said the Lord…

‘Those whom I have selected

From among AbraHam’s sons…

Jacob’s [offspring] will not come to shame,

Nor will their faces be saddened again.

²³ ‘For, when their young see the things that I’ll do;

{Look!} They’ll treat God’s Name as holy once more…

They’ll [praise] the Holy One of Jacob,

And learn to fear IsraEl’s God.

²⁴ ‘Then, those with wandering spirits

Will have to gain understanding…

Yes, those who complain must learn to obey,

And stuttering tongues will learn to speak peace.’

Isaiah 30

←29 | All books | All chapters | 31→

¹ The Lord said:

‘And woe to you children of apostates…

You who’ve looked for direction from others

And made treaties that were not by My Spirit.

For by this, you have added to your sins!

² ‘You [sent ambassadors] to Egypt

And asked for help from their PharaOh…

Yes, you sought shelter from Egypt…

But, you failed to ask Me!

³ ‘So, because you sought PharaOh’s protection,

You will come to know shame.

And because you’re relying on Egypt,

You will also know scorn…

⁴ For, the envoys from Tanis are evil.

⁵ ‘You are foolish to labor for others

Who won’t bring help or send any aid,

While upon you, they heap shame and scorn.’

⁶ This is the vision of the four-footed creatures in the desert:

‘In difficult times of distress,

[There stands] the lion and its cub,

As well as asps and the young of winged asps.

‘These are the ones who are bearing your wealth

On the backs of camels and burros

To a nation that will bring you no help,

Rather, that will just bring shame and scorn.

⁷ For, all that Egypt can send

Is waste and [words] that are empty…

So the comfort they send is in vain!’

⁸ [Then the Lord told me]:

‘You must now sit down and write this…

Record these words in the tablet of a scroll.

For these are the days and times I’ve appointed…

[They’re the things that will happen] in this age:

⁹ ‘You people have resisted my persuasion…

You are liars who won’t listen to God’s Law.

¹⁰ You’re the ones who say to the Prophets:

‘Don’t bring His pronouncements to us!’

And to those who see visions, you say:

‘Don’t tell us the things that you’ve seen!

But, if you must give us a message,

Tell us an addictive delusion!

¹¹ Turn us away from this road…

Yes, shift us away from this course,

And bring an end to these curses upon IsraEl!’

¹² ‘It’s because of this, that thus says the Holy One of IsraEl:

Since you’ve chosen to resist My persuasions

And preferred to put hope in a lie…

Because you’ve grumbled and failed to have faith,

¹³ This is what will happen to you:

‘Your sins will be like the walls of a city

That fall and lead to a capture…

For your downfall is now close at hand.

¹⁴ ‘And like the breaking of a thin vase,

This crash won’t lead to a breaking of parts…

Pieces you can find and pick from the coals

With which you can hold little water.’

¹⁵ ‘This is what the Lord Yahweh proclaimed…

It’s what IsraEl’s Holy One said:

‘You should groan, then turn back and be saved!’

‘Think about all of these foolish things

In which you’ve been putting your hope…

Think of how you chose not to hear,

And then, about how weak you became!

¹⁶ ‘But you say that you will escape

From those coming against you on horses…

You think that you’ll flee and then say:

‘We are very light riders!’

But those chasing you will be faster!

¹⁷ ‘For, thousands will flee at the voice of one man,

And ten thousand will flee at the voices of five.

So, you will be left all alone

Like a pole on top of a mountain,

Or a banner flying high on a hill.

¹⁸ ‘Then, once again, you’ll [turn back] to God

And [hope] that He will feel pity.

And because of this; he will show mercy upon you,

Since your judge is Yahweh, your God.

‘Blest are those who stick close to Him;

¹⁹ For the holy will live upon Zion once more!

‘JeruSalem will cry, ‘Show mercy on me!’

And He will show mercy upon her.

For, when He hears the sounds of your cries,

Once more, He’ll pay attention to you.

²⁰ ‘Then Yahweh will provide you with water and bread,

And those who misled you will no longer be.

You’ll remember those who tried to mislead you,

²¹ And those who followed to trick you…

Those who said, ‘This is the way you should go…

Yes, you should go this way or that!’

²² ‘Then, you’ll get rid of your silver-plated idols,

As well as those who are gilded with gold,

And crush them into fine powder,

Then toss it into the wind.

You’ll reject them like a [menstruation rag],

And throw them away like manure.

²³ ‘Then, rain will fall on your ground to sprout seeds…

There’ll be plenty of bread and fat in your land.

Your cattle will graze in large fertile fields,

²⁴ And your bulls will work the ground and eat straw,

As you prepare to harvest the barley.

²⁵ ‘And in that day;

After many people have been destroyed

And the towers have all been knocked down;

Water will flow from the mountains and hills.

²⁶ ‘Then the moon will be as bright as the sun,

And the sun will be seven times brighter,

In that day when Yahweh brings healing

To His people who’ve been broken down,

There’ll be an end to the grief of disaster.

²⁷ ‘{Look!} Then, after a while, the Name of the Lord

Will arrive in glory and in burning rage…

For, the omens from His lips are omens of rage,

And the flames of His rage are consuming!

²⁸ ‘His Breath is like water that races through valleys,

Then comes to the neck and divides.

So, for their addictions to delusions,

He will disturb all the nations

And [allow] their delusions to trap them.

²⁹ ‘Then, whenever you enter [God’s] Holy Place,

You’ll do so thereafter in joy…

As though it were a great holiday!

And as you do this, you’ll be happy…

Singing songs as you travel to the Mountain of [God]!

³⁰ ‘Yes you’ll sing to Yahweh with the glory of your voice;

For by His arm, He can send both His anger and rage…

Like lightning, He violently strikes,

And as flames [of fire], He can consume…

Like rain and hail being driven by storms.

³¹ ‘By the voice of Yahweh, Assyria will fall…

He’ll strike and bring calamity to them.

³² For, He is always nearby

To aid those who put faith in Him…

Those playing their harps and shaking tambourines.

‘He’ll wage war with those who revolt…

³³ But, after some days, He’ll let them return.

For, He’s prepared His Kingdom for them.

‘As a ravine that is very deep

And as piles of wood near a fire,

Is the rage of Yahweh…

Like a ravine that is burning with sulfur!’

Isaiah 31

←30 | All books | All chapters | 32→

¹ ‘Woe to those who seek help from Egypt…

Those trusting in their chariots and horses

Because their chariots are many,

And because they have many horses.

‘These are people who just will not listen…

In IsraEl’s Holy One, they’ve not put faith

And they haven’t searched for their God!

² ‘Thus He’ll wisely bring evil upon them,

So His Word will not be annulled.

Against their houses, He will arise,

And oppose their vain, wicked hopes.

³ ‘Egyptians are men… They aren’t Gods;

And their horses are no help at all,

Because they too are just flesh!

So against them, Yahweh will soon raise His hand

And make those who are helping them tired…

And thereafter, they’ll perish together.’

⁴ Then the Lord told me this:

‘In the same way that a lion or its cub

Will roar over game that it’s taken,

And then continue to roar over it

Until the mountains are filled with its voice

And all the prey has been scattered,

Because they’ve been frightened away;

That’s how Yahweh of Armies will be

In the time that He comes against Zion.

⁵ ‘But Yahweh of Armies can be like a bird

That flies above JeruSalem,

In order to rescue, save, and protect.

⁶ ‘O you sons of IsraEl who have gathered

So as to discuss lawless things;

It’s time for you to turn back!

⁷ For, the day will come when you’ll turn from your idols…

Those things that you’ve molded from silver and gold…

The things that you’ve made with your hands!

⁸ ‘Then [Assyria] will fall, but not by men’s swords…

No, she’ll not be devoured by swords,

Nor will she flee before daggers!

But her young men will all have been conquered…

⁹ They’ll be picked up and beaten like rocks for a siege,

And those who flee will be captured.

And this is what Yahweh said:

‘Blest are those who have offspring in Zion,

And those with families in JeruSalem.’

Isaiah 32

←31 | All books | All chapters | 33→

¹ ‘{Look!} Then a righteous king will start reigning,

And in justice, his princes will rule.

² Each man will be like a shelter from wind

And a place to run from the storms…

Like streams of water in a dry land,

And the shade of a rock in the desert.

³ ‘Then, men will no longer put trust in men,

And ears they’ll be given to hear.

⁴ Hearts of the weak will be paying attention,

And stammering tongues will learn to speak peace.

⁵ ‘They’ll not [appoint] morons to rule anymore,

Or tell their officials not to speak!

⁶ But now, the morons just say foolish things,

And in their hearts, they’re just planning what’s wasteful.

‘They are doing things that are lawless,

And against the Lord, they’re speaking delusions

To scatter the souls of the hungry,

And bring waste to the lives of the thirsty.

⁷ ‘What the wicked recommend are plans to do evil…

They speak of taking advantage of the meek,

And they overrule with unrighteous words

Any judgments that would favor the lowly.

⁸ ‘But, those who love God will then consult

With those who have understanding,

And the things they suggest are the things that will last.

⁹ ‘Hey, all of you wealthy women…

Wake up and hear what I’m saying!

O you daughters that still live in hope;

To My words, you should pay close attention!

¹⁰ ‘Speak of each day in grief… But with hope.

For the crops have all been consumed,

And the planting has come to an end,

So, things are not getting any better.

¹¹ ‘Now, be amazed, and then start to worry,

O you who have tried to mislead!

¹² Strip off your clothes ‘til you’re naked,

Then wrap your waists and beat on your breasts

On behalf of the crops in the fields,

As well as for the produce of vines!

¹³ ‘For the land of My people has now become thorns…

Even the grass will soon dry,

And joy will be gone from each home.

¹⁴ ‘The houses will then be abandoned,

As wealth [flows] out of your towns,

And all the best cities and homes

Will exist as caves throughout the ages…

Places of joy for wild burros,

As well as pastures for shepherds.

¹⁵ ‘But when Breath flows from the heavens again,

The deserts will become fruitful fields,

And the fields will be thought of as forests.

¹⁶ ‘Then, judgment will rest in the deserts,

Yes, justice will dwell on [Mount] CarMel,

¹⁷ And of peace and righteous ways, there’ll be plenty.

‘This righteousness will thereafter be spread,

And bring rest to the faithful throughout ages.

¹⁸ So, God’s people will live in cities of peace,

And those who are saved will rest and live well.

¹⁹ ‘Then if hail should fall, it won’t fall on you;

And the meek that dwell in the forests

Will be as those who live in the plains…

²⁰ For, those who plant crops will be blest.

And in places where only wild burros could live,

There will be water again.’

Isaiah 33

←32 | All books | All chapters | 34→

¹ ‘Woe to those who bring misery,

But, who are made miserable by no one,

As well as those who show no respect,

But who are highly regarded.

For, those who don’t show respect

Will then be captured and [squashed]

Like a moth that’s caught in a robe and destroyed.’

² O Yahweh,

Show mercy upon us, For we are relying on You. Destroy the offspring of those who oppose us, But save us in our time of oppression!

³ Your fearful sounds will startle the people, And in fear, the nations will scatter. ⁴ But then, You will gather Your spoils great and small As though You were picking up locusts.

⁵ Holy is The God who lives in the skies; For, He will fill Zion with fairness and justice. ⁶ In that time, He’ll become a foundation that’s firm… A source of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. For in Him, all wisdom and knowledge exists… And fear of God [is the key] to this treasure.

⁷ {Look!} Yes, those fearing You will be frightened… They’ll scream in fear over You! For, You will send angels that will bring peace, And this will cause the unrighteous to weep, ⁸ Since that will bring an end to their [evil] ways.

And the nations will also have reasons for fear, Because of the treaties they’ve broken, And because they’ve [not shown You] respect.

⁹ So the lands will all go into mourning, And Lebanon will be brought to shame. But our marshes will then be like ShaRon, And like Galilee and CarMel, they’ll shine.

¹⁰ ‘Yes, that’s when I will stand tall,’ says Yahweh…

‘I’ll be glorified and respected.

¹¹ When you see it, you’ll then understand

That their other efforts have all been in vain.

‘For their spirits will be burned as by fire…

¹² By the gentiles, they will be consumed

Like thorn bushes out in the fields,

Which have been tossed in the flames.

¹³ ‘Then, from far away, they’ll hear what I’ve done;

And those who come here will know of My might.

¹⁴ For, when the lawless are taken from Zion,

The irreverent will all start to shake.

‘So, who will make the announcement…

The announcement that the fire has been lit?

Yes, who will speak of such things

In this ancient place of the ages?

¹⁵ Just the one who is walking uprightly;

The one who tells things just as they are;

The one who hates lawless ways and injustice;

The one whose hands shake off bribes;

The one who won’t listen to judgments of blood

And whose eyelids are closed to injustice.

¹⁶ ‘At that time, he will stay in a cave in the heights,

Which is surrounded by boulders.

His bread will also be given to him,

And he can trust [that he will have] water.

¹⁷ ‘Then your eyes will see a glorious king

Coming from a far-away land…

¹⁸ And your souls will contemplate fear.

‘Then, what will happen to all of the scribes…

What will happen to all the advisors…

What will happen to the accountants and their records?

¹⁹ ‘From the small to the great, they don’t take advice,

Nor do they heed any warnings

About the ways they’re mistreating the people…

So, none understand what [I’m saying].

²⁰ ‘O great city on Zion;

Look and see your salvation…

See JeruSalem as a city of wealth,

Filled with unshakable tents.

‘There the tent poles will last throughout the ages,

So their cords won’t have to be pulled,

²¹ And they’ll be called by the Name of Yahweh.

‘There’ll be aqueducts and wide rivers;

But, you will not travel upon them,

For boats will never be rowed there.’

²² So my God, Yahweh, won’t pass me by, Because the Lord is our judge… Yes, He is our ruler and king, And He will bring us salvation!

²³ But now, all their ropes will be pulled up, And the masts on their boats will be weak… They’ll lean, so their sails cannot be unfurled, And their flags will never be raised Until all that they have has been plundered… Yes, taken by even the lame! ²⁴ But those who are left won’t say they are tired, For their sins will have all been forgiven.

Isaiah 34

←33 | All books | All chapters | 35→

¹ So, listen to this, O you nations… And your rulers should pay close attention! Yes, hear, O earth and its dwellers… The habitation of man and all those who live here; ² For Yahweh is bringing His rage to the nations… His rage upon all of their numbers, To destroy and hand them to slaughter.

³ Their slain and dead will be just thrown away; Their smell will ascend [to the heavens]; And their blood will pour down the mountains.

⁴ Then the powers of the heavens will melt; The sky will be wrapped like a scroll; And all the stars will then fall Like the leaves of a grapevine or fig.

⁵ [The Lord says:]

‘For My sword will then become drunk in the sky,

And {Look!} upon Edom’s land, it will fall…

Upon people who’ve been judged for destruction.

⁶ ‘In BozRah, My sword will become thick with blood

And with the fat of the lambs, goats, and rams

That to God, will be sacrificed,

When this great slaughter comes to Edom.

⁷ ‘Then, even the stout will be cut down and killed,

Along with the rams and the bulls.

So the ground will then be drunk on their blood,

And it will be filled with their fat

All the way to the ends of their borders.

⁸ ‘For this is the great Judgment Day of the Lord…

It’s a year of judgment and payback for Zion.

⁹ Their valleys will then be filled up with pitch

And their ground [will be covered with] sulfur.

¹⁰ ‘Throughout the ages, it’ll burn with pitch day and night,

And the flames will not be extinguished.

For generations, her smoke will ascend,

And it will all be desolation…

Then, it will lie barren for a very long time.

¹¹ ‘Only crows will be able to dwell there,

Along with ibis, hedgehogs, and birds.

A surveyor’s line will mark her destruction,

And she’ll be inhabited [by demons].

¹² ‘Then, she will be without rulers,

Since her kings and great men will be gone.

¹³ So, thorns will grow in her cities and forts,

And they will be owned by chained demons…

A place where ostriches roam.

¹⁴ ‘Then, [loose] demons will meet with the chained ones,

And they will yell to each other.

Chained [spirits] will also find rest there,

And they’ll find a place to retire.

¹⁵ ‘There, hedgehogs too, will build their nests,

And in safety, their young will play on the ground.

It’s where stags will all meet together,

Then stare face to face at each other.

¹⁶ ‘They’ll pass in large numbers and none will be lost…

They’ll not have to search for each other,

Since Yahweh will give them instructions,

And by His Breath, they’ll be gathered.

¹⁷ ‘Then, on their behalf, He will cast lots,

And divide up the land for their grazing,

Which they will inherit throughout the ages…

So, from one generation to another,

They will find rest in this place.’

Isaiah 35

←34 | All books | All chapters | 36→

¹ So, thirsty desert, you should be glad… Yes, shout in joy and blossom with lilies! ² For the desert by the JorDan will cry out and bloom, And the beauty of Lebanon will be given to it, Along with the honor of CarMel.

For, at that time, my people will see The glory of Yahweh their God, And come to know the full stature of Him.

³ So be strong, forsaken hands and weak knees… ⁴ Take comfort, O you with faint-hearts! Be strong and don’t be afraid, For {Look!} the judgments of our God will [bring] justice… Yes, He will come here and save us!

⁵ Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, And the ears of the deaf will be able to hear. ⁶ The lame will be leaping like stags, And stammering tongues will speak clearly.

Then springs will burst forth in the desert, And through thirsty lands, water will flow. ⁷ For, deserts will be turned into marshes; In the dry lands, there’ll be springs; And among reeds and marshes, birds will find joy.

⁸ Then, there will be a pure road That’s called, ‘The Way of the Holy.’ And nothing unclean will pass on it; So, it will always be pure.

Those who were scattered will travel that way, And from it, they won’t stray again. ⁹ No lions or fierce beasts will roam there, Nor will they even be found there. There’ll just be those who’ve been ransomed… ¹⁰ Just those gathered by the Lord will walk there.

They’ll return to Zion in joy Feeling the glee of the ages. For, blessings will come upon all their heads… They’ll be happy and leaping for joy, Since, from distress, groaning, and grief, They will then have escaped.

Isaiah 36

←35 | All books | All chapters | 37→

¹ It was in the 14th year of the reign of [King] HezekiAh [of Judah] that King SenNaCherib of Assyria [marched against] the fortified cities of Judah and took them. ² Then the king of Assyria sent RabShakeh from LachIsh to King HezekiAh in JeruSalem with a huge army, and he [set up camp] by the aqueduct to the upper pool, which is on the road to the field of the washerwomen.

³ So, EliAkim (son of HilkiAh) [the King’s] house manager, the scribe ShebNa, and JoAh (son of Asaph) the recorder, went out to meet with him. ⁴ And RabShakeh said to them:

‘Speak to HezekiAh and tell him that this is what the great king of Assyria has said:

‘On what are you really relying? ⁵ Have you worked out a plan with the words from your lips about how you’re going to fight this battle? On whom are you relying so that you’re resisting my persuasion?

⁶ ‘Look! If you’re relying on that fractured reed cane Egypt… If a man should put his weight on [that reed], it will go all the way through his hand! Yes, this is all that PharaOh, the king of Egypt, and those who are relying on him amount to!

⁷ ‘And if you should say that you’re relying on your God Yahweh… Isn’t He the same One whose high places and altars were removed by HezekiAh, and who then told Judah and JeruSalem that they had to come and bow before the Altar here in this place?

⁸ ‘Why not rather join with my lord the king of Assyria? For if you do, I’ll give you 2,000 horses… That is, if you’re able to provide enough riders for them!

⁹ ‘Can your governors who are relying on the Egyptians provide you with that many horses and riders?

¹⁰ ‘And do you think that we were able to come up to this place and wage war against it without [the aid of] Yahweh? It was Yahweh that told us to come to this land and destroy it!’

¹¹ Well, EliAkim, ShebNa, and JoAh then said to RabShakeh:

‘Please speak to your servants in Syriac, so we alone can [understand] what you’re saying. Don’t speak to us in the Judean tongue! Why must you speak so that all the men along the walls can hear you?’

¹² And RabShakeh replied:

‘Do you think that my lord sent me to speak these words to just your lord? For, aren’t these men who are sitting along the walls the ones who’ll have to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine?’

¹³ And at that, RabShakeh stood up and yelled in a loud voice in the Judean language:

‘Pay attention to the words of the great king of the Assyrians! ¹⁴ For this is what the king said:

‘Don’t be fooled by what HezekiAh has told you, because there’s no way that he can save you! ¹⁵ And don’t let HezekiAh tell you that his God will rescue you; for there’s no way that He can save this city from the hands of the king of Assyria!’

¹⁶ ‘The king of Assyria says:

‘Don’t listen to HezekiAh!

‘If you want to receive his blessings, come here to me and you’ll each eat from your own grapevines and fig trees, and drink water from your own wells. ¹⁷ Because, when I come here, I’ll carry you to a land that will become yours… A land of grain, wine, bread, and vineyards!’

¹⁸ ‘So, don’t let HezekiAh deceive you and say:

‘Our God will come and save us!’

‘Have any of the gods of the nations been able to rescue their own places from the hands of the king of Assyria?

¹⁹ ‘Where are the gods of HaMath or ArPhad? Where is the god of the Cities of Scrolls… Was he able to rescue Samaria from my hands? ²⁰ Since none of these gods of the nations could rescue their lands from my hands, how can Yahweh save JeruSalem from my hands?’

²¹ Well, everyone stayed silent and no one replied with a word, because the king had decreed that no one was to answer him.

²² Then EliAkim (son of HelkiAh) the house manager, ShebNa the scribe, and JoAh (son of Asaph) the recorder ripped their clothes and returned to HezekiAh to tell him what RabShakeh had said.

Isaiah 37

←36 | All books | All chapters | 38→

¹ Well, when King HezekiAh heard this, he tore off his clothes and put on sackcloth, then he went to the Temple of Yahweh. ² He also sent EliAkim his house manager, ShebNa the scribe, and all the elders among the priests (that were each wearing sackcloth) to the Prophet IsaiAh (son of Amoz).

³ For he told them to say:

‘These are the words of HezekiAh:

‘This is a day of affliction, scorning, scolding, and rage… It’s a day of all the pain of a woman who doesn’t have enough strength to give birth!

⁴ ‘So, may Yahweh your God hear the words of RabShakeh who was sent by his lord the king of Assyria to berate the living God… May Yahweh your God hear the words that he said to berate Him! Please go to Yahweh your God to beg before Him concerning those of us that are still left here!’

⁵ So the servants of King HezekiAh went to IsaiAh, and this is what IsaiAh said to them:

⁶ ‘Tell your lord that Yahweh says you shouldn’t be afraid of the words that you heard the ambassador of the king of Assyria say to berate Him!

⁷ ‘For {look!}, He’s going to send a spirit against him, and when he hears its message, he’ll just go back to his own place, where he will fall by the sword within his own land!’

⁸ Well at the time, RabShakeh had returned to the king of Assyria, who was busy attacking LibNah. He was no longer at LachIsh, ⁹ because he was told that TirHakah, the king of Ethiopia, was coming to fight him.

Then [King SenNaCherib] sent his people back to HezekiAh with a message that said this:

¹⁰ ‘Tell HezekiAh the king of Judah not to allow his God upon whom he’s relying to deceive him when He says there’s no way that JeruSalem will be given into the hands of the king of the Assyrians!

¹¹ ‘{Look!} Haven’t you heard what the kings of Assyria have done throughout the whole earth and of the destruction that they’ve brought? Really, who is going to save you now?

¹² ‘Have the gods of any of the nations that my father destroyed been able to rescue them… Those of Gozan, Haran, and Rezeph in the region of Tel AsSar? ¹³ Where are the kings of HaMath, and where is ArPhad? Where are the cities of SepharVaim, Henah, and Hivah?’

¹⁴ Well, after HezekiAh took the proclamation from [SenNaCherib’s] messengers and read it, he went up to the Temple of Yahweh again and unrolled [the scroll] before the Lord, ¹⁵ and he prayed to Yahweh, saying:

¹⁶ ‘O Yahweh of Armies, God of IsraEl… The One who rests upon cherubs,

‘You’re the only God over all the kingdoms of the habitation of mankind, for You’re the One who made the lands and the skies.

¹⁷ ‘So, O Yahweh,

‘Lean Your ear towards me and please listen O Lord! O Yahweh, open Your eyes! Look down, O Yahweh, then hear and understand all the words that SenNaCherib sent to berate the living God!

¹⁸ ‘It’s a fact, O Yahweh, that the kings of the Assyrians have conquered the entire habitation of mankind everywhere. ¹⁹ And there amidst all the flames, they’ve erected their idols to replace those that were never gods but are just the works of men’s hands – things made of wood and stone – after they did all their destroying.

²⁰ ‘But now, O Yahweh our God,

‘Please rescue us from his hands, so that all the kingdoms of the earth will know that You are the only God!’

²¹ Well thereafter, [God sent] IsaiAh (son of Amoz) to HezekiAh, and he told HezekiAh that Yahweh the God of IsraEl said that He’d heard everything that he’d prayed concerning King SenNaCherib of Assyria, and that this was Yahweh’s reply to [King SenNaCherib]:

²² ‘You’ve sneered at the virgin daughter of Zion,

And you’ve treated her with disrespect.

So, [the virgin] daughter of JeruSalem

Has nodded her head against you!

²³ ‘Do you know whom you’ve provoked and berated,

Or against whom you’ve raised your voice

And against whom you’ve lifted your eyes to the heights?

It’s against the Holy One of IsraEl!

²⁴ ‘Through messengers, you’ve berated Yahweh When you said:

I’ll climb over their mountains

With huge numbers of chariots behind me

That will stretch to Lebanon’s borders.

Then, on their heights, I’ll cut down their cedars

And the beauty of their cypress trees.

Then I’ll climb to the tops of their forests,

²⁵ And I will dam up their [rivers].

²⁶ ‘Haven’t you heard of the things I can do,

And of the things that I ordered to be done long ago?

For I’ve shown how I can destroy

Nations and fortified cities,

As well as those in their towns and their forts.

²⁷ I’ve weakened and dried up their hands,

Turning them into dry hay…

Like the grass that grows on their roofs.

²⁸ ‘I know that you have been resting

From all of your comings and goings.

²⁹ And now, all your hatred and rage

Is being directed towards Me!

So I’ll put a rein ‘round your nose,

And a bit in your lips,

Then I’ll send you back by the way that you came.

³⁰ ‘This is the sign that I’ll do it:

This year, you’ll eat what you’ve planted,

Then in the 2nd, you’ll eat what is left.

And in the 3rd, you’ll plant and you’ll reap…

Once more you’ll plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

³¹ ‘The same will also be true of all those

Who still remain in Judea…

They will sprout roots from below,

And from above, they’ll reap grain.

³² ‘Then, those who are left in JeruSalem

(Those who remain on Mount Zion)

Will thereafter be brought to the fore

Through the zeal of Yahweh of Armies.’

³³ Then, concerning the king of Assyria, Yahweh said this:

‘There’s no way that he’ll enter this city…

[His men] won’t shoot arrows against it,

Nor will any even lift up their shields

Or build a siege mound around it.

³⁴ They’ll just return by the way that they came,

And they will not enter this city!’

Yahweh said:

³⁵ ‘I will shield this city and save it

Because of Myself and My servant David.’

³⁶ Well thereafter, a messenger came from Yahweh and he destroyed the camp of the Assyrians… 185,000 of them! So when the [people] awoke the next morning, all they found was just dead bodies!

³⁷ Then King SenNaCherib of the Assyrians [packed up] and left for Nineveh, where he went to live. ³⁸ And it was while he was there bowing to the ground in the temple of his god Nisroch, that AdramMelech and ShaRezer (his sons) struck him with swords and fled to Armenia. So, another son, EsarHaddon, started reigning in his place.

Isaiah 38

←37 | All books | All chapters | 39→

¹ Well, it was shortly after this that HezekiAh became ill to the point of death. And the Prophet IsaiAh (son of Amoz) went to him and told him:

‘This is what Yahweh has said:

Give orders regarding your house,

Because you won’t live… You will die.’

² Then HezekiAh turned his face to the wall and started praying to Yahweh, saying:

³ ‘O Yahweh,

‘Remember that I’ve walked before You in truth and with a true heart, and remember all the things that I’ve done to please You.’

And at that, HezekiAh broke down and cried.

⁴ Well, the Word of Yahweh then came to IsaiAh and said:

⁵ ‘Go tell HezekiAh that Yahweh said this:

‘The God of your ancestor David

Has heard your prayer and seen your tears.

So, {Look!} 15 more years, I will add to your [life]…

⁶ And I will also save you and this city

From the hands of Assyria’s king.

For, around this city, I am putting a shield.’

⁷ ‘And Yahweh says that this is your sign that He’s going to do all these things...

‘He said:

⁸ ‘{Look!} I will cause the shadow of the sun

That moves down 10 stairs in the house of your fathers,

To go up the 10 stairs it went down.’

⁹ Well, this is the prayer that HezekiAh the king of Judah prayed after [learning that he would] recover from his illness:

¹⁰ ‘I prayed to the heavens concerning my days,

For I’d approached the gate to the place of the dead,

And I had been robbed of the rest of my years.

¹¹ ‘So I said that I’ll not look to Yahweh again

Within the land of the living.

And no way will I [be seen] anymore

By any of those who are living.

¹² ‘My family, I had forsaken,

And I’d [written off] the rest of my life.

For my life was ending and leaving like those

Who [that spend just a night] in a tent,

And my breath had become like the end of the weave,

To be cut off like wool from a loom.

¹³ ‘In that day, I was spared through the morning;

Then, like a lion, He broke all my bones…

From morning ‘til night I was conquered.

¹⁴ So, should I call out like a swallow,

Or like a dove, just take time to think?

‘When my eyes could no longer see into the heights,

Jehovah became my salvation…

¹⁵ He acted and removed the grief from my soul.

¹⁶ ‘Yes, to Yahweh, I [prayed] about this,

And then He awakened my spirit…

I’m alive, because He sent comfort to me.

¹⁷ ‘{Look!} The thought of resting in peace

Was something truly bitter for me…

But You gave back my life, so I’d live,

And You pushed all my sins to the rear.

¹⁸ So, those in the grave should all praise You,

And those who are dying should bless You.

‘But, it’s too late for those in the grave,

¹⁹ Since only the living can praise You.

So, from this day, I’ll raise many children

Who will shout in praise of Your justice.

²⁰ ‘O [Yahweh] my Savior,

‘For the rest of my life, I will praise You…

I’ll not cease to strum on my harp about You

In the Temple of my God.’

²¹ Then IsaiAh said to HezekiAh:

‘Now, take a cluster of dried figs and grind them up to make a plaster [for your chest], and thereafter, your health will return.’

²² And that’s when HezekiAh asked:

‘What’s the sign that I’ll be able to go up to the Temple of my God once again?’

Isaiah 39

←38 | All books | All chapters | 40→

¹ Well, at the time, MeroDach Baladan (son of Baladan, the king of Babylon) had sent letters, ambassadors, and gifts to HezekiAh, because he’d heard that he was ill to the point of death and that he’d been [granted a recovery], ² and this made HezekiAh very joyful.

As a result, he showed them his storehouses that were filled with spices, silver, gold, balsam, incense, and perfumes, as well as his treasury buildings and everything that was in his treasuries… There wasn’t anything that HezekiAh failed to show them.

³ And thereafter, the Prophet IsaiAh went to King HezekiAh and asked:

‘What did you say to those men, and from where did they come to visit you?’

And HezekiAh replied:

‘They came from a faraway land… From the land of Babylon.’

⁴ Then IsaiAh asked:

‘Did they see your [palace]?’

And HezekiAh said:

‘Yes, they saw everything in my house… There isn’t anything that I failed to show them, including everything in my treasuries.’

⁵ Then IsaiAh said:

‘Hear the word of Yahweh of Armies:

⁶ ‘Look! The day will soon come

When all that your fathers have collected

Down to this very day,

Will be carried off to Babylon…

They’ll leave nothing behind!’

⁷ ‘God also said:

‘They will take your children – those whom you have fathered,

And in the houses of Babylon, they will be eunuchs.’

⁸ Then HezekiAh said to IsaiAh:

‘The word of Yahweh that you spoke to me is good… But may there be peace and justice during the days [of my reign]!’

Isaiah 40

←39 | All books | All chapters | 41→

¹ ‘Take comfort, take comfort, My people,’ Says [Yahweh], Your God. ² O Priests, you must speak and bring comfort To JeruSalem’s heart.

For the humbling of her has now been fulfilled, And all of her sins are untied. Yet, it was because of her sins That she received twice as much from His hand.

³ Then I heard a voice that was calling from the desert. It said:

‘Prepare the way for the Lord…

Straighten the roads for our God!

⁴ Fill the valleys and flatten the mountains and hills…

All crooked paths must be straightened

And the ruts in the fields must be smoothed!

⁵ Then the glory and salvation of God will be seen;

For Yahweh has told you to do this.’

⁶ Then the voice again shouted:

‘Now, yell!’

And I asked:

‘What should I yell?’

[And it replied:]

‘Yell that all flesh is just grass

And man’s glory is like the flowers of grass.

⁷ But now, the grass has all dried,

And all of their flowers have dropped;

For upon them, God has blown His Breath.

‘The people are really the grass…

⁸ And although grass may dry and its flowers may drop;

God’s Word endures throughout the ages.

⁹ ‘So, climb to the top of that mountain,

O you who are bringing good news to Zion,

And shout it as loud as you can!

Yes, those bringing good news to JeruSalem

Must shout it out loud and not be afraid!

‘To the cities of Judah, you must shout this:

‘Look and see… For here comes Your God!

¹⁰ Your Lord, Yahweh, is coming in strength,

And to conquer, His arm has been raised!

‘Look… He’s bringing the wages

For the things being done here before Him!

¹¹ Like a shepherd, He’s arrived to tend to His flock;

Then He’ll gather His lambs in His arms,

And within His womb, bring them comfort.’

¹² ‘Who can measure all the water in the skies

With just the span of His hand,

And who holds the whole earth as a handful?

Who established the weight of the mountains,

And weighs the forests in the yoke of a scale?

¹³ ‘Who knows the mind of Yahweh…

Who has become His advisor

And who can give Him instructions?

¹⁴ Whom has He asked for advice,

And who’s told Him the things He should do?

‘Who taught Him how to be just,

Or shown Him the right ways to think?

¹⁵ For the nations are like drops from a bucket

That are [weighed] in the yoke on a scale

And found to be [no more than] spit.

¹⁶ ‘To Him, all of Lebanon is unfit to burn,

And unfit for sacrifice are its four-footed beasts.

¹⁷ Before Him, the nations are also unfit…

For He views them as nothing at all.

¹⁸ ‘To whom can our Lord be compared?

How would you [make an image] of Him?

¹⁹ Aren’t statues created by [artists]…

Aren’t they each carefully designed,

Then cast and gilded by smiths?

²⁰ ‘Doesn’t the maker choose durable wood,

And wisely choose the best place

To stand it where it cannot fall?

²¹ ‘Don’t you know, and haven’t you heard…

Weren’t you told this from the beginning…

Do you know how the earth was established?

²² He’s the One who holds fast the curve of the earth,

And those dwelling upon it are like locusts.

He’s the One who established the skies like a veil,

And stretched it like a tent in which we can dwell.

²³ Then He made our rulers from nothing,

And from nothing, He brought forth their lands.

²⁴ ‘[Without Him], we can’t plant or sow,

Nor can plants spread their roots in the ground.

For, He can just breathe and they’ll wither…

With a blast, like twigs, they’ll just blow away.

²⁵ ‘And this Most Holy One is asking you this:

‘Whom can you liken to Me…

Can you make Me look more important?

²⁶ Look high in the sky [and then tell Me]

Who introduced all these things?’

‘He’s the One who assembled them all…

All the things within His arrangement!

Then, in His great glory and strength,

He named it before you had seen it!

²⁷ ‘Would you dare to say before Jacob:

O IsraEl, why have you spoken to me,

For my ways have been hidden from God,

So I won’t stand in judgment before Him?

²⁸ ‘Don’t you know… Yes, haven’t you heard?

God [exists] throughout the ages!

He’s the One who prepared the ends of the earth,

Yet He doesn’t get hungry or tired,

Nor can His wisdom be fathomed.

²⁹ ‘He’s the One who gives strength to the famished,

And brings comfort to those who are grieving.

³⁰ ‘While the youngest of men will get hungry and tired,

And the best of men will lose all their strength;

³¹ Those who wait on Yahweh will grow stronger,

And like eagles, they will grow wings.

Then they’ll run without getting tired…

They’ll keep going without getting hungry.’

Isaiah 41

←40 | All books | All chapters | 42→

¹ ‘O [you gentiles who live] in the islands; You should start holding feasts to His [Name]… For the powers that be will be altered!

‘So now, let them come and confer, Then announce what they have decided!

² ‘For [He’s] stirred up one in the east Who’ll bring justice and call it to walk on its feet. To him, those gentiles will be given, And before him, their kings will all be removed.

‘He’ll force them to bury their swords, And like twigs, he will shatter their bows. ³ But, although he’s the one who’ll chase them, His feet will walk peaceful paths.

⁴ ‘By whose might will he accomplish these things? By the One who called for this generation Back in the very beginning… By the One who said: I am God…

‘I’m the first, and I’m into [the future]!

⁵ Nations will see Me and fear…

They’ll be startled to the ends of the earth,

And then, they’ll be gathered together.’

⁶ ‘At that time, all their neighbors will choose

To help their brothers, and they’ll say:

⁷ The one who brought us together is strong,

The blacksmith who forged it with a hammer;

But how long can [this unity] last?

‘And He will give this reply:

‘The bond [between them] is good;

For I’ve made it stronger with rivets…

I’ve made it so it can’t be broken!’

⁸ ‘But you, O IsraEl, My servant…

Yes, Jacob, the one whom I’ve chosen…

AbraHam’s offspring whom I’ve loved…

⁹ Those whom I’ve snatched from the ends of the earth…

Those whom I’ve called from the heights…

Those to whom I said this:

‘To be My servant, I chose you,

And you, I’ve never abandoned.

¹⁰ So, don’t be afraid, for I’m with you…

Don’t stray from Me, for I am your God…

I’m the One who gives you your strength,

And sends aid with My righteous right hand.

¹¹ ‘Look! Your enemies will all come to shame,

And no more will they fail to respect you;

For, they won’t exist anymore,

Since all who oppose you will perish!

¹² ‘Then you’ll search and you will not find them…

Those drunks who’ve been shouting insults at you,

Because they will no longer be…

There’ll be none to wage war against you,

¹³ For, I am your God who is at your right hand!

‘I’m the One who is saying to you,

¹⁴ O Jacob, don’t be afraid…

O IsraEl’s remnants, don’t [tremble],

Because, I’m your helper… Your God.’

‘O IsraEl,

‘I’m the One who paid the ransom for you,

¹⁵ {Look!} And I’ve made you like a threshing device

That’s been fitted with many new teeth.

So, you’ll thresh the mountains and thin out the hills…

Then, into dust, you will turn them.

¹⁶ ‘Yes, you will winnow them all,

And the winds will blow them away…

By a windstorm, they will be scattered.

And among IsraEl’s holy, there will be joy.

¹⁷ ‘Then the poor and needy will start to rejoice,

As will those who’ve been searching for water

But haven’t been able to find it…

Those whose tongues have dried out from thirst.

‘For, I am Yahweh, IsraEl’s God…

I’ll pay attention and I’ll not desert you.

¹⁸ From the mountains, I’ll open up rivers,

And into the plains, I’ll put springs.

‘Deserts, I’ll turn into marshes,

And into thirsty ground, I’ll put canals.

¹⁹ In the waterless land, I’ll plant boxwoods and cedars,

Along with white poplars, myrtles, and cypress.

²⁰ ‘Then, all who see them will know

That it came by the hand of Yahweh…

By IsraEl’s Holy One, they were planted.

²¹ ‘But now, your time of judgment has come…

Yes, the time for deciding is now,’

Says the King over Jacob.

²² ‘So, let all [your idols] step forward

And tell you the things that will happen.

For, they’re the ones to whom you have said:

‘We’ll pay close attention you,

So we can know what will happen,

And how it will be [in the end]!’

²³ ‘Therefore, ask [your idols] to tell you…

Yes, have them announce the things that will come!

Then we’ll know if they truly are gods

Who can choose good or bad for themselves…

We’ll wonder and see it at the same time.

²⁴ ‘Then we’ll know the places from which they have come

And we’ll see the source of the things they can do…

These ones whom the people have chosen…

These disgusting things whom they have preferred.

²⁵ ‘But, from the north, I’ll be raising one man,

And I’ll raise another from the sun in the east…

And they will be called by My Name.

‘Then, both of these rulers will come here,

And like the clay of a potter

(The clay that he works [with his feet]),

They will trample you down.

²⁶ ‘Now, which [of your idols] can tell you

How, in the beginning, it all came to be,

So we can know how it started?

Yes, have them tell us how it began!

‘Aren’t any of them able to speak?

For, no one has heard a reply!

²⁷ ‘I am the One who raised Zion…

The One who sent comfort to JeruSalem.

²⁸ Yet, {Look!} the nations have heard nothing at all…

No announcements have come from their idols!

‘So, if I should ask where they came from,

No way could they give a reply.

²⁹ But you say that you were created by them…

How foolish are the ways in which you’ve been led!’

Isaiah 42

←41 | All books | All chapters | 43→

¹ ‘Jacob, My child, I’ll hold onto you…

O IsraEl, you’re the one whom I’ve chosen.

So [I’m sending someone] who will pour out My Breath

And who will pass judgment on the gentiles.

² He won’t cry out or raise his voice,

And his words won’t be heard out of doors.

³ ‘No crushed reed will he break,

And no smoking flax wick will he snuff.

But, he will truly bring what is fair…

⁴ He’ll endure and not be destroyed

Until he brings justice to the earth.

‘In his name, the nations will hope,’

⁵ Said [Yahweh our] God,

The One who made and assembled the skies,

Who founded the earth and everything in it,

And that poured out His Breath

On those who choose to walk [in His ways].

⁶ ‘I’m Yahweh, who called you in justice…

I’ll grab hold of your hand and I’ll give you strength.

For with you, I made a Sacred Agreement

To make you a light to the nations…

⁷ To open the eyes of the blind…

To lead out those who are shackled,

And those who now sit in dark dungeons.

⁸ ‘I’m [Yahweh your] God; yes, that is My Name!

And My glory, I’ll give to no other…

I won’t give My glory to things that are carved!

⁹ ‘Look! The ancient things have all come to pass,

And now, the new things that I will announce

Will happen before I pronounce them!’

¹⁰ ‘So, sing a new hymn to Yahweh…
Glorify His Name to the ends of the earth,
O you who sail and go down to the seas,
And you who live on the islands!

¹¹ ‘And you in the deserts, be joyful,
As should you in the cities and lands,
And those who dwell among cedars…
Yes, those living in [caves] should be joyful,
And from the tops of the mountains, be shouting in joy.

¹² ‘For they’ll all give glory to God,
And the Islands will speak of His virtues.
¹³ Then the God of Armies, Yahweh, will come
And bring an end to all wars.

‘He’ll awaken His zeal and His strength,
And against His enemies, He will say this:

¹⁴ ‘Throughout the age, I have remained silent;

But must I always be patient and quiet…

Must I endure like a woman with birth pangs?

‘I’ll amaze you by making them wither away…

¹⁵ I’ll destroy their mountains and hills,

And I will dry up their grass.

Then, into their rivers, I will put islands

And I’ll turn their marshes into dry ground.

¹⁶ ‘I’ll lead these blind ones in ways they don’t know,

And make them walk on roads they can’t see.

Then their darkness, I’ll turn into light,

And their crooked ways, I will straighten.

‘Yes, these are the things that I’ll do,

For, I will not abandon [my people]…

¹⁷ Although they’ll be forced to retreat.

‘So, be ashamed (yes, you should feel shame),

O you who put faith in carved [idols]…

You who say to things that were formed by your hands,

‘You are [truly] our gods!’

¹⁸ ‘Listen to Me, you deaf mutes…

Yes, look and see, all you blind ones!

¹⁹ For, who are as blind as My servants,

And who can hear less than their rulers?’

‘Yes, who are as blind as those who’ve had all? For God’s servants have now all gone blind! ²⁰ How many times have you looked, but not seen, And with opened ears, been unable to hear?

²¹ ‘Yet, the Will of Yahweh is righteous, And it will be praised and held high again!

²² ‘Then I saw that it all came to pass… The people were plundered and looted, And in all their stores, there were snares.

‘So they gathered to hide inside of their homes, Since they had all become plunder… There was no one to save all the captured, And no one to say, Give them back!

²³ ‘Therefore, who will listen to what’s being said… Who’ll pay attention to the things that will be?

²⁴ ‘Yes, who gave Jacob to be ravaged, And who gave IsraEl to serve as their loot? Hadn’t they sinned against God? Didn’t they choose not to walk in His ways And to ignore all His Laws?

²⁵ ‘So He sent upon them His anger and rage… He sent their neighbors to burn them in war. Yet, none understood or took it to heart.

Isaiah 43

←42 | All books | All chapters | 44→

¹ ‘So, thus says Yahweh, [your] God (The One who made you, O Jacob; The One who shaped you, IsraEl):

‘Don’t be afraid, for I’ve paid your ransom…

I called you for My Name, and now you are Mine!

² ‘So, if you must pass through the waters,

I will be there [to guard] you,

And the rivers won’t swallow you down.

Or if you should travel through fire,

It won’t be able to burn you…

You won’t be consumed by its flames.

³ ‘For, I am Yahweh your God…

I’m IsraEl’s Holy One and their Savior…

I’m the One who bargained for you

With Egypt, Ethiopia, and SheBah.

⁴ ‘I’ve viewed you with value and esteem…

You were glorious and loved [in My eyes].

For you, I traded other peoples,

And for your heads, I gave rulers away.

⁵ ‘So, don’t be afraid, for I’m with you,

And from the east, I’ll lead back your offspring…

From the [east and the] west, I’ll return them.

⁶ ‘Then, I will say to the north:

‘Send them back to the south…

Do not try to restrain them!

Return My sons from your faraway lands,

And My daughters from the ends of the earth…

⁷ Release all those who’ve been called by My Name!’

‘For I made them to glorify Me…

I’m the One who shaped them and formed them.

⁸ But I sent them away because they were blind…

They couldn’t see, although they had eyes,

And they were deaf, although they had ears.

I’m also the One who gathered their rulers.

⁹ ‘So, who will announce all these things…

Who’ll explain the things that have happened?

Bring on those who will witness for them,

And they must [now speak the truth]…

Let’s hear them explain what has happened!

¹⁰ ‘But, about Me, you must also testify,’

Says Yahweh.

‘Then, I’ll be a witness [for you]…

I’ll say that you’re the servant I’ve chosen.…

But, you must know and believe that I am!

¹¹ ‘For, no other gods came before Me,

And none will come after Me!

Yes, I am the only true God…

Other than Me there are none…

I’m the only One who can save!

¹² ‘I’ve announced, delivered, and berated,

When no alien God was among you.

So, you are the ones who must now testify

That I [alone] am The God!

¹³ ‘Even in the most ancient times,

No one could wrest you out of My hands,

And no one could change the things that I did!’

¹⁴ ‘Thus says Yahweh, IsraEl’s God… The Holy One who has paid your ransom:

‘I’ll send to Babylon on your behalf

To arouse all those who carried you off,

And in boats, the Chaldeans will then bring you back.

¹⁵ ‘So, I am [your] Most Holy God…

IsraEl’s defender and king!’

¹⁶ ‘Thus says Yahweh, The One who put roads in the seas, And through mighty waters, made paths… ¹⁷ The One who led chariots and horses, Along with many strong [men], To a sleep from which they’ll never awake, And who snuffed them out like flax wicks:

¹⁸ ‘You can forget the things that came first,

And you don’t have to consider what happened before.

¹⁹ For {Look!} now, I will bring about new things…

And you all will know what they are!

‘I’ll make a road through the desert,

And through waterless lands, I’ll cut rivers.

²⁰ Then, all the wild beasts will give praise to Me…

Even ostrich daughters and those who are chained.

‘For, into their deserts, I will bring water…

Yes, rivers into [all the] dry places

For My chosen people to drink.

²¹ For, they are the people I purchased,

And they should describe all My virtues!

²² ‘O IsraEl and [people of] Jacob:

I am the One who has called you,

And I’ve done nothing at all to wear you out.

²³ ‘Yet, you brought Me no sheep or [burnt] offerings…

No sacrifices to glorify Me.

So to offerings, you were never enslaved,

And by frankincense, you were not wearied.

²⁴ ‘You offered no silver to Me,

And I didn’t desire the sacrificed fat…

But before Me, you stood in your sins,

And in all of your unrighteous ways.

²⁵ ‘I am… I’m the One who wiped them away…

All of your lawless deeds.

²⁶ Because of Myself, I’ll forget all your sins;

But, you must remember all that you did!

So, come here and let us discuss them!

Yes, come and confess all of your lawless ways,

So you can be righteous again!

²⁷ ‘For your fathers were the first to have sinned,

And your rulers were lawless against Me…

²⁸ My holy things were defiled by your kings,

So to destruction, I then handed Jacob…

Yes IsraEl, I gave to be scorned!’

Isaiah 44

←43 | All books | All chapters | 45→

¹ ‘Now hear Me, O Jacob, My child;

Yes IsraEl, the one whom I’ve chosen!’

² ‘Yahweh, your God (the One who made you and shaped you) says this:

‘Don’t be afraid, for I’ll help you,

O Jacob, My dearly-loved servant…

IsraEl, the one whom I’ve chosen.

³ ‘To your thirsty, I’ll provide water

As they enter a waterless land.

Then I’ll place My Breath on your offspring,

And I will bless all your children.

⁴ They’ll grow like grass near [a river],

And like willows next to a stream.

⁵ ‘This one will say, ‘I’m God’s [servant];’

That one will say, ‘I am Jacob’s;’

Another will write, ‘I am God’s;’

And they’ll call themselves by IsraEl’s name.’

⁶ ‘This was said by your God, Yahweh of armies, IsraEl’s Savior and King:

‘I am the first and the last,

And there are no Gods other than Me!

⁷ ‘Who else [can claim] that he’s like Me?

Let him arise and announce it…

Let him stand up and tell

How man was made in that age!

‘And have them tell you the future…

⁸ Don’t let them [hide] or wander away!

‘For, didn’t you hear these things long ago…

Didn’t I give a report?

So, you are the ones who can now testify

That there are no gods other than Me!

⁹ ‘But they failed to listen back then…

Those who carved and shaped worthless things…

Those who did whatever they pleased…

Things that did them no good.

So, against themselves, they have testified!

‘For, they didn’t see and they didn’t know

That by their bad deeds, they were shamed,

When they formed the things that they thought of as gods,

And cast moldings of things that are worthless!

‘{Look!} Those sharing in this will be shamed

¹⁰ (Those who shaped gods and carved worthless things),

¹¹ For the places that they came from will wither away.

‘So, let these dumb ones now gather

Then stand together and feel some remorse…

Together, let them all feel ashamed!

¹² ‘For the smith sharpens his tools,

And with a hammer, he works it in coals…

Then he drills holes for [its handles].

‘He shapes it with the might of his arm,

As he grows hungry and weak,

Because he won’t drink any water.

¹³ ‘And the carver selects a good piece of wood,

Then he measures, before he starts carving

It into the shape of a man.

¹⁴ ‘He cuts down an oak tree or cedar…

Yes, he takes a tree that was planted by Me

And which I made grow with the rain.

¹⁵ Then part, he burns to get warm;

Part, he burns to bake bread;

And with what’s left, he shapes into a god,

To which he thereafter bows!

¹⁶ ‘He carves it and then bows before it…

Yet, half he burned to cook meat

To prepare a roast that would fill him.

And as he sat there warming himself,

He said:

‘Ah, this is so good,

For I’ve seen the fire and now I am warm!’

¹⁷ Then the rest, he carves into a god,

And to it, he then bows and prays:

‘Please save me, for you are my god!’

¹⁸ ‘He doesn’t realize, nor does he think…

For his eyes are just too blind to see,

And he doesn’t comprehend in his heart…

¹⁹ Yes, He’s just too stupid to see…

Half was burned in a fire to bake bread;

Then, over the flames, roasted meat that he ate,

And with the rest, he made something disgusting

Before which, he bowed with his face to the ground!

²⁰ ‘Know that these [men] have all erred;

For the hearts [of their gods] are just ashes,

And none are able to save them!

‘{Look!} Don’t say that My right hand has lied

About the things it’s accomplished.

²¹ And, O IsraEl and Jacob;

Don’t forget the things that I’ve done!

For, you [alone] are My servant…

I shaped you and you are My slave!

So IsraEl, do not forget Me!

²² ‘{Look!} Your lawless deeds, I’ve wiped out like clouds,

And I’ve thrown all your sins in the shadows.

So, return to Me and I’ll buy you back!’

²³ Now, shout in joy, O you heavens; For IsraEl’s God has shown mercy upon you! And foundations of the earth, blow a trumpet… Yes, yell in joy, you mountains and hills, As well as the trees that live on them; For, Yahweh’s made IsraEl glorious, And He’s [paid the] ransom for Jacob!

²⁴ So says the Lord (the One who shaped you in the belly, and the One who ransomed you back):

‘I am Yahweh… I’m the One who accomplished it all!

I’m the One who stretched out the sky,

And the One who made solid ground!

²⁵ ‘I’m the One who wipes away the conclusions

Of the signs and omens that men bring from their hearts.

And I cause the intelligent to backtrack

By making their counsel look stupid.

²⁶ ‘I’m the One who causes to happen

Whatever My servants ask in their prayers,

And that makes the council of My messengers true.

‘I’m the One who says to JeruSalem,

‘You will be lived in again!’

To the cities of Judah, ‘You’ll be rebuilt!’

And to her desolate places, ‘I’ll raise you!’

²⁷ ‘I tell the abyss, ‘You’ll be empty!’

And I say to the rivers, ‘I’ll make you dry!’

‘I’m the One who’ll say this to Cyrus:

‘Think first and then you must do

All the things that I’ll tell you to do.

For JeruSalem must be rebuilt,

And My Temple’s foundation must be laid.’

Isaiah 45

←44 | All books | All chapters | 46→

¹ This is what God is saying to Cyrus ([The one whom He] will anoint… The one to whose hand He will grab, And who’ll cause the nations to listen):

‘[For you], I will rip strength from kings,

And no doors or gates will be closed before you!

² I will travel before you,

And before you, I’ll level the mountains!

Doors of brass, I will break,

And their iron bars will be shattered.

³ ‘I’ll give you treasures unfathomed

And open to you what’s concealed and unseen,

So you’ll know that I am Yahweh, The God…

The God of IsraEl, who called you by name.

⁴ ‘Because of My servant Jacob…

Yes, because of IsraEl, My chosen,

I’ve accepted you and called you by name,

Although you have never known Me.

⁵ ‘I am Yahweh, The God…

And there are no gods other than Me!

‘I’m the One who gave you your power

Before you knew who I was,

⁶ So that those from the sun in the east

And those from where it sets in the west

Will know that there are no others beside Me.

‘I am Yahweh, The God,

And other than Me, there are none!

⁷ I’m the One who prepared both the light and the darkness…

I’m the One who created peace and hard times.

‘I’m Yahweh, The God who accomplished it all;

⁸ So be glad you heavens above,

And let the clouds sprinkle justice…

Let the ground arise and grow mercy,

And together, let justice burst forth!

‘I’m the Lord who made all there is,

⁹ And what excellent things I did make,

As though it was done with the clay of a potter.

‘Will those who plow land, plow in one day,

And will the [thing made of] clay ask the potter:

‘What is it that you’ve really accomplished?

For, you don’t do any work,

And you don’t really have any hands!’

¹⁰ ‘Woe to those who would ask of their fathers:

‘Why did you sire me?

And those who would ask of their mothers,

Why did you give me birth?’

¹¹ Thus says IsraEl’s Most Holy Lord… The One who created it all:

‘Ask Me concerning My sons

And about the works of My hands…

Yes, just go on and ask Me!

¹² ‘I made the earth and put man upon it,

And I established the skies with My hands.

I’m the One who instructed the stars,

¹³ And the One who raised a just king.

‘I’m the One who made his ways straight

So that he would rebuild My city

And allow the return of My people…

But, not for a ransom or gifts,’

So says Yahweh of Armies!

¹⁴ Thus says Yahweh of Armies:

‘I’ll wear out Egypt before you,

And Ethiopians and Sabean traders…

You’ll pass over men who were proud before you,

And they will then be your servants.

‘Thereafter, they’ll follow behind you,

Shackled and walking in chains.

I will hand them over to you,

And before you, they must then bow.

‘To you, they will pray [as though] you’re a god,

And to them, there won’t be any other.

¹⁵ Yet, [I am] a God whom you’ve never known…

IsraEl’s God and your Savior.

¹⁶ ‘So your enemies will be shamed and remorseful

Before they’re led off in dishonor.

‘O islands, dedicate yourselves to My [cause],

¹⁷ For IsraEl will be freed by Yahweh

And [remain that way] throughout the age…

Throughout the ages, they’ll not feel shame or regret.’

¹⁸ Yes, this was what was said by Yahweh, (The One who created the heavens… Who [formed] the earth and made it distinct… Who did not leave it empty or void, But shaped it as a dwelling [for man]):

‘I alone am Yahweh…

And other than Me, there are none.

¹⁹ I’ve never spoken in secret,

Nor explained things in earth’s darkest places.

And I never told Jacob’s offspring

That they should seek what is foolish!

‘I’m Yahweh, the One who speaks what is just,

And the One who announces the truth.

²⁰ So, all should gather and come here…

Yes, come here and let’s meet together,

O you who’ve been rescued from the nations!

‘Yet, they still do not understand…

Those who [cut] wood and shape it,

Then pray to gods which can’t save them.

²¹ ‘Let all the announcers approach

So the whole congregation may know

Who it was that accomplished these things.

‘From ancient times, it has been announced

That I am [Yahweh], The God!

There are none others that are truly righteous,

And there are none others that can save them…

Yes, other than Me, there are none!

²² ‘So, turn to Me and I’ll rescue

All those who’ve been scattered to the ends of the earth…

Yes, I’m the only God, and there aren’t any others!

²³ ‘Now I’ve sworn an oath by Myself

That what comes from My mouth will be righteous…

None of My words will be twisted.

²⁴ ‘So to Me, every knee shall bend low,

And by Me, every tongue shall swear oaths.

²⁵ Justice and glory shall be offered before Me,

And those leaving Yahweh shall feel shame.

²⁶ For, IsraEl’s offspring must be righteous

And [speak] gloriously of their [most holy] God.’

Isaiah 46

←45 | All books | All chapters | 47→

¹ ‘Bel has fallen and Dagon is broken;

For their images were bound to wild beasts and cattle,

And the load proved to be just too heavy,

So they tired and fainted from hunger.

² Thus, they were unable to save them in war,

And they too were taken as captives.

³ ‘Listen to Me, O house of Jacob!

O house of IsraEl, listen to this!

You’re the ones whom I raised from the belly

And the ones I’ve corrected since childhood

⁴ Until the time you grew up.

‘I am and [will be] until you grow old…

I am and I’ve had to endure you.

But because I made [you], I’ve spared [you];

And once more, I’ll remake you and save you!

⁵ ‘To whom can I be compared?

{Look!} Contrive [and answer], O you who mislead.

⁶ You’re the ones who take gold from a bag

And weigh out silver on the yoke of a scale,

Then hire smiths to make idols by hand,

Before which, you bow to your faces.

⁷ ‘If you carry them on your shoulders, they’ll move;

But, when you put them down, they just sit there.

For, they cannot move by themselves…

And if you should yell, they can’t hear you;

So, they are unable to save you!

⁸ ‘Consider these things and start groaning.

Then, change your minds, O you the misled…

Yes, turn around in your hearts!

⁹ Remember all the things that have happened

Before this age came to be!

‘I am the only true God,

And there are no others like Me!

¹⁰ For, only I can tell you what happens

Before it ever takes place

And before it comes to an end.

‘Now, I’ve [told you] that My purpose will stand

And all that I’ve planned, I’m going to do.

¹¹ So I’ve summoned the [eagle] out of the east

To do the things that I’ve [told you about]…

Yes, I made him, I’ll lead him, and he’ll do it…

I’m the One who will send him and prosper his ways.

¹² ‘So hear Me, O you heartbreakers,

And you who’ve strayed so far from true justice!

¹³ I’m the One who sent you My justice,

And it has never been far away.

‘So I’ll not be slow about your salvation,

For Zion was appointed by Me

To be IsraEl’s savior and glory!’

Isaiah 47

←46 | All books | All chapters | 48→

¹ ‘Now, get down and sit on the ground

You virgin daughter of Babylon!

Yes, you should sit on the ground,

O virgin daughter of Chaldea;

For, you won’t always [sit on] a throne…

‘Delicate and soft,’ you won’t always be called.

² ‘Rather, get a millstone and start grinding flour…

Remove the veil from your face,

Then expose your gray hairs and uncover your legs!

For, that’s what you’ll do when you’re crossing your rivers,

³ And showing everyone your shame and your scorn.

‘I’ll remove My righteous from among you,

And no more will I hand My people to you.

⁴ For their Savior’s Name is Yahweh of Armies…

IsraEl’s Most Holy One!

⁵ ‘So sit down and then be stabbed through…

Yes, enter the darkness, O daughter of Chaldea!

For you’ll be called a mighty kingdom no more!

⁶ ‘Because My inheritance provoked Me,

I allowed you to dirty My people

And I gave them into your hands…

But you showed no mercy upon them.

‘For, you then oppressed their old men

And made them work hard under yokes.

⁷ Then you said:

‘Throughout ages, I’ll rule them.’

‘Yet, in your hearts, you had failed

To understand why this all came to be

And how this situation will end.

⁸ ‘Hear [what I’m saying], O delicate one…

Yes, you who are now sitting [so proudly]…

The one who so easily yields…

The one who says in her heart:

‘I am, and there are no others [like me],

So I’ll never sit as a widow

And I will never know sorrow!’

⁹ ‘But, these two things will happen to you

Suddenly and in just one day:

• You will be childless and widowed

• And they’ll instantly come upon you...

Despite your sorcery and enchantments.

¹⁰ ‘For you’ve trusted in your own wicked ways,

And you said, ‘I am…

And other than me, there are none!’

But, you should know and understand this:

Your whoring will soon bring you shame,

Because you said [these words] in your heart:

‘I am… And other than me, there are none!’

¹¹ ‘So, instant destruction will come upon you,

And into a cesspool, you’ll fall,

Where you’ll know misery and never get clean.

Yes, sudden destruction will happen;

And you’ll not be aware until it arrives!

¹² ‘Now, stand there in your enchantments

And in the witchcraft you’ve learned since your youth.

Then, see if it does any good…

¹³ For your magic words have grown tired.

‘So, let your astrologers who gaze at the skies

(Those who examine the stars)

Now arise and announce what’s coming to you!

¹⁴ ‘{Look!} Like torches of sticks, your people will burn…

No way will they save their lives from the flames.

Then, you’ll be forced to sit on the coals

¹⁵ Of those who looked to you for their aid.

‘For you’ve worn yourself out with the traffic of youth,

And now that the men have all wandered away,

No one will be there to save you!’

Isaiah 48

←47 | All books | All chapters | 49→

[Editor Note: The text says that much of the following is not being spoken by God, but by ‘the Lord,’ who communicated God’s words. So, we have not capitalized the personal pronouns where we think he was speaking.]

¹ ‘So, pay attention, O house of Jacob…

Yes, you who are called by IsraEl’s name…

You who’ve come from the waters of Judah…

You who swear oaths by IsraEl’s God…

² You who’ve forgotten justice and truth…

You who view your city as holy

And lean upon IsraEl’s God,

Whose Name is Yahweh of Armies!

³ ‘For I’m saying the same things that I’ve said before…

I’m saying the same things that came from my mouth…

The things that you heard and then happened…

The things that I spoke and then came to be!

⁴ ‘I know that you’re a hard [people]…

That the nerves in your necks are like iron

And your heads are [as solid as] bronze.

⁵ ‘I told you in the past what would happen

Long before it all came to be.

I shouted it loudly, so you couldn’t say:

‘This was done by my idols;

Yes, my carved idols foretold it!’

⁶ ‘But, although you heard it, you didn’t understand,

And now that I’m telling you new things;

You’ve not spoken a word in reply.

⁷ ‘For the things that I’ve said will happen to you

Won’t be the same as were done in the past…

They’ll not be the same as they were long ago

Or the same as I told you before,

So you cannot say that you already knew.

⁸ ‘Yes, these are things that you haven’t known

Since the time that I opened your ears long ago,

And which I already knew that you’d disregard.

For, since you were called from the belly,

You’ve continued in your lawless ways.

⁹ ‘[For Yahweh says]:

‘Because of My Name, I’m sending My rage…

My noble deeds, I’ll be bringing upon you…

Yet, I won’t completely wipe you away.

¹⁰ ‘{Look!} With silver, I’ve never bartered for you,

But I saved you from poverty’s furnace.

¹¹ And now, because of Myself, I will act…

Because My Name is being profaned,

And My glory I’ll not give to others!

¹² ‘So, hear Me, O Jacob, O IsraEl…

Yes you, the ones whom I’ve called…

I’m from the beginning and into the ages!

¹³ ‘The foundation of the earth, I laid with my hands,

And with my right hand, I fixed the skies.

So I’ll call to them and they’ll gather…

¹⁴ They’ll assemble and listen together!

‘But now, I’ll also speak of the things

That I’m bringing against Babylon

Because of my love for you…

For I’ll lift away the offspring of Chaldea!

¹⁵ ‘I’m the one who spoke and called out to you…

I’m the one who prospered your ways.

¹⁶ So, turn your ears and hear what I’m saying!

What I said long ago wasn’t a secret,

For I was there when it happened.’

‘But now, I’ve been sent by Yahweh, the Lord

Along with His [Holy] Breath.

¹⁷ And thus says Yahweh, your Savior…

IsraEl’s Most Holy One:

‘I am Yahweh your God,

I’m the One who showed you the right ways to go.

¹⁸ And if you’d obeyed My Commandments,

Your peace would have flowed like a river,

And your righteous ways as the waves of the seas.

¹⁹ ‘Your offspring would have been like the sands…

Those from your bellies, as the dust on the ground.

You would never have met with destruction,

And your names would not be erased.’

²⁰ ‘But, after all of this has happened to you,

You’ll get up and leave Babylon…

Yes, you will flee from Chaldea!

Thus, in joy, announce this out loud

So that all will know what will happen!

Yes, send the report to the ends of the earth

That Yahweh will save Jacob, His servant!

²¹ And when they get thirsty in their trek through the desert,

He’ll bring them water out of a rock!

‘For I’ll split the rock and water will flow,

And then, My people will drink it…

²² But the godless will not rejoice over this,

Says Yahweh, [your God].’

Isaiah 49

←48 | All books | All chapters | 50→

[Editor Note: The text says that much of the following is not being spoken by God, but by ‘the Lord,’ who communicated God’s words. So, we have not capitalized the personal pronouns where we think he was speaking.]

¹ ‘O islands; listen to this!

Yes, pay attention O nations;

For after some time, it will happen,’ said the Lord.

‘From the belly of my mother, He called me by name

² And He made my mouth a sharp sword.

In the protection of His hand, He then hid me;

Yes, I’m the one He selected

As the favored arrow in His quiver.

³ Then He said, ‘You are My servant!

And through you, I’ll be glorified.‘

⁴ ‘But I replied:

‘I’m useless and tired.

So, it will all be in vain,

Since I’ve used all my strength and gained nothing.

I have been judged by Yahweh,

And all my works [were examined] by God.’

⁵ ‘But now,’ says Yahweh

(The One who shaped me as His servant from the belly),

‘You must collect Jacob for Me

So that IsraEl will all be returned.’

‘He said that before Him, I’ll be glorified,

And in my God, I’ll gain strength.

⁶ He said:

‘To be called My servant

Is truly the greatest of things;

For the tribes of Jacob, you will return,

And you’ll bring back the scattered of IsraEl.

‘{Look!} I’ve made a Sacred Agreement with them

To be a race that will serve

As a light to the nations,

And I’ll bring them salvation to the ends of the earth.

⁷ ‘Yes Yahweh, IsraEl’s God

(The One who will bring them salvation) says this:

‘You must treat [this person] as holy

Who views his life as having no value…

The one whom the nations will hate,

And be abhorred by the servants of rulers.

‘But, kings will see him and rulers will rise;

Then before him, they all will bow low,

Because this Lord is trustworthy…

He’s My chosen and IsraEl’s most holy one!

Yes this most holy one can be trusted,

And he’s the one whom I’ve chosen,’ ⁸ said Yahweh.

‘So at a time that I have appointed,

I’ll pay attention to you,

And I’ll save you on the Day of Salvation.

‘For, I’m the one by whom you were formed,

And now I have promised the nations

That I’ll reestablish your land…

You’ll inherit an inheritance that’s been wiped away.

⁹ ‘So, tell those in chains that they can now leave,

And tell those in the darkness to walk towards [the light]!

For in all your paths, there’ll be grazing,

And along all your roads, there’ll be pastures.

¹⁰ ‘There, you’ll no longer be hungry or thirsty,

And you won’t be burned by the sun or hot winds.

For My merciful one will send comfort to you

And lead you beside springs of water…

¹¹ He’ll flatten the mountains that stand in your way,

And the roads will serve as your pastures.

¹² ‘{Look!} [My people] will come from a distance…

Some from the north and some from the west,

And others from the land of the Persians.

¹³ ‘So be glad, you heavens…

Yes, cry out in joy, O you earth…

And mountains, be splitting with glee!

For on His people, our God has shown mercy,

And to those who are meek, He brought comfort.

¹⁴ ‘For in Zion, these words have been spoken:

‘By Yahweh, I had been abandoned…

By the Lord, I had been forgotten!’

¹⁵ ‘But, Yahweh replied and said this:

Will a woman forget her own child…

Will she forget to show mercy

On the one who sprang from her belly?

‘Yet, if a woman could ever forget;

I will never forget you.

¹⁶ For {Look!} I’ve sketched your walls on My hands,

So that you are always before Me.

¹⁷ Thus, what was demolished will soon be rebuilt,

And those who destroyed you will soon be destroyed!’

¹⁸ ‘Look up, look around, and see it with your eyes!

{Look!} They’ve all been gathered and returned!’

‘As I live,’ says Yahweh;

‘You’ll wear them as ornaments over your clothes…

You’ll wear them as the jewels of a bride.

¹⁹ ‘Now, all of your desolate places

(Those which had once been destroyed,

As well as those which had fallen)

Will then become too confining

For all of those who will dwell there;

Since, those who once swallowed you down

Will then be sent far away.’

²⁰ ‘And at that, my [people] will say in your ears:

‘This place is too cramped for the sons we had lost;

So, please make new places where they can live!’

²¹ ‘And then you will ask in your hearts:

‘Who made me a father to them?

For I’m childless, widowed, and an unwelcome stranger.

But these… Who told me to feed them?

Yes, I had been left all alone…

But these… From where did I get them?’

²² ‘Look, says Yahweh, the Lord,

I’ll be lifting My hand to the nations,

And on the islands, I’ll be raising My sign.

Then they’ll lift your sons to their chests,

And your daughters, they’ll lift on their shoulders.

²³ ‘Their kings will then serve as your [butlers],

And their queens will be your wet nurses.

Before you, they’ll bow to the ground,

And they’ll lick the dust from your feet.

‘Then you’ll know that I am Yahweh,

And those waiting for Me will never be shamed.’

²⁴ ‘Can someone take loot from a giant,

And will the captured be saved without ransom?

²⁵ No, for thus says Yahweh:

‘If someone can capture a giant,

He can take all the things that he owns…

In safety, he can loot from the strong.

‘Now, I’m the One who is pleading your case,

And I’m the One who will rescue your sons.

²⁶ So, those who oppress you will eat their own flesh,

And the wine that they drink will be their own blood.

‘Then, they will get drunk and all flesh will see

That I am Yahweh, your Savior…

The One who gives Jacob his power.’

Isaiah 50

←49 | All books | All chapters | 51→

[Editor Note: The text says that much of the following is not being spoken by God, but by ‘the Lord,’ who communicated God’s words. So, we have not capitalized the personal pronouns where we think he was speaking.]

¹ And then the Lord said this to me:

‘What kind of divorce certificate is this,

By which I sent you back to your mother…

Yes, whom did I owe that I’ve sold you?

‘{Look!} You were sold because of your sins,

And I sent you home to your mother

Because of your lawless ways!

² ‘When I was there, was there no man?

Yet, when I called you, no one replied.

‘And now, aren’t my hands strong enough

To rescue you and return you…

Am I unable to save you?

‘{Look!} I can scold the seas and wipe them away,

And I can desolate rivers,

Leaving their fish without water,

So they will die in their thirst!

³ ‘With darkness, I can clothe skies,

And wrap them in robes made of sackcloth!’

⁴ ‘Yahweh gave me a tongue to instruct

And a knowledge of when to speak the right words.

Morning after morning, He stood there by me

And gave me ears, so I’d listen…

⁵ [He] opened my ears to instructions,

And I didn’t resist Him or argue.

⁶ ‘So my back, I gave to be whipped,

And my jaws, [I left open] to slaps.

Then to shame those who were spitting on me,

I did not turn my face.

⁷ ‘For the Lord Yahweh is my helper,

And for this, I won’t let them shame me.

Then I set my face as solid as rock

So that I would not bring [Him] dishonor.

⁸ For the One who’s declared me righteous is close…

And by Him alone, am I judged.

‘So, which [of you] would now judge me?

Let him [stand up and] oppose me!

Yes, who is the one who would judge me?

Let him come and resist me!

⁹ ‘{Look!} Since Yahweh will come to my aid,

Who is able to harm me?

{Look!} For like an old robe, such ones will wear out,

And then they’ll be eaten by moths!

¹⁰ ‘Who among you has fear of Yahweh?

If you do; obey the voice of His servant!

So, may those who travel in darkness

(Those for whom there has been no light)

Yield to the name of the Lord,

And lean upon The God for support!

¹¹ ‘{Look!} Although you’ve lit a fire and helped the flames grow,

You were then [drawn] to its light…

Towards the very same flame that you kindled!

And because of me, this has happened,

So in anguish, you’ll spend the rest of your nights!’

Isaiah 51

←50 | All books | All chapters | 52→

¹ ‘Listen to me, O you righteous…

You who are seeking Yahweh;

Look to the rock that you’ve quarried

And into the pit of the well that you’ve dug!

² Look to AbraHam, your father,

And to SarAh, who bore you!

‘Although he was just [flesh], I called out to him…

Yes, I loved him and blest him,

And I prospered his [ways].

³ ‘So, I will bring comfort to Zion…

To your desolate places, I will [bring rest]…

A paradise of God, I will make them.

‘Then, your western lands will be gardens,

And those dwelling there will be happy…

They will be leaping for joy,

And [raising] their voices in praise.

⁴ ‘Listen… Yes, hear me, my people;

And kings, give an ear to the things that I say!

For, I will send you my laws

And my judgments will enlighten the nations.

⁵ ‘My justice will come to them swiftly,

And my saving light will quickly arrive.

Then, they will put faith in my arm…

Yes, even the islands will wait upon me,

And they will trust in [the might of] my arms.

⁶ ‘So, lift your eyes to the skies,

Then look to the ground underneath you!

For the skies [will be filled with] smoke,

And the earth will wear out like old clothes…

And although those who live there will die;

My salvation will last throughout the age…

There’s no way that my justice will fail!

⁷ ‘Hear me, O you who know justice;

For you people have my laws in your hearts.

So, don’t fear the scorning of men,

And don’t let their bad words defeat you!

⁸ ‘Although clothes will wear out with time,

And wool will be eaten by moths;

My justice will last throughout the ages,

And my salvation is through generations.

⁹ ‘Wake up… Wake up, O JeruSalem,

And put on the might of your arm!

Wake up as you did in past days…

Like generations that lived in past ages!

‘Haven’t you [people] been dug up

And ripped apart by the dragon?

¹⁰ But, for your sake, I parted the sea

(All that abundant, deep water),

And then I made a road through its depths

To create a ford for those being saved…

¹¹ For those whose ransom I paid!

‘So it’s by Yahweh that they’ll be returned…

They’ll go back to Zion in gladness…

Throughout the ages, they’ll be leaping for joy!

‘Upon their heads, there’ll be blessings,

And with great joy, they’ll be overcome,

Since their anguish, grief, and groaning will have ceased.

¹² ‘I am… I am the one who brings comfort!

So, know who it is that you should fear,

Since men and their sons will dry up like grass!

¹³ ‘For, you’ve forgotten your Maker, your God…

The One who created the skies

And that laid the foundations of the earth!

You should fear Him throughout all your days,

Before the oppressor [arrives]…

The one who [has plans to] carry you off!

‘[But don’t fear] the rage of your oppressor;

¹⁴ For, when it comes to bringing salvation,

[Your God] won’t stop or waste time.

¹⁵ He’s the One who jostles the seas…

The One who makes its waves roar…

His Name is Yahweh of Armies.

¹⁶ ‘He’s the One who puts His words in your mouths

And shelters you inside His hand.

He’s the One who established the heavens…

The One who founded the earth…

And the One who said, ‘You’re My people,’ to Zion,

¹⁷ ‘So wake up… Yes arise, O JeruSalem…

You who will drink the rage from the cup

That comes from the hand of Yahweh!

Receive your blows from that cup,

And drink them until they’re all gone!

¹⁸ ‘For no others gave comfort to the children you bore,

And no others held the hands of the sons that you raised.

¹⁹ So, when all these bad things come upon you,

Who will share in your grief…

When downfall, defeat, and hunger arrive,

Along with the edge of the sword…

Whom do you think will bring comfort?

²⁰ ‘At that time, your sons will all be confused,

And like half-boiled beets, they’ll sleep in the streets…

They’ll feel the rage of the Lord,

And before Yahweh, they’ll faint.

²¹ ‘So, you who’ve been humbled should listen

(Yes, you who are drunk, but not from the wine)!

²² For, thus says [Yahweh your] God…

The One who is judging His people:

‘{Look!} I’ve taken the cup of blows from your hands,

Which is the cup of My rage,

So that you must no longer drink it!

²³ ‘For then, I’ll put it into the hands

Of those who’ve been doing you wrong…

Those who are humbling you…

Those telling your souls to bow as they pass…

Those who’ve cut all your things to the ground,

And laid them outside for all passing by.’

Isaiah 52

←51 | All books | All chapters | 53→

¹ ‘Wake up… Yes, wake up, O Zion!

O Zion, put on all your strength!

O holy city of JeruSalem,

Put on [all of] your glory!

For the uncircumcised and unclean

Will no longer be passing through you.

² ‘So, shake off the dust and arise…

Sit down and remove the chains from your neck,

O captive daughter of Zion!

³ For, thus says Yahweh [your God]:

‘Since you were not sold for money,

You won’t be ransomed with silver.’

⁴ ‘Yes, thus says Yahweh, your Lord:

‘My people once went down to Egypt

And they stayed in that place for a while…

But then, to Assyria, they were taken by force…

⁵ Do you know why all these things happened?’

Then the Lord told me this:

‘Since my people were taken without money,

[All should] wonder and shriek!

For, this was said by Yahweh:

‘It’s because My Name was being blasphemed

By you, among all the rest of the nations.

⁶ But then, you’ll remember My Name once again…

Yes, in that day, you’ll know who I am…

For this One who is speaking will come there!’

⁷ ‘As a time of beauty on the mountains…

As welcome as the feet of those bringing good news…

As joyful as a message of peace

When good things are being announced,

Will be the day when I save you,

And your God is reigning on Zion again.

⁸ ‘Then the voices of those keeping watch will be raised,

And all their shouts will be joyful.

For they’ll see it happen with their own eyes…

When Yahweh shows mercy on Zion.

⁹ ‘Then JeruSalem’s desolate places

Will applaud together in joy,

Because Yahweh’s shown mercy on them,

And brought salvation to JeruSalem!

¹⁰ ‘Yahweh will bare His great holy arm

Before all of the nations,

And it will be seen to the ends of the earth…

This salvation that comes from our God.

¹¹ ‘So, leave… Get out… Get away,

And stop touching the thing that’s unclean!

Get out of its midst and stay far away,

You who bear the Lord’s [holy things]!

¹² ‘For you’ll leave without any trouble,

And as you go, you won’t have to run,

Since your Lord will travel before you,

And IsraEl’s God will cover your rear.

¹³ ‘{Look!} My servant will then understand…

He’ll be glorified and exalted…

He’ll be raised exceedingly high

¹⁴ To the amazement of all.

‘Although men will despise his appearance,

And his glory will be hated by sons of men;

¹⁵ The nations will wonder at him,

And at him, [their] kings [will cover] their mouths.

For, things untold, they’ll see about him…

Things they’ve not heard or understood.’

Isaiah 53

←52 | All books | All chapters | 54→

¹ ‘O Yahweh,

Who has trusted the report of the Lord

And to whom has Yahweh’s arm been revealed?

² ‘We’ve announced that a boy has appeared before Him

As a root in land that is dry.

He doesn’t have glory or looks…

We’ve seen him, and he doesn’t have beauty.

³ ‘He’s appeared as one who’s dishonored,

And by sons of men, he seemed lacking.

He’s a man [who was born] for disaster,

And he knows how to bear the illness of men.

‘Since he turned his face in dishonor,

He wasn’t [thought of as great].

⁴ But, he has carried our sins;

And because of us, he came to know grief.

‘He came here to know misery…

For calamity and ill treatment by God.

⁵ He was wounded because of our sins,

And for our lawless deeds, he was bruised.

‘[To bring us] peace, he was whipped,

And by his stripes, we were healed.

⁶ For, just like sheep, we’ve all strayed,

And in our own ways, we have wandered.

‘So [God] sent him to [cover] our sins;

⁷ And when evil was inflicted upon him,

He did not open his mouth…

He was led like a sheep to the slaughter.

And like a lamb with no voice before shearers,

He did not open his mouth.

⁸ ‘In humiliation, his justice was taken away…

Who can speak of the evil of that generation?

His life was lifted away from the land,

And he was led to his death

For the lawless ways of My people.

⁹ ‘Although they made his grave with the wicked,

Among the rich, [he was buried].

For, he had broken no Laws,

Nor was treachery found in his mouth.

¹⁰ ‘It was [God’s] Will to cleanse him [with stripes].

But [because he] was brought as an offering for sins,

Your offspring will live very long lives.

¹¹ ‘It was the Will of Yahweh…

It was by His hand that He would remove

The misery that his life came to know…

As well as to show him the light…

To give him great understanding…

And to prove this righteous one just…

This good one who would serve for so many

In order to bear all their sins.

¹² ‘For this, he inherited many,

And he’ll share his spoils with his mighty,

Because his soul was handed to death

And among the lawless, was numbered.

For, the sins of many, he bore…

And for their lawless deeds, he was given.’

Isaiah 54

←53 | All books | All chapters | 55→

¹ ‘So be glad, all you who are sterile,

And yell, O you who haven’t given birth…

Yes you, the ones without birth pains!

For the children of the barren will be many…

More than those who have [their own] man!

For the Lord Yahweh spoke and said this:

² ‘Widen the place for your tent,

And hang leather upon all [its walls]!

Don’t scrimp… Take plenty of land,

And then, you should strengthen your tent pegs…

³ Spread out [your tent] to the right and the left!

For your offspring will inherit the nations,

And in their empty cities, you’ll dwell.’

⁴ ‘So, don’t be afraid that you’ve been disgraced

Or be ashamed that you have been scolded;

For you’ll soon forget all this shame,

And the scorn of the widows will pass,

⁵ Because the Lord has remade you…

The One whose Name is Yahweh of Armies.

Yes, you’ve been saved by IsraEl’s God,

And He will be called, the God of the earth.

⁶ ‘[He] didn’t call you as a woman forsaken…

One broken-hearted and hated since youth.

For, this is what was said by your God:

⁷ ‘Although I left you alone for a while;

Upon you, I’ll now show great mercy.

⁹ This has long been My plan

Since the waters fell upon Noah.

For the oath that I swore towards the earth at that time

Was to send My rage against it no more…

I no longer want you to fear Me.

¹⁰ ‘So your mountains [will never] be changed,

And your hills will not be taken away.

My mercy on you will not fail,

And My Agreement for peace will not be removed.

Yes, that’s how Yahweh spoke kindly of you.

¹¹ ‘Although I’ve humbled you and I’ve confused you,

And you’ve not received any comfort from Me,

{Look!} I’ve prepared garnets as your building stones

And sapphires for your foundations.

¹² I’ll make your parapets of jasper;

With crystal stones, I’ll build your gates;

And I’ll use the choicest of [gems] for your doors.

¹³ ‘Then, all of your sons will be taught about God,

And much peace will be sent to your children.

¹⁴ You’ll be established on justice

Far away from all the unrighteous.

For then, you’ll have nothing to fear,

And trembling will never approach you.

¹⁵ ‘{Look!} Because of Me, strangers will come,

And with you, they will then wish to stay…

For they’ll run to you as their refuge.

¹⁶ ‘{Look!} I did not make you a forge to blow coals,

Nor did I buy you as tools to do work.

For corruption or destruction, you were not made;

¹⁷ So no weapons that they bring against you will win.

‘Then the voices of those who’ve condemned you will end…

This is what God’s servants will inherit.

And before Me, you will be found righteous,’ says Yahweh.

Isaiah 55

←54 | All books | All chapters | 56→

¹ ‘So you thirsty, now come to the water…

Come buy and eat without money…

Yes, come here and buy without paying

For even fat calves and the finest of wines!

² ‘Why place money higher than bread…

Your efforts into things that won’t fill you?

Listen to Me and eat good things…

Yes, your souls will find joy in things that are good!

³ ‘So your ears must pay close attention,

And then you must walk in My ways…

Yes, come and listen to Me,

And your souls will receive all that is good!

‘I’ll proclaim an Agreement with him throughout the age

For the sacred, trusted things of [King] David.

⁴ {Look!} I’ll seat him as a proof to the nations…

As a ruler and signal to the peoples.

⁵ ‘{Look!} Nations you don’t know will call upon him…

Those you don’t know will seek refuge in him,

Because of your God Yahweh…

Because of IsraEl’s Most Holy One…

For by Him, you’ll be glorified.

⁶ ‘So you each must search for Yahweh,

And when you find Him, you must call out to Him…

Then, He will draw close to you.

⁷ ‘The irreverent should leave their bad ways,

And the lawless should abandon their evil plans!

For, if they’ll return to Yahweh,

Our God will show mercy upon them…

He’ll even forgive the worst of their sins!

⁸ ‘Your plans are not like My plans,

And your ways are not like My ways,’ says Yahweh.

⁹ ‘As far as the heavens are over the earth,

Are My ways higher than your ways,

And My thoughts higher than your thoughts.

¹⁰ ‘For as rain and snow fall from the skies

And do not return ‘til they soak the ground,

And the earth gives birth and sprouts [plants],

Which give seeds to the planters and bread as their food;

¹¹ So are the words that come from My mouth…

To Me, they won’t return empty,

Until they complete whatever I wish…

So I’ll prosper your ways in ways I see fit.

¹² ‘Then, you will travel in joy,

And you will be led out in gladness.

For the mountains and hills will be leaping

And be ready to receive you in favor and care,

As the trees in the fields clap their branches.

¹³ ‘Instead of brush piles, cypress will grow,

And instead of briars, myrtles will sprout.

Then Yahweh’s Name will be known,

And throughout the ages, it will serve as a sign

That will never come to an end.’

Isaiah 56

←55 | All books | All chapters | 57→

¹ ‘Yahweh says:

‘Guard right decisions and justice,

For salvation from Me has approached…

Yes, you will soon witness My mercy.’

² ‘Blest is the man who is doing these things,

As well as the one who is holding them [dear]…

The one who is guarding the Sabbaths

And is careful not to profane them,

As well as the one who keeps watch on his hands,

So he never does what’s unrighteous.

³ ‘Don’t let the foreigners say

(Those who’ve come to be joined to the Lord),

‘Yahweh has set me apart from His people.’

And may the eunuch not say,

‘I am just a dry tree!‘

⁴ ‘For, thus says Yahweh to eunuchs

And to those who are keeping His Sabbaths…

To all that choose to do as He wills

And live by His Sacred Agreement:

⁵ ‘I’ll give you something better than daughters and sons…

From My [Temple] and famous walled [city],

I’ll give you a name throughout the ages…

[A name] that will never expire.

⁶ ‘I’ll give it to those foreign peoples

Who come to be joined to the Lord…

To those who love him and bow to his name…

To those women and men who will serve him,

And to all that are keeping My Sabbaths

(To those who do not profane them),

And to those who hold onto My Sacred Agreement.

⁷ ‘To My Holy Mountain, I’ll bring them,

And I’ll give them joy in My House of Prayer.

I will accept their burnt offerings

And all that they bring to My Altar.

For, at that time, My [Temple] will be called

‘A House of Prayer for all Nations.’

⁸ ‘Yes, this was all said by Yahweh…

The One who’ll return IsraEl’s scattered.

He’ll call them for an assembly

⁹ To which the wild beasts are invited…

The wild beasts of the woods will go there and eat!

¹⁰ ‘See how they all have been blinded…

Those dumb dogs that don’t know how to bark…

Those dreaming of beds and those fond of slumber…

¹¹ Those impudent dogs with unfulfilled lives.

‘Because they’re wicked, they don’t understand,

So they’ve followed the ways that they’ve chosen

To gain an unfair advantage…

Those who say, ¹² ‘Come here and get wine;

Then, let’s all drink ‘til we’re drunk.

For tomorrow will be a much better day!’

Isaiah 57

←56 | All books | All chapters | 58→

¹ ‘See how the righteous ones perish

Because they don’t keep watch on their hearts.

So the righteous are lifted away,

And no one gives it a thought.

‘Yes the just are lifted away

Before the face of injustice.

² And although they’ll find peace in their graves,

They’ve been lifted away from your midst.

³ ‘Then the sons [of the] lawless are led before Me…

The offspring of adulterers and whores!

⁴ ‘In what have you found such enjoyment?

Against whom have you opened your mouths

To say wicked things with your tongues?

Aren’t you the sons of destruction…

An offspring without any honor?

⁵ ‘Aren’t you the ones who call out to idols

From under all the bushes and trees?

Aren’t you the ones who kill your own babies

Between the rocks in the valleys?

⁶ ‘Yes, this is your portion… This is your lot;

For to [idols], you’ve poured out drink offerings,

And to them, you’ve brought sacrifices…

Wouldn’t such things provoke Me to rage?

⁷ ‘You make your beds on the tops of high hills,

And you carry sacrifices up there.

⁸ Then, behind your doors, you place [idols]…

Do you think that if you leave Me, you’ll prosper?

‘You’ve loved all those with whom you have slept…

⁹ Those with whom you’ve been whoring…

O how many [lovers] have you left behind?

‘You’ve sent ambassadors across all your borders;

And for this, you’ve been [cursed] to the place of the dead.

¹⁰ But, although you’ve tired of your many [bad] ways,

You’ve never said, ‘I’ll repent!’

Yes, you have done all these bad things;

And for this, I won’t listen to the things that you beg!

¹¹ ‘You’ve held sacred those things that you fear,

And against Me, you have all lied…

You’ve never stopped to consider

Or to think of Me in your hearts!

¹² So, I will report your [in]justice,

And your evils won’t benefit you.

¹³ ‘Then, in your [time of] affliction,

And when you must call out [for aid],

Ask [your idols] to save you!

For the wind will take all your things,

And a gale will blow them away.

‘But, those who choose to hold onto Me

Are the ones who’ll inherit [the] land,

As well as My Holy Mountain.

¹⁴ ‘Then, at that time, I will say:

‘Come and smooth out the roads…

Take the rocks from the paths of My people!’

¹⁵ Thus says the Most High God in the heights…

The One who rests in His Most Holy Place…

That place where He dwells throughout the ages,

In His Most-Holy of Holies…

Jehovah is His [great] Name.

He’s the One who is patient with the meek

And gives life to those who have broken hearts:

¹⁶ ‘I’ll not punish you [again] through this age,

Nor will I remain angry with you.

I will pour My Spirit upon you;

For I’m the One who gave you your breath!

¹⁷ ‘Because of their sins, I grieved them a while…

I turned My face and I struck them…

I brought them grief and they traveled in gloom.

¹⁸ ‘But I saw all their ways and I healed them;

I gave them comfort… Comfort that’s true.

¹⁹ Yes, I brought peace upon peace

To those who are near and those far away.’

And Yahweh said:

‘As a result, I will heal them!

²⁰ But the unrighteous will roll like the waves,

And they’ll be unable to rest…

²¹ There’ll be no peace for the godless,’ said God.

Isaiah 58

←57 | All books | All chapters | 59→

¹ ‘Yell it out loud… Don’t hold it back!

Raise your voices like trumpets,

And announce the sins of My people…

Tell the house of Jacob how lawless they’ve been!

² ‘But the day will come when they’ll seek Me

And wish to know all My ways.

For they’ll be a righteous people again,

And they won’t abandon the justice of God.

‘Even now, they ask for My righteous decisions,

And they want to come closer to God.

³ They have repeatedly asked Me:

‘Why haven’t You looked when we fasted?

Why didn’t You notice when we humbled our souls?’

‘[But, this is what you should tell them]:

‘On the days that you fast, you do as you please…

And you oppress those whom [you employ].

⁴ ‘You fast [to win] lawsuits and battles,

As you beat the humble with your fists.

So, why are you fasting to Me

In the ways that you’re doing today…

Just to hear the sounds of your voices?

⁵ ‘I never chose fasts for such reasons;

For, when you fast, you should humble your souls.

So don’t bend your necks in a crook,

Or wear sackcloth with ashes beneath you;

For, when you call fasts for such reasons,

I will refuse to accept them.’

⁶ ‘Yahweh says:

‘I’ve not asked you to fast for such things.

I’ve asked you to loosen the bonds of injustice,

And to end your violent exchanges.

‘Send away freely, those who’ve been wronged,

And tear up your unrighteous [contracts]!

⁷ Break bread with those who are hungry,

And accept the homeless and poor in your homes!

‘If you see someone naked, provide him with clothes!

And concerning the offspring of your family;

You should dislike them no more!

⁸ Then, the next morning, light will break through,

And the things that need cures will be gone.’

‘[Then, if you should choose to do all these things],

The righteousness will travel with you,

And the glory of God will protect you.

⁹ When you call to Yahweh, He’ll listen,

And while you’re still speaking, He’ll say, ‘Here I am!’

‘If you’ll get rid of your evil plans,

[And happily] stretch out your hands…

¹⁰ If you will open your hearts

And give bread to the hungry

Until the souls of the humble are filled;

Your light will arise from the darkness,

And your darkness will be as midday;

¹¹ Your God will always be with you,

And you’ll [get] all the things that you want.

‘Like well-watered gardens, your bones will grow fat,

And you’ll be like springs in a desert.

¹² Your desolate places will all be rebuilt…

For generations of generations, their foundations will last.

You’ll be called a builder of walls,

And there’ll be no stones in your paths.

¹³ ‘If you’ll turn your feet towards the Sabbaths,

And not do as you wish on this holy day;

If you’ll call the Sabbaths delightful

(Things that are holy to God);

If you won’t lift a foot to do work,

Nor let angry words flow from your mouths,

¹⁴ And you just rely on Yahweh;

To your land, He will send blessings…

He’ll feed the inheritance of Jacob (your father).’

From the mouth of the Lord, these things were all said.

Isaiah 59

←58 | All books | All chapters | 60→

¹ Is the hand of Yahweh too weak to save… Are His ears too heavy to listen? ² It’s your sins that have brought this division Between yourselves and your God… It’s because of your sins that He’s turned away So as not to show mercy upon you.

³ For your hands are tainted with blood, And your fingers [are covered with] sins. Your lips speak about lawless things, And your tongues discuss what’s unrighteous.

⁴ Of righteous things, you no longer talk, Nor is there any true justice. You’re relying on things that are foolish, And the words that you speak are all empty.

To things that are lawless, you’ve given birth, And to misery, you are a father. ⁵ You hatch eggs of asps and weave spider’s webs; But before they can be devoured, A rotten egg breaks and out comes a cobra.

⁶ So, they won’t weave your webs into clothes, And you’ll not wear the rest of the things that you’ve made; For, all that you’re doing is lawless.

⁷ Your feet now run towards what’s wicked, And you’re quick to shed innocent blood. Your thoughts are all about murder… In your paths, are misery and destruction.

⁸ The ways of peace, you’ve not known, And in your roads, there’s injustice. The paths that you walk are all twisted, And peaceful ways, you’ve forgotten. ⁹ Yes, things that are fair have all left you… There’s no way that you will be just.

So, as these people are waiting for light (As they’re awaiting the sunrise), All that comes will be darkness, And they’ll walk as though it were midnight.

¹⁰ Along the walls, like blind men, they’ll grope (They’ll grope like men with no eyes), And they’ll stumble at noon as at midnight… Then, groan like those who are dying… ¹¹ They’ll travel like a bear with a dove.

So although we have waited for justice, Our salvation is still far away, ¹² Since our lawless ways before Him are great, And our sins haven’t been left behind.

Yes, our lawless ways are still in us, And we’re aware of all our offenses. ¹³ We’ve lied and we have been godless… We have departed from God.

We’ve spoken unjustly and don’t wish to change… Of unrighteous things, we think in our hearts. ¹⁴ We’ve left behind all that is fair, And justice is now far away.

Truth is being consumed in our ways, And we’re unable to walk in straight paths. ¹⁵ Yes, truth has been lifted away, And the thoughts of the knowing are twisted.

Yahweh saw this and He wasn’t pleased; For nowhere could fairness be found. ¹⁶ He thought and beheld that there’s no one… Not a man who’ll give aid [to another].

So, with His arm, He became their defender… In His mercy, He gave them support. ¹⁷ He put on the chest plate of justice, And the helmet of salvation, He raised to His head. ¹⁸ In the coat of vengeance, He then wrapped Himself (In the robe of deserved retribution) To repay the scorn of His enemies.

¹⁹ So, Yahweh’s Name will be feared in the west, And in the east, He’ll be honored and respected. For the anger of the Lord is now blazing Like the rage of a river.

²⁰ ‘Then a savior will come out of Zion

Who’ll remove the irreverence from Jacob,’ said Yahweh.

²¹ ‘And this is My Promise to him:

My Spirit will rest upon you

And I’ll put My words in your mouth.

At that time, your mouth will not fail you,

Nor will the mouths of your offspring

From now and into the ages.’

Isaiah 60

←59 | All books | All chapters | 61→

¹ So now, you should walk towards the light… O JeruSalem, be lighted once more! For His light is shining upon you, Since the glory of Yahweh has risen!

² {Look!} Although darkness will cover the earth And the nations will be covered with gloom; Over you, the Lord will appear, And His glory will shine down upon you. ³ Then the nations will be drawn to your light, And their kings will [head towards] your brightness.

⁴ So, lift your eyes and look all around, For you’ll see your children being gathered… From far-away places, your sons will return, And your daughters will be carried on shoulders.

⁵ You’ll see it in fear and your hearts will [skip beats]; For the wealth of the seas will then turn towards you, And to you, the nations and peoples will stream.

⁶ Then, you will own teams of camels! For the camels of MidiAn, Ephah, and SheBa Will arrive bearing gold and frankincense… And with the good news of Yahweh’s salvation.

⁷ [And God says:]

‘The sheep of Cypress will be gathered to you,

And NebAiOth’s rams will come also

To be sacrificed on My Altar,

And My House of Prayer will be glorified.

⁸ ‘Who are these who fly by like clouds…

Passing by like doves with their young?

⁹ ‘Islands have waited upon Me…

But first, the boats of TarShish must come

To return your children from faraway lands,

Along with much silver and gold,

To honor the Name of the Lord…

To glorify IsraEl’s Most Holy One.

¹⁰ ‘Then, foreigners will come to rebuild your walls,

And their kings will be standing beside you.

‘And although I struck you because of My rage;

It’s because of My mercy that you will be loved.

¹¹ ‘Then your gates will always be open

(Both day and night they’ll never be locked)

To bring in the might of the nations…

And their kings will be leading the way!

¹² ‘The nations and kings who won’t serve you will die…

They’ll be wiped away and destroyed.

¹³ But to you, the glories of Lebanon will come…

They’ll bring cypress, pine lumber, and cedars

In order to glorify My Holy Place…

I’ll glorify the Place where you stand.

¹⁴ ‘Then the sons of those who once humbled you

Will stand before you in awe.

And those who provoked you will bow

With their heads at the soles of your feet.

You’ll be called the City of [God]…

And IsraEl’s Most Holy Place, Zion.

¹⁵ ‘Because you were abandoned and hated,

And no one came to your aid;

Throughout the ages, I’ll make you a leaping for joy,

And a gladness throughout generations.

¹⁶ ‘You’ll drink the milk of the nations,

And from the wealth of kings, you will eat.

Then you’ll know that I am Yahweh…

Jacob’s God, who rescues and saves.

¹⁷ ‘Then instead of bronze, I’ll bring gold;

Instead of iron, I’ll bring silver;

Instead of wood, I’ll bring bronze;

And instead of stones, I’ll bring iron.

‘I’ll appoint your rulers for peace,

And your overseers for justice.

¹⁸ No more will injustice be heard in your land…

No misery or destruction within your borders.

For your walls will be known as Salvation,

And your gates will be called Shouts of Joy.

¹⁹ ‘No longer will your days be lit by the sun

And the moon won’t be the light for your nights.

For throughout ages, Yahweh will serve as your light…

Yes, God will then be your glory!

²⁰ ‘Upon you, the sun will not set,

And the moon will never subside.

For the Lord is your light throughout the ages,

And your reasons to mourn will be gone.

²¹ ‘Then, all your people will be righteous

And they’ll inherit the land throughout the ages.

They will keep all the things that they plant,

And the works of their hands, they will own.’

²² The remnant will then become thousands, And the least will become a great nation; For in time, Yahweh will bring them all back.

Isaiah 61

←60 | All books | All chapters | 62→

[Editor Note: The text says, in verse 8, that much of the following is not being spoken by God, but by ‘the Lord,’ who communicated God’s words. So, we have not capitalized the personal pronouns where we think he was speaking.]

¹ ‘The Breath of Yahweh is upon me,

And I’ve been anointed by Him

To announce good news to the poor.

‘He sent me to heal broken hearts,

To proclaim a freedom to captives

And a recovery of sight to the blind…

² To call for a year of Yahweh’s favor,

As well as a day of vengeance,

And to comfort those who are sad.

³ ‘Instead of ashes, I’m bringing glory

To those who are mourning for Zion…

An anointing of gladness to all those who mourn

That will serve as glorious clothing,

Instead of the spirit of being unclean.

‘They’ll be called, ‘A Generation of the Righteous’…

‘A Planting to the Glory of [God].’

⁴ Then, throughout the ages, they’ll build in the deserts…

In places that were once desolation.

‘They’ll arise and revive desert cities,

Which, throughout generations, lay wasted.

⁵ Foreign peoples will come there to tend your sheep,

And Philistines will be your vinedressers and plowmen.

⁶ ‘Then, Priests of Yahweh, you will be called…

They’ll say you’re the servants of God.

You’ll devour the strength of the nations,

And be admired because of your wealth.

⁷ So, once again, you’ll inherit the land,

With ages of joy over your heads.

⁸ ‘For, I am the Lord… A lover of justice,

And one who hates unrighteous seizures.

So, to the righteous, I will return

The things for which they’ve worked hard,

And I’ll make an age-long Agreement with them.

⁹ ‘Then their offspring will be known by the nations,

And their descendants will be known by all people.

Yes, all that see them will recognize them,

For they’ll be an offspring that’s blest by God

¹⁰ And find joy in the joy of the Lord.

‘May my soul shout in praise of Yahweh,

For He’s wrapped me in a coat of salvation

And in an inner garment of joy!

A garland, He’s placed on my head, like a groom,

And like a bride, He’s adorned me with jewels.

¹¹ ‘As flowers that grow from the ground

And as seeds that sprout in a garden,

The Lord Yahweh will raise what is righteous,

And bring joy to all of the nations.’

Isaiah 62

←61 | All books | All chapters | 63→

¹ ‘For Zion, I will not stay silent,

And for JeruSalem, I will spare none

Until my justice goes forth like the light,

And my salvation burns like a lamp.

² ‘Then the nations will look at your justice,

And their kings will see all your glory.

They will then call you by your new name…

A name that will come from the mouth of Yahweh.

³ For, in His hand, you’ll be a crown…

A royal turban in the hand of our God.

⁴ ‘You’ll no longer be called ‘The Forsaken,’

And your land won’t be called ‘Desolation.’

‘My Will,’ is what you’ll be called,

And your land will be called ‘Habitation.’

For the Lord has found pleasure in you,

And with him, you’ll dwell in your land.

⁵ ‘As a young man joins with a virgin

Is how your sons will stick close to you.

For as happy as a groom with his bride

Is how the Lord will find joy in you.

⁶ ‘O JeruSalem,

‘Upon your walls, I’ll place guards

Who will not stay silent throughout days and nights…

And to the end, they will speak of Yahweh.

⁷ ‘For to you, there’ll be no other like Him,

Because He will set matters straight,

And JeruSalem will be the earth’s navel.

⁸ ‘For, Yahweh swore this by His right hand

And by the strength of His arm:

‘Your enemies won’t eat your food or your grain,

Nor will foreigner’s sons drink your wine.

⁹ Only the harvesters will eat it,

And they will give praise to Yahweh…

And those who pick [grapes] will drink their [own wine]

Within My Holy estates.

¹⁰ ‘So, get up and open My gates…

Open the way for My people!

Remove the stones from their roads,

And raise a sign that the nations will see.’

¹¹ ‘Then, to the ends of the earth,

The Lord will broadcast these words.

He’ll, say to the daughter of Zion:

‘Look, your Savior has come,

And before his face is his work and reward!

¹² ‘Then He’ll call you, ‘A Most Holy People

Who have been Ransomed by [God].’

And you’ll be called, ‘The City We’ve Searched For,’

And no longer, ‘The One that’s Abandoned.’

Isaiah 63

←62 | All books | All chapters | 64→

¹ Who is this that’s coming from Edom (From BozRah, wearing clothes with red stains)… This handsome one with that great, mighty arm?

‘I have [arrived to bring] justice

And [to plead] your case for salvation.’

² But, why are you wearing red clothes,

As though you’ve been treading a vat?

³ ‘I’m covered with the things that I’ve trampled,

And none from the nations are with me;

For I’ve trampled them all in my rage.

‘I broke them [like plowing] the ground,

And I’ve poured their blood out over the land…

So, that’s why my clothes are defiled.

⁴ ‘For the day of retribution has come

And the year for paying the ransom is here.

⁵ ‘But I searched and found no one to help me…

I noticed that no one would come to my aid.

So I brought salvation with my own mighty arm…

I attended to it in my rage.

⁶ ‘I trampled them down in my anger,

And I led their blood into the ground!’

⁷ I’ve considered the mercies of [God], And the virtues of His retribution. [I found His] judgments on IsraEl just, For what He brings is justice and mercy.

⁸ He said:

‘If My children will show Me respect;

From their opposers, I’ll save them…

Yes Me, not My angel or envoy!’

⁹ Because He loves them, He’ll save them… He’ll spare them, and [He’ll pay] their ransom. But, although He once took them and raised them; Throughout the days of that age ¹⁰ They still refused to listen to Him, And by this, they provoked His Spirit.

So Yahweh turned against them in hatred, And then He waged war against them. ¹¹ But He thought about days of old, And then, He raised a man from the ground Who would shepherd His sheep.

¹² So, where is this one who poured out [God’s] Breath… The one who led Moses with his right hand… This one with the glorious arm?

Before [Moses], he conquered the waters, And throughout ages, he made a name for himself. ¹³ For he led them through the deep [sea]; Then like horses in the desert, they didn’t wear out.

¹⁴ Thereafter, as though they were cattle, [They traveled from there through] the plains… For the Spirit of the Lord came to guide them. And once more, this is how he will lead them, And make a glorious name for himself.

¹⁵ So, turn and look down from the heavens… Look down from your holy, glorious place! Where is your zeal and your strength… Where is the mercy and compassion That you’ve been withholding from us?

¹⁶ Our father, you have become; For by AbraHam, we wouldn’t be known, Nor would IsraEl be able to recognize us. So Lord, please come to our aid; For you have become our [true] father!

¹⁷ From ancient times, we’ve carried [God’s] Name; So, why did He let us stray from His ways And harden our hearts not to fear Him?

Please return to us, because we’re Your servants… We’re the tribes that You have chosen by lot ¹⁸ To inherit Your Most Holy Mountain.

Your enemies have trampled on Your Holy Place, ¹⁹ And we’ve returned to what we once were Before You became our Ruler And when we were not called by Your Name.

Isaiah 64

←63 | All books | All chapters | 65→

¹ If You should choose to open the skies, The mountains would tremble and melt As though they were beeswax in fire.

² So, You will send flames to consume [our oppressors], And [among us], Your Name will then shine… Before You, the nations will quiver. ³ And when You do Your honorable deeds, The mountains will all start to tremble.

⁴ Throughout the ages, no one has ever heard, Nor have their eyes seen a god who’s like You… None that have done the deeds You’ve done On behalf of those seeking Your mercy.

⁵ You will meet with the righteous, And remember how we had been just. {Look!} But now, we have sinned and provoked You to rage, And for this, we’ve been forced to wander.

⁶ For we’ve pushed aside what is righteous Like a rag of menstruation. Into lawless ways, we have fallen like leaves, So the wind will blow us away.

⁷ Now, none among us call on Your Name, Nor have any remembered to grab hold of You. So from us, You have turned Your face, And You’ve handed us over because of our sins.

⁸ But Yahweh; you are our [true] Father, And we are just [clay]… The works of Your hands. ⁹ So [please] don’t stay angry with us… Don’t always remember our sins!

O Yahweh, please look down upon us, Because, we are your people! ¹⁰ Your Holy City Zion, is now desolation, For JeruSalem has been destroyed. ¹¹ Your Temple and its Glorious Most Holy By which our fathers were blest, Lies scorched, and its honorable things are torn down.

¹² All of this, You’ve had to endure, O Lord… As You’ve been silent and let us be humbled.

Isaiah 65

←64 | All books | All chapters | 66→

¹ ‘I was seen by those not searching for Me

And found by those not asking for Me…

I said, ‘Here I am,’ to a nation

That had never called on My Name.

² ‘For I’ve held out My hands all day long

To a people who just wouldn’t listen,

And to those who only talked back…

Those who have not followed in good ways,

But who’ve kept on [walking] in sin.

³ ‘Before Me, they stand and [do evil things]…

For they sacrifice in their gardens

And burn incense on bricks before demons;

⁴ They sleep in tombs and in caves to have dreams,

Then eat pig flesh and [offer Me] gravy.

‘So, all that [they offer] is tainted;

⁵ Yet, they say, ‘Stay away… Don’t approach me!

For, I have made myself clean!’

‘Such things will bring them the smoke of My rage,

And a fire that will burn throughout the rest of their days.

⁶ ‘Look! It’s written that here in My presence,

I won’t stay silent until I’ve repaid

And [raked] all their sins onto their chests,

⁷ As well as the sins of their fathers,’ says Yahweh.

‘So on those who burn incense on the mountains

And speak ill of Me in the hills;

I’ll [rake] their [bad] deeds onto their chests!’

⁸ Jehovah says:

‘When they find seeds in grapes, they often say:

‘Do not throw them away,

For they will bring us good luck!’

And that’s how I’ll deal with My servants…

It’s what I’ll do, so I don’t destroy all.

⁹ ‘From Jacob and Judah, I’ll pick out one offspring

Who’ll inherit my Holy Mountain.

My elected, he’ll also inherit,

And they will dwell with him there.

¹⁰ ‘Then, flocks will live in their groves,

And in the Valley of Achor,

My people’s herds will find rest…

Yes, the [sheep among those] that are searching for Me.

¹¹ ‘But, you are the ones who have left Me…

From My Holy Mountain, you’ve turned away,

As you’ve prepared tables for demons,

And mixed [magic potions] to bring you good luck.

¹² ‘So, to the sword, I’ll now hand you,

And you will fall in the slaughter.

For I called out, but you wouldn’t listen…

I spoke, but you paid no attention…

You kept doing what’s wicked before Me,

And the things I don’t want are the things that you chose.

¹³ ‘So because of this,’ says Yahweh,

‘{Look!} My servants will eat, while you starve;

{Look!} My servants will drink, while you’re thirsty;

{Look!} And those serving Me will be happy,

While you will be filled with shame.

¹⁴ ‘Yes, those serving Me will cry out in joy,

While you cry out in misery of heart…

And you’ll shriek as you’re being destroyed!

¹⁵ ‘Then the names that you’ll leave behind

Will be a glut to My chosen ones.

For the Lord will do away with you all,

And I’ll give a new name to My servants.

¹⁶ ‘Throughout the whole earth, they’ll be blest,

And they will give praise to Yahweh.

Then, those on the earth that swear oaths,

Will swear them by the true God.

They’ll forget the trials that they had to endure…

Such things won’t enter their hearts.

¹⁷ ‘For there’ll be new lands and new skies,

And past things will not be remembered,

Nor will they enter their hearts.

¹⁸ Then, all will be leaping for joy

Because of the happiness they’ll find there!

‘{Look!} I’ll make JeruSalem a leaping for joy

And a source of glee to My people.

¹⁹ About that city, I’ll shout in praise,

And be happy along with My people.

‘No more will you hear sounds of weeping

Or the sounds of crying among them.

²⁰ No way will there be a miscarriage,

Or the old that don’t live out their days.

For a man will be young at 100,

And at 100, the sinners will be cursed and die.

²¹ ‘The rest will build houses in which they will live…

They will plant vineyards and eat their fruit,

And they will drink their own wine.

²² No way will they then build for others,

And no way will they plant what others will eat.

‘Then the days of My people will be like a tree,

And what they make with their hands will grow old.

²³ ‘My elected won’t labor for nothing,

Nor will they give birth to cursed children;

For their offspring and all their descendants

Will then be blessings from God.

²⁴ ‘Before they call, I will hear them,

And when they speak, I’ll ask what they want.

²⁵ ‘Then wolves and lambs will all graze together,

And lions will eat straw like the ox.

The snake will eat the ground as its bread,

And none will harm or destroy

On My Holy Mountain,’ says Yahweh.

Isaiah 66

←65 | All books | All chapters

¹ Jehovah said:

‘Since the heavens are My Throne and the earth is My footstool;

What kind of Temple can you build for Me… What kind of place [can you build] for My rest? ² For, since it all was made by My hands, These things are [already] Mine!’

Then Yahweh said:

‘Upon whom will I look [in favor]?

Just the unassuming and humble…

Just those who tremble at the things that I say.

³ ‘But a calf that is offered by the lawless

Is to Me, like the slaps of a man.

And when they sacrifice from the flock,

I view it as though they are offering dogs.

‘[I consider] their offerings of fine flour

The same as the blood of a pig…

And the frankincense that they offer

As shouting blasphemies against Me.

‘For they’ve each selected their own ways to go,

And what they’ve chosen has proven disgusting.

⁴ So I’ll choose My own ways to mock them,

And I’ll pay them back for their sins.

‘For I called out to them and they chose not to hear…

I spoke and they just wouldn’t listen.

Before Me, they’ve acted wickedly,

And done things that I didn’t want.’

⁵ So, hear the word of Yahweh, O you who tremble when you hear His voice! Tell your brothers that hate and detest you To glorify the Name of Yahweh – [A Name] that should be looked on in joy And of which they should not feel ashamed!

⁶ There’s a voice crying out from the city… From the Temple, a voice can be heard… It is the voice of Yahweh, And concerning His retribution, He said:

⁷ ‘Before her labor to give birth

And before the misery of birth pangs,

She fled and gave birth to a son.’

⁸ Who has ever heard such a thing… Who’s ever seen anything like it? Has the earth given birth in a day… Has a nation given birth all at once, As Zion will labor and bring forth [a son]?

⁹ Jehovah said:

‘I told them what they should expect,

But they failed to remember [My words].

For {Look!} I made the ones who give birth,

As well as those who are sterile.’

And your God says:

¹⁰ ‘So JeruSalem; you should be glad…

Those who love her should all celebrate.

Yes, celebrate in joy, you who live there,

And all of you who have mourned her!

¹¹ ‘For, you can now nurse and be filled

With the comfort that comes from her breasts…

In sucking, you too may indulge,

When her glory is finally shown.’

¹² Jehovah said:

‘{Look!} Towards them, I’ll divert a river of peace,

And they’ll be covered with the glory of the nations

Who’ll carry your children on their shoulders,

And on their knees, [your young] will find comfort,

¹³ As any [good] mother gives comfort.

‘This is how I will then bring comfort to you…

And JeruSalem; you’ll find comfort.

¹⁴ You’ll see it and rejoice in your heart and your bones…

Then you’ll flourish like grass in a pasture!’

Then, all will know that this came from [God’s] hand… Yes, all those who fear Him will know it. But, He will threaten all those Who choose to resist His persuasion.

¹⁵ For {Look!} the Lord will come like a fire… As a blast from his chariot wheels, in his rage, To pay back and punish in flames All those who’ve turned from [God] in contempt.

¹⁶ ‘Then the lands will be judged by his fire,

And all flesh [will be judged] by his sword.

Many will be slain by the Lord in that day…

¹⁷ Those who’ve gone to their gardens for cleansing

And those who ate pork on their thresholds

(The disgusting things and the mouse)…

Together, they’ll all be consumed,’ said Yahweh.

¹⁸ ‘I know of their works and their ways,

And I’ve come to gather all nations and tongues…

To see My glory, they’ll gather,

¹⁹ And I will give them a sign.

‘I’ll bring back those whom I gave to the nations…

From TarShish, Pul, MeShach, and Lud…

From Tubal, Greece, and the islands…

From those far away who’ve not heard of My Name

And from those who’ve not witnessed My glory.

‘They’ll announce My glory to the nations…

²⁰ And then, as a gift from the Lord;

From the nations, I’ll bring back your brothers,

Along with horses and wagons,

And royal chariots with awnings, drawn by mules.’

And Yahweh said:

‘Then the sons of IsraEl will bring sacrifices

And sing songs in the Temple of God.

²¹ And from them, I’ll choose Levites and Priests,’ said Yahweh.

²² ‘For, as the new lands and new skies that I’ll make

Have been waiting before Me,’ says Yahweh;

‘I’ll establish your offspring and your name.

²³ ‘Then, there in JeruSalem;

From New Moon to New Moon and Sabbath to Sabbath,

All flesh will come and bow before Me,’ said Yahweh.

²⁴ ‘They’ll go out and see the bodies of men

(Those who’ve rebelled against Me)

Whose worms won’t come to an end,

And whose fire will not be extinguished…

It’ll be a sight for all flesh [to see].’

Jeremiah

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JeremiAh is a record of the prophecies that Yahweh gave to the Prophet JeremiAh.

It was likely written by JeremiAh’s companion, the scribe Baruch, but was later edited by others after the return from Babylonian exile.

It covers JeremiAh’s warning messages that he gave to the Kingdom of Judah over a (roughly) 40-year period, up until the destruction of JeruSalem by the Babylonians.

There are two main versions of the text of Jeremiah:

• The Hebrew (used by most Western churches), and

• The Greek Septuagint version, which is the oldest version, is about 1/8th shorter, and which also presents the contents in a slightly different order.

Scholars widely believe that the Greek version is closest to the original text. Copies resembling both versions were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, suggesting that the creation of the new Hebrew version had already begun prior to the 1st century CE.

Our version of JeremiAh is based on the Greek, however, we’ve re-ordered the text to match the Hebrew ordering. That way, the chapter and verse numbers both match-up.

Most of this book is poetry

Something that only a Bible translator would notice is when words are in the form of Hebrew poetry. There’s a definite cadence that can be seen in the original language. Therefore, because this is the chosen style of God, we’ve tried to recreate it as it was originally intended: in poetic verse.

Why use poetry?

Poetry must conform to a certain rhythm and style. These act as memory aids, helping you to recall the words, making it easier for messages to be spread via the most common communication method of the time: song.

Who was talking?

When translating the words of the Prophets, you can’t help but notice the constant changing personal pronouns (I, you, he, they, etc.) used in the text. It makes it very confusing to figure out exactly who’s talking.

However, we now realize one reason for the confusion that’s usually overlooked: God didn’t speak to the Prophets personally. Rather, He sent His messages through a mediator, either referred to as a messenger (an angel), or sometimes as ‘The Word’ (which some interpret to mean Yeshua).

So there are actually three voices speaking:

1. That of the Prophet, who sometimes quotes himself,

2. That of the angelic messenger who’s bringing the message from God,

3. The words of God Himself (which we put in italics).

How can we tell the difference? From the context, the pronouns, and the tenses:

1. When the Prophet speaks, he’s either clearly reporting what he said or did, or is simply saying what was happening.

2. When the angelic messenger speaks, he talks about God in the third person.

3 When God is speaking, all references to God are naturally spoken in the first person.

Did we get it all right? Probably not, but it has been an honest attempt at doing so. If you think you’ve spotted a place where our choice is incorrect, please let us know and we’ll reconsider it.

Jeremiah 1

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¹ These are the words of God which came to JeremiAh (son of HilkiAh), a Priest who lived in AnathOth, in the land of BenJamin.

² God’s words came to him in the days of JosiAh (son of AmMon) the king of Judah in the 13th year of his reign.

³ All of this happened from the time of JehoiAkim (son of JosiAh) the king of Judah, until the 11th year of ZedekiAh (son of JosiAh) the king of Judah – and [the beginning of] the captivity of JeruSalem, [which happened] in the 5th month.

⁴ The Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

⁵ ‘I knew you before you were formed in the womb

And before you came from the belly.

So I chose you and I made you holy

To serve as a Prophet to the nations.’

⁶ But I said:

‘O Great Being… O Lord… O Yahweh,

‘{Look!} I don’t know how to speak, for I’m just a young man.’

⁷ And the Lord told me:

‘Don’t say that you’re just a young man;

For you’ll go to whomever I send you

And you’ll speak whatever I tell you to say!

⁸ So, don’t be afraid when you go before them,

Since I’m with you and I will protect you.’

⁹ Then the Lord stuck his hand out towards me and touched my mouth, and said:

‘Look! I’m putting my words in your mouth.

¹⁰ For I’ve appointed you over nations and kingdoms

To root out, cut down, and set free,

And then to rebuild and replant.’

¹¹ Thereafter, the Word of Yahweh came to me again and asked:

‘What do you see now, JeremiAh?’

And I said:

‘I see a walnut walking stick.’

¹² Then the Lord said to me:

‘You are [very observant];

And I’m [watching to see if you’ll] do as I [say].’

¹³ Then the Word of Yahweh came to me a second time and asked:

‘What do you see now?’

And I replied:

‘I see a kettle over a fire, and the front side of it is facing the north.’

¹⁴ Then the Lord said to me:

‘Thus, from the face of the north,

All those who are bad will be burned away

From among those who live in the land.

¹⁵ For, {Look!} this is what was said by Yahweh:

‘From the north, I’ll be gathering kingdoms

That will come, and then, they’ll each place their thrones

On the thresholds of JeruSalem’s gates,

And on the walls of the cities of Judah.

¹⁶ ‘Then I’ll speak My judgments against them

For all the bad things they’ve done…

[I’ll speak of] how they have left Me

And sacrificed to gods that they’ve never known,

Then they bowed before the works of their hands.’

¹⁷ ‘So arise and wrap up your waist,

And say to them what I’ll tell you to say!

Don’t be afraid when you go there,

Nor be in terror before them;

For, this was said by Yahweh:

‘I’m with you and I will [protect] you.’

¹⁸ ‘{Look!} So today, I’ve turned you into a fort…

A fortified wall made of brass

To resist Judah’s rulers and kings,

And to oppose the people of your land.’

¹⁹ And the Lord said:

‘Although they will wage war against you,

There’s no way that they’ll be able to win;

For I’m with you and I will [protect] you.’

Jeremiah 2

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¹ Then the Word of Yahweh came to me again and said:

² ‘Go and yell in JeruSalem’s ears…

Tell them that thus says Yahweh:

‘I remembered the mercy you had in your youth

And the love that you had for perfection

When you obeyed IsraEl’s Most Holy One.’

‘Yes, this was said by Yahweh,

IsraEl’s Most Holy Lord.

³ For, IsraEl is Holy to Yahweh,

And because they are His first born,

He’s offended by those who are chewing them up,

And on those doing this, He’s bringing bad things.

⁴ ‘O house of Jacob (you families of the house of IsraEl);

Hear the word of Yahweh!

⁵ For Yahweh is asking you this:

‘What defect in Me, did your fathers find

That they’d leave Me to act in this way

And start following after such foolish things?

⁶ ‘They no longer ask, ‘Where’s Yahweh…

The One who led us through the desert from Egypt…

Through that vast land of no water or fruit…

A land through which no man can travel…

A land where none can survive?’

⁷ ‘For I led you to CarMel, where you ate its fruits,

As well as its other good things…

Then you entered My land and defiled it,

And My inheritance, you turned into something that’s foul.

⁸ ‘But the priests don’t ask, ‘Where’s Yahweh?’

So, those who were resisting the Law

Weren’t prompted to turn back to Me.

Your shepherds also showed no respect,

And your prophets spoke prophecies by BaAl,

So they followed after things that were worthless!

⁹ ‘But, despite all of this, I still chose them, says Yahweh;

And the sons of their sons, I’ve [accepted].

¹⁰ ‘Now, go to the Island of Cyprus and see…

Yes, send to Kedar and you’ll understand!

See if the gods of those nations

Have ever had any effect…

Then you’ll know that they really aren’t gods!

¹¹ ‘Yet, My people have left all their glory

For things that do them no good!

¹² And by this, the heavens were amazed…

[It caused them to] shudder, says Yahweh.

‘To Me, My people did two wicked things:

• ¹³ They abandoned the spring of the waters of life,

• And they dug cracked cisterns that cannot hold water.

¹⁴ ‘Is IsraEl a slave or a native-born son;

For, why did he choose to be plundered?

¹⁵ Now, lions are roaring before him

That are ordered to wipe out his land.

So his cities will be cut to the ground,

Then no one can live there again!

¹⁶ ‘The sons of Memphis and TahPanhes…

Those who know you, are laughing at you!

¹⁷ And this happened because you have left Me,

Says Yahweh, your God.

¹⁸ ‘Now, what are the ways of Egypt to you

That you would [long for] their waters?

And what are the ways of Assyria to you

That you’d wish to drink from their rivers?

¹⁹ ‘So because you’ve left Me, I’ll discipline you…

For your evil ways, I will scold You…

You’ll see it happen and then you will know

How bitter are the ways of turning from Me,

Says Yahweh, your God!

²⁰ ‘I’ve come to think [poorly] of you,’

Says Yahweh your God.

‘For, throughout the ages, you’ve broken My yoke

And you have ripped off My bonds.

‘You said:

‘I won’t be [Your] servant;

But I’ll climb up every high hill

And bow beneath every shade tree…

And there is where I’ll go whoring!’

²¹ ‘Yet I planted you to be My grapevine

For the purpose of bearing the fruitage of truth.

So, why did you then turn so bitter

And become a grapevine that’s strange?

²² ‘Now, if I would wash you in lye,

And if I’d use plenty of soap,

You’d still be spotted in your sins before Me.

²³ ‘How can you say you’re not dirty

And that you’ve not chased after BaAl?

See how you’re acting in graveyards…

Yes, you know all the things that you’ve done!

²⁴ ‘Upon desert waters, her ways have been spread,

And she’s driven by the winds of desires.

So to them, she’s been handed over,

To turn her away from her [evil].

‘Now those searching for her won’t get tired,

And she will be humbled when they arrive.

²⁵ ‘Although she should divert her feet from this path

And turn her throat from this thirst,

This is what she’s still saying:

‘I will act like a man;

So, I will chase after strangers,

And with them, I will make love!’

²⁶ ‘As a thief is shamed when he’s caught,

Is how IsraEl’s sons will be shamed…

Yes they, their kings, and their rulers,

As well as their prophets and priests.

²⁷ ‘For they’ve said to a tree, ‘You’re my father;’

And they’ve said to a stone, ‘You gave me life.’

‘Yet, although they have all turned their backs

(But not their faces) towards Me;

When hard times arrive, they’ll still say:

‘O Yahweh, please save us!’

²⁸ ‘Will [your idols] still save you in difficult times,

And will [you turn] to these gods that you’ve made?

‘In Judah, each city now has its own gods,

And in all of JeruSalem’s streets

They offer sacrifices to BaAl.

²⁹ So, why are you even talking to me?’

‘Yahweh says:

‘You’ve been irreverent and lawless towards Me,

³⁰ And it’s in vain that I’ve spanked you like children;

For, from My correction, you’ve failed to learn!

‘So, although your prophets were devoured by swords,

And although lions came and wiped them away,

This hasn’t [taught you] to fear Me.

³¹ ‘Therefore, hear the Word of Yahweh,

For Yahweh is asking you this:

‘To IsraEl, am I now a desert…

Am I a land that’s barren to you?

‘Why is it that My people say:

‘Because you aren’t our Lord anymore,

We’ll no longer be coming before You’?

³² ‘Will the bride forget her tiara,

And will virgins forget the bands for their breasts?

Yet, I’ve been forgotten by you

Through too many days to be counted.

³³ ‘What good can you make of your ways,

So that you can seek [My] affection again?

It just won’t do any good,

Because you’ve made yourselves wicked.

‘All of your ways are now dirty,

And innocent blood is found in your hands.

³⁴ No, I don’t find [their bodies] in ditches,

But [hanging] from every [tall] tree.

³⁵ Yet you still say, I’m not guilty…

So, please turn back You rage!

‘{Look!} I’m the One who’s passing judgment on you

When you say that you have not sinned!

³⁶ And for you, I’ve come to feel great disdain

Because of the things that you’re doing.

‘Therefore, by Egypt, you will be disgraced,

As Assyria has disgraced you before.

³⁷ You’ll be taken from here with your hands on your heads,

For Yahweh has thrust you away…

And then, none of your hopes will succeed.’

Jeremiah 3

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¹ ‘If a man releases his woman

And she [then moves in with] another…

Then, if she thereafter [also leaves him],

Can she return [to first one] again?

For, once she has been defiled,

Isn’t she always defiled?

‘Yet, after [you’ve had] many shepherds,

You want to come back to Me, said Yahweh.

² So now, raise your eyes to see the right way…

See how you’ve been defiled!

‘For you sat by the road [and waited] for them

Alone and defiled like a crow

In this land of your evil and whoring.

³ ‘You’ve stumbled and had many shepherds,

And because you looked like a whore,

You have brought shame on them all.

⁴ ‘Yet, didn’t you call Me [your] Father…

The One who founded your virgin condition!

⁵ [And wasn’t it you who once said],

Throughout the age, I’ll still be a virgin…

I’ll guard this state ‘til I’ve won?

{Look!} Yet, although you made such a vow,

You went and did this vile thing!’

⁶ Well, it was during the days of King JosiAh that the Lord came and said this to me:

‘You saw what the house of IsraEl has done…

For she’s climbed upon every high mountain

And crawled under every tree in the woods,

And there, she’s committing [adultery].

⁷ ‘Then, after she does all her whoring;

Although I’ve told her to turn from this badness,

She still refuses to stop.

‘So when I saw that Judah had broken [her vows];

⁸ I knew that in order to benefit all,

I had to stand up [for what’s right].

‘For the house of IsraEl fell into seduction,

And then she committed adultery.

So with a certificate of divorce I sent her away.

‘But the [vow]-breaker Judah wasn’t bothered by this,

And she continued in her whoring ways.

⁹ For, whoring was nothing to her…

She even did it with wood and stone things…

¹⁰ Her heart refused to turn back,

And all she offered was lies.’

¹¹ Then the Lord said this to me:

‘Even IsraEl was better than this [vow]-breaker Judah;

¹² So, go to the north and then read these words…

Tell [those in the north] that thus says Yahweh:

‘O house of IsraEl, if you’ll come back to Me,

Against you, I’ll not set My face…

I will show mercy upon you, says Yahweh,

And throughout the age, I won’t be outraged.

¹³ ‘Just be aware of your sins!

For you’ve shown disrespect to Yahweh your God…

[Your love] you’ve given to strangers

Beneath every tree in the woods,

And you chose not to do what I said, says Yahweh.

¹⁴ ‘So return, you sons who’ve revolted, says God,

And I’ll be your Lord once again.

I’ll choose one man from each city,

And I will choose two from each family;

Then, I will take them to Zion

¹⁵ And appoint these ones whom My heart has chosen

To serve as shepherds for you,

And with higher knowledge, they’ll watch over you.

¹⁶ ‘Then, as you grow and spread in the land, says Yahweh;

In those days, they’ll not speak anymore

Of IsraEl’s Holy Chest of the Sacred Agreement…

No, it won’t come into their hearts…

It won’t be named or examined…

This won’t be done anymore!

¹⁷ ‘For, in those days and during that time,

JeruSalem will everafter be known

As the place of the Throne of Yahweh,

And it’s where all the nations will gather

With no wicked thoughts in their hearts.

¹⁸ ‘And in those days, the houses of IsraEl and Judah

Will become one [nation] again.

They’ll be gathered from the lands of the north

To the place that I gave to their fathers.’

¹⁹ Well at that, I shouted:

‘May it happen, O Lord!

‘For You told me that You will let me have children again, and that I will receive a choice piece of land… The inheritance of the Almighty God… [The God] that will be over all the nations! Yes, Father; you’ve called me, and now I’ll never turn away from You!’

²⁰ But the Lord said:

‘The house of IsraEl has left me,

Like a woman who’s rejected her man.

²¹ And for this, her lips will thereafter weep.

‘So, tell IsraEl’s sons to turn back and beg,

Because their ways have led them to sin,

And they’ve forgotten their Most Holy God.

²² So sons; it is time to turn back…

Turn back and I’ll heal your broken condition!’

[And I said]:

‘Look… That’s how we’ll be with You then, for You are our God Yahweh, ²³ and all the powers of the hills and mountains are really the powers of our Lord… Our God who is IsraEl’s Savior!

²⁴ ‘However, the efforts of our fathers have been eaten away by shame since the time of their youth, and now all their calves and sheep (their sons and daughters) ²⁵ go to bed in shame and they’re covered by their dishonor. Yes, like our fathers, we have sinned before God from the time of our youth down to this day, and we’ve failed to pay attention to the voice of our God Yahweh!’

Jeremiah 4

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¹ Then the Lord said:

‘If IsraEl should [choose to] return,

I’ll also turn back to them.

If they’ll wash the disgusting things from their mouths…

If they’ll show that they will respect me,

² And if they’ll swear ‘As Yahweh is living’ in oaths;

I’ll bless them with equity, justice, and truth.

Then the rest of the nations will praise them,

And in JeruSalem, all will praise God.

³ ‘So to the men of Judah and JeruSalem

Jehovah gave these instructions:

‘Prepare your [hearts]… Yes, get them ready to plow…

Don’t allow thorn bushes to grow here again!’

⁴ ‘O men of Judah and JeruSalem,

‘Circumcise yourselves to your God…

Snip the hardness out of your hearts

So He doesn’t send the fire of His rage…

[A fire] that can’t be extinguished

Because of the bad things you’re doing!

⁵ ‘Announce [this message] to Judah,

And let them hear it in JeruSalem:

‘Blow trumpets throughout the whole land,

And then, cry out in loud voices!’

⁶ ‘Say:

‘All should gather inside the walled cities…

Gather your things and run to Mount Zion!

Do this quickly, don’t wait,

For from the north, bad things will arrive…

A terrible destruction is heading your way!’

⁷ ‘Now the lion has come from his lair,

And he is wiping out nations.

He’s arisen and now he’s come from his place

To desolate lands and destroy them!

‘So your cities will all be demolished,

And you’ll no longer be living within them.

⁸ Because of this, put on sackcloth…

Yes, be sad, and then start to bawl!

For the anger and rage of Yahweh

Will not be diverted from you.

⁹ ‘And in that day,’ said the Lord,

‘There’ll be no heart in the king…

The hearts of the rulers and priests will be shocked

And the prophets will all be confused.’

¹⁰ Then I replied:

‘O Almighty Lord,

‘You must surely be joking… Aren’t you misleading these people? Aren’t you saying that there’ll really be peace for JeruSalem and that the sword won’t be coming into our lives?’

¹¹ [But He replied]:

‘At that time, I’ll say to these people

(To those who live in JeruSalem):

‘An addiction to delusions has come from the desert;

For the ways of the daughters of my people

Can no longer be thought of as pure…

None have kept themselves holy.

¹² So the spirit of fulfillment is coming from me,

And I’m now speaking judgments against them.

¹³ ‘Look! Like a cloud, someone has arisen

Whose chariots are sending out blasts,

And whose horses are lighter than eagles.

So woe, for misery is headed your way!

¹⁴ ‘Therefore, O JeruSalem,

‘Rinse the evil out of your hearts

So that somehow, you might be saved!

For, how long did you think you can do all those things

That are [the root] of your [problems]?

¹⁵ ‘So from Dan, you’ll start hearing voices,

And from Ephraim will come misery.

¹⁶ ‘{Look!} Remind your nation of this,

And shout this aloud in JeruSalem:

‘From a far-away land will come an alliance

That’s speaking against the cities of Judah!’

¹⁷ ‘For Yahweh had told me this:

‘They’ll [camp] around her and guard all her fields

Because I’ve been neglected by you.

¹⁸ It’s because of your [bad] ways and [evil] deeds

That they are coming against you…

Because your evil is now so bitter

That it has reached into your hearts!

¹⁹ ‘This [thought] brings pain to My belly…

It causes My heart to feel spasms and ache…

But My Soul has been forced to take action!

²⁰ ‘So, since I’ll no longer stay silent,

My Soul now hears trumpet blasts

And the cries of misery and war.

‘This conflict is something that’s called for,

And misery will come to your land.

For, you have abandoned My Tent,

And its covering of skins you have parted.

²¹ ‘Why must I watch [people] fleeing

And hear the blowing of trumpets?

²² Yet, this will all happen because,

The leaders of My people don’t know Me…

They’ve become undiscerning, foolish sons…

They’re just wise when it comes to doing what’s bad,

And they don’t remember how to do what is good.’

²³ Well at that, I looked down at the ground and I couldn’t see anything, then I looked up into the sky, and its lights weren’t there. ²⁴ I also noticed that the mountains were shaking and all the hills were being disturbed. ²⁵ So I looked around and I couldn’t see anyone, for even the birds in the skies had been frightened away. Then I noticed that CarMel was bare and all of its cities were burning… They had been set on fire by the face of Yahweh! ²⁶ For, due to His anger and rage, He had removed them from His view.

²⁷ And at that, the Lord said:

‘Although the whole land will soon lie in ruins;

No way will it all be destroyed.

²⁸ ‘But the land should now start to mourn,

Because the skies above will grow dark…

I’ve spoken, and I won’t change my mind.

No I won’t be dissuaded… It will happen!

²⁹ ‘So from the sounds of horsemen with tightly stretched bows,

In every place, they will run…

They’ll hide in caves and in sacred groves…

Down among rocks, they’ll descend.

Then their cities will all be abandoned…

No one will be living there.

³⁰ ‘So now, what will they do…

Will they wrap themselves in scarlet and gold?

If they rub antimony on their eyelids,

It will all be in vain!

For, although they may dress in their finest of clothes,

Their lovers have already pushed them away…

And now they are seeking their lives!

³¹ ‘So I hear the sounds of a woman in labor

And the moans of one who is giving first birth.

But the voice of the daughter of Zion grows faint,

And her hands grow weak as she says:

‘Woe to me, for my life has now failed

And I am being destroyed!’

Jeremiah 5

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¹ ‘Now, run through JeruSalem’s streets…

Yes, seek and search in her squares…

See if you can find just one righteous man…

A single trustworthy person.

Then to such a one, I’ll be kind,’ said the Lord.

² ‘As Yahweh lives, they often say,

But, when they swear oaths, aren’t they lying?’

³ [And I, Jeremiah, said:],

‘O Yahweh,

‘Your eyes have searched for those who are true;

But, when You whipped them, they felt no pain…

Even when You brought destruction on them,

They had still failed to learn…

Their faces remained as solid as rocks,

And they refused to turn back to You.

⁴ ‘But perhaps it’s only the poor

Who don’t understand the ways of the Lord,

Or comprehend the fairness of God.

⁵ So I’ll go and speak to the wealthy…

For they’ll recognize the ways of the Lord

And [trust in] the fairness of God.

‘But look! Together, they’ve broken their yokes

And they have torn off their bonds.

⁶ And because of this, lions have attacked…

Then, out of the woods came a wolf,

Which entered their homes and [consumed] them,

As leopards kept watch in their cities.

‘That’s how those who leave Him are hunted,

Since none have shown Him respect,

And their rejection [of God] has grown worse.’

⁷ [And the Lord said]:

‘What sort of kindness should they expect

Now that their sons have all left me?

Because they swear oaths by those who aren’t gods,

I’ve become filled with [their disrespect].

For they’re even committing adultery,

And whores find rest in their homes!

⁸ ‘Like horses, they snort and are sex crazed…

Each one for the wife of his neighbor.

⁹ So for this, shouldn’t I come to visit?’ ...asked the Lord,

‘Shouldn’t my soul now take vengeance

Upon a nation that’s acting this way?

¹⁰ ‘So her battle towers, they will scale,

And they’ll knock them down until none remain…

Yes, these are the ones who will do it!

They’ll destroy everything that supports them,

For [their badness] didn’t come from Yahweh!

¹¹ ‘Yahweh says:

‘They have not shown Me any respect…

Not the houses of IsraEl or of Judah.

¹² And about their Lord, they have lied;

For they’ve said:

‘These things will not happen…

What’s bad won’t really come upon us…

Neither famine nor sword will we see.

¹³ ‘For [His] Prophets are really just windbags,

And they don’t [speak] the word of Yahweh;

So it will happen to them, not to us!’

¹⁴ ‘But because of this, says Yahweh the Almighty…

Because you have said all these things,

I’ve put My words like flames in your mouths,

And they’ll consume you like wood [on a fire]!’

¹⁵ ‘O house of IsraEl, pay attention:

For, from a far-away land

I’m bringing a nation against you,’ said the Lord,

‘Which speaks a tongue that you won’t understand.

¹⁶ ‘The quivers of their mighty are like open tombs,

¹⁷ And they’ll consume your harvests and bread,

As well as your sons and your daughters.

‘They’ll eat your sheep and your calves…

They’ll devour your vineyards and fig groves,

As well as all of your olives.

They’ll thresh your fortified cities with swords

(Those places that you have relied on).

¹⁸ ‘And in that day,’ said the Lord;

‘God won’t allow you to come to fulfillment.

¹⁹ And when you ask why this happened,

Jehovah will give this reply:

‘I did it because you have left Me

And served strange gods in My land.

So, you will now have to serve strangers

In a land that is no longer yours.’

²⁰ ‘So, to the house of Jacob, announce all these things,

And let it be heard throughout Judah:

²¹ ‘Pay attention, you foolish and heartless…

You who have eyes that can’t see,

And you who have ears that can’t hear.

²² ‘Why have you failed to show fear,

And not bowed to your faces before Me?

For, I’m the One who ordered the sands

To be the limits of the seas!

It’s the order [that I gave] throughout the ages

That the seas cannot go beyond them…

Its [waves] may never disturb them…

No way can they ever defeat them.

So, no matter how great the waves roar,

They can’t pass beyond the limits I’ve set.

²³ ‘But these people have hearts that don’t listen,

So they continue to resist My persuasion…

They’ve turned aside and they’ve left [Me]!

²⁴ ‘They haven’t said in their hearts:

‘We should fear Yahweh our God…

The One who gives rain in its seasons

(Both the early and late rains),

And that orders full harvests for us!’

²⁵ ‘But, by your lawless deeds, you have turned from these things…

By your sins, you’ve removed what’s good from yourselves.

²⁶ For among My own people, the godless are found…

Those who set snares to corrupt other men,

As they devise plans to do evil.

²⁷ ‘As a trap is set to catch many birds…

With treachery, their homes are now filled.

And because of this, they are famous and rich…

They have grown fat on injustice!

²⁸ The side of orphans, they never take,

And they don’t give justice to widows.

²⁹ ‘Am I not watching such things,’ asks Yahweh?

Won’t My soul bring vengeance upon them?

³⁰ ‘So, this is why things have changed…

This is why they’ll shudder throughout the whole land!

³¹ For their prophets now prophesy lies

As their priests are applauding and clapping their hands.

So, since this is what My people have loved,

I must now do this bad thing!’

Jeremiah 6

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¹ ‘O sons of BenJamin, be strong

There in JeruSalem’s midst.

But, you should start blowing your trumpets…

From the House in the Vineyards, sound the alarm!

For, bad things now loom in the north,

And a great destruction is headed your way!

² ‘O you daughter of Zion;

Your haughty ways will soon be removed!

³ For to you, will come shepherds and flocks

That will pitch their tents all around you,

And there, each one will tend his own lot.

⁴ [‘They’ll say:]

‘Get ready to wage war against her…

Arise, and we will attack her at noon!

But, woe to us, for the day is now gone

And the shadows of daylight have failed.

⁵ So, let’s get up and attack her at night,

Then wipe her to her foundations!’

⁶ ‘For, thus says Yahweh of Armies:

‘Cut down all of her trees…

Against that city of liars, send troops…

Complete your tyranny against her!

⁷ ‘Just like the cool taste of well water,

You must cool off her evil.

Since disrespect and misery are in her,

Throw it back in her face!

⁸ ‘O you [who live] in JeruSalem;

In misery, with whips, you’ll be lashed,

But My soul won’t totally leave you…

I won’t make you a land that is no longer walked

And which won’t be lived in again.’

⁹ ‘For, thus says Yahweh of Armies:

‘Glean them as you’d glean grapes

(Those few who’ll be left in IsraEl)…

Return as the picker returns to his [vines]!

¹⁰ ‘To whom should I be saying these things…

Yes, whom can I tell that will listen?

{Look!} For, because their ears are uncircumcised,

They are unable to hear.

And since, Yahweh’s words are something they scorn,

{Look!} They’ll be unwilling to listen!

¹¹ [‘Yahweh says:]

‘But although I waited, My rage wasn’t filled,

And I didn’t completely finish them off…

So I’ll pour it out on their children

And upon their groups of young men.

‘Their women and men will be taken away

Along with the elders and those who’ve lived many days.

¹² Then their houses will be given to others,

Along with their women and fields.’

‘Yahweh says:

‘Against all in this land, I’ll stretch out My hand…

¹³ Against all from the small to the great…

All those who are filled with their own lawless ways.

‘For their priests and all their false prophets

Have each acted in falsehood.

¹⁴ And although they claim to bring healing,

They are just bringing contempt.

They also claim there is peace…

But, where indeed is this peace?

¹⁵ ‘So now they’ll be shamed, because they have failed.

But, even though they’ll be disgraced,

They’ll refuse to accept their dishonor.

And because of this, they will fall…

They’ll perish when I come to visit,’ says Yahweh.

¹⁶ ‘And Yahweh said:

‘Now, stand in the roads and behold…

[Consider the] paths of the ages;

Then, choose the best road and travel that way

As you search for ways to clean up your lives!

‘But because you have said, ‘We won’t go,’

¹⁷ I’m appointing watchmen for you,

And you must listen for the sounds of their trumpets!

‘But, although you’ll say, ‘We won’t listen,’

¹⁸ The nations [that are coming] will listen,

As will those who are tending their flocks.

¹⁹ ‘O land, pay attention and look,

For I’m bringing what’s bad on your people…

It’s the fruitage of their rejection [of Me].

For, because they’ve ignored My words and My Laws,

I have pushed them away.

²⁰ ‘Why offer frankincense from SheBa to Me,

And cinnamon from far away lands?

For, your whole burnt-offerings, I will not accept,

Since your sacrifices delight Me no more.

²¹ ‘Because of this,’ says Yahweh,

‘Upon them, I’m bringing a weakness…

Yes, fathers and sons will be weak,

And their neighbors and loved ones will die.’

²² ‘Then Yahweh said:

‘{Look!} From the north, a people are coming

Who’ll awaken the nations to the ends of the earth…

²³ They’ll come with their spears and their bows,

And on you, they will not show mercy.

‘Their sounds are like the roar of the sea,

And with horses and chariots, they will attack…

They’ll bring the fire of war against you,

O you daughters of Zion.’

²⁴ About them, we have heard the reports, And the things that we’ve heard have made our hands weak… Anguish has grabbed hold of us Like the pangs of a woman about to give birth!

²⁵ So, don’t go out to the fields, And do not walk on the roads, For they’re filled with enemies who are carrying swords!

[And the Lord continues:]

‘So, you daughters of My people;

[It’s time for you] to wear sackcloth…

Strew ashes and mourn for your loved ones,

²⁶ And in pity for yourselves, beat your breasts;

For misery will suddenly come upon you.

²⁷ ‘Among you (you people on trial),

I’ve appointed someone who’ll judge you;

And as you’re tried, you’ll know I’m the One

Who is judging your ways.

²⁸ ‘Yet, none have been willing to listen,

Because they all walk crooked paths…

They’re corrupted like brass touching iron.

²⁹ ‘Because the forge bellows have failed,

It’s in vain that the smith works his silver;

For their wicked ways will not melt.

³⁰ ‘So, call out and tell them

That their silver has all been rejected…

Yes, they’ve been rejected by [God].’

Jeremiah 7

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¹ Then the Word of Yahweh came to JeremiAh and said:

‘Go stand at the gate of [the Temple],

And against them, you must read these words:

² ‘O Judah,

‘Hear the Word of Yahweh,

For Yahweh of Armies (the God of IsraEl) says this:

³ ‘If you’ll set right the things that you’re doing,

And if you’ll choose to straighten your paths,

I’ll settle you here in this place.

⁴ ‘But you can’t rely on your lies anymore;

For they’ll be no help when you’re shouting:

‘O the Temple of Yahweh!

O the Temple of [God]!’

⁵ ‘You must change your deeds and your ways,

And get yourselves straightened out.

Each man must start being fair with his neighbors,

⁶ As well as with foreigners, orphans, and widows.

⁷ ‘[No, you] may no longer be tyrants…

Innocent blood, don’t shed in this place…

And stop chasing after strange gods!

‘Then, [when you remove all this] badness,

I’ll bring you back to this land once again

That I gave to your fathers throughout the ages.

⁸ ‘But now, you are trusting in words that are lies

And which will do you no good.

⁹ You commit adultery, murder, and steal,

And when you swear oaths, you are lying!

You also burn incense to BaAl,

And follow strange gods that you’ve never known.

¹⁰ ‘So, although there’s just badness within you,

You still come and stand before Me

In the [Temple] that’s called by My Name,

And then dare to say, We are clean.

¹¹ ‘Hasn’t My House that’s standing before you

And which is called by My Name

Become just a den of thieves?

Look… This is what I have seen,’ says Yahweh...

¹² ‘Go to My old place in ShiLoh

Where I camped and placed My Name long ago,

And see what I did because of their badness

Before the faces of IsraEl, My people!

¹³ ‘Now, because you are doing these things

About which I warned you, but you failed to hear…

The things that I shouted before you,

But to which, you failed to change;

¹⁴ I’ll do the same thing to this [Temple]…

The one that is called by My Name,

And upon which you have relied…

The Place that I gave to your fathers and you.

‘Yes, I’ll do the same as I did to ShiLoh…

¹⁵ I’ll throw you away from My face

Like I cast off your brothers (Ephraim’s offspring)!

¹⁶ ‘Now, you must not pray for these people…

But don’t come and petition for mercy,

Nor approach Me with vows on their behalf…

For, I will not listen to you!

¹⁷ ‘Don’t you see the things that they’re doing

In all the cities of Judah

And in JeruSalem’s streets?

¹⁸ ‘The sons go out to gather the wood,

So their fathers can then light the fires

[To bake] the dough that their women knead

As cakes for the armies of the heavens.

‘They offer drinks to strange gods,

So they can provoke Me to rage…

¹⁹ Don’t they provoke Me to rage,’ asks Yahweh?

But, shouldn’t they be the ones who’re provoked

By the disgrace on their faces?

²⁰ ‘It’s because of this,’ says Yahweh,

That I’ll pour out My anger and rage on this Place…

Upon the men and their cattle…

Upon every tree in their fields,

As well as on the land’s produce.

This fire has been lit and it won’t be put out!

²¹ ‘Yahweh said:

‘Gather up all your burnt-offerings,

As well as your other sacrifices,

Then go on and just eat all the meats!

²² ‘For on the day that I led them from Egypt,

I didn’t ask your fathers to offer such things…

I didn’t really tell them to bring Me

Whole burnt offerings or other sacrifices.

²³ ‘The only instructions that I gave them

Was to pay attention to the things that I say!

For you’ll be My people and I’ll be your God

As long as you walk in My ways

And do whatever I tell you is good!

²⁴ ‘But, they didn’t listen to Me,

And their ears just paid no attention…

They followed the evil thoughts in their hearts

And became the butt not the head

From the day that their fathers left Egypt ‘til now.

²⁵ ‘So I sent them My servants the Prophets

Morning after morning and day after day.

²⁶ But they still didn’t listen to Me…

Their ears just paid no attention,

And then they made their necks stiffer…

Yes, harder than those of their fathers.

²⁷ ‘So, go and tell them these things,

But they won’t listen to you…

Yes, call out to them, but they won’t respond.

²⁸ ‘Go tell them that theirs is the nation

That refused to hear the voice of its God…

They failed to believe or give heed

To the instructions that came from [My] mouth.’

²⁹ ‘So, shear your [hair] and throw it away,

Then let your lips start to wail;

For Yahweh has rejected and pushed away

The generation that has done all these things!

³⁰ ‘For, Yahweh says:

‘The sons of Judah are wicked before Me,

Since they’ve brought disgusting things to My House

And defiled the Place that is called by My Name.

³¹ ‘They’ve built a shrine of Topheth for themselves

There in the Valley of Hinnom

Where they burn their sons and daughters in fire…

Something that I never told them to do

Or ever came into My heart.’

³² ‘Yahweh says:

‘{Look!} Because they’ve done this, the days have arrived

When, from the Valley of Hinnom’s sons

And the Shrine that they [built there to] Topheth,

Nothing more will ever be heard.

‘For their valley will soon be destroyed

And Topheth will thereafter be buried,

Since his place will no longer exist.

³³ ‘His people will also be dead,

And they’ll serve as food for the birds in the skies,

As well as for the wild beasts on the ground,

Since no one will come to chase them away.

³⁴ ‘From the cities of Judah, I’ll take them,

And I’ll remove them from JeruSalem’s streets.

Then all the sounds of joy will be gone,

And the voices of brides and grooms won’t be heard;

For the land will become desolation.’

Jeremiah 8

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¹ ‘Then, during that time,’ says Yahweh,

Within the graveyards of JeruSalem,

They’ll dig up the bones of Judah’s kings,

As well as the bones of its rulers,

Along with the bones of its Prophets and Priests,

And the bones of the rest of the people,

² And let them dry under the sun…

Yes, under the moon and the stars,

Beneath the armies of the heavens

That they have served and so loved…

Those whom they worshiped and followed,

And those before whom they have bowed.

‘Thereafter, they will not be lamented,

Nor will their bones be returned to their tombs…

³ They’ll just lie on the ground as examples…

For, rather than life, they chose death.

Then, all that remain of those generations

Will be laid wherever I choose.’

⁴ ‘Then Yahweh asked:

Will the fallen not be resurrected…

Will those who rebelled not return?

⁵ ‘Why did they choose My rejection

And hold so firmly to their resolve…

Why didn’t they wish to [live once again]?

⁶ ‘So give ear and pay close attention;

For, since they’re not being told what is right,

None have repented their badness,

Nor have they asked what they have done wrong…

They’ve just stopped running the race

Like a horse that’s snorting and covered with sweat.’

⁷ ‘Well, storks in the skies know their time, As do swallows and doves in the fields… Even sparrows keep watch for their end. Yet, my people do not understand The judgments that Yahweh has made.

⁸ ‘So, how can they say, ‘We are wise, And we have the Law of Yahweh?’ For, all the lies that are written By the quills of their scribes are in vain!

⁹ ‘[Yahweh continues:]

‘Now the wise are frightened and shamed

Because they’ve rejected My Word…

So what wisdom do they truly have?

¹⁰ ‘For I’ll give their women to other men,

And I’ll leave their fields to other men’s heirs.

Since, from the small to the great,

They have chased after money;

And from prophets to priests, they’ve all lied!

¹¹ ‘They’ve dishonored the daughters of My people,

And they shout, ‘Peace! Peace!’ when there’s really no peace!

¹² ‘So, by the disgusting things that they’re doing,

They have brought shame on themselves…

Yet they’re not ashamed of their shame…

They refuse to know any shame!

‘And because of this, they will fall

Along with the rest that will fall…

In the time of My visit, they’ll fall,’ says Yahweh.

¹³ And they will reap what they’ve [sown].’

‘Now, there are no grapes on the vines,

And there are no figs on their trees…

Even the leaves have dropped off.

¹⁴ ‘So, why are you just sitting there…

You should flee to the fortified cities!

But there, you will be turned away,

Because your God has disowned you.

‘Then, bile you’ll be given for water,

Because you have sinned against [God].

¹⁵ And although you will gather for peace,

You will not receive any peace…

Just worry when you really need healing.

¹⁶ ‘Then from Dan, you’ll hear sounds of swift horses

(The sounds of snorting and those riding steeds)…

So many that the ground will be shaken.

‘They’ll come here and eat up your land

Along with everything in it…

The cities and all those who dwell there.

¹⁷ ‘{Look!} I’ll send snakes against you to kill you

(The types that have never been charmed).

¹⁸ Then, they will incurably bite you,

Adding grief to hearts already disturbed.

¹⁹ [And Yahweh says:]

‘Look! Hear these cries of the daughters of My people,

Which will come from far-away lands:

‘Isn’t Yahweh on Zion…

Don’t we have a king anymore?’

‘But, they’ve provoked Me to rage

With their carvings of idols,

And by following many strange, worthless things.’

²⁰ Now, although summer has already passed, We’ve not received any harvest. ²¹ And about the destruction of the daughters of my people, I’m perplexed and swallowed by darkness… I’m in labor like a woman about to give birth.

²² For in GileAd, there aren’t any ointments, Nor do they have any doctors. So the daughters of my people will never be healed.

Jeremiah 9

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¹ Who’ll provide enough water to come from my head And feed the springs of tears from my eyes, So that, day and night I can cry for my people, And for the daughters of those who’ll be slain?

² Who’ll provide me a hut in the desert Where I can escape from them all? For, they are committing ‘adultery,’ And they’re breaking their Sacred Agreement [with God].

³ [And Yahweh says:]

‘Their tongues are stretched tight like bows,

As lies and mistrust increase in the land;

For, evil after evil is what they pursue,

And they no longer know Me,’ said Yahweh.

⁴ ‘So each man must keep watch on his neighbor

And not rely on even his brother;

For their brothers will stomp them under their heels

And their friends will [try to] deceive them.

⁵ ‘Now, they all [laugh at] their friends

And no way do they tell them the truth.

Since their tongues have learned to speak lies,

They do whatever is wrong,

And they feel no sorrow for the bad things they do.

⁶ ‘They’re compounding interest on interest

And treachery upon treachery;

For they no longer wish to behold Me,’ says [God].

⁷ ‘Because of this,’ says Yahweh of Armies;

‘{Look!} I’ll judge them and set them on fire!

For, what else can I possibly do

In the face of these wicked ways

Being done by the daughters of My people?

⁸ ‘Their tongues are piercing like arrows,

And the words from their mouths are deceitful.

Although each one speaks peace to his neighbors;

Inside, they really feel hatred.

⁹ ‘So, shouldn’t I pay them a visit,’ asks Yahweh,

‘And bring My vengeance upon them?’

¹⁰ ‘[Thus, it’s time to] mourn for the mountains,

And time to wail for their desert roads…

They’re failing, because there aren’t enough men,

And they no longer hear sounds from the birds in the skies…

Why, even the cattle are gone!

¹¹ ‘Evacuation is coming to JeruSalem,

And she’ll become a home for wild beasts.

I’ve appointed extinction to the cities of Judah,

And they will no longer be lived in.’

¹² ‘Now, who is the man who’s discerning?

Let him recognize this…

May the words of Yahweh be with him

So he can tell you the reasons

Why this land is being destroyed…

Being burned away into a desert

Where no one will thereafter live.

¹³ ‘So Yahweh said:

‘Because they’ve abandoned My Law

That I set in front of their faces,

And they’ve paid no attention to My voice

¹⁴ As they chase after things that pleasure their hearts

(Things that are evil and idols,

Which their fathers had taught them to worship)…

¹⁵ On account of this,’ says IsraEl’s God

(Yahweh of Armies is His Name);

‘{Look!} Upon distress, I will feed them,

And I’ll make them drink bile for their water.

¹⁶ ‘They’ll be scattered among many nations

That they and their fathers have never known;

For against them, I’m sending the sword

Until they’re completely consumed.’

¹⁷ ‘Then Yahweh said:

‘You should call for the women who wail…

Yes, shout and tell them to come!

Send for all the wise women

And tell them that this is their time to speak out.’

¹⁸ ‘So, they should start their lamenting

And really bring tears to their eyes…

Cause water to flow from their eyelids!

¹⁹ For in Zion, this dirge will be heard:

‘How have we come to such misery?

We’re disgraced, for our land is abandoned

And our tents have been thrown away!

²⁰ ‘Yes, listen to this, O you women;

For, these are the words of your God!

Let your ears hear the words from His mouth,

Then teach this lament to your daughters…

Let each one teach her neighbors to wail!

²¹ ‘For, death has crept in through your windows…

It has come to your land to wipe out your young

And remove the young men from your squares.

²² ‘Then your men must die on the face of the plains,

To set an example for those in your land;

And just like grass that’s been mowed,

None will go out to collect them.

²³ ‘Then Yahweh said:

‘Don’t let the wise boast of their wisdom…

Don’t let the mighty boast of their strength…

Don’t let the rich boast of their wealth!

²⁴ For when they boast, let them brag about this:

That they perceive Me and know Me…

That they know of My mercy and fairness,

And that I’ve judged this land to bring justice…

So these things being done, are My will,’ says Yahweh.

²⁵ ‘{Look!} For the days are coming,’ says Yahweh,

‘When I’ll visit the uncircumcised,

As well as the circumcised of Edom

²⁶ (Those in Judah, Egypt, and Edom;

The sons of AmMon and MoAb…

All those who are shaving their faces

And those who live in the deserts).

For although the flesh of the nations is uncircumcised,

In their hearts, IsraEl is uncircumcised too.’

Jeremiah 10

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¹ ‘O house of IsraEl; listen to the Word of Yahweh!

² ‘Don’t learn the ways of the gentiles

And don’t [follow] the [zodiac] signs…

These things that are feared by the nations,

³ For the customs of the nations are worthless!

‘An idol is a tree that they’ve cut from the woods,

Or it’s something that someone has cast [in a mold].

⁴ They adorn them with silver and gold,

And nail them in place with a hammer…

They [nail them tight] so they cannot move.

⁵ ‘But they’re just carved pieces of silver…

So, they are unable to speak,

And they also have to be carried,

For they can’t lift themselves into place!

‘Thus, there is no reason to fear them,

For nothing in them can do bad or good.

⁶ They aren’t like You, O Yahweh;

For You’re great… And great is the strength of Your Name.

⁷ ‘Who won’t fear You, O King of the Nations?

For to You come the wise from all lands;

Because, in each of their kingdoms,

They have no gods that are like You.

⁸ [For their idols] are foolish and thoughtless,

Since trees can just teach foolish things.

⁹ ‘It’s by the hands of skilled goldsmiths

That silver from TarShish is melded

Into gold that comes from Uphaz…

But it’s all just the workings of craftsmen!

¹⁰ Then they deck those things in purple and blue.

¹¹ ‘As a result, tell them this:

‘Let these gods that didn’t make the skies or the ground

Be destroyed from all lands under heaven!

¹² For, it was Yahweh who made the earth…

By His might, He erected man’s home.

Then, in His intelligence and wisdom,

Above it, He stretched out the heavens.

¹³ ‘He gathers all the waters under the skies

And [assembles] the clouds to the ends of the earth.

He made the lightning and rain,

And from His treasuries, He brings forth the winds.

¹⁴ ‘The knowledge of men, He disgraces;

And goldsmiths are shamed by the idols they carve.

For false gods are just cast in ovens,

And there is no spirit within them.

¹⁵ ‘They are foolish works that are made to be mocked;

And in that time [when God] comes to visit,

They will all be destroyed.

¹⁶ ‘But this isn’t the portion of Jacob;

For the One who shaped everything

(IsraEl’s inheritance and scepter)

Is named Yahweh of Armies!

¹⁷ And from the [nations], He will gather supporters

Who will dwell among His elected.’

¹⁸ Then the Lord said:

‘{Look!} I’ll stumble those who live in this land,

And squeeze them to [show all that they’ve done].

¹⁹ So, woe to you, for you’ll be destroyed,

And your wounds will be very painful.’

Then I said:

‘But I’ve already been wounded… And this has surely come from you! ²⁰ For my tent is in such a miserable condition that it is almost totally destroyed… Its coverings of skins have been ripped apart, my sons and my sheep are all gone, there are no walls for my tent, and I have no place to store its leather! ²¹ Even my shepherds have been acting stupidly. For since they’ve also failed to search for Yahweh, they’ve allowed all of my sheep to be scattered and confused in their pastures.

²² ‘{Look!} We’ve received a report that the sounds of great shaking can be heard from the land in the north, and that orders have been given to wipe out our cities… To scatter us like the nest of an ostrich!

²³ But I know, O Lord, that our people don’t know the right way to go, and we don’t even know how to walk a straight path. ²⁴ So, correct us in fairness, O Lord… Don’t send your rage and allow only a few of us to remain! ²⁵ Pour out your rage on the nations [instead]… On those kingdoms that really don’t know you, and on those who don’t call on [God’s] Name. For IsraEl has already been completely consumed, all of our pastures lie desolate, and now they’re getting ready to come and consume the rest of Jacob!’

Jeremiah 11

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¹ Then these words came to JeremiAh from the Lord. He said:

² ‘Listen to these words about [God’s] Sacred Agreement,

And then read them to the people of Judah,

As well as to those in JeruSalem.

³ This is what IsraEl’s God Yahweh declared:

‘Cursed is the man who pays no regard

To the words of the Sacred Agreement

That I made with your fathers

On the day that I led them from Egypt…

From out of that furnace of iron.

⁴ ‘If you’ll pay close attention to My voice

And do all the things that I tell you to do,

You’ll be My people and I’ll be your God.

⁵ I’ll reestablish My oath

(The oath that I swore to your fathers)

To give them this land of honey and milk

That has flowed to them to this day.’

And I replied:

‘May it be so, O my Lord.’

⁶ And the Lord said to me:

‘Read these words in the cities of Judah

And at JeruSalem’s [gates].

Then, tell them to pay close attention

To the words of the Sacred Agreement,

And be sure to obey them!

⁷ ‘For, we bore witness together,

And I’ve testified to your fathers

From the day that I led them from Egypt

Down to this very day…

I came to them early each morning

In order to witness to them.

I told them to hear the words of my voice!

But, they wouldn’t listen or turn an ear…

They just followed the bad thoughts in their hearts.

‘Although they agreed to the words of this Contract

And to the things that I said they must do;

⁸ Thereafter, they just didn’t do them.

⁹ ‘So, because of this, tell them that thus says Yahweh:

A conspiracy has been found among Judah’s men

And among those who live in JeruSalem!

¹⁰ To their father’s bad ways, they’ve returned…

The ways of those who had lived before them,

And who also refused to listen to Me.

{Look!} For, those in the houses of IsraEl and Judah

Are following and serving strange gods…

They’ve annulled My Agreement with their fathers!

¹¹ ‘And because of this,’ says Yahweh;

‘{Look!} I’ll bring an evil upon them

That they won’t be able to end.

‘Then, once again, they’ll start calling to Me,

But this time, I will not listen.

¹² And [what happens to] those in the cities of Judah,

Will [be worse] than for those in JeruSalem.

‘So then, they’ll have to call to their gods…

Those to whom they burn incense…

Those who can’t save them in times of [distress].

¹³ ‘Now, each town in Judah has its own gods,

And there are shrines on all of JeruSalem’s streets

Where they burn incense to [a] BaAl.

¹⁴ ‘So, you must not pray for these people…

Don’t beg or petition for them!

For when they call, I won’t listen

In their time of distress.

¹⁵ ‘Now, disgusting things are done in My House

By those for whom I’ve shown love!

So, will vows and holy meat atone for their bad…

Are they putting their hope in such things?’

¹⁶ ‘As a pretty olive tree providing much shade

Was the sight of those who called on His Name.

Then I heard the sound of it being chopped down…

It was lit on fire [and burned]…

So her tender branches were wasted.

¹⁷ ‘Yet, it was planted by Yahweh of Armies…

The One against whom they spoke evil.

So, on the houses of IsraEl and Judah

There also came very bad things

That they brought on themselves by provoking His rage…

By their burning incense to [a] BaAl.’

¹⁸ [But I said]:

‘O Lord,

‘Please tell me about it so I’ll know, because you’re the only one who’s fully aware of what they’re doing! ¹⁹ However, I’m just an innocent lamb who doesn’t know he’s being led to the sacrifice; for they’re even plotting and making plans against me, saying:

‘Come, let’s give him wood for his bread…

From the land of the living, let’s wipe him away,

And make sure that his name is forgotten!’

²⁰ ‘O Yahweh of Armies; please judge them fairly over such things… Try their kidneys and hearts! May I [live to] see Your punishment on them… But remember that I’ve acted uprightly.’

²¹ It was because of this that the Lord then replied concerning the men of AnathOth that were seeking my life. For these were the ones who were saying to me:

‘Don’t prophesy in the Name of Yahweh anymore, for if you do, we’ll kill you!’

²² So concerning them, Yahweh of Armies said this:

‘Look! I’ll pay them a visit,

Then, all their young men will die by the sword,

And their sons and daughters will starve.

²³ ‘None of them will remain;

For, to those who are living in AnathOth,

I will be bringing what’s bad

In the year that I come to visit.’

Jeremiah 12

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¹ [And I said]:

‘You are righteous, O Lord; so, let me plead my case before You, and I’ll leave it for you to decide.

‘Why do the irreverent [seem to] succeed,

And the wicked and disrespectful continue to prosper?

² Yet, they were planted and rooted by you,

And they produced children and fruitage.

So it seems as though you are near to their mouths

But far away from their kidneys.

³ ‘You know me, O Lord,

And before you, my heart has been tried.

So, may they be gathered like flocks

That are dedicated for slaughter!

⁴ ‘How long will the land have to mourn

And all the grass in the fields become dry

Because of their evil deeds?

Although they offer God cattle and birds,

They say He doesn’t see what they’re doing.’

⁵ [And the Lord replied]:

‘Since your feet get so tired when they run,

How can you be ridden like a horse?

Why have you trusted that there will be peace

And why do you whinny for the JorDan?

⁶ ‘For, even your brothers and the house of your father

Have failed to pay attention to you…

Behind your back, they are yelling at you!

So, don’t trust them when they speak kind words.’

⁷ [And I said]:

‘I have abandoned my home…

My inheritance, I have forsaken…

And into the hands of her enemies

I’ve given the love of my life.

⁸ ‘For [she], (my inheritance) has now become

Like a lion that lives in the woods…

She roared, so I started to hate her.

⁹ ‘She’s become a den of hyenas,

And [this den] is now her protection.

So, gather to her the beasts of the fields

And let them go there to eat her!’

¹⁰ [And the Lord replied]:

‘Many shepherds have corrupted my vineyard…

Yes, they have tainted my portion…

They’ve turned my portion into a land that’s unwalked!

¹¹ ‘So, destruction and extinction is what I have planned.

And because of me, the land will all be destroyed.

Yet, the people have failed to take this to heart.

¹² ‘Then, through every pass in the desert

Will come those who bring misery…

Those who will use my sword to consume.

And from one end of the land to the other;

There won’t be any peace for all flesh.

¹³ ‘For, although I once planted wheat there,

Thorn-bushes is all that it [grew]…

So, all of my efforts were wasted.

Therefore, be ashamed of your prideful words

And for speaking in scorn to Yahweh!’

¹⁴ Then the Lord said:

‘When it comes to the wicked around you

(Those who have touched my belongings…

IsraEl, my people and portion);

{Look!} From their land, I will take them away…

I’ll uproot the people of Judah.

¹⁵ ‘But, after I drive them away,

I will also let them return,

And I will show mercy upon them.

Yes I’ll let them return and resettle

In the land they received from their fathers…

I’ll return each one to his [home].

¹⁶ ‘And if my people should learn the right way

Then start swearing their oaths by [God’s] Name…

If they’ll say, As Yahweh is living,

As they’re now swearing by [a] BaAl;

I’ll let them return and rebuild their homes.

¹⁷ ‘But, if they should choose not to return,

I will lift that nation away…

I’ll remove them and then I’ll destroy them,’ said the Lord.

Jeremiah 13

←12 | All books | All chapters | 14→

¹ Then the Lord said:

‘Now, go buy a loin cloth of linen,

And thereafter, wrap it around you…

But, do not wash it in water.’

² So I went out and bought the loincloth, just as I was told by the Word of Yahweh, and I wrapped it around my loins. ³ Then the Word of Yahweh came to me a second time saying:

‘Now you should take off the loincloth

(The one whom you’ve wrapped ‘round your loins),

⁴ Then get up and go to the River EuPhrates,

And hide it in a hole among rocks!’

⁵ So I went and hid it by the EuPhrates, just as the Lord had told me to do.

⁶ Then after many days, the Lord said to me:

‘Now, get up and go back to the River EuPhrates…

Go search and bring back that loincloth…

The one I told you to hide there.’

⁷ So I went back to the EuPhrates and dug up the loincloth from the place where I’d hidden it… And {Look!} it was ruined… There’s no way that it could have been used after that.

⁸ Then the Word of Yahweh came and told me [and said]:

⁹ ‘This is what Yahweh has said:

‘Like this, I’ll corrupt the insolence of Judah

Because of JeruSalem’s insolent ways…

¹⁰ The insolence of those who don’t wish to obey…

Those who follow in the wicked ways of their hearts

By chasing and serving strange gods,

Then bowing to their faces before them.

‘They will become like this loincloth,

Which will never be useful again.

¹¹ For, just as this cloth hugs the loins of a man,

I’ve stuck by the houses of IsraEl and Judah,’ says Yahweh.

‘They’d have been a famous people to Me

And a reason for boasting and glory…

But they have paid Me no heed!

¹² ‘So, speak these words to those people…

Say that IsraEl’s God Yahweh says this:

‘Your leather bags will be filled with wine!’

‘And when they ask:

‘Don’t you think that we already know

That our leather bags will be filled with wine?

Why have you have said this to us?’

¹³ ‘Tell them that thus says Yahweh:

‘{Look!} I’ll fill those in this land with strong drink…

Their kings (David’s sons) that sit on their thrones,

As well as their priests and their prophets,

Along with all those living in Judah

And those who live in JeruSalem.

¹⁴ ‘Then, I will send them away…

Each man will be torn from his brother,

And all sons will be torn from their fathers.

And thereafter, I will not miss them,’ says Yahweh…

‘I won’t spare them or pity their ruin.’

¹⁵ So, hear this… Yes listen, and then give up hope!
For, this is what the Lord said:

‘Give glory to Yahweh, your God…

¹⁶ Give glory before it gets dark…

Before your feet stumble amid mountain shade

Where you’ll wait for light in the shadow of death,

But where you will only find darkness!

¹⁷ ‘For, if you choose not to listen,

You’ll weep in secret, because of your pride;

And there, your eyes will shed tears

For the scattered flock of Yahweh.

¹⁸ ‘Now, go and say this to your king:

‘Your rulers must sit down and humble themselves,

For their wreaths of glory will be knocked from their heads.

¹⁹ ‘The cities towards the south will be also closed,

And not be opened again.

Then the people of Judah will be resettled

In a complete relocation.

²⁰ ‘So, raise your eyes, O JeruSalem,

And see what’s coming to you from the north!

‘And where is the flock that was given to you…

[Yes, where are] the sheep of your glory?

²¹ What will you say when those people arrive

And you’ll have to teach them hard lessons

Against yourselves and your rule?

‘Won’t labor pangs then control you

As though you’re a woman about to give birth?

²² ‘And if you should ask in your heart,

‘Why has this happened to me?’

It’s because your sins have been great!

So your butt will now be uncovered

To be an example to your heels.

²³ ‘If Ethiopians could change their skin color

Or leopards could change all their spots;

You’d also be able to do what is good

And learn [not to do] any evil.

²⁴ ‘So, your people will be scattered by [God]…

Like twigs that are blown in the desert by winds.

²⁵ Yes, this is your portion and lot,

Because of the ways you’ve opposed [Him],’ said the Lord.

‘For, you forgot [Him] and trusted in lies.

²⁶ So, to your faces, I’ll now show your butts…

Your dishonor will be exposed before all.

²⁷ ‘Yes I’ve seen your snorting and adultery…

Your disgusting acts and the whoring

That you’ve done in your hills and in all your fields.

‘So, woe to you, O JeruSalem,

Because you’re too dirty to follow me,

And for you, there’s no hope any longer!’

Jeremiah 14

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¹ Then the Word of Yahweh came to me (JeremiAh) to [speak about] the drought.

[For I had said:]

² ‘Judah is mourning, for her gates are now empty,

And the land is enveloped in darkness,

As cries are ascending from JeruSalem.

³ ‘Her great ones send young men for water,

Who find nothing when they get to the wells;

So, all they bring back is just empty jars.

⁴ ‘The works in the land have failed also,

For there hasn’t been any rain.

So the farmers are shamed and they cover their heads.

⁵ And when the hinds in the prairies give birth,

They just abandon their young…

For there’s not enough [grass] in the fields.

⁶ ‘Wild burros in the woods must suck wind;

And because there is so little hay,

The eyes of the wild beasts have failed.

⁷ ‘Because of our sins, [You’ve] opposed us, O Lord;

But, help us for the sake of Your Name.

However, our errors are many,

And we’re [guilty] of sinning against You.

⁸ ‘But Yahweh,

‘You are IsraEl’s endurance…

In hard times, You’ve been our Savior.

So, why are You being a stranger to us…

Like a native-born son on vacation?

⁹ ‘Are You like a man who is sleeping,

Or someone who is able to save us?

For, You’ve been among us, O Lord,

And we are called by Your Name;

So, You should never forget us!’

¹⁰ And the Lord replied concerning these people:

‘They’ve [sinned] and they have spared no one;

So, God hasn’t prospered their ways,

And because He is now recalling their sins…

For their errors, He’s coming to visit.’

¹¹ Then the Lord told me:

‘Don’t request good things for these people;

¹² For, when they fast, I won’t hear their prayers.

And if they should bring sacrifices,

I won’t look kindly upon them.

Rather, I’ll finish them off with the sword,

And to the rest, I will then send a famine.’

¹³ And I said:

‘O Great Being… O Lord,

‘Our prophets have said that we won’t ever see the sword and that we’ll never go hungry… Rather, they’re saying that You’re going to bring peace to our land!’

¹⁴ And then the Lord said this to me:

‘Those who prophesy such in [God’s] Name

Are just telling them lies;

For, I did not really send them,

Nor did I tell them what they should say.

‘So the visions that they have are all lies;

And the signs and omens that they prophesy,

Are just things that come from their hearts.

¹⁵ ‘Therefore, this was said by Yahweh:

‘You must tell those who prophesy lies in My Name

(Those whom I didn’t send)…

[Because you’ve said] that famine and the sword

Will never come to this land;

You prophets will die by diseases,

And I’ll finish what’s left by starvation!

¹⁶ ‘Yes, you who are telling such stories

Will all die by the sword and by famine;

Then your bodies will be tossed in JeruSalem’s streets.

‘You won’t be buried in tombs…

Nor will your wives, sons, or daughters.

For I’ll pour your own badness upon you!’

¹⁷ ‘Then tell them that Yahweh said this:

‘Your eyes will be filled with tears day and night…

For you will never stop crying!

To the daughters of My people will just come defeat…

Yes, they will be horribly beaten!

¹⁸ ‘So, when you go out to the fields,

You’ll see those cut down by the sword.

And when you enter the cities,

You’ll see the misery of famine.

Then, to lands that you’ve never known,

They’ll carry you prophets and priests!’

¹⁹ [And I asked:]

‘Are you saying that Yahweh has rejected all of Judah and that He has removed His Soul from Zion? Why is He striking us instead of healing us? For although we’ve been waiting for peace, nothing good has happened… [we’ve been waiting for] healing, but things are just getting worse!

²⁰ ‘O Lord, we’re aware of our errors and the sins of our fathers… Yes we know that we’re guilty of sins before You. ²¹ But please back off because of Your Name… Don’t destroy Your glorious throne! Please remember Your Sacred Agreement… Please don’t wipe it away!

²² ‘For, which idol of the nations can bring rain… Which one can bring what they say they can bring from the skies? Who other than You can accomplish such things… [Who other than] our God Yahweh?

‘Therefore, we’ll continue to wait upon You, since You’re the One who created it all!’

Jeremiah 15

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¹ And then the Lord said to me:

‘If you’d stand SamuEl and Moses before me…

Even for them, my soul wouldn’t change.

So, send these people away from my face…

Yes, let them [be carried away]!

² ‘And if they should ask, Where are we going?

You should tell them that thus says Yahweh:

‘As many as are [appointed for] death

[Are the numbers of those] who will die;

As many as are [appointed] to the sword

[Are the numbers of those] who will die by the sword;

As many as are [appointed] to famine

[Are the numbers of those] who will starve;

And as many as are [appointed] to be captives

[Are the numbers of those] who’ll be carried away.’

³ ‘And Yahweh said:

‘I will take vengeance in 4 different ways:

· They’ll be put to death by the sword,

· They’ll be torn to pieces by dogs,

· They’ll serve as prey for wild beasts,

· They’ll be rotting flesh for the birds in the skies.

⁴ ‘To many distresses, I’ll hand them

To all the kingdoms throughout the earth

Because of ManasSeh, king of Judah

(The son of King HezekiAh),

And for all that he did in JeruSalem.

⁵ ‘O JeruSalem; who will spare you?

Yes, who will be timid against you,

And who will say, ‘May you have peace?’

For to Me, you have now turned [your backs],’ says Yahweh.

⁶ So now, you will be [forced to] retreat;

‘Then I’ll stretch out My hand to destroy you

And I will not spare you thereafter.

⁷ ‘I’ll scatter and disperse those inside the gates,

And they will all become childless…

They’ll destroy My people, because they’re so bad.

⁸ ‘Then there’ll be more widows than the sands of the seas…

For to mothers of young men, I’ll send misery…

I’ll bring trembling and anxiety upon them at noon.

⁹ ‘So the one who bore 7 will have none,

For their lives will meet with misfortune

And their sun will have set at midday.

They’ll be disgraced and berated,

And I’ll hand what’s left to the sword,’ says Yahweh.’

¹⁰ So, woe to you, O mother who bore me; For I’ve become a man who must judge And bring bad things to this land.

Yet, none of this will benefit me, Since no one has offered to help me, And I’ve been weakened by all those who curse me.

¹¹ So may it be, O Yahweh the Almighty… May they get no help in their time of distress, And may their enemies bring them no good. ¹² Let them know that [You are like] iron And Your strength is like a robe made of brass.

¹³ [Then the Lord said this concerning the people]:

‘Because of the sins in your borders,

I’ll hand all your treasures to them.

¹⁴ Before them, you all will be slaves,

And you’ll live in lands that you’ve never known.

For a fire will start burning among you,

Which will be lit by my rage.’

¹⁵ But Lord; please do not forget me… Save me from those who pursue me… Please don’t hold back [Your hand], Since it’s because of You, that I’m hated ¹⁶ By those who don’t want to hear what You’ve said.

If You’ll completely finish them off, Your words will bring joy to my heart. For, O Yahweh the Almighty; I’m a man who is called by Your Name!

¹⁷ I don’t sit among those who have mocked You, And before Your hand, I was cautious. I sat by myself all alone Filled with great indignation.

¹⁸ But, why do You allow those who bring grief to win? For my wounds by them have been so severe… And now, where can I go to get healed? Yes, to me, this is untested water… It’s something that I cannot trust.

¹⁹ Then the Lord said:

‘If you should ever return [to this land],

I’ll return everything that you’ve owned,

And before my face, you’ll stand once again.

‘But now, you must separate those who are worthy

From all the rest that are not,

And you must serve as my mouth.

‘And although they may come before you,

You must not go before them.

²⁰ For, to these people, I’ve made you

A fortified wall of forged brass.

‘So, although they’ll wage war against you,

They won’t be able to beat you,

Because I am here and I’ll save you.

‘Yes, I’ll rescue you from their hands,’ said [the Lord]…

‘From the hands of the wicked, I’ll save you…

I’ll ransom you from these cursed people.’

Jeremiah 16

←15 | All books | All chapters | 17→

¹ Then the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

² ‘Don’t take another wife in this place

And don’t father more daughters or sons.

³ For, concerning the sons and the daughters

That have been born in this place…

And concerning the mothers that gave them birth,

And those in this land that are fathers,

[Your God Yahweh says this]:

⁴ ‘They’ll die by death and disease,

And not be entombed or lamented…

As examples, they’ll lie on the face of the ground!

‘Most will fall by the sword,

And starvation will kill all the rest.

Their corpses will serve as food for wild beasts

And for the birds in the skies.’

⁵ And the Lord told me:

‘Don’t join in their [funeral processions],

And for them, don’t mourn or lament,

Since I’m the one who took peace away,

Along with compassion and mercy.

⁶ ‘So the great and the small of this land will all die

And they won’t be lamented or buried…

No one will beat their chests over them,

Nor cut on themselves or shave their heads.

⁷ ‘No way will there be feasts of mourning…

No bread will be broken to console

Those who are mourning their dead.

Nor will any drinks be provided

For the deaths of their fathers and mothers.

⁸ ‘So don’t enter their homes for a banquet…

Don’t sit beside them to eat or to drink;

⁹ For thus says Yahweh, IsraEl’s God:

‘{Look!} Before your eyes, I’ll remove them,

And during your [life, this will happen].

There’ll be no sounds of gladness or joy,

Nor the voices of grooms and their brides.

¹⁰ ‘Now, when you say this to the people, they’ll ask:

‘Why has Yahweh pronounced such bad things…

What wrongs have we really done…

How have we sinned against God?’

¹¹ ‘And this must be your reply:

It’s because your fathers have left Me,’ says Yahweh;

And they have followed strange gods…

They bowed before them and served them…

They’ve abandoned Me and not kept My Laws…

¹² And you’re more wicked than them!

‘{Look!} For you’ve chased all the evil that pleases your hearts,

And you have refused to obey Me.

¹³ So I’ll drive you away from this land

To a land that is strange to your fathers and you,

Where you’ll serve strange gods day and night…

Those who will show you no mercy!

¹⁴ ‘Yes, because of this, days will come when they’ll say:

‘As Yahweh is living…

The One who led IsraEl from Egypt...’

¹⁵ ‘But then, they will also be saying:

‘As Yahweh is living…

The One who led IsraEl back

From the lands in the north,

And from everywhere else they were taken...’

‘For then, I will bring them back to their land…

This land that I gave to their fathers.

¹⁶ ‘{Look!} To them, I will send men who fish,’ says Yahweh,

And they will go fishing for them.

I will also send out the hunters

Who’ll hunt for them on the mountains and hills

And even in holes among rocks.

¹⁷ ‘But My eyes are now watching their ways,

So they can’t hide their offenses from Me.

¹⁸ And it’s because of all their unrighteous ways…

For the sins with which they’ve ruined My land…

For the disgusting things of their rotting flesh

And for filling My inheritance with their lawless deeds,

That I will pay them back double!

¹⁹ ‘But thereafter, they will be saying:

‘O Yahweh, our helper and strength…

Our refuge during hard times…

To You, all the nations will come

From the ends of the earth.’

‘And they will also be saying:

‘How false were the idols that our fathers acquired;

Because, in them, there was no hope at all…

²⁰ Although each man made his own gods,

None of these really proved to be gods!’

²¹ ‘{Look!} At that time, I will show them My hand…

Yes, I will show them My might.

Then they’ll learn that My Name is Yahweh!’

Jeremiah 17

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¹ ‘Thus says Yahweh:

All the sins of Judah have been inscribed

With a stylus of iron…

In the tablets of their hearts, they’ve been clawed,

And upon the horns of their altars.

² ‘So their sons will remember their altars,

As well as their sacred poles,

Which were found under every tree in the woods

And upon every high hill.

³ ‘And on the mountains, there in your plains,

I will give your wealth and treasures as loot

For the sins [you’ve committed] upon these high peaks.

⁴ ‘Then the inheritance that I gave to you will be gone,

And you’ll have to serve people who hate you

In a land that you’ve never known.

For you’ve kindled the fire of My wrath,

Which will blaze against you throughout the rest of this age.’

⁵ Then the Lord said:

‘Cursed is the man who has any hope;

For, although his flesh is still on his arms,

His heart is far from Yahweh.

⁶ So he’ll be like a tree in the desert,

And when good things arrive, he won’t see them.

For in a desert of salt, he’ll be planted…

In a brackish land, where no one has lived.

⁷ ‘But, praised is the man who relies on the Lord

And puts his hope in Yahweh.

⁸ For he’ll be like a tree planted near water

That shoots its roots into moisture.

‘He’ll have no fear of sweltering heat

And grow fat like a tree in the woods.

He’ll have nothing to fear in the year of the drought,

And he’ll keep on producing good fruit.

⁹ ‘Since hearts are the deepest of things,

Who can know [what’s inside] a man?

¹⁰ But, I can examine the hearts,

And I also put the kidneys on trial,

Then repay each one for his ways

By the fruits of the things that he’s done.

¹¹ ‘As a partridge calls out to [eggs] that won’t hatch,

Is the man who is rich but unfair.

For in the last half of his days,

He will lose all his wealth…

And this [will prove] that he’s been a fool.’

¹² [O Lord],

Our Holy Place is Your glorious throne, Which we’ve held in esteem since most ancient times. ¹³ But, IsraEl now awaits the disgrace That will come upon those who have left You.

So, may the names of those who’ve rebelled Be written deep under the ground, Since they’ve left their Lord and the source of their life!

¹⁴ Make the Sabbath days holy again… Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed… Save me and I’ll be delivered, For, You are my reasons for boasting!

¹⁵ They ask:

‘Where is this Word of Yahweh?

May [whatever He says] come upon us!’

¹⁶ But I’ve never tired of following You, And I’ve had no desire to do what they’ve done.

You know all the things that have come from my lips… Before Your face, they’re all here! ¹⁷ So, please don’t push me away… Protect me when that bad day arrives!

¹⁸ May those who chase me be shamed, And may I not bring disgrace on myself. Although they may come to know terror, May terror never come upon me. Yes, bring that bad day upon them… Double the destruction upon them!

¹⁹ And then the Lord said this to me:

‘Go stand at the gates of the sons of your people

(The gates through which kings of Judah now walk …

Those gates through which they must pass).

Yes, go and stand at each of those gates,

²⁰ And this is what you should tell them:

‘O you kings of Judea…

You kings of Judah and JeruSalem

And all the rest that enter these gates;

Hear the Word of Yahweh!

²¹ ‘For Yahweh has said you can save yourselves

By not carrying loads here on the Sabbaths…

Don’t carry anything through JeruSalem’s gates

²² Or from your homes on the Sabbaths.

He told you not to do any work,

And to keep the Sabbath days holy;

Since, that’s what He told your fathers to do!’

²³ ‘But, they’ll not turn and listen to you…

They’ll have stiffer necks than their fathers…

They’ll not pay attention or do what you say.’

²⁴ Then the Lord [told me to say this to them]:

‘If you will just listen to Me

And not carry goods through these gates on the Sabbaths…

If you’ll treat the Sabbaths as holy

By refusing to do any work;

Then, kings and rulers will enter these gates

Who will still sit upon David’s throne.

²⁵ ‘They’ll come through here with horses and chariots,

And I will appoint them the rulers

Of Judah and JeruSalem…

Then they’ll settle in this city throughout the ages.

²⁶ ‘And at that time, [the people] will come

From Judah and JeruSalem.

And from BenJamin’s land they’ll come also…

From the mountains and fields in the south.

‘Here they’ll be bringing burnt-offerings,

Along with incense and frankincense,

As well as offerings of praise and thanksgiving…

Here to the Temple of Yahweh.

²⁷ ‘But, if you should choose not to listen

And not treat My Sabbaths as holy…

If you continue to lift and tote loads

Through JeruSalem’s gates on the Sabbaths;

I’ll kindle a fire inside of these gates

To devour JeruSalem’s plazas…

A fire that won’t be extinguished!’

Jeremiah 18

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¹ This message came to JeremiAh from Yahweh. ² He said:

‘Get up and go to the house of the potter

And hear the words that I’ll say there.’

³ So I went to the house of the potter, and {Look!} there I found the man making a [pot] on his stone. ⁴ However, the pot that he was making then fell apart, so he reshaped it into one that he was pleased with.

⁵ It was then that the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

⁶ ‘Now, Yahweh is asking this question:

‘O House of IsraEl;

Can’t I shape you in the same way

That the potter just [reshaped this pot]?

For, O house of IsraEl;

Like clay in the hands of a potter

Is what you are in My hands.

⁷ ‘So, when I speak of bringing an end

To any nation or kingdom,

And I plan to destroy them and lift them away;

⁸ If the nation should turn from the bad,

I can then change My mind

About the bad things that I’d planned.

⁹ ‘And when I speak of building a nation or kingdom,

¹⁰ And they [choose to be] wicked before Me,

Refusing to hear what I say;

About the good things of which I had planned,

I can then change My mind.’

¹¹ ‘So, say this to those men of Judea

And to those who live in JeruSalem…

Tell them that thus says Yahweh:

‘{Look!} I will shape bad things against you

And devise against you, a plot,

Unless you turn from your evil ways

And change your bad ways to good!

¹² ‘Yet, this is what they’ll say in reply:

‘We’ll act like men and do as we please…

We’ll do whatever is bad in our hearts!’

¹³ ‘And because of this, thus says Yahweh:

‘Go and ask the gentiles this question:

Have you heard better reasons to shudder

Than what IsraEl, the virgin, has done?

¹⁴ ‘Will snow leave the rocks on the mountains?

Will rain not fall when it’s blown by the wind?

¹⁵ Yet, because My own people forgot Me,

It’s in vain that they’re burning incense to Me,

And they’ll now grow weak in their paths.

‘On the roads of the ages, they will not walk;

For, since they don’t know the right way to go,

¹⁶ They’ve ordered extinction upon their own land…

A hissing [that will last] throughout the ages.

‘Then, all that go there will be stupefied,

And they will just shake their heads.

¹⁷ For, enemies will blow them away

As though they are flames in the wind…

Yes, I’ll show them the rear not the front

In the day that they’re being destroyed!’

¹⁸ Well after that, [the people] started saying:

‘We need to come up with a plot [to destroy] JeremiAh, for the Law won’t really pass away, nor will the wisdom or words of [our] prophets. Come on, let’s beat him on his tongue so we won’t have to listen to his words anymore!’

¹⁹ Hear me, O Lord,

Hear the [results] of my righteous deeds! ²⁰ Should I be repaid with evil for the good [that I’m doing]? For right now they’re meeting and talking about doing something evil to my life!

Please remember [all the times] that I stood here before You and asked You to do good things for them… When I urged You to turn from Your rage against them! ²¹ But now, because of [these things that they’re saying], please bring a famine upon all their sons and hand them over to those who are carrying swords! Let their women become childless and widows… May all of their husbands be killed, and may all their young men fall by the sword! ²² Let there be cries in their homes as You set looters upon them… For now they’re plotting to arrest me and they’re hiding snares to catch me!

²³ Yes, You know, O Lord, that they’re planning to kill me; so don’t overlook their errors and sins, and wipe them away from before You. Let their failures always remain in Your [eyes], and then deal with them in the day of Your rage!

Jeremiah 19

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¹ Well at that, the Lord said to me:

‘Go buy a shaped earthenware pitcher

From the elders of the people and the priests.

² Then go to the graveyard of Hinnom’s sons

At the threshold of the East Gate,

And read all these words that I’ll tell you:

³ ‘Say:

‘O you kings of Judea,

And you who live in JeruSalem;

Hear the word of Yahweh!

For Yahweh of Armies, the God of IsraEl now says

That He’ll bring so many bad things to this place

That it will ring in the ears of those hearing about it!

⁴ ‘For, they’ve left Him and [chosen] this place

Where they burn incense to their strange gods

(Gods that their fathers never knew).

And the kings of Judah have filled up this place

With the blood of innocent men.

⁵ ‘Here, they’ve built [altars] to [a] BaAl,

And they’ve burned their sons in a fire…

Something that God never spoke of

And which He never told them to do,

Or ever came into His heart!

⁶ ‘And because of this, days will come,’ said the Lord,

‘When they’ll call this [The Valley] no longer,

Nor the Graveyard of Hinnom’s sons.

It’ll be called, The Graveyard of Slaughter!

⁷ ‘For there, I’ll slay the counselors of Judah,

As well as those of JeruSalem…

Before their enemies, I’ll cut them down

Through the hands of those who are seeking their lives.

Then I’ll hand their dead to the birds as their food,

As well as to the wild beasts of the ground.

⁸ ‘I’ll order the extinction of this city…

It’ll be just a place where hissing is heard.

And all that come here will look at it sadly,

Then whistle [when they see] its disaster.

⁹ ‘Here they’ll eat the flesh of their daughters and sons,

And in their strongholds, the flesh of their neighbors,

When their enemies (those seeking their lives) have arrived.’

¹⁰ ‘Then, break that pitcher in front of their eyes,

And before those who’ve traveled there with you,

¹¹ Then tell them that thus says Yahweh:

‘This is how I will do it;

I’ll break your city and its people

Just like this pot has been shattered

So that it cannot be repaired.

Then they will be buried here in this place

Where [they now play] tambourines…

And there’ll be no other place to be buried.’

¹² ‘Yahweh says:

This is what I will do to this place,

And to all those who live here…

I’ll hand this city to destruction…

¹³ Yes, all of JeruSalem’s homes

And the palaces of all of its rulers.

‘It will all fall into ruin

Because of the bad things they’ve done here.

For here, they’ve burned incense on roofs

To each of the [Zodiac signs],

And they’ve offered drinks to strange gods.’

¹⁴ Then JeremiAh left [the valley] where The Lord had sent him to prophesy, and he went and stood in the courtyard of the [Temple] of Yahweh and said this to all the people who were there:

‘Thus says Yahweh of Armies:

‘{Look!} I’ll bring calamity on this city

And to the rest of its cities and towns.

I’m bringing all of the evils that I’ve spoken against her;

For, you have hardened your necks,

And not listened to the instructions that I sent.’

Jeremiah 20

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¹ Well, when PashUr son of ImMer (the Priest who had been anointed as the leader of the Temple of Yahweh) heard what JeremiAh was prophesying, ² he had him beaten and thrown into the dungeon near the Upper Gate of the House of BenJamin, which was near the Temple of Yahweh.

³ Then the next morning, as PashUr was leading JeremiAh out of the dungeon, JeremiAh said to him:

‘Yahweh won’t call your name PashUr anymore. Rather, He’s going to call you Refugee. ⁴ Because, Yahweh says this:

‘{Look!} I will hand over you and your friends,

And you’ll be taken away from this place.

Then, each one will be cut down by enemy swords…

And your eyes will see it all happen.

‘Then I’ll hand over Judah to Babylon’s king,

And he’ll move the people away

Or cut them to pieces with swords.

⁵ ‘I’ll remove the strength from this city

– All its works and all the king’s treasures –

And give them into their enemy’s hands.

‘Then to Babylon, they all will be led;

⁶ And you and all that live in your house

Will be taken to Babylon as captives,

And that is the place where you’ll die…

It’s where you’ll be entombed with your friends

To whom you prophesied lies.’

⁷ Then I said:

‘You’ve deceived me, O Lord… Yes, I was truly deceived! Although You’ve held on and won, I’m the butt of their laughter every day and I’m the one they’re all sneering at! ⁸ So from now on, I’m just going to laugh at the bitterness and call for more misery and rebellion, since all that speaking the word of Yahweh has brought me is scorn and taunting every day.’

⁹ And I said:

‘There’s no way that I’m going to [speak of] Yahweh anymore… I won’t even mention His Name!’

However, soon it became like a fire that burned and blazed in my bones and made me weak on the inside, until I was no longer able to bear it. [So I said:]

¹⁰ ‘I’ve heard that they’ve said in their meetings:

‘We should all rise up against him…

Yes, let’s stand together against him

As well as against all his friends!

‘Let’s ignore what he says will be coming…

Yes, let him keep on being deceived.

For against him, we will prevail,

And then, we’ll take vengeance upon him!’

¹¹ ‘However, Yahweh is with me,

As a warrior that’s making me strong.

So, they have chased me in vain…

And although they will all meet with shame,

They’ll fail to see their dishonor,

Which will not be forgotten throughout ages.

¹² ‘O Lord,

‘Try me according to Your righteous ways…

Examine my kidneys and heart.

May I witness Your punishment on them…

For before You, I’ve laid out my pleas for defense.

¹³ ‘So, sing to Yahweh and praise Him,

Because He’ll save the lives of the poor

From the hands of those who have power!

¹⁴ ‘O cursed is the day I was born…

May the day that my mother gave birth

Never be longed for again!

¹⁵ ‘And may that person be cursed

Who brought this as news to my father:

‘Rejoice, for you have a male child!’

¹⁶ May he be as the cities that did not repent

And were destroyed by Yahweh!

‘Let him hear their cries in the mornings,

As well as their shouting at noon!

¹⁷ For [God] failed to kill me in my mother’s womb

And let it serve as my tomb throughout the ages.

¹⁸ ‘Why did I come from the womb…

Just to see all of this misery

And to spend all my days in such shame?’

Jeremiah 21

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¹ The following are the words that came to JeremiAh from Yahweh after King ZedekiAh had sent PashUr (son of MelchiAh) and ZephaniAh (son of MaAseJah) the Priest to him to say this:

² ‘Go beg to Yahweh for us, because the king of Babylon has us surrounded! [Ask] if the Lord will send wonders and drive that king from [our walls].’

³ So the Lord then told JeremiAh:

‘Give this reply [from Yahweh] to King ZedekiAh:

‘I’ll turn back the weapons of war in your hands

That you’re using to fight those Chaldeans

Who have come to oppress you,

And that are outside of your walls;

⁴ Then, I’ll bring them into your city.

⁵ ‘For, I will wage war against you

With My outstretched hand and My mighty arm

In [My] anger and rage.

⁶ ‘I’ll strike all those who live in this city

In a slaughter of men and their cattle…

Yes, they will all be destroyed!

⁷ ‘And then,’ said Yahweh,

I’ll hand over Judah’s King ZedekiAh,

As well as all of his servants,

Along with those who live in this city

Who’ll survive death from the famine

And the swords in the hands of those seeking their lives.

‘By the mouth of the sword, they’ll cut them to bits…

They will not spare or feel pity!’

⁸ ‘Then, speak to these people and tell them…

Yes, tell them that thus says Yahweh:

‘{Look!} Before your faces, I’ve put life and death.

⁹ And those who stay in this city

Will die by famine or by the sword.

But those who leave to join the Chaldeans

(Those men who have you surrounded) will live…

Your [reward] will be your own lives!

¹⁰ ‘For against this city, I’ve now set My face

To do just bad things, not good,’ says Yahweh,

‘It’s going to be handed to Babylon’s king,

And he will then burn it in fire.

¹¹ ‘O house of the kings of Judea;

Hear the Word of Yahweh!

¹² And to you, the house of [King] David;

Against you, Yahweh said this:

‘In the morning, discuss the judgment on you,

And then get yourselves straightened out.

Rescue those being shredded

From the hands of those who are doing them wrong!

‘Don’t let My anger be lit like a fire;

For, after it has been kindled,

No one will come here to put it out!

¹³ ‘Look… It’s Me that’s coming against

All you who live in these [mountains],

And you who live in the plains…

Those who have asked, ‘Whom must we fear?’

And, ‘Who could enter our homes?’

¹⁴ ‘Yes, I am the One who is watching

And the One who will light the fire,

Which will burn everything that’s around [you]!’

Jeremiah 22

←21 | All books | All chapters | 23→

¹ Then the Lord said:

‘So now, go to the [palace] of Judah’s king,

And these are the words you must speak there:

² ‘O you king of Judea,

Hear the Word of Yahweh…

Yes, you who are sitting upon David’s throne…

You, as well as your servants,

And all the people who enter your gates!’

³ ‘Tell him that this is what was said by Yahweh:

‘You must [learn to] be righteous and fair,

And rescue those being plundered

From the hands of those who are doing them wrong!

‘Don’t tyrannize strangers, orphans, or widows…

Don’t be irreverent anymore…

And stop shedding innocent blood in this place!

⁴ ‘For, if you [continue] doing such things,

Their kings will enter the gates of this house,

And on David’s throne, they will sit.

Yes, they, their children, and people

Will come here on chariots and horses!

⁵ ‘If you choose not to listen to Me,

I swear this oath by Myself,’ says Yahweh,

‘On your house, I will bring desolation!’

⁶ ‘And Yahweh said this against the [palace] of the king of Judah:

‘You’re the same as GileAd to Me;

For, you are Lebanon’s head.

So, shouldn’t I wipe you away

And leave your cities deserted?

⁷ ‘I’ll bring annihilation upon you

By a man who carries the axe.

He’ll cut down all your fine cedars,

And throw them into a fire.

⁸ ‘Then, nations will [march] through this city,

And each man will ask his companion:

‘Why did [God] let this happen?’

⁹ ‘And the other will give this reply:

‘Because they abandoned their Sacred Agreement

With Yahweh their God…

Because they bowed to and served other gods.’

¹⁰ ‘So don’t weep or feel sorry for those who will die…

Rather, weep for those who’ll be carried away.

For, they will never return

Or see the land of their fathers again.'

¹¹ The Lord also said these words against ShalLum (JehoiAkim) king of Judah (son of [King] JosiAh), who reigned in place of his [brother] who’d been carried] off [to Egypt].

He said:

‘You will never return here,

¹² And you’ll die where I’ll have you taken…

So this land will never see you again!

¹³ ‘For your [palace] was built on injustice,

And unfairly, its rooms were constructed,

Since you made your neighbors work without pay…

You didn’t even pay them their wages!

¹⁴ ‘A well-designed house, you’ve built for yourself,

With windows and good ventilation,

And cedar walls that are painted vermillion.

¹⁵ But, should you have started to rule

Because you disliked your father?

‘Of food and drink, he had plenty,

Because he was fair, honest, and just!

¹⁶ But, you have not [seen the need]

To judge the humble in fairness,

Or to be just with the poor!

‘Yahweh asks:

‘Have you done this because you don’t know Me?’

¹⁷ ‘{Look!} There is nothing good in your eyes or your heart,

And your desire is just to gain wealth.

So, you are shedding innocent blood

And committing such evils as murder!’

¹⁸ Then the Lord said this against JehoiAkim, king of Judah:

'Because of all that he’s done,

Woe [will come to] this man.

So let no one feel sorry for him,

And no one should wail, ‘O my brother!’

‘Over him, they should never weep,

Or say, ‘Too bad for you, O my Lord!’

¹⁹ For, he’ll be buried like a donkey…

He’ll be scraped up and tossed from JeruSalem’s [walls]!

²⁰ ‘Now, go up to Lebanon and shout…

Go to BaShan and call to the ends of the sea,

[And you’ll see that] your lovers have been beaten!

²¹ ‘I’ve spoken to you of your sins,

And you said that you’d pay me no heed.

This has been your way since your youth…

You’ve paid no attention to my voice!

²² ‘So your shepherds will just tend the wind,

And your lovers will be taken as captives.

Then, you’ll be shamed and disgraced

Before all of those with whom you’ve made love.

²³ [‘For Yahweh says:]

‘O you who call Lebanon [your home],

And you who nest among cedars;

You’ll groan like a [woman] about to give birth;

For, pangs of grief are coming to you!

²⁴ ‘As I live,’ says Yahweh,

‘King ConiJah (JehoiAkim’s son)

Will become a seal on My right hand;

For, from your place, I will take you

²⁵ And hand you to the man who is seeking your life…

The one before whom you are cautious…

To the hands of King NebuChadNezzar

And to the hands of all his Chaldeans.

²⁶ ‘I’ll throw you and the mother who bore you

Into a land where you were not born…

And then you will die in that place!

²⁷ So, to this land that’s the love of your life,

You will never return.

²⁸ ‘ConiJah will also meet with disgrace…

And like a pot [that’s been thrown] in the trash;

He’ll be thrown in a land that he’s never known.’

²⁹ ‘O land, hear the Word of Yahweh:

³⁰ ‘Record this king as one who’s been banished,

And thereafter, proclaim this in public:

‘Nothing will grow from his ‘seed’

That will ever sit upon David’s throne,

Or rule in Judah again!’

Jeremiah 23

←22 | All books | All chapters | 24→

¹ [The Lord continues:]

‘O you shepherds who scatter

And destroy the sheep of His pasture;

Against you, Yahweh said this…

He said this to those who shepherd His [sheep]:

² ‘You have scattered My sheep…

Yes, you have pushed them away

And refused to [watch over] them.

So, {Look!} I will take vengeance upon you

For the wicked things that you’ve done.

³ ‘Then, from wherever they are on the earth,

I will gather them back

(Those who are left of My people)

From wherever they have been pushed,

And bring them [back] to their pastures,

Where they’ll multiply and grow once again.

⁴ ‘Then, I will raise shepherds to tend them

So they won’t know terror or fear,

Nor will they have to be searched for again,’ says Yahweh.

⁵ ‘Look! The days are now coming,’ says Yahweh,

‘When I’ll bring a righteous dawning to David,

And an understanding king will then reign,

Who’ll bring what’s righteous and fair to the land.

⁶ ‘In his days, he’ll bring salvation to Judah,

And IsraEl will camp in submission.

Then the Lord will call him, ‘Yahweh is Righteous.’

⁷ ‘And because of this, {Look!} days will come,’ said the Lord;

‘When they’ll not say:

‘As Yahweh’s alive…

The One who led IsraEl from Egypt.’

⁸ ‘But rather, they will be saying:

‘As Yahweh is living…

The One who gathered back IsraEl’s offspring

From the lands in the north,

And from everywhere else that they had been pushed…

And then, He returned them to their own land.’

⁹ ‘But their prophets have broken my heart…

Yes, they have rattled my bones.

I became like a person who’s broken,

Or as one who’s had too much wine

Before the face of Yahweh…

Before His beautiful, glorious face…

¹⁰ For the land is now full of adultery.

‘Because of this, the land is in mourning,

And all of its pastures have dried.

For their race has become wicked and weak,

¹¹ And their prophets and priests are corrupt.

‘Yes, I saw their wicked ways in My Temple,’ said Yahweh,

¹² ‘So I allowed them to slip into darkness,

Where they have stumbled and fallen!

Then, in the year that I come to visit,

I’ll bring more bad things upon them,’ says Yahweh.

¹³ ‘Among Samaria’s prophets,

I beheld the violations of [My] Law.

For, it was by [a] BaAl that they prophesied

To mislead IsraEl, My people.

¹⁴ ‘Then, among the prophets in JeruSalem,

I also saw reasons to shudder.

For they committed adultery and lied,

While shaking hands with the wicked…

Not turning their hands from bad ways.

‘So, they are like Sodom to Me,

And like GomorRah, are the rest of those living there.

¹⁵ And because of this,’ says Yahweh to those prophets;

‘{Look!} I will feed you on grief,

And bitter water, I’ll give you to drink.

For, everywhere throughout the whole land,

JeruSalem’s prophets have brought what is foul.’

¹⁶ ‘So, thus says Yahweh the Almighty:

‘Don’t listen to the words of those prophets…

Those who speak prophecies before you.

For their visions prove how foolish they are,

And that what they speak just comes from their hearts,

Not from the mouth of Yahweh.

¹⁷ ‘They are told by those who have pushed the Lord’s Word aside:

‘You will find peace if you’ll follow your hearts…

No evil will come to any of those

Who follow the delusions in their own hearts.’

¹⁸ ‘O who has stood in the fort of Yahweh…

Who has beheld and heard what He said…

Yes, who has listened and paid close attention?

¹⁹ ‘Look! A shaking will come from Yahweh…

His anger will arrive as a shaking;

Then a whirl-wind will come to the godless.

²⁰ ‘But this won’t turn back the rage of Yahweh

Until His heart has been satisfied.

And they won’t comprehend til their days reach their end.

[‘For He said]:

²¹ ‘Although I didn’t send those false prophets,

They came to you anyhow.

And although I’ve never spoken to them,

They have still prophesied.

²² ‘If they had followed My council

And paid attention to what I had said,

My people would have turned from their wicked ways.

²³ ‘But, I am a God who is near,’ says Yahweh!

‘I’m not a God who is far away.

²⁴ So, what can be hidden [from Me]…

What is the secret that I cannot see…

Weren’t the heavens and earth filled by Me?’ asks Yahweh,

²⁵ ‘Yet I’ve heard what those prophets have said…

Those who speak lies in My Name…

Those who say:

‘This is what I saw in a dream!’

²⁶ ‘How long will their lies still continue

To come from the hearts of those prophets…

How long will they prophesy lies,

And speak the things that their hearts desire?

²⁷ ‘They’ve come up with ways to forget My Name,

Then they use their dreams to describe to their neighbors

How [it was really] their fathers

That had forgotten My Name,

And then turned to the service of [a] BaAl.

²⁸ ‘Let those dreaming prophets describe all their dreams!

And let those who say that they have My word

Describe what I truly have said!

‘As straw is to grain; so are My words,’ says Yahweh.

²⁹ ‘And aren’t My words like the flames of a fire,’ asks the Lord?

‘Aren’t they like an axe that cuts rocks?

³⁰ ‘Look! I am against all those prophets

Who steal My words from their neighbors.

³¹ ‘Yes, I am against all those prophets,’ says Yahweh,

‘Who roll prophecies from their tongues,

While all they’ve really done is just sleep.

³² ‘Look, I am against all those prophets

Who prophesy from their false dreams;

For, they are misleading My people

With all their lies and delusions!

‘No, I did not really send them,

Nor did I tell them to do this…

I gave them nothing to bring to these people,’ says Yahweh.

³³ ‘And if you are asked by these people

Or if you’re asked by their prophets or priests,

‘What is bothering Yahweh?’

This is what you must tell them:

‘What bothers Me is you people,

For I’ll beat you down,’ says Yahweh…

³⁴ ‘You people, you prophets, and priests…

You who’ve dared to ask why I’m bothered!

So I’ll punish you men along with your homes!’

³⁵ ‘Then each one will be asking his neighbor,

And each man will be asking his brother:

‘What was Yahweh’s reply…

What answer came from the Lord?’

³⁶ ‘But don’t ask Yahweh about this again;

For the things that He said should be your concern,

³⁷ Since you have twisted His words!’

‘So, [in the future, when] those prophets ask,

‘What was said by Yahweh?’

³⁸ Because they’ve spoken these words once again;

I’ll send Yahweh’s concerns upon them!

For I told them that they shouldn’t be asking

What things Yahweh’s concerned with.

³⁹ ‘Yes, because they’ve done this again,

I’ll take them and beat them down in this land

That I once gave to their fathers.

⁴⁰ Throughout the ages, I’ll place scorn upon them…

A dishonor that won’t be forgotten.’

Jeremiah 24

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¹ Well, after NebuChadNezzar (the king of Babylon) had taken JeconiJah (son of JehoiAkim) the king of Judah and the governors from JeruSalem as prisoners and led them into Babylon; the Lord showed me two reed baskets of figs sitting before the Temple of Yahweh. ² The first basket of figs was much fresher and better than the other, for the second basket of figs was so bad that they couldn’t be eaten.

³ Then the Lord asked me:

‘What do you see, JeremiAh?’

And I replied:

‘Figs… Some are good, but the others are so rotten that they can’t be eaten.’

⁴ Then the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

⁵ ‘Yahweh, the God of IsraEl, says this:

‘These good figs are like those Judeans

Whom I already sent away from this place

Into the land of Chaldea.

⁶ ‘I will fix My eyes upon them for good,

And I’ll bring them back to this land…

I’ll rebuild them and not destroy them again…

I’ll plant them and not pluck them up.

⁷ ‘I’ll give them hearts that will know Me…

So they’ll realize that I am their Lord.

Then they’ll be My people and I’ll be their God,

And with their whole hearts, they’ll turn back to Me.

⁸ ‘But, when it comes to those bad figs

That no one could possibly eat…

Because he has made himself rotten’, says Yahweh,

I’ll hand over King ZedekiAh

Along with all his great men.

‘Then the rest of the people in JeruSalem

And those who’ve remained in this land,

As well as all those [fleeing to] Egypt,

⁹ Will be scattered throughout the whole earth.

‘As a parable of hatred, they will be scorned

And cursed everywhere that I’ll push them.

¹⁰ Upon them, I will bring famine,

As well as plagues and the sword,

Until they’ve been forced out of this land

That I gave to their fathers and them.’

Jeremiah 25

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¹ Well, it was in the 4th year [of the reign] of JehoiAkim (son of JosiAh) the king of Judah that these words came to JeremiAh concerning all the people of Judah. And then, during the 1st year [of the reign] of NebuChadNezzar king of Babylon [over Judah], ² the Prophet JeremiAh went and spoke to all the people of Judah and to those who were living in JeruSalem.

This is what he said to them:

³ ‘From the 13th year of JosiAh son of Amon – for [the past] 23 years – Yahweh’s word has been coming to me, and I’ve been getting up early each morning to tell you [what God has said]. However, you just haven’t listened.

⁴ [‘So now, Yahweh says this]:

‘Every morning, I sent you My servants the Prophets,

But your ears refused to listen to them,

And you chose to pay no attention.

⁵ ‘They told you to turn from your wicked ways,

And then, you’d continue to live in the land

That I gave to your fathers and you

Throughout the age and into the ages.

⁶ ‘I told you not to follow strange gods…

Not to serve them or bow down before them,

So you wouldn’t provoke Me to rage

With these things that you made with your hands,

And I wouldn’t bring bad things upon you…

⁷ However, you just wouldn’t listen!

⁸ ‘So because of this,’ says Yahweh…

‘Since you didn’t trust the things that I said;

⁹ {Look!} I’ve called for a family that lives in the north

And led them down to this land…

I’ve brought them against those who live here

And against the nations roundabout,

To bring desolation upon you…

They’ll appoint you to extinction, hissing, and scorn

Throughout [the rest of] the age.

¹⁰ ‘They’ll destroy the sounds of happiness and joy…

The voices of grooms and their brides,

As well as the scent of lamps and perfumes,

¹¹ There’ll be an extinction throughout the whole land!

‘And you’ll serve that nation for 70 years…

As well as Babylon’s king.

¹² ‘And after the 70 years are fulfilled;

On the king of Babylon and his wicked nation,

I will then bring My vengeance

For the unrighteous things that they’ll do, says Yahweh.

‘I’ll appoint the land of Chaldea

To extinction throughout the rest of the age.

¹³ And against that land, I’ll bring all the words

That I have spoken against them…

All the things that JeremiAh will write in this scroll,

And which he will speak against them!

¹⁴ ‘For, they will force many nations,

And their great kings to serve them.

Then I’ll pay them back for the bad things they’ll do…

According to the works of their hands.’

¹⁵ ‘Then Yahweh the God of IsraEl said:

‘Take this cup of pure wine from My hand

And give it to those nations where I’ll send you…

Yes, give it to them as their drink!

¹⁶ Then they’ll drink it and vomit it out,

And go mad before the sword that I’ll send.’

¹⁷ So after that, I took the cup that the Lord had given to me and I gave it to the nations to drink (all of those to whom He had sent me… To JeruSalem and the cities of Judah… To the king of Judah and his governors), ¹⁸ so as to appoint desolation upon them and to be lands that are no longer walked (places of hissing and curses), ¹⁹ as well as on PharaOh (the king of Egypt), on his children, on his people, and on all his great men (yes, all that live in his realm), ²⁰ and upon the kings of Philistia and Uz; on AshKelon, Gaza, EkRon, and those who are left in AshDod, ²¹ and on those in Edom and in MoAb.

‘For He said:

‘The sons of AmMon will then be extinct,

²² As will be the kings of Sidon and Tyre,

And the kings who [live] ‘cross the sea,

²³ Such as DeDan, Tema, and Buz

(All those who are shaving their faces),

²⁴ And the kings of Arabia and their subjects

(Those who rest in the desert)…

²⁵ ‘All the kings of ZimRi and ElAm;

All the kings of the Medes;

²⁶ And all the kings from the east wind

(Both those who are near and those far away),

Along with all of their brothers,

And the rest of the kingdoms on the face of the earth…

Then Shishak will also drink with them!’

²⁷ ‘Yes, tell them that thus says Yahweh the Almighty:

‘They all will drink it and all will get drunk,

And then, they will vomit and fall,

For they will be unable to stand

Before the sword that I’m sending to them!’

²⁸ ‘And if they refuse to drink from the cup;

Explain that Yahweh of Armies said this:

[‘You have no choice] but to drink it;

²⁹ For this affliction has already started

In the city that carries My Name.

‘And if you should try to clean yourselves up,

There’s no way that you’ll ever be holy;

For now, I have called for a sword

To come upon all your lands,

Says Yahweh of Armies.’

³⁰ ‘You must speak these words against them and say:

‘From high above in His Holy Place,

Yahweh will bring execution…

He’ll speak a word with His voice,

And against your place, He’s sending destruction.

‘Then, those who gather this vintage will say

To those who have settled the land:

³¹ ‘Part of the earth has been ruined;

And from Yahweh, this judgment of nations has come.

For, with all flesh, He’s contending,

And the irreverent will be given to the sword.’

³² ‘Yahweh of Armies also said this:

‘{Look!} From a nation, evil will come to the nations,

And a storm will rage to the ends of the earth.

³³ And in that day;

From one part of the earth to the other,

Those who are slain by Yahweh

Won’t be lamented, gathered, or buried…

They’ll be like manure on the face of the ground!’

³⁴ ‘So shout, O shepherds, and cry out!

Yes, beat on your chests, O rams of the flocks!

For your days until slaughter have now been fulfilled,

And you will fall like the choicest of rams.

³⁵ ‘For the shepherds; their chance for flight will be gone,

And safety will flee from the rams of the flocks.

³⁶ So from the shepherds, cries will arise,

As well as the bleating of rams,

When Yahweh wipes their pastures away.

³⁷ ‘Then there’ll no longer be peaceful places to rest,

In the face of Yahweh’s anger and rage.

For He’ll arrive like a lion that’s abandoned its lair

To make their lands unwalked places,

With the face of His mighty sword.’

Jeremiah 26

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¹ It was in the first part of the reign of King JehoiAkim (son of JosiAh) that this word came from Yahweh.

[The Lord] said:

² ‘Go and stand in [the Temple] courtyard

And there, give orders to those in Judea…

To all who are coming to bow here.

Tell them all the things that I said,

And don’t forget any words!

³ ‘Then perhaps they will listen and turn from their bad,

And I can bring an end to the evil

That I’ve arranged to send upon them

Because of the bad things they’re doing.

⁴ ‘So, tell them that thus says Yahweh:

If you refuse to listen to Me

And obey all the Laws that I’ve set before you…

[If you won’t] obey the words of My servant

⁵ The words of the Prophet I sent,

But to whom you chose not to listen,

⁶ I’ll make this Temple like ShiLoh

And appoint this city as a curse

Before all the nations on earth.’

⁷ Well, all the priests and false prophets, as well as all the people heard what JeremiAh said when he spoke those words in the Temple of Yahweh. ⁸ And after he finished saying everything that the Lord had ordered him to say to the people, the priests, and the false prophets, they grabbed him and said:

⁹ ‘We’re going to kill you for prophesying in the Name of Yahweh and for saying that this Temple will become like ShiLoh and that this city will be desolate with no one living in it!’

So thereafter, they all gathered inside the Temple of Yahweh and put JeremiAh on trial. ¹⁰ But when the rulers of Judah heard [what JeremiAh was saying], they went from the king’s [palace] up to the Temple of Yahweh, and they all sat down on the threshold of the New Gate. ¹¹ Then the priests and false prophets said this before the rulers and all the people:

‘This man deserves the judgment of death for prophesying against this city… Something that you all heard him say with your own ears!’

¹² And [in reply], JeremiAh said this to the rulers and the people:

‘It was Yahweh that sent me here to prophesy all these words that you heard me speak against this Temple and this city. ¹³ So, it would really best for you to change the ways that you’re acting and the things that you’re doing, and to start listening to the voice of your God Yahweh. For then the Lord would bring an end to all of these evils that He has spoken against you here.

¹⁴ ‘However, {Look!} here I am in your hands! So, do to me whatever you think is going to be advantageous and best for yourselves! ¹⁵ But know and understand that if you do away with me, you will have brought the guilt of innocent blood against yourselves, this city, and everyone who lives here; for it was really Yahweh that sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears!’

¹⁶ Well at that, the rulers and people said to the priests and false prophets:

‘This man doesn’t really deserve the sentence of death, for he was speaking in the Name of our God Yahweh!’

¹⁷ Then, men from among the elders of the land stood up and spoke before the whole gathering and said:

¹⁸ ‘MicAh the Morasthite was a Prophet in the days of HezekiAh, the king of Judah, and he spoke to all the people of Judah and told them that Yahweh of Armies had said this:

‘Zion is now a field to be plowed,

For JeruSalem will be a storehouse of fruits,

And the Temple Mount will soon be converted

Into a grove of sacred poles.’

¹⁹ ‘However, King HezekiAh and the people of Judah didn’t do away with him, because they were afraid of Yahweh. So they begged and bowed before [God], and He brought an end to the evils that He had spoken against them… And once again, we have [for a fact, been sinning] in a great way against our own souls!’

²⁰ Well, around that same time, there was another man who had been prophesying in the Name of Yahweh, UriAh son of ShemaiAh (from KiriAth JaiRim). For he had also prophesied about the city and the land, using the very same words as JeremiAh.

²¹ But when he heard what King JehoiAkim and all the rulers had said about seeking to kill [JeremiAh], UriAh became afraid and he fled down to Egypt. ²² However, the king sent his men (ElNathan son of AchBor, and some others) to Egypt ²³ and they brought him back from there. Then when he stood before the king, he was cut down with a sword and [his body] was thrown into the tomb of the sons of his people. ²⁴ But because the hand of AhiKam (son of ShaPhan) was with JeremiAh, he stopping him from being handed over to the people so they could do away with him.

Jeremiah 27

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¹ It was at the beginning of the reign of JehoiAkim (son of JosiAh) the king of Judah, that these words came to JeremiAh from Yahweh. [Editor note: These words are factually incorrect, and are probably an interpolation introduced in the Hebrew Masoretic text, not present in the original Greek Septuagint ordering of Jeremiah.]

² The Lord said:

‘Now, make some shackles for yourself

And a collar [of iron] to be put ‘round your neck.

³ Then send them to the kings of Edom and MoAb,

And to those of AmMon, Sidon, and Tyre

By the hands of those who have come here

To see ZedekiAh, king of Judah.

⁴ ‘Tell them that they must say to their Lords

That IsraEl’s God Yahweh of Armies said this:

⁵ ‘I’m the One who created the earth and its people,

And all cattle on the face of the ground

By means of My strength and My mighty arm,

And I’ll hand it to whomever I choose.

⁶ ‘So now, I have given all of your lands

To NebuChadNezzar (Babylon’s King),

[And all the people] must start serving him,

As must all the beasts in the fields,

⁷ As well as your sons and the sons of your sons

Throughout the time that I’ve set for your land…

‘Yes, all of this is now his!

‘Many nations and kings will start serving him,

⁸ And upon any nation or kingdom

That refuses to serve King NebuChadNezzar

(That won’t wear his yoke on their necks),

I’ll send the sword, famine, and plague,’ says Yahweh,

‘Until they yield to his hand.

⁹ ‘So don’t listen to what your false prophets say

(Those who through dreams prophecy,

Or those who give omens through potions)

When they tell you not to serve Babylon’s king;

¹⁰ For they are just lying to you,

And then you’ll be driven out of your land…

For I’ll drive you out and [destroy] you!

¹¹ ‘To the nation that puts its neck in the yoke

And chooses to serve Babylon’s king;

I’ll allow them to stay in their land, says Yahweh,

‘They’ll continue to work there and live.’

¹² So I went and spoke all these words to ZedekiAh the king of Judah. I told him:

‘If you’ll put your neck in the yoke of Babylon’s king ¹³ and work for him and his men, you’ll live!

‘Why should you and your people choose to die by the sword, famines, and plagues, as Yahweh told the nations would happen to them if they don’t wish to serve Babylon’s king?

¹⁴ ‘You shouldn’t listen to the words of those prophets when they tell you that you must not serve him, for they’re prophesying unrighteous things! ¹⁵ Jehovah says that He didn’t send them, and what they’re prophesying in His Name is unrighteous, so He’ll have to destroy both them and you…

‘Yes, you’ll die along with those prophets who are lying to you!’

¹⁶ Then I spoke to the priests and to all the people, and told them that Yahweh said this:

‘Don’t listen to the words of the prophets

When they speak prophecies and they tell you

That the items of the Temple of Yahweh

Will soon be returned from Babylon.

For, they are lying to you!

¹⁷ ‘No, do not listen to them…

Serve Babylon’s king and you’ll live…

Why bring your city to ruin?’

¹⁸ [Then I said]:

‘If they truly are Prophets

And if they really have the word of Yahweh;

Then, have them all come here and meet me,

So that the things which are left in the Temple

And the things that belong to Judea’s kings

(Whatever is left in JeruSalem)

Will not be taken to Babylon.

¹⁹ ‘For Yahweh sent me this warning

About the [Temple’s sacred] columns,

And about the [Sacred] Sea and its base,

As well as about all the rest that is left,

²⁰ Which Babylon’s king didn’t already take

When he removed JehoiAkim’s son, JeconiJah…

The king of Judah and all of his rulers,

Then took them from Judah and JeruSalem,

And carried them to Babylon.

²¹ ‘For Yahweh of Armies (the God of IsraEl)

Said this about the things left behind

At the Temple of Yahweh,

And all that is left in the homes of the kings

In Judah and JeruSalem:

²² ‘To Babylon, it will be carried,

And there is where it will stay

Until the day that I come to visit,

And they bring it back to this place.’

Jeremiah 28

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¹ It was in the 5th month of the 4th year of the reign of ZedekiAh (king of Judah) that HananiAh (son of Azur) the false prophet from GibeOn spoke to me in the Temple of Yahweh before the eyes of the priests and all the people.

He said:

² ‘Yahweh of Armies the God of IsraEl spoke to me and said this:

I will break the yoke of Babylon’s king.

³ And in two more years, I will return

All the things of the Temple of Yahweh,

⁴ As well as JeconiJah and the [people] of Judah

Whom they have moved away.

For I’ll break the yoke of Babylon’s king.’

⁵ Then the Prophet JeremiAh replied to HananiAh, there before the priests and before the eyes of all the people who were standing in the Temple of Yahweh.

He said:

⁶ ‘May Yahweh indeed do what you’ve said in the words of your prophecy and return all the things of the Temple of Yahweh along with all the [people] that were carried off to Babylon. ⁷ However, listen to the words that I’ll speak into your ears before all of these people!

⁸ ‘Throughout the ages, long before you and me, there have been many men who’ve prophesied great things against this land concerning war, oppression, and plagues… ⁹ And there were also those who prophesied peace. Then after it happened, the [people] started believing whichever prophet that had really been sent by Yahweh.’

¹⁰ Well at that, HananiAh tore the yoke from the neck of JeremiAh and broke it. ¹¹ And he said (there before the eyes of all the people):

‘Yahweh told me that this is how He will break the yoke of the king of Babylon from the necks of all the nations in just two more years!’

Well when he did that, JeremiAh left. And as he was leaving ¹² (after HananiAh had broken the yoke from his neck), the Word of Yahweh came to [JeremiAh] and said this:

¹³ ‘Go back and tell HananiAh that Yahweh said this:

‘Because you have broken that wooden yoke,

I’ll turn the wooden yokes into iron!

¹⁴ So JeremiAh [went back and said]:

‘Yahweh of Armies, the God of IsraEl, said this:

‘On the necks of all nations, I’ll put an iron yoke,

Then they’ll serve and work for Babylon’s king…

And to him, I’ll give all their cattle.’

¹⁵ Then JeremiAh said this to HananiAh:

‘Listen, O HananiAh!

‘Yahweh hasn’t sent you to these people just so they can learn to rely on the things that they’ve been doing wrong. ¹⁶ And because of what you’ve been telling them, this is what the Lord told me to say:

‘{Look!} I’ll remove you from the face of the earth…

Yes, this very year, you will die

For speaking against Yahweh!’

¹⁷ Well, he did in fact die that year, in the 7th month.

Jeremiah 29

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¹ These are the words of the scroll that JeremiAh the Prophet sent from JeruSalem to the elders that had already been relocated, as well as to the priests and false prophets… To all the people whom NebuChadNezzar had moved from JeruSalem to Babylon ² after King JeconiJah, his queen, his eunuchs, and all the freemen, servants, and craftsman had been taken from JeruSalem.

³ [He sent it] by the hand of ElAsah (son of ShaPhan) and GemariJah (son of HilkiJah). For they were the ones whom ZedekiAh king of Judah had sent to the king of the Babylonian [Empire] that lived in [the city of] Babylon.

[The scroll] said:

⁴ ‘Yahweh of Armies, the God of IsraEl, says this

To those who were carried away

(Those whom He’d moved from JeruSalem to Babylon):

⁵ ‘Build houses and get ready to live there…

Plant gardens and then eat their fruits…

⁶ Take wives and also have children…

Father both daughters and sons!

‘Then, take [mates] for your daughters and sons;

And they’ll also give birth to daughters and sons…

They’ll multiply and not be reduced!

⁷ ‘Yes, seek peace in the land where I’ve sent you,

And pray to Yahweh on its behalf;

For, in its peace, you’ll find peace!

⁸ ‘Yahweh of Armies, the God of IsraEl, also said this:

‘Don’t believe the false prophets among you…

Do not be influenced by those

Who say that you will find comfort…

And pay no attention to the things that they’ve dreamed!

⁹ ‘For, there will be those who will come in My Name,

And they will prophesy falsely;

But by Me, they were not sent!’ says Yahweh.

¹⁰ ‘Then, this is what I was told by Yahweh:

‘After the 70 years

Upon Babylon have been fulfilled,

I’ll come to visit and do as I said…

I’ll bring you people back to your [homes].

¹¹ ‘I’ll work out a way that’s peaceful, not bad,

To bring you back from this place.

¹² Then you can pray to Me and I’ll hear you…

¹³ You can search for Me and you’ll find Me.

And if wholeheartedly, you’ll search for Me,

¹⁴ By you, I will be found!’

¹⁵ ‘But you say that the Lord has put Prophets among those who are living in Babylon. ¹⁶ Well, Yahweh says this to the king who is sitting on the throne of David and to all the people who are living in this city, as well as to all your brothers that didn’t leave and weren’t taken into captivity along with you… ¹⁷ Yes, [concerning these prophets], Yahweh of Armies said this:

‘{Look!} I’ll send them the sword, famines, and plagues…

Like a bad fig, I will make them…

[A fig] that’s too rotten to eat.

¹⁸ ‘I’ll pursue them with swords, famines, and plagues,

Then scatter them to all the kingdoms of earth.

And to confusion, hissing, and scorn they’ll be cursed

Among all the nations where I’ll send them.

¹⁹ ‘For they’ve paid no attention to My words,’ said Yahweh,

‘That I spoke to them through My servants, the Prophets…

Those whom I sent and rose early [each day],

But to whom, they chose not to listen,’ said Yahweh.

²⁰ ‘Yet, those of you who’ve been moved away

From JeruSalem to Babylon,

Have also ignored the Word of Yahweh.

²¹ ‘For Yahweh once spoke against Ahab (son of KolaiJah)

And ZedekiAh (son of MaAseJah)

Who prophesied lies to you in His Name.

And this is what He has said about them:

‘{Look!} To Babylon’s king, I will hand them,

And he’ll cut them down in front of your eyes.

²² So when Babylon’s Jews speak curses, they’ll say:

‘May Yahweh do the same thing to you

That He did to ZedekiAh and Ahab…

Those who Babylon’s king fried in fires.’

²³ ‘For, JeruSalem’s people are lawless…

They’re committing adultery with their countrymen’s wives.

Yet [their prophets] are saying things in My Name

That I didn’t tell them to say…

And I am the witness [against them],’ says Yahweh!

²⁴ Then [the Lord instructed me] to say this to ShemaiAh the NeHelamite:

‘Although you were not sent in My Name;

You wrote to the Priest, ZephaniAh,

Saying that thus says Yahweh:

²⁵ ‘I’m the One who appointed you as the Priest

To take the place of JehoiAda

And to be in charge of the Temple,

As well as to be over the prophets.

²⁶ ‘And now, I tell you to put every man

Who acts [like a prophet], in prison…

Put them in the [lowest of] dungeons.

²⁷ ‘So, why haven’t you joined in and scolded

JeremiAh from [the city of] AnathOth

Who has served as a Prophet to you?’

²⁸ ‘For to us who are living in Babylon

And in its most-distant places,

He says that freedom is still far away.

So, they should build houses and dwell there…

Plant gardens and then eat their fruits.’

²⁹ Well, after the Prophet JeremiAh read this letter in the ears of ZephaniAh, ³⁰ the Word of Yahweh came to him again and said:

³¹ ‘Send [a message] to those who’ve been sent away

And say that Yahweh has brought condemnation

Upon ShemaiAh the NeHeLamite.

‘He said:

‘Since ShemaiAh has prophesied before you

Despite the fact that I didn’t send him,

And he urged you to trust in the bad things you do…

³² Yes, because of this,’ says Yahweh,

‘I’ll visit ShemaiAh and all of his kind,

And there won’t be a man left among them

Who will see the good I’ll do among you,’ says Yahweh,

‘For he’s preached a turning from Me.’

Jeremiah 30

←29 | All books | All chapters | 31→

¹ These words came to JeremiAh from the Lord. He was told that Yahweh the God of IsraEl said this:

² ‘You must write all these words [of Yahweh] that I’ve spoken to you in a scroll:

³ ‘{Look!} The days are coming,’ said Yahweh,

‘When I will return those of IsraEl and Judah

(All those who’ve been moved away)…

Yes, I’ll bring them back to this land

That I gave to their fathers,

And once more, they will be its lords.’

⁴ And after that, these were the words that the Lord spoke concerning IsraEl and Judah:

⁵ ‘Yahweh says:

‘[But first], you will hear fearful sounds…

You will hear fearful sounds and there’ll be no peace.

⁶ ‘So, ask if a male has ever given birth…

Yet I see all men with their hands on their hips

As though they are women about to give birth,

And their faces are [yellow with] jaundice.

⁷ ‘For, that will be a great day of woe,

And there couldn’t be any days worse…

Yet, Jacob will still be returned to his land.’

⁸ ‘For thus says Yahweh of Armies:

‘In that day, I’ll break all the yokes from their necks…

I’ll also tear off their bonds,

And they’ll no longer be toiling for strangers.

⁹ At that time, they’ll work for Yahweh, their God,

And I will raise David to be their king.

¹⁰ ‘So you, O My servant Jacob;

Don’t be afraid,’ says Yahweh…

‘O IsraEl, do not be in terror,

For {Look!} I’ll bring you back from those far-away lands!

‘I’ll bring your offspring from that captive place…

Jacob will be returned and find rest.

Then he’ll receive an abundance of good things,

And he will have nothing to fear.

¹¹ ‘Because I’m with you, I’ll save you,’ says Yahweh,

‘And I will appoint a conclusion

To those nations where you have been scattered,

For no way have I appointed your end.

But I will correct you in fairness,

And I’ll scrub you until you are clean!’

¹² ‘Yahweh said:

‘I’ll remove the pain of destruction;

¹³ For, no one else will be judging your case,

And no one else will be treating your [wounds]

To bring consolation to you.

¹⁴ ‘But by your friends, you will be forgotten,

And none will ask why I struck you…

Why I let your enemies beat you.

‘For My discipline will be very substantial,

Because the things that you did were so bad!

¹⁵ So don’t yell [to Me] about your destruction,

And the incurable state of your misery!

‘It will happen because your sins were so great,

And because of the harsh things you’ve done…

This is why I’m bringing these bad things upon you.

¹⁶ ‘But those who [are now] eating you

Will find themselves being consumed,

And your enemies will be taken as captives…

Those scattering you, will be scattered,

And those looting you, will be plundered.

¹⁷ ‘Then your grievous wounds, I will cure…

Yes, I will treat all your ailments,’ says God,

‘Then Zion will be called ‘The Replanted Place,’

And none will [attack] her again.’

¹⁸ ‘Yahweh said:

‘{Look!} I’ll return those of Jacob who’ve been taken away…

All that were led off as captives.

Then, I will show mercy upon them

And rebuild their city there in the heights,

Where I will seat all the people

According to the ways they’ve been fair.

¹⁹ ‘And from among them, there will come singers,

As well as the music of musicians

That will grow in super abundance,

And no way will it be diminished.

²⁰ ‘Each man will then enter [the Temple]

Along with all of his sons,

Just as they’ve done in the past,

And their praises will rise up to Me,

When I come against those who’ve oppressed them.

²¹ ‘From among them, I’ll then choose a leader…

Yes, their ruler will be one of them.

I’ll collect them and bring them to Me

All those whose hearts will want to return,’ says Yahweh…

²² ‘Then they’ll be My people and I’ll be their Lord.’

²³ ‘For this is why the rage of Yahweh was sent…

To change the godless, His anger went out

In order to make them turn back to Him.

²⁴ ‘But no way will [God’s] anger and rage be turned back

Until He has taken some action…

Until He’s done what His heart has decided…

And in the last days, you’ll understand why.’

Jeremiah 31

←30 | All books | All chapters | 32→

¹ Then the Lord told me this:

‘They’ll be the race of IsraEl’s God…

Yes they’ll be His people once more.’

² And the Lord said:

‘Although they found it hot in the desert

When they were destroyed by the sword;

IsraEl will again find places to rest!

³ ‘For they’ll see Yahweh off in the distance,

And this is what He will say:

‘With the love of the ages, I’ve loved you,

So I’ve drawn you close to show mercy on you…

⁴ I will rebuild you and you’ll be rebuilt,

O virgin daughter of IsraEl.

‘Your tambourines will be raised once again

And you’ll play them before the assembly.

⁵ You will also plant vineyards again

Upon Samaria’s mountains…

Yes, you will go planting and plant,

And you will go praising and praise!

⁶ ‘Then, on the day that I call out to you;

On Ephraim’s mountains, the watchmen will cry:

‘Get up and go to Mount Zion…

Return to Yahweh your God!’

⁷ ‘Then Yahweh said this concerning [the people of] Jacob:

‘Be glad and shout to those leading the nations…

Do it… Shout loudly in praise!

Say, ‘Yahweh has rescued His people…

Those IsraElites who survived!’

⁸ ‘Look… From the north, I will lead them,

And I’ll gather them from the ends of the earth

To observe a [glorious] Passover…

They’ll return, and they’ll have many children!

⁹ ‘Although when they left, they did so in tears;

I’ll send them comfort and lead them to rest

Along straight roads with [pure] streams…

It’s a path from which they’ll not stray.

Then I’ll be IsraEl’s Father again,

And [a Father] to Ephraim, My firstborn.’

¹⁰ ‘O nations, hear the word of Yahweh

And announce it as far as the islands!

Say, ‘The One who blew IsraEl off like the chaff

Will gather them back once again,

And like a grazing flock, He will guard them!’

¹¹ ‘For Yahweh will [pay] Jacob’s ransom,

And from mighty hands, He will save them…

¹² Then in joy, they’ll come back to Zion.

‘And there in a land filled with grain,

They will find good things from their God…

Wine, olive oil, fruit, cattle, and sheep.

So their lives will then be like fruit trees,

And they will go hungry no more.

¹³ ‘Then the virgins will all be rejoicing,

And men young and old will be shouting in joy.

For their mourning will be changed into cries of glee…

They’ll be happy, and He’ll bring them comfort.

¹⁴ ‘Then I’ll magnify the lives of the Priests

And [the lives of] the sons of Levi…

My people will own many good things!’

‘Yahweh said:

¹⁵ ‘A voice was heard crying from RamAh…

The sounds of weeping, wailing, and grief.

It was RachEl crying over her sons…

She refused to accept any comfort,

Because they aren’t here anymore.

¹⁶ ‘Then to her, Yahweh said this:

‘Stop crying and dry the tears from your eyes,

For you’ll be paid a wage for your work…

They’ll be returned from their enemies’ lands,

¹⁷ And there is still hope for those who survived,’ says Yahweh,

For your sons will return to their borders.

¹⁸ ‘Then I heard Ephraim grieving;

So I listened and he told Me this:

‘You beat me and I was corrected;

For I had acted like a [wild] calf.

But You turned me around and now I’ve returned;

For, You are Yahweh, my God!

¹⁹ ‘Captivity brought a change to my mind

In that day when You brought me shame.

But, after I moaned, I then understood…

Plainly, I showed You that I had accepted

That, from my youth, [I deserved] all the scorn.’

²⁰ ‘Yes, Ephraim is My dearly loved son…

A child in whom I find joy.

And because My words are within him,

I will never forget him.

‘It was because of this, that I hurried;

For, when it comes to showing him mercy,

I will show mercy upon him,’ said Yahweh.

²¹ ‘So erect the road signs and guideposts,

And give your hearts to your shoulders,

For they will be [coming back home]!

Yes return, O IsraEl, the virgin…

Return to the cities where they’re mourning [your loss]!’

²² [And Jeremiah? said:]

O My daughter,

When will you return from those places Where you were being disgraced? For the Lord has made new places for you Where it will be safe to do planting, And where people can travel in safety.

[And the Lord said:]

²³ ‘Then Yahweh of Armies (IsraEl’s God) told me this:

‘Once more, you’ll be speaking of Me

In the land of Judah and in all your towns,

When I bring back those who were carried away!’

‘So, praise Yahweh on His Holy Mount!

²⁴ For, those who live in the cities of Judah

And the farmers [that dwell] in His land

Will grow once again, along with their flocks!

²⁵ [For Yahweh says:]

‘To thirsty souls, I’ll send something to drink,

And all hungry souls, I will fill.

²⁶ Then, when you wake up [in the morning],

You’ll see that your sleep has been peaceful.

²⁷ ‘Look! The days are coming,’ says Yahweh,

‘When I’ll sow both IsraEl and Judah

With the ‘seeds’ of men and the ‘seeds’ of wild beasts.

²⁸ ‘It’ll be as when I watched over them

(Not when I brought them destruction).

And then, over them, I’ll be watchful…

They’ll be rebuilt and replanted,’ said Yahweh.

²⁹ ‘In those days, no way will they say,

‘Although it was the fathers that ate unripe grapes,

The teeth of their children felt chills.’

³⁰ For then, only sinners will die

Because of the bad things they do,

And those eating green grapes will feel their own chills.

³¹ ‘Look… The days are coming,’ says Yahweh,

‘When I’ll make an arrangement with IsraEl’s house,

As well as with the houses of Judah.

‘I’ll conclude a New Sacred Agreement

³² That’s unlike the one that I made with their fathers

In the day that I grabbed their hands

To lead them from Egypt’s land.

But because they didn’t keep My Sacred Agreement,

I had to let them go,‘ says Yahweh.

³³ ‘So, this is My [New] Sacred Agreement

That I will conclude with IsraEl then,’ said Yahweh,

I will put My Laws in their minds,

And into their hearts, I will write them.

Then, they’ll be My people and I’ll be their God.

³⁴ ‘There’s no way they’ll then teach their neighbors and brothers

That they must learn of Yahweh;

For, all will know Me from the least to the great.

And when it comes to their errors and sins…

I will kindly forget them!’

³⁵ ‘Yet, this is what Yahweh [says]...

The One who appointed the sun

To serve as light for the day,

And the moon and the stars as light for the nights…

The One who brought the roar of the seas,

As well as the sounds of their waves…

Yahweh the Almighty, is His Name:

³⁶ ‘If these Laws should [be voided] before Me,

Then the race of IsraEl will no longer stand

As a nation before Me

Throughout the rest of the days.’

³⁷ ‘Yahweh says:

‘If the skies can be raised even higher

And the floor of the ground can be lowered,

I can reject the race of IsraEl, says Yahweh,

For all the things that they’ve done.’

³⁸ ‘But, look! The days are coming,’ said the Lord,

‘When the city of Yahweh will be rebuilt.

[It’s walls will run] from the HananEl Tower

All the way to the gate at the corner…

³⁹ To the hills of Gareb, I’ll measure it out

And surround it with most precious stones.

‘From the Valley of Phagarim and its ashes,

And from AsaRemOth to the Wadi of Cedars,

Then east to the corner of the Horse Gate,

It’ll be a Holy Place to Yahweh,

And its roots won’t be pulled up again…

Throughout the age, it won’t be destroyed.’

Jeremiah 32

←31 | All books | All chapters | 33→

¹ Well, all these words had come from Yahweh to JeremiAh in the 10th year [of the reign] of ZedekiAh, the king of Judah, which was the 18th year of [the reign of] NebuChadNezzar the king of Babylon [over Judah].

² And at the time, the army of the king of Babylon had built a siege wall around JeruSalem, and JeremiAh [was under arrest and being kept in] the courtyard of the guard, which was located inside the [palace] of the kings of Judah, ³ since King ZedekiAh had him thrown in jail. [For the king had asked him]:

‘Why did you prophesy and tell us that Yahweh said:

‘{Look!} I will hand this city over to the king of Babylon and he will take it…’

⁴ And:

‘ZedekiAh won’t escape from the hands of the Chaldeans, but he will be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon, where he will speak to him mouth to mouth and eye to eye…’

⁵ And:

‘ZedekiAh will be taken into Babylon and stay there until I look favorably upon him. So, if you wage war against the Chaldeans, you won’t succeed.’

⁶ Then JeremiAh told him:

‘The Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

⁷ ‘{Look!} Your paternal uncle HanamEl, son of ShalLum, will come to you and ask you to buy his field in AnathOth… And it will be advantageous for you to acquire it!’

⁸ ‘And thereafter, that’s what happened… My paternal uncle HanamEl son of ShalLum did what the Lord said he would do. It was there in the courtyard of the guard that he said to me:

‘Buy my field, the one in AnathOth of the land of BenJamin, because you’re the eldest and it would be advantageous for you to acquire it!’

‘And since I knew that this was the word of Yahweh, ⁹ I purchased the field in AnathOth from my paternal uncle HanamEl; I paid him 7 large silver coins for it, ¹⁰ then I recorded [the transaction] in a scroll, put a seal on it before witnesses, and weighed out the silver in a balance scale.

¹¹ ‘So then I took the scroll that had been testified to and sealed and gave it to BarUch son of NeriAh, son of MaAseJah, before the eyes of my uncle HanamEl, ¹² as well as before those who had served as witnesses of the deed scroll, and before the eyes of all the Judeans that were sitting in the courtyard of the guard at the time.

¹³ ‘Then before them all, I gave BarUch these orders:

¹⁴ ‘Yahweh the Almighty God of IsraEl says that you should take this scroll that has been sealed as my proof of ownership, then you must read it and then store it away in an earthenware jar, so that it will last [a long time]. ¹⁵ Because, Yahweh of Armies the God of IsraEl told me this:

‘Fields, houses, and vineyards

Will again be restored in this land.’

¹⁶ ‘Well, after I gave the deed scroll to BarUch son of NeriAh, I prayed to Yahweh, saying:

¹⁷ ‘O Great Being,

‘O Lord God,

‘You who made the lands and the skies with Your mighty arm held high above You, and from whom nothing at all can be hidden,

¹⁸ ‘O You who show mercy to thousands and who brings the sins of the fathers upon the chests of their children,

‘The great and Almighty God whose Name is Yahweh of Armies,

¹⁹ ‘[You are the God] of great counsel,

And mighty are all of Your works.

Your eyes see the things that the sons of men do,

And You pay each one back for their deeds

According to the fruits of their works.

²⁰ ‘You’re the One who brought the miracles and signs

To IsraEl when they were in Egypt

And which continue to happen down to this day.

For, You have made Your Name known

To all who’ve been born on the earth until now.

²¹ ‘You’re the One who led IsraEl from Egypt

With signs and miracles from Your mighty right hand…

With Your arm held high and through visions.

²² And thereafter, You gave them the land

About which You swore to their fathers…

A land that’s flowing with honey and milk.

²³ ‘So they entered this land and they claimed it,

But they chose not to listen to Your orders or voice…

They wouldn’t do what You told them to do,

So You brought all these bad things upon them.

²⁴ ‘{Look!} Now, a great army has come to this city,

And they have made plans to destroy it.

To the hands of Chaldeans, it has been given…

To those who are warring against it,

Bringing the sword, famine, and plague…

{Look!} All that You said has now come to pass!

²⁵ ‘Then You’ve told me to bring along silver,

And before witnesses, purchase a field…

Despite the fact that this city’s been given

To the hands of Chaldeans!’

²⁶ Then the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

[‘Yahweh says:]

²⁷ ‘Since I am Yahweh, the God of all flesh;

[Did you think] that such things were hidden from Me?’

²⁸ ‘Then Yahweh said:

‘I have allowed this city to be given

Into the hands of the Chaldeans,

And into the hands of Babylon’s king…

So, he will [very soon] take it!

²⁹ ‘The Chaldeans will come and [capture] this city,

Then they will burn it with fire,

Consuming the houses where people burn incense

Upon their roofs, before [a] BaAl,

And where they offer [food] to their gods

In order to make Me feel bitter.

³⁰ ‘Only the sons of IsraEl and Judah

Would practice such evil in front of My eyes.

For, since their youth, they’ve offered such things

Before [those gods] that they made with their hands,

In order to make Me feel bitter,’ says Yahweh.

³¹ ‘So My anger and rage has been on this place

From the day it was built until now,

To remove it from in front of My face

³² For the bad ways of IsraEl and Judah.

‘They’ve done all these things to make Me feel bitter…

Their kings, their rulers, their prophets, and priests…

The men of Judah and JeruSalem.

³³ ‘They turned their faces and showed Me their backs…

So each morning, I [sent someone] to teach them,

But they chose not to listen or learn.

³⁴ ‘Then, in their unclean condition,

They put disgusting things in the House

That is called by My Name.

³⁵ ‘There, they built shrines to [a] BaAl;

And to Molech, they’ve offered their daughters and sons

Down in the Valley of Hinnom…

Something that I never told them to do.

Such disgusting things never entered My heart

To make Judah sin [in this way].’

³⁶ Then Yahweh the God of IsraEl made a pronouncement against the city, for He told me to say this:

‘Through famine, sword, and the plague,

I’ve handed this city to Babylon’s king.

³⁷ But {Look!} I’ll also gather them back from those lands

Where I’ll scatter them in My rage…

From all that I’ll do in My fury!

‘I’ll bring them back to this place,

And in safety, I’ll resettle them here;

³⁸ Then, they’ll be My people and I’ll be their God.

³⁹ ‘I’ll give them new ways and new hearts

So that they will learn how to fear Me

For the rest of their days and for their own good,

And for the good of their children.

⁴⁰ ‘A [New] Sacred Agreement of the ages

I’ll make with them at that time…

An Agreement that I won’t take away.

Then I’ll put the fear of Me in their hearts,

So from Me, they’ll not turn again.

⁴¹ ‘Then I’ll visit them just to do good things;

And with My whole heart and soul,

I’ll plant them securely here in this land.

⁴² Then Yahweh said:

‘And as I brought bad things upon them,

I’ll also bring the good things that I promised.

⁴³ Then they will buy fields in this land

That you say won’t be walked by man or by beast,

For it’s been handed over to the Chaldeans.

‘So with silver, they’ll buy these fields once again,

Which they’ll record and seal in a scroll,

And to which, witnesses will then testify.

⁴⁴ ‘[It will happen] in BenJamin’s land,

And in JeruSalem and the cities of Judah…

In all the towns in the mountains,

And in the ShepheLa and Negev…

From wherever they were taken, I’ll be bringing them back,’ says Yahweh.’

Jeremiah 33

←32 | All books | All chapters | 34→

¹ Then the Word of Yahweh came to JeremiAh a second time while he was still shackled in the courtyard of the guard.

² He said:

‘The Lord who shaped and created the earth

Whose Name is Yahweh, says this:

³ ‘Call out to Me and I will reply…

I’ll report of things both mighty and great

About which, you’ve never known!’

⁴ Then the Lord God of IsraEl told me how the houses of the city [of JeruSalem] and the [palace] of the king of Judah would be demolished for use as siege mounds and fortifications ⁵ in their fight against the Chaldeans, and of how they would then be filled with the [bodies] of those whom [He will] strike down in His anger and rage when He turns His face away from the city because of all its wickedness.

⁶ [He said]:

‘{Look!} Then I’ll bring a cure and a closing of wounds…

I’ll treat them, and then I’ll make sure

That they will all hear and then come to know

That I’ll bring them peace they can trust.

⁷ ‘I’ll return those of IsraEl and Judah

That were [carried away] and resettled,

And I will rebuild them as they once were.

⁸ ‘I will cleanse them of all their errors,

And from the ways that they’ve sinned against Me.

No way will I remember their errors,

Or all the ways that they left Me.

⁹ ‘Then, before all those who live on the earth,

I’ll give them a joyful, praised name.

For, all will hear of the good things I’ll do,

And they will be humbled and fearful

Because of the good and the peace

That I will be bringing upon them.’

¹⁰ Then the Lord said to me:

‘In this place that you’ll call desolation,

You’ll hear [the sounds of] both men and beasts

Once more in the cities of Judah.

‘And then, outside of JeruSalem,

In those desolate places where the sounds of men and beasts are not heard,

¹¹ There’ll be the voices of gladness and joy…

The sounds of grooms and their brides,

And the sounds of men who are saying:

‘Praise the Almighty God;

For Yahweh really does care,

And upon us, He’ll show mercy throughout the ages!’

‘Then they’ll carry gifts to the House of Yahweh;

And those taken from the land, I’ll return,’ said the Lord.

¹² ‘And Yahweh of Armies said:

‘But this first must become a desolate place,

And its cities will be void of cattle and men…

It will be a place where shepherds will lodge,

And a place for them to bed down their flocks.

¹³ ‘In all the cities in the mountains…

In the cities of the ShepheLa and Negev…

Throughout BenJamin’s land…

In the places outside of JeruSalem

And in all the cities of Judah,

There will just be those who count sheep,’ said Yahweh.

¹⁴ ‘Look! The days are coming,’ says Yahweh,

‘When I’ll [fulfill] all the good words I’ve spoken

About the houses of IsraEl and Judah.

¹⁵ ‘Yes, in those days and at that time;

From David, a shoot that is righteous will sprout,

And a king will reign who’ll bring understanding,

As well as what’s righteous and fair to this land.

¹⁶ ‘In those days, upon Judah, salvation will come,

And JeruSalem will be lived in securely.

Then they’ll call [Me] ‘Yahweh Our Justice.’

¹⁷ ‘And Yahweh said:

‘There’ll always be a man of David’s [line]

That will sit on IsraEl’s throne.

¹⁸ ‘And from among the Levites and Priests,

There will always be a man who will stand

To bring burnt offerings before Me,

Along with sacrifices, incense, and gifts

Throughout the rest of the days.’

¹⁹ Then the Word of Yahweh came to JeremiAh saying:

²⁰ ‘This is what Yahweh has said:

‘If you could annul My Sacred Agreement

– My Agreement with the day and the night –

So there’d be no day and night in that time;

²¹ Then, there would be no more need

For [David’s] sons to reign from his throne,

Nor for Levites and Priests to serve before Me.

²² ‘For the offspring of My firebrand, David,

Will become too many to be counted

– Like the armies of the heavens and the sands of the seas –

And the same will be true for the offspring of the Levites

Who will be serving before Me.’

²³ Then the Word of Yahweh came to JeremiAh and said:

²⁴ [‘Yahweh says:]

‘Don’t you hear what those people are talking about?

They’re saying that the Lord selected two families,

And then, He threw them both out…

That [I am oppressing] My people,

And they’re no longer a nation before Me.’

²⁵ ‘So, this was said by Yahweh:

‘If My Agreement with the day and the night hadn’t been,

And if I hadn’t sent them all of My Laws

[To govern] the lands and the skies;

²⁶ Jacob’s offspring wouldn’t have been chosen,

Nor would the offspring of My servant David,

And the offspring of the rulers [which came] from the offspring

Of AbraHam, IsaAc, and Jacob…

So no way could they come back to Me.

‘But I’ll bring them back from their captive condition,

And upon them, I will show mercy.’

Jeremiah 34

←33 | All books | All chapters | 35→

¹ These words came to JeremiAh from Yahweh concerning NebuChadNezzar the king of Babylon, as well as about the entire camp of his army and all the kingdoms of the earth that are under the domination of his hand… All those people who are waging war against JeruSalem and the cities of Judah. ² For the Lord God of IsraEl told me to go to ZedekiAh the king of Judah and tell him that this is what Yahweh had decreed:

[‘Yahweh said:]

‘When it comes to handing things over;

I’ll hand this city to Babylon’s king…

He’ll capture it and burn it with fire.

³ ‘Then no way will you be saved from his hands;

For he’ll capture you and snatch you away…

He’ll look at you eye to eye

And speak to you mouth to mouth…

And to Babylon, he will then take you.’

⁴ ‘Listen to what Yahweh’s decreed,

O ZedekiAh, king of Judah:

‘You will not die by the broadsword;

Rather, in peace, you will die.

⁵ And when you die, they’ll burn incense

As they did for your fathers before you.

And as they burn it, they’ll cry out ‘O Lord,’

While they are mourning for you!’

‘Yes, this is what Yahweh has decreed.’

⁶ So I (JeremiAh) then went and said all these things to King ZedekiAh there in JeruSalem. ⁷ And thereafter, the armies of the king of Babylon attacked JeruSalem and all the remaining cities of Judah (because the fortified cities of LachIsh and AzekAh in Judea still hadn’t [been conquered]).

⁸ And once again, the Word of Yahweh came to JeremiAh after King ZedekiAh [had issued a decree] to the people in JeruSalem concerning [God’s] Sacred Agreement, in which he called for everyone to set ⁹ all their Hebrew male and female servants free (as well as all of the rest of their slaves), so that there would be no more slaves in Judah. ¹⁰ And all the great men and all the rest of the people actually agreed to release their male and female slaves, so they wouldn’t have to serve them anymore… Yes, they actually paid attention and set them all free! ¹¹ But right after they did that, they went and took back their male and female slaves (whom they’d just set free) and once again put them back to work as their slaves!

¹² So the Lord said to JeremiAh:

[‘Yahweh says:]

‘In the day that I saved your fathers from Egypt

And from the houses in which they were slaves,

¹³ I made a Sacred Agreement with them,

¹⁴ Where I said that after every 6th year,

They must release all their brothers

(Those who’d sold themselves as their slaves)…

That they may only toil for 6 years,

And [on the 7th], they must be set free!

‘But, they haven’t listened to Me,

Or turned their ears so they’d hear what I say!

¹⁵ ‘Yet today, they decided to do the right thing

When you told them to release their neighbors;

And before Me, they said they would do this,

There in the Temple that’s called by My Name.

¹⁶ ‘Then they turned and broke their promise to Me

By reclaiming [all of] their slaves…

Those whose lives had just been set free…

They turned back and made them slaves once again!

¹⁷ ‘It’s because of this,’ says Yahweh…

‘Because they refused to listen to Me

And release their brothers and neighbors;

{Look!} I’m calling the release on their behalf

By the sword, by famine, and plague!

And then, I will scatter these people

Throughout the kingdoms of the whole earth.

¹⁸ ‘As to those who voided My Sacred Agreement

By not keeping the promise they made before Me

With a calf that they cut in two pieces;

¹⁹ I will come through the midst of those halves…

To the rulers of Judah and JeruSalem

(To the mighty, as well as the priests,

And to all the people who live in the land);

²⁰ Then, to their enemies, I’ll hand them…

I’ll hand them to those who are seeking their lives!

‘Then their rotting flesh will serve as a meal

For all the birds in the skies,

And for all the wild beasts on the ground.

²¹ ‘Then I’ll hand over Judah’s King ZedekiAh,

As well as all of his princes

To their enemies who are seeking their lives…

To the armies of Babylon’s king…

To those before whom they are fleeing!

²² ‘Look! I’m the One who issued the order, said Yahweh,

To bring them into this city,

Where they’ll fight against it and take it,

And then they will burn it with fire…

I’ll make all the cities of Judah

Places where no one will walk.’

Jeremiah 35

←34 | All books | All chapters | 36→

¹ It was during the time of JehoiAkim (son of JosiAh) the king of Judah that the Word of Yahweh came to JeremiAh saying:

² ‘Call for the Rechabite families,

Then bring them to the House of Yahweh

And into one of the courtyards,

Where you must offer them wine.’

³ So I went and brought JaAzaniAh (son of JeremiAh and grandson of HabaZiniAh), as well as his brothers and sons, and the rest of the families of the Rechabites, into the Temple of Yahweh. ⁴ There, I [seated them] in the dining room of the sons of Hanan (son of IgDaliYah, a man of God), which was located next to the house of the Temple overseers and above the house of MaAseJah son of ShalLum (who was in charge of guarding the entryways), ⁵ and I set a clay pitcher of wine before them and some cups, and I offered them some wine.

⁶ But they said:

‘There’s no way that we’re going to drink any wine, because our ancestor JoNadab son of RechAb told us:

‘You must never drink wine – you and your sons – throughout the ages. ⁷ Nor should you build houses, sow seeds, plant vineyards, or own any; you should live in tents all your days, that you may live many days in the land you’re inhabiting.’

⁸ ‘So we’ve obeyed the instructions of JoNadab son of RechAb our ancestor, and we haven’t done anything that he told us not to do. We haven’t drunk any wine throughout our lives – not us, our wives, our sons, or our daughters – ⁹ nor have we built houses, owned vineyards, or planted seeds in fields… None of this has ever happened among us. ¹⁰ We’ve done everything that our ancestor JoNadab told us to do, and we’ve been living in tents. ¹¹ Then when NebuChadNezzar the king of Babylon came to this land, we told him:

‘We will leave [our position] in front of the Chaldeans and the armies of the Assyrians and go up to JeruSalem…’

‘...and we’ve been living here ever since then.’

¹² Well after that, the Word of Yahweh came to me and told me that ¹³ Jehovah of Armies, the God of IsraEl, told me to do this:

‘You must go and speak to the men of Judea

And to those who are living in JeruSalem;

Then, tell them that thus says Yahweh:

‘There’s no way that you’ve heard the things that I’ve said;

¹⁴ Yet, the sons of JoNadab son of RechAb

Have obeyed the instructions he gave to his sons

Not to drink any wine…

And they’ve drunk no wine to this day!

They’ve paid attention to their father’s commands.

But, when I spoke plainly to you,

You refused to listen to Me!

¹⁵ ‘So each morning, I sent you My servants the Prophets…

I sent them and told them to teach every man

To turn from his evil ways…

To be better and not follow or serve other gods,

So you could continue to live in the land

That I gave to your fathers and you.

But, you have learned nothing at all…

Your ears have paid no attention!

¹⁶ ‘Yet the sons of JoNadab son of RechAb

Have obeyed the commands of their father…

They’ve not done the things he said [not to do],

While you haven’t listened to Me!

¹⁷ ‘So because of this,’ says IsraEl’s God, Yahweh of Armies,

‘{Look!} I will be bringing on Judah

And on those who live in JeruSalem

All the bad that I’ve spoken against them.

For, when I spoke, they paid no attention…

When I called out to them, they didn’t reply.’

¹⁸ Then JeremiAh said to the house of the Rechabites:

‘This is what Yahweh has declared:

‘Since the descendants of JoNadab son of RechAb

Have paid attention to their father’s commands

And done everything that he told them to do;

It’s because of this,’ says IsraEl’s God, Yahweh of Armies,

¹⁹ ‘No way will a man of JoNadab’s sons

Ever fail to stand before Me.’

Jeremiah 36

←35 | All books | All chapters | 37→

¹ It was in the 4th year [of the reign] of JehoiAkim (son of JosiAh) the king of Judah that the Word of Yahweh came to me saying:

² ‘Get a papyrus scroll for yourself

And write all the words that I’ve said

About both IsraEl and Judah,

And about all the nations of which I spoke

From the time of King JosiAh of Judah

Down to this very day!

³ Then perhaps the house of Judah will hear

About all the bad things I’ve planned

And then turn from their wicked ways,

So I can cover their failures and sins.’

⁴ Therefore, JeremiAh called BarUch son of NeriAh, who wrote all the words of Yahweh that came from the mouth of JeremiAh on a papyrus scroll.

⁵ Then JeremiAh said to BarUch:

‘Because I’m being watched, I can’t enter the Temple of Yahweh. ⁶ So you’ll have to go there and read this papyrus scroll into the ears of all the people who happen to be in the Temple of Yahweh on a fast day… Read it into the ears of all the Judeans that are coming there from all their cities, ⁷ and perhaps their need for mercy will fall before Yahweh and they’ll turn from their evil ways. For the anger and rage that Yahweh has spoken against these people is great!’

⁸ As a result, BarUch son of NeriAh did everything that JeremiAh told him to do... He went and read the scroll of the words of the Lord there at the Temple of Yahweh. ⁹ Then in the 5th year and 9th month [of the reign] of JehoiAkim (son of JosiAh) the king of Judah, all the people of JeruSalem and of the house of Judah held an assembly to fast before Yahweh, ¹⁰ and BarUch again read the scroll of the words of JeremiAh into the ears of all the people who were there at the Temple of Yahweh. [He did this] from the [apartment] of GemariAh son of Shapha the scribe, in the upper courtyard, which is in front of the threshold of the Temple’s New Gate.

¹¹ Well, after MichaiAh (son of GemariAh and grandson of ShaPhan) heard all the words of Yahweh being read from the scroll, ¹² he went down to the palace of the king and entered the house of the [royal] scribe, where {Look!} he found all the rulers gathered:

• EliShama the scribe,

• DalaiJa (son of ShemaiAh),

• ElNathan (son of AchBor),

• GemariAh (son of ShaPhan),

• ZedekiAh (son of HananiAh),

• And all the supervisors.

¹³ Then MichaiAh told them everything that he’d heard BarUch read from the scroll into the ears of the people.

¹⁴ So, the rulers sent for BarUch son of NeriAh (son of JeHudi, son of NathaniAh, son of ShelemiAh, son of Cushi) and told him:

‘Go get the scroll that you read into the ears of the people and bring it here!’

Then BarUch (son of NeriAh) went and picked up the scroll and returned to them, ¹⁵ and they said:

‘Now, read that scroll into our ears!’

And BarUch read it to them.

¹⁶ Well, after they heard all the words being read, each person started discussing it with their neighbor, and they said to BarUch:

‘We’ve decided that we should announce all these words to the king!’

¹⁷ Then they asked BarUch:

‘Just where were you when you wrote all these words?’

¹⁸ And he replied:

‘These words came from the mouth of JeremiAh… He’s the one who spoke the words. All I did was record them in this scroll.’

¹⁹ Then the rulers said to BarUch:

‘Go somewhere and hide… Both you and JeremiAh! Don’t let anyone know where you are!’

²⁰ Then they had the scroll kept under guard in the house of EliShama the scribe, and they went into the courtyard of the king and told the king everything that it said. ²¹ So the king sent JehuDi to get the scroll, and he went and took it from the house of EliShama the scribe, and JehuDi read it before the king and all the rulers that were sitting around him.

²² The king happened to be in his winter palace at the time (for it was the 9th month), and he was sitting in front of his fireplace. ²³ And after JeHudi had read just three or four lines, [the king] shredded [the scroll] with a scribe’s razor and tossed it into the fire in his fireplace. As a result, the papyrus scroll was entirely burned up and destroyed.

²⁴ Well, nobody was surprised… None of those who were there ripped their clothes… Not the king, any of his servants, or any of those who heard those words. ²⁵ Although ElNathan, DalaiJa, and GemariAh had suggested to the king that he shouldn’t burn the papyrus, ²⁶ he refused to listen to them. Then the king told JerahMeEl (the king’s son), SaraiAh son of AzriEl, and ShelemiAh son of AbDeEl to go and arrest both BarUch the scribe and JeremiAh the Prophet. However, these men were already in hiding.

²⁷ Well, after the king burned the scroll that BarUch wrote containing all the words that were spoken by JeremiAh, the Word of Yahweh came to JeremiAh again, and said:

²⁸ ‘Now take another scroll of papyrus

And write the same words that you wrote in the scroll

That King JehoiAkim burned.

²⁹ Then tell JehoiAkim (king of Judah)

That this is what was said by Yahweh:

‘Although you have burned up this scroll,

You still asked why I had it written.

For it told you that Babylon’s king

Will enter this land and destroy it,

Wiping away all the men and their beasts.’

³⁰ ‘And because you did [such a thing],

Jehovah made this pronouncement against [you]:

‘O JehoiAkim, king over Judah

Who is sitting upon David’s throne;

You’ll no longer sit [on that throne]…

For, into the sweltering heat of the day

And into the icy cold of the night,

Your decaying flesh will be tossed.

³¹ ‘Yes, I’m coming against you, your family and sons,

Because of your lawless ways;

Then upon you and those in JeruSalem and Judah,

I’ll bring all the evils about which I’ve warned,

And to which you chose not to listen.’

³² Then JeremiAh took another papyrus scroll and gave it to BarUch son of NeriAh the scribe, and he once again wrote the same words that came from the mouth of JeremiAh upon it – all the words that JehoiAkim the king of Judah had burned in the fire – and he added many more words to it (such as these).

Jeremiah 37

←36 | All books | All chapters | 38→

¹ Well thereafter, ZedekiAh (son of JosiAh) started reigning in place of ConiJah (son of JehoiAkim), whom NebuChadNezzar the king of Babylon had appointed to reign in the land of Judah. ² But he, his servants, and the people of the land wouldn’t listen to the words that Yahweh had spoken through JeremiAh either.

³ Yet later, King ZedekiAh sent JehuKal (son of ShelemiAh) and ZephaniAh (son of MaAseJah) the Priest to JeremiAh to say this to him:

‘Please pray to Yahweh your God for us.’

⁴ Well at the time, JeremiAh was free to come and go in the city as he wished, because they hadn’t locked him up yet. ⁵ However, when the Chaldeans heard that the armies of PharaOh were marching from the land of Egypt, they [started their attack] on JeruSalem. ⁶ And that’s when the Word of Yahweh came to JeremiAh and said:

⁷ ‘Yahweh the God of IsraEl says that you are to go and shout these words to the king of Judah – the person who sent you to inquire of Me:

‘{Look!} This army of PharaOh that is marching to help you

Will turn and flee back into Egypt.

⁸ And then the Chaldeans will come here

To wage war on this city…

They will take it and burn it with fire!’

⁹ ‘Yahweh says:

‘Now your souls shouldn’t think about saying,

‘The Chaldeans will turn back once more,’

For there is no way this will happen!

¹⁰ ‘And if you should beat the Chaldeans

Who are coming to wage war against you;

Even the wounded that they leave behind

Will arise and burn this city with fire.’

¹¹ Well, that’s what happened… Soon the Chaldean armies [attacked] JeruSalem right in front of the armies of PharaOh.

¹² Meanwhile, JeremiAh had left JeruSalem and gone to the land of BenJamin to purchase some land there among his people. ¹³ But when he arrived at the gates of BenJamin, IriJah (son of ShelemiAh and grandson of HananiAh) had him arrested. He seized JeremiAh and accused him of running away to the Chaldeans. ¹⁴ Yet, although [JeremiAh] told him that was a lie and he wasn’t running away to the Chaldeans, IriJah refused to listen. He arrested JeremiAh and took him before the local rulers.

¹⁵ Then, because the rulers [hated] JeremiAh, they had him flogged and sent him to the house of JoNathan the scribe, which had been turned into a prison. ¹⁶ There JeremiAh [was thrown] into an [outhouse] pit [near] the [main] house, where he was confined for several days.

¹⁷ Fortunately, King ZedekiAh thereafter sent for him, and the king asked him secretly if he had received any word from Yahweh. And JeremiAh replied:

‘Yes… He says that you’ll be handed over to the king of Babylon!’

¹⁸ Then JeremiAh asked the king this:

‘How have I wronged you, your servants, or your people, so that you would have me thrown into a prison latrine… ¹⁹ And where are those prophets that prophesied to you and told you there’s no way that the king of Babylon will ever come into this land?

²⁰ ‘Now, hear this, O Lord, O king; you must show mercy on me as I’m standing here before you… You must not return me to the house of JoNathan the scribe and allow me to die there!’

²¹ So the king gave orders, and then they locked JeremiAh in the guard house, where they provided him with a loaf of bread each day (which was baked outside of the city, because there was no bread left there). And after that, JeremiAh stayed in the courtyard of the guards.

Jeremiah 38

←37 | All books | All chapters | 39→

¹ Well, ShephatiJah (son of MatTan), GedaliAh (son of PashUr), JuKal (son of ShelemiAh), and PashUr (son of MelchiAh) started thinking about the words that JeremiAh had spoken to the people when he warned them that ² Jehovah had said that anyone who remained in the city would die by the broadsword, famine, and plague, but those who [surrendered] to the Chaldeans could save their own lives and live.

³ For this is what he told them that Yahweh had said:

‘When it comes to being handed over;

This city will be handed over

To the armies of Babylon’s king,

And soon thereafter, he’ll take it.’

⁴ So those rulers went to the king and said this to him:

‘We have to do away with that man, because he’s weakening the hands of the troops that remain in this city and the hands of all the people when he says things like that. He doesn’t prophesy peace, he’s just telling us bad things!’

⁵ So because the king was unable to resist them, King ZedekiAh said:

‘Look! He’s in your hands!’

⁶ And as a result, they took JeremiAh and threw him into the [outhouse pit] that belonged to MelchiJah (the king’s son), which was located in the courtyard of the guard. They took rough cords and lowered him into the pit, which contained no water (just manure), and that’s where he had to stay… In the filth!

⁷ Well, the Ethiopian Eunuch EbedMelech happened to be in the King’s courtyard when they threw JeremiAh into the pit. And at the time, the king was outside sitting on the Gate of BenJamin. ⁸ So EbedMelech left the king’s palace and went to speak to the king.

He said to him:

⁹ ‘O my lord and king,

‘These men have done something very wicked when they dropped the Prophet JeremiAh into the outhouse pit… He’ll starve to death there, since there’s no more bread left in the city!’

¹⁰ So the king gave orders to EbedMelech, saying:

‘Take 30 men to the pit and pull him out, so he doesn’t die.’

¹¹ Then EbedMelech gathered the men and they went to the sub-basement of the king’s palace and found some old rags and ropes, and they tossed them down to JeremiAh in the pit, ¹² saying:

‘Wrap these around you!’

And that’s what JeremiAh did. ¹³ So they lifted him with the ropes and pulled him up out of the pit. And thereafter, JeremiAh once again stayed in the courtyard of the guards.

¹⁴ Well after that, the king sent for JeremiAh while he (the king) was staying in the house of AsaLiseEl (which is located inside the Temple [complex] of Yahweh). And the king said to him:

‘I want to ask you something… And don’t hide the truth from me!’

¹⁵ But JeremiAh asked:

‘If I answer you [truthfully], won’t you just have me killed? Besides, you haven’t listened to any of the advice that I’ve given to you up to this point.’

¹⁶ Then the king secretly swore an oath to him, saying:

‘As Yahweh who gave us this life lives; I won’t kill you or hand you over to these men who are seeking your life!’

¹⁷ So JeremiAh said to him:

‘Yahweh of Armies, the God of IsraEl, said this:

‘If you will go and surrender

To the governors of Babylon’s king,

You’ll live… You will save your own life,

And this city won’t be burned with fire…

Both you and your family will live!

¹⁸ ‘But, if you don’t go [and surrender],

This city will be handed to the Chaldeans

And they will burn it with fire…

When that happens, you won’t be saved from their hands.’

¹⁹ Then the king said to JeremiAh:

‘But if I do that, I’ll have a problem with the Judeans who went over to the side of the Chaldeans… If I’m handed over to them, they’ll make [life miserable for] me!’

²⁰ However, JeremiAh told him:

‘There’s no way that you’ll be handed over to those people. Rather, you should listen to the words of Yahweh that I’ve spoken to you, because it would be better for you to save your own life and survive! ²¹ But if you don’t choose to go out and surrender, this is what Yahweh has decreed:

²² ‘{Look!} All the women who remain in [your] house

Will be carried to the king of Babylon’s princes.

Then these women will say that your allies deceived you;

For they care so little about you

That they’ll turn and stumble your feet,

And help them to bring you to ruin.

²³ ‘Then they’ll take your wives and your children,

And no way will you then be saved…

You’ll be taken by Babylon’s king,

And this city will be burned to the ground.’

²⁴ Well at that, ZedekiAh said to JeremiAh:

‘If you don’t speak about this to anyone else, you won’t die. ²⁵ But if the rulers hear that I’ve spoken to you about this and they come and ask you:

‘What did you say to the king… If you don’t hide it from us, we won’t do away with you… What did you say to the king?’

²⁶ ‘You must tell them:

‘I went to plead for mercy before the eyes of the king. I just asked him not to take me back to the house of JoNathan and let me die there.’

²⁷ And in fact, the rulers did come to JeremiAh and say this to him, and he said what the king told him to say. So they didn’t ask him anything more, because they didn’t know what had happened. ²⁸ And after that, JeremiAh stayed in the courtyard of the guards until the time that JeruSalem was captured.

Jeremiah 39

←38 | All books | All chapters | 40→

¹ Well, it was in the 9th year and 10th month [of the reign] of ZedekiAh the king of Judah that NebuChadNezzar the king of Babylon came to JeruSalem with all his armies and attacked it. ² And it was in the 11th year, on the 4th month and 9th day of ZedekiAh’s reign that the city’s walls were breached. ³ Then all the governors of the king of Babylon entered [the city] and they sat down at the Central Gate… These included:

• NergalSharezer,

• SamGar,

• NeboSarsechim,

• NebuSarkes,

• NergalShareZer (the King’s advisor),

• And all the rest of the governors of the king of Babylon.

⁴ Meanwhile, ZedekiAh king of Judah and all his soldiers had fled the city during the night, going through the king’s garden and then through the gate that leads between the city wall and the fortification around the wall, following the road to the ArabAh.

⁵ However, the Chaldean army chased them down and caught up with ZedekiAh on the other side of JeriCho. Then they carried him back to NebuChadNezzar the king of Babylon, who was at RibLah (a city in the land of HaMath), where he passed judgment on him… ⁶ And the king of Babylon had ZedekiAh’s sons killed there in front of his eyes (there in RibLah), along with all the rest of the rulers of Judah. ⁷ Then he had ZedekiAh blinded and bound in shackles, before he was led off to Babylon.

⁸ Well after that, the Chaldeans set the King’s palace and the houses of the people on fire and demolished them. ⁹ Then all those who were left in the city and the deserters were taken before the king of Babylon, ¹⁰ and NabuZarAdan (the chief of the guards) had them carried off to Babylon. However, he did leave many of the poor people of the land of Judah and those who were of no importance behind, assigning them to watch over the fields and vineyards.

¹¹ Then NebuChadNezzar (the king of Babylon) gave instructions to NebuZarAdan (the chief of the guards) concerning JeremiAh. He said:

¹² ‘Take this man and keep an eye on him… But don’t do anything bad to him. Just treat him as you would like to be treated.’

¹³ So NabuZarAdan (the chief of the guards), as well as NabuShasban, RabSares, Nergel, SharEzer, RabMag, and all the princes of the king of Babylon sent for JeremiAh… ¹⁴ They took him out of the courtyard of the guards and handed him over to GedaliAh (son of AhiKam and grandson of ShaPhan), who then led him outside to sit among the rest of the people. ¹⁵ But it was while he was still in the courtyard of the guards that the Word of Yahweh came to JeremiAh and said:

¹⁶ ‘Go speak to the black man, EbedMelech,

And tell him that thus says Yahweh… Yes, say that the God of IsraEl said this:

‘{Look!} I’ve fulfilled My words on this city

To do just bad things, not good!

And now, although you must stand before them;

¹⁷ On that day, I will be there to save you,’ says Yahweh,

‘I will not be handing you over

To stand before the faces of those whom you fear.

¹⁸ ‘So when it comes to salvation, I’ll save you…

No way will you fall by the sword…

Your reward will be your own life,

Because you trusted in Me,’ says Yahweh.’

Jeremiah 40

←39 | All books | All chapters | 41→

¹ Then the Word of Yahweh came to JeremiAh again after he had been led off in shackles by NabuZarAdan (the chief of the guards) and after he’d been separated from the rest of the Judeans who were being relocated from RamAh to [the empire of] Babylon. ² And as the chief of the guards was leading him away, he said this to JeremiAh:

‘Your God Yahweh spoke to you against this place and against all of its badness, ³ and then the Lord did just as He said He would do, because you had all sinned against Him and you refused to listen to His voice. So, these things that happened to you are just the things that He said He would do.

⁴ ‘Therefore, after I remove the manacles from your hands, you can choose to travel with me to Babylon where I’ll watch out for you, or you can just run away from here! Look… The whole land before you is good! So you can go anywhere that pleases your eyes, ⁵ or you can choose to return to GedaliAh son of AhiKam, grandson of ShaPhan, whom the king of Babylon has appointed to be over the land of Judah, and you can live among your people under him… Yes, if it seems good in your eyes to go there, then go!’

Well after that, the chief of the guards held a feast for JeremiAh and they gave him some gifts before sending him away. ⁶ Then [JeremiAh] went to GedaliAh at MizPah and stayed among the people who’d been left behind in the land.

⁷ Meanwhile, when all the [Judean] generals who were still in the fields with their armies heard that the king of Babylon had appointed GedaliAh to be over the land, they brought their men and their wives to him, along with the simple people and the poor of the land… All those who hadn’t been relocated by the Babylonians.

⁸ Then IshMaEl (son of NethaniAh), JoHanan (son of KareAh), SeraiAh (son of TanHumeth), the sons of EphAi the NetoPhathite, and JezaniAh (son of the MaAchathite) came to GedaliAh at MizPah… They and all their men went to him. ⁹ And GedaliAh swore an oath to them and their men, saying:

‘You will no longer have anything to fear from the servants of the Chaldeans. Therefore, I urge you to come and live in this land and work for the king of Babylon, since this would be the best thing for you to do!

¹⁰ ‘{Look!} As I’m sitting here in MizPah, I’m doing so before the faces of the Chaldeans, and [they’re protecting us from anyone] who might come against us. So, collect your wine, autumn fruits, and olive oil in jars, then come and live in these cities that we’ve been able to retain!’

¹¹ Well, when those Judeans who were in MoAb and all the rest who had stayed among the sons of AmMon (those who’d been scattered throughout the land of Edom) heard that the king of Babylon had given an allotment to Judah and that he had appointed GedaliAh (son of AhiKam) to be over them, ¹² they each returned from the places where they’d been scattered and they gathered to GedaliAh in MizPah in the land of Judah, bringing along all their wine, autumn fruits, and a tremendous amount of olive oil.

¹³ However, JoHanan (son of KareAh) and all the generals of the armies who were still in the fields then went to GedaliAh at MizPah ¹⁴ and they warned him, saying:

‘Don’t you know that BaAl Ish, the king of the sons of AmMon, is sending IshMaEl son of NathaniAh to [assassinate] you?’

But GedaliAh (son of AhiKam) just didn’t believe them.

¹⁵ Then JoHanan (son of KareAh) went and spoke to GedaliAh in secret there in MizPah.

He told him:

‘I will go and strike down IshMaEl son of NathaniAh… However, don’t tell anyone! For he’s going to kill you and scatter all the Judeans who have gathered here with you, then he will wipe out the rest of Judah!’

¹⁶ But GedaliAh told JoHanan (son of KareAh):

‘Don’t you dare to do this thing… For you’re really lying about IshMaEl!’

Jeremiah 41

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¹ Well, it was in the 7th month that IshMaEl son of NathaniAh, grandson of EliShama (who was related to the king), came to GedaliAh in MizPah with some of the royal appointees and 10 other men. Then, after sharing some bread, ² IshMaEl and the 10 men who came with him got up and struck down GedaliAh with their swords, killing him (the man who had been appointed over the land by the king [of Babylon]) ³ as well as all the Judeans who were with him at MizPah, and any Chaldeans that they found there… He even killed the guards!

⁴ Then, two days after they’d killed GedaliAh (for no one had found out about it yet), ⁵ some 80 men came there from SheChem, ShiLoh, and Samaria with their beards shaved off and wearing torn clothes, beating their chests and carrying gifts of frankincense in their hands [to offer before] Yahweh. ⁶ So IshMaEl (son of NathaniAh) came out of MizPah to meet them, and they all started crying.

Then [IshMaEl] said to them:

‘Now, let’s all go and visit GedaliAh.’

⁷ However, as they were traveling through the city, [IshMaEl] and his men started striking them down and killing them next to a well.

⁸ But as they were seeing this happen, 10 of the men said to IshMaEl:

‘You shouldn’t kill us, because we’ve brought along treasures from the fields… Wheat, barley, honey, and olive oil!’

And as a result, he passed them by and left them alive there in the midst of their [murdered] brothers.

⁹ Now, the well where IshMaEl had killed the men was very large (it’s the one that King Asa [had dug] in fear of king BaAsha of IsraEl), so IshMaEl (son of NathaniAh) threw the men’s bodies into it. ¹⁰ Then IshMaEl took all the people who were left in MizPah – which included the daughters of the king who had been left in the care of the chief of the guards by GedaliAh (son of AhiKam) – and he set out for the other side [of the land] of the sons of AmMon.

¹¹ Well, when JoHanan (son of KareAh) and the generals who were with him heard of all the evil things that IshMaEl (son of NathaniAh) had done, ¹² they took everyone in their camp and went to wage war with IshMaEl, catching up with him next to the water of the great pool in GibeOn. ¹³ And when all the people who were with IshMaEl saw JoHanan (son of KareAh) coming with the generals, they were very happy, ¹⁴ so they all went over to JoHanan’s side.

¹⁵ Nevertheless, IshMaEl was able to escape along with 8 of his men, and they headed towards the [land of] the sons of AmMon. ¹⁶ So JoHanan then took all the generals and their armies, along with all the remaining people from MizPah – those whom IshMaEl (son of NathaniAh) had captured after he killed GedaliAh (son of AhiKam), all the mighty men of war, as well as all the women, the eunuchs, and everything that was left in GibeOn – ¹⁷ and they set up camp at KimHam (near BethLehem), as they planned to travel towards the land of Egypt. ¹⁸ [For they had decided] to run from the Chaldeans, since they were afraid to face them because of IshMaEl’s striking down GedaliAh (the man whom the king of Babylon had appointed to be over their land).

Jeremiah 42

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¹ Well, they traveled on from there – all the generals, JoHanan (son of KareAh), JezaniAh (son of HoshaiAh), and all the people from the least to the greatest – and they went to JeremiAh the Prophet and said this:

² ‘May our need for mercy fall before you! Please pray to Yahweh your God about all these things; for there were once as many of us as your eyes could see, but now we are so few. ³ Tell us which way Yahweh your God says we should go, and that’s the way we will go!’

⁴ And JeremiAh the Prophet said to them:

‘I’ve heard you, so {Look!} I will pray to Yahweh our God about the things you’ve said, and then I’ll announce to you whatever Yahweh tells me to say… There’s no way that I’ll hide a single word from you!’

⁵ Then they replied to JeremiAh:

‘May Yahweh be a righteous and trustworthy witness against us if we fail to follow every word that Yahweh your God sends to us. ⁶ We will obey [every word] from the voice of our God Yahweh, the One we’re sending you to, whether it’s for the good or for the bad! We’ll pay attention and listen to the voice of our God Yahweh, so that things will go well for us!’

⁷ Well, it was 10 days later that the Word of Yahweh finally came to JeremiAh. ⁸ So he called for JoHanan (son of KareAh), the generals, and all the people (from the least to the greatest), ⁹ and he said this to them:

‘Yahweh the God of IsraEl to whom you sent me, has heard all your prayers before Him. ¹⁰ [He told me to tell you this]:

‘If you wish to survive, you must stay in this land,

For I’ll build you up, not wipe you away…

I’ll plant you and not pluck you out…

I’ll bring you rest from the bad that I’ve sent.

¹¹ ‘So don’t worry about Babylon’s king,

The one whose face you now fear…

No, don’t be afraid,’ says Yahweh;

‘For I’m with you, and I will save you…

From his hands, I will save you!

¹² ‘I will grant you this one act of kindness,

And I will show mercy upon you…

For I’ll take you back to your land.

¹³ ‘But if you should say to yourselves,

‘No way will we stay in this land,’

And you fail to obey the voice of your God…

¹⁴ If you should say: ‘There’s no way…

For we’ve chosen to go down to Egypt

So that we will no longer know fighting

Or hear the sounds of the trumpets,

Nor will we go hungry, because there’s no bread…

Yes, we’ll [go down to Egypt] and live there...’

¹⁵ ‘Then, hear the Word of Yahweh,

O you remnant of Judah!

For Yahweh of Armies, the God of IsraEl says this:

‘If you point your faces towards Egypt,

And enter [that land] and then plan to stay…

¹⁶ The broadsword that you are now facing

– The one of which you’re in fear –

Will also find you in Egypt.

And the famine that you have been facing

Will also overtake you in Egypt…

So, there is where you will die!

¹⁷ ‘Yes, all those men whose faces are set

To go down to Egypt and live,

Will fall by the broadsword, famine, and plague…

None will survive all the evils

That I will be bringing upon them!’

¹⁸ ‘Then Yahweh of Armies, the God of IsraEl, said this:

‘As My rage has dripped on JeruSalem,

My rage will then drip upon you,

Should you choose to go down into Egypt.

‘You’ll become a land that’s unwalked,

And come under the hands of other men…

You’ll be a cursed [people] who’s scorned,

And never again will you see this [land]!’

¹⁹ ‘Yes, this is what Yahweh spoke against you, O remaining ones of Judah… You must not go down into Egypt!

‘Now, you’re aware of all this, for I’ve testified to you about it today! ²⁰ But you [weren’t really being honest] with yourselves when you sent me to Yahweh your God and said:

‘Pray to the Lord for us and we’ll do whatever Yahweh our God tells us… Whatever He says, we will do!’

²¹ ‘And now, although I’ve warned you, you won’t listen to the voice of Yahweh your God and follow [the words] that He sent to you.

‘So, by means of the broadsword, famine, and plague

You will come to your end in that place

Where you’ve chosen to go and to live.’

Jeremiah 43

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¹ Well, just after JeremiAh had finished speaking all the words that Yahweh their Lord God had sent to them, ² AzariAh (son of HoshaiAh), JoHanan (son of KareAh), and all the proud ones started shouting at JeremiAh and saying:

‘You’re lying! Our God Yahweh didn’t send you to tell us that we shouldn’t go down into Egypt and live there! ³ And look at BarUch son of NeriJah… He has joined with you against us to hand us over to the Chaldeans, so that they can just kill us or move us to Babylon!’

⁴ Well, JoHanan (son of KareAh), the generals, and all the people refused to listen to the voice of Yahweh and stay in the land of Judah. ⁵ So JoHanan took all the generals, all the rest of the Judeans, those who had returned from the nations where they’d been scattered to live in the land of Judah, ⁶ as well as all the mighty men, the women, the children, the remaining daughters of the king (all the souls that had been left behind by NabuZarAdan the chief of the [Babylonian] guards), as well as GedaliAh (son of AhiKam), ⁷ the Prophet JeremiAh, and BarUch (son of NeriJah), and they went to TahPanHes in Egypt. For the people refused to listen to the voice of Yahweh.

⁸ And it was while JeremiAh was in TahPanHes that the Word of Yahweh came to him again and said:

⁹ ‘Now, take two huge rocks for yourself

And [bury] them under the thresholds

Of the gates of PharaOh’s house in TahPanHes.

Do this in front of the men of Judea,

¹⁰ And tell them that thus says Yahweh of Armies:

‘{Look!} I’ll send for My servant NebuChadNezzar,

And he’ll set his throne on these [buried] rocks,

Then lay his shields down upon them.

¹¹ For he’ll come and then attack Egypt,

Bringing death to those who are already dead,

Resettlement to those who’ve been moved away,

And the sword to those bearing swords.

¹² ‘Then he’ll burn the [temples] of their gods,

And he will resettle them all…

The land of Egypt, he will then fumigate

As a shepherd fumigates his own clothes…

Only then, will he leave there in peace.

¹³ ‘He’ll destroy the columns of the City of the Sun,

And he’ll burn Egypt’s gods in a fire.’

Jeremiah 44

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¹ Then the Word of Yahweh once again came to JeremiAh concerning the Judeans that were living in the land of Egypt… Those who had settled near the watchtower, or in TahPanHes, or in Memphis, or in the land of Pathros.

He said:

² ‘Yahweh of Armies, the God of IsraEl says this:

‘You have witnessed all the bad things

That I brought upon JeruSalem

And upon the cities of Judah;

For {Look!} they have lain desolate down to this day…

No one lives there at all,

³ Because of their wicked faces,

And what they did to make Me feel bitter

By burning incense to gods they’ve not known…

Which you and your fathers have done also!

⁴ ‘So [each morning], I sent them My servants the Prophets

To tell them not to do those bad things…

Those disgusting things that I’ve hated.

⁵ But they chose not to listen to Me,

Or lean their ears to pay any attention

And then turn from their evil ways

Of burning incense before other gods.

⁶ ‘So My anger and rage dripped upon them.

And now, all the cities of Judah

(All those surrounding JeruSalem)

Have been desolated and burned…

They lie unwalked to this day.’

⁷ ‘So Yahweh (IsraEl’s Almighty God) asks you this:

‘Why are you still bringing evil

Into your lives, O My people…

Upon your women, your infants, and babies,

So there’ll be no survivors in Judah?

⁸ ‘For you continue to make Me feel bitter

By the things that you do with your hands,

When you burn incense to other gods

In the land of Egypt where you’ve gone to live.

So now, you’ll be cut off and cursed,

And scorned among all the nations!

⁹ ‘Have you forgotten all the evils

That your fathers have committed [in the past]…

The evil deeds of Judea’s kings…

The evils of all of your rulers,

And the bad things your women have done

In JeruSalem and in Judah…

¹⁰ And which they’re still doing today?

‘For, they have not learned to fear Me,

Nor have they followed the orders

That I set before them and their fathers.

¹¹ ‘It’s because of this,’

Said IsraEl’s God, Yahweh of Armies;

‘{Look!} Against you, I’ve now set My face

Because of all the bad things you’ve done

Since the time that I sent destruction to Judah.

¹² ‘So I’ll take the remnant of Judah

That went down to Egypt to live,

And I’ll cause them to fail throughout the whole land…

Yes, from their least to their greatest.

They’ll all fall by the broadsword and famine…

They’ll be cursed, scorned, and destroyed!

¹³ ‘I’ll visit those who’ve settled in Egypt

The same as I visited JeruSalem…

I’ll bring the same broadswords, famines, and plagues,

¹⁴ Which [JeruSalem’s people] could not escape.

‘So, none of the remnant of Judah

That went down to Egypt and hoped to return,

Will be allowed to go back again.

There’s no way that they’ll ever return…

Except for a few who’ll escape.’

¹⁵ Well, [none of the men] would reply to JeremiAh, because they all knew that their women were burning incense to other gods. And at the time, there was a great gathering of the women among all those who had settled in the land of Egypt at Pathros.

And there, these women said:

¹⁶ ‘We won’t pay any attention to the words that you’ve spoken to us in the Name of Yahweh, ¹⁷ and we’ll do whatever we choose to do… We’ll keep on burning incense to the Queen of Heaven! Yes, we’ll keep on offering her [food and drink] as our fathers, our kings, our rulers, and the rest of us have done in Judah and around JeruSalem in the past… Back when we were better off… Back when we had enough bread to eat and things weren’t so bad!

¹⁸ ‘For it was only after we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and offering her [food and drink] that things became worse and we started falling by the sword and from famine!

¹⁹ ‘Haven’t you noticed all that has happened since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven… Back when we (without the aid of our husbands) made cakes and offered drinks to her?’

²⁰ Then JeremiAh replied to all the people (the mighty men, the women, and everyone else who had responded to him) saying:

²¹ ‘When it comes to the incense that you’ve burned in the cities of Judah and in JeruSalem (you, your ancestors, your kings, your rulers, and the rest of the people of the land); Yahweh hasn’t forgotten this! Yes, it has reached all the way up to His heart!

²² ‘And it’s because He was unable to bear all your wicked deeds and the disgusting things you were doing that He brought desolation upon your land… He made it an unwalked place and a curse to this day!

²³ ‘For you stood there before Him and burned incense – sinning against Yahweh – and you didn’t pay any attention to the voice of the Lord, or to His instructions, His Laws, or His proofs. Rather, you went and took up all these evil practices that you’ve continued to do down to this day.’

²⁴ And JeremiAh said to the women and to all the people:

‘Hear the Word of Yahweh, all you Judeans who are now living in Egypt!

²⁵ ‘For Yahweh the God of IsraEl says that you and your women have brought this [upon yourselves] by your own mouths and your own hands, when you said that you will continue to acknowledge and burn incense to the Queen of Heaven, and to offer [food and drink] before her.

‘So, you still plan to continue making offerings before her, do you? ²⁶ Well, because of this, hear the Word of Yahweh all you in Judah and those of you who have settled in the land of Egypt:

‘{Look!} I have sworn this oath by My Name,’ said Yahweh,

‘That My Name won’t remain in the mouths of these Jews,

Because they have failed to say:

‘O Yahweh, our Lord;

Come and live among us in Egypt!’

²⁷ ‘{Look!} I’ll be zealous about bringing them harm (not the good)!

So those Jews that are living in Egypt

Will fall by the broadsword and famine

Until [they all] cease to be!

²⁸ ‘Just the [few] that escape from the sword

Will ever return to Judea…

And there will be very few!

‘Then, all the remnant of Judah

(Those who went and started living in Egypt)

Will know whose words have proved to be true…

If it’s My words, or those [of their gods].

²⁹ ‘And this is your sign,’ says Yahweh,

‘That I will visit this place,

So you’ll know that My words have stuck upon you

Because of your evil deeds:

³⁰ ‘{Look!} I’ll hand the house of Egypt’s King HophRa

To his enemies and those who are seeking his life,

As I handed Judah’s King ZedekiAh

To his enemy NebuChadNezzar,

Who was seeking his life.’

Jeremiah 45

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¹ These were the words that the Prophet JeremiAh spoke to BarUch (son of NeriAh) as he was writing all the words that came from the mouth of JeremiAh in this scroll [back] during the 4th year of [the reign of] JehoiAkim (son of JosiAh) the king of Judah.

He said:

² ‘Yahweh, the God of IsraEl, said this about you, O BarUch, ³ because you made this complaint:

‘Alas, to my misery, Yahweh has added hard labor;

For I went to bed groaning and there found no rest.’

⁴ ‘So Yahweh told me that I should say this to you:

‘{Look!} That which I’ve built, I’ll demolish,

And that which I’ve planted, I will pluck…

Yes, even this land that is Mine.

⁵ ‘Were you looking for great things to happen? If so,

You had best remove that thought from your mind;

For {Look!} upon all flesh, I’m bringing what’s bad,’ says Yahweh.

‘But as your reward, I’ll give you your life,

No matter which way you may choose to go.’

Jeremiah 46

←45 | All books | All chapters | 47→

¹ These are the words that Yahweh sent to JeremiAh the Prophet against the nations.

² [He said this concerning] Egypt and the armies of PharaOh Necho the king of Egypt, who was at the EuPhrates River in CarChemIsh when he was [killed] by NebuChadNezzar the king of Babylon, which happened [back] in the 4th year [of the reign] of JehoiAkim (son of JosiAh), the king of Judah:

³ ‘Now, pick up your weapons and shields,

And then get ready for battle!

⁴ Saddle the horses and mount up their riders…

Don your helmets and chest plates,

And you should take up your spears!

⁵ ‘Why are they frightened and running?

It’s because their mighty have fallen,

And into exile, they’re going…

They’ll not return to their land,’ says Yahweh.

⁶ ‘Their nimble will not be able to flee,

And their strong won’t be saved from those in the north…

For at the EuPhrates, they’ll fall.

⁷ ‘What is this that’s rising like a river…

Yes, like a river that’s swollen?

⁸ The waters of the river of Egypt arose,

And said:

I will rise and cover their land…

I’ll destroy their cities and all those who live there.

⁹ ‘So, ready the chariots and mount up your horsemen…

Assemble the Ethiopians and Libyans

All armed and carrying shields!

‘Come, O Lydians, and stretch tight your bows,

¹⁰ For this day belongs to Yahweh of Armies,

Who’ll arise to take vengeance on His enemies.

Then the sword will devour and be filled…

It will get drunk on their blood.

‘There’ll be a ‘sacrifice’ to Yahweh of Armies

[Being offered by those] from the land to the north

At the River EuPhrates.

¹¹ ‘So, go to GileAd for ointment

[To heal] the virgin daughter of Egypt!

But the attempts to heal her will all be in vain,

And the ointments will do her no good.

¹² ‘Now, the nations have all heard your voices,

For your cries have filled the whole earth.

Warriors fighting warriors have weakened together,

And together, they’ve fallen [in battle].’

¹³ This is what Yahweh said through JeremiAh the Prophet concerning the coming of NebuChadNezzar (the king of Babylon) to strike the land of Egypt:

¹⁴ [‘God said:]

‘Send the announcement to Egypt…

Yes, let them hear it in Migdol,

And then give warning to Memphis!

Tell those who live in TahPanHes

To prepare their yew to be [chopped] by the sword!

¹⁵ ‘Why are your mighty all lying face down?

They can’t get up, for the Lord knocked them down!

¹⁶ ‘Yes your mighty [armies] have weakened,

Then they turned to their comrades and said:

‘Let’s get up and go back to our people and homes…

Let’s [flee from] the faces of Greeks!’

¹⁷ ‘You can call on the name, PharaOh Necho…

The one who’s the king of all Egypt,

But [his time of glory has past].

¹⁸ ‘As I live,’ says the King, Yahweh of Armies,

‘As sure as Tabor is found among mountains,

And as sure as CarMel is found by the sea,

¹⁹ I’ve come here to settle up matters.

‘So get ready, O daughter of Egypt,

And those of you who are still left alive;

For Memphis will now be destroyed,

And she’ll be referred to as Woe,

Because she’ll be left without people.

²⁰ ‘Egypt is a heifer prepared for the slaughter

By a broken branch that will come from the north.

²¹ For the soldiers they’ve hired are like calves

That are cared for and very-well fed.

But, they will all turn back and flee,

²² Because they won’t wish to wait for the day

When their destruction will come…

The time when they will be punished.

‘Since her voice is like the hissing of snakes

That slither along in the sand;

They will attack her with axes

As though they are chopping up wood.

²³ ‘Then they’ll cut down all her forests,’ says Yahweh!

‘For, no one can imagine their numbers…

As with locusts, there’s no way to count them!

²⁴ ‘Disgrace will come to the daughter of Egypt,

And she’ll be given to the men from the north.’

²⁵ ‘Yes, IsraEl’s God, Yahweh of Armies says this:

‘{Look!} Amun, Thebes’ God, will be punished;

For, I will bring this on Egypt,

As well as on her gods and her kings…

To PharaOh and those who are trusting in him.

²⁶ ‘To those seeking his life, I will hand them…

To the hands of King NebuChadNezzar,

And to the hands of his servants.

‘Once again, it will be as it was long ago,’ says Yahweh.

²⁷ So My servant Jacob should not be afraid,

Nor should IsraEl ever feel terrified.

‘{Look!} For I’ll bring you back from faraway lands…

Your offspring, from where they were captives.

Jacob will come and then sleep in peace,

And no one will bring them more trouble.

²⁸ ‘So, don’t be afraid, O Jacob, My child, says Yahweh;

For, I will be there with you!

And all the nations to which you were led

Will be appointed to destruction…

The nations where I sent you will all be consumed.

‘But although I’ll never appoint you an end,

I will still judge and correct you.

I won’t declare you free from all guilt,

Nor will you ever be acquitted.’

Jeremiah 47

←46 | All books | All chapters | 48→

¹ These words of the Lord came to JeremiAh the Prophet against the Philistines before PharaOh attacked Gaza:

² ‘Yahweh says:

‘{Look!} From the north, the ‘waters’ will rise

To become a ‘river’ that’s flooding.

It will flood the land and all its good things…

The city and all those who live there.

³ ‘Then, all the men will start crying,

And those living there will be shouting,

Because of the sounds of the beating of hoofs

And the rumble of chariot wheels.

‘Fathers won’t [help] their own sons

Because their hands will be just too weak

⁴ In the day that he comes to destroy the Philistines…

To wipe away Sidon, Tyre, and their friends.’

‘To the Philistines, Yahweh is sending destruction,

As well as to the islands of CappaDocia.

⁵ Baldness will come upon Gaza,

And AshKelon will be thrown away,

Along with Anakim’s [giants].

⁶ ‘How long will you strike with the sword of Yahweh…

Until when, will it finally be stilled?

Please put it back into its sheath…

Yes, lift it away and put it to rest!

⁷ ‘But, what can make it be stilled?

For it came from Yahweh upon AshKelon

And against [her cities] by the sea,

So that all the rest would be shaken.’

Jeremiah 48

←47 | All books | All chapters | 49→

¹ Yahweh of Armies, the God of IsraEl, said this against MoAb:

‘Woe to Nebo, for it was destroyed,

And KiriAth JaiRim was taken…

Their forts were all vanquished and shamed.

² MoAb won’t be dancing in HeshBon, For God has planned many bad things against her.

‘Come and cut her out of the nations…

Let’s bring her to an end with the sword!’

³ ‘From HoroNaim comes the sound of men shouting,

For destruction and ruin have arrived,

⁴ And MoAb will be wiped away!

‘Announce this too in Zogora!

⁵ For LuHith is now filled with weeping,

And on the road to HoroNaim, they’re crying.

‘You can hear the cries of destruction;

⁶ So escape, and run for your lives…

Go live in the desert like zebras!

⁷ ‘But you’ll be captured because you’ve relied

On your treasures and forts.

So you’ll be taken away and resettled,

Along with your princes and priests.

⁸ ‘To your cities, ruin is coming…

None of your towns will be saved.

So your valleys will then be destroyed,

As will even your plains,’ says Yahweh.

⁹ ‘Post signs over MoAb that say she has the plague;

So, soon she’ll have to be burned.

Her cities will become unwalked lands,

For there’ll be no one living within them.’

¹⁰ O cursed is the one who’s indifferent When it comes to doing the work of the Lord… Cursed is the one who holds back his sword!

¹¹ ‘MoAb has rested since childhood,

Relying upon his own glory.

He’s never poured dregs from pitcher to pitcher,

Nor has he been carried away…

So his sense of taste hasn’t left him,

And his ability to smell still remains.

¹² ‘But because of this,’ says Yahweh,

‘{Look!} The days are coming when I will send

Those who wish to lean upon him.

‘Then, they’ll water [the wine] in his pitchers,

And they will break all his trumpets.

¹³ MoAb will be disgraced before CheMosh

As IsraEl was disgraced before BethEl.

¹⁴ ‘So, how can you say, ‘We are strong…

All our men are mighty for war?’

¹⁵ For, MoAb and his cities are gone…

His young men have fallen in slaughter,’

Says the King, Yahweh of Armies.

¹⁶ ‘MoAb’s day of harm has quickly arrived.

¹⁷ So those around him should all move away,

And those who were trusting in him should now ask:

‘Who broke this famous one’s staff?’

‘Who broke that magnificent rod?’

¹⁸ ‘So, descend from your glory and sit where it’s damp,

O you daughters of Dibon!

For now that MoAb has been destroyed,

Someone is coming to you

Who will destroy all your forts!

¹⁹ ‘Stand in the road and then look,

All you who are sitting in AroEr,

Then ask the fleeing what has happened.

²⁰ ‘MoAb is broken and he’s been disgraced.

So shriek, cry out, and announce it in Arnon

That mighty MoAb has fallen!

²¹ ‘For, judgment has come to the land of Misor…

On MephaAth, JaHazah, and Holon,

²² As well as on Dibon and Nebo,

And on the house of the DiblaThaim.

²³ ‘On KiriAth JaiRim, it has arrived,

And on the house of GaMul,

As well as on the house of MeOn.

²⁴ ‘It has come on KiriAth and BozRah…

Upon all the cities of MoAb,

Both those who are near and those far away.

²⁵ ‘The horn of MoAb has been broken

And his mighty arm is now destroyed,’ says Yahweh.

²⁶ ‘So let [all of his people] get drunk;

For before them, he made himself great.

‘In his own vomit, MoAb will wallow,

And he’ll be considered a joke.

²⁷ O IsraEl; you’re the reason why this came to be…

It was your cunning ways that brought this on them,

Because they were [your ally] in war.

²⁸ ‘The people of MoAb have all fled their towns,

And now they must live among rocks…

They must live like doves among stones.

²⁹ ‘I heard the insolence of MoAb,

And he was very insulting…

Then his insults and pride raised his heart.

³⁰ ‘But I’m aware of the [bad] things he’s done,’ says Yahweh,

‘And from him, I’ve endured far too much…

Yes, I know of his [wicked] deeds.

³¹ ‘Because of this, MoAb will shriek,

And the men of KeIr will be yelling

Because of their squalid conditions!

³² ‘The same as I’ve wept over JaZer

Is how I’ll cry over you,

O great grapevine of SibMah.

For your vines have reached to the sea,

And they’ve touched the city of JaZer.

‘Now, ruin has come to your autumn fruits,

And on those who are picking your grapes.

³³ ‘But at CarMel, there’s reason for shouting and joy;

For there’s no one to tread MoAb’s wine vats…

Yes, from morning to evening, they’re [shouting in] joy.

³⁴ ‘From HeshBon, to ElYaleh, and to JaHaz

There now arises a cry;

From ZoAr to HoroNaim there’s bleating

As though coming from 3-year-old heifers…

For the waters at NimRim have dried.

³⁵ ‘To MoAb, I will bring destruction,’ says Yahweh…

‘To this one who goes up to his shrines

And burns incense there to his gods.

³⁶ ‘So like pipes, MoAb’s heart will soon resonate

The same as My heart resonates

For all the people of KeIr-Aras…

Where like pipes, their [hearts] will resonate too,

Since the things that they’ve gained will all perish.

³⁷ ‘Then all their heads will be shorn,

And all their beards will be shaved…

They’ll be beating their chests with their hands,

And every loin will wear sackcloth.

³⁸ ‘[There’ll be wailing] on the rooftops of MoAb,

As well as in all of their squares,

Because I will have smashed MoAb,’ says Yahweh,

‘Like a pot that is no longer used.

³⁹ ‘O how very contrite;

O how MoAb’s repented;

For, MoAb’s now laughed at and shamed…

An object of horror to those [passing by].’

⁴⁰ Jehovah says:

‘I’ll spread and stretch out My wings over MoAb…

⁴¹ KiriAth and her forts will be seized.

In that day, the hearts of the armies of MoAb

Will become like the hearts of their women.

⁴² MoAb will [soon] be destroyed, So he will no longer be many… For against him, Yahweh will prove Himself great.

⁴³ ‘Snares, fear, and the pit have arrived

Upon you who have settled in MoAb,’ says Yahweh.

⁴⁴ ‘For those fleeing in fear will fall into pits,

And those climbing out will be caught in a snare.

‘I’ll be bringing these things upon MoAb

In the year that I go there to visit,’ says Yahweh.

⁴⁵ ‘In the shadow of HeshBon, they stopped…

The army that was running away.

For, fire arose out of HeshBon,

And in SiHon’s midst, there were flames

That devoured the forehead of MoAb

And the scalps of the sons of SiHon.

⁴⁶ ‘Woe upon you, O MoAb!

For the people of CheMosh have all been destroyed,

And their sons and daughters were carried away.

⁴⁷ But the captives of MoAb, I will return

In the last days,’ says Yahweh.

This was the judgment upon MoAb.

Jeremiah 49

←48 | All books | All chapters | 50→

¹ To the sons of AmMon:

Yahweh asked this:

‘Are there no sons in IsraEl…

Is there no one left to inherit?

Why has Moloch inherited Gad and his sons,

And why does he dwell in their cities?

² ‘{Look!} Because of this, days will come,’ says Yahweh,

‘When I’ll cause the disturbance of war

To be heard in RabBah by AmMon’s sons,

And then, they will all be destroyed.

So their land [will soon] be unwalked,

And their shrines will be burned up in fire.

Then, IsraEl will inherit its kingship,’ says Yahweh.

³ ‘Shout, O HeshBon, for Ai was destroyed…

Cry out, O daughters of RabBah,

And then wrap sackcloth around you!

Give in and lament over Moloch;

For together, his priests and his rulers

Will be carried away and resettled.

⁴ ‘Why are there cheers in EmaKeim,

O you presumptuous daughter…

You who’ve relied on you treasures and asked:

’Who would dare come against me?’

⁵ ‘{Look!} I will bring you something to fear,’

Says Yahweh of Armies…

‘From your cities, [your people] will scatter

In whichever direction their faces [will look],

And those who flee will never return.

⁶ ‘But the sons of AmMon, I will return

From wherever they’ve been taken captive,’ says Yahweh.

⁷ To Edom:

Yahweh says:

‘There is no more wisdom in TeMan;

For the council of their experts has been wiped away,

And their wisdom has been beguiled and undone.

⁸ ‘So, get accustomed to sitting,

All you are living in DeDan;

For, in the day that I come to visit,

I will be bringing hard times.

⁹ ‘Then, those who harvest grapes will arrive,

And they will leave nothing behind…

They’ll come upon you and snatch you away

As though they are thieves in the night.

¹⁰ ‘For, in the same way that I dragged Esau down;

I’ll uncover the things that you’ve tucked away…

No way can you keep them hidden.

Then, you’ll be destroyed by a people

Who are not your neighbors or brothers.

¹¹ ‘So abandon your orphans, that they might survive;

For, I will keep them alive

As I’ll also keep your widows alive,

Because they’ve put faith in Me.’

¹² Jehovah says:

‘{Look!} Those who weren’t under [My] Law

Were given the cup from which they must drink.

And because you will be found guilty,

You will also have to drink from that cup.

¹³ ‘For I swear this oath by Myself,’ says Yahweh,

‘That your land will soon be scorned and unwalked…

In her midst, you will be cursed,

And throughout ages, your cities will be deserts!’

¹⁴ Then I listened and heard this from Yahweh. For He sent His messengers to all the nations in order to give them this warning:

‘Gather and come here against her…

Arise and get ready for war!

¹⁵ Look! I’ve appointed her to be small among nations,

And something despised by all people.

¹⁶ ‘For her [schemes] have worked out against her,

And because of the audacious ways of her heart,

Her people will be living in the hills,

And in the holes among rocks.

So, if they set their nests higher than eagles,

I will still bring them back down,’ says Yahweh.

¹⁷ ‘Then Edom will be a land that’s unwalked…

All that go there will just be amazed

And whistle at all that has happened to her.

¹⁸ ‘For as Sodom and GomorRah were destroyed

Along with all those who lived there,’ said Yahweh;

‘No man will sit [in Edom] again,

Nor will sons of men ever dwell there.

¹⁹ ‘{Look!} Like lions, they will then arrive

[And attack] AiTham from the JorDan…

They’ll quickly drive them away from their land,

And a young man [will serve as their ruler]!

‘For, who else can be likened to Me,

And by whom can I be opposed…

Which shepherd can stand and oppose Me?’

²⁰ So, hear the plan of Yahweh… His plan against Edom and what He’s devised Against those who are dwelling in TeMan:

‘Even their smallest of sheep

Will soon be taken away,

And the places where they rest will be empty.

²¹ The sounds of their downfall will shake the whole earth,

And their cries will be heard ‘cross the seas.

²² ‘{Look!} He’ll soar like an eagle and spot her,

Then stretch out his wings towards her forts.

In that day, the hearts of the mighty of Edom

Will become like women with birth pangs.’

²³ To Damascus:

‘HaMath will soon be disgraced,

And from Arpad, they’ll hear bad reports…

They will be startled and enraged,

And they’ll be unable to rest.

²⁴ ‘Damascus was weakened and she turned to flee…

By trembling, she was overcome.

Concern and grief held her down

Like a woman who’s about to give birth.

²⁵ ‘O you praised city that was never abandoned…

You town that was ever so loved;

²⁶ Your young men will fall in your squares,

And your mighty will all be cut down,’ says Yahweh of Armies.

²⁷ ‘For I’ll kindle a fire on the walls of Damascus,

And burn the Plaza of the Sons of Hadad.’

²⁸ To Cypress and its queen in her courtyard, [concerning the attack by] NebuChadNezzar the king of Babylon.

[The Lord says:]

‘Yahweh of Armies says this:

‘Arise and go up to Cypress,

And then attack Kedem’s sons.

²⁹ Take all their tents and their sheep,

As well as their clothes, their camels, and jars;

For I’ve called for destruction upon them.

³⁰ ‘Flee right away… Just grab what you need,

O you who are resting in yards,’ says Yahweh!

‘Since King NebuChadNezzar has made plans against you,

³¹ Get up and flee to a nation that’s safe,

All you who are sitting and resting

In a place with no gates and no bars.

³² ‘Then, all your camels will be plundered,

And your cattle will all be destroyed…

I’ll blow them away with the winds

And shave them away from your sides…

I’ll bring your enemies to drive them away,’ said Yahweh.

³³ ‘Then your yards will become ostrich playgrounds…

Places unwalked throughout the ages.

No way will men ever sit there again,

Nor will sons of men ever live there.’

³⁴ Well, after the Lord told the Prophet JeremiAh that these things would happen to them, this is what did happen to ElAm around the beginning of the reign of ZedekiAh, the king of Judah.

³⁵ For Yahweh of Armies said this [to JeremiAh]:

‘Look! I will break ElAm’s bows,

As well as his sources of power.

³⁶ I’ll bring the four winds against ElAm

From the four corners of the skies,

And to those four winds, they’ll be scattered.

‘Many nations will come against ElAm

To push them out of their land.

³⁷ Before their foes, they’ll be scattered

(Before those who are seeking their lives).

For upon them, I’m bringing My anger and rage,’ says Yahweh,

‘And I’ll chase them away with My sword

Until they’re completely consumed.

³⁸ ‘Then in ElAm, I will establish My throne…

And that’s where I’ll send a king and great men,’ says Yahweh.

³⁹ ‘But in the last days, I will also return

All the captives of ElAm,’ says Yahweh.

Jeremiah 50

←49 | All books | All chapters | 51→

¹ These are the words that the Lord spoke against Babylon and the land of the Chaldea through the mouth of JeremiAh, the Prophet.

[The Lord said:]

² ‘Announce it to all of the nations…

Make it heard and erect a sign…

Let them all know, do not hide it!

[Tell them what Yahweh said, and] say:

‘Babylon has now been captured,

And to Bel, disgrace has arrived.

MeroDach has been [destroyed]…

All of his idols were shamed,

And have now been [carried away].

³ ‘For a nation from the north came against her

And brought her land to extinction.

So, no one will ever live there again…

None from among men or beasts.

⁴ ‘During those days and at that time,

They will be entered and shaken,’ says Yahweh.

‘Then the sons of IsraEl and Judah

Will get together and leave her.’

[The Lord continues:]

‘Before Yahweh, they’ll be weeping [in joy],

For they will be seeking their God.

⁵ They’ll ask for directions to Zion,

And that’s where they’ll set their faces to go.

‘In Yahweh, they will seek refuge,

And they’ll remember His Sacred Agreement.

[‘Yahweh says:]

⁶ ‘For my people became as sheep that were lost,

Since their shepherds had pushed them into the hills…

They led them astray from mountain to hill,

And then, they just walked away.

⁷ ‘So, those who found them consumed them…

Their enemies said, We won’t spare them

Because they’ve sinned against God

In those pastures [that He gave] to their fathers.

⁸ ‘So, flee from Babylon’s midst…

Get out of the land of Chaldea…

Escape like sheep being chased by wild beasts!

⁹ For {Look!} against Babylon, I will be bringing

A great nation from the lands in the north,

Which will then come and attack her,

And take [her people] as captives…

For the arrows of their finest of warriors

Won’t return without seeing success.

¹⁰ ‘Then all the Chaldeans will be plundered,

And those who loot her will take what they want,’ said Yahweh.

¹¹ ‘For, she was glad and found glory

When My inheritance was plundered by her…

She leaped like a calf in My pasture,

And then, she gored like a bull.

¹² ‘So, she will bring shame to her mother,

And become the least of the nations…

A barren parched land, and a desert.’

‘{Look!} It will lie empty as a place that’s unwalked;

¹³ For because of the rage of Yahweh,

She will no longer be lived in…

Yes, everyone there will be gone.

And those who travel through Babylon,

Will look sadly and whistle at her fate.

¹⁴ ‘So, come and lay siege against Babylon…

Stretch tight your bows and then shoot her down!

Don’t spare the arrows in your attack,

For against Yahweh, she’s sinned.

¹⁵ ‘Then tie up her hands and lead her away…

Raze her parapets and all of her walls!

For, this is vengeance from God…

Do to her as she once did to you!

¹⁶ ‘May Babylon’s offspring be taken away

(Those who [swing] sickles in the harvest)

Before the swords of the Greeks,

Who will carry them back to their people,

As they are going back home!

[‘Yahweh says:]

¹⁷ ‘IsraEl was a flock that had strayed,

So lions pushed them out [of their land].

Assyria’s king ate them first,

And then Babylon’s king chewed on their bones.

¹⁸ ‘But because of the things they will do,’ says Yahweh of Armies;

‘{Look!} I’ll take vengeance on Babylon’s king and his land,

As I’ve done to Assyria’s king.

¹⁹ ‘Then I’ll bring IsraEl back to their pastures,

And in BaShan and CarMel, they’ll feed…

Yes, upon Ephraim’s mountains,

And in GileAd, their souls will be filled.

²⁰ ‘In those days and at that time,’ says Yahweh;

‘In IsraEl, you’ll search for unrighteous ways,

But they will no longer exist.

And if they search throughout Judah for sins,

They won’t be able to find them…

They’ll only find kindness from those who return.

²¹ ‘So, go to that land and attack her…

Attack all the people who live there…

Punish the ones who once clapped their hands…

Wipe them away with the sword,’ says Yahweh…

‘Do to them, what I told you to do!

²² ‘There’s the sound of destruction and war

In the land of Chaldea.

²³ For they’ll be defeated and smashed

By the hammer of the whole earth…

O how the nations will bring

Extinction upon Babylon!

²⁴ ‘They’ll attack her and she will be captured

Before those in Babylon know

That they’ll be relocated and taken away;

For it’s Me, Yahweh, whom they have opposed!

²⁵ The Lord has opened His storehouse And withdrawn the things of his rage To do the work of Yahweh of Armies Within the land of Chaldea.

²⁶ So, because it’s her time, you must open her stores, Then search her through like a cave… And thereafter, you should destroy her… Don’t leave a trace [of where she has been]!

²⁷ Then, dry up all of her fruits And carry them down to the slaughter! Woe to them, for their day has arrived… The time for them to be punished!

²⁸ There’s the sound of [people] who are fleeing… From Babylon’s lands, they are running. So announce Yahweh’s vengeance to Zion… God’s vengeance over what they did to His Temple.

²⁹ Urge many to come against Babylon… Tell all to stretch tight their bows! Around her, set up your camps And allow no one to escape.

Pay her back for the things she has done… Do to her as she once did to you! For Yahweh’s the One whom she has opposed… IsraEl’s Most Holy God.

[‘Yahweh continues:]

³⁰ ‘It’s because of this, that she’ll fall.

And all the young men in her squares,

As well as all of her warriors,

Will be [run through] in that day,’ says Yahweh.

³¹ ‘Look! I’m the One who’s against you, O proud one,’

Says Yahweh of Armies,

‘And your day has finally come…

The day for you to be punished!

³² ‘The insolence you had will now fall

And no one will raise it again.

In her woods, I’ll kindle a fire

To devour everything that’s around her.’

³³ ‘Yahweh of Armies also said:

‘To the sons of IsraEl, you were tyrants,

And to the sons of Judah, you were even [more cruel]…

You’ve been tyrants to all whom you’ve captured,

And let no one return to their homes.

³⁴ ‘But the Almighty will ransom them back

(Yahweh the Almighty is His Name).

He judges His opponents in fairness,

Before He takes them away from their lands.

And now, He is sending His rage

To those who are living in Babylon.

³⁵ ‘Bring a sword upon the Chaldeans,’ says Yahweh,

‘And upon all of Babylon’s people…

Upon all her great men and experts!

³⁶ ‘Bring a sword against her clairvoyants,

And prove them all to be fools!

Bring a sword against all her soldiers,

And let them each receive wounds!

³⁷ ‘Bring a sword upon all their horses,

And upon their chariots also.

Then those in her midst will be acting like girls!

‘Bring a sword upon all her treasures…

[Yes, haul them away] as your loot!

³⁸ ‘And although she’s relied on her waters,

They will soon be disgraced.

For, they are a land of carved idols

Before which, those in the islands have bowed.

³⁹ So their idols will be sent to those islands,

Where among chained demons, they’ll dwell.’

[The Lord continues:]

‘Throughout the ages, she’ll not be lived in again…

Through generations, no one will camp there.

⁴⁰ For as God destroyed Sodom and GomorRah,

As well as the places round-about them,’ said the Lord,

‘There’s no way that men will live there again,

Nor will sons of men ever stay there.

⁴¹ ‘{Look!} There are people who are coming from the far north…

A great nation will come from the ends of the earth

Along with many [great] kings,

⁴² All brandishing arrows and swords.

‘They will be very audacious;

For, they will act without mercy,

And their voices [will roar] like the seas.

‘O you daughters of Babylon;

They’ll come against you on horses,

And with fire, as they’re preparing for war.

⁴³ ‘Babylon’s king will hear the report,

And then his hands will grow weak…

He’ll be gripped with pangs like a woman giving birth.

[‘Yahweh continues:]

⁴⁴ ‘{Look!} Like a lion, he’ll ascend from the JorDan,

And he’ll go to a place called AiTham.

Then quickly, I’ll drive them upon her…

I’ll set all their young men against her.

‘For who else is like Me and who can resist…

What shepherd can stand before Me?

⁴⁵ ‘So, hear the plan of Yahweh…

His plans against Babylon

And the equipment that He has devised

Against those in the land of Chaldea.

‘Surely their lambs will all be destroyed…

Surely their fields will be captured!

⁴⁶ ‘From the sounds of Babylon’s conquest,

All on the earth will be shaken,

And her cries will be heard in all nations.’

Jeremiah 51

←50 | All books | All chapters | 52→

¹ The Lord said:

‘{Look!} I’ll awaken a wind that burns and destroys

Against Babylon’s people

And all the Chaldeans who live there.

² ‘Against Babylon, I’ll be sending the proud

Who’ll insult her and wipe out her land.

Woe to Babylon and those round-about

In the day that she is oppressed.

³ ‘Let the bowman stretch tight his bow

And strap on all of his weapons!

Do not spare her young men…

Wipe all her armies away…

⁴ May all in the land of Chaldea fall dead.

‘May their [mercenary troops] be pierced through and fall.

⁵ For, IsraEl and Judah aren’t the widows

Of Yahweh the Almighty God.

‘It was because their land was filled with injustice,

And from IsraEl’s holy ways, they had strayed,

That they were allowed to be captured.

⁶ ‘So, those in Babylon’s midst should now flee…

Each man should save his own soul!

In her unrighteous ways, don’t get involved,

Since it’s time for her to be punished…

To be repaid for the bad things she’s done!

⁷ ‘Within the hands of Yahweh,

Babylon is like a gold cup

From whose wine, the earth became drunk.

For she forced all the nations to drink it,

And this is why they are reeling.

⁸ ‘So, Babylon will fall and be broken;

Then the [time to] lament her will come when they’ll say:

‘Bring an ointment to heal all her wounds,

And to see if she can be saved!’

⁹ ‘Although we treated her, she couldn’t be healed…

So, all should return to their lands,

Since heaven has approached to pass judgment on her…

Before the stars, she has been exposed.’

¹⁰ Yes, Yahweh’s brought judgment upon her; So come, let’s announce it in Zion… For, this is the work of Yahweh our God.

¹¹ ‘Prepare your bows… Fill your quivers;

For, the spirit of the king of the Medes

Has now been aroused by Yahweh

To bring His rage against Babylon

And to wipe her away.

Yes, this is the vengeance from God…

He’s getting revenge for His people.

¹² ‘Raise the flags on Babylon’s walls!

Prepare the watchmen and ready the shields!

For Yahweh’s about to do what He said

Against those who are dwelling in Babylon.

¹³ ‘O you who camp between waters

And you who [put trust in] your treasures;

The limit has finally been reached

As to what your bowels can hold.

¹⁴ ‘For Yahweh has now sworn this oath

By [the power of] His mighty arm, [saying]:

‘I’ll fill you with men; like locusts they’ll come…

And they’ll shout as they are attacking!’

¹⁵ ‘He’s the Mighty One who created the earth…

The One, who in His great wisdom

Prepared mankind’s habitation,

And the One who with great understanding,

Stretched out the heavens above it.

¹⁶ ‘With His voice, He sends waters down from the skies,

And He brings the clouds from the ends of the earth.

He sends lightning along with the rain,

And from His treasures, He then draws the light.

¹⁷ ‘He has proven all men to be foolish,

[And foolish] is the knowledge of their goldsmiths;

For, they have cast idols and they have carved gods,

Which are unable to breathe.

¹⁸ ‘So their deeds are wasted and scornful,

And they’ll be destroyed when He visits.

¹⁹ Yet, this won’t be the portion of Jacob…

Their inheritance is the One who shaped all,

Whose Name is Yahweh of Armies!

[‘He says:]

²⁰ ‘So before Me, lay out your items of war,

And I’ll scatter [many] nations before you…

Over many kings, I will raise you,

²¹ And before you, I’ll scatter their horses and riders,

As well as their chariots and horsemen.

²² ‘I’ll scatter before you, their husbands and wives…

I’ll scatter their elders and children.

Before you, I’ll scatter their young men and virgins,

²³ And I’ll scatter their shepherds and flocks.

‘I’ll scatter before you their farmers and farms…

Governors and commanders, I’ll scatter.

²⁴ Before your eyes, I will pay back

Those of Chaldea and Babylon

For the evils they committed against Zion, said Yahweh.

²⁵ ‘Look… I’m against you, you mount of corruption,

And I oppose your iron that corrupts the whole earth.

So I’ll stretch My hand out against you,

Then upon you, I will roll rocks,

As I set your mountain on fire!

²⁶ ‘No way will your stones then be carried

To be used as foundation blocks…

You’ll be wiped away throughout the ages,’ said Yahweh.

²⁷ ‘So, raise the banners throughout the whole earth…

Signal the nations with trumpets;

Then, make them holy against her…

The Araratites and the AshKenazi!

‘Bring many weapons against her…

Bring horses like locusts, upon her!

²⁸ Drag many nations [to fight] her…

The king of the Medes and the rest of the earth…

Their leaders and all their commanders!

²⁹ ‘Then the earth will be shaken and reel

By Yahweh’s plans against Babylon,

Since He’s arranged the extinction of Babylon’s land

So that no one will live there again!

³⁰ ‘Babylon’s soldiers will fail to wage war…

They’ll just sit in their forts as they’re losing control.

They’ll become like women whose tents are ablaze,

And then, her bars will be broken.

³¹ ‘Those chasing will meet others chasing,

As they pursue the announcers

Who will meet with those who proclaim,

And make the announcement to Babylon’s king

That his great city was captured,

³² And the last of his moats have been breached…

That his ramparts have been burned by fire,

And all of his men have surrendered.

³³ ‘For Yahweh of Armies (the God of IsraEl) says this:

‘The palace of Babylon’s king

Will become a floor to do threshing…

And now is the season for threshing,

Because it’s time for the harvest!’

³⁴ ‘[And those living in Zion will say:]

‘By NebuChadNezzar, Babylon’s King,

I was crushed and divided…

He caught up with me in the darkness;

Then, like a beast, he swallowed me down,

And his belly was filled with My good things.

³⁵ So in misery and in great trouble,

To Babylon, I was taken,

And my blood was laid upon those Chaldeans.’

[‘And God says:]

³⁶ ‘But because of this,’ says Yahweh,

{Look!} I will judge your opponents

And send My vengeance to them for the ways

That they will be punishing you.

‘I’ll destroy her [rivers] and dry up her springs,

³⁷ And Babylon will become an extinction

– A den for wild beasts and for snakes –

Which won’t be lived in again.

³⁸ ‘As lions and their cubs are aroused in the heat,

I’ll give them a drink that will make them all drunk…

I’ll stupefy them and put them to sleep,

³⁹ Which will be a sleep for the ages

From which they’ll never awaken,’ says Yahweh.

⁴⁰ ‘I’ll bring them like lambs for the slaughter…

Like rams that are mixed among [goats].

⁴¹ ‘Thereafter, Sheshach will be captured,

And the earth’s boastful ones will be hunted…

For, Babylon will not be great again

Among the rest of the nations.

⁴² ‘May Babylon be covered up by ‘the sea’…

May she be covered by the roar of its ‘waves’…

⁴³ May all her cities meet with destruction,

And may her land become dry and unwalked.

‘Nothing alive will go there again,

Nor will sons of men ever rest there.

⁴⁴ For, I will take vengeance upon Babylon,

And from her mouth, I’ll snatch what she ate.

No more will nations gather with her,

And even her walls will soon fall.’

⁴⁵ So, get out of her midst, O my people… Let each man save his own life From the anger and rage of Yahweh.

[The Lord continues:]

⁴⁶ ‘And don’t let your hearts be consumed…

Don’t fear the reports that are heard in that land;

For in one year, there’ll come a report,

And in the next, another will come

Of misery and sin in that land,

And of one leader ruling another.

[‘And Yahweh says:]

⁴⁷ ‘Because of this, {Look!} days will come

When I’ll bring vengeance on Babylon’s idols.

Then, all in their land will be shamed,

As in her midst, the slain will be falling.

⁴⁸ ‘Heaven and earth will be joyful,

As well as all those who live there.

For her destroyer will come from the north,’ says Yahweh.

⁴⁹ ‘And as Babylon murdered the IsraElites,

The slain will fall in Babylon’s land.

⁵⁰ ‘So flee, O you who’ve been saved from the sword,

For you should stay there no longer!

Then speak of Yahweh in far-away lands…

And JeruSalem should remain in your hearts!

[‘You should say:]

⁵¹ ‘We were shamed when we heard of our scorn,

And in dishonor, we covered our faces;

For, foreigners entered our Most Holy Place…

They entered the Temple of Yahweh!’

[‘And Yahweh continues:]

⁵² ‘And because of this, {Look!} days will come,’ said Yahweh,

‘When I’ll take vengeance upon her carved idols,

And the slain will fall in her land.

⁵³ ‘So if Babylon could climb up into the skies

And fortify her strength in the heights;

I’d still send those who’d destroy her,’ said Yahweh.

⁵⁴ ‘So from Babylon, you will hear cries,

As destruction comes to the Chaldeans.

⁵⁵ Jehovah will remove Babylon…

With the sounds of waves, He’ll destroy her,

And to her voice, He’ll bring ruin.

⁵⁶ ‘Misery will come upon Babylon,

For her warriors will soon all be captured,

And terror will come to her bowmen…

Yes, this is her payback from God.

⁵⁷ ‘The Lord will repay her with what she is due,

And he’ll make them all [reel like] drunks…

Yes, her governors, commanders, and wise men,’

Says the King, Yahweh the Almighty.

⁵⁸ ‘And thus says Yahweh the Almighty:

‘The broad walls of Babylon will fall,

And her gates will fail and be burned;

For the nations and peoples will tire of her pride.’

⁵⁹ These were the words that the Lord had instructed JeremiAh the Prophet to say to SeraiAh (son of NeriAh and grandson of MaAseJah) [back] when he went with ZedekiAh (the king of Judah) into Babylon in the 4th year of his reign (SeraiAh was in charge of the gifts that were [brought to the king]).

⁶⁰ Then JeremiAh wrote of all the bad things that were to come upon Babylon in a scroll, including all the rest of these words that were written against Babylon.

⁶¹ JeremiAh also told SeraiAh that when he got to Babylon, he was to read all of these words to [the people of Babylon], and then say:

⁶² ‘It was Yahweh that spoke ill of this place…

He’s the One who said He’d destroy it

So that no one will ever live here again…

Neither man nor beast, throughout the ages.’

⁶³ [Then JeremiAh told him:]

‘Then, when you finish reading this scroll, tie it to a rock and toss it into the EuPhrates, and tell them:

⁶⁴ ‘This is how Babylon will sink

And not be raised up again…

She’ll vanish, because of the bad things He’ll bring.’

Yes, these were all the words of JeremiAh.

Jeremiah 52

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¹ Well, King ZedekiAh was 21 years old when he started his reign, and he ruled from JeruSalem for 11 years. His mother’s name was HamuTal, and she was the daughter of JeremiAh of LibNah. ² For, like JehoiAkim, the things that he did were wicked before Yahweh. ³ And this is why the wrath of Yahweh stayed upon JeruSalem and Judah until He finally cast them away from His face… For then ZedekiAh rebelled against the king of Babylon.

⁴ It was in the 9th year and 10th month of his reign, on the 10th day of the month that NebuChadNezzar the king of Babylon came against JeruSalem with all his armies. He camped outside of the city and built a rampart around it, ⁵ and the city stayed under siege until the 11th year of King ZedekiAh. ⁶ So by the 9th day of the 4th month, there was famine in the city, and there was no longer any bread for the people in the land.

⁷ Thereafter, the city’s [walls] were breached and all its warriors fled… They escaped during the night by way of the gate in the middle of the wall and the area around the wall that was next to the king’s garden. [They did this] as the Chaldeans were already in and around the city… And then they headed towards the desert.

⁸ Well, the army of the Chaldeans chased after the king, catching up with him on the other side of JeriCho, where all of his servants had left him.

⁹ So they captured the king and led him to the king of Babylon (who was in RibLah in the land of HaMath at the time), where he spoke to him and then passed judgment on him. ¹⁰ Then the king of Babylon had all the sons of ZedekiAh killed before his eyes, and he killed all the rulers of Judah there in RibLah. ¹¹ And thereafter, he blinded the eyes of ZedekiAh, bound him in shackles, and the king of Babylonian had him carried to Babylon, where he was kept in a mill house until the day that he died.

¹² It was during the 5th month, on the 10th day of the month, that NabuZarArdan (the chief of the guards who always stood before the king of Babylon) came to JeruSalem ¹³ and he burned the Yahweh’s Temple, the king’s palace, and all the houses in the city, including all of its mansions. ¹⁴ Then the chief of the guards had the Chaldean armies tear down all of the city walls, ¹⁵ and he removed all of the poor people (those who had been left behind in the city) as well as those who had gone over to the king of Babylon, along with everyone else. ¹⁶ However, the chief of the guards did leave some of the poor people behind to serve as vinedressers and farmers.

¹⁷ Then the Chaldeans broke up the columns of brass that stood outside the Yahweh’s Temple, along with their bases and the brass Sea, and they carried all the brass off to Babylon. ¹⁸ This included:

• The bowls,

• The meat hooks, and

• The rest of the brass items that were used to officiate [at the Temple]...

¹⁹ As well as the silver things:

• The snuffers,

• The oil flasks,

• The lamp stands,

• The incense pans,

• And the cups.

Then the chief of the guards took all the things that were made of gold and silver ²⁰ (along with the two columns, the Sea, and the 12 brass calves that were under the Sea, which King Solomon had made for the Temple of Yahweh) [back to Babylon].

²¹ No one could know the weight of all the brass; for the columns were each 33 feet (10m) tall, they had a circumference of 22 feet (6.7m), and their walls were 4 fingers thick. ²² The moldings were also 8 feet (2.4m) long (one of them was very fine), and there was a net of pomegranates around the moldings, all of which was made of brass. ²³ There were 96 pomegranates on each [molding] and 100 pomegranates on each of the nets that encircled them.

²⁴ Then the chief of the guards carried off:

• SeraiAh (the High Priest),

• ZephaniAh (his second in command),

• And three of the Temple’s entrance guards.

²⁵ And from the city, he took:

• One of the eunuchs who was in charge of the warriors,

• Seven of the famous men who stood before the king (all of whom were found in the city),

• The scribe of the armies,

• The one who acted as scribe for the people of the land,

• And 60 men from among the people of the land who were found in the midst of the city.

²⁶ NabuZarArdan (the chief of the guards) took them all away and led them before the king of Babylon in RibLah, ²⁷ and the king of Babylon had them all killed at RibLah (in the land of HaMath).

Then the rest of the people of Judah were deported from the land.

²⁸ There were 3,023 people whom [King] NebuChadNezzar [of Babylon] deported in his 7th year. ²⁹ Then in the 18th year of NebuChadNezzar’s [reign], he deported another 832 souls from JeruSalem. ³⁰ And in the 23rd year of [his reign], the chief of the guards deported 745 more souls from among the Judeans. So, all those [that were carried way] came to 4,600.

³¹ Then in the 37th year, on the 25th day of the 12th month after the relocation of King JehoiAchin of Judah, King EvilMerodach of Babylon took King JehoiAchin of Judah and led him from the house where he’d been kept under guard (he did this in the 1st year of his reign). ³² Then he spoke to him kindly and gave him a throne that was higher than all the thrones of the other kings who were there with him in Babylon. ³³ He took him from his prison, provided him with better clothes, and allowed him to eat bread before him for as long as he lived. ³⁴ He was also provided a daily allowance by the king of Babylon until the day that he died.

Lamentations

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Lamentations is series of five poetic dirges over the fallen city of JeruSalem and its people, composed by Jeremiah soon after its destruction by the Babylonians.

Like much poetic prophetic writing, the pronouns change around and make it confusing to see who’s speaking. It may be that the devastated city of JeruSalem herself is ‘speaking’ in places. We’ve guessed exactly where these parts begin and end, formatting the text accordingly. We may not have these 100% right, but we’ve tried our best.

Lamentations 1

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¹ After IsraEl was captured and JeruSalem was desolated, JeremiAh sat down and cried, wailing this lamentation over the city:

‘O how that city, once filled with people

Must now sit all alone.

Among the nations, she [sits as] a widow…

She is ruled and [must pay] a tribute.

² ‘She cried and wept all through the night,

As tears rolled down her cheeks;

For, no one is left to offer her comfort

Among all those who once loved her.

Yes, those who cared have now left her,

And her enemies, they’ve become.

³ ‘Humiliation has come upon Judah,

For [all of her people] were [taken away]

And she has become just a slave.

‘Now, she finds no way to rest,

Because she [belongs to] the gentiles.

Yes, all those who chased her have caught her,

And [she lives] among those who oppress her.

⁴ ‘The roads to Zion now mourn,

For there’s no one who comes there

To celebrate her holiday feasts.

‘All of her gates have been broken,

All of her Priests must now groan,

And all of her virgins are captives;

So, inside herself, she’s bitter.

⁵ For her head is those who oppose her,

And to her enemies, [she now must submit].

‘Her humiliation was brought by Yahweh,

Because she no longer showed Him respect.

So her young were led off as captives

Before those who have oppressed her.

⁶ ‘The daughters of Zion (her beauty) are gone,

[And others now serve as] their rulers.

As rams without pasture, they left without strength

In front of those who’d pursued them.

⁷ So, when she thinks of these days of disgrace,

She is very upset.

‘All of her beautiful things [are now gone]…

Those things that she’s had since most ancient times.

For her people fell into the hands of oppressors,

And no one came to their aid.

Then all her enemies laughed

When they saw these things being taken away.

⁸ ‘It was because of JeruSalem’s sins

That she was allowed to be battered.

She was humbled by the One who’d loved her

When He saw how indecent she’d become.

So now, she [just sits there and] groans,

And all she does is reflect.

⁹ ‘Her filth lies there at her feet,

Because she forgot how things would work out.

So, she’s now been brought low,

And there’s no place where she can find comfort.

‘[She cries]:

‘O Lord, see how I’ve been shamed;

For, to my enemies, I now must submit!’

¹⁰ ‘Those who oppressed her have reached out their hands

To take her desirable things.

She watched as the gentiles entered her [Temple]…

Those whom [God] said should not enter

Among the assembly [of His people].

¹¹ ‘Now, all of her people are groaning

Because they’re searching for bread.

Her desirable things, they’ve traded for food,

In order to save their own lives.

‘O Yahweh,

‘Please look down upon this,

For, she has been so disgraced!

[And she says:]

¹² ‘All those to whom You once became close

But thereafter chose to reject You,

Will see if there’s pain like the pain that I feel.

For, I’ve been humbled by the One who addressed me…

By Yahweh, in the day of His rage.

¹³ ‘To my bones, He’s sent fire…

Yes, fire is what He’s sent.

Then He spread out a net for my feet

To turn me back and make me retreat.

He appointed me to be hidden from view

And to grieve throughout the rest of my days.

¹⁴ ‘He was aware of my godless deeds;

For, they were close to my hands…

And then they [crawled] up my neck.

So, all of my strength has now left me,

Since Yahweh’s put grief in my hands

And I’m unable to stand.

¹⁵ ‘All of my mighty have left me,

As has Yahweh, [my God].

For the time arrived for His visit,

And to break the best of my men.

So the Lord has trodden the winepress

Of the virgin daughter of Judah.’

¹⁶ ‘It’s over such things that I weep…

It’s why my eyes are now filled with tears.

For, those who would offer me comfort

(Those who would bring back my life)

[Have now been carried] away.

Yes, all of my sons are now gone…

And by my enemies, I’ve been conquered.’

¹⁷ ‘So, although Zion has spread out her hands,

There’s no one who’ll come to console her.

For Yahweh gave a warning to Jacob

That they’d be surrounded by those who’d attack.

‘JeruSalem was to serve as a woman

Who was set apart from the unclean…

Although she had to live in their midst.

¹⁸ Yet, Yahweh has been proven righteous;

For, we’re the ones who embittered His mouth.

[‘For she says:]

‘So, hear all you peoples and look at my pain,

Since all my young men and virgins are gone…

They’ve all been taken as captives!

¹⁹ ‘I was misled by those whom I loved…

My priests and my elders had failed me!

They just wanted food for themselves,

So they could save their own lives.

²⁰ ‘Behold, O Lord, my painful condition,

For my stomach is very upset

And my heart is rolling within me!

‘I’ve become very bitter,

For the sword has left me without any sons…

It’s as though there’s death in my home.

²¹ ‘Listen indeed to my groaning,

For there’s no one to offer me comfort.

Since our enemies had heard of our badness,

They rejoiced at the things that they did.

But upon them, You’ll bring a day and a time

When they’ll become just like me!

²² ‘Yes, may their evils fall upon them…

Glean them as they’ve gleaned me for my sins!

For, [they’re the cause] of my groaning,

And they’re the ones upsetting my heart.’

Lamentations 2

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¹ ‘O how dark was the rage of Yahweh

When it came to the daughter of Zion.

For He pulled IsraEl’s glory out of the heights

And threw it down to the ground…

Yes, in the day of His rage,

He forgot the stool for His feet.

² ‘[He] didn’t hold back, nor did He spare

Jacob’s beautiful things.

In His rage, He destroyed all the forts

Of the virgin daughter of Judah.

He cut them down to the ground,

And profaned our rulers and king.

³ ‘He broke them to pieces in anger and rage,

Taking all of IsraEl’s strength…

He turned His hand from the enemy’s face

And allowed them to set Jacob ablaze…

To consume everything that’s around him.

⁴ ‘As an enemy, He stretched tight His bow,

And as an opponent, he stiffened His hand

To destroy all the things that my eyes had desired.

On the Tents of the daughters of Zion,

He poured out the flames of His rage.

⁵ ‘So Yahweh became our enemy…

He sunk IsraEl and all its estates.

He also destroyed all its forts…

The strongholds of the daughters of Judah.

‘He multiplied those who were humbling us,

And increased the numbers of humbled.

⁶ ‘Like a grapevine, He spread out His Tent,

And His holiday feasts, He corrupted.

He forgot all the things He’d appointed for Zion…

The holiday feasts and the Sabbaths.

He did this, because we’d provoked Him,

Then He threatened our king and our priests in His rage.

⁷ ‘[He] thrust away His own Altar…

His Holy Place, He’s brushed aside.

So our enemies broke down our walls,

And shouted in the House of Yahweh

As we used to do on our holiday feasts.

⁸ ‘Yahweh made plans to ruin the walls

Of the virgin daughter of Zion.

First, He stretched out His ruler,

Then His hand sent a trampling upon us,

Which caused us to mourn around all our walls,

Because the walls were destroyed,

⁹ And the gates had been cut to the ground…

They broke and destroyed the bars for our gates!

‘So now, her king and her rulers

Have been scattered among all the nations,

And there’s no longer a Law,

Nor do our prophets see visions.

¹⁰ ‘They silently sit on the ground

(The elders of the daughter of Zion)

As they throw dust on their heads…

As they’re dressing in sackcloth…

As the heads of JeruSalem’s virgins

Are being pushed to the ground.

¹¹ ‘Then the tears in my eyes started to fail,

Because my heart had become so disturbed.

My glory had just been poured on the ground

By the destruction of all the daughters

And the nursing mothers with babies,

There in our city squares.

¹² ‘From the mothers, they demanded their grain and their wine

When they were as weak as the wounded.

Then, in those squares, they poured out the lives

[Of the babies] that nursed at their breasts.

¹³ ‘And now, what more can I say,

O virgin daughter of JeruSalem…

To what can you be compared?

Who can now come and save you,

O virgin daughter of Zion…

Since the cup of destruction was widened for you,

Who can now bring you healing?

¹⁴ ‘Although your prophets saw all of your folly,

They refused to uncover your sins

And save you from this captivity…

Even though they were concerned about your foolish ways,

And they knew that you had to be purged!

¹⁵ ‘Now, people clap hands as they’re passing,

And whistle as they shake their heads

Over JeruSalem’s daughter:

‘Isn’t she the one who was called glory’s crown…

The most joyful place on the earth?’

¹⁶ ‘But your enemies opened their mouths

And whistled, as they ground their teeth.

They said:

‘We’ll swallow her down,

And this is the day that we planned…

We found it and [we made it happen]!’

¹⁷ ‘So Yahweh did what He’d decided…

He finished what He said must be done…

The things that He said [He must do] long ago.

So He didn’t spare, He demolished…

He brought your enemies joy over you,

And raised the trumpets of those who attacked you!

¹⁸ ‘Before Yahweh, they were yelling:

‘We’ll tear down all of Zion’s walls

And make its people stream tears day and night!

Don’t allow them the time to get sober,

Or to let their eyes become still!’

¹⁹ ‘So, during the night, awaken and think…

At the start of each watch, pour out your hearts

Before the face of Yahweh!

Raise your arms up before Him

On behalf of the children who are starving,

Which are found on every street corner!

²⁰ ‘Behold, O Lord…

‘See what You’ve gleaned!

Should women eat the fruit of their bellies?

Should the babies be murdered as they’re nursing on breasts?

Will you kill the priests and the prophets

Inside the Holy Place of Yahweh?

²¹ ‘Young boys must now sleep in the streets

Along with the old men and virgins.

My young men were all taken captive,

And then killed by the famine and swords.

For, in the day of Your rage,

You slashed and You haven’t spared any!

²² ‘As a festival day (as no other day),

You called to those living around us.

Then because of Your rage, no one was saved…

They left no one behind…

My enemies were filled, and You won.’

Lamentations 3

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¹ ‘Now, I’m a man who’s helpless,

For the rod of His rage has been laid upon me.

² He took me, then led me away

Into the darkness (not into the light).

³ ‘So, throughout the rest of my days,

Against me, He’s turned His hand.

⁴ My flesh and my skin, He’s made old,

And He’s broken my bones.

⁵ ‘Against me, He’s now built [a wall],

And my head He’s encircled with trouble.

⁶ Inside a dark place, He has put me,

As though I’d been dead throughout the ages.

⁷ ‘Against me, He’s constructed a wall

Through which I can’t escape,

And with a brass chain, He’s weighed me down.

⁸ ‘Although I cry out and yell,

He’s shut out my prayers…

⁹ He’s blocked all my roads and my ways!

¹⁰ ‘He’s become a bear that’s lying in wait,

And a lion that’s lurking, unseen.

¹¹ When I rebelled, He then chased me down

And caused me to no longer be…

He established me to be wiped away.

¹² ‘He’s stretched tight His bow,

And set me on a stone as His target.

¹³ Into my kidneys, He’s shot poison arrows

¹⁴ And He’s made me a source of His laughter…

A psalm throughout the whole day.

¹⁵ ‘With bitterness, He’s now filled me,

And bile, I’ve been given to drink.

¹⁶ With a small rock, He knocked out my teeth,

And then He gave me ashes to eat.

¹⁷ ‘He’s pushed peace from my life,

And made me forget all the good things I had.

¹⁸ So I said that my victory had perished

Along with my hope in Yahweh.

¹⁹ ‘But, this is what I remembered:

‘Despite the state that I came to be in

(My persecution, bitterness, and bile),

²⁰ I haven’t been forgotten…

Yes, my life will continue!

²¹ This is [the thought] that I’ve kept in my heart,

And the reason why I keep on waiting.

²² ‘For the mercies of [God] never end,

And His compassions will never fail.

²³ Each morning, they’re renewed,

And on Him, we can always rely.

²⁴ ‘The portion that’s mine is Yahweh,’ said my soul.

And because of this, I’ll keep waiting.

²⁵ For Yahweh is good to all those who wait

And wholeheartedly keep searching for Him.

²⁶ ‘So it’s good [for us all] to be quiet

And await Yahweh’s salvation.

²⁷ And it’s also good for each man to bear

His own yoke from the time he’s young.

²⁸ ‘Yes, we should sit all alone

And quietly carry our loads,

²⁹ Then put our mouths to the dust,

And believe that there’s still hope.

³⁰ ‘We should turn the other cheek when they slap us,

And we should accept all their scorn.

³¹ For, [in our hearts], we’ll know that Yahweh

Won’t push us away throughout the ages.

³² Since, in His abundance of mercy,

He shows pity for those who humble themselves.

³³ ‘Harsh replies don’t come from His heart,

As He teaches sons of men to be humble.

³⁴ And now He’s humbled the feet

Of those who’ve been carried away from this land.

³⁵ ‘From before His face in the heights,

He’s removed the decisions of men.

³⁶ But Yahweh never said that He’d bring

Condemnation upon all mankind.

³⁷ And who could ever say such a thing…

Yes, who could cause it to happen

Without Yahweh saying it’s so?

³⁸ ‘From His mouth in the heights can come good or bad.

³⁹ So, why do the living choose to grumble

At others concerning their sins?

⁴⁰ For before Him, our ways are stretched and examined

To see how we can be turned to the Lord.

⁴¹ So, we should lift our hearts with our hands

Towards the Most High in heaven.

⁴² ‘It’s because we’ve been irreverent sinners

Who don’t deserve any forgiveness,

⁴³ That we’ve been wrapped in His rage…

Yes it’s because we chose to reject Him

That He decided to send us away…

Why He chose to destroy, not to spare us.

⁴⁴ ‘So He wrapped Himself in a cloud

And closed His eyes to our prayers…

⁴⁵ Then He pushed us away.

⁴⁶ ‘So against us, our enemies [shouted],

⁴⁷ Which stunned us and made us feel fear…

And then, our destruction arrived.

⁴⁸ ‘So, tears have poured from my eyes

For the destruction of the daughters of my people.

⁴⁹ But I’ll [drink the tears] from my eyes,

And I’ll not hold back or be quiet

⁵⁰ Until the time that I can look through

And see Yahweh in the heavens.

⁵¹ ‘Now my eyes look back on my life in great rage

For [what’s happened to] the daughters of my city.

⁵² ‘By our enemies, we were hunted like sparrows,

⁵³ And now they’ve ended my life…

They’ve tossed me into a grave

And covered it up with a stone.

⁵⁴ Then, as water dripped down on my head, I said:

‘I’ve just been thrown away.’

⁵⁵ ‘So I called on Your Name, O Yahweh,

From out of the lowest of pits.

⁵⁶ I said:

‘Don’t cover Your ears…

Hear my voice and the things that I beg.’

⁵⁷ ‘Then You came to my aid on the day that I called,

And You told me that I shouldn’t be afraid!

⁵⁸ ‘O Lord,

‘You have pleaded my case,

And then You ransomed my soul.

⁵⁹ For You’ve seen the things that they’ve done, O Yahweh;

So pass judgement on them on my behalf.

⁶⁰ ‘You’ve beheld their vengeance upon me,

And the plans that they’ve laid out against me.

⁶¹ You listened to their scornful words

And saw the [things that they did]…

⁶² You heard from the lips of those who attacked me

And You knew what they thought all day long.

⁶³ For, when they sat down and when they arose,

You saw what they did through their own eyes!

⁶⁴ ‘O Yahweh,

‘Will You pay them back for what they deserve,

According to the works of their hands?

⁶⁵ Curse them for all the trouble they’ve caused,

⁶⁶ Then pursue them in rage and remove them

From all places under the sky, O Lord.

Lamentations 4

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¹ ‘O how the gold’s lost its luster

And how the silver’s been tarnished;

For the [Temple’s] holy stones have been tossed in the streets.

² ‘For because the sons of Zion esteemed

And gained their courage from things made of gold,

They came to be looked on as earthenware pots…

And as works in the hands of a potter.

³ ‘Then, nursing cubs were stripped from the breasts

By those who’d become like the Dragon,

And the daughters of my people were abandoned

Like sparrows that are lost in the desert.

⁴ ‘Now the tongues of the nursing, stick to the breasts,

In hope that their thirst can be quenched.

And as the infants are crying for bread,

It’s being snatched from their mouths.

⁵ ‘So from those who once ate the best,

All been taken away…

And those who were raised wearing purple

Are found in the streets embracing manure.

⁶ ‘For the lawless ways of my people’s daughters

Proved to be greater than Sodom…

That place which none tried to save

When it was being wiped away.

⁷ ‘Her Nazarites were once like the snow…

Radiant and whiter than milk…

Yes, even better than sapphires!

⁸ But now, their appearance is darker than soot,

And they’re unrecognized in the streets.

For their skin is now stuck to their bones,

And they’ve dried up like lumber.

⁹ ‘It was better for those who were killed by the sword

Than for those who’ve been pierced by starvation…

Those in want of the produce of fields.

¹⁰ ‘And the hands of women [who were known for their] pity,

Then boiled their own children as food…

So amid the destruction of the daughters of my people,

¹¹ Jehovah completed His rage.

‘Then, as He poured out the wrath of His rage,

He lit a fire throughout Zion,

Which burned her to her foundations.

¹² ‘To the kings of the earth who lived in that time,

It was hard to believe…

That an enemy could enter JeruSalem’s gates

And then bring so much devastation.

¹³ ‘But it happened because of the sins of her prophets…

The failures of all her priests…

And the shedding of innocent blood in her midst.

¹⁴ ‘Then, in her streets, her watchmen were stunned;

For, they became [spattered] with blood…

It was something that they couldn’t avoid,

Since the clothes that they wore had to touch it.

¹⁵ ‘So, people started shouting:

‘Get away… Get away,

Because you’re all now unclean!

Get away… Get away… Don’t touch them!’

‘Then, after we fled and wandered about,

The gentiles said:

‘You can’t stay among us!’

‘Yes the gentiles shouted at us:

‘There’s no way that we want you to come here!’

¹⁶ ‘Even though our portion was the person of [God],

He no longer kept watch over us,

For the people had shown no respect

To their elders or Priests.

¹⁷ ‘So our eyes had started to fail

As we were searching for aid…

They just watched us and offered no help…

A nation with no one to save them.

¹⁸ ‘Now, stay away from our city squares,

For they’re hunting our young…

Our time has approached and our days are fulfilled,

So our end is now close at hand!

¹⁹ ‘For, those who chase us are even more agile

Than eagles [that attack from] the mountains…

They’re sitting there and waiting for us

From their perches high over the desert.

²⁰ ‘Yahweh’s anointed (our life’s breath and lord)

Has also been seized and carried away

Because we became so corrupt…

Yes, this one about whom we’d once said:

‘Among the nations, we’ll dwell in his shadow.’

²¹ ‘So rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom…

The one who’s residing in Uz!

Yet you’ll also go into the cup of the Lord,

Where, after you’re drunk, you’ll be poured.’

²² ‘O great daughter of Zion;

Your lawless acts have now reached their end,

And [God] won’t be in the places you’re sent.

‘And you, O daughter of Edom;

He’ll also examine your lawless ways,

And reveal your unrighteous deeds.

Lamentations 5

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¹ ‘O Yahweh,

‘Remember what’s happened to us…

Look down and see how we’ve been scorned!

² Our inheritance has been [given] to strangers,

And our houses have been offered to gentiles.

³ ‘Since we don’t have fathers, we’re orphans,

And all of our mothers are widows.

⁴ So now we must pay for our water,

And we must barter for wood.

⁵ ‘Because we were closely pursued,

We tired and couldn’t find rest.

⁶ Then to Egypt, we held out our hands,

And also to Assyria’s bounty.

⁷ ‘Since our fathers had sinned, they’re now gone…

They’ve paid the cost of breaking Your Law.

⁸ And as a result, we’re now slaves,

Who have no one to redeem us.

⁹ ‘We carry bread at the risk of our lives

Before the swords in the desert,

¹⁰ And our skins are dark, as though oven baked,

For they’ve shriveled from famine.

¹¹ ‘They’ve [raped] the women of Zion,

And the virgins in the cities of Judah.

¹² Rulers were hung by their hands,

And no longer could elders be recognized.

¹³ ‘So the best of men are now weeping,

And from hauling wood, the young men are weak.

¹⁴ Our elders no longer sit at our gates,

And our [singers] no longer sing psalms.

¹⁵ So what once brought joy and dance to our hearts,

Has now been turned into dirges.

¹⁶ ‘It’s because of our sins

That the crowns of our heads reflect woe…

¹⁷ The grief in our hearts is more grievous,

And our eyes have become even darker.

¹⁸ ‘Mount Zion has now been destroyed,

And it looks like foxes ran through it.

¹⁹ But You, O Yahweh, exist throughout the ages…

Throughout generations of generations, Your throne has remained.

²⁰ ‘So, why did You forget to let us succeed…

Will we be forsaken throughout the rest of our days?

²¹ ‘Please turn back to us, O Yahweh,

Then, when we return, we’ll renew our days

As they’d been long ago!

²² But we were pushed away and rejected

Because we provoked You to rage.’

Ezekiel

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Ezekiel is a record of the visions and prophecies that Yahweh gave to the Prophet Ezekiel over a 22-year period around the time of JeruSalem’s conquest by Babylon.

The book itself may have been compiled by Ezra or other scribes in the years after the Jews returned from Babylon, using various records of Ezekiel’s words.

It’s arranged into three main parts:

1) Judgment on Israel,
2) Judgment on the other nations,
3) And future blessings for Israel.

This is a translation of the Greek Septuagint version of Ezekiel that many Early Christans likely used. It is also the oldest copy of Ezekiel, differing slightly in some wording, with 8 fewer verses than the Hebrew Masoretic version used by most English bibles.

Untranslated section

You’ll also notice that in chapters 40, 41, and 42, we have declined to translate part of the passage, at least for now. To find out why, see the translator note that we’ve put there.

Most of this book is poetry

Something that only a Bible translator would notice is when words are in the form of Hebrew poetry. There’s a definite cadence that can be seen in the original language. Therefore, because this is the chosen style of God, we’ve tried to recreate it as it was originally intended: in poetic verse.

Why use poetry?

Poetry must conform to a certain rhythm and style. These act as memory aids, helping you to recall the words, making it easier for messages to be spread via the most common communication method of the time: song.

Who was talking?

When translating the words of the Prophets, you can’t help but notice the constant changing personal pronouns (I, you, he, they, etc.) used in the text. It makes it very confusing to figure out exactly who’s talking.

However, we now realize one reason for the confusion that’s usually overlooked: God didn’t speak to the Prophets personally. Rather, He sent His messages through a mediator, either referred to as a messenger (an angel), or sometimes as ‘The Word’ (which some interpret to mean Yeshua).

So there are actually three voices speaking:

1. That of the Prophet, who sometimes quotes himself,

2. That of the angelic messenger who’s bringing the message from God,

3. The words of God Himself (which we put in italics).

How can we tell the difference? From the context, the pronouns, and the tenses:

1. When the Prophet speaks, he’s either clearly reporting what he said or did, or is simply saying what was happening.

2. When the angelic messenger speaks, he talks about God in the third person.

3 When God is speaking, all references to God are naturally spoken in the first person.

Did we get it all right? Probably not, but it has been an honest attempt at doing so. If you think you’ve spotted a place where our choice is incorrect, please let us know and we’ll reconsider it.

Ezekiel 1

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¹ It was during the 30th year, in the 4th month and on the 5th day of the month, as I was amidst the captivity by the Chobar River, that the heavens opened up and I beheld visions [from] God. ² This was 5 years and 5 months after King JehoiAchin had been carried off as a captive.

³ The Word of Yahweh came to me, EzekiEl son of Buzi (a Priest), near the Chobar river in the land of the Chaldeans. And this is what I received from the hand of the Lord...

⁴ For I looked up and I saw a wind that could lift iron coming from the north, along with a huge cloud that had bright lights all around it and flashes of lightning. I also had a vision of a bright bronze casting in the middle of a fire. ⁵ Then there in its midst was something that looked like four animals. But in this vision, they also looked like men. ⁶ Each had four faces and four wings. ⁷ Their legs were straight, there were feathers on their feet, there were sparks like flashes of brass, and they had very fine wings.

⁸ Beneath each of their four wings was a man’s hand, and they had wings on each of their four parts. So, they each had four faces and four wings, ⁹ and they traveled opposite to [the direction] they were facing. Also, their wings didn’t turn as they moved.

¹⁰ Each of the faces [in the front] were like those of a man, the faces on the right looked like lions, the faces on the left looked like calves, and there was the face of an eagle on [the back side of] each of the four.

¹¹ [Two of] their wings stretched out high above the other [two] wings and they were yoked to each other, while their lower two wings were just used to cover their bodies. ¹² They followed each other [in a line], one in front of the other, and wherever [God’s] Breath led them they went, not turning aside.

¹³ Also, there among the animals, I had a vision of burning coals that looked like lamps that were spinning in their midst. The flames were very bright, and lightning shot from the flames. ¹⁴ Also, the animals were moving up and back like lightning.

¹⁵ Then I looked and I saw wheels on the ground that were next to each of the four animals, ¹⁶ and the wheels [sparkled] like peridots. There also appeared to be four wheels within each wheel, and they worked as though there were wheels within wheels. ¹⁷ Each [wheel] moved in the direction that [the animals] faced, and they [moved together] ¹⁸ (the rims were tall and awesome). Then I looked again and I noticed that their back sides were full of eyes that went all around each of the four wheels.

¹⁹ As the animals moved, the wheels moved next to them. And when the animals lifted up from the ground, the wheels went up also, ²⁰ along with a cloud that went wherever [God’s] Breath led it. The animals and the wheels moved up along with [the cloud], because the breath of life was in the wheels. ²¹ Wherever [the animals] traveled, the wheels went along. For when they stood still, the wheels stood still, but when they rose above the ground, the wheels went up with them, because the breath of life was in the wheels.

²² Above the heads of the animals was what looked like a dome of ice that was stretched out over the tops of their wings. ²³ And under this dome, their wings were stretched out and flapping side by side, as the other two [wings] covered their bodies.

²⁴ The sound that I heard from the movement of their wings as they traveled was like the sound of a lot of rushing water and the sound of someone very important whenever they moved. However, it was like the sound of [many] words being spoken in a camp whenever the animals stood still and rested their wings.

²⁵ {Look!} There was also a sound that came from above the dome.

²⁶ In the vision [that I had], above their heads there was what looked like a huge sapphire stone; and sitting above it was a throne upon which was sitting what appeared to be a man from the heavens. ²⁷ I saw what looked like molten bronze that was filled with fire around and above His loins; and beneath that, I just saw fire and brightness all around Him. ²⁸ He was like a rainbow that forms in the clouds on a rainy day, and there was just brightness all around Him.

This was, in fact, a vision of the likeness of the glory of Yahweh!

And when I saw this, I fell to my face.

Then I heard a voice that started speaking [to me]...

Ezekiel 2

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¹ He said to me:

‘Son of man; you must stand on your feet,

And thereafter, I will address you!’

² And at that, His Spirit came over me… It picked me up and lifted me up on my feet!

Then I heard Him speaking to me. ³ He said:

‘O son of man,

‘To the sons of IsraEl, I’ll send you…

To those who’re rebelling against Me.

For against Me, they and their fathers

Have been in rebellion down to this day.

⁴ ‘They’re a harsh and hard-hearted people,

And these are the ones to whom you’ll be sent.

So, tell them that thus says Yahweh:

⁵ You should listen in terror,

For you are a house in rebellion.

And [after you do this], they’ll know

That you’ve served as a Prophet among them.

⁶ ‘And you, O son of man, should not be afraid

Or be upset by their faces.

For they will get all heated up,

Then they will rise up against you,

And they will have you surrounded.

‘So, among these scorpions, you’ll have to live…

But don’t fear the things that they’ll say to your face,

For they are a house in rebellion.

⁷ ‘You must then tell them My words,

So that they will hear them and fear…

For they are a house in rebellion.

⁸ ‘Now you, O son of man, must pay close attention

To the One who’ll be speaking to you…

Don’t rebel, like that house in rebellion!

‘Now, open your mouth very wide

And eat this thing that I’m handing to you!’

⁹ So at that, I looked and I saw a hand that was reaching out towards me with a rolled up scroll. ¹⁰ But then He unrolled it before me… And written on both the front and backsides was a lamentation and a dirge.

Ezekiel 3

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¹ Then He said to me:

‘O son of man, you must eat this…

And after you eat it,

You must tell the sons of IsraEl [what it says]!’

² So He opened my mouth in order to feed me the scroll...

³ Then He said to me:

‘O son of man'

‘After I put this scroll in your mouth,

Your belly will get filled with this thing

That I am feeding to you.’

So I ate it and found it to be as sweet as honey in my mouth.

⁴ Then He said to me:

‘O son of man,

Now, go to the house of IsraEl

And tell them all that I have to say!

⁵ ‘You won’t have to speak to those with thick lips

Or to those who speak foreign tongues…

For to the house of IsraEl, you’re being sent.

⁶ ‘I will not send you to other nations …

To those who speak words that you won’t understand

Or to those who have foreign, thick tongues

Those who won’t know what you’re saying,

But to those who will understand you.

⁷ ‘Yet, the house of IsraEl will not listen

To the things that I’ll tell you to say…

They’ll not agree to listen to Me,

Since they are a hard-hearted people

And all they do is talk back.

⁸ ‘{Look!} Now, against their faces, I’ve made your face strong,

So your face will be firmer than theirs…

Yes, it will be harder than rock.

⁹ ‘So, don’t be afraid [when you go] before them,

And you should not be afraid,

For they are a house in rebellion.’

¹⁰ And he said to me:

‘O son of man,

‘Now, take My words into your heart,

And listen to them with your ears.

¹¹ Then, tell the captive sons of your people

That The Lord Yahweh has spoken,

And surely they’ll listen and yield.’

¹² Well after that, [His] Spirit stood me erect, and from behind me I heard a rumbling sound that spoke to me and said:

‘Praise the glory of Yahweh

That has come [to you] from His realm!’

¹³ Then I heard the sound of the flapping of the wings of the animals (because [the wings] were touching each other), as well as the sounds of the wheels that were moving next to them with a great rumbling.

¹⁴ And thereafter, [God’s] Breath lifted me up and carried me away… So my spirit was being lifted and motivated by the hand of Yahweh that had come over me, and this made me extremely powerful!

¹⁵ Then, while I was in this elevated [condition], I traveled among the rest of captives that live next to the Chobar River, and I stayed there for 7 days. ¹⁶ And at the end of the 7 days, the Word of Yahweh came to me and said this:

¹⁷ ‘O son of man,

‘Over the house of IsraEl,

I have made you the watchman.

So you must listen to the words from my mouth,

And then, you must bring them my warnings.

¹⁸ ‘For I’m saying that the lawless will die!

And you will also die with them

If you fail to give them my orders.

‘Give these warnings to those lawless people

And tell them that they will only survive

If they’ll turn from their unrighteous ways!

But, if they should choose to stay lawless,

They will die for their sins,

And I won’t require their blood from your hands.

¹⁹ ‘If you give my word to the lawless,

And they refuse to turn from their ways;

They will die in their sins,

But I will still rescue you.

²⁰ ‘For, if a righteous man should turn from right ways

And start doing things that are evil;

I’ll torment his face ‘til he dies.

But, if you’ve failed to bring him my word,

And this is what caused him to die,

So his righteous deeds are forgotten;

I’ll require his blood from your hands.

²¹ ‘But, if you will give [my] word to the righteous,

And you warn them that they must not sin…

And they choose not to sin because they’ve been warned,

And this results in their being saved;

You will have saved your own life.’

²² And after that, the hand of the Lord came upon me and said:

‘Now arise and go out to the plains;

For there, I will tell you much more!’

²³ So I got up and went out to the plains...

And {Look!} there was the glory of Yahweh – the glory that I had seen by the Chobar River – and I fell to my face. ²⁴ Then [God’s] Breath came over me and stood me up on my feet… And it spoke to me and said:

‘Go home and lock yourself inside your house;

²⁵ {Look!} For you, O son of man, are appointed to be bound…

Yes, they will come here and then tie you up,

And no way will you set yourself free.

²⁶ ‘They’ll also wrap your tongue in your throat,

So you’ll be unable to speak,

And you won’t be able to scold them;

For, they are a house in rebellion.

²⁷ ‘But then, my voice will start speaking through you…

I will open your mouth, and you’ll tell them

That this was said by Yahweh:

‘All that wish to hear, should now listen!

But, those who don’t wish to make any change

Can continue to resist My persuasion;

For you are a house in rebellion!’

Ezekiel 4

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¹ ‘And you, O son of man;

Must go find a brick,

Then set it in front of your face.

‘Draw a map of JeruSalem upon it,

² Then surround it with a circle of forts.

Also draw a siege mound and camps,

And encircle the city with weapons.

³ ‘Then, go find an iron frying pan,

And set it as a wall between you and the city,

Then prepare your face to oppose it…

Prepare for a siege, then attack it…

And to the sons of IsraEl, this will serve as a sign!

⁴ ‘Then, go to sleep on your left side,

And lay the sins of the house of IsraEl upon you…

You must bear their unrighteous ways

For the number of days that you’ll sleep [on that side].

⁵ ‘For I’ve appointed two things that you must do

Because of their unrighteous deeds:

‘The unrighteous ways of the house of IsraEl

Must be born upon you,

For 390 [full] days.

⁶ ‘Then, after that, you must sleep on your right

For the house of Judah’s unrighteous ways.

You must do this for 40 more days…

A day for each year, is what I’ve established!

⁷ ‘And as for the siege on JeruSalem;

Prepare your face and stiffen your arm;

For against [that city], you must then prophesy.

⁸ ‘{Look!} Because I’ve appointed their bondage on you,

Don’t turn from one side to the other,

Until the days of your siege are fulfilled.

⁹ ‘Take wheat, barley, and beans for yourself,

As well as wild oats, lentils, and millet,

And put them into an earthenware pot;

Then, use them to bake loaves of bread.

‘Make enough for the number of days

(All the 390)

That you must sleep on your side.

¹⁰ And the weight of the food that you can consume

Will be just 10 ounces a day,

Which you may eat at various times.

¹¹ ‘You must also measure the water you’ll drink…

You may drink just 10 ounces from time to time.

¹² ‘And bake the barley cakes that you’ll eat

Over human manure,

Which you must hide in the coals

Before the eyes [of the people].’

¹³ ‘For this was said by Yahweh, the God of IsraEl:

‘This is the type of uncleanness

That the sons of IsraEl will eat

Among the nations where they will be thrown.’

¹⁴ But I said:

‘Absolutely not, O Lord God of IsraEl!

‘For my soul has never been defiled or made unclean by decaying flesh, nor have I eaten wild animals from [the day] that I was born until now… Nothing unclean has ever entered my mouth!’

¹⁵ So [the Lord] said to me:

‘Then, rather than using human manure,

I’ll allow you to use cattle dung…

You may bake your loaves over that.’

¹⁶ And he said to me:

‘O son of man,

‘{Look!} I’ll break JeruSalem’s trust in its bread;

For they’ll have to ration it out,

And they’ll ration the water they drink ‘til it’s gone.

¹⁷ ‘Since there won’t be enough water or bread,

Each man [will steal] from his brother,

And because of their unrighteous deeds,

They will then melt away.’

Ezekiel 5

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¹ ‘And you, O son of man,

‘Go and buy a sharp blade

(A razor that’s used by a barber),

And shave your head and your beard.

‘Then, [put the hair on] a scale,

And divide it in portions by weight.

² A quarter must be used to kindle a fire,

Which you must burn in the midst of the city,

[To show] the number of days of its siege…

Then toss the second quarter into the fire.

‘And use a knife to cut the third quarter;

Then scatter it throughout [the city].

And toss the last quarter into the wind;

For I’ll empty them out with the sword.

³ ‘Thereafter, you must take what little remains,

And put it into a bag…

⁴ Then, take out some [of the hairs],

And toss them into the fire.

And as they’re burning, tell the house of IsraEl

That this was said by Yahweh:

⁵ ‘This is what I’ll do to JeruSalem…

I’ll place her amid many nations,

And they will have her surrounded.

⁶ ‘Then, speak of My righteous decisions…

Yes, speak to that lawless nation,

And to those lawless that are living around them.

For they’ve pushed away My righteous decrees,

And they haven’t followed My Laws.’

⁷ ‘Yes, you must [give them this warning]:

‘It’s because of this,’ says Yahweh,

‘That lawless ways will now come to you

From the nations that have you surrounded.

‘For, you haven’t followed My Laws,

Nor have you observed My righteous decrees…

You’ve not even raised to the standards

Of the nations that are living around you!

⁸ ‘So because of this,’ says Yahweh,

‘{Look!} I am now standing against you,

And I’ll bring My judgments upon you,

There in front of the gentiles!

⁹ ‘I will bring [many bad] things upon you

That have never happened before,

Nor will they be done in the future,

For the disgusting things that you’re doing!

¹⁰ ‘For, fathers then eat their own children,

Or children will be eating their fathers;

And the rest will be scattered to the [four] winds…

For My righteous decisions will be poured upon you!

¹¹ ‘As I live,’ says Yahweh…

‘Because you’ve dirtied My Holy Things

With all that’s disgusting and loathsome,

I will push you away…

My eyes won’t spare or show mercy!

¹² ‘So a quarter will be consumed by the plague;

A quarter will be finished by famine;

A quarter will be scattered to the [four] winds;

And a quarter will fall by the broadsword…

Yes, you will all be surrounded,

And the sword will be emptied upon you.

¹³ ‘But, after I’ve brought My anger and rage,

I’ll return and offer you comfort.

For then, you’ll know that this happened

Because I, Yahweh, had warned you,

And in My zeal, I showed you My rage.

¹⁴ ‘I’ll turn you and your daughters into waterless lands

In the presence of all that pass by.

¹⁵ For the nations will squeeze you and scoff

When I bring My anger and judgments on you,

Along with My vengeance and rage.

For I, Yahweh, have spoken.

¹⁶ ‘I’ll shoot the arrows of famine at you,

And after you come to be in great need,

I’ll send [the nations] to finish you off.

Yes, I’m sending a famine among you,

To break your reliance on bread.

¹⁷ ‘I’ll not only bring a famine to you,

But I’ll also send ferocious wild beasts!

And with plagues, you will also be punished,

Before your blood will be spilled;

For upon you, I’m bringing the sword.

Yes, I, Yahweh, have spoken!’

Ezekiel 6

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¹ Thereafter, the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

² ‘O son of man,

‘Now, turn your face towards IsraEl’s hills,

And against them, you must now prophesy!

³ ‘Speak to those in IsraEl’s mountains

And tell them to hear the Word of Yahweh!

Yes, hear what [God] has decreed

To the mountains, hills, valleys, and forests:

‘{Look!} Against you, I’m bringing the broadsword

And it will destroy your high places.

⁴ I will also break all your altars;

Your [incense stands], I’ll tear down;

And before their idols, I’ll leave all your slain.

‘The bodies of IsraEl’s sons

Will be offered in front of their idols;

⁵ And then, on their altars, I’ll scatter their bones.

⁶ ‘All the homes in your towns will be empty;

All your high places will be wiped away;

All your altars will be destroyed;

Your idols will no longer be,

And your incense stands will be lifted away…

Your works will all be erased.

⁷ Then, as the slain are falling among you,

You will know that I am Yahweh.

⁸ ‘Then, those who escape from the broadsword

Will be scattered among all the nations.

⁹ And those who escape from the nations

Where they will be taken as captives,

Will start thinking of Me once again.

‘I vow this against the hearts of all those

Who’ve committed adultery against Me

And done so many bad things…

They will slap their own faces

Over the vile acts they’ve performed.

¹⁰ Then they’ll know that I am Yahweh,

And that this is why I sent them the warning

That I’d bring such evil upon them.’

¹¹ ‘And thereafter, Yahweh said:

‘Clap your hands… Yes, stamp your feet and then say:

‘This is what they deserve

For the disgusting things that IsraEl's done!’

Yes, may they fall by the broadsword,

As well as by famine and plague!

¹² ‘Then, those far away will die by the plague;

Those who are near will fall by the sword;

And those who remain after the siege

Will be finished off by the famine,

As I wear out My anger against them.

¹³ ‘And you’ll know that I am Yahweh,

When among your idols, you’ll see all your slain…

The idols that you’ve placed on all the high hills

And under each shade tree and bush,

Before which, you have burned incense.

¹⁴ ‘For, against such ones, I’ll stretch out My hand,

And I’ll bring an end to their homes and their lands…

I’ll dry them out like figs in the desert,

And they’ll know that I am Yahweh.’

Ezekiel 7

←6 | All books | All chapters | 8→

¹ Then the Word of Yahweh came to me again and said:

² ‘And to you, O son of man,

‘Yahweh says this about IsraEl:

‘To the 4 wings of the land,

The end has finally come…

³ Yes, the end has arrived;

For upon them, I’m bringing My rage.

‘I’m the one who is standing against them

And I’ll punish them for the things that they’ve done…

I’ll hold them to blame for their evil,

⁴ And my eyes won’t spare or show mercy!

‘Because they have been so disgusting,

I’ll no longer forgive all the badness

That’s being done in their midst…

Then they’ll know that I am Yahweh!

⁵ ‘Yahweh said:

‘{Look!} Upon the evil, evil will come…

⁶ For their end has reached its fulfillment,

And their punishment has been awakened.

⁷ ‘{Look!} The circle of the wreath has fallen on them

(All those who live in the land),

And the time has finally arrived…

The day of tumult and distress.

⁸ ‘For now, I’ll pour out My rage

And finish My anger against them.

They’ll be judged for the bad things they’ve done,

And I’ll hold them to blame for their evil.

⁹ ‘My eyes won’t spare or show mercy,

For I’ll make them pay for their ways

And the disgusting things that they’ve done.

Then, they will know that it’s Me…

I’m the One who is knocking them down!

¹⁰ ‘Look! The day of the Lord has arrived,

And his rod has [finally] blossomed.

¹¹ The time to injure has come,

Which will break the resolve of the lawless.

Then, nothing at all will remain…

No wealth and nothing of value.

¹² ‘Look! The time has arrived…

Today is truly the day!

So, those who buy shouldn’t rejoice,

And those who sell shouldn’t wail;

For [God’s] wrath will cover such things.

¹³ ‘Now the one who buys will not return

What he bought to the person who sold it,

Because neither one will survive.

‘This vision is for all of you

(As many as live in this place),

And it will not be turned back.

‘Yet, the eyes of these people won’t see

[The things that are coming into] their lives.

¹⁴ So, although they should be [preparing themselves]

And knowing what is coming upon them,

No one’s getting ready for war

As My wrath is approaching her crowds!

¹⁵ ‘For when the sword arrives on the outside,

There’ll be famine and plagues on the inside.

And those who carry their swords to the fields

Will thereafter die [in those fields],

While there’s famine and plague in their cities.

¹⁶ ‘Then, those who try to escape

Will sit on the mountains like pigeons and know

That destruction has come because they’re so bad.

¹⁷ ‘So, all their hands will be weak

And all their loins will be wet,

¹⁸ As around themselves, they’ll wrap sack cloth.

For, they’ll be covered by shock;

Upon every face will be shame;

And every head will be bald.

¹⁹ ‘Then they’ll toss their silver into the squares,

And their gold won’t have any value;

For their silver and gold will not save them

In the day of the wrath of the Lord.

‘Then their lives will not find satisfaction,

Nor will their bellies be filled,

Since the torment for their sins will then have arrived.

²⁰ ‘Of their [silver and gold], they are now so proud,

So they used it to create their foul idols…

And for this, I’ve handed them over to filth.

²¹ ‘Yes, I’ll hand them to strangers

Who will then rip them to pieces.

To the pests of the earth, I will give them,

And as their spoils, they’ll profane them.

²² ‘For from them, I’ve now turned My face;

And to those over whom I kept watch,

Sudden destruction will come.

The attack will arrive when it isn’t expected…

And then, they will all be profaned.

²³ ‘Yes, a great befouling will come

To a land that is filled with judgments of blood.

For with all of their lawless ways,

This city is now filled to the brim!

‘So upon them, I will then bring

The evil ways of the nations,

And [the gentiles] will take all their homes.

²⁴ ‘So I’ll turn away all their neighing

About how great they’ve become,

And the things they hold holy will then be defiled.

²⁵ ‘Yes the time to repay has arrived,

And those who seek peace will not find it.

²⁶ For there will come woe upon woe,

As message after message arrives.

‘Then, from their prophets, they’ll search for a vision;

But the law of their Priests will be gone,

As will the counsel of the king’s elders.

²⁷ ‘Then, after their rulers are gone,

The peoples’ hands will go limp,

And I’ll do to them the same as they’ve done…

I’ll punish them with their own judgments,

So they’ll know that I am Yahweh.’

Ezekiel 8

←7 | All books | All chapters | 9→

¹ It was during the 6th year, in the 6th month, on the 5th day of the month, while I was sitting in my house and all the elders of Judah were sitting before me, that the hand of Yahweh came over me.

² For I looked and I saw what appeared to be a man… But from his loins down he looked like fire, and from his loins up he looked as bright as molten bronze... ³ Then he stretched out what appeared to be a hand, and he lifted me by the decorative fringes on my clothes. With the wind, he lifted me up between the ground and the sky and he blew me back to JeruSalem!

Then in this vision from God, I found myself looking north towards the [city] gate, and there [I saw] a monument to [the god], The Consumer.

⁴ In this vision; {Look!} there in the plains, I saw the glory of Yahweh the God of IsraEl!

⁵ And He said to me:

‘O son of man,

‘Now raise your eyes and look towards the north!’

So I raised my eyes towards the north and I saw that just north of the gate (on the east side of the Altar) there was the idol of Jealousy that was standing at the entrance [to the city].

⁶ And He said to me:

‘O son of man,

‘Do you see these things that they’re doing…

These lawless deeds of the house of IsraEl

To push Me away from My Holy Place?

Yet, you’ll see even greater and worse lawless deeds!’

⁷ So then He carried me to the threshold of the Temple courtyard, and there {Look!} I saw an opening in the wall.

⁸ Then He said to me:

‘O son of man,

‘Dig [a hole] in this wall!’

So I dug [a hole] in the wall, and there {Look!} I found a door!

⁹ And He said to me:

‘Now, enter and see all the evil…

All the lawless things being done there!’

¹⁰ So I went inside... And {Look!} I saw depictions of all sorts of crawling things, [unclean] animals, and all the idols of the house of IsraEl… Foolish and disgusting things that had been painted on the walls.

¹¹ Then I saw 70 men among the elders of the house of IsraEl, with JaAzaniAh (son of ShaPhan) standing in front of them, and each man was holding a smoking incense pan in his hands.

¹² And He said to me:

‘O son of man,

‘See what IsraEl’s elders are doing

In the darkness of these hidden rooms…

They’re saying that Yahweh is gone from the land!’

¹³ And then He said:

‘But [I’ll show you] even greater lawless things.’

¹⁴ So He carried me up to the threshold of the Gate of Yahweh’s Temple (the one that faces north), and there I saw women sitting and wailing for TamMuz.

¹⁵ And He said to me:

‘O son of man,

‘Now, after you’ve seen all of this,

You’ll see even worse being done here.’

¹⁶ So He carried me into the inner courtyard of Yahweh’s Temple, up to the threshold of the Temple of the Lord... And there between the columned porch and the Altar I saw about 25 men who were facing east with their backsides to Yahweh’s Temple… They were bowing to the sun in the east!

¹⁷ Then He asked me:

‘Should I not be concerned

About all of these lawless deeds

That the house of Judah is doing?

They’ve filled the land with their lawless ways…

They’ve turned from Me and provoked Me to rage!

‘And look!

They’re holding out branches of grapevines

As though they are sneering at Me!

¹⁸ ‘So I’ll deal with them in My rage,

And My eyes will no longer spare them

Nor will I show mercy upon them.

So, no matter how loud they shout in My ears…

I won’t listen to the things that they’re saying!’

Ezekiel 9

←8 | All books | All chapters | 10→

¹ Then He shouted into my ears with a great voice and said:

‘The punishment on this city has arrived!’

[And at that, some men appeared], and each one was carrying implements of destruction in their hands... ² {Look!} There were 6 men coming along the road that leads to the upper gate (the one that faces north), and they were each carrying battle axes in their hands.

There was also a man in their midst who was wrapped in a robe that reached to his feet and he had a belt [covered with] sapphires wrapped around his waist. Then they entered [the Temple area] and stood next to the brass Altar. ³ And at that, the glory of the God of IsraEl ascended from between the cherubs and hung there between them in the open air of the Temple.

Then He called out to the man who was dressed in the full-length robe and who wore the belt of sapphires, ⁴ and said to him:

‘Now, go through the midst of the city

– Through the midst of JeruSalem –

And put a sign on the foreheads

Of the men who are groaning and deeply upset

For the lawless deeds being done here!’

⁵ And He said [to those who were carrying the axes] in my hearing:

‘Now, go through the city behind him and strike…

Don’t let your eyes spare or show mercy!

⁶ Kill and wipe out the old and the young,

Including the women, children, and virgins…

And start here at My Holy Place…

But don’t approach those who are marked with the sign!’

So they started [by destroying] the elders who were there inside the Temple. ⁷ For He said to [those who were carrying the axes]:

‘Now, go and start defiling My Temple…

Fill its courtyards [with those whom you’ll slay],

And strike down all that are [fleeing]!’

⁸ Then as they started their destroying, I fell to my face and yelled out:

‘O Lord!

‘Are you going to wipe out all the remaining ones of IsraEl by pouring Your rage upon JeruSalem?’

⁹ And He told me:

‘The sins of the houses of IsraEl and Judah

Have now become just too great;

For with [bloodshed], the land’s become filled,

And the city is full of uncleanness and sin.

‘For they’re saying that Yahweh’s abandoned the land,

And that He’s no longer paying attention.

¹⁰ So My eyes won’t spare or show mercy,

And I’ll hold them to blame for their evil.’

¹¹ Then {Look!} the man who was wrapped in the full-length robe and wearing the belt around his waist returned to Him and said:

‘[We have] done everything that you said to do.’

Ezekiel 10

←9 | All books | All chapters | 11→

¹ Well at that, I looked up and I saw a sapphire stone shaped like a throne that was upon the dome over the heads of the cherubs.

² And [the One who was sitting on the throne] said to the man who was dressed in the robe:

‘Go between the wheels that are under the cherubs

And fill your hands with the coals that you’ll find,

Then scatter them over the city!’

So he went in [between the wheels] there in front of me ³ (as the cherubs were standing to the right of the place where the man had entered), and a mist started to fill the inner courtyard... ⁴ Then the glory of Yahweh (which had been hanging in the open air between the cherubs) entered the Temple, and the [inner] courtyard became filled with the cloud, as well as with the brightness of the glory of Yahweh.

⁵ Meanwhile, I could hear the sounds of the wings of the cherubs coming from the outer courtyard, which was like the voice of God when He speaks. ⁶ And they said this to the man who was wrapped in the holy robe:

‘Go between the wheels that are under the cherubs

And carry out some of the fire!’

So he entered and stood next to the wheels. ⁷ Then a cherub stuck his hands into the midst of the fire that was under the cherubs and he grabbed some of the [fire] and placed it into the hands of the man who was wearing the holy robe… Who then took it and left.

⁸ Well, as I was looking at the cherubs, I noticed that they had what appeared to be the hands of men between their wings. ⁹ And {Look!} I noticed the four wheels that were standing beside each of the cherubs (there was one wheel for each cherub). These wheels looked like peridots, ¹⁰ and there appeared to be wheels within each of the four wheels, ¹¹ but their four parts didn’t move as they traveled. Then, whichever way the [cherub’s] heads looked, the [wheels] would travel in that direction… But the [wheels] didn’t turn as they moved.

¹² I also noticed that there were eyes all over the flesh [of the cherub’s] hands and wings, as well as on the four wheels… ¹³ And it was then that I heard that these wheels were called ‘The Chariots.’

¹⁴ [I also noticed] that [each of the cherubs] had four faces:

• One face was that of a cherub,

• The 2nd was the face of a man,

• The 3rd was the face of a lion, and

• The 4th was the face of an eagle.

¹⁵ Well thereafter, the cherubs started moving upward; and it was then that I started to realize that these were the [same] living creatures that I had seen [earlier] next to the Chobar River.

¹⁶ Well, wherever the cherubs went, the wheels traveled alongside them. Yet when the cherubs flew high above the ground with their wings, the wheels next to them didn’t turn. ¹⁷ And whenever they stood still, the wheels stood still; but when they flew upward, the wheels flew upward with them, because the breath of life was in [the wheels].

¹⁸ Then the glory of Yahweh that was mounted on the cherubs left the open air inside the Temple. ¹⁹ For the cherubs raised their wings and flew high above the ground in front of me (with their wheels alongside them), and [they settled] on top of the gate that’s in front of the Yahweh’ Temple, with the glory of the God of IsraEl above them.

²⁰ Well, it was after I had first seen these animals traveling beneath the God of IsraEl back at the Chobar River that I came to realize that they were in fact cherubs. ²¹ Each one had four faces, four wings, and what looked like the hands of a man under each wing… ²² And these [cherubs] had the same faces that I saw under the glory of the God of IsraEl in the vision by the Chobar River, and they also traveled in whichever direction that they faced.

Ezekiel 11

←10 | All books | All chapters | 12→

¹ Well at that, the wind lifted me up and led me to the East Gate of the Yahweh’s Temple. And {Look!} there on the threshold of the gate, I saw about 25 men. Among them I could see JaAzaniAh (son of Azur) and PedaiAh (son of BenaiAh)… The ones who were supposed to be guiding the people.

² And [Yahweh] said to me:

‘O son of man,

‘These are the men who think foolish things

And discuss evil plans for this city.

³ They are also the ones who are saying:

‘Since we have just built homes for ourselves,

This [city] is our kettle and we are its meat!’

⁴ ‘For this, you must say this against them…

Yes, O son of man; you must now prophesy!’

⁵ Then the Breath of Yahweh came over me and He told me to tell them that Yahweh said this:

‘O you of the house of IsraEl:

‘I know the things that you’re saying,

And I know what you’ve planned in your [hearts].

⁶ To this city, you’ve brought many deaths,

And you’ve filled her roads with the murdered.

⁷ ‘Because of this,’ says Yahweh,

‘Those whom you’ve killed are the meat in her midst,

And [JeruSalem] is their kettle…

For I’ll drive you out of her midst!

⁸ ‘Since you’re so afraid of the broadsword,

I’ll be bringing the broadsword against you,’ said Yahweh,

⁹ ‘I will lead you out of her midst,

And bring My judgments against you,

For I’ll hand you over to strangers;

¹⁰ And at their hands, you will fall by the sword.

‘To the borders of IsraEl, I’ll judge you,

And you’ll know that I am Yahweh.

¹¹ Then [this city] will be your kettle no more,

And in her, you’ll not be the meat.

¹² ‘To the borders of IsraEl, I’ll judge you…

And then you’ll know that I am Yahweh.

For you chose to overlook My Commandments,

And you didn’t [respect] My decisions.

Then you walked in the ways of the gentiles…

Those who now have you surrounded.’

¹³ It was then that the prophecy came to pass, for PedaiAh (son of BenaiAh) dropped dead! So I fell to my face and yelled out in a loud voice, saying:

‘Alas, O Yahweh!

‘Have You appointed those who are left in IsraEl to be totally consumed?’

¹⁴ And the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

¹⁵ ‘O son of man,

‘Your brothers and your fellow captives

Have arrived at the place where I sent them.

But, those who are still in JeruSalem

Are saying these things about them:

‘Because they are far from Yahweh,

We will inherit their land!’

¹⁶ ‘So, tell them that thus says Yahweh:

‘I’ll push you away to the nations

And scatter you to many lands.

Then I’ll not be someone to whom you can turn

In the places where you will be taken.’

¹⁷ ‘And tell them that thus says Yahweh:

‘Yet, I’ll gather you back from the nations...

I’ll bring you back from those places,

And I will give back [your land].

¹⁸ For by that time, you will have rejected

The disgusting lawless things that you’ve followed.

¹⁹ ‘A new spirit and heart, I’ll then give you…

I’ll remove your hearts made of stone

And exchange them for hearts made of flesh.

²⁰ So you will then follow My orders…

You’ll guard My Laws and obey them…

You’ll be My people and I’ll be your God!

²¹ ‘It’s because of the disgusting things that you’ve done

And the lawless ways of your hearts,

That your hearts have chosen to do such [bad] things,

And caused Me to pour your guilt on your heads,’ says Yahweh.’

²² Then the cherubs lifted their wings [and started flying], as the wheels moved alongside them and the glory of the God of IsraEl was above them.

²³ So thereafter, the glory of Yahweh arose from the midst of the city and settled on the mountain that sits in front of it. ²⁴ And at that, the wind picked me up and blew me back to the land of the Chaldeans (back to the land of our captivity) in this vision that came from the Breath of God.

Well, after I came out of this vision that I was seeing, ²⁵ I told [my fellow] captives every word that the Lord had spoken to me.

Ezekiel 12

←11 | All books | All chapters | 13→

¹ Then the Word of Yahweh came to me again and said:

² ‘O son of man,

‘You live in the midst of unrighteous [men]…

Those who have eyes that can’t see

And those who have ears that can’t hear;

For, they are a house in rebellion.

³ ‘So you, O son of man,

Must go and gather the things of a captive,

Then act like someone in prison…

[You must sit] there before them throughout the whole day.

And before them, you must act like a captive…

Someone who was carried away

And taken to some other place,

So that they will be able to see

What a house in rebellion they’ve been.

⁴ ‘You must set your things of a captive

In front of their eyes, throughout the whole day,

And walk as a captive before them each night.

⁵ ‘Dig a hole in the wall and crawl in it,

⁶ And carry [your things] on your shoulders…

Act as though you are trying to hide,

Then cover your face so you can’t see the ground.

For, to the house of IsraEl, I’ve made you a sign.’

⁷ Well, I did that… Everything that He told me to do. I brought out the items of captivity that day, and that evening I dug a hole through the wall for myself (by hand), and I crawled into it as though I was hiding. And thereafter, I carried my things on my shoulders before them.

⁸ Then the Word of Yahweh came to me the next morning, and said:

⁹ ‘O son of man,

‘The house of IsraEl, those who are now in rebellion,

Didn’t ask you what you were doing.

¹⁰ So, tell them this concerning their rulers…

Those who are giving direction

To JeruSalem and its people.

‘Say that Yahweh has spoken.

¹¹ Then explain to them that you’re acting out signs

Of the things that will happen to them.

For, [in the same way as you’re acting],

They will be carried away.

¹² ‘Say [that Yahweh said the following:]

‘The one who rules in their midst

Will bear his things on his shoulders.

Then he will dig a hole in a wall with his hands,

Which he will crawl into and hide.

‘He’ll cover himself, so he can’t be seen

In a place where he can’t see the ground.

¹³ Then around him, I’ll spread out My net,

And he will be caught in its wraps.

‘So, off to Babylon, I’ll lead him…

Yes, into the land of Chaldea…

But he won’t be able to see it,

And there, he will come to his end.

¹⁴ ‘Thereafter, I’ll scatter his helpers

And those who’ve been his assistants

To the [four] winds [of the earth]…

I’ll send the broadsword [to chase] them away.

¹⁵ ‘And they’ll know that I am Yahweh,

When they’re scattered among many nations…

[For, wherever they go], they’ll be scattered.

¹⁶ ‘Yet, among their numbers, I’ll still leave a few

As survivors of the sword, famine, and plague

To speak of these things in great detail

To all the nations where they will be sent.

They’ll also tell how lawless they’ve been…

And they all will know that I am Yahweh.’

¹⁷ Thereafter, the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

¹⁸ ‘O son of man,

‘In grief, you will now eat your bread,

And in torment and affliction, you will drink water.

¹⁹ Then speak to the men of this land,

And tell them that thus says Yahweh:

‘Very soon, there will be no bread,

And the drinking water will vanish

Both in IsraEl and in JeruSalem.

Then, you will become extinct in the land,

And the violence among those who live there

Will have finally come to an end.

²⁰ ‘Then the cities where you dwell will be [empty]

As extinction comes to your land,

And you’ll know that I am Yahweh.’

²¹ Well thereafter, the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

²² ‘O son of man,

‘Why are all the people saying this proverb about IsraEl?

‘The days [that he speaks of] are still far away,

And all the visions have perished.’

²³ ‘Because of this, tell them that thus says Yahweh:

‘I will turn their proverb around

And the house of IsraEl will say this no more.

Instead, they will say that the days have arrived,

As have the words of the visions!’

²⁴ ‘And [you must also say this]:

‘False visions will come to an end,

And there’ll be no more speaking of omens

To curry the favor of IsraEl’s sons.

²⁵ For, after I tell them what I will do,

I’ll act and not stretch out the time.’

‘Yes, tell them that thus says Yahweh:

‘In your days, O you house in rebellion,

I’ll just say the words and then act!’

²⁶ Then the Word of Yahweh came to me again and said:

²⁷ ‘O son of man,

‘See how IsraEl is rebelling,

For this is what they are saying:

‘The visions he sees are of some distant time,

And he prophesies things [that won’t happen for years]!’

²⁸ ‘Because of this, tell them that thus says Yahweh:

‘I’ll no longer stretch out the words that I speak;

For now, I’ll speak and then do it!’

Ezekiel 13

←12 | All books | All chapters | 14→

¹ Then the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

² ‘O son of man,

‘Against IsraEl’s prophets, you must now testify

(Those who [say they can tell what will come])!

You must speak to these prophets and tell them

That their prophecies all come from their hearts.

‘So, you must prophesy and tell them

To hear the Word of Yahweh;

³ For, these are the words that He spoke:

‘Woe to those who speak prophecies

From ideas that come from their hearts

While they have seen nothing at all…

Those following the direction of their spirits!

⁴ ‘O IsraEl,

‘Your prophets are like foxes that live in the fields,

⁵ For they do not take firm positions.

To the house of IsraEl, they don’t gather flocks,

Nor are they getting them ready for war

By warning them about the Day of the Lord.

⁶ ‘The visions that they see are all false,

And all of their omens are useless;

For they say that Yahweh has spoken,

And they make their words sound important;

Yet, they were not sent by Yahweh.

⁷ ‘Haven’t your visions all proven false…

Aren’t the words that you’ve spoken untrue?

For you speak when I haven’t spoken,’ says Yahweh!

⁸ ‘Because of this, you must tell them,’ said Yahweh,

‘That since their words are all false

And they prophesy things that are foolish…

Yes, because of this, I’m against them!

⁹ ‘So, towards those prophets, I’ll stretch out My hand

Towards those who are seeing false visions

And those who declare foolish things

When they give instructions to My people;

Then, among [the faithful of] IsraEl,

Their [names] will never be written,

And they’ll know that I am Yahweh!

¹⁰ ‘For, they are misleading My people

By saying there’s peace, when there’s really no peace…

So the people are plastering walls that will fall.

¹¹ ‘Rather, they should say to those who are plastering walls:

Your [walls] will soon fall and the rain will pour in.

For I’m sending rocks to be hurled against them,

And then your [walls] will just drop…

[Yes, I’ll send] a mighty wind to destroy them!

¹² ‘{Look!} And after the walls have all fallen,

They will then come here and ask:

‘What happened to all of the plaster

That we used to make repairs on these [walls]?’

¹³ ‘It’s because of this,’ says Yahweh,

‘That I will send out a wind,

Which will rip down [their walls] in My anger;

And then, My rage will flood in.

‘In My rage, I’ll cause rocks to be thrown

As I bring it all to an end!

¹⁴ For I’ll raze the walls that they’ve plastered…

I’ll lay them out on the ground,

And then, I’ll expose their foundations.

‘And [you who’ve foretold better things]

Will then be worn out by their shouting…

And you’ll know that I am Yahweh.

¹⁵ ‘Yes, against those walls I’ll wear out My rage,

And on those who are plastering them;

For, all their walls will soon fall.

‘Yet [the problem] is not with the walls

Or with those applying the plaster;

¹⁶ It’s with those who fortell a good future…

Those who say there’ll be peace,

When there really won’t be any peace,’ says Yahweh.

¹⁷ ‘And you, O son of man, must now fix your face

Against the daughters of your people…

Against those who now prophesy

According to the things in their hearts.

Against them, you must prophesy this…

¹⁸ Tell them that thus says Yahweh:

‘Woe to those who sew pillows

That are made to be placed under elbows,

And those who create all sizes of veils

That they say will serve as protection…

Those misleading the lives of My people!

¹⁹ ‘You profane Me in front of My people

For a handful of barley or a few scraps of bread.

You’re ending lives that don’t have to die,

And offer protection to souls that won’t live…

You promise foolish things to My people!

²⁰ ‘And because of this, says Yahweh,

I am opposed to your pillows,

Which you’re using to gather their souls.

So from your arms, I’ll rip them away,

And lead off those who you’ve misled…

For soon, they all will be scattered.

²¹ ‘I will also rip off your veils

To save My people from your [wicked] hands.

No, into your hands, they’ll not fall again…

And you’ll know that I am Yahweh.

²² ‘You’ve perverted the hearts of the righteous

And strengthened the hands of the lawless…

Yes you’ve failed to turn them from bad, so they’d live!

²³ ‘And because of this,

You will not see false visions again,

And you won’t see any more omens.

For, from your hands, I’ll rescue My people…

And you’ll know that I am Yahweh.’

Ezekiel 14

←13 | All books | All chapters | 15→

¹ Well after that, elders from among the people of IsraEl came to me and they all sat down in front of me. ² Then the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

³ ‘Son of man,

‘The thoughts in the hearts of these people are set;

So, lay out their badness before them,

Since I will now give them an answer…

⁴ Speak and tell them that thus says Yahweh:

‘Any man from the house of IsraEl,

Who may start to think in his heart

That he’ll not be punished for his badness,

Should arrange his face and then come to the Prophet,

And I, Yahweh, will tell him his thoughts

⁵ So I can change the hearts of the house of IsraEl…

Those whose hearts are so far from Me.

⁶ ‘So, speak to the house of IsraEl

And tell them that thus says Yahweh:

‘Turn from the things that you’re doing…

Turn your faces from your godless deeds!

⁷ ‘For a man – any man – from the house of IsraEl

Or from among foreign converts

Who no longer chooses to [walk in My ways]

And starts to think in his heart

That he should never be punished

For all the bad things that he’s doing,

Must arrange his face and come to the Prophet,

Then ask, and I will reply

About the things over which he’s concerned.

⁸ ‘For I’ll fix My face against such a man

And assign him to a place in extinction…

From the midst of My people, I’ll lift him away…

And he’ll know that I am Yahweh.

⁹ ‘And if a prophet should say that he’s been misled,

And he says I’m the One who misled him;

Against him, I’ll stretch out My hand

And remove him from IsraEl’s midst.

¹⁰ ‘So each one who [comes before Me] and asks

Must bear the punishment he’s due

For all of his unrighteous acts…

According to the things that he’s done.

‘Then the sins of the prophets will come upon them,

¹¹ So the house of IsraEl will not stay misled

And remain defiled by its errors.

Then they’ll be My people and I’ll be their God,’ says Yahweh.

¹² Well after that, the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

¹³ [‘Yahweh says:]

‘O son of man,

If a land sins against Me and falls into sin;

Against [that land], I will stretch out My hand,

And break its reliance on bread…

Famine I’ll send [to that land]

And remove men and beasts from upon it.

¹⁴ ‘But, should such good men be found in that land

As Noah, DaniEl, and Job;

I will save such a man,’ says Yahweh.

¹⁵ ‘And if I must bring ferocious wild beasts

As a punishment upon such a land;

It will become an extinction…

None will pass through it again

Because of the faces of the wild beasts I’ll send.

¹⁶ ‘But if three such good men can be found there;

As I live,’ says Yahweh,

‘Although its sons and daughters will not be saved…

[Those three men] will be saved,

And the land will thereafter be ruined.

¹⁷ ‘Or if I should bring the sword to that land,

If I say, ‘Let the broadsword pass through it,’

And I cause men and beasts to be lifted from there…

¹⁸ If three such men can be found in its midst;

As I live,’ says Yahweh,

‘Although its sons and daughters will not be saved,

Those [3 men] will be rescued.

¹⁹ ‘Or, if I should send a plague to that land

And pour My rage upon it in blood,

Destroying both men and wild beasts…

²⁰ And among them, three such men can be found

As Noah, DaniEl, and Job;

As I live,’ says Yahweh,

‘Its sons and daughters will not be saved…

For the only thing that can save them

Is becoming as righteous [as those three men]!

²¹ ‘Then Yahweh said:

‘To JeruSalem, I’ll be sending 4 things:

The sword, famine, and plague,

As well as ferocious wild beasts…

They’ll destroy all the men and their cattle.

²² ‘{Look!} And any of those who remain

Those who escape all these things,

Will then be carried away,

Along with their sons and their daughters.

‘Then {Look!} they will be brought here to you,

And you’ll know of the things that they thought,

As well as of the things they have done.

‘And although you’ll be saddened by the harm that I’ll bring

– All that I’ll do to JeruSalem –

²³ [Your mind] will then be relieved,

Because you will see their ways and their thoughts,

And you’ll know all the things that I did

Weren’t done without a good reason,’ says Yahweh.’

Ezekiel 15

←14 | All books | All chapters | 16→

¹ And the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

² ‘[Let Me ask] you this, O son of man:

‘What happens to the wood from all of the vines

That live among trees in the forests?

³ Do they find some use for this wood…

Do they use their pieces as hangers? ⁴ No!

‘{Look!} Each year, they’re thrown into the fire,

As [people] are cleaning [their yards].

So, the wood disappears in the end,

Since no use for it can be found!

⁵ ‘And even whole pieces aren’t useful;

For, after they’re burned in the flames,

They no longer have any value.

⁶ ‘So Yahweh said this:

‘As I’ve put the vines among trees

To be burned in fires and consumed…

That’s what I’ve done to those in JeruSalem.

⁷ ‘For against them, I’ve now set My face,

And fire, they’ll have to [endure]…

For fire will [come and] consume them.

And [when they see that] it’s My face against them,

They’ll know that I am Yahweh.

⁸ ‘I’ll appoint [their] land to extinction,

Because they fell into sin,’ said Yahweh.’

Ezekiel 16

←15 | All books | All chapters | 17→

¹ Then the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

² ‘O son of man,

‘To JeruSalem, you must now testify

About all of her lawless deeds!

³ So tell them that thus says Yahweh:

‘Your roots and your birth are in CanaAn,

Where an Amorite man was your father,

And a Hittite [woman], your mother.

⁴ ‘And concerning your birth and the day you were born;

Your naval wasn’t cut, nor were you washed,

No one [cleansed] you with salt,

And you weren’t wrapped up in a blanket.

⁵ ‘For their eyes didn’t feel enough pity for you

To do such things on your behalf;

They just threw you into the fields,

Since your soul had been deformed since your birth.

⁶ ‘Then I came and saw you defiled in your blood,

And I said to you:

‘Come to life!’

Yes, I said this to you in your blood:

‘Come to life… Become many!’

⁷ ‘I made you like crops that grow in the fields,

Then you became many and great

And you entered the city of cities.

‘Thereafter, your breasts and your hair both grew full…

But you were still indecent and naked.

⁸ ‘It was then that I came and beheld you,

And I saw that it was your time…

A time for you to find rest.

‘So I opened and spread out My wings over you

And covered your indecent condition.

Over you, I then swore an oath,

And concluded a Sacred Agreement,’ says Yahweh.

So, that’s when you became Mine.

⁹ ‘I bathed you in water and washed off your blood,

And then, I rubbed you with oil.

¹⁰ I dressed you in [the best] colored clothes…

In blue and linen, I wrapped you,

And I placed a braided belt [on your hips].

¹¹ ‘I decked you with ornamentation…

I put bracelets on [both] of your [wrists],

And around your neck, put a necklace.

¹² ‘I gave you a ring for your nose,

As well as disks for your ears,

And to boast, a garland [to wear on] your head.

¹³ ‘So, you were adorned in silver and gold;

Your wraps were the finest of linen;

You had braided hair and colored clothes,

And you ate the finest of flour,

As well as the best honey and oil.

‘So, you became exceedingly [great],

And you prospered as one who’s a [queen].

¹⁴ Among the nations, your name became known,

And this was true of your beauty;

For I’d made your beauty complete…

I’m the One who ordered it for you,’ says Yahweh.

¹⁵ ‘Then, on your beauty, you came to rely,

And you gave away [sex], because of your fame…

You ‘poured it out’ on the roads.

¹⁶ ‘Then you [ripped] your clothes, so that you could make strings

To tie all your idols together,

And you used them to do what’s immoral.

So now, there’s no way that you can return…

No way may you come back to Me!

¹⁷ ‘Then you took the things of which you could boast

– The silver and gold that I gave you –

And made idols, with which you had sex.

¹⁸ You dressed them up in your colored clothes,

And set before them My incense and oil.

¹⁹ ‘You took the bread that I made

With the fine flour, honey, and oil,

And set it in front of their faces

As pleasing scents and aromas.

‘And after you did all of this,’ says Yahweh,

²⁰ ‘You took the sons and daughters you bore

And offered them up to [your gods]

Until [they had all] been consumed.

²¹ ‘Yes you killed them to make your gods happy…

You gave all of your children to them!

²² And this is much more disgusting

Than the rest of the bad things you’ve done.

‘For, you forgot the days of your youth

When you were indecent and naked,

And lived befouled in your blood.

²³ And now that you’ve done all your evil,

Woe, woe, upon you,’ says Yahweh!

²⁴ ‘A whorehouse you’ve built for yourself,

And you’ve posted signs in the squares.

²⁵ You’ve erected them on each corner,

And there, you’ve wasted your beauty.

‘Between your legs, you’ve led all who would pass.

And again, you made it much worse…

²⁶ You had sex with the sons of Egyptians…

With the flesh of those who live just next door!

Yes, you have done all these bad things

That have driven Me into a rage.

²⁷ ‘So {Look!} against you, I’ll stretch My hand,

And I’ll take away all your Laws,

Then hand you to those who detest you…

To the daughters of the Philistines,

Whose godless ways you have followed.

²⁸ ‘With Assyria’s sons, you also had sex,

Which brought you no more satisfaction…

You had sex, but it wasn’t enough.

²⁹ So in CanaAn’s land, you also had sex,

As well as with the Chaldeans…

But you still couldn’t find satisfaction.

³⁰ ‘O what will I do to your heart,’ asks Yahweh,

‘As you are doing these bad things…

The works of a woman that’s known as a whore,

And who’s even had sex with her daughters!

³¹ ‘Whorehouses, you’ve built upon every [street],

But you don’t act as the madam!

³² An adulterous woman is all that you are…

One whose husband acts as her pimp!

³³ ‘You’ve even paid those you’ve had sex with…

You’ve paid wages to all of your lovers

As inducements for them to stay near

And engage in all of your whoring!

³⁴ ‘Your perversions are worse than all others;

For with other whores, you’ve even had sex…

You paid them – they didn’t pay you;

So, what you have done is perversion!

³⁵ ‘Because of this, O you whore,

Hear the Word of Yahweh:

³⁶ ‘Because you paid others with your copper coins,

Your shame will soon be uncovered…

Your whoring with all of your lovers,

As well as your evil thoughts…

Your lawless deeds and the blood of your young,

Which you have offered [to idols].

³⁷ ‘So, because of these things that you’ve done,

I’ll gather your lovers against you

And mix those you’ve hated among them.

Together, I’ll bring them against you

Until they have you surrounded.

I’ll uncover your evils before them,

And then, they’ll all see your shame.

³⁸ ‘I’ll punish you as an adulteress,

And I will pour out your blood…

In My zeal, I’ll appoint you for blood,

³⁹ And I’ll hand you over to them.

‘Then, they’ll cut down your whorehouses…

They’ll demolish your base, and rip off your clothes,

Then take all the things about which you boast…

They’ll leave you indecent and naked again.

⁴⁰ ‘Against you, they will lead mobs

Who’ll stone you with rocks and stab you with swords,

⁴¹ Then burn your whorehouses with fire…

They will wreak vengeance upon you,

There before other women.

‘But I’ll turn you away from your whoring,

And return the money that you’ve paid your lovers…

⁴² Against you, I’ll slacken My rage

And remove the jealous zeal I once had…

So I can rest and be anxious no more.

⁴³ ‘Because you forgot the days of your youth

And brought Me regret with your actions;

{Look!} I’ll bring them down on your head,’ says Yahweh,

‘And then, you’ll be godless no more!

⁴⁴ ‘For against you, they all have said this:

‘The daughter is just like the mother,’

⁴⁵ And truly, you are just like your mother…

A woman released by her man,

And one who abandoned her children,

As well as her brothers and sisters…

Yes, she also pushed them away,

Along with her husband and children.

‘For an Amorite man was your father,

And a Hittite woman, your mother.

⁴⁶ Samaria is your big sister,

Whose daughters have lived to your left.

‘Your younger sister, who lives on your right,

Along with her daughters, is Sodom.

⁴⁷ And in their ways, you have traveled

– Their lawless deeds, you’ve done also –

So their ways are now better than yours!

⁴⁸ ‘As I live,’ says Yahweh,

‘Has your sister, Sodom, or her daughters

Ever acted like you and those who are yours?

⁴⁹ ‘The sin of Sodom, your sister, was pride.

For, although she had plenty of bread

(She and her daughters had more than enough),

This thing that was found among them was true:

They offered no aid to the needy and poor…

⁵⁰ Before Me they bragged and broke laws,

And as you saw, I removed them!

⁵¹ ‘Yet, Samaria didn’t sin with half of your sins,

And you’re now more lawless than her.

Yes, all the lawless things that you’ve done

Prove your sisters more righteous.

⁵² So now, you must carry your torment!

‘For by your sins, you’ve corrupted your sisters…

And your lawless ways are much worse than theirs,

So that they now look better than you!

Yes, be ashamed and accept your dishonor,

For it’s you who made them look better.

⁵³ ‘So from them, I’ll remove My rejection

– The rejection of Sodom and her daughters –

And I’ll remove Samaria’s rejection

(As well as that of her daughters)…

And then, I’ll wipe you out of their midst!

⁵⁴ ‘Therefore, you must now bear the torment and disgrace

For all that you did to provoke Me.

⁵⁵ And your sister, Sodom, and her daughters

Will be restored as they were at the first,

Along with Samaria and her daughters,

Who’ll become as they were [in their youth].

Yes, her daughters will all be restored

As they had been [long ago].

⁵⁶ ‘Wasn’t Sodom, your sister, a reason to boast

In the days of your pride,

⁵⁷ Before your evils were seen…

Those evils for which you’re now being scorned

By all of Syria’s daughters

And by those who are living around you…

Like the daughters of the Philistines…

Those who live just next door?

⁵⁸ ‘So, because of your godless ways,

And the lawless deeds that you’ve done,’ says Yahweh,

⁵⁹ ‘I’ll do to you as you’ve done to Me…

For you’ve disgraced the promise you made

By breaking your Agreement with Me.

⁶⁰ ‘Yet, I will remember My oath…

The one that I made with you in your youth,

To establish My Agreement with you throughout the age…

⁶¹ Then, perhaps you’ll remember the right ways to act.

‘But for following in the ways of your sisters

– Both the younger and older –

You will now be despised.

‘And thereafter, I’ll give them to you,

Then you can start teaching them...

But not of your Agreement with Me,

⁶² For My Sacred Agreement will just be with you…

And you’ll all know that I am Yahweh.

⁶³ ‘So remember, and then be ashamed…

Do not open your mouth,

Since your face has been so dishonored.

And I am the One who has born all the cost

Of the sins that you have committed,’ says Yahweh!’

Ezekiel 17

←16 | All books | All chapters | 18→

¹ Then the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

² ‘O son of man,

‘Tell this story and sing it as a song

Before the house of IsraEl…

³ Tell them that thus says Yahweh:

‘There was a great eagle with very great wings

Whose claws were long and outstretched.

To Lebanon, He was then led,

Where He perched on the choicest of cedars.

⁴ ‘The most tender tips, He plucked off,

And to the land of CanaAn, He took them;

Then He placed them in a city with walls.

⁵ ‘He also took a seed from that land

And planted it in ground fit for sowing

A place with plenty of water,

And He arranged for it to be tended.

⁶ ‘Thereafter, [the seed] grew into a vine,

Which proved that it would be great.

Above, it grew many branches of vines,

As its roots [spread out] underneath it…

It became a vine with layers of vines,

And its tendrils kept spreading abroad.

⁷ ‘There was also another great eagle

That had large wings and [long] claws.

So {Look!} the grapevine then twisted towards him,

As did its roots and its branches.

‘[The vine] reached towards [the eagle] from her water,

Which pulled her from her place in the sun…

⁸ Even though the soil in which she was planted was good,

And even though she had plenty of water.

For, she was fat and putting out buds,

And as a great vine, was bearing much fruit.’

⁹ ‘Then Yahweh asked:

‘So, will she continue to prosper?

Will she continue to have tender roots?

Won’t all her fruits start to rot?

‘Yes, those early shoots will all dry,

But not because of some great mighty arm

Or because an army had pulled up her roots.

¹⁰ ‘{Look!} This fat one will no longer prosper

Because she’ll be touched by hot winds

And she will be dried up by drought.

Yes, when the east winds blow, she will shrivel!’

¹¹ Then the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

‘Ask the rebellious house what all of this meant…

Yes, [go ahead and just] ask them!

¹² ‘{Look!} Babylon’s king will come to JeruSalem

And capture her king and her rulers;

Then, they’ll be taken to Babylon.

¹³ ‘Yes, he’ll take the offspring of the kingdom,

Then force him to swear an oath of allegiance…

As he carries the rulers away from their land.

¹⁴ ‘So the kingdom will then be so weak

That it won’t be able to lift itself up.

And in order for them to survive,

They’ll have to keep their treaty with him.

¹⁵ ‘But [the king] will thereafter revolt

And send his envoys to Egypt

To beg them for horses and soldiers.

‘Will he succeed?

Will the one who disobeyed be preserved?

Will the one who broke his oath then be saved?

¹⁶ ‘As I live,’ says Yahweh,

‘Surely, here in the place of the king,

He’ll disgrace the One who allowed him to rule

And he’ll break the oath of his treaty.

So to Babylon, he will be taken,

And there is where he will die!

¹⁷ ‘No, he won’t succeed despite his great power

Or because of the [strength] of his [army].

For although PharaOh will join him in war

And build many weapons and siege mounds,

Which will bring many lives to an end;

¹⁸ Because [the king] will have disgraced his oath

– The one which he’ll swear before Me,

When he breaks the agreement he made...

{Look!} The one over which he held up his hand!

For this, he will not escape.

¹⁹ ‘So, tell him that thus says Yahweh:

‘As I live… You will be disgraced

For breaking the agreement you made before Me.

So upon your head, I’ll lay this:

²⁰ ‘Over you, I’ll spread out My net,

And in it, you’ll be wrapped up and captured…

Then off to Babylon, you will be led,

Where I’ll judge you for your sins against Me.

²¹ ‘Then your armies that are ready for battle

Will all be cut down by swords,

And the survivors will be scattered to the [four] winds…

Then they’ll know that I, Yahweh, have spoken.’

²² ‘Thereafter, Yahweh said:

But then, from the choicest of cedars,

I will pluck off a top…

Yes, out of its heart, I will pluck it,

And on a high mountain, I’ll plant it.

²³ ‘On a Mountain in IsraEl, I’ll place it…

I’ll plant it and then it will bud,

And it will bear fruit once again.

‘Once more, it will be a great cedar,

And a place of resting for birds…

In the shadow of its branches, they’ll rest,

For the branches of her vines will then be restored.

²⁴ ‘So then, all the trees in the plains

Will know that I am Yahweh…

I’m the One who humbles the trees in their heights

And who raises those who have been laid low.

‘I’m the One who can dry up green trees

Or make them flourish in dryness,

Because, I am Yahweh…

So I’ve spoken, and now I will act!’

Ezekiel 18

←17 | All books | All chapters | 19→

¹ And the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

² ‘O son of man,

‘How does the proverb apply

To the land of IsraEl, which goes:

‘When the fathers eat unripe grapes,

The mouths of the children get toothaches?

³ ‘Yahweh says:

‘As I live,

Will this proverb prove true among IsraEl?

⁴ ‘I’m the One who owns all their souls…

Yes the souls of both the fathers and sons.

And since they are all really Mine;

The sinners among them will die!

⁵ ‘But the one who is fair, righteous, and just…

⁶ Who doesn’t feast to idols on hills…

Whose eyes are not [filled with pride]…

Whose thoughts are of the House of IsraEl…

Who doesn’t defile the wife of his neighbor

Nor does he dirty his wife

By approaching her in menstruation…

⁷ Who does not tyrannize others…

Who asks no collateral [for loans]

– The things that he doesn’t return –

Who takes nothing by force…

Who gives bread to the hungry and clothes to the naked…

⁸ Who doesn’t require interest on loans

– Who asks no payment of interest –

Who turns his hand from injustice…

Who is fair when he serves as the judge

Between a man and his neighbor…

⁹ Who follows all of My orders…

Who guards My Laws and obeys them…

Such a man will be thought of as righteous,

And he will then receive life,’ says Yahweh.

¹⁰ ‘But, if he should father a bad son…

One who sins and sheds blood,

¹¹ And won’t follow his father’s righteous ways,

But feasts before idols on mountains,

And willingly defiles the wife of his neighbor…

¹² Who tyrannizes the needy and poor

And seizes collateral by force,

Then chooses not to return it…

Who turns his eyes towards the idols,

Then practices all that is lawless,

¹³ And lends his things out for interest…

He will not receive life.

For his lawless deeds, he will die,

And his blood will be upon his [own head].

¹⁴ ‘Then, if he should father a son

Who fears all the sins of his father,

And refuses to act as he did…

¹⁵ If he’s one who won’t feast to idols on hills,

And remembers the house of IsraEl…

If he doesn’t defile the wife of his neighbor…

¹⁶ If he doesn’t act like a tyrant…

If he doesn’t require collateral for loans…

If he doesn’t take things by force…

If he gives bread to the hungry and clothes to the naked…

¹⁷ If he doesn’t turn his hand towards injustice

Or charge interest for the loans that he makes…

If he’s righteous and follows My orders…

He’ll live and not die for his father’s sins!

¹⁸ ‘But because his father was oppressive and bad…

Because he took things by force

And was contrary among his own people…

For his unrighteous ways, he will die!

¹⁹ ‘But then, you will ask:

‘Why won’t the son bear the sins of his father?’

‘It’s because he is merciful, righteous, and fair…

He’s kept My Laws and obeyed them,

And as a result, he will live…

²⁰ Just the soul that is sinning will die!

‘So the son won’t be blamed for his father’s bad ways,

And the father won’t be blamed for those of his son.

Yes, the righteous ways of each person

And lawless ways of each person

Are what they will bring on themselves!

²¹ But, if the lawless one turns from what’s bad

And starts to keep My Commandments...

If he becomes merciful, righteous, and just...

He will be granted life,

Yes, he will live and not die!

²² I will forget all his sins,

No matter how many there are…

For his righteous ways, he will live!

²³ ‘Do I wish to bring death to the lawless,’ asks Yahweh?

‘No, I want them to turn from the bad, so they’ll live!

²⁴ But, if the righteous should turn from right ways

And commit all the sins of the lawless…

Yes, if they do such things, they will die…

I’ll forget all the righteous things that they did

And destroy them for their errors and sins.

²⁵ ‘But then, you will say:

‘The ways of Yahweh aren’t right!’

‘Pay attention, O house of IsraEl!

Haven’t My ways proven straight?

Aren’t yours the ways that are crooked?

²⁶ ‘When a righteous man turns from right ways,

Shouldn’t he die for his sins…

Since he’s the one who’s to blame,

Isn’t he the one who should die?

²⁷ ‘And when the lawless turn from bad ways…

When they start acting righteous and fair

²⁸ And recognize how godless they’ve been;

All these people should live…

No way should they have to die!

²⁹ ‘Yet, the house of IsraEl still claims

That the ways of Yahweh aren’t straight.

‘O house of IsraEl,

‘Is it really My ways that aren’t straight?

Aren’t yours the ways that are crooked?

³⁰ ‘Therefore, O house of IsraEl,

‘I’ll judge each man by the things that he does,’ says Yahweh.

‘So, if you will turn from your bad ways,

You won’t be punished for the bad things you’ve done!

³¹ ‘But, you must discard all your bad ways,

As well as your irreverence towards Me…

Create for yourselves new breaths and hearts!

‘O house of IsraEl,

‘Why should you die?

³² I want no one to die,’ says Yahweh…

‘So return [to Me] and you’ll live!’

Ezekiel 19

←18 | All books | All chapters | 20→

¹ ‘Now, against the rulers of IsraEl,

I want you to sing this lament:

² ‘Your mother was a lion with cubs…

For in the midst of lions, she had many cubs.

³ Then, one of her cubs made the leap

Into becoming a lion…

He learned to attack and eat men.

⁴ ‘But the nations soon heard about him,

And in their corruption, they caught him,

Then in a cage, they brought him to Egypt.

⁵ ‘Well, when she saw that [her son] had been caught

And that she had lost her support;

She took another one of her cubs

And made him grow into a lion.

⁶ ‘So he started to walk among lions,

And very soon, he became one…

He captured prey and ate many men.

⁷ ‘In their cities, he then boldly fed

Until the whole land was destroyed

And filled with the sounds of his roaring.

⁸ ‘So the nations all came from their places…

They surrounded and then they attacked him…

In their corruption, they threw nets and caught him.

⁹ ‘Into a cage, he was put,

And to the king of Babylon, they took him.

So, because he was kept in a cage,

His roar was no longer heard

In IsraEl’s mountains, thereafter.

¹⁰ ‘Now, this mother was much like a grape vine

Or a pomegranate planted near water.

And because there was so much water,

Soon she grew buds and fruit.

¹¹ ‘Among the head tribe, she became a strong rod,

And she was esteemed for her greatness

Amidst the rest of those great trunks [of trees]…

And she saw that her branches were what made her great.

¹² ‘But in rage, she was thereafter broken…

Yes, she was cut to the ground

And by burning winds, she was dried.

Then her choicest of branches – the rods of her strength –

Were punished, dried out, and burned.

¹³ ‘For, she’d moved herself into the desert…

To a land that was thirsty and dry.

¹⁴ So the flames on her choicest of branches

Also reached down and consumed her,

Which left her without the rod of her strength.

So, to her tribe, she became a sad song

About one who will surely be missed.’

Ezekiel 20

←19 | All books | All chapters | 21→

¹ It was in the 7th year, in the 5th month, and on the 10th day of the month that men from among the elders of the house of IsraEl came before me to ask [things] from Yahweh. So after they all came and sat down in front of my face, ² the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

³ ‘O son of man,

‘Speak to IsraEl’s elders

And tell them that thus says Yahweh:

‘Have you come to ask something of Me?

As I live, I will not reply,’ says Yahweh!

⁴ ‘But I’ll punish you, O sons of men,

For the lawless deeds of your fathers…

‘Yes, this is what you must tell them!

⁵ ‘And tell them that thus says Yahweh:

‘From the day that I took the house of IsraEl

And to Jacob’s offspring, became known,

When I let them know Me in Egypt…

Yes, when I took hold of their hands,

And told them that I am Yahweh their God...

⁶ Since the day that I took them into My hands

And led them from Egypt’s land

Into the land that I had prepared...

A land that flowed with honey and milk…

Honeycombs that are far greater

Than those in all other lands...

⁷ And I told them that they must abandon

The disgusting things in front of their eyes

And the defilements of Egypt…

Since then, I’ve been Yahweh their God!

⁸ ‘But then, they revolted against Me

And refused to hear what I said.

Their disgusting things, they didn’t remove

The things [they could see] with their eyes,

Nor did they leave the bad ways of Egypt.

‘So I threatened to pour out My rage upon them,

And finish My anger among them in Egypt.

⁹ But I acted so My Name would not be profaned

Before the nations among which they were living

Those to whom I had made [Myself] known…

And I led them from Egypt’s land.

¹⁰ ‘Then I led them from Egypt into the desert,

¹¹ Where I gave them My orders and all of My Laws…

Which, if a man does them, bring life.

¹² ‘And I gave them My Sabbaths to serve as a sign

That they knew that I am Yahweh…

The One who is making them holy.

¹³ ‘But, in the desert, they made Me feel bitter;

For they didn’t follow My orders,

And My Laws, they then pushed away...

Which, if a man does them, bring life,

And they profaned all My Sabbaths.

‘So, it was there in the desert

That I threatened to pour out My rage

And to completely wipe them away.

¹⁴ Yet I didn’t, so My Name would not be profaned

Among the gentiles who saw that I led them.

¹⁵ ‘Then, in the desert, I lifted My hand

So as not to bring them into the land

A land that flows with honey and milk…

Honeycombs that are greater than in other lands;

¹⁶ For they’d pushed away all My Laws,

And they chose not to follow My orders…

They also profaned all My Sabbaths,

And they followed the desires of their hearts.

¹⁷ ‘Yet, My eyes continued to spare them…

I did not wipe them away

Or destroy them there in the desert.

¹⁸ ‘In the desert, I then warned their children

Not to follow the laws of their fathers,

Nor to obey their [bad] rules…

Not defile themselves with their fathers’ ways,

¹⁹ For I am Yahweh their God.

‘[I told them that they must] follow My orders…

They must keep My Laws and obey them,

²⁰ And keep My Sabbath days holy.

For, this is the sign between Me and them

That I am Yahweh their God.

²¹ ‘But against Me, they also rebelled,

And their children wouldn’t follow My orders…

They didn’t guard My Laws or obey them

– The Laws that bring life to all who’ll obey –

And they profaned all My Sabbaths.

‘So I spoke to them in My anger…

I threatened to pour My rage upon them

And finish My wrath in the desert.

²² ‘So against them, I then turned My hand

And I acted because of Myself…

That My Name would not be profaned

Before the nations, from which they’d been led.

²³ ‘But in the desert, I lifted My hand

To scatter them among all the nations,

²⁴ Because they’d refused to follow My Laws,

And My orders, they’d just pushed away!

Yes, they had profaned all My Sabbaths,

And they followed the thoughts of their fathers.

²⁵ ‘So I [let them do as] their fathers had said

And to follow their laws that do not bring life…

²⁶ Yes, I let their orders defile them!

Then I scattered all those who opened the womb…

I completely wiped them away

So they’d know that I am Yahweh!’

²⁷ ‘And because of these things, O son of man,

You must speak to the house of IsraEl

And tell them that thus says Yahweh:

‘To this day, your fathers have enraged Me

By the sins they’ve committed against Me.

²⁸ For, although I brought them into the land

That I gave to them when I lifted My hand…

When they saw its shady trees and [beautiful] hills,

To other gods, they offered sacrifices.

‘So on them and their gifts, I then brought My wrath;

For to other gods, they also had offered

Drink offerings, incense, and pleasing aromas.

²⁹ ‘Then I asked:

‘What’s so great about your high places

That you’re still choosing to go there?

For they call them the High Places down to this day...’

³⁰ ‘So tell IsraEl that thus says Yahweh:

‘Do all the lawless deeds of your fathers!

With their disgusting ways, dirty yourselves!

³¹ Offer [those gods] your first-fruits and gifts,

Then pass your children through fire!

Yes defile yourselves in all of your thoughts

As you’ve continued to do to this day!

‘So house of IsraEl; what must I reply?

As I live,’ says Yahweh;

‘If I should give you an answer,

Would your spirits pay any attention?

³² Won’t you say that you’d rather be like the nations…

Like all the [other] tribes of the earth

That serve before wood and stone idols?

³³ ‘Because of this, as I live,’ says Yahweh,

‘With a strong hand, I’ll dominate you;

And with My arm raised high in great rage!

³⁴ ‘But I’ll also lead you out of those nations…

Yes, I’ll take you away from those places

Where My strong hand has sent you

With My arm raised high in great rage!

³⁵ ‘Then I’ll lead you into the deserts,

And there, before all the nations,

I’ll argue your case with them face to face,

³⁶ Just as I did for your fathers

Back in the deserts of Egypt…

And that’s how I’ll then be your judge,’ says Yahweh.

³⁷ ‘I’ll lead you away with My rod,

And bring you back [to your homeland].

³⁸ Then I’ll pick away all those among you

That are irreverent and rebellious…

I’ll remove them from those who [are righteous],

And to the land of IsraEl, they’ll never return,

So you’ll know that I am Yahweh.’

³⁹ ‘Yahweh says:

‘As for you, O house of IsraEl;

Move away from your evil deeds,

And then you must listen to Me!

You may not profane My Holy Name

With your gifts and those [wicked] deeds

⁴⁰ That you practiced on My Holy Mountain,

And upon all of IsraEl’s hills.

‘Yahweh says:

In their land, IsraEl must serve Me;

For, that is where I’ll receive them

And it’s where I’ll keep watch on their first fruits…

The first-fruits of all that they offer,

And the rest of their most-holy things.

⁴¹ ‘And when I bring them back from the nations

From the places where they will be scattered,

I’ll accept their pleasing aromas again,

And I will be holy among them

Before the eyes of [the gentiles]…

⁴² And they’ll know that I am Yahweh

When I bring them back to IsraEl’s land…

The land that I gave to their fathers.

⁴³ ‘Then, you will consider your ways,

And think about all the bad things you did

In order to make yourselves dirty,

And you’ll slap your own faces for your evil ways…

⁴⁴ For you’ll know that I am Yahweh.

‘You’ll also know that I did all these things

So My Name would not be profaned

By the bad things you practiced and your evil ways,’ says Yahweh.’

⁴⁵ Then the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

⁴⁶ ‘O son of man,

‘Now, turn your face towards TeMan and look…

You must look towards [the land in the south];

Then, you must prophesy this

Towards the woods that lead to the Negev!

⁴⁷ ‘You must tell those in the Negev’s wooded lands

To hear the Word of Yahweh!

For, this is what He’s declared:

‘{Look!} Within you, I’ll now light a ‘fire’

That will burn up all of your trees,

Both those that are green and those that are dry.

And after this ‘fire’ has been lit,

It won’t be extinguished thereafter!

‘All your faces will soon be consumed

By ‘winds’ that come from the north and the east.

⁴⁸ And all flesh will know that I am Yahweh

When I light a ‘fire’ that can’t be extinguished!’

⁴⁹ But I said:

‘O Lord… O Yahweh… By no means! For then they’ll ask:

‘Aren’t you just telling us a parable?’

Ezekiel 21

←20 | All books | All chapters | 22→

¹ And the Lord replied to me saying:

² ‘Because of these things, O son of man,

[You must speak against them] this prophecy…

Towards JeruSalem, you must now set your face

And look towards its Most Holy place;

Then to IsraEl, you must prophesy this…

³ Tell IsraEl that thus says Yahweh:

‘{Look!} I’m the One who is coming against you;

So I’ll pull My sword from its sheath

And destroy your unrighteous and lawless.

⁴ ‘I’ll pull My sword out of its sheath

[That is, men] from the north and the east;

⁵ And after I pull them out of the sheath,

I won’t be putting them back,

So all will then know that I am Yahweh!’

⁶ ‘And you, O son of man,

‘Groan as if you’ve broken your hips…

Before their eyes, you must groan in grief.

⁷ And when they ask why you’re groaning,

This is what you must tell them:

‘The message that comes will break [all your] hearts

And all your hands will grow feeble.

For all flesh and all that are breathing

Will soon come to an end

And all [bottoms] will be tainted by wetness.

⁸ ‘Look… It’s coming and now it will happen,’ says Yahweh, [your] God.’

⁹ And thereafter, the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

‘O son of man,

‘Now you must prophesy this…

You must tell them that thus says Yahweh:

‘O broadsword, O broadsword, be angry and sharp,

¹⁰ Then slay the victims for slaughter.

Be sharpened until you are shiny,

Then prepare for numbing and slay!

Treat [them all] with contempt,

And chop down all of their trees!

¹¹ ‘For He’s readied the sword that He holds in his hand...

This sword which He has just sharpened...

And prepared it for use by the one who stabs through.

¹² ‘So, cry out and shriek, O sons of men,

For upon my people, it’s coming,

And upon all of IsraEl’s guides…

Yes this sword [is coming to them]!

¹³ ‘It will come to all of my people,

And because of this, clap your hands;

For, this is justice that’s due.’

So I asked him:

‘But then, won’t my tribe be totally thrown away?’

And the Lord said:

‘Don’t worry, that just will not happen.’

¹⁴ ‘But you, O son of man, must now prophesy…

Clap one hand on the other

To summon another broadsword against them.

For this third one will be a sword of great slaughter…

It’s one that will truly amaze.

¹⁵ ‘It will break all their hearts, as many grow weak,

When, at their gates, it arrives…

And all will be killed by this sword.

‘Well done, O sharp one that slaughters.

Well done, O great shining one.

Now like lightning, you must go forth and slay!

¹⁶ ‘Sharpen both sides, the right and the left,

Then swing it wherever your face is aroused.

¹⁷ ‘But after that, I will clap my hands,

And then I will slacken My rage…

For I Yahweh, have spoken.’

¹⁸ Then the Word of Yahweh came to me again, and said:

¹⁹ ‘And you, O son of man,

‘Prepare two ways for the sword to arrive

So that Babylon’s king may now enter.

‘Two [armies] will come from one place;

One will come from the right,

And the other from the city’s top street…

So, ready the corner of that street!

²⁰ ‘The broadsword [will first enter] RabBah;

And then, from the direction of AmMon’s sons

An attack will be launched on JeruSalem.

²¹ Then, on those most ancient roads,

The king of Babylon will stand.

‘On the corner, between the two streets, [he will stand],

Looking to his diviners for signs…

[He’ll ask them] to stir with the rod

And to question their idols,

Then to look into the liver.

²² ‘So, an oracle will give him instructions

And tell him to throw up a siege mound

On JeruSalem’s right.

‘Then he’ll open his mouth and he’ll yell:

‘Raise your voices and shout,

And against her gates, erect siege mounds!

Yes, build the mounds all around them,

And create more weapons of war!’

²³ ‘For he’ll serve as an omen against them…

He’ll provide divination concerning [their end].

He’ll remind them that they will be led off as captives

Because they have been so unrighteous.

²⁴ ‘And he’ll also help them to remember,’ said the Lord…

‘That he came because of their unrighteous ways,

And to reveal their irreverent condition.

‘He will then show them their sins,

As well as the laws that they’ve broken,

Which they’ll think of after they’re captured.

²⁵ ‘And then [say to] that lawless profane one…

Upon the one who is IsraEl’s guide:

‘Your unrighteous days have now ended!’

²⁶ ‘For [the Lord] Yahweh said this [about him]:

‘Remove the turban and take off the crown,

Because they’ll no longer be yours.

For, from your high place, you will be cut down,

And then, what is low will be raised!

²⁷ ‘For, to the unrighteous, I’ll bring what’s unrighteous…

And that’s all there’ll be ‘til the time

That the one who is worthy arrives…

And to him, I will give it all back.’

²⁸ ‘So now, prophesy now, O son of man…

And to the sons of AmMon, you must say

That Yahweh said this concerning their scorn:

‘O broadsword, O broadsword, now be unsheathed…

Be unsheathed for the victims of slaughter

Arise and shine to consume them!

²⁹ ‘For, all their visions are worthless,

And your oracles are just telling lies…

So they won’t be able to save you.

For your lawless ways, [I’ll bring swords to] your necks,

And your unrighteous days will have ended.

³⁰ ‘Then return, [O sword], to your sheath!

For, in this place where you were once born

I’ll judge these [people] in their own land

³¹ And I’ll pour My rage out upon them.

‘Against them, I’ll breathe the fire of My rage,

And to barbarians, I will hand them over…

To those contriving corruption for them.

³² ‘By fire, they will then be devoured,

And blood will be flowing throughout their land.

And thereafter, they’ll just be forgotten…

For I Yahweh, have spoken.’

Ezekiel 22

←21 | All books | All chapters | 23→

¹ Then the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

² ‘And you, O son of man,

Must now judge that city because of its blood…

You must make an example of her

For all of her lawless deeds!

³ ‘You must say that the Lord Yahweh said this:

‘O city of so much shed blood

The one who has made herself dirty...

⁴ You’ve fallen into the blood that you’ve shed

And defiled yourself with your thoughts.

So the end of your days has drawn near…

You’ve reached the end of your years!

‘You are given to be scorned by the nations,

And for every region to mock you…

⁵ You’ll be mocked by those who are living nearby

And by those who live far away.

Yes, you unclean one, they’ll mock you,

For your lawless ways are now famous.

⁶ ‘Then, look at what IsraEl’s guides have been doing…

They’ve joined with all their relations

In order to spill innocent blood!

⁷ Look also at your fathers and mothers…

All they talk about doing is evil!

‘They treat foreign peoples unjustly,

And tyrannize orphans and widows.

⁸ My holy things, they treat with contempt,

And they are profaning My Sabbaths!

⁹ ‘The men among you are robbers,

And they are shedding innocent blood.

Then, in the mountains, they feast to their idols…

Such unholy things are now done in your midst!

¹⁰ ‘You’ve uncovered the shame of your fathers,

And you have defiled many women

Who were sitting apart as unclean.

¹¹ ‘You’ve [had sex] with the wives of your neighbors…

You’ve each defiled your daughters-in-law

And done ungodly things to your sisters…

You’ve debased the daughters of your parents!

¹² ‘You also take bribes and shed blood…

Interest and rent, you require!

So you’ve reached the end of your evil…

In your tyranny, you have overlooked Me,’ says Yahweh.

¹³ ‘Now, if I clap hand against hand

Against all the evils you’re doing...

Yes, against all those bad things,

And the blood that’s been shed in your midst...

¹⁴ Will your heart be able to stand [what I’ll do],

And will your hands [still be strong] when I do it?

For, I Yahweh, have spoken…

Yes [I’ve spoken] and now I will act!

¹⁵ ‘For I’ll spread you among all the nations…

I’ll scatter you to many regions,

And then your uncleanness will be wiped away.

¹⁶ I’ll assign other nations to watch over you,

And you’ll know that I am Yahweh.’

¹⁷ Then the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

¹⁸ ‘O son of man,

‘{Look!} Before me, the house of IsraEl’s become

Like brass that’s mixed in with iron,

Or like tin and lead mixed with silver.

¹⁹ ‘So because of their [wicked condition],

You must tell them that thus says [Yahweh]:

‘Since you are all mixed together;

I’ll bring you into JeruSalem’s midst

²⁰ As though you’re inside of a furnace.

‘Then, just as silver that’s become mixed

With brass, tin, iron, and lead,

And air is blown in to refine it…

That’s what I’ll do to you in My rage.

‘In My anger, I’ll gather you all

And throw you into a furnace.

²¹ Then I’ll blow on you with the fire of My rage,

And you’ll be refined in its midst.

²² ‘Yes, as silver is refined in a furnace;

I’ll throw you into an oven.

Then you’ll know that I am Yahweh

When I pour My rage out upon you.’

²³ Well after that, the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

²⁴ ‘O son of man,

‘You must tell them [that Yahweh said] this:

At that time, they’ll call yours the land…

The land without any rain…

For there’ll be no rain in the day of [My] rage.

²⁵ ‘Since the leaders in your midst are like lions

Who roar and seize prey by force…

Since they dominate, destroy, and consume,

And take whatever has value…

The numbers of widows will grow in your midst.

²⁶ ‘For your priests have annulled all My Laws,

And My holy things, they’ve profaned…

They can’t tell the holy from the profane

Or what’s clean from the unclean.

²⁷ From My Sabbaths, they’ve hidden their eyes,

And I’ve been profaned in their midst.

²⁸ ‘So her prophets that do the anointing

Will soon all be cut down…

Yes, those who can see only vain things

And omens that really aren’t true,

But who say that Yahweh has spoken to them

When He hasn’t spoken at all.

²⁹ ‘And even the land’s [common] people

Call for what is unrighteous

And [ask for their share] of the loot.

They are tyrants to the needy and poor,

And they treat foreign peoples unfairly!

³⁰ ‘Then I searched among them for one righteous man…

One who’ll stand firm in the day of My rage,

So I wouldn’t have to bring her conclusion

And totally wipe her away…

But, no such man could I find.

³¹ So, I will pour out My anger

And send the fire of My rage

In order to finish them off…

I’m bringing their blame upon their own heads,’ said Yahweh.’

Ezekiel 23

←22 | All books | All chapters | 24→

¹ And the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

² ‘O son of man,

[‘Yahweh says:]

‘Two women were the daughters of one mother,

³ And they were immoral during their youth.

For, they [had sex] down in Egypt…

Yes, there is where their breasts fell [to others],

And it’s where they lost their virgin condition.

⁴ ‘The eldest one’s name was ‘Her Tent’,

And her sister was named ‘Her Tent is Within Her’.

To Me, they both had been given

To bear My sons and My daughters.

‘Are these really their names? No!

I’m calling Samaria, ‘Her Tent’,

And ‘Her Tent is Within Her’ is JeruSalem.

⁵ ‘‘Her Tent’ [that is, Samaria] had been unfaithful to Me,

And she doted upon all her lovers…

The Assyrians, with whom she had [slept]…

⁶ Their blue-clad commanders and leaders,

And the choicest of all their young men,

As well as those who ride horses.

⁷ ‘To them, she offered herself…

To the choicest of Assyria’s sons.

She gave herself to those she desired,

And wholeheartedly made herself dirty.

⁸ ‘But her affair with Egypt hadn’t ended...

Those with whom she had [slept] in her youth...

She gave her virginity to them,

And they poured [their semen] upon her.

⁹ ‘So I handed her to all her lovers,

To the sons of the Assyrians, whom she desired...

¹⁰ And they uncovered her shame.

Then they took her sons and her daughters

And slaughtered them all with their swords.

The women also gossiped about her,

When [the Assyrians] brought vengeance upon her.

¹¹ ‘But when ‘Her Tent is Within Her’ [that is, JeruSalem] saw what had happened,

She became more corrupt [than her sister]…

Yes, even more immoral than her.

¹² ‘For she loved the sons of Assyria…

Those nearby commanders and leaders

Who wore such elegant clothes,

And the men who rode on their horses…

Yes, all of their choicest young men.

¹³ ‘So I saw that they’d both been defiled,

And that both were the same [kind of ‘women’].

¹⁴ ‘Then, to her bad ways, she added,

As she looked upon men who were painted on walls…

Images of the Chaldeans,

Depicted with brush strokes on [stone],

¹⁵ Wearing colored belts on their hips,

As well as deeply-dyed turbans,

All giving the appearance of officials

Among the sons of Babylon…

Of her fatherland, the Chaldeans.

¹⁶ ‘She doted on them with her eyes,

And she sent her messengers to them

There in the land of Chaldea.

¹⁷ ‘So those sons of Babylon arrived,

And on her marriage-bed they then rested…

In their immoral ways, they defiled her.

‘And as she was being defiled,

She put her life in their hands…

¹⁸ Her immoral shame, she uncovered…

She removed My soul from her life

As her sister had already done.

¹⁹ Then, she became even worse,

As she forgot the days of her youth

When she [had sex] down in Egypt

²⁰ And started thinking about the Chaldeans.

For, they had flesh just like burros,

And genitals like those of horses.

²¹ ‘She turned from the lawless ways of her youth

And from the things that she did down in Egypt...

That place in which she’d once lodged

And where the breasts of her youth had first fallen [to others].

²² ‘So, because of this, O ‘Her Tent is Within Her’ [that is, JeruSalem];

{Look!} I’ve awakened your ‘lovers’ against you…

Yes, those to whom you once gave your soul.

And now, I will bring them against you,

Then they will come and surround you…

²³ The sons of Chaldea and Babylon

– Pekod, Shoa, and Koa –

Along with Assyria’s sons

And all of their choicest young men…

Their governors, commanders, and tribunes,

And the famous ones riding on horses.

²⁴ ‘From the north, they’ll all come against you

With weapons and chariot wheels…

Many nations with chest plates, helmets, and shields.

They’ll surround you and throw up a siege mound;

Then judgment, I’ll put on their faces,

So you’ll be punished by their form of justice.

²⁵ ‘Against you, I will then show My zeal,

And I’ll deal with you in My rage.

They’ll cut off your nose and your ears,

And they’ll cut up what’s left with the sword.

‘Then they’ll take your sons and your daughters;

And all that remains will be burned.

²⁶ They’ll strip off all of your clothes,

And remove all the things of which you’re so proud.

²⁷ ‘Your impious deeds, I’ll remove,

Along with the bad things you practiced in Egypt.

To them, you won’t raise your eyes anymore,

And you’ll not think of Egypt again.’

²⁸ ‘Yahweh says:

‘{Look!} I’ll hand you to those who detest you...

Those to whom you’ve given your soul.

²⁹ Then they’ll deal with you in their hatred

And take all the things for which you’ve worked hard,

Leaving you naked and disgraced.

Your immoral shame, they’ll uncover,

Including your irreverence and whoring.

³⁰ ‘They’ll do all these things, because you’re a whore

Who defiled herself by thinking of them.

³¹ So, since you’ve followed in your sister’s ways,

I’ll now put her cup in your hands.’

³² ‘And Yahweh said:

You’ll drink deeply from the cup of your sister…

You’ll drink so much that you’ll laugh,

And in your drunken condition, you’ll sneer.

³³ ‘For from the cup of extinction, you will be filled,

And it will make you feel weak…

The same cup of Samaria, your sister.

³⁴ ‘You will drink and then you will vomit…

Shards of broken pots, you will eat,

And you will start pulling your breasts.

‘Then, I will pervert your holiday feasts,

As well as all your New Moons…

Yes I’ve said that I will pervert them,’ says Yahweh.

³⁵ ‘Then Yahweh said:

‘Because you forgot Me and pushed Me aside,

You’ll get what you’re due for your whoring!’

³⁶ ‘And Yahweh said:

‘O son of man,

‘Now, judge between ‘Her Tent’ [Samaria]

And ‘Her Tent is Within Her’ [JeruSalem].

Yes, speak to them of their lawless ways…

³⁷ Of their adultery and the blood on their hands.

For, even their thoughts are adulterous,

And they’ve led the children they bore Me through fire!

³⁸ ‘Then, as they did this against Me;

They defiled My holy things in that day,

And they have profaned all My Sabbaths.

³⁹ ‘They [offered] their children to idols,

And entered My Holy Place to profane it…

See what they’ve done in My Temple!

⁴⁰ ‘Then, to those in far-away lands,

They sent messengers and begged them to come.

And as they were coming, they bathed…

They decked themselves out and [painted] their eyes.

⁴¹ ‘Before a spread table, they sat on a bed

And set before them My incense and oil...

Which these men found very delightful.

⁴² ‘Then the sounds of harmony and music

Was played before men who were drunk…

Men who’d just come from the desert.

Then upon their arms, they put bracelets,

And garlands of boasting, they put on their heads.

⁴³ ‘Although I told them that they must be [faithful];

In the ways of a whore, they [had sex].

⁴⁴ So, they entered within them

As a man would enter a whore…

They entered ‘Her Tent’ [Samaria] and ‘Her Tent is Within Her’ [JeruSalem]…

Two lawless ‘women’ with lawless ways.

⁴⁵ ‘But because [their lovers] are also just men,

They will punish them both

With the punishment that’s due an adulteress.

In justice, they’ll pour out their blood

For the adultery and blood on their hands.’

⁴⁶ ‘Then Yahweh said:

‘Now, bring the armies against them…

Bring disturbance and ravaging to them.

⁴⁷ ‘May those armies then stone them with rocks

And run them through with their swords!

Kill their sons and their daughters,

And burn down all of their homes!

⁴⁸ ‘Yes, their godless [lovers], I’ll bring to this land

In order to correct these two ‘women,’

So they’ll not be godless again.

⁴⁹ ‘I’ll bring their irreverence down on their heads,

And they’ll bear their own sins and ideas…

Then they’ll know that I am Yahweh!’

Ezekiel 24

←23 | All books | All chapters | 25→

¹ It was in the 9th year, in the 10th month, and on the 10th day of the month that the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

² ‘O son of man,

‘Write the name of this day for yourself,

Because this is the day that Babylon’s king

Will conquer JeruSalem…

Yes, that day has arrived!

³ ‘And say these words to that house in rebellion…

Tell them that thus says Yahweh:

‘Prepare the pot… Ready the pot and fill it with water,

⁴ Then, you must put in the pieces…

All the best pieces… The shoulders and legs,

Then, rip the flesh from the bones!

⁵ ‘I have gathered the choicest of cattle;

So, start the fire to boil up the bones…

Boil and cook the bones in its midst!’

⁶ ‘For their Sovereign Lord Yahweh said this:

O you city of blood,

’There’s a pot that is filled with your venom.

So, when they bring out your limbs,

[None] will claim your parts as their own.

⁷ ‘Upon a rock, they will pour out your blood…

But it won’t be poured on the ground

Or be covered by dirt.

⁸ For I’ll punish you in My rage

And I’ll have them pour your blood on a rock

So that [no one] can cover it over.

⁹ ‘Because of this,’ said Yahweh;

‘Woe to you, O city of blood

For your funeral pyre will be great.

¹⁰ ‘I’ll add much wood and kindle a fire

To melt away all the meat.

And then, to render a broth,

The bones will have to be stewed.

¹¹ ‘You’ll stay on the coals until you’re burned through

And all your brass ornaments melt…

Until your uncleanness [is gone]

And all of your venom has failed…

¹² Until little venom remains.

¹³ ‘The venom of your filth, I’ll bring to disgrace

Until it is all boiled away.

Since you dirtied yourself and wouldn’t get clean,

You’ll no longer be able to do that

Until My rage on you is complete.

¹⁴ ‘For, I Yahweh, have spoken…

I’ll do it and I’ll make it happen!

I’ll not warn you or show any mercy,

Nor will I offer you comfort.

‘I will judge you for the things that you’ve done,

As well as for the things that you think,’ says Yahweh.’

¹⁵ Then the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

¹⁶ ‘O son of man,

‘{Look!} With just one blow, I will now take away

[The woman] you’ve treasured most dearly.

‘Yet, you must not show any sorrow…

¹⁷ Do all your groaning in silence…

Over her, you must quietly groan,

And you may not wail at her grave.

‘Don’t take off your sandals or braid your hair,

Nor let them offer you comfort…

And don’t eat the [food] that they bring.’

¹⁸ Well, the next morning I told the people what he said to me; and then that evening, my wife died. So the [next] morning I did as I was instructed.

¹⁹ And when the people asked me to explain why I was doing these things, ²⁰ I told them that the Word of Yahweh had come to me and said this:

²¹ ‘You must speak to the house of IsraEl

And tell them that thus says Yahweh:

‘{Look!} My Holy Place, I’ll profane…

That wonderful place about which you neigh

And the thing that your eyes have desired.

‘Now, in order to save your own lives,

You’ll have to abandon your daughters and sons…

For, they will all fall by the sword.

²² ‘Then, after you’ve done this,

You won’t take comfort from anyone’s mouth,

Or share in the bread of mankind!

²³ ‘Your hair will remain on your head,

And your feet will be wearing sandals.

So you won’t lament or be crying…

You’ll just melt away in your sins,

And none will comfort their brothers!

²⁴ ‘Now, EzekiEl will serve as an omen and sign;

For, all that he says, you will do.

And after these things have all happened,

You’ll know that I am Yahweh.’

²⁵ ‘[Then He said]:

‘O son of man,

‘This is how it will be in the day

That I take away all their strength

And the things about which they boast…

The desirable things of their eyes…

All of their sons and daughters,

Those in whom their souls take most pride.

²⁶ ‘Then, those who escape in that day

Will come and tell you what happened.

²⁷ And in that day, you’ll open your mouth…

Yes you’ll speak to those who’ve escaped…

You’ll speak and be mute no longer…

You’ll explain how you were a sign,

And they’ll know that I am Yahweh.’

Ezekiel 25

←24 | All books | All chapters | 26→

¹ Then the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

² ‘O son of man,

‘Against AmMon’s sons, you must now set your face…

[You must speak] this prophesy against them!

³ Tell the sons of AmMon to listen

And hear the Word of Yahweh.

For, this is what Yahweh declared:

‘Because you were [filled with] rejoicing

When My Holy Place was being profaned

As the land of IsraEl was being destroyed,

And the house of Judah was led off as captives;

⁴ {Look!} It is for all of these reasons,

That to the sons of Kedem, I’ll hand you…

And their inheritance, is what you’ll become.

‘They’ll camp among you as [masters],

And spread their tents in your midst…

Then they’ll drink your fatness and eat all your fruit!

⁵ ‘I’ll give them the cities of AmMon

To serve as pens where they’ll keep their sheep,

And I’ll also give them your camels…

Then you’ll know that I am Yahweh.’

⁶ ‘Yahweh says:

‘For you clapped your hands and stamped your feet…

You rejoiced over IsraEl’s fall.

⁷ And because of this, {Look!} I’ll stretch out My hand

And appoint you to be ravaged by the nations.

‘I’ll destroy you from among the rest of the peoples…

I’ll wipe you out of your regions…

And you’ll know that I am Yahweh.

⁸ ‘Yahweh says:

‘And because MoAb and SeIr have proclaimed

That the house of Judah is now like the gentiles;

⁹ {Look!} For this, I’ll injure the shoulder of MoAb…

The cities at the edge [of his land]…

The choicest parts of BethJeshiMoth…

The city of springs by the sea.

¹⁰ ‘To the sons of Kedem, I will hand AmMon

To serve an inheritance among them…

Then the nations will forget about AmMon’s sons.

¹¹ And in MoAb, I will also wreak vengeance,

So they’ll know that I am Yahweh.

¹² ‘And Yahweh says:

‘Since Edom was very resentful

And sought vengeance upon Judah’s house

By bringing such punishment upon them…

¹³ Yes, because of this,’ says Yahweh;

‘I’ll stretch out My hand against Edom,

And from man to beast, destroy all.

I will make [their land] desolation,

And from TeMan to Ledan, those being chased

Will each be cut down by swords.

¹⁴ ‘For against Edom’s land, I’ll bring vengeance

At the hands of IsraEl, My people.

They’ll deal with Edom as My rage demands

And in the ways of My anger.

Then, they will know of My vengeance,’ says Yahweh.

¹⁵ ‘And because of this,’ says Yahweh,

‘Because the Philistines took vengeance

And they rejoiced in their souls

When they wiped [My people] away throughout the age…

¹⁶ Yes, because of this,’ says Yahweh,

‘{Look!} Against the Philistines, I’ll stretch out My hand,

And their Cherethites I will destroy,

As well as the rest that are left on the coast.

¹⁷ ‘Yes, against them, I’ll bring vengeance

With the rebukes of My rage.

Then they’ll know that I am Yahweh,

When I wreak My vengeance upon them.’

Ezekiel 26

←25 | All books | All chapters | 27→

¹ It was in the 11th year, on the 1st day of the month, that the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

² ‘O son of man,

‘Tyre has said this of JeruSalem:

‘Well done, because she’s now broken!

For, she had destroyed many nations,

And then, she turned her attention towards me.

But this one who once was so full

Has now become desolation!’

³ ‘Because of this,’ said Yahweh,

‘{Look!} I am against you, O Rock,

And I’ll bring so many nations against you

That they’ll be like the waves of the sea.

⁴ ‘The walls of Tyre, they will tear down,

And then they will knock down your towers.

I’ll scatter your dust to the [four] winds

And leave you like a smooth rock…

⁵ A place where they will dry fish nets.

For, I have spoken against you,’ says Yahweh.

‘You will be a place that nations will loot,

⁶ And your daughters in the plains will be cut down by swords…

Then they’ll know that I am Yahweh.’

⁷ ‘And Yahweh said this:

‘O Tyre,

‘I’ll bring NebuChadNezzar out of the north...

Yes, this king of all kings,

With his cavalry, chariots, and horses,

And his army of many great nations.

⁸ Then he’ll use the sword to destroy

Your daughters that live in the plains.

‘Against you, he’ll send advance guards

Who’ll surround you and then they’ll dig trenches.

He’ll close you in with a siege mound

And arrange it with lances and shields.

⁹ Then they will demolish your towers and walls,

And they will destroy [all your] weapons.

¹⁰ ‘You’ll be covered by the dust of his horses.

And from the sounds of his horsemen,

As well as the sounds of their chariot wheels,

All your walls will thereafter be shaken.

Then, when he enters your gates,

To him, it’ll be like a [walk through] the plains.

¹¹ ‘His horse’s hooves will trample your squares

And [his men] will kill all your people with swords…

They’ll bring your supports and strength to the ground.

¹² ‘Then, they will plunder your army…

They’ll take all their things, then tear down your walls

And demolish the best of your homes.

Thereafter, they’ll throw all the stones and the wood,

As well as the dust, into the sea.

¹³ ‘He’ll rip away your musicians,

And the sounds of strings will no longer be heard.

¹⁴ He will make you like a smooth rock

And a place for the drying of dragnets.

Then, no way will you be rebuilt,

For I, Yahweh, have spoken,’ said the Lord.

¹⁵ ‘Then Yahweh asked this of Tyre:

‘When their swords are unsheathed in your midst;

Won’t the sound of your downfall

As well as the groans of your wounded

Rumble all the way to the islands?

¹⁶ ‘The rulers of the seas will step from their thrones,

Then remove their crowns and colorful robes,

Because they’ll be startled by this change of state.

And of their destruction, they’ll then sit in fear,

As they are groaning for you.

¹⁷ So, this is what they will sing:

‘O how great has been her destruction!

For, she was removed from her place by the sea

Along with all of [her people]

By the one who brought terror upon them.

‘You’re a city which was once so blest;

For you got your strength from the sea.

¹⁸ But now, all the islands are living in fear;

For, since the day of your downfall,

They’ve had many reasons to worry.’

¹⁹ ‘Then the Lord Yahweh said this:

‘I’ll bring desolation to your cities

And leave them without any people…

By the waters of the deep, they’ll be covered.

²⁰ ‘I will drag both you and your people

Into the pit throughout the age.

I’ll settle you in the depths of the earth

As a desolate place throughout the ages,

Along with the rest who’ve gone down to the pit.

‘In the land of the living, you’ll no longer be;

²¹ For I’ve appointed you to be wiped away

So you won’t exist anymore…

They’ll look for you and not find you,’ says Yahweh.’

Ezekiel 27

←26 | All books | All chapters | 28→

¹ Then the Word of The Lord came to me and said:

² ‘And you, O son of man,

Must sing a lament over Tyre.

³ ‘You must say to the Rock

(This city that dwells by the sea…

The marketplace of all the islands)

That thus says Yahweh to Tyre:

‘You say that you’ve invested in beauty;

⁴ For the heart of the sea is your border,

And your sons have perfected your charms.

⁵ ‘Cedar is [the wood] with which you were built,

As well as with Lebanon’s cypress.

With posts of fir, you make the ship masts;

⁶ And in BaShan, they make all your oars.

‘Your temples are constructed of ivory

And your houses are made from the wood

That comes from the Island of Cyprus.

⁷ ‘Embroidered linens from Egypt

Serve as your sails and your flags.

And from the island of Aeolis

You receive the purple and blue

That you use to make the clothes that you wear.

⁸ ‘The princes of Sidon and Arvad

Come and serve as your oarsmen;

And your navigators are their wise men, O Rock.

⁹ ‘The elders among you are scholars

Who grow in their powers to direct you.

And all the oarsmen for your ships of the seas

Come to you from the west.

¹⁰ ‘Your warriors are Lydians and Persians

Who hang their helmets and shields among you…

And they also bring you much glory.

¹¹ Sons of Arvad serve as your soldiers

And they are stationed around all your walls,

As Medes serve in your guard towers…

They hang their quivers on your moorings,

And they are perfecting your beauty.

¹² ‘Men from Carthage are also your merchants

Who bring you abundance and strength

With silver, gold, iron, and brass,

And the tin and lead that they sell in your stores.

¹³ ‘The Greeks and the rest of the world,

Those from faraway lands,

Trade their slaves [in your streets],

Along with the brass that they sell.

¹⁴ ‘From the house of ToGarmah, come horses…

Horses and mules they bring to your stores.

¹⁵ ‘Sons of Rhodes are also your merchants…

From the islands, they bring you much trade.

And those who bring you your ivory

Are paid with the earnings from [slaves].

¹⁶ ‘There are your great stores of balsam,

As well as rolls of purple and linen,

Along with colored works out of Carthage,

Plus things from RamOth and ChoHor…

Yes, all of these things are sold in your stores.

¹⁷ ‘Judah and IsraEl are also your merchants

In the sales of grain and perfumes,

As well as the finest of honey,

And the olive oil and the lotions

That they bring to your stores.

¹⁸ ‘Damascus too, trades in your wares,

And [they also share in] your power.

For they bring fine wines in from Helbon,

And the best of wool from Miletus.

¹⁹ ‘Dan, and Javan, as well as MoOzel,

Bring their iron to your markets…

They add many tools and wheels to your stores.

²⁰ DeDan too, is your merchant,

Providing the choicest of saddles.

²¹ ‘Arabia and the rulers of Cyprus

Are merchants trading camels through your hands,

As well as the lambs and rams that they bring.

²² ‘Other merchants are SheBa and RamAh…

Yes, these are also your traders

Who bring choice spices and most precious gems,

As well as gold to your stores.

²³ ‘Haran, CalNeh, and Edem

Also do trading with you,

As do Assyria, SheBa, and ChilMad,

²⁴ Who bring blue [cloth] and great treasures

In [boxes of] cypress bound in rough cords.

²⁵ ‘Your many boats serve as your merchants;

For they carry an abundance of things to your stores…

Filled and weighed down in the seas.

²⁶ ‘Your oarsmen row it all into you

From [the boats that are blown] by south winds

As they sail through the heart of the sea.

²⁷ ‘But your armies, your wages, and stores…

Your counselors, navigators, and oarsmen,

As well as the goods that come from your stores

And all the warriors among you,

Those who have gathered within you,

Will be thrown into the heart of the sea

In the day of your downfall.

²⁸ ‘Those who navigate will be shaken

By the sounds of your outcries…

Yes, with fear, they’ll be overcome.

²⁹ So your oarsmen will abandon their boats,

And their captains and crews will flee to dry ground.

³⁰ ‘Then, over you, they’ll shout loudly…

Yes, over you, they’ll bitterly cry.

Upon their heads, they’ll throw dirt

And spread ashes as beds for themselves.

³¹ They’ll shave their heads and wear sackcloth,

And bitterly weep over you.

³² ‘Their sons will also lament you

And wail for The Rock as they ask:

‘Who is as silent as Tyre,

There in the midst of the sea?’

³³ ‘How much wealth you gained from the seas!

For the nations are filled with the goods that you sell,

And their kings are enriched by your stores.

³⁴ ‘But, there in the sea, you’ll lie broken,

As your stores are sunk in deep waters,

And those gathered there [will be carried away]

Along with all of your oarsmen.

³⁵ ‘There’ll be gloom in all of the islands for you…

Their kings will be startled and amazed,

Then tears will burst from their faces.

³⁶ Merchants from the nations will whistle at you;

For you [will soon be] destroyed…

Throughout the ages, you will be gone.’

Ezekiel 28

←27 | All books | All chapters | 29→

¹ Then the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

² ‘And you, O son of man;

Say this to the ruler of Tyre!

Tell him that thus says Yahweh:

‘You have made your heart haughty

And proclaimed that you are [a] god;

For you dwell among the gods of the seas!

But you’re just [a] man, not [a] god,

Although you made your heart as that of [a] god.

³ ‘Are you someone who’s ‘wiser than DaniEl?’

Didn’t the wise teach you wisdom?

⁴ Which was it… Intelligence or wisdom

That brought you all of your power

And your treasures of silver and gold?

⁵ Which was it… Your trading or wisdom

That gave you your power, and made your heart proud?

⁶ ‘It’s because of this,’ says Yahweh…

‘Since you made your heart as that of [a] god;

{Look!} I’m bringing strange pests from the nations to you,

⁷ And they’ll empty their swords out against you…

Against all the beauty of your wisdom,

Which they will spread to destruction.

⁸ ‘Yes, they will soon cut you down,

And you’ll die the death of those who [have drowned]

In the heart of the sea.

⁹ ‘Will you say you’re [a] god to those who bring death?

No you’ll be just [a] man, not [a] god

In the hands of those who will pierce you.

¹⁰ ‘Then you’ll die among the uncircumcised

At the hands of those who are strangers.

For, this is what I’ve decreed,’ says Yahweh.’

¹¹ And the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

¹² ‘O son of man,

‘Sing this lament to the ruler of Tyre.

Tell him that thus says Yahweh:

‘Yours is the image on a seal

That’s depicted as someone who’s wise

And who’s wearing a beautiful crown.

¹³ ‘The paradise of gods is the place where you dwell,

And every precious gem, you have owned…

Sardius, topaz, and emeralds;

Onyx, sapphires, and jaspers;

Silver, gold, amber, and agates;

Chrysolites, amethysts, and beryls.

Your treasuries are filled with onyx and gold,

And it’s also found in your stores.

¹⁴ ‘From the day that you were created,

A cherub was chosen on your behalf,

Since you were anointed by God.

Then you were allowed to dwell in [His] Tent…

For on God’s Holy Mountain, I set you,

And among stones of fire, you existed…

¹⁵ Yes, you lived in perfection from the day you began

Until the time that I found you guilty.

¹⁶ ‘From the abundance of your trade, your storerooms were filled,

Then you became lawless and sinned.

So, you were removed from the mountain of God,

From among [those great] stones of fire,

And your cherub was taken away.

¹⁷ ‘Because of your beauty, your heart became proud…

Sins corrupted your wisdom and beauty.

So I tossed you down to the ground

To be an example to [others].

¹⁸ ‘Because of your many great sins

And the ways you’ve failed in your trading,

You have profaned all your temples.

So I’m sending fire into your midst,

Which will burn you and turn you to ashes…

And this will be witnessed by all.

¹⁹ ‘Then, all the nations will mourn over you,

For you’ll be destroyed and lost throughout the age.’

²⁰ Well thereafter, the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

²¹ ‘O son of man,

‘Now, fix your face against Sidon,

And against it, you must now prophesy!

²² Tell them that thus says Yahweh:

‘{Look!} I am against you, O Sidon,

And by you, I’ll be glorified;

For you’ll know that I am Yahweh

When I bring My judgments against you…

And then, I’ll be holy among you.

²³ ‘Against you, I’ll send death and blood,

And your people will fall in your squares,

As the men among you, those closest to you,

Will all be wounded by swords…

And you’ll know that I am Yahweh.

²⁴ ‘IsraEl’s house will be gone…

Yes, that bitter barb and thorn of great grief.

And all those who are living around them,

Those who will bring dishonor to them,

Will know that I am Yahweh.’

²⁵ ‘Yahweh says:

‘Then I’ll regather the house of IsraEl

From the nations where they’ll be dispersed,

And I will be holy among them

Before all the peoples and nations.

‘Thereafter, they’ll live in the land

That I gave to My servant Jacob.

²⁶ There they’ll plant vineyards and there they’ll build homes

In which, they’ll dwell in hope everafter,

When I bring My judgments upon all of those

By whom they had been abused,

All those who were living around them,

And they’ll know that I am Yahweh their God,

As well as the God of their fathers.’

Ezekiel 29

←28 | All books | All chapters | 30→

¹ It was in the 10th year (on the 1st day of the 10th month) that the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

² ‘O son of man,

‘Fix your face against Egypt’s King

And against those in his Great House…

Against him and Egypt, you must now prophesy!

³ Tell him that thus says Yahweh:

‘{Look!} I am against you, O PharaOh,

The great dragon who waits between rivers…

The One who says, ‘The rivers are mine…

Yes, they were created for me!’

⁴ ‘Now, into your jaws, I’ll put hooks,

And the fish from your rivers, I’ll stick to you wings.

Then I’ll lift you up from their midst

And I will remove all their scales

⁵ Before I throw you down with your fish.

‘On the face of the plains, I will toss you;

Then, you’ll be collected and not be [thrown back].

There I’ll feed you to the beasts of the fields,

As well as to the birds in the skies…

⁶ Then, all those who are living in Egypt

Will know that I am Yahweh.

‘For to the house of IsraEl, you’ve proven to be

Just a reed, not a rod,

⁷ Since you broke when they grabbed onto you with their hands.

Then, by every hand, they were beaten,

Because they trusted in you…

Yes, because you broke [in their hands],

The nations have shattered their hips.

⁸ ‘And because of this,’ says Yahweh;

‘{Look!} I’ll bring the broadsword against you

To destroy all your men and your cattle.

⁹ ‘Then the land of Egypt, I will appoint

To be wiped away and destroyed…

And you’ll know that I am Yahweh.

[I’ll do this], because you once said,

‘All the rivers are mine…

They were created for me!’

¹⁰ ‘{Look!} I’m against both you and your rivers;

So, I will now hand over Egypt

To be destroyed by the broadsword

From Migdol on to SyEne,

All the way to Ethiopia’s borders.

¹¹ ‘Neither man nor beast will then travel that way…

No way will any even walk through it.

And for the next 40 years, you’ll lie empty.

¹² ‘I’ll appoint your land to destruction,

And the ground will lie fallow and barren.

All of your cities will be empty…

For 40 years, they’ll all be extinct.

I’ll scatter the Egyptians among all the nations…

To many places, I’ll [blow] them away.’

¹³ ‘Yahweh says:

‘Then, after 40 years, I’ll gather them back

From the nations where they’d been dispersed;

¹⁴ I’ll return all the captured Egyptians

And settle them back in their lands,

Those from which they were taken,

And there, they must humbly submit.

¹⁵ ‘But by then, her rule will have ended,

And she’ll not be the highest of nations again.

For I’ll cause them to be very few…

Uncounted among other nations.

¹⁶ ‘So you’ll never again serve as IsraEl’s hope,

And they’ll be reminded that it had been wrong

For them to have trusted in you…

And they’ll know that I am Yahweh.’

¹⁷ Well, it was in the 27th year (on the 1st day of the 1st month) that the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

¹⁸ ‘O son of man,

‘Because of Tyre, King NebuChadNezzar

Has reduced his army to slaves.

For, all of their heads are now bald

And their shoulders are covered with falling hair

Because of his army’s attack against Tyre,

And the work that they’ve done without pay.

¹⁹ ‘So because of this,’ says Yahweh,

‘To Babylon’s King NebuChadNezzar,

I will now hand over Egypt.

Then, he will loot and plunder her spoils

And give it to his army, as their reward.

²⁰ ‘Yes, in return for his work against Tyre,

I’ll give the land of Egypt to him

Because of the things he’s accomplished for Me,’ says Yahweh.

²¹ ‘In that day, in the house of IsraEl,

A horn will thereafter be raised,

And I’ll give you an opened mouth in their midst,

So they’ll know that I am Yahweh.’

Ezekiel 30

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¹ And the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

² ‘O son of man,

‘You must now prophesy and tell them that thus says Yahweh:

‘The day is near…

³ The Day of Yahweh has approached…

Yes, that dark day of the Lord,

Which is also the time of the nations!

⁴ For a sword will come against Egypt,

And Ethiopia will then be disturbed.

‘Egyptians will be cut down and slain,

And her abundance will be carried away…

She’ll be ripped to her very foundations!

⁵ ‘Lydians, Persians, and Cretans,

Libyans, Ethiopians, and other mixed peoples

Will fall with My Covenant people,’ ⁶ says Yahweh.

‘For the supporters of Egypt will fall

Along with the insolence of her strength.

‘From Migdol to SyEne, they’ll fall by the sword

⁷ And lie amidst places that will be wiped away,

As the cities in her midst are destroyed.

⁸ ‘Then they’ll know that I am Yahweh

When I bring fire against Egypt,

And I break all those who have helped her.

⁹ ‘In that day, messengers will quickly arrive

And destroy any hope Ethiopians had.

For in that day, there’ll be a disturbance in Egypt…

And look, it has already happened!’

¹⁰ ‘Yahweh says:

‘I’ll destroy many Egyptians

By the hand of King NebuChadNezzar.

¹¹ For, he and all of his people,

With pestilent ones from the nations,

Are being sent to destroy that whole land!

‘They’ll empty their swords against Egypt

And fill its land with the slain!

¹² I’ll also desolate all their rivers

And give their lands to the wicked.

‘I’ll wipe their land clean and empty it out,

Then I’ll give its fullness to strangers…

For I’m Yahweh, and I have declared that it’s so!

¹³ ‘Yahweh God says:

‘Their disgusting things, I’ll destroy.

And to the [gods] of Memphis, I’ll provide rest…

For the rulers of Egypt won’t be anymore.

¹⁴ ‘To the land of Egypt, I will send fear,

And the land of Pathros, I will destroy.

Then to [the city of] Tanis, I will bring fire,

And I’ll punish The City of Gods.

¹⁵ ‘I’ll pour My rage out on [the city of] Sin,

Which is the stronghold of Egypt.

And the crowds of Memphis, I’ll also destroy.

¹⁶ ‘Upon Egypt, I will send fire,

And to [the city of] Sin, I’ll send a disturbance.

On The City of Gods, I will spit,

And I’ll take away all their water.

¹⁷ ‘The young men of the City of the Sun,

And those who live in BuBastum

Will also fall by the broadsword,

And their women will be taken as slaves.

¹⁸ ‘In TahPanHes, the days will grow dark

When I break the chiefdoms of Egypt.

Then the strength of her insolence will end

And she will be covered by clouds,

As her daughters are led off as captives.

¹⁹ Yes, I have passed judgment on Egypt,

And they’ll know that I am Yahweh.’

²⁰ Well, it was in the 11th year (in the 1st month and on the 7th day of the month) that the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

²¹ ‘O son of man,

[‘Yahweh says:]

‘I will break PharaOh’s ‘arm,’

{Look!} And for ways to heal him, they’ll search.

Then, upon his wounds, they’ll wrap dressings

In order to help him carry his sword.

²² ‘But because of this,’ says Yahweh;

‘{Look!} Since I’m against Egypt’s Great House and King,

I will break both of his ‘arms,’

Including the one that’s [already] been broken,

And I’ll rip his sword from his hand.

²³ Then I’ll scatter the Egyptians among all the nations…

To many places, I’ll blow them away!

²⁴ ‘But I’ll strengthen the ‘arms’ of Babylon’s king

And I’ll put My sword in his hand.

Then, he will use it on Egypt…

He’ll loot her loot and take all her spoils.

²⁵ ‘I’ll strengthen the arms of Babylon’s king,

And the arms of PharaOh will fall.

Then they’ll know that I am Yahweh

When I give My sword to Babylon’s king,

And he lifts it against Egypt’s land.

²⁶ ‘I’ll scatter Egyptians among all the nations…

To many places, I’ll blow them away…

And they’ll know that I am Yahweh!’

Ezekiel 31

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¹ It was in the 11th year (on the 1st day of the 3rd month) that the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

² ‘O son of man,

‘Ask this of PharaOh (Egypt’s king) and his armies:

‘When it comes to being high minded,

Who else is equal to you?

³ ‘{Look!} Assyria is like Lebanon’s cypress,

Since it had many dense branches.

It was also protected and stood very tall…

Amidst the clouds, stood its top.

⁴ By waters from the deep, it was nourished,

And as a result, it grew mighty.

‘To the plants around him, a river was led…

She poured her waters on the trees in his fields,

⁵ And because of this, he grew even greater

Than all the other trees on the earth.

‘He had more branches and much taller shoots,

And over many waters, he stretched.

⁶ Among his boughs sat the birds of the skies;

Beneath his limbs bred the beasts of the plains;

And many nations dwelled in his shadow.

⁷ ‘He became great in his height

Because of his tender branches,

And his long roots that reached down to the water.

⁸ ‘In the Paradise God, none others were like him…

No pines could be compared to his shoots;

No firs had branches like his;

And there in God’s paradise,

None others could be compared to his beauty.

⁹ ‘I’m the one who made him so great

And gave him all his tender branches.

So the rest of the trees in My paradise

Soon became jealous of him…

Yes the rest of the trees in that garden,

Which was the delight of [Yahweh].

¹⁰ ‘But because of this,’ said the Lord…

‘Because he grew to such greatness

And put his tops high in the clouds

As he lifted his heart to the heights;

¹¹ I gave him to those who rule other nations,

And they brought about his destruction.

¹² ‘By strangers, he was cut to the ground…

Yes, pestilent ones from the nations

Threw him down on the mountains,

And in the ravines, fell his branches,

As his [wood was strewn] ‘cross the plains.

‘He had fallen from his lofty position

As the protector of all of his people…

All the nations cut him down to the ground.

¹³ ‘So that one among which the birds of the skies

Had once found places to rest

And under whose branches the beasts had once lived,

Has now been cut to the ground.

¹⁴ ‘So the trees next to him lost their greatness,

Those trees that stood by his water,

And no longer put their tops in the clouds…

Those with whom he once had shared water

Couldn’t stand as tall after that.

‘So they were all handed to death

And went into the depths of the ground…

Like sons of men, they went down to the pit.

¹⁵ ‘And thus says Yahweh, the Lord:

‘In that day, he went down to the place of the dead,

And in the abyss, he was mourned.

‘Then I took control of the river

And withheld its abundance of water.

Lebanon then shadowed above him,

And all the trees of the plains became weak.

¹⁶ ‘From the sound of his downfall, the nations all shook

When I brought him down to the place of the dead,

Along with those who went into the pit.

‘And there in the bowels of the earth,

All the earth’s trees offered comfort…

All the select and best trees…

Those choice ones of Lebanon that once shared his water.

¹⁷ ‘But with him, they too went into the grave;

For, they were also slain by the sword.

And the offspring of those whom he sheltered

Were destroyed in the middle of their lives.

¹⁸ ‘So to whom can you liken such power,

As well as the glory and greatness

Among all the choicest of trees?

‘He went down with the choicest of trees

Into the depths of the ground,

Where he sleeps among the uncircumcised;

Among those who were slain by the sword…

And this is what will happen to PharaOh,

As well as to all his friends,’ said Yahweh.’

Ezekiel 32

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¹ It was in the 12th year (on the 1st day of the 12th month) that the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

² ‘O son of man,

‘Sing this lament over PharaOh, king of Egypt…

Yes, you must sing this about him:

‘You consider yourself a lion among nations,

But you’re the dragon of the sea.

For from the midst of your rivers, you have gored…

You have stamped your feet and you’ve trampled,

And this [has muddied] your waters.

³ So Yahweh has said this to you:

‘By a great assembly of peoples,

Around you, My net will be thrown;

And then, I’ll lead you around by My hook.

⁴ ‘I will stretch you out on the ground,

And you will fill all the plains.

Upon you, I’ll set the birds of the skies

And use you to fill the wild beasts of the ground.

⁵ ‘I’ll spread your flesh on the mountains

And fill the ravines with your blood.

⁶ With your manure, I’ll cover the land…

And with those who are living within you,

I’ll fill the valleys and fields.

⁷ ‘Then, after you have been depleted,

I will cover the skies…

Yes, I will darken the stars…

With clouds, I will cover the sun and the moon,

And no way will your light shine again.

⁸ ‘Yes the lights that shine in the skies

Will all become dark over you.

Then, over your land, I’ll send darkness,’

Says Yahweh, the Lord.

⁹ ‘To the hearts of your people, I will bring rage,

When before them, you’re led as a captive

Into a land that you’ve never known.

¹⁰ ‘Many nations, thereafter, will mourn you…

Their kings will be stunned and amazed

As they also await their own downfall,

Which will come to them after that.’

¹¹ ‘Then the Lord Yahweh said:

‘Yes the broadsword of Babylon’s king

Will thereafter come upon them.

¹² ‘With the swords of giants, you will be cut down,

And to the pests of the nations, I’ll give all your strength…

They’ll destroy the insolence of Egypt,

And they will break down your power.

¹³ ‘Then I will destroy all the cattle

[That graze] around your great waters,

So thereafter, men’s feet won’t stomp in [the Nile],

And it won’t be trampled by cattle again.

¹⁴ ‘Then your waters will all become still,

For your rivers will pour out like oil,’ says Yahweh.

¹⁵ ‘When I bring destruction on Egypt,

The fullness of the land will be [gone].

And after I scatter [your people],

They’ll know that I am Yahweh.

¹⁶ ‘Then they’ll [sing] a lament over you…

Over Egypt, the nations’ daughters will [cry]…

Yes, the loss of her strength, they’ll lament,’

Says Yahweh, the Lord.’

¹⁷ Well, it was in the 12th year (on the 15th day of the month) that the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

¹⁸ ‘O son of man,

‘You should mourn for the multitudes of Egypt,

For her daughters will be defiled by the nations,

And there will be death throughout their whole land.

‘Then they will go into the pit…

¹⁹ From their beautiful waters, they will descend

To sleep among the uncircumcised!

²⁰ ‘With [PharaOh] and his might, they will fall

Among those who’ll be slain by the sword.

²¹ And the ‘giants’ of the earth will then say:

‘It’s best that you have gone into the pit,

Along with the uncircumcised,

To sleep in the midst of those slain by the sword!

²² ‘For Assyria is there, along with his crowd,

And around his grave, they’re all standing…

All those who were cut down by swords…

²³ All those with whom he now shares his grave

Along the sides of the pit,

And all of the crowd surrounding his tomb…

All of the slain that were cut down by swords…

Those who had once brought great fear

Throughout the land of the living.

²⁴ ‘And there is ElAm with his army…

Around his tomb, they [are standing],

Along with the uncircumcised

That have been cut down by the sword.

[They all went down] to the depths of the ground

At the hands of those who once brought fear

To the land of the living.

²⁵ ‘They accepted their torment with those in the pit…

In the midst of those who’d been slaughtered.

²⁶ It’s where they put Mosoch and Tubal,

Along with all of their strength.

‘The slain are standing next to his tomb

Along with the uncircumcised,

All of those who had been killed with the sword…

Those who had once brought great fear

To the land of the living.

²⁷ ‘But, now they sleep with the giants

That throughout the ages, have fallen…

They went to the land of the dead

With all their weapons of war.

‘Their swords were placed under their heads,

And their lawless deeds fell on their bones;

For, they were just frightened giants

Back when they were alive.

²⁸ But along with the uncircumcised,

They have all been destroyed,

And they sleep with the rest of those slain by the sword.

²⁹ ‘And there is Edem with all her kings,

Along with Assyria’s rulers…

Those who gave up their strength,

And then, were run through by swords.

They too now sleep with the slain

That have gone down to the pit.

³⁰ ‘There are also the rulers from the far north

– All of these, with Assyria’s generals –

That have gone down with the slain

And have also shared in their fear.’

‘Yes, because their strength has been shamed,

They will sleep with the uncircumcised.

And along with the rest of those slain by the sword,

They’ll carry their torment into the pit.

³¹ ‘For the Lord Yahweh declared:

This is where they’ll see Egypt’s King and Great House,

And they will find comfort in this.

For, PharaOh and his armies will also be slain.

³² ‘For to his land, I am now sending fear;

And he too will sleep with the uncircumcised

And those that were slain by the sword…

This will happen to PharaOh and all of his crowd,’

Says Yahweh, the Lord.’

Ezekiel 33

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¹ Then the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

² ‘O son of man,

‘Speak to the sons of your people

And this is what you should tell them:

‘To whichever land that I bring the sword;

The people of that country should then choose a man

And assign him to act as their watchman.

³ Then, when he sees the sword coming,

He should blow his trumpet to warn them.

⁴ ‘And after they hear the sound of the horn;

If they should refuse to prepare

And the broadsword then overtakes them,

Their blood will be upon their own heads.

⁵ ‘So when they hear the sound of the trumpet,

They should [quickly] prepare,

Or their blood will be upon their own heads,

While the one who kept watch on their souls will be saved.

⁶ ‘But, if the watchman should see the sword coming

And fail to trumpet the signal

So the people are caught unprepared;

This watchman must then be taken away

Because of the lawless [thing that he did]…

And I’ll require his blood by their hands.’

⁷ ‘And you, O son of man,

‘You’re the watchman whom I have appointed

Over the house of IsraEl.

So whenever you hear a word from my mouth,

You must announce it on my behalf.

⁸ ‘Then, should I say that a sinner will die,

And you fail to speak out and warn him;

For this lawless deed, you will die…

I’ll require his blood from your hands.

⁹ ‘But, if you should warn an irreverent man

And tell him to turn from [his bad] ways…

If he refuses to make any change;

For the bad things he’s done, he will die…

But, you will have saved your own life.

¹⁰ ‘Now, O son of man,

‘Say this to the house of IsraEl…

Tell them that they have been asking:

‘Since we are the ones who’re to blame

For our delusions and our lawless ways;

If we should turn from them now,

Can our lives still be spared?’

¹¹ ‘You should speak to them and give this reply…

Tell them that Yahweh said this:

‘As I live…

I don’t want the death of the godless,

[I just want them] to turn from their evil ways

So that they can continue to live!

But first, you must turn away

From all the bad things that you’re doing…

O house of IsraEl, why must you die?’

¹² ‘And you, O son of man,

‘Say this to the sons of your people:

‘The good things that the righteous have done

Won’t save them in the day that they turn away.

And the blame that the lawless are due

Won’t come to them in the day

That they turn from their godless ways.

And no way will the righteous be saved

In the day that they are found sinning.

¹³ ‘So, when I say that the righteous will live,

And they come to rely upon this…

But thereafter, they [do what is] evil;

Their righteous ways will be forgotten…

For the sins they commit, they will die!

¹⁴ ‘And when I say that the godless will die,

And then they turn from their sins

And start being righteous and fair…

¹⁵ If they give back the collateral they’ve taken,

And return all the things that they’ve seized…

If they’ll travel an orderly life

And no longer [follow] wrong [paths];

They will continue to live…

‘No way will they have to die…

¹⁶ Their sins will all be forgotten…

For making their ways righteous and fair,

Their lives will thereafter be spared!

¹⁷ ‘But if the sons of your people should say,

‘The ways of Yahweh aren’t right,’

When it’s really their ways that aren’t right;

This is what you should tell them:

¹⁸ ‘If the righteous should turn from right ways

And start doing things that are lawless,

They will die [for their sins].

¹⁹ But, if you turn back a sinner,

And he becomes fair and righteous, he’ll live!’

²⁰ ‘So, although the House of IsraEl is saying

That the ways of Yahweh aren’t straight,

I will judge each man by the things that he does!’

²¹ It was in the 12th year (on the 5th day of the 10th month from our captivity) that someone who had escaped from JeruSalem came and told me that the city had been taken. ²² Then the hand of Yahweh came over me that evening.

However, before that [escapee came with the news], earlier in the morning, [the Word] came and opened my mouth so that my mouth couldn’t stay closed any longer. ²³ For the Word of Yahweh came to me and said this:

²⁴ ‘O son of man,

‘Those who live in the places that are being destroyed

In the land of IsraEl, are saying:

‘Back in AbraHam’s time,

He was given this land;

And now that we’ve become many,

We’ve also been given this land as our own!’

²⁵ ‘Because of this, tell them that thus says Yahweh, their Lord:

‘Since you eat blood in your food,

And to disgusting things, lift your eyes,

And you shed [innocent] blood;

Why do you think you’ll inherit this land?

²⁶ ‘For, there you stand with your broadswords

As you’re doing things that are loathsome!

If you profane the souls of your neighbors’ wives…

Do you think that you will inherit this land?

²⁷ ‘So, tell them that the Lord Yahweh says this:

As I live;

Those who live in the places that are being destroyed

Will all be cut down by the broadsword.

And those who run out to the plains

Will be given as food to wild beasts.

While those who hide behind walls and in caves

Will thereafter die from a plague!

²⁸ ‘Then I’ll turn their land into a desert,

And the strength of their insolence will perish.

I’ll devastate IsraEl’s mountains

So that none will pass through them again.

²⁹ ‘Then they’ll know that I am Yahweh

When I turn their land into a desert

For the disgusting things that they’ve done.

³⁰ ‘O son of man,

‘The sons of your people are talking about you

Along the walls and in the gatehouses,

As well as inside of their homes.

Each one is saying this to his brother:

‘We should all gather and listen

To what Yahweh has planned!’

³¹ ‘So, after they all come to see you

And they sit down before you

To hear the things that you’ll say;

There’s no way that they’ll do [what you tell them]!

For the lie is still in their mouths,

And they follow the disgusting ways of their hearts.

³² ‘So, if you should be the sound of a harp,

A sound that is sweet and well-tuned,

They’ll listen to your words, but not do them!

³³ But after it’s done, they’ll admit:

‘Look… It has all come to pass!’

‘And they’ll know that there’s been a Prophet among them.’

Ezekiel 34

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¹ Then the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

² ‘O son of man,

‘Against the ‘shepherds’ of IsraEl

You must now prophesy!

Tell them that thus says Yahweh, the Lord:

‘O ‘shepherds’ of IsraEl!

You have been feeding yourselves

When you should have been feeding My ‘sheep!’

³ ‘{Look!} You have drunk all their ‘milk,’

And you’ve wrapped yourselves in their ‘wool’…

You have slaughtered the best of My ‘sheep’

And you’ve failed to ‘graze’ [all the rest].

⁴ ‘You haven’t strengthened the weak,

And those that are ill, you’ve not treated;

Those with broken [bones], you’ve not wrapped,

And the strayed, you have failed to return.

No, you haven’t searched for the lost,

And for the strong, all you do is make trouble.

⁵ ‘So now, My ‘sheep’ have been scattered

Because they don’t have any shepherds.

⁶ They’re being consumed by wild beasts in the fields,

Since they’re scattered upon every mountain and hill…

They’re scattered across the face of the land,

And no one has searched to make them turn back!

⁷ ‘Because of this, O you ‘shepherds;’

Hear the Word of Yahweh!

⁸ ‘As I live,’ says Yahweh, the Lord;

Instead of My ‘sheep’ being plundered

And being eaten by beasts in the plains…

Yes, because there aren’t any shepherds,

Shepherds who will search for My sheep...

And because the shepherds have grazed on My sheep

While they’ve failed to provide them with grass...

⁹ ‘Because of this, O you ‘shepherds,’

Hear the Word of Yahweh!

¹⁰ For the Lord Yahweh says this:

‘Look, I’m against all the ‘shepherds!’

So I’ll take My ‘sheep’ out of their hands…

Yes from tending My ‘sheep,’ they’ll be fired,

And the shepherds won’t graze upon them again.

I’ll rescue My ‘sheep’ from their mouths…

They’ll no longer be something to eat!

¹¹ ‘The Lord Yahweh also said this:

‘{Look!} I will search for My ‘sheep,’

And I will come visit with them.

¹² Like a shepherd that looks for his flocks

On dark cloudy days when they’ve strayed…

Yes, that’s how I’ll search for My ‘sheep.’

‘I’ll drive them back from where they were [lost]

On that dark, cloudy day.

¹³ I’ll lead them out of the nations…

From many regions, I’ll gather them back

And return them to their own land,

Where on IsraEl’s mountains, I’ll ‘graze’ them…

In the valleys and homes of their country.

¹⁴ ‘I’ll provide good pastures for them,

And on IsraEl’s mountains, they’ll ‘graze.’

For there, they will find a safe haven…

A place where they can sleep and find rest

In good and plentiful pastures

Upon the mountains of IsraEl.

¹⁵ ‘Yes I’ll graze My ‘sheep’ and bring them some rest,

Says Yahweh, the Lord.

¹⁶ ‘I’ll search for the lost and the strayed,

And I’ll bring back the ones who are broken.

I will bind and strengthen those who are weak,

And I’ll also watch over the strong…

I’ll allow each one to ‘graze’ his fair share.

¹⁷ ‘Then, from among you, My ‘sheep,’

Says Yahweh, the Lord,

‘{Look!} I’ll separate the ‘sheep’ from the ‘sheep’

And the ‘rams’ from the ‘goats’.

¹⁸ ‘Were the ‘pastures’ you fed from so poor

That you trampled on them with your feet?

And weren’t there enough places to drink

That you stomped and muddied the waters?

¹⁹ ‘Yes, My ‘sheep’ have trampled their food with their feet,

And muddied the waters they drank from.

²⁰ So because of this,’ says Yahweh, the Lord;

‘{Look!} I’ll separate the strong from the weak.

²¹ ‘For you pushed them away with your shoulders and sides,

And the weak, you have gored with your ‘horns’…

You squeezed them out and pushed them aside!

²² ‘So, I will rescue My ‘sheep,’

And no more will they serve as [your] plunder;

For between ‘ram’ and ‘ram,’ I will judge.

²³ ‘I will raise a ‘shepherd’ for them,

And My servant ‘David’ will tend them…

He’ll be a ‘shepherd’ who cares about them.

²⁴ Then, I, Yahweh, will be their God,

And My servant ‘David’ will rule in their midst…

Yes, I, Yahweh, have spoken.

²⁵ ‘Among them, I’ll make an Agreement of peace,

And I’ll wipe the fierce ‘beasts’ from their land.

Then, they will dwell in the deserts,

And in the forests, they’ll sleep.

²⁶ ‘Around My Mountain, they will be spread,

And I’ll give them rain when it’s due…

It will be a rain of great blessings.

²⁷ ‘The trees in the plains will then yield their fruit;

The ground will yield all her strength;

And in the hope of peace, they’ll dwell in their land.

‘Then they’ll know that I am Yahweh,

When I break the chains of their yoke

And save them from those who are making them slaves.

²⁸ ‘By the nations, they’ll not be plundered again,

Nor will they be eaten by ‘beasts.’

They will then dwell in hope,

And no one will make them afraid!

²⁹ ‘For them, I’ll raise plants of peace,

And they won’t be hungry or starving again,

Nor will they be scorned by the nations.

³⁰ Then they’ll know that I am Yahweh their God,

And that I will always be with them.

‘For, you are My people, O house of IsraEl,‘

Says Yahweh, the Lord.

³¹ ‘You are the sheep of My pasture

And I am Yahweh your God,’

Says the Yahweh, the Lord.’

Ezekiel 35

←34 | All books | All chapters | 36→

¹ Then the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

² ‘O son of man,

‘Now, turn your face towards [Edom’s] Mount SeIr

And against it, you must prophesy!

³ Tell them that thus says Yahweh the Lord:

‘Look! I’m against you, Mount SeIr!

So I’ll stretch My hand out against you

And make you a wasteland and desert.

⁴ Your cities will be desolate places;

I’ll turn you into a desert;

And you’ll know that I am Yahweh.

⁵ ‘For, throughout the age, you’ve been a resister

And an enemy to the house of IsraEl…

Then to opponents with swords, you gave them,

When they were being unrighteous.

⁶ ‘So because of this… As I live,’ says Yahweh!

‘For the blood of these men, I’ll pursue you…

For the blood you detested, I’ll chase you down!

⁷ ‘Now Mount SeIr has been appointed by Me

To become a desolate desert.

Its men and beasts, I’ll destroy…

⁸ Its hills and valleys, I’ll fill with your slain…

Yes, those who’ll be killed by the broadsword

Will fall into your fields and ravines.

⁹ ‘I’ll assign you to waste throughout the age,

And all your cities, I’ll empty…

Then you’ll know that I am Yahweh.

¹⁰ ‘For you said:

‘His nation is mine,

And I will inherit [His land]…

Yes, I’ll own the place of Yahweh their God!’

¹¹ ‘So, as I live,’ says Yahweh;

‘I’ll treat you with the hate that you’ve hated!

And about what you did because you were jealous,

I’ll [remember] when I [come there and] judge you…

¹² Then you’ll know that I am Yahweh.

‘I’ve heard this blasphemous thing that you said:

‘The mountains in the deserts of IsraEl

Have been given to us as our food.’

¹³ ‘Then your mouths spoke great words against Me…

Yes, against Me, you shouted,

And I’ve heard every word that you said!’

¹⁴ ‘As a result, Yahweh said this:

‘To the great joy of [those in] this land,

I’ll turn you into a desert!

¹⁵ And as you were glad to inherit

And wipe the house of IsraEl away;

That’s what I’ll be doing to you, O Mount SeIr…

I’ll turn you into a desert,

And completely destroy Edom’s house…

Then you’ll know that I am Yahweh The God!’

Ezekiel 36

←35 | All books | All chapters | 37→

¹ ‘O son of man,

‘Against the mountains of IsraEl

You must now testify.

You must tell IsraEl’s mountains

To hear the Word of Yahweh…

² For the Lord Yahweh has spoken.

‘Since the enemy has said this against you:

‘Well done! Because these desolate places

Have now become ours throughout the ages!’

³ About this you must prophesy…

Tell them that thus says Yahweh the Lord:

‘As you were dishonored and detested

By those who lived roundabout you,

Those who wanted the nations to take you…

Those who said bad things about you...

And that made you the butt of their scorn…’

⁴ ‘Because of this, O IsraEl’s mountains,

Hear what Yahweh has said!

‘Yahweh says this to your mountains and hills

And to your desolate rivers and valleys:

Although your cities are all abandoned and gone,

Yes, looted and trampled by the nations roundabout…

⁵ Because of this,’ says Yahweh:

‘In the fire of My rage, I have spoken

Against all of them who remain…

Yes, against all of Edom I’ve spoken,

For they happily took My land as their own…

They destroyed, dishonored, and looted My people.

⁶ ‘So concerning IsraEl, you must prophesy;

Say to her mountains and valleys,

And to her hills and her forests

That thus says Yahweh, the Lord:

‘{Look!} In My rage and zeal, I have now condemned

All of those nations that scorned you.

⁷ And because they did this to you,’ says Yahweh,

‘I will raise My hand against all those nations,

Yes, those who live roundabout you,

And they will now bear your dishonor.

⁸ ‘But upon your mountains, O IsraEl,

My people will eat the fruit of their vines;

For they’ll live in the hope of returning.

⁹ ‘{Look} And because I’m for you, I’ll watch over you,

Then your [land] will be planted and worked once again.

¹⁰ Among you, I’ll multiply men

To the ends of IsraEl’s [borders];

Your cities will all be lived in again,

And the places they destroyed will all be rebuilt.

¹¹ ‘Among you, I’ll multiply cattle and men,

Yes, they will increase and grow many...

I’ll settle you as you were long ago,

And do good for you as I’ve done in the past…

Then you’ll know that I am Yahweh.

¹² ‘And those who’ve stood against IsraEl, My people,

Will also have many children,

But, they will become your possessions…

Yes, they will be owned by you,

And they’ll not leave you childless again.

¹³ ‘And about those nations, Yahweh said this:

‘Many men have come and consumed you,

So your people no longer have children!

¹⁴ But you’ll not be consumed by men anymore,

And your nation will never be childless again,’

Says Yahweh, the Lord.

¹⁵ ‘And never again will you hear

The gentiles showing dishonor to you…

No you won’t bear their scorn anymore,

Nor will your nation be childless again,’

Says Yahweh, the Lord.’

¹⁶ Then the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

¹⁷ ‘O son of man,

‘Although the house of IsraEl has lived in this land,

They’ve defiled it in this bad way:

By their uncleanness with women

Who were living apart as unclean.

‘This is how they’ve acted before me,

¹⁸ So, upon them, I’ve poured out my rage

For all the blood that they’ve spilled,

And for the disgusting things that they’ve done.

¹⁹ ‘So among the nations, I’ve scattered them all…

To many places, I [blew] them away.

I judged them each by the things that they did

And according to the sins they’ve committed.

²⁰ ‘Then they entered the nations where they had been sent,

And there they profaned God’s Holy Name.

For the nations that lived there were saying:

‘Although these people belong to Yahweh,

He has driven them out of their land!’

²¹ ‘So, for the sake of [God’s] Name,

Which the house of IsraEl profaned,

I spared them in all the [lands] where they went.

²² ‘And because of this,

Tell the house of IsraEl that thus says Yahweh:

‘O house of IsraEl,

‘I won’t take action for your sakes,

But rather, for the sake of My Holy Name,

Which you’ve profaned among all the nations

Wherever you have been sent.

²³ ‘I will make My Name holy again,

Which is being profaned among gentiles,

The Name that you profaned in their midst…

Then those nations will know that I am Yahweh,’

Says Yahweh the Lord,

‘When before their eyes, I’m made holy among you.

²⁴ ‘For I’ll take you away from those nations

And gather you back from those [countries],

Then bring you back to your land.

²⁵ ‘I’ll pour clean water upon you,

And from your filth, you’ll be cleansed.

I’ll also cleanse you of idols,

²⁶ And then I will give you new hearts.

‘Indeed, I will give you new spirits,

And remove your hearts made of stone,

Then change them into hearts made of flesh.

²⁷ ‘Within you, I will then put My Spirit,

Which will cause you to follow My rules.

And thereafter, you’ll obey My decisions…

Yes, you will observe every one!

²⁸ ‘Then you’ll live on the land that I gave to your fathers…

You’ll be My people and I’ll be your God.

²⁹ I’ll save you from your uncleanness;

I’ll send you much grain… And then even more,

And I won’t send famine among you again.

³⁰ ‘I’ll multiply the fruit on your trees,

As well as the crops in your fields;

So the scorn of famine, you’ll not have to bear

Among the nations again.

³¹ ‘Then you’ll think about all the bad things you’ve done

And the wicked ways that you’ve lived,

And you’ll loathe those things that you’ve practiced

And the disgusting things that you did.

³² ‘But I won’t do this on your behalf,’

Says Yahweh the Lord,

‘But rather, in order to remind you

That you should be ashamed and remorseful

For the many bad deeds that you practiced!

³³ ‘Then the Lord Yahweh said:

‘In the day that I cleanse you from your lawless deeds,

I’ll resettle you in your own cities

And rebuild your desolate places.

³⁴ ‘Your desolate land will be worked once again,

And the reasons why it was destroyed

Will be forgotten by all that pass by.

³⁵ ‘Then they’ll say that this land, which once was destroyed

Has become a luxurious garden.

And the towns that were wiped away and destroyed

Yes, those that had been razed to the ground,

Will again be fortified cities.

³⁶ ‘And then, the nations around you,

Yes, those who remain at that time,

Will know I’m the One who rebuilt them,

Yes, those cities that had once been demolished…

I’m the One who replanted those places

That I had once wiped away…

Yes, when I speak, I’ll take action!’

³⁷ ‘And the Lord Yahweh said:

Then the house of IsraEl will seek Me

[And ask Me to] deal with them once again.

So, just like sheep, yes, holy sheep,

I’ll multiply men like JeruSalem’s flocks

During her holiday feasts.

³⁸ ‘Then, all of her desolate cities

Will be filled with the ‘sheep’ among men…

And they’ll know that I am Yahweh.’

Ezekiel 37

←36 | All books | All chapters | 38→

¹ Then the hand of the Lord came upon me and led me by the Breath of Yahweh into a field that was filled with human bones… ² He led me around them in a circle, and look; there were huge numbers [of bones] lying there in the field.

³ Then he said to me:

‘O son of man,

‘Will these bones ever come back to life?’

And I replied:

‘O Lord; only you know the answer to such things!’

⁴ Then He told me to prophesy over the bones and say this:

‘O dry bones!

‘Hear the Word of Yahweh!

⁵ ‘For the Lord Yahweh says to these bones:

‘{Look!} The breath of life, I will [blow] into you,

⁶ Then upon you, I will lay nerves,

And over that, I’ll put flesh.

Then I will stretch skin over you,

And I’ll [breathe] My Breath into you

So that you will then come to life…

And you’ll know that I am Yahweh.’

⁷ Therefore, I started prophesying just as he had instructed me... And at the sound of my prophesying, {Look!} a great shaking occurred that joined those bones, bone against joint!

⁸ And as I was watching, I saw nerves and flesh [starting to grow]; and then [I saw] the skin growing over them. However, there still wasn’t any breath in the bodies.

⁹ Then he said to me:

‘O son of man,

‘Now prophesy over the wind…

Tell the wind that thus says Yahweh the Lord:

From the four winds, send them breath…

Blow into these dead ones and make them alive!’

¹⁰ So I prophesied to the extent that he allowed me to do, and the wind entered them and they came to life… They stood up on their feet [and formed] a great crowd!

¹¹ And the Lord spoke to me and said:

‘O son of man,

‘These bones are the house of IsraEl;

For they say these dry bones are just like their bones,

Since their hope was destroyed and they’ve perished.

¹² ‘So, you must now prophesy,

And tell them that thus says Yahweh their Lord:

‘{Look!} I’ll open your tombs and then lead you out…

To IsraEl’s land, I’ll return you.

¹³ Then you’ll know that I am Yahweh,

When I lead you out of your graves.

‘And, O my people…

When I bring you up from your graves,

¹⁴ I’ll Breathe upon you and bring you to life.

Then I’ll lead you back to your land,

And you’ll know that I am Yahweh…

That I spoke and then I took action,’ says Yahweh!’

¹⁵ And the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

¹⁶ ‘And you, O son of man,

‘Now, take a stick for yourself,

And write upon it, these words:

‘Judah and the sons of IsraEl.’

‘Do this for those who’ll be sitting before you.

Then, take a second stick for yourself,

And write this before all those sitting there:

‘JoSeph, Ephraim’s rod.’

¹⁷ ‘You must then hold these sticks together,

And they will be bonded as one.

So, carry them out in your hands,

¹⁸ And ask the sons of your people

What they think that this signifies.

¹⁹ ‘Then, tell them that thus says Yahweh, [their] God:

‘{Look!} Through Ephraim’s hand, I’ll take JoSeph’s tribe

And the tribes of IsraEl that are living next door;

Then to the tribe of Judah, I’ll give them

So that they will become just one stick…

In the hands of Judah, they’ll all become one.’

²⁰ ‘Then, take the two sticks upon which you wrote

And hold them towards them in your hands,

²¹ And tell them that thus says Yahweh:

‘{Look!} I’ll gather the house of IsraEl

From the midst of those nations where they have been sent…

I’ll gather them from the nations roundabout

And return them to IsraEl’s land.

²² ‘Yes, I will make them one nation again

In My land among IsraEl’s hills,

With one ruler who’ll be the king over all.

‘They’ll be separate nations no longer…

They won’t be a kingdom divided,

²³ And by idols, they won’t be defiled,

Nor by their irreverence and failures.

‘From their lawless ways, I will save them,

Yes, from all those ways in which they have sinned,

And thereafter, I will make them holy,

So they’ll be My people and I’ll be their God.

²⁴ ‘My servant ‘David,’ will rule in their midst,

And there’ll be one ‘shepherd’ for all.

They will follow My orders…

They’ll know My decisions and do them!

²⁵ ‘Then, they will live in the land

That I gave to My servant Jacob…

In this place where their fathers once settled.

‘And throughout the age, both they and their sons

Will all be living together,

And be ruled by My servant ‘David.’

²⁶ ‘With them, I will make an Agreement of peace…

An Agreement [that will last] throughout the ages.

I’ll resettle and multiply them,

And throughout the ages thereafter,

I’ll place My holy things in their midst.

²⁷ ‘I’ll put My shelter among them;

Then they’ll be My people and I’ll be their God.

²⁸ And the nations will know that I am Yahweh

When My holy things are found there again

And I have declared them all holy.’

Ezekiel 38

←37 | All books | All chapters | 39→

¹ Then the Word of Yahweh came to me and said:

² ‘O son of man,

‘Against Gog and the land of Magog,

The ruler of Mosoch, Tubal, and Ros,

You must now set your face,

And against him, prophesy this!

³ Tell him that thus says Yahweh:

‘{Look!} You ruler of Mosoch, Tubal, and Ros;

Because I’m the One whom you have opposed;

⁴ I’ll be putting a bridle into your jaws,

And thereafter, I will lead you around.

‘I’ll gather you and your army,

And all your horses and horsemen…

Yes, all [your men] wearing chest plates,

And bearing shields, helmets, and swords…

⁵ Persians, Ethiopians, and Libyans,

All those people with their helmets and shields…

⁶ Gomer and all those around him…

The house of TogarMah from the far north

As well as those dwelling around him…

Yes, all those nations that partner with you!

⁷ ‘So [it’s time] for you to prepare…

Yes, you should get yourselves ready,

You and those who have gathered with you;

For, you will serve as [their leader].

⁸ ‘Then, after many days, you’ll be ready;

And towards the end of the years,

You will come to this land

With the swords that you have collected

From among all the nations.

Then, to the land of IsraEl, you’ll come…

To a land that once was demolished.

‘For by then, they’ll all have returned,

And together, they’ll be living in peace.

⁹ Then upon them, you’ll pour down like rain,

And like clouds, you will cover their land.

Yes, you’ll arrive with all those around you…

The many nations that will join with you then.

¹⁰ ‘Then the Lord Yahweh said:

‘In that day, [bad] things will enter your heart…

You’ll make wicked plans and you’ll say:

¹¹ ‘Against this land, I’ll arise,

The land that once was rejected,

I’ll come upon those who are resting

And who are living in peace…

Those in a land without walls

And with no locks on their doors,

¹² In order to plunder and loot…

To despoil and to take many spoils,

And to turn my hand towards this place...

This place, which was once desolation,

And is now resettled by a nation

That returned from among many nations...

For now they have many possessions,

And they dwell within the earth’s navel.’

¹³ ‘Then SheBa, DeDan, and the merchants of Carthage,

And those in their towns will be shouting

That they have come to plunder and loot,

And to take all they own as their spoils.

They’ll gather to take all the silver

And to carry off all of the gold…

To take it all as their loot.’

¹⁴ ‘Therefore, O son of man,

Now, you must prophesy this…

Tell Gog that thus says Yahweh:

‘Against IsraEl, My people, you’ll come in that day…

Against those who have settled in peace.

¹⁵ You’ll come from your place in the north

And bring along many nations…

Horsemen all riding horses…

A huge crowd and a great army.

¹⁶ ‘Against IsraEl, My people, you’ll come

Like a cloud that covers the land…

In the last days, this is what you will do.

‘Against My land, I will lead you,

And then, all the nations will know Me

When before them, I am made holy through you.’

¹⁷ ‘Then Lord Yahweh said:

‘You’re the Gog of whom I spoke long ago

By the hands of My servants the Prophets

Yes, the Prophets in past days and years,

In order to lead you against them.

¹⁸ ‘And it will be in that day,’

In whichever day that Gog will attack,

Says Yahweh, the Lord,

‘That I will arise in My anger

¹⁹ And I’ll speak in the fiery zeal of My rage.

‘Surely, it’ll be in that day,

From IsraEl, a shaking will come,

²⁰ And before My face, all will tremble…

The fish of the seas, the birds in the skies,

All the wild beasts in the fields,

As well as the things that crawl on the ground,

And all men on the face of the earth;

For, mountains will rip into valleys,

And all walls on the earth will then fall.

²¹ ‘All sorts of fear, I will send upon them,

And against their own brothers, I’ll turn each man’s sword.

²² Then I’ll bring My judgments against them

With plague, blood, rain, and great hailstones.

‘Fire and sulfur, I’ll rain upon him,

And upon all those who’ve come with him…

Upon all the nations that joined him.

²³ ‘Then, I’ll be made holy and magnified…

I’ll be known and glorified among all the nations,

And they’ll know that I am Yahweh!’

Ezekiel 39

←38 | All books | All chapters | 40→

¹ ‘O son of man,

‘Against Gog, you must prophesy this … Tell him that thus says Yahweh the Lord:

‘{Look!} I am against you, O Gog,

Ruler of Mosoch, Tubal, and Ros!

² I’ll collect you and then lead you down…

I’ll haul you down from the far north,

And to the mountains of IsraEl, I’ll lead you.

³ ‘Then I’ll break the bow in your left hand,

And the arrows that you hold in your right.

⁴ On IsraEl’s hills, I’ll then throw you down…

And you and those who come with you will fall.

‘Then, all the nations that joined you

Will be given to flocks of winged creatures…

To all the birds in the skies

And to all the wild beasts in the plains…

I’ll give you to them as their food.

⁵ ‘On the face of the plains you will fall…

Yes, this is what I’ve declared,’ says Yahweh.

⁶ ‘I’ll also throw fire down Magog,

And the islands will then live in peace.

For they’ll know that I am Yahweh…

⁷ And My Holy Name will also be known

Among those in IsraEl, My people.

‘No more will My Name be profaned.

For the nations will know that I am Yahweh…

I am IsraEl’s Most Holy One.

⁸ ‘Look, it’s coming… It will surely take place,

Says Yahweh, the Lord!

And this is the day that I said it!

⁹ ‘Then those who live in IsraEl’s cities

Will thereafter light fires with their weapons,

Yes, all their small shields and spears;

All their bows and their arrows;

All the lances and sticks in their hands…

For the next 7 years,

They will be used to light fires.

¹⁰ ‘No they won’t cut shrubs in the plains,

Nor chop trees in the woods for their fires…

They will just be using those weapons.

For they’ll loot all those who once looted them

And despoil all those who despoiled them,’ says Yahweh.

¹¹ ‘And in that day;

I will make Gog a place of renown…

A remembrance in IsraEl’s graveyards

For those who come here by sea.

They’ll bury Gog and his hordes in a valley,

And call it, ‘The Graveyard of Gog.’

¹² ‘By IsraEl’s house, they’ll be buried…

For 7 months, they will clean up the land.

¹³ They’ll be buried by the people who live in the land,

And among them, that place will be famous,

As will be the day when I’m glorified,’

Says Yahweh, the Lord.

¹⁴ ‘Then they will give orders to the people

To bury [all of the bodies]

That are lying upon the face of the ground.

‘For 7 months, they will search,

¹⁵ And when those going there find a man’s bones;

Next to them, they’ll put up a sign

For those in charge of digging the graves

Within the Graveyard of Gog.

¹⁶ For, Graveyard will be the name of that town,

And it will be cleansed from the land.

¹⁷ ‘And you, O son of man,’

Said Yahweh, the Lord,

‘Must speak to all the winged creatures,

And to the wild beasts of the plains.

You must tell them to gather and come…

They must gather there from all places

[To consume] this great sacrifice

That I will offer to them…

A great sacrifice on IsraEl’s hills.

‘Come eat all the meat and drink all the blood!

¹⁸ For the meat of giants, you will consume,

And you’ll drink the blood of earth’s kings.

‘Then all the rams, calves, and goats will grow fat,

¹⁹ Since they will eat fat ‘til they’re full

And they will drink blood ‘til they’re drunk

From this sacrifice that I’m giving to them.

²⁰ ‘They will be filled from My table

That is covered with horses and horsemen,

As well as with warriors and giants,’

Says Yahweh, the Lord.

²¹ ‘Then I’ll put My glory among them,

And the nations will see all My judgments…

The things that I’ll do with My hand,

And the things that I have brought upon them.

²² ‘And then every day after that,

The house of IsraEl will learn

That I am Yahweh their God.

²³ Also, all the nations will know

That I let them take their houses away

Because of IsraEl’s sins…

Because they’d annulled their Agreement with Me.

‘Yes, this is the reason why I turned My face

And gave them into their enemies’ hands…

To let them be cut down by swords.

²⁴ It’s because of all their uncleanness

And because they had broken [My] Laws

That I turned My face and did this to them.

²⁵ ‘Yet, after that,’ says Yahweh the Lord,

‘I’ll return all the captives of Jacob,

And to the house of IsraEl, I’ll show My mercy…

I’ll also show them My zeal for My Name!

²⁶ ‘In peace, I’ll bring them back to their land,

And they will accept their dishonor

For the unrighteous things that they’ve done.

‘Then, no one will make them afraid anymore

²⁷ When I bring them back from the nations.

And then, before all those nations,

I will be holy among them.

²⁸ ‘For then, all the nations will know

That I am Yahweh their God…

When they see that I am among them.

‘Yes, I’ll gather them back to their land

And never leave them again…

²⁹ From them, I’ll not turn My face,

For I will have [ended] My rage,’

Says Yahweh, the Lord.’

Ezekiel 40

←39 | All books | All chapters | 41→

¹ It was in the 25th year of our captivity, in the 1st month and on the 10th [day] of the month (14 years after the city had been captured) that the hand of Yahweh came upon me ² and I was led back into the land of IsraEl in a vision from God.

There he put me on a very high mountain, where there was a city that was being built right in front of me. ³ So He took me [into the city], and I saw a man who looked like shining brass carrying a builder’s string in his hand and a measuring reed.

Then he laid them down in front of the city gate, ⁴ and the man said to me:

‘O son of man,

‘Now, look with your eyes and behold…

Listen with your ears and pay close attention,

Then prepare your heart for the things that you’ll see,

Since this is why you were brought here.

‘And all the things that you’ll see

Have to do with the house of IsraEl.’

⁵ Well, {Look!} there was this outer wall that went all the way around the city. And in the man’s hand was a reed that measured 6 cubits (the length of each was a forearm and a palm). Then he measured the area around the wall, and he found that its width was the same as its height [as measured] by the reed.

⁶ Thereafter, he went to the gate that could be seen in the east and measured it’s [threshold]… Which was about the same depth as the length of the reed.

Ezekiel 41

←40 | All books | All chapters | 42→

[Message from the editor: This part of Ezekiel is a vision containing a highly detailed measurements of a new Temple to Yahweh. However, for the time being, we’ve decided against translating 40:7 through to 42:13. Why? Many of the meanings of the descriptions in Alexandrian Greek have been lost. The Hebrew text has much the same problem. The truth is that translators do not completely agree on the meanings of these descriptions, and even the measurements vary between manuscripts.

Here’s an example of the problem. Below is a word-for-word rendering of 40:7-10 (from Greek) into English. Can you make sense of it?

‘And the breadth of the higher of the sides was according to the appendage protruding out of the wall, to the higher one round about the house, so as to flatten out wider above; so that from out of the parts below they should ascend unto the upper rooms, and from out of the middles unto the 3rd stories. And the thraels(?) of the house height round about was a space of the sides equal to the reed cubits of 6 intervals. And the breadth of the wall of the side from outside cubits 5; and the spaces left over between the sides of the house. And between the inner chambers a breadth cubits of 20, the circumference of the house round about.’

Correctly understanding these words and translating them would be difficult at best, and the results would always be questionable. So, although other translations translate it anyway, we would rather write nothing than make wild guesses about the true meanings of entire passages – as the reader could be seriously misled!

If you’d like to see the words in an interlinear translation, see the Apostolic Bible. You can read one attempt at translating it in Brenton’s Septuagint. But for the time being, we’re leaving this part out of our translation.]

Ezekiel 42

←41 | All books | All chapters | 43→

¹³ And he said to me:

‘The inner chambers facing the north

And the inner chambers facing the south,

Those in front of the spaces...

Are the Holy-Place rooms where the Priests will eat…

And it’s where they will come to Yahweh

With the holiest of all holy things.

‘There, they must carry the holiest things

– Sin offerings and the holiest things –

As well as their offerings for errors;

For, this is a most holy place.

¹⁴ ‘No one may enter [this place] but the Priests,

And from the Holy Place, they can’t leave

To go to the outer courtyard,

So that those who are leading will always be clean.

Nor may people touch the garments they wear,

For they are also most holy.

So when touching the people, they must wear other clothes.’

¹⁵ Now, after he had finished measuring the inside of the Temple, he led me outside along the path to the gate that faces east, where he then measured the area that surrounded the Temple.

• ¹⁶ He stood facing the east with his back to the gate, and he measured 500 cubits in reed lengths.

• ¹⁷ Then he turned towards the north and measured northward 500 cubits in reed lengths.

• ¹⁸ Then he turned towards the west and measured westward 500 cubits in reed lengths.

• ¹⁹ And he turned towards the south and measured southward 500 cubits in reed lengths.

²⁰ So he established the [size of] the perimeter [around the Temple] as being 500 cubits towards the east and 500 cubits roundabout, which is to serve as the separation between the Holy Place and its outer walls.

Ezekiel 43

←42 | All books | All chapters | 44→

¹ Then he took me to the east gate to lead me out. ² But then {Look!} the glory of the God of IsraEl appeared, coming along the road from the east, and around me there were many voices that were chanting, while the ground all around me was bright and glorious.

³ And after that, I had a vision that was like the vision that I had when I first entered the city to anoint it… I saw a [celestial] chariot like the one that I saw at the Chobar river. So I fell with my face [to the] ground.

⁴ Then the glory of Yahweh entered the Temple by way of the east gate, ⁵ and [God’s] Breath picked me up and carried me into the inner courtyard, as {Look!} the glory of Yahweh filled the Temple.

⁶ Well, as I was standing there watching, a voice started speaking to me from the Temple… And then I saw a person standing next to me, ⁷ who said:

‘O son of man,

‘Now you can see the place of His throne

As well as the tracks of His feet.

This is the place where His Name will encamp

In the house of IsraEl throughout the ages.

‘But, IsraEl will no longer profane His Name

As they did when they and their rulers went whoring

And murdered the leaders among them.

⁸ ‘They won’t build their thresholds next to His threshold

Nor set their doors by His doors

As they did when they claimed that His wall

Was the thing that bound them to Him…

Or when they profaned His Most Holy Name

By the lawless things that they did.

For, this is what brought His rage upon them

When He wiped them away in great carnage.

⁹ ‘Now, they must reject all their whoring

And the murders of those who would lead them to Him!

Then, throughout the ages, He’ll camp in their midst.

¹⁰ ‘And you, O son of man,

Must give this description to IsraEl’s house,

So they’ll be able to see it

And understand its [dimensions].

¹¹ For, they must turn from their sins

And accept the punishment [they’re due]

For all of the [bad] things that they’ve done.

‘You must draw out the plans for this Temple

And show them how it must be built…

Show them its entrances and exits,

As well as how its foundations are set.

‘Then, speak of its orders and laws,

And explain to them all its rules.

You must draw out the plans there before them,

Then they must keep [God’s] commandments

And they must follow His laws!

¹² ‘Describe the Temple on top of the mount,

And set limits for the Holy of Holies…

For, these are the rules for His Temple.

¹³ ‘And these are the measurements for the Altar:

‘Its width is 2 cubits and a palm…

Its recess is to be 2 cubits deep,

And the molding that goes ‘round its lip

Must be 1 forearm wide.

‘The height of the Altar ¹⁴ from the bottom of its hollow

Up to the [top of its edge],

Must stand 2 cubits high,

And its width is to be just 1 forearm.

From the small to the large, is 4 cubits,

And it must be 1 forearm wide.

¹⁵ ‘The hearth of the Altar is 4 cubits deep,

And from the hearth to the horns, is just 1.

¹⁶ The hearth is to measure 12 cubits [square],

And it must [be built with] four corners.

¹⁷ ‘Its ledge must be 14 by 14,

And the molding around it, half a forearm.

Its encircling base is a forearm across,

And its steps must face towards the east.’

¹⁸ Then he said to me:

‘O son of man,

‘Yahweh [your] God now says this:

‘These are My orders for the Altar

In the day that it will be made

To sacrifice whole burnt-offerings,

And to pour the blood out upon it.

¹⁹ ‘Appoint Levite Priests from the offspring of ZaDok,

And only they may approach Me,’

Says Yahweh, [your] God.

‘Then, before they can come before Me to serve,

[They must sacrifice] a calf from the oxen

As an offering [to cover] their sins.

²⁰ ‘They must then take some of its blood

And place it on the Altar’s four horns,

Upon the four corners of its ledge,

And upon its base roundabout

To cleanse it and [to make it holy].

²¹ ‘They must choose a calf as an offering for sins

And burn it in the place that is set apart…

Somewhere outside of this [most holy place].

²² ‘And then, on the very next day,

They must choose a perfect kid from the goats

To serve as an offering for sins,

Then [use it to] cleanse the Altar once more,

As they had done with the calf.

²³ ‘And after [this cleansing] is done,

They must choose a perfect calf from the oxen

And a perfect ram from the sheep;

²⁴ Then, offer them there to Yahweh,

And they must add salt when they’re sacrificed

As [holy] burnt offerings to the Lord.

²⁵ ‘And for 7 days, they must offer a kid

So as to pay for [their] sins,

As well as a calf from the oxen each day,

Plus a perfect ram from the sheep.

²⁶ ‘[They must offer them] all 7 days

To atone for the Altar and cleanse it,

And [to empower] the hands [of the Priests].

²⁷ ‘Then, after these days are completed;

On the 8th day, the Priests must then place

The whole-burnt-offerings on the Altar

Along with the offerings for their salvation…

And only then may they enter the Temple,’

Says Yahweh, [your] God.’

Ezekiel 44

←43 | All books | All chapters | 45→

¹ Then he took me back to the outer gate of the Holies (the one facing east). However, it was locked.

² So the Lord said to me:

‘After this gate has been locked

It may not be opened and no one may enter…

Only IsraEl’s God, Yahweh, may enter,

And until He does, it must remain locked.

³ ‘And only those guiding may sit here

To eat their bread before God.

They must enter by way of the columned-porch gate,

And that’s the way they must leave.’

⁴ Then he took me in the direction of the north gate, over against the Temple, and I looked and saw that the Temple of Yahweh had become filled with His glory… So I fell to my face!

⁵ And the Lord said to me:

‘O son of man,

‘Now, prepare your heart and your eyes,

And ready your ears, so you’ll hear

All the things that I will now say

Concerning the instructions that I’ll give you

For the Temple of Yahweh and all of its laws.

‘Arrange your heart [so you’ll understand]

The ways they must enter and leave

From this Most Holy Place!

⁶ ‘Then, speak to those who’ve rebelled

Yes, to those of the house of IsraEl,

And say that the Lord Yahweh said this:

‘O house of IsraEl,

‘You must bring an end to your lawless ways!

⁷ For, into My Most Holy Place

You have brought foreigner’s sons…

Those with uncircumcised hearts

And flesh that is uncircumcised.

‘And you have even profaned

Your offerings of bread, fat, and blood.

Yes, you’ve broken [your] Sacred Agreement with Me

By all the lawless things that you’ve done.

⁸ ‘You’ve not followed the rules of My Temple,

And you’ve put other people in charge.

⁹ So, no more may foreigner’s sons

Whose hearts and flesh are uncircumcised

Be allowed to enter My Most Holy Place.

For, foreign peoples may never become

Part of the house of IsraEl…

¹⁰ And only My faithful Levites may enter!

‘Now, IsraEl has strayed far from Me

And followed their own [thoughts and] ideas.

So, they will now [pay for] their unrighteous ways.

¹¹ ‘But the Levites are [to be treated] as holy,

For they serve as the keepers of My [Temple’s] gates,

And that is the place where they’ll work.

There the whole burnt-offerings will be slaughtered,

And they’ll offer the things that the people will bring…

For, before the people, they’ll stand.

¹² ‘But, because they have served before faces of idols

[On behalf of] the house of IsraEl,

They’ll be punished for their unrighteous ways…

That’s why I’ve raised My hand against them,’

Says Yahweh, the Lord.

¹³ ‘Yes, they’ll bear the blame for their lawless ways,

And they can no longer serve as My Priests,

Or [touch] the holy things inside of the Holies.

‘Indeed, they must bear their dishonor

For the delusions in which they have strayed.

¹⁴ But I’ll order them to be watchmen,

And to perform other tasks.

¹⁵ ‘The Priests of the Levites, the sons of ZaDok,

Were the only ones who truly kept watch

As IsraEl was straying from Me.

So, only they may approach Me,

And only they can serve before Me…

Before My face they will stand

To offer the blood and the fat,’

Says Yahweh, the Lord.

¹⁶ ‘Only these may enter My Most Holy Place

Or approach My table to serve Me,

And stand guard in My Temple watches.

¹⁷ ‘So, when entering the gates of the inner courtyard,

They must wear their [official] linen clothes…

They may not wear wool when they enter these gates.

¹⁸ On their heads, they must wear linen turbans,

And beltless linen pants on their loins.

¹⁹ ‘And when they enter the people’s outer courtyard,

They can’t wear the clothes in which they must serve…

They must leave them inside the Holy’s inner chambers

And wear other clothes when they go there.

But no way can they make people holy

When they are wearing such clothes.

²⁰ ‘They may not shave the hair from their heads,

Nor may they leave their heads bare…

All of their heads must be covered.

²¹ And no way may the Priests drink any wine

Before entering the [Temple’s] inner courtyard.

²² ‘They may not marry a divorcee or a widow…

Only a virgin from the house of IsraEl…

However, they may wed the widow of a Priest.

²³ ‘Then they must teach all My people

The difference between the holy and profane,

And the difference between what’s clean and unclean.

²⁴ ‘They must handle the cases of judgments of blood,

And attend to decide righteous matters.

They must be fair when judging for Me

According to My Laws and My orders.

They must also observe My holiday feasts,

And My Sabbaths, they must always keep holy.

²⁵ ‘They may not approach a dead person

So that they will not be unclean.

But they may approach their fathers, mothers, or sons,

Or their daughters, brothers, sisters, or wives,

Without becoming defiled.

²⁶ But even then, they must count 7 days

Before they’ll be clean once again.

²⁷ ‘On the day that they enter the inner courtyard

To serve in My Most Holy Place;

They must bring an atonement [for sins],’

Says Yahweh, [your] God.

²⁸ ‘And since I am what they’ll inherit;

They will be given no land

As their possession among IsraEl’s sons…

For, I am to be their posession!

²⁹ ‘The sacrifices are what they’ll eat…

The offerings for sins and for errors,

And the separation offerings will also be theirs.

³⁰ All the first-fruits are theirs,

As well as the first-born [of cattle].

‘Then, for the Priests, they must set aside

Some of the first-fruits [they’re given].

For, if they give part of the first-fruits

Of all that is brought, to the Priests,

This will bring [God’s] blessings upon all their homes.

³¹ ‘And the Priests may not eat rotting flesh,

Or cattle that are taken by wild beasts or birds.’

Ezekiel 45

←44 | All books | All chapters | 46→

¹ ‘Then, as you’re measuring the inheritances of land;

A place must be set aside

As the first-fruits to Yahweh.

25,000 long, it must be,

As well as 10,000 wide…

And the area around it is holy.

² ‘There, the Holy Place’s four corners will be set;

It will measure 500 by 500,

Plus 50 cubits of space roundabout.

³ ‘And from this place, you must also measure out

25,000, plus 10,000 wide

Between it and the Holy of Holies.

⁴ ‘And since all this land will be holy;

A portion must be assigned to the Priests

That will serve in My Most Holy Place.

And then, for all that approach

To serve in front of Yahweh;

This will be the place where they’ll live,

Since they must be separate and holy.

⁵ ‘[Then a portion must be set aside]

That’s 25,000 in length

And 20,000 in width

For the Levites who’ll serve at the Temple…

To be theirs as the city in which they will dwell.

⁶ ‘And for this city that they will own,

You must set aside 25,000,

Plus a width of 5,000,

On behalf of the house of IsraEl;

And this will serve in the same way

As the Holy Place’s first-fruits.

⁷ ‘Then a portion of this must be set aside

As the place [where the Chief Priest will dwell],

And as the Holy Place’s first-fruits.

It will be his possession in the city

Before the Holy Place of the first-fruits,

And in front of the part of the city

That runs from the east to the west.

‘It will be as long as the city,

And will run from the east to the west in the land.

⁸ In IsraEl, this will be his possession.

For, I will no longer treat harshly

Those who are leading My people.

’And the rest of the land will then be

What the house of IsraEl will inherit

According to each of their tribes.’

⁹ ‘Then Yahweh God said:

‘Let this be enough for IsraEl’s guides…

Let their misery and unrighteous ways be removed…

They must start being righteous and fair,

And lift tyranny away from My people,’

Says Yahweh, your God!

¹⁰ ‘They must use proper scales and right measures…

[Honesty] must be their guide!

¹¹ So if one should get a tenth measure,

He must also receive a tenth measure.

If someone should get a tenth weight,

He should receive his tenth weight.

¹² And if he’s owed the weight of 25 coins,

The full weight of the coins is what he should get!

‘Your bread must weigh 15 shekels.

¹³ And the first-fruits that you set aside

Should be a 1/6 of 10 bushels,

Or 1/6 of 62 bushels for wheat,

Or 40 quarts [38 litres], if it’s barley.

¹⁴ ‘Olive oil is a cup from 10 cups…

For 10 cups equals a homer.

¹⁵ ‘And 1 sheep must be set aside

Out of every 200

Among each of IsraEl’s families,

As a whole burnt-offering sacrifice,

And as an offering of salvation from sin,’ says Yahweh.

¹⁶ ‘Everyone must offer their first-fruits

To the man who is IsraEl’s guide.

¹⁷ And to this one who serves as your guide,

Whole-burnt offerings must also be brought,

As well as drink offerings and other sacrifices.

‘They must bring them on each holiday,

As well as on New Moons and Sabbaths.

And on each of IsraEl’s holidays,

All must bring sacrifices to cover their sins,

As well as one whole-burnt offering,

And offerings for IsraEl’s salvation.’

¹⁸ ‘Then Yahweh God said:

‘On the 1st day of the 1st month,

A perfect calf from the oxen must be offered

To atone for the Most Holy Place.

¹⁹ ‘Then the Priest must take some of its blood

And put it on the Temple’s four corners,

And upon each of its doorposts,

As well as on the [horns of] the Altar,

And on the posts of the gate to the inner courtyard.

²⁰ ‘And each 7th month, they must do the same thing…

They must atone for the Temple

On behalf of the senseless and simple

On the 1st day of that month.

²¹ ‘Then the 14th day of the 1st month

Will be the [start] of your Passover feasts.

Unfermented bread will be eaten

For the next 7 days.

²² And on that day, the one who’s your guide

Must offer a calf for himself,

And one for the sins of the people.

²³ ‘And during that 7-day feast,

They must bring as whole burnt-offerings to God

7 perfect calves, and 7 perfect rams on each day.

Then for sins, he must also sacrifice

A kid of the goats on each day.

²⁴ He must prepare a cake for each calf and each ram,

And bring olive oil for each cake.

²⁵ ‘And from the 7th day to the 15th,

He must offer the same things each day…

Whole burnt-offerings and sin sacrifices,

As well as gift offerings and oil.’

Ezekiel 46

←45 | All books | All chapters | 47→

¹ ‘Then Yahweh the God said this:

‘The gate to the inner courtyard,

The one that faces the east,

Must stay locked for 6 days each [week]…

It’s just to be opened on Sabbaths,

As well as on every New Moon.

² ‘And the one who is guiding will enter

Through the columned-porch gate.

Then, he will stand at its threshold

As whole burnt-offerings are made by the Priests,

Along with an offering for him,

And one for IsraEl’s salvation.

Then he’ll bow as he leaves the gate’s threshold;

And the gate won’t be locked until evening.

³ ‘Then, on the Sabbaths and on the New Moons

The people of the land must all come,

And on that threshold, they’ll bow to Yahweh.

⁴ ‘Whole burnt-offerings must be brought on the Sabbaths

By the one who is IsraEl’s guide,

Of 6 perfect lambs and 1 perfect ram,

⁵ As well as a gift of cakes for the ram

And a hand-made gift sacrifice for each lamb,

Plus a quart of olive oil for each offering of cakes.

⁶ ‘And on the days of the New Moons,

[He must offer] 1 perfect calf,

Plus 6 lambs and a ram

(All of which must be perfect),

⁷ And an offering of cake for each ram,

An offering of cake for each calf,

A gift offering for each of the lambs

(Whatever your hands might have made),

And a quart of olive oil for each cake.

⁸ ‘Then, whenever the one who is guiding comes in,

He must do it through the columned-porch gate;

And that’s also the way he must leave.

⁹ ‘And when, on holidays, the people of the land

Come [to bow] to Yahweh...

They should enter through the north gate,

Then bow and leave through the south gate.

But, if they come through the south gate,

They must then leave through the north gate…

They may not return through the same gate,

And they must leave straight away.

¹⁰ ‘And the one who serves as the guide in their midst

Must enter as they start to arrive,

And leave after they are all gone.

¹¹ ‘And during the festivals and holidays,

An offering of cake must be brought for each calf,

As well as one for each ram,

With whatever his hand should provide for the lambs,

Plus a quart of olive oil with each cake.

¹² ‘And if the one who is guiding should offer

A whole burnt-offering of salvation;

The gate facing the east must be opened for him.

So his whole burnt-offering must be given

Along with his things for salvation

In the same ways as he does on the Sabbaths.

And after he leaves, they must lock all the gates.

¹³ ‘He must offer a perfect 1-year-old lamb

As a whole burnt-offering to Yahweh,

Which he must prepare every morning,

¹⁴ Along with an offering as a gift

Of 1/6 of a measure of olive oil,

Mixed into 1/3 measure of finest flour

As a continuous gift-offering to [God].

¹⁵ ‘The lamb, the gift offering, and olive oil,

Must be prepared and offered at dawn,

As whole-burnt-offerings, each day.

¹⁶ ‘Then Yahweh God said:

‘If the one who is guiding should choose to leave

His inheritance as a gift to his sons,

It will become the possession of his sons.

¹⁷ But if he leaves a gift to his servant,

It will only be his ‘til The Year of Release,

And then it must be returned

To the one who’ll be serving as [IsraEl’s] guide…

But the inheritance of his sons, will be theirs.

¹⁸ ‘There’s no way that the one who is guiding

May leave them an inheritance that he took from the people,

So as to tyrannize them.

He may only leave the things that he owns

As an inheritance to his own sons,

So the possessions of My people won’t be scattered.’

¹⁹ Then he took me out the back gate to the inner chamber of the Priests in the Holy Place (the one which faces north), and {Look!} within it I noticed a place that was off to the side, ²⁰ and he said to me:

‘This is where the Priests are to boil

The offerings for all of their errors,

As well as sacrifices for their sins.

It’s where they’ll bake the gift offerings,

So that nothing will be carried through the outer courtyard,

And the people may always be holy.’

²¹ Then he took me to the outer courtyard and led me around its four quarters. And {Look!} on each side of the courtyard was another courtyard… ²² On each of the four sides of the courtyards were smaller courtyards that measured 40 cubits long and 30 cubits wide. ²³ And there were inner chambers around each of the four courtyards, and cooking pits were located beneath and around the chambers.

²⁴ And he said to me:

‘These are the homes of the cooks,

And it’s where the sacrifices will be boiled

That the people will bring as their offerings

For those who serve at the Temple.’

Ezekiel 47

←46 | All books | All chapters | 48→

¹ Then he brought me to the threshold of the Temple, and look… There was water pouring from an opening that was under its east side (because its front faced the east). And the water poured down to the right side of the Temple towards the south, and then on south past the Altar.

² So he led me through the north gate and took me around to the courtyard gate (the one which faces east), and {Look!} the water was flowing down along its right side.

³ There I saw a man who came out from across that place that was carrying a ruler in his hand. He then went to the source of the water and measured out 1,000 [cubits]… ⁴ He walked into the water and measured out 1,000, and it came up to his knees. Then he measured another 1,000, and the water came up to his hips. ⁵ And after that, he measured out another 1,000, and he wasn’t able to walk through it anymore, because the water was flooding with such force that it became a [river] that couldn’t be crossed.

⁶ Then he asked me:

‘O son of man,

‘What do you see?’

⁷ So he led me over to the bank of the river; and when I turned around, I saw that all along the banks of the river there were huge numbers of trees growing on each side.

⁸ And he said to me:

‘This water flows east towards Galilee,

Then to Arabia and on to the sea.

And where it exits, the waters bring healing.

⁹ ‘To all the herds, it brings life,

For all that come to this river will live!

And huge numbers of fish will also be there,

Because they’ll all come to this water

That heals and gives life to all things…

Yes, all that come to this river will live!

¹⁰ ‘Then, fishermen from EnGedi to EnEglaim

Will come here to dry out their nets;

For there’ll be no other place like it,

Because there’ll be so many fish…

It’ll be like the fish in the Great Sea.

¹¹ ‘But, where it turns and then flows away,

There’s no way that it can heal [anymore];

For [those places] have been given to the salt.

¹² ‘And on each side of the banks of that river

Will grow fruit-bearing trees that will never grow old

And will never fail to bear fruit.

‘From the beginning, they’ll start doing this;

For these waters have flowed from the Most Holy.

And as these waters flow past them,

They’ll produce fruit [to be eaten],

And their leaves will bring healing to all.

¹³ ‘Then Yahweh God said:

‘These are to be your land’s borders…

The inheritance of the sons of IsraEl’s 12 tribes;

For they’ll each be given a measured piece of ground,

¹⁴ And as brothers, they’ll each inherit [their portion],

The same as they did when I lifted My hand

To divide it among their ancestors…

As an inheritance, this land is what they’ll pass on.

¹⁵ ‘The northern borders of this land

Will run from the Great Sea by HethLon…

Then from the gates of ¹⁶ HaMath, BerOthah, and Sibraim

To the limits of HaMath and Damascus,

Then on to HatTicon’s courtyards,

Which are at the limits of the land of Haran.

¹⁷ ‘The borders will run from the sea in the north…

From the courtyards of Enan to the limits of Damascus

And all places north to the borders of HaMath.

¹⁸ ‘They’ll run east between Haran and Damascus,

To GileAd, through IsraEl, and on to the JorDan,

Where [the JorDan] flows from the east to the sea

And through the palm groves in the east.

¹⁹ ‘And these are the borders to the south and southwest:

‘They run from TeMan and the palm groves

To the waters of MaribOth KaDesh;

And from there, they flow to the Great Sea…

These are the borders to the south and southwest.

²⁰ ‘The Great Sea is the border from the gates of HaMath,

And it is the border to the west.

²¹ ‘Among the tribes of IsraEl

This land must be subdivided;

²² You must throw lots for yourselves,

And for the gentiles who will live in your midst…

Those who will bear sons among you.

For, they will be yours as native-born sons

Among all the sons of IsraEl.

Along with you, they will eat,

And they’ll receive an inheritance among all your tribes.

²³ ‘Among the tribes that they came to, they’ll live,

Along with others who’ve also been joined

And will inherit [the land],’

Says Yahweh, your God.’

Ezekiel 48

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¹ ‘This is what each tribe [will inherit], by name:

‘Starting at the top in the north

To where it splits at the gates of HaMath

And to the courtyard of Enan,

Then to the borders of Damascus in the north,

Along part of the borders of HaMath,

And from there to the east and the west

Is the portion of Dan.

² ‘And from the borders of Dan,

From the east to the west,

Is the portion of Asher.

³ ‘And from the borders of Asher,

From the east to the west,

Is NaphTali’s portion.

⁴ ‘And from NaphTali’s borders,

From the east to the west,

Is the portion of ManasSeh.

⁵ ‘And from the borders of ManasSeh,

From the east to the west,

Is to be Ephraim’s portion.

⁶ ‘And from Ephraim’s borders,

From the east to the west)

Is the portion of ReuBen.

⁷ ‘And from the borders of ReuBen,

From the east to the west,

Is the portion of Judah.

⁸ ‘And from the borders of Judah in the east,

Is the place where they’ll offer the first-fruits.

25,000 will be its length,

And 1 measured portion will be its width

From the east to the west…

And the Holy Place will be in its midst.

⁹ ‘There they’ll set first-fruits aside for the Lord…

Its width is to be 20,000

And 10,000 long, is its length.

¹⁰ Within it, they will store all the first-fruits

Of the holy things for the Priests.

It runs north for 25,000,

And towards the west for 10,000,

Then towards the east for 10,000,

And to the south for 25,000…

And the Holy Mountain and Most Holy Place

Will be located in its midst.

¹¹ ‘This is to be set aside for the Priests…

ZaDok’s sons that have been made holy…

Those who’ve kept watch at My Temple

And not followed the delusions of IsraEl’s sons,

Or strayed in the ways of the Levites.

¹² ‘This must be given to them as their first-fruits

From all the first-fruits that come from the land…

A Holy of Holies from the borders of the Levites.

¹³ ‘And the Levites will also be given their portions

Next to the borders of the Priests.

Its length is to be 25,000,

And it will be 10,000 wide.

The whole length is 25,000,

And 10,000 will be its full width.

¹⁴ ‘No part [of this land] may be purchased

Or measured out to be sold,

Nor may its first fruits be taken away;

For it is all holy to Yahweh.

¹⁵ ‘But, concerning the extra 5,000

Amid that 25,000;

There’ll be a place around the city wall

Where they will [then build their] homes…

And the city will be there in its midst.

¹⁶ ‘And this is how it is measured:

• From the borders towards the north: 4,500.

• From the borders towards the south: 4,500.

• From the borders towards the east: 4,500.

• From the borders towards the west: 4,500.

¹⁷ ‘Then to the north of the city, there also will be:

• A space that measures 250,

• Then towards the south, 250,

• Towards the east, 250,

• And towards the west, 250.

¹⁸ ‘And there’ll be an additional length

Next to the first-fruits of the Holy Place,

Which will measure 10,000 towards the east,

Plus 10,000 more towards the west.

This is for the Holy Place of the first-fruits,

Which is where the bread will also be [baked]

For those who will work in the city.

¹⁹ And those who will work in this city

Will come from each of IsraEl’s tribes.

²⁰ ‘The first-fruits is 25,000

And squared by 25,000.

You must place it next to the city

As the first-fruits of the Holy Place.

²¹ ‘And an extra space must be set aside

On behalf of the one who serves as the guide.

It must run from this side to that side,

Between the Holy Place’s first-fruits.

‘The part that is his in the city

Will be 25,000 from east to west

And 25,000 along the west side…

It’s the portion of the one who serves as the guide,

And for the Holy-Place’s First Fruits…

And the Holy of Holies will be in its midst.

²² ‘And by the borders of the Levites,

In the mist of their part of the city...

Will be the place for the one who’s the guide…

Between Judah and BenJamin’s borders

Will belong to the one who’s the guide.

²³ ‘And what’s left of that which belongs to the tribes,

From the eastern borders to those in the west...

Will be BenJamin’s portion.

²⁴ ‘And from BenJamin’s borders,

From the east to the west,

Will be SimeOn’s portion.

²⁵ ‘And from SimeOn’s borders,

From the east to the west,

Will be IsSachar’s portion.

²⁶ ‘And from IsSachar’s borders,

From the east to the west,

Is to be ZebuLun’s portion.

²⁷ ‘And from the ZebuLun’s borders,

From the east to the west,

Will be the portion of Gad.

²⁸ ‘And from the borders of Gad,

The borders southwest will be his

From TeMan and the waters of MaribOth KaDesh,

And from there, on to the Great Sea…

This is what he’ll inherit.

²⁹ ‘These are the lands in which you’ll throw lots

For those among IsraEl’s tribes;

And these are to be their tribes’ borders,’

Says Yahweh, your God.

³⁰ ‘The northern access to the city

Must be 4,500;

³¹ And the city gates must carry the names

Of each of IsraEl’s 12 tribes.

‘The three gates towards the north will include

The Gates of ReuBen, Judah, and Levi.

³² ‘And the three gates towards the east,

4,500,

Are the Gates of BenJamin, JoSeph, and Dan.

³³ ‘And the three gates towards the south

4,500,

Are the Gates of SimeOn, IsSachar, and ZebuLun.

³⁴ ‘And the three gates towards the west

4,500,

Are the Gates of Asher, NaphTali, and Gad.

³⁵ ‘The circumference must be 18,000,

And whatever the city is named

Will be its name from that day.’

Daniel (2nd century CE)

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Daniel is a history book and the record of the visions given to Daniel by Yahweh during the Babylonian captivity, and later, under the rule of the Persians.

A 2nd century CE translation

This version of Daniel was translated from Hebrew into Greek in the 2nd century CE (about 300 or 400 years after the rest of the Septuagint) by the Jewish scholar Theodotian. It gradually replaced the former Greek version of Daniel that everybody used. By the 4th century CE, the former version had been completely replaced by this version.

This is important, because the Hebrew text of Daniel (on which all Bibles are based) may have suffered deliberate corruption in the late 1st century CE, and this 2nd century Greek version is simply a copy of that corrupted Hebrew version.

In other words, you may not get much more insight into Daniel’s prophecies from this version than from a normal Hebrew-based Bible. However, the ‘Old Greek’ version could, perhaps, be a more authentic version of Daniel – if it really shows what Daniel originally said before the 1st century.

That ‘Old Greek’ version was lost for centuries until it turned up again in the 1770s. That document is now called the Codex Chisianus 88. Later, two more copies were discovered, including a translation into Aramaic.

The differences are generally small (perhaps quite meaningless to a modern reader), but considering the great interest people have in Daniel’s prophecies, even a small difference may have large implications.

Unfortunately, we didn’t appreciate the value of the Old Greek version when we first produced our translation of Daniel. So, for now, the 2001 Translation only uses the 2nd century CE translation by Theodotion (just like other Septuagint translations). However, in the future, we’ll also provide a translation of the Old Greek version of Daniel at 2001translation.org/read/daniel-old-greek.

For now, you can download a side-by-side translation of both versions in a PDF over at the NETS project.

The book

The book of DaniEl, in its original form at least, was written by DaniEl himself. It covers the time from about 633 BCE to about 537 BCE.

Only Bible translators would notice when God or His spokesperson speak in the form of Hebrew poetry, since there’s a definite cadence to the language. Wherever that appears, we’ve tried to recreate a poetic style in English.

Speaking in poetry was a memory aid, which also allowed messages to be spread via the common medium of communication of that day: song.

Daniel (2nd century CE) 1

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¹ It was during the 3rd year of the reign of JehoiAkim (the king of Judah) that NebuChadnezzar (the king of Babylon) came to JeruSalem and attacked it.

² Then the Lord gave JehoiAkim into his hands, along with part of the things that were in the Temple of Yahweh, which thereafter he carried back to the land of Shinar and put into the treasury of the temple of his god.

³ Then after that, the king told his Chief Eunuch AshPenaz to go get some of the sons of IsraEl that were descended from royalty and nobility, and bring them to him as captives. ⁴ They were to be young, perfectly formed, good looking, wise in all things, knowledgeable, intelligent, and bold enough to stand in the palace of the king. And [when they arrived], he told him to school the young men in the language and writing of the Chaldeans.

⁵ The king also arranged for them to eat at his table each day, to share in his banquet wine, and to be given special care for three years, after which they were to be brought before the king. ⁶ Among these sons of Judah were DaniEl, HananiAh, AzariAh, and MishaEl. ⁷ However, the chief eunuch renamed DaniEl to BelTeShazzar, HananiAh to ShadRach, MishaEl to MeShach, and AzariAh to AbedNego.

⁸ Now, DaniEl had decided in his heart that there was no way he’d pollute himself at the table of the king, nor would he drink any of his banquet wine. So, he petitioned the chief eunuch not to be forced to pollute himself, ⁹ and God granted DaniEl the chief eunuch’s mercy and compassion.

¹⁰ However, the chief eunuch said to DaniEl:

‘I’m afraid of my lord the king, and since he’s the one who’s selecting your food and the things that you are to drink, I don’t want him to see your faces looking sadder than the faces of the other boys that are your peers. For if that happens, the king’ll have my head!’

¹¹ But DaniEl told MelZar (the man whom the chief eunuch had put in charge of DaniEl, HananiAh, MishaEl, and AzariAh) this:

¹² ‘Then test your servants for ten days. Give us just the seeds of the fields to eat and just water to drink. ¹³ Then compare us to the other boys that eat at the king’s table. Whichever looks better is what you should choose for your servants.’

¹⁴ So he did what they asked and tested them for ten days. ¹⁵ Then at the end of the ten days, he examined them and noticed how they looked… And he found that they were stronger and in better shape than the other boys that were eating at the king’s table!

¹⁶ As a result, MelZar did away with their suppers and the wine that they were to drink, and gave them just seeds to eat. ¹⁷ Then God gave them understanding and intelligence in all their studies, and He made them wiser. And it was then that DaniEl came to have an understanding of visions and dreams.

¹⁸ Well, the time finally arrived when they were to be brought before the king, so the chief eunuch took them to NebuChadnezzar. ¹⁹ Then, after the king questioned them, he found that there were no others like these four boys, DaniEl, HananiAh, MishaEl, and AzariAh, and he allowed them to stand before him. ²⁰ In every matter of wisdom and knowledge (whatever the king asked them about), he found them ten-times greater than all the other dignitaries and sorcerers throughout his realm.

²¹ Well after that, DaniEl went on to live all the way into the 1st year of the reign of King Cyrus.

Daniel (2nd century CE) 2

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¹ It was in the 2nd year of the reign of NebuChadnezzar that the king had a dream that so deeply disturbed his spirit that he couldn’t sleep. ² So he gave the order to call for [all his] officials, priests, sorcerers, and Chaldeans, to have them interpret the dream.

Then when they came and stood before the king, ³ he said to them:

‘I had a dream that bothered me so deeply that I must know what it means!’

⁴ Well, the Chaldeans replied to the king in the Syrian language, saying:

‘O king,

‘May you live throughout the ages! Just tell your servants what you dreamed, and we’ll announce the interpretation to you!’

⁵ But the king told the Chaldeans:

‘I’ve forgotten what it was about… And if you can’t tell me the dream and give me its interpretation, I’ll have you all destroyed and have your homes torn down!

⁶ ‘However, if you can tell me the dream and give me its interpretation, I’ll give you many gifts, do many favors for you free of charge, and I’ll honor you greatly… But first you must tell me the dream, and then you must explain what it means to me!’

⁷ Well, they answered him a second time, saying:

‘May the king tell the dream to his servants, and then we’ll announce its interpretation!’

⁸ And at that, the king said to them:

‘I know for a fact that you’re just buying time for yourselves, because I told you how every word of the dream has left me. So now, if you can’t tell me the dream, I’ll know that you’re corrupt and lying, and that you’ve agreed to keep speaking before me just to [buy more] time.

⁹ ‘First tell me my dream, and then I’ll know that I can believe the interpretation that you give to me!’

¹⁰ But the Chaldeans then said the king:

‘There’s no man on dry land that can make known what the king is asking, for this is something that no great king or ruler has ever asked of an official, a priest, or a Chaldean. ¹¹ What the king is asking is so difficult that no one can tell him such a thing… Other than the gods who don’t live here in the flesh.’

¹² And at that, the king flew into a rage!

He was so angry that he ordered all the wise men of Babylon to be destroyed, ¹³ and he sent out a edict for them all to be put to death!

Well, when they went looking for DaniEl and his friends to do away with them, ¹⁴ DaniEl asked this of AriOch, the king’s head-of-the-guards (who had come to execute all the wise men of Babylon). ¹⁵ He said to him:

‘O [servant] of the king!

‘Why was such a presumptuous decree put before him?’

Then AriOch told DaniEl about all the things that had been said.

¹⁶ Well at that, DaniEl went before the king and petitioned him to give him enough time to find the interpretation so that he could announce it to the king. ¹⁷ Then DaniEl returned to his house and there he [met with] his friends HananiAh, MishaEl, and AzariAh, and he asked them to help him interpret [the dream]. ¹⁸ And they then trusted in the compassions of the God of heaven [to help them unlock] this mystery, and to keep DaniEl and his friends from being destroyed along with the rest of Babylon’s wise men.

¹⁹ Then that night, DaniEl had a vision in which the mystery of the dream was revealed to him. So he praised the God of heaven, and said this:

²⁰ ‘May the Name of The Great God be praised

Throughout the age and into the age of the ages.

To Him, understanding and wisdom belong…

²¹ He’s the One who changes the seasons and times.

‘He appoints kings and removes them…

To the wise, He’s the One who gives wisdom

As well as intelligence, so they’ll understand…

²² He uncovers the things that are hidden and deep.

‘He knows all that happens in the darkness,

For, He is the source of all light.

²³ So I acknowledge and praise You,

O Great God of the ages.

‘For You’re the One who gave me the wisdom and power,

And revealed what I petitioned from You,

Regarding this matter of the king.

Yes, You’ve revealed it to me!’

²⁴ Then DaniEl went to AriOch (the one whom the king had appointed to destroy all the wise men of Babylon) and said to him:

‘Don’t destroy the wise men of Babylon! I want you to take me before the king so I can announce the interpretation of the dream to him.’

²⁵ As a result, AriOch quickly took DaniEl before the king and told him:

‘I’ve found a man among the captive sons of Judah who can announce to the king the interpretation of his dream!’

²⁶ And the king asked DaniEl (whom he referred to as BelTeShazzar):

‘Are you really able to tell me the dream that I saw and then explain its meaning to me?’

²⁷ And there in the presence of the king, DaniEl said this:

‘The mystery that the king has asked the wise men, sorcerers, officials, and astrologers to announce to him isn’t theirs to explain. ²⁸ However, there’s a God in the heavens that can uncover mysteries, and He’s made known to King NebuChadnezzar what’s going to happen in the last days.

‘The dream that you saw in your head while you were lying in your bed was this:

²⁹ ‘You, O king, through the thoughts that you had in your bed, were elevated to see what will happen after this… For mysteries have been made known to you about things that will happen [in the future].

³⁰ ‘Now, I’m no wiser than any other living man; but this mystery has been uncovered to me so that the king may understand what it means, and so that you may know the thoughts that are in your own heart.

³¹ ‘You looked, O king, and you saw a huge idol that was overwhelming in size… It stood right in front of your face and it frightened you!

³² ‘This idol had:

• A head of pure gold;

• Its breast, arms, and hands were of silver;

• Its belly and thighs were of brass;

• Its legs were of iron; and

• Its feet were part iron and part baked clay.

³³ ‘Well, as you were staring at it, a rock was cut from a mountain without any hands, which thereafter flew and hit the image on its feet of iron and baked clay, which completely shattered them… ³⁴ And everything else was shattered at the same time (the baked clay, the iron, the brass, the silver, and the gold). Then it all became like a cloud of dust from a threshing floor during the harvest, ³⁵ and thereafter a wind came and blew it all away, leaving nothing at all.

‘Then the stone that had struck the image [grew into] a huge mountain that covered the whole earth.

³⁶ ‘So, that was your dream… And now I’ll tell the king what it means.

³⁷ ‘You, O king, are the king of kings to whom the God of heaven has given a strong, fortified, and honorable kingdom. ³⁸ And in every place where the sons of men live, as well as in every place where the wild animals of the fields and flying creatures of the skies live, has been given into your hands by Him, for He’s made you the lord over it all. So you, O king, are the head of pure gold.

³⁹ ‘But after you, another kingdom will arise that’s inferior to yours, and then a 3rd kingdom (the one of brass) will come to dominate the whole earth. [It will be followed by] a 4th kingdom that will become as strong as iron… ⁴⁰ For just as iron can crush and tame all things, it will crush and tame everything.

⁴¹ ‘Then the feet and the toes that you saw, which were partly of iron and partly of baked clay, will be a divided kingdom.

‘However, because you saw the iron mixed with the baked clay; [this means that] some of the roots of the iron will be in it. ⁴² And since the toes of the feet are partly of iron and partly of baked clay, part of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will be easily broken. ⁴³ For as you saw the iron mixed with the baked clay; [this kingdom] will be mixed with the offspring of mankind… And they won’t stick to each other, just as iron won’t stick to baked clay.

⁴⁴ ‘Then in the time of those kings, the God of heaven will establish a Kingdom that won’t be corrupted throughout the ages, and His Kingdom won’t be passed on to anyone else.

‘[First] it’ll crush and sift all the other kingdoms, and it will stand throughout the ages thereafter.

⁴⁵ ‘So, now that you’ve seen the stone cut from a mountain without hands, and how it crushed the baked clay, iron, brass, silver, and gold; the great God has revealed to the king what’s going to happen after this.

‘This dream is true, and you can trust its interpretation.’

⁴⁶ Well at that, King NebuChadnezzar fell to his face and bowed before DaniEl. Then he offered him some very nice cologne as a gift, and he [told his servants] to bring him something to drink.

⁴⁷ Then the king said this to DaniEl:

‘It’s a fact that your God is the God of gods, Lord of lords, and King of kings. For He alone can uncover mysteries… As you were able to uncover this mystery!’

⁴⁸ After that, the king honored DaniEl by giving him many great gifts, and he appointed him over all the [districts] of Babylon as the ruler over all the governors and wise men of Babylon. ⁴⁹ And because he then requested this of the king, ShadRach, MeShach, and AbedNego were appointed over the construction projects throughout all the regions of Babylon, and DaniEl [thereafter served] within the courtyard of the king.

Daniel (2nd century CE) 3

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¹ It was during his 16th year that King NebuChadnezzar had a gold-[plated] idol made that stood 100 feet (30.5m) tall and 10 feet (3m) wide, which he placed in the plains of Dura, near Babylon.

² So he then called for all of his top officials, generals, lieutenants, governors, vassal kings, ³ and everyone else of authority throughout all of his districts, and decreed that they should come and [celebrate] a holiday of dedication for the idol that he had erected.

So everyone came and stood before the idol that NebuChadnezzar had erected, ⁴ and then the [king’s] herald yelled at the top of his voice:

‘O nations, peoples, tribes, and languages,

‘You’ve been told that ⁵ when you hear the sound of the trumpets, woodwinds, harps, stringed instruments, and bagpipes playing the anthem, you must all fall to your faces and bow before the idol of gold that King NebuChadnezzar has erected.

⁶ ‘And if anyone should choose not to bow before it, he will be immediately taken out and thrown into a blazing-hot furnace!’

⁷ So when the people heard the sounds of the trumpets, woodwinds, harps, stringed instruments, and bagpipes playing the anthem, all the peoples, tribes, and languages bowed low before the gold idol that King NebuChadnezzar had erected.

⁸ However, certain Chaldeans then went up and made an accusation against the Jews… ⁹ They went to King NebuChadnezzar and said:

‘O king,

‘May you live throughout the ages!

¹⁰ ‘However, the king gave an order that when we hear the sound of the trumpets, woodwinds, harps, stringed instruments, and bagpipes playing the anthem, ¹¹ any man who doesn’t fall and bow before the gold idol should be thrown into a blazing furnace.

¹² ‘Now, there were three Jewish men whom you’ve put over construction in Babylon – ShadRach, MeShach, and AbedNego – and they didn’t obey your decree, O king!

‘For they’ve chosen not to serve your gods or to bow before the gold idol that you’ve erected.’

¹³ Well at that, NebuChadnezzar flew into an angry rage and he had them bring ShadRach, MeShach, and AbedNego before him.

¹⁴ Then NebuChadnezzar said to them:

‘ShadRach, MeShach, and AbedNego, is it true that you won’t serve my gods, and that you won’t bow before the gold idol that I’ve erected?

¹⁵ ‘Well now, when you hear the sound of trumpets, woodwinds, harps, stringed instruments, and bagpipes playing the anthem, it would be best for you to fall to your faces before the gold idol that I’ve made. Because, if you don’t bow to your faces before it, you’ll be taken out immediately, and then thrown into a blazing-hot furnace… And then we’ll see which God can rescue you from my hands!’

¹⁶ But ShadRach, MeShach, and AbedNego said this to King NebuChadnezzar:

‘We don’t really have to answer you about this matter, ¹⁷ for our God in the heavens (whom we serve) can rescue us from the fire in the furnace… And He will rescue us from your hands, O king!

¹⁸ ‘Yet, even if He shouldn’t choose to do this, you must know, O king, that we won’t serve your gods, or the gold idol that you’ve set up and told us to bow before.’

¹⁹ Well, NebuChadnezzar was furious! The way that he viewed ShadRach, MeShach, and AbedNego suddenly started to change. So he gave instructions to heat the furnace seven times hotter than usual… Until they couldn’t get it any hotter! ²⁰ Then he gave some powerful men instructions to shackle ShadRach, MeShach, and AbedNego, and then throw them into the blazing-hot furnace.

²¹ So the three were shackled and then thrown into the midst of the blazing-hot furnace fully clothed, [wearing their] pants, underclothes, and official turbans. ²² And following the instruction of the king, the furnace had in fact been made seven times hotter than usual.

²³ Well, the three men (ShadRach, MeShach, and AbedNego) fell into the midst of the blazing furnace wearing shackles… But then they started walking around in the midst of the flames, praising God and blessing their lord!

²⁴ And when NebuChadnezzar heard their praising, he was shocked! So he quickly got up and asked his mighty men this:

‘Didn’t you throw three men wearing shackles into the midst of the fire?’

And they replied:

‘Yes we did, O king.’

²⁵ But the king said:

‘I see four men here that are freely walking around in the midst of the flames, and none of them are being burned! And the vision that I’m having of the fourth one is as that of a son of God!’

²⁶ Then NebuChadnezzar leaned forward towards the top of the blazing furnace and said this:

‘O ShadRach, MeShach, and AbedNego!

‘You servants of the highest God, come here!

‘Come out of there!’

So ShadRach, MeShach, and AbedNego came out from the midst of the flames, ²⁷ and then all the governors, generals, lieutenants, and king’s officials were called over to see these men, and to [witness the fact] that the fire hadn’t consumed their bodies! For the hair on their heads hadn’t been singed, their [clothes] were still the same, and there wasn’t even the smell of smoke on them!

²⁸ Then, right there before them all, the king bowed to Yahweh and said:

‘Praise the God of ShadRach, MeShach, and AbedNego who sent His messenger and rescued His servants that put faith in Him. For these men changed the word of the king and then they offered their bodies in fire, because they wouldn’t serve any god other than their God!

²⁹ So thereafter, the king issued this decree:

‘Any people, tribe, or language that speaks blasphemously against the God of ShadRach, MeShach, and AbedNego will be destroyed and their houses will be pillaged… For there’s no other god who can rescue in such a great way.’

³⁰ Then the king promoted ShadRach, MeShach, and AbedNego to be over all regions of the [Empire of] Babylon. He also paid them more, and he put them in charge over all the Jews in his realm.

Then sometime later, the king [wrote this] about [something else that had happened to him]:

Daniel (2nd century CE) 4

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¹ ‘NebuChadnezzar the king,

‘To all peoples, tribes, languages, and to all that live in the land:

‘May you have an abundance of peace!

² ‘I’m pleased to announce to you that the highest God has performed signs and miracles to me… ³ And His signs are great, His wonders are mighty, His kingdom is throughout the ages, and His authority is through generations.

⁴ ‘I, NebuChadnezzar, was prospering in my palace and my throne was thriving. ⁵ But then I had a vision in a dream that struck me with fear and left me disturbed in my bed, for the vision that I saw in my mind really bothered me. ⁶ So I decreed that all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me so I could have them explain the meaning of the dream. ⁷ Then all the sorcerers, priests, astrologers, and Chaldeans came to me, and I told them of the dream, but they were unable to explain what it meant.

⁸ ‘However, DaniEl (who is called BelTeShazzar, and who truly has the Breath of God) came in the Name of my God, and I told him my dream. ⁹ [I said to him]:

‘O BelTeShazzar, you leader of [my] wise men, and someone whom I know has the Breath of God, and is never powerless when it comes to understanding mysteries. Listen to the vision that I saw in my dream, and then tell me what it means. ¹⁰ For this is the vision that I saw in my mind while I was in my bed:

‘{Look!} There was a huge tree that stood in the center of the earth… It was very tall, ¹¹ and the tree kept getting mightier and larger until it reached into the heavens and it spread to the ends of the earth.

¹² ‘Its leaves were beautiful and it was filled with enough fruit to feed everyone. So the wild animals of the fields camped under it, the flying creatures of the skies lived in its branches, and all flesh was being fed by it.

¹³ ‘Then in the vision that I had in my bed that night, I saw a holy observer (a messenger) coming down out of the sky, ¹⁴ and he shouted and said:

‘Now, you must cut down the tree…

Yes, cut off its branches and shake off its leaves,

Then scatter its fruit [on the ground].

Thereafter, you must chase off all the wild beasts

That are living under its branches,

And drive the flying creatures away!

¹⁵ ‘Leave nothing but its roots in the ground;

Then, bind it with iron and brass,

So that it will just lie there covered by grass,

Surrounded by the wild beasts of the fields,

And bathed by dew from the skies,

Just like grass on the ground.

¹⁶ ‘Then his heart will be changed from that of a man,

And the heart of a beast will be given to him…

For seven times, this is how he’ll be changed.’

¹⁷ ‘Then the observer said:

‘This is a [vision] from the Most Holy One,

To show to all those who are living

That Yahweh is over all kingdoms,

And He gives them to whomever He chooses…

He can even appoint men who are viewed with contempt

To be in charge of it all.’

¹⁸ ‘So, this is what I saw in the dream (yes me, King NebuChadnezzar). Therefore, I [said to] BelTeShazzar:

‘Now, explain it to me… Tell me what it means! Although none of the other wise men in my kingdom have been able to interpret it for me, I know that you can, O DaniEl, because the Holy Breath of God is within you!’

¹⁹ ‘Well, DaniEl was unable to say anything for an hour, because he was so disturbed by his thoughts. Then I asked:

‘O BelTeShazzar, why are you taking so long in interpreting the dream?’

‘And BelTeShazzar replied:

‘O lord, leave the interpretation to those who hate you and to your enemies! ²⁰ For the tree that you saw, which became so strong and so tall that it reached into the heavens and covered the whole earth, ²¹ and which grew such great leaves and had such an abundance of fruit that it fed all the wild animals that lived under it, as well as all the flying creatures that lived in its branches is you, O king! ²² Because, your fame and greatness has been made to grow so much that it now reaches into the heavens, since you rule to the ends of the lands!

²³ ‘And when the king saw a holy observer coming down from the sky who [was told] to [cut down] the tree and destroy it, but to leave its roots in the ground and to band the tree with iron and brass, then to let it lie there among the shoots of grass among the wild animals [where it is to be bathed by] the dew from the skies [and remain that way] for 7 times… ²⁴ This is what it means, O king:

‘It is the highest form of interpretation, for this is what’s going to happen to you, O my lord the king.

²⁵ ‘You’ll be driven away from mankind,

And be forced to live among beasts in the plains,

Where they’ll feed you with grass like an ox,

And you’ll [be bathed by] dew from the skies.

‘For seven times, you’ll be changed,

Until you accept that Yahweh is higher

Than all the kingdoms of men,

And to those He selects, He gives all this [power].

²⁶ ‘But, because they were told

To leave the tree’s roots in the ground,

Your kingdom will continue to be yours,

Until the time that you realize

That your power has come to you from the heavens.

²⁷ ‘But because of this, O king (and may my council be pleasing to you);

You must pay for your sins by giving to the poor,

And you must also pay for your errors

By showing compassion to the needy.

Then, God may be lenient with you for your sins.’

²⁸ ‘Well, all of these things happened to me (King NebuChadnezzar). ²⁹ For just 12 months later, while I was walking in the temple of my kingdom in Babylon ³⁰ and I was saying to myself:

‘Isn’t this the great Babylon that I’ve built as my royal home through my own power, strength, honor, and glory…’

³¹ ‘Yes, while those words were still in my mouth, a voice came from the sky that proclaimed:

‘To you, it is now being said,

O King NebuChadnezzar,

That your kingdom has been taken from you.

³² ‘For men will drive you away,

And you’ll have to live among the wild beasts,

Where they’ll feed you grass like an ox.

‘For seven times, you’ll be changed,

Until you know that Yahweh

Is the One who’s over all kingdoms,

And He gives it to whomever He chooses.’

³³ ‘Well, that’s what happened to me, King NebuChadnezzar, within that very hour! I was driven away from my people, I ate grass like an ox, I was bathed by the dew from the sky, my hair became as strong as that of a lion, and my fingernails grew long like bird’s claws!

³⁴ ‘Then, after those days had been fulfilled, I, NebuChadnezzar, raised my eyes to the sky, and my senses were returned to me.

‘So I praised the Most High who lives throughout the ages… I praised and spoke gloriously of His authority that lasts throughout the ages, and of His kingship [that lasts] through generations of generations.

³⁵ ‘For before Him, those of us who live on the earth are like nothing at all, since He rules the armies of the heavens and those who live on the earth in any way that He wishes! No one can resist His hand, or ask Him why He does the things that He does.

³⁶ ‘Then, after my senses returned, the honor of my kingdom was restored to me. My appearance returned to me, and my rulers and great men looked up to me once again. So thereafter, I went on to strengthen my kingdom, and more greatness was added to me.

³⁷ ‘Now, I, NebuChadnezzar, praise, honor, and glorify the King of the heavens, because everything that He does is righteous, all of His ways are fair, and He humbles those who become too proud.’

Daniel (2nd century CE) 5

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¹ [Well, several years later], BelShazzar [the last Babylonian king] had prepared a feast for 1,000 of his most important men, and they were each served wine.

² Then, while BelShazzar was tasting and drinking the wine, he told [his servants] to bring in the items of gold and silver that his ancestor NebuChadnezzar had taken from the Temple [of Yahweh] in JeruSalem, so that the king, his important men, and his concubines and mistresses could drink from them.

³ So they brought in the items of gold and silver that had been taken from the Temple of God in JeruSalem. Then the king, his important men, and his concubines and mistresses ⁴ started drinking wine from them, while they praised their gods of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood, and stone.

⁵ But within that very hour, the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and started writing on the whitewashed wall near a lamp in the king’s palace!

When the king saw the knuckles doing the handwriting, ⁶ his appearance changed… He was so deeply disturbed that he became incontinent and his knees started shaking! So the king called out to have the priests, Chaldeans, and astrologers brought in to him.

⁷ Then he said to those wise men of Babylon:

‘Whoever can read this writing and interpret it for me will be dressed in purple, a gold necklace will be placed around his neck, and he’ll be appointed as the third ruler in my kingdom!’

⁸ So thereafter, all the king’s wise men were brought in to him… But they were unable to read the writing or interpret it for the king. ⁹ Therefore, King BelShazzar was still disturbed and his appearance was still changed. And of course, all of his important guests were also very disturbed.

¹⁰ Then the queen entered the banquet room and said this to the king:

‘O king,

‘May you live throughout the ages!

‘Don’t allow this to bother your thoughts and change your appearance, ¹¹ for there’s a man in your kingdom who’s filled with the Breath of God.

‘Back in the days of your ancestors, he was found to be an insightful and understanding man. And it was because of this that your ancestor King NebuChadnezzar put him in charge of all his advisors, Chaldeans, and astrologers.

‘¹² This man has a greater measure of [God’s] Breath, and he’s the most intelligent and understanding when it comes to such things as interpreting dreams, reporting things that are [forgotten], and untying knots. [This man] is DaniEl, whom the king renamed BelTeShazzar.

‘You should call for him and he’ll interpret [these words] for you.’

¹³ So DaniEl was thereafter brought before the king, and the king asked him:

‘Are you DaniEl, the one whom my ancestor the king brought here from among the captives from Judah? ¹⁴ I’ve heard that the Breath of God is in you and that you’re insightful, understanding, and exceedingly wise.

‘¹⁵ Now, my wise men, priests, and astrologers have come here and they all tried to read this writing and to interpret it for me, but they couldn’t explain what it means!

‘¹⁶ However, I’ve been told that you’re able to interpret such judgments. So, if you can read this writing and interpret it for me, I’ll dress you in purple, I’ll place a gold chain around your neck, and I’ll appoint you to be the 3rd ruler in my kingdom!’

¹⁷ However, DaniEl said to the king:

‘You can keep your gifts and you can give the [power] over your house to someone else… But I’ll read the writing and interpret it for you, O king.

¹⁸ ‘O king,

‘It was the Highest God who gave the kingdom, greatness, honor, and glory to your ancestor, NebuChadnezzar. ¹⁹ And it was because of this greatness that God put him over all the peoples, tribes, and languages, and made them tremble in fear before him. Therefore, he could destroy anyone he wished, beat anyone he wished, promote anyone he wished, and humble anyone whom he wished to humble.

‘²⁰ But when his heart became too haughty and his spirit became too proud, he was brought down from the throne of this kingdom and this honor was removed from him. ²¹ Then he was driven away from among mankind and his heart became like that of a wild animal. So he lived among the zebras, he was fed grass like an ox, and his body was bathed and washed by the dew from the skies until he recognized that the Most High God is the One who really rules all the kingdoms of mankind, and He can give [the power] to whomever He chooses.

²² ‘Now you, O BelShazzar, have not humbled your heart before God, which is something that you knew you should do, ²³ and you’ve acted haughtily before Yahweh the God of the heavens by having the items from His Temple brought before you, where you, your important men, and your concubines and mistresses drank wine from them as you were praising your gods of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood, and stone, who can’t see, hear, or know anything at all… Yes, you failed to glorify the God who holds your breath and everything you are in His hands.

²⁴ ‘So it’s because of this that the knuckles of a hand were sent from His presence… Yes, He’s the One who sent this writing to you.

²⁵ ‘This is what the writing says:

‘Mene, Tekel, Peres.’

²⁶ ‘And this is what it means:

‘Mene means that God has measured your kingdom and brought it to an end.

²⁷ ‘Tekel means that He’s weighed you on a scale and found you to be lacking.

²⁸ ‘Peres means that your kingdom will now be divided among the Medes and Persians.’

²⁹ Well after that, BelShazzar gave the order to dress DaniEl in purple, to put a gold chain around his neck, and he proclaimed him to be the third ruler in his kingdom.

³⁰ However, that very night, BelShazzar (the king of the Chaldeans) was killed ³¹ and Darius the Mede took the kingdom as his own at the age of 62.

Daniel (2nd century CE) 6

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¹ Darius thereafter appointed 120 governors to be in charge of his kingdom. ² Then he appointed three ministers to be over them (to whom the governors had to report), because the king didn’t want to be bothered… And DaniEl was one of these ministers. ³ And because he had an extra portion of [God’s] Breath, DaniEl was placed over the other two ministers, so that he was in fact in charge of the whole kingdom.

⁴ Of course, the other two ministers and the governors [weren’t pleased with this], so they kept looking to find some wrongdoing that they could use as an accusation against DaniEl. However, they couldn’t find any excuse, sin, or error against him, because DaniEl was always faithful.

⁵ Well, the other two ministers soon came to realize that the only thing they could use against DaniEl was the Law of his God. ⁶ So they and the governors went before the king and said this:

‘O King Darius,

‘May you live throughout the ages!

⁷ ‘We, the generals, governors, and supreme leaders whom you’ve appointed over your kingdom – those whom you’ve appointed to royal positions – have met together, and we want you to enact [this law] to strengthen [your rule]:

‘Anyone who makes a request of any man or god other than you for the next 30 days, O king, must be thrown into the lion’s pit.’

⁸ ‘Please, O king, enact this law and write it for public display, since the decrees of the Medes and Persians can’t be changed.’

⁹ As a result, King Darius gave orders for the decree to be written.

¹⁰ However, when DaniEl found out about the decree, he just went home, and there in an upper room before open windows that faced JeruSalem, he bent down on his knees to praise and pray before his God. [He did this] three times, the same as he’d always done.

¹¹ Well, those men had been watching him closely. So when they saw DaniEl petitioning and begging before his God, ¹² they went to the king and said:

‘O king!

‘Didn’t you enact an order saying that anyone who makes a request of a god or a man other than from you for the next 30 days should be thrown into the lion’s pit?’

And the king replied:

‘What you say is true, and the decrees of the Medes and Persians may not be changed!’

¹³ So they said to the king:

‘We wish to report to you that DaniEl – one of those who was brought as a captive from Judah – hasn’t followed your decree, for today he still prayed before his God three times!’

¹⁴ Well, this really disturbed the king, and although he wanted to do something to save DaniEl, ¹⁵ those men said to the king:

‘You must know, O king, that any decree of the Medes and Persians may not be altered once the king has enacted it, no matter what the circumstances or what position [the person] may hold!’

¹⁶ So the king gave the order, and they took DaniEl out to throw him into the pit of lions. [But before they threw him in], the king asked DaniEl:

‘Will your God, whom you’ve served so faithfully, rescue you?’

¹⁷ [Well after that, they threw him in], and they took a stone slab and placed it over the top of the pit. They then sealed it with the king’s ring, and with the rings of his top men, so that nothing could be changed for DaniEl. ¹⁸ And thereafter, the king returned to his palace and went to bed without eating any supper… He had no food brought him, and he wasn’t able to sleep.

¹⁹ Then, when the king got up the next morning (at daybreak), he went out to the lion’s pit. And as he was approaching it, he called out to DaniEl, shouting loudly:

²⁰ ‘O DaniEl… O servant of the Living God… Has your God whom you’ve served so faithfully been able to rescue you from the mouths of the lions?’

²¹ And DaniEl replied:

‘O king,

‘May you live throughout the ages!

²² ‘Yes, my God sent His messenger who blocked the mouths of the lions. They haven’t been able to destroy me, because [my God] has found me to be righteous… And I haven’t done anything against you either, O king.’

²³ Well, the king was overjoyed by this, and he gave the order that DaniEl was to be taken out of the pit. And when they lifted him out, they found that DaniEl hadn’t been harmed in any way, because he had trusted in his God.

²⁴ Then the king gave orders and they took the men who had accused DaniEl and threw them, their sons, and their wives into the lion’s pit… And they hadn’t even reached the floor before the lions had them! They even chewed up their bones, so all that remained of them was just dust!

²⁵ And after that, King Darius wrote a letter to all the peoples, tribes, and languages throughout the whole earth that said this:

‘May you have peace!

²⁶ ‘From my presence, I’ve sent this decree to all states throughout my realm:

‘Before the face of DaniEl’s God

All should tremble and fear.

For, He’s the one Living God

And He exists throughout the ages.

‘His Kingdom won’t be destroyed

And it will last throughout the ages…

He alone will rule ‘til the end.

²⁷ ‘He snatches away and He rescues;

He sends us miracles and signs

Both in the heavens and on the earth…

For, this is the One who saved DaniEl

From the mouths of the lions.’

²⁸ So DaniEl continued to prosper during the reign of Darius, and on into the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

Daniel (2nd century CE) 7

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¹ It was during the 1st year of the reign of BelShazzar (the king of the Chaldeans) that DaniEl saw a vision in his head as he was lying in his bed, and this is what he wrote about the things that he saw:

² ‘In my vision during the night, I, DaniEl, saw the four winds blowing hard and stirring up the Great Sea. ³ And four large animals came up out of the sea that were different from each other.

⁴ ‘The first one looked like a female lion, and she had the wings of an eagle. But as I watched, her wings were plucked off and she was lifted away from the earth… Then she stood on feet that were like those of a man, and the heart of a man was given to her.

⁵ ‘I also saw a second wild animal that looked like a bear. It was lying on one side and there were three ribs sticking out of its mouth from between its teeth. Then it was told to get up and devour much flesh.

⁶ ‘{Look!} I also saw another wild animal that looked like a leopard, but it had four wings [like those of] of a bird on its back, and it had four heads. It was also given great power.

⁷ ‘And as I was watching, I saw a fourth wild animal that was astonishing, frightening, and huge. It had teeth of iron that were mighty for eating and crushing, and it trampled the others with its feet. It was very different from the wild animals that had come before it, and this one had ten horns.

⁸ ‘Then as I was looking at its horns, another small horn came up in the midst of them, which pushed out the three horns that were in front of it. {Look!} This horn had the eyes of a man, and it started saying grandiose things.

⁹ ‘Well, as I kept on watching, a throne appeared upon which the Most Ancient One seated Himself. His clothes were as white as snow, the hair on His head was like pure wool, His throne was like flames of fire, and it had wheels that looked like flames. ¹⁰ Also, a river of fire shot out from before Him, and there were millions that were serving Him and tens of millions more that were standing before Him.

‘Then a judgment seat was brought forward and scrolls were opened. ¹¹ And as I was watching, I heard a voice coming from the [animal’s] horn that was speaking those grandiose words.

‘However, after that, the wild animal was condemned and put to death, then its body was thrown into a blazing fire. ¹² And after that happened, the rulership of the other wild animals was returned to them, and their lives were extended for a time and a season.

¹³ ‘Then as I was watching the things in the vision that night, {Look!} someone like a Son of Man arrived riding upon the clouds of the skies, and he went up in front of the Most Ancient One, ¹⁴ who then gave him rulership, honor, and a Kingdom, so that from then on, all the peoples, tribes, and languages were to serve him. And [he was told that] the authority he was given was to last throughout the ages… It would never pass away or be destroyed.

¹⁵ ‘Well at that, the spirit within me, DaniEl, shuddered (as often happens to me), because the visions that I saw in my head were so disturbing. ¹⁶ So I went up to the one who was standing there, because I wanted him to explain the meanings of all these things… And he spoke to me plainly, making the interpretation very clear.

¹⁷ [‘He said]:

‘These four great beasts are four kingdoms,

Which will arise on the earth…

¹⁸ But thereafter, they’ll be taken away.

‘Then this [Son of Man] will take over the kingdom

Of the holy ones of the Most High…

Throughout the age and throughout ages of ages,

He will be the one who’ll rule.’

¹⁹ ‘Then I wanted to find out more about the fourth wild animal, because it was so different from the other wild animals and it was so frightening because of its iron teeth and brass claws that it used to eat, crush, and trample.

²⁰ ‘I also wanted to learn more about the ten horns that were on its head, and about the [horn] that arose and shook off three of the [horns]… The one who had eyes and a mouth that spoke grandiose things, because it was the most disturbing of all the things that I saw. ²¹ For as I was watching, that horn attacked the holy ones and conquered them.

²² ‘But then the Most Ancient One came and gave these Holy Ones His most favorable judgment, and they were able to take over their Kingdom.

²³ ‘Then he told me this:

‘The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom

That will also rule over the earth.

It will be greater than all other kingdoms.

For, it’ll devour all of the lands…

It’ll trample upon them and cut them to bits.

²⁴ ‘His ten horns are ten kings who’ll come,

And after them, another will arise

That will conquer the previous kings…

And three of them will be humbled.

²⁵ ‘Then, he will speak grandiose words

And mislead the Holy Ones of the Most High.

He’ll choose to change times and laws

For 3-1/2 times.

²⁶ ‘But thereafter, the judgment seat will arrive,

And his position of rule will be changed…

He’ll be removed from view and destroyed

Until the end has arrived.

²⁷ ‘Then the Kingdom, the authority, and the greatness

Of all the kings under the heavens

Will be given to the Holy One of the Most High,

Whose Kingdom will last throughout the ages…

Then these kings will serve and obey Him.’

²⁸ ‘Well, that’s when [the dream] ended. But these thoughts disturbed me so much that they even changed my appearance. Therefore, I (DaniEl) remembered them and kept them in my heart.’

Daniel (2nd century CE) 8

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¹ It was in the 3rd year of the reign of King BelShazzar that I, DaniEl, had a vision that was like the previous one. ² In the vision, I found myself at the palace in Sushan (in the region of ElAm), and I was standing by the Ulai River.

³ Then, when I looked up, I saw a ram standing at the river bank that had two long horns. One horn was taller than the other and it grew from behind it.

⁴ Then I saw the ram butting towards the west, north, and south, so that none of the other wild animals could stand before him and none could be saved from his hands. So, he did whatever he wished and he became very powerful.

⁵ Well, as I was watching, {Look!} a male goat came across the land from the southwest and [his feet] weren’t touching the ground!

This goat’s horn was very conspicuous, because it grew out from between his eyes. ⁶ Then he rushed towards the ram that I saw (the one with the two horns), and butted him as hard as he could! ⁷ Because he was furious with him, he ran as fast as possible and he hit the ram and broke off both of his horns, which left [the ram] weak and unable to oppose him. Then [the male goat] threw the ram to the ground and trampled him, and no one came to his aid.

⁸ Thereafter, the male goat became extremely famous for his strength. But then, his large horn was broken and four horns grew up from beneath it. Each pointed towards one of the four winds of the skies.

⁹ However, one of them became extremely powerful… It grew rapidly towards the south and east ¹⁰ until it reached to the powers of the heavens! Then he threw [the other three horns] to the ground, and he also started trampling on the stars.

¹¹ For he became more powerful towards the commander-in-chief, so that through him, the sacrifices were to be disturbed and the Holy Place was to be destroyed. ¹² Yes, he was prepared as a sin-offering sacrifice that resulted in righteousness being tossed to the ground. And after he did that, he prospered.

¹³ Then I heard the Holy One speaking. He asked:

‘How long will this vision stand…

When the sacrifices are taken away,

And the sin of destruction is allowed,

As the Holy Place and its power,

Will thereafter be trampled upon?’

¹⁴ And he said:

‘After 2,300 mornings and evenings,

The Holy Place will be cleansed.’

¹⁵ Well, as I was seeing this vision, I (DaniEl) wanted to understand more. Then I saw what looked like a man standing before me, ¹⁶ and I heard a man’s voice speaking from the midst of the Ulai [River].

He called out and said:

‘GabriEl! Let him understand the vision!’

¹⁷ So he came over to where I was standing. As he was approaching, I became very disturbed and fell to my face. Then he said to me:

‘Pay attention, O son of man.

‘For this vision is of the time of the end!’

¹⁸ Well, as he was speaking to me, I stayed there with my face to the ground. But then, he touched me, and stood me up on my feet.

¹⁹ And he said:

‘{Look!} I’ll explain what will bring the end to [God’s] rage.

For, these are the things that will happen

In the time of the end:

²⁰ ‘The ram that you saw with [two] horns,

Is the kingdom of the Medes and the Persians,

²¹ And the male goat is the king of the Greeks.

‘The great horn that stands between its [two] eyes

Will be their greatest of kings.

²² And after he’s broken, the four horns that arise

Will be four kings who succeed him;

But, none will be as mighty as he.

²³ ‘Now, in the last days of their kingdom,

They’ll be filled with sins.

Then a king will arise that has a proud face…

One who understands riddles.

²⁴ ‘Even though he’ll have great power, the strength won’t be his.

Then he will prosper and corrupt in wondrous ways…

He’ll take action and he will bring ruin

To a people who are mighty and holy.

²⁵ ‘He will prosper by putting [others in] yokes,

And in his hands, there’ll be treachery;

For in his heart, he’ll think himself great.

‘His treachery will bring ruin to many,

And he will destroy many to establish himself…

He’ll break them like eggs in his hands.

²⁶ ‘As for the vision of the evenings and mornings...

The things that you saw are all true!

But, you must now seal up this vision,

For it’ll all happen in some future time!’

²⁷ Then I (DaniEl) went to bed and I was sick for several days after that. But I [finally] got up and did my work for the king, and I wondered about the vision… But I was the only one who knew about it.

Daniel (2nd century CE) 9

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¹ Well, it was during the 1st year of Darius of Xerxes (a Mede who ruled the Chaldean kingdom), ² that I, DaniEl, came to understand that the number of years (from Yahweh’s words given to the Prophet JeremiAh) for fulfilling Jerusalem’s desolation [would be] 70 years [referring to Jeremiah 25:11-12].

³ So I turned my face towards Yahweh God to ask Him about this through prayers, supplications, and by fasting in sackcloth and ashes. ⁴  I prayed to my God Yahweh, acknowledging Him and saying this:

‘O Lord,

‘O great and wonderful God who keeps His Sacred Agreements and is merciful to those who love Him and keep His commandments...

⁵  ‘We’ve sinned, done wrong, and been godless,

For from Your commandments and ways, we have turned.

⁶  We’ve not listened to Your servants the Prophets

(Those who spoke in Your Name),

Or to our kings, rulers, ancestors, and kin.

⁷ ‘Although You, O Yahweh, are just.

The people of IsraEl and Judah,

As well as those in JeruSalem,

Have been covered with shame to this day…

Yes, all the people who [lived there]

And those who’ve been been [carried away]

To all places, wherever You sent them,

Because they had been in rebellion

By annulling their Sacred Agreement with You.

⁸ ‘The faces of our fathers, rulers, and kings

Who’ve sinned against You are shamed.

⁹  But from You, O Yahweh our God,

Has come forgiveness and tender compassion,

Despite our sin of withdrawing from You.

¹⁰ ‘To Your voice, we’ve not paid attention,

O Yahweh our God,

Nor have we obeyed the Laws that you gave

Through the hands of Your servants, the Prophets.

¹¹ ‘IsraEl has broken Your laws,

And turned aside from hearing Your voice.

So the curses and oaths that were written

In the Law of Moses (the servant of God)

Have now fallen upon us

Because of our sins against You.

¹² ‘So the words that were spoken against us

And against the judges that judged us

Have now all come to pass…

They’ve brought such evil upon us

As has never been seen in JeruSalem’s skies.

¹³ ‘In the Law that You gave to Moses,

It was written that these bad things would happen

If we failed to search for the face of our Lord,

And turn away from our sins.

¹⁴ ‘Since this was the concern of Yahweh our God,

He sent upon us, our own evil ways.

It was right for Yahweh to do all these things,

For we’ve not paid attention to His voice!

¹⁵ ‘Now, O Yahweh our God…

You who led Your people from Egypt

With Your great, mighty hand

And established a Name for Yourself to this day...

We’ve broken Your Laws…

We’ve fallen into errors and sins!

¹⁶ ‘Yet Lord,

In your great loving care,

Please turn away Your anger and rage

From Your [holy] city, JeruSalem,

And from Your most holy Mountain!

‘It was because we walked in the sins of our fathers

That JeruSalem and Your people

Have become an object of such ridicule

By those who are living around us.

¹⁷  ‘O Yahweh, our God,

Hear the prayer of Your servant,

And listen to the things that I’m begging!

‘May Your Face be seen in Your Most Holy Place

Before those whom You’ve deserted…

Do this for the sake [of Your Name]!

¹⁸ ‘O my God,

Lean Your ear and listen to me!

Please open Your eyes and notice

How we and the city where You’ve put Your Name

Have now been brought to destruction!

‘So, we can no longer approach You

And throw our worries before You

Because of our unrighteous ways, O Yahweh…

Yet we have many things that concern us.

¹⁹ ‘Please listen, O Lord, and cover our sins…

Do it quickly, because our city and its people

Are the ones who are called by Your Name!’

²⁰  Well, it was just as I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sins and the sins of my people (throwing my desire for mercy before my God Yahweh concerning His Holy Mountain), ²¹  that GabriEl (the person whom I saw flying in my first vision) touched me!

It was about the time for the evening sacrifice, ²²  and then he helped me to understand. He spoke to me, and said this:

‘O DaniEl,

‘I’ve come here to teach you

So that you can now understand.

²³  I’ve been coming since you started your prayer

To tell you that you’ve been found to be

A very desirable man.

‘So, you must now reflect on the things

That you’ll see in this vision.

²⁴ 70 periods of 7 have been set

On behalf of you and your people

And for the Holy City on Zion

‘So as to bring an end to your sins,

To set a seal on your errors,

To wipe away all of your lawless deeds,

And to atone for the [bad things you’ve done]…

‘To restore righteous ways throughout the ages,

To set a seal on the prophecies and visions,

And to anoint the holiest of the holy.

²⁵ ‘So, know this, and now understand:

‘From the delivery of the word and its response

For JeruSalem to be built once again

Until the Anointed (Greek: Christou) Leader arrives,

Will be 7 periods of 7,

Plus 62 periods of 7.

They’ll rebuild the walls and the squares,

But they’ll do it through difficult times.

²⁶ ‘And after the 62 periods of 7,

The Anointed One will then be destroyed…

For in that place, there’ll no longer be justice.

‘Then the Holy Place and the city

Will be corrupted by a leader that will come

And cut them off by a downpour…

He’ll order an extinction upon them

Until the end of his war.

²⁷ ‘He’ll strengthen the Sacred Agreement with many

During one period of 7;

But in half of that period of 7,

Sacrifices and drink offerings will be lifted away.

‘Then, to the Temple will come the disgusting destroyer,

And until that time is fulfilled,

There’ll just be complete desolation.’

Daniel (2nd century CE) 10

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¹ Well, it was during the 3rd year of the reign of Cyrus, the king of Persia that these true words were uncovered to me DaniEl (who was also called BelTeShazzar), and I was able to gain a great understanding from this vision.

² At the time, I (DaniEl) had been in mourning for three weeks… ³ I hadn’t eaten any meat or bread, nor drunk any wine. I also hadn’t rubbed myself with any oil during those three weeks.

⁴ Then, (on the 24th day of the 1st month) as I was standing on the banks of the great Tigris River, ⁵ I raised my eyes and I saw a man wearing linen clothes.

His hips were wrapped in the gold of Ophir, ⁶ his body looked like stone, and his face looked like lightning, his eyes looked like burning lamps, his arms and legs looked like shining brass! When he spoke it was like the sound of a large crowd!

⁷ I was the only one who saw this vision. The men who were with me at the time didn’t see anything. However, something came over them that frightened them, so they all ran away – ⁸ leaving me alone.

Well, when I had this great vision, it left me weak… It took all my glory and corrupted it, leaving me without any strength. ⁹ Then I heard a voice speaking words. When I heard what was being said, I was confused. So I fell with my face to the ground.

¹⁰ Then, {Look!} a hand reached out and touched me and lifted me up on my knees and onto the palms of my hands.

¹¹ And this is what he said to me:

‘O DaniEl, you very desirable man...

Understand the words I’m speaking to you.

Get up and stand on your feet,

For I’ve been sent here to help you!’

Well when he said that, I stood up, but I was still shaking.

¹² And he said to me:

‘Don’t be afraid, O DaniEl.

For from the first day that you opened your heart

So as to understand [all these things],

And you started [your fast] to Yahweh your God,

All of your words have been heard!

And I’ve come here because of the things that you’ve prayed.

¹³ ‘But the ruler of the kingdom of Persia

Stood and opposed me for 21 days,

Until MichaEl (one of the foremost rulers)

[Finally] came to my aid.

‘So, that’s where I’d left him…

With the ruler of the kingdom of Persia,

¹⁴ And I’ve come here so as to explain

What will happen to your people in the last days.

For, this is a vision of things that will be.’

¹⁵ Well as he was saying that, I fell with my face to the ground once again, because I was so confused.

¹⁶ Then {Look!} someone who looked like one of the sons of men came and touched my lips, and I was able to open my mouth and speak.

So, to the one standing in front of me I said:

‘O lord, seeing this vision of you has twisted my insides and left me weak. ¹⁷ So, O Lord, how will your servant be able to speak to you, since I’m weak, I can’t stand up, and I can hardly breathe!’

¹⁸ Then [somebody who] looked like a human came and touched me, and gave me strength.

¹⁹ And he said:

‘Don’t be afraid, you most desirable man…

‘May you have peace!

‘But now you must be manly and strong!’

Well, as he was speaking to me, I did become stronger, so I said:

‘Now speak, O my lord, because you’ve given me the strength [I need]!’

²⁰ Then he asked:

‘Do you know why I’ve come here to you?

Although I must now go back and fight a war

Against the ruler of the kingdom of Persia,

Before the ruler of the Greeks will arrive,

²¹ I’ve come here to help you write words of truth.

And no one is with me when it comes to these things

Other than MichaEl, your ruler.’

Daniel (2nd century CE) 11

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[Editor note: For a verse-by-verse commentary of the meaning of this prophecy, see A Comparison Chart of the Prophecy of DaniEl 11 with the History of the Greek World.]

¹ ‘Since the 1st year of Cyrus,

I’ve been standing nearby in power and might…

² And now, I’ll tell you the truth:

‘{Look!} In Persia, three kings will arise,

Then a fourth will come who’ll be richer.

And after he gains all his wealth,

He will attack the kingdoms of Greece.

³ ‘Then [from Greece], a mighty king will arise

Who’ll gain a vast kingdom

And he’ll do whatever he wishes.

⁴ ‘But, after his kingdom has been established,

It’ll be divided and broken

Towards the four winds of the skies…

And it won’t be as strong as during his rule.

For his kingdom will then be plucked up

And divided among the outsiders.

⁵ ‘Then the king in the south will grow mighty,

But another one will grow stronger

And he’ll use the authority he’s given

To rule a kingdom that’s vast.

⁶ ‘However, after his time,

They’ll all become allies;

And the daughter of Egypt’s king

Will go to the king in the north

And she’ll make treaties with him.

But his arm won’t be strong, and his offspring won’t survive.

‘Then, she’ll be handed over,

Along with all those who brought her,

As well as with her young women,

And the one who made her strong in her time.

⁷ ‘Then someone will arise from the root of her flower,

And when he’s ready, he’ll attack

The army of the king of the north

And overrun his supporters…

He will conquer and then win the war.

⁸ ‘He’ll carry away all of their molded gods

And all of their most desirable things

(Including their silver and gold).

Then, back to Egypt, he’ll take it…

For he’ll dominate the king of the north.

⁹ ‘Thereafter, [the king] of the north

Will come and enter the kingdom

Of the king of the south…

But then, he will return to his land.

¹⁰ ‘So his sons will gather an army,

Which will quickly overrun and pass through.

[In that land], they’ll thereafter settle,

And they’ll fight all the way to his stronghold.

¹¹ ‘This will enrage the king of the south

And he will raise a large army

To fight against the king of the north,

And he’ll take many captives.

¹² ‘Then his heart will become very proud,

And thousands, he will cut to the ground…

But the war that he will fight won’t be won.

¹³ ‘Thereafter, the king of the north

Will gather an army that’s larger,

And towards the end of [his rule],

He’ll attack and enter with power,

Along with many [weapons of war].

¹⁴ ‘But, during that time, there’ll be a rebellion

Against the king of the south,

As the rabble among your people grow many,

So this vision will be proven true…

But then, they’ll also get weaker.

¹⁵ ‘Then the king of the north will attack,

And he will build many siege mounds

To capture their fortified cities.

‘And the chosen ones of the south will arise;

Yet, they won’t be quite as strong.

¹⁶ So the one who enters will do what he wants,

And none will be able to stop him.

‘Then he’ll stand in the glorious land,

And with his own hands, he will destroy it.

¹⁷ ‘Thereafter, he will set his face

To march against their whole kingdom

With those who have been proven upright,

And this is what he will do:

‘They’ll give him the daughter of a woman,

So that he can thereafter corrupt her,

But she won’t stay and she’ll never be his.

¹⁸ ‘So he’ll turn his attention to the islands,

And many will be captured there.

This will stop the ridicule of their kings…

But, only for a short time.

¹⁹ ‘At that time, he will turn his attention

To making his land much stronger again;

But then, he’ll get weaker and fall,

And never be [heard from] again.

²⁰ ‘Yet, from out of his roots, will arise

The shoot of a kingdom to oppose him,

And demand all the glory of his kingdom.

‘Yet, in those days, he’ll be broken…

But, not by rebellion or war.

²¹ There’ll be someone who’ll stand in his place

Whom he once treated with great contempt

And not given any glory in his kingdom.

But, in prosperity, he will return,

And through treachery, he’ll then take the kingdom.

²² ‘So the strength of the one who was bringing the flood

Will be broken and washed away from his face…

The one who’s in charge of the Sacred Agreement.

²³ ‘For, after he’s made an alliance,

He will then act in deceitful ways.

‘Through a nation that’s small, he’ll gain power,

²⁴ And he will go to a prosperous place

To do what his fathers and even their fathers

Had been unable to do…

He’ll plunder and divide up the loot.

‘Then, he will plot against Egypt,

²⁵ And when he’s strong, he will set his heart

Against the king of the south,

And attack him with a great army.

‘But the king of the south will gather an army

And beat him with their new weapons of war…

²⁶ He’ll devour everything that he wanted to take,

And then, he will destroy their whole army…

He’ll break them and he will kill many.

²⁷ ‘So, both kings will have wicked hearts,

And when they sit down at a table,

They’ll lie and settle nothing at all

Until the end has arrived.

²⁸ ‘Then, when he goes back to his country,

He will do so with things that he’s plundered

And with his heart set firmly against

The Holy Sacred Agreement.

‘But, after he returns to [his] land,

²⁹ He’ll invade the south once again…

Yet it won’t be the same as he did at the first.

³⁰ ‘Then, [ships] of Cyprus will attack him

And [teach him] that he must be humble;

So he’ll return and show his rage once again

Against the Holy Sacred Agreement.

‘He will launch an attack against those who supported

The Holy Sacred Agreement,

³¹ Then [they’ll come] and profane the great Holy Place…

And bring an end to the daily sacrifices.

Yes he will bring the disgusting destroyer

³² Against all those who are breaking the Law

And disregarding the Sacred Agreement.

‘But those who know God will grow stronger

And they’ll do whatever needs to be done…

³³ For they’ll come to know many things.

‘Yet, they’ll be weakened by swords and by fire,

And as captives, they’ll be carried away…

They’ll be ravaged for a very long time.

³⁴ ‘Then, after they’ve become weakest,

They’ll be given some help;

For, many will be added to them…

But, they won’t have the same zeal.

³⁵ ‘They’ll drag down those who do understand

And purify them as through fire

Until the time of the end,

Which will still be a long time away.

³⁶ ‘Thereafter, the king will grow in his might

And put himself higher than all of the gods…

Including the God of all gods.

³⁷ ‘He will forget the Gods of his fathers,

And not notice the desires of women…

He will ignore all the gods,

And put himself higher than all.

³⁸ ‘A god of war from his country,

He will then glorify

(A god whom his fathers never knew)

With silver, gold, and most precious gems,

And many desirable things.

³⁹ ‘Within a fortress of refuge,

He will act with a strange god

(Whichever one he chooses)…

He’ll make it grow in its glory,

And cause many to bow down before it,

And then, he’ll divide the land up as gifts.

⁴⁰ ‘Then, in the time of the end,

He’ll lock horns with the king of the south…

And the king of the north will gather to him

Many chariots, horsemen, and ships.

So, he will then enter their land…

He will break it and he will pass through it.

⁴¹ ‘And then, he will enter the glorious land,

And many there, will be weakened.

But these ones will be saved from his hands:

Edom, MoAb, and the sovereignty of AmMon’s sons.

⁴² ‘Then he’ll stretch his hand out over the land,

And the land of Egypt won’t be saved.

⁴³ He’ll dominate all with the hidden reserves

Of their silver and gold,

And the best things of Libya, Ethiopia, and Egypt…

[Things that he’ll find in] their forts.

⁴⁴ ‘Then, out of the north and the east,

He will hear things that disturb him.

So he’ll leave in a rage, bringing many along,

To wipe away and destroy.

⁴⁵ ‘His royal tent, he will then set up

Between the sea and the Holy Mountain of Glory

Until he comes to his end…

When no one will be able save him.’

Daniel (2nd century CE) 12

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¹ ‘And in that very same hour,

The Highest Messenger, MichaEl, will come

(The one who keeps watch on the sons of your people),

And a difficult time will arrive

Such as has never happened before,

And will never happen again.

‘At that time, your people will be saved

(Those whose [names] have been written in the scroll),

² And many that are sleeping in graves will arise,

Some to life throughout the ages,

And others to disgrace and ages of shame.

³ ‘Then, those who understand what I’m saying

Will shine like lights in the firmament.

And the many that prove themselves righteous

Will shine like stars throughout the ages.

⁴ ‘And you, O DaniEl,

‘Cover these words and seal up the scroll

Until the time of the end.

[It’s a time when] many will be taught

And knowledge will be multiplied.’

⁵ Then I, DaniEl, looked and I saw two others that were also standing there, one on this side of the river, and the other on the opposite bank. ⁶  One of them asked the man in the linen clothes that was standing over the water in the river:

‘When will all these wonders of which you spoke reach their conclusion?’

⁷ And the man in the linen clothes who was standing over the river raised both his right and left hands high towards the heavens, and he swore an oath to The God who lives throughout ages, saying:

‘The holy ones will be scattered

For 3-1/2 times,

Before these things reach their end.’

⁸ Well, I heard it, but I didn’t understand it.

So I said:

‘O lord, when will these things that you’ve spoke about start to happen? And when will your judgment arrive?’

⁹ And he said:

‘Go, O DaniEl,

‘Cover and seal up these words!

¹⁰ ‘For, there’ll be many who are chosen

And they’ll be [dressed] in white robes.

‘By fire, they’ll be purified…

And thereafter, they’ll all be made holy.

‘But the sinners will continue to sin,

And they won’t be seeking knowledge.

¹¹ ‘From the time the disgusting destroyer arrives

And the sacrificing comes to an end

Is 1,290 days.

¹² ‘And all of those will be blest

Who endure all the way to the end,

Of 1,335 days.

¹³ ‘Now, [you’ll] go to your rest

Until that day and hour arrives.

For then, you’ll be resurrected,

And you’ll receive your inheritance

After those days reach their end.’

Daniel (Old Greek)

In the future, we will provided a translation of the oldest version of Daniel, the Old Greek, which the first century Christians used.

This is a placeholder for that work.

The other (2nd century) version

The other version of Daniel was translated from Hebrew into Greek in the 2nd century CE (about 300 or 400 years after the rest of the Septuagint) by the Jewish scholar Theodotian. It gradually replaced the former Greek version of Daniel that everybody used. By the 4th century CE, the former version had been completely replaced by this version.

This is important, because the Hebrew text of Daniel (on which all Bibles are based) may have suffered deliberate corruption in the late 1st century CE, and the 2nd century Greek version is simply a copy of that corrupted Hebrew version.

In other words, you may not get much more insight into Daniel’s prophecies from that version than from a normal Hebrew-based Bible. However, the ‘Old Greek’ version could, perhaps, be a more authentic version of Daniel – if it really shows what Daniel originally said before the 1st century.

The ‘Old Greek’ version was lost for centuries until it turned up again in the 1770s in the Codex Chisianus 88. We now have two other copies.

The differences are generally small (perhaps quite meaningless to a modern reader), but considering the great interest people have in Daniel’s prophecies, even a small difference may have large implications.

Unfortunately, we didn’t appreciate the value of the Old Greek version when we first produced our translation of Daniel. So, for now, the 2001 Translation only has the 2nd century CE translation by Theodotion (just like other Septuagint translations). However, in the future, we’ll also provide a translation of the Old Greek version of Daniel here.

For now, you can download a side-by-side translation of both versions in a PDF over at the NETS project.

Hosea

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Hosea is the record of the prophecy given to Prophet Hosea.

It’s primarily against the breakaway 10-tribe Kingdom of IsraEl in the north. It was written sometime between 790 BCE and 830 BCE. God warns them that He sees their crimes – which include child sacrifice – and will punish them by allowing the Assyrians to invade.

Most of this book is poetry

Something that only a Bible translator would notice is when words are in the form of Hebrew poetry. There’s a definite cadence that can be seen in the original language. Therefore, because this is the chosen style of God, we’ve tried to recreate it as it was originally intended: in poetic verse.

Why use poetry?

Poetry must conform to a certain rhythm and style. These act as memory aids, helping you to recall the words, making it easier for messages to be spread via the most common communication method of the time: song.

Who was talking?

When translating the words of the Prophets, you can’t help but notice the constant changing personal pronouns (I, you, he, they, etc.) used in the text. It makes it very confusing to figure out exactly who’s talking.

However, we now realize one reason for the confusion that’s usually overlooked: God didn’t speak to the Prophets personally. Rather, He sent His messages through a mediator, either referred to as a messenger (an angel), or sometimes as ‘The Word’ (which some interpret to mean Yeshua).

So there are actually three voices speaking:

1. That of the Prophet, who sometimes quotes himself,

2. That of the angelic messenger who’s bringing the message from God,

3. The words of God Himself (which we put in italics).

How can we tell the difference? From the context, the pronouns, and the tenses:

1. When the Prophet speaks, he’s either clearly reporting what he said or did, or is simply saying what was happening.

2. When the angelic messenger speaks, he talks about God in the third person.

3 When God is speaking, all references to God are naturally spoken in the first person.

Did we get it all right? Probably not, but it has been an honest attempt at doing so. If you think you’ve spotted a place where our choice is incorrect, please let us know and we’ll reconsider it.

Hosea 1

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¹ The Word of Yahweh came to Hosea (son of BeEri) in the days of UzziAh, JoTham Ahaz, and HezekiAh the kings of Judah, and in the days of JeroBoam (son of JoAsh) the king of IsraEl.

² This is the beginning of the Word of Yahweh by Hosea.

The [messenger of the] Lord spoke to Hosea and said this:

‘Take a woman for yourself from the whores

So that children [can be born] from her whoring;

Because, by chasing after immoral sex,

The land has strayed from Yahweh.’

³ So [Hosea] went and took Gomer, the daughter of DiBlaim and she got pregnant and bore a son to him.

⁴ Then [the messenger of] the Lord said to him:

‘Call his name JezreEl;

For, in a short while, I’ll bring vengeance

On the house of Judah for [the city of] JezreEl’s blood,

And to the Kingdom of IsraEl,

I’m also bringing an end.

⁵ In that day, I’ll break IsraEl’s bow

There in the valley of JezreEl.’

⁶ Then she got pregnant again and gave birth to a daughter. And [the messenger of the Lord] said to him:

‘Call her name, Show No Mercy;

For on IsraEl’s house, I’ll show no mercy…

Yes I’ll stand against and oppose them.

⁷ ‘Yet, by the power of Yahweh their God,

I’ll show mercy upon Judah’s sons

And I’ll bring them salvation.

But, I’ll not save by the bow or the sword,

Nor by battles of horses and horsemen.’

⁸ Well, after she weaned Show No Mercy, she got pregnant again and bore another son to him.

⁹ And [the messenger of the Lord] said:

‘Call his name, Not My People;

For, you’re no longer my people,

And I’m no part of you.

¹⁰ ‘Yet the number of IsraEl’s sons

Will become as great as the sands of the seas,

So that no one can measure or count them.

‘And it’ll be in that place

Where I told them that they’re no longer my people;

They’ll be called, The Living God’s Sons.

¹¹ ‘Then they’ll gather the sons of IsraEl and Judah

And appoint someone to rule over them.

But, from this land,

They’ll [now be taken away];

For, [the city of] JezreEl’s day [of reckoning] will be great!’

Hosea 2

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¹ [‘And God said:]

‘Now the brother, Not My People, should speak,

As should his sister, Show No Mercy.

² They should plead with their mother,

Although she’s not really My woman

And I’m not really her man.

‘For I’ll bring an end to her whoring

And the adultery she commits between her two breasts.

³ Then I’ll strip her down ‘til she’s naked

And make her like the day she was born.

‘To be wiped away, I’ll appoint her,

And I’ll make her a waterless land…

Then I’ll destroy her with thirst.

⁴ ‘And on her children, I won’t show mercy,

For, they’re the result of her whoring…

⁵ Because their mother was immoral,

The one who bore them, disgraced them.

‘For she said:

‘I’ll follow my lovers…

Those who provided my water and bread,

As well as my clothes and fine linen robes,

Along with my olive oil,

And the rest of the things that I truly deserve.’

⁶ ‘For this, {Look!} with barbs, I’ll close up her way…

I’ll block her ways and her roads

So she’ll not be easily found.

⁷ ‘Then, when she chases her lovers,

She’ll not be able catch them…

She’ll search for them, but not find them.

‘Then she’ll say:

‘I’ll return to my man,

For with him, things had always been better.’

⁸ ‘But she doesn’t know that I’m the one

Who provided her grain and her wine,

As well as her oil and her silver.

‘But then she took My silver and gold

And used it to make things for BaAl.

⁹ And for doing this, I’ll return

And remove my grain in its season,

As well as my wine in its time.

‘Then I’ll take away all of her clothes,

As well as My linen robes,

And leave her with nothing to cover her shame.

¹⁰ ‘I’ll expose her filth to her lovers,

And from My hand, she won’t be saved.

¹¹ I’ll remove the joy of her feasts,

And her holidays, New Moons, and Sabbaths.

¹² I’ll also take all the grapes and the figs

That she thought were the pay from her lovers.

‘Then I’ll appoint [those men] to witness [against her],

And she’ll be eaten by the beasts in the fields,

As well as by the birds in the skies

And the things that crawl on the ground.

¹³ ‘Yes, I’ll take vengeance upon her

For each day that she offered to BaAl…

When she put on her necklace and earrings

And forgot Me to chase after lovers,’ said Yahweh.

¹⁴ ‘And for this, {Look!} I’ll cause her to wander,

And I’ll order desolation upon her.

But then, I’ll speak to her heart,

And I’ll give back her things…

I’ll turn that troublesome valley

Into a valley of hope.

¹⁵ I’ll make her as humble as she was in her youth…

Like the day that she came up from Egypt.

¹⁶ ‘And in that day, says Yahweh,

She will call Me her Husband…

No more will she call out to a BaAl!

¹⁷ For the name of a BaAl, I’ll lift from her mouth,

And she won’t remember his name.

¹⁸ ‘And in that day, I’ll conclude

An agreement with the beasts of the fields,

As well as with the birds in the skies,

And with the things that crawl on the ground.

‘I’ll also break all the broadswords and bows…

Yes, I’ll bring an end to the wars,

And I’ll send hope to the land.

¹⁹ ‘I’ll take her as My woman throughout the ages…

I’ll take her rightly and fairly…

In mercy and compassion, [I’ll welcome her back].

²⁰ I’ll take her to Myself in full trust,

And she’ll think of Me as her Lord.

²¹ ‘And in that day, says Yahweh,

To the skies, I’ll turn My attention.

Then, they’ll tend to the land,

²² And the land will tend to the grain

As well as to the wine and the oil…

To [the city of] JezreEl they’ll pay attention once more.

²³ ‘I’ll plant her in the ground for Myself,

And I’ll love the one who’s unloved.

Then I’ll say:

‘You’re My people!’

‘To those who weren’t really Mine;

And she will say:

‘Yahweh is My God!’

Hosea 3

←2 | All books | All chapters | 4→

¹ And the [messenger of the] Lord said to me:

‘Go again and love an adulteress

Who wishes to do what’s evil!

For, even though Yahweh loved IsraEl’s sons,

They’ve looked to strange gods,

And of raisin cakes, they’ve been fond!’

² So I hired [such a woman] for myself for 15 silver coins, 200 quarts (190l) of barley, and a skin flask of wine. ³ And I said to her:

‘You must now sit next to me and you may not be immoral or be with [another man] for many days… You must be mine alone! ⁴ For this is how the sons of IsraEl will sit for some time… Without a king or a ruler, and with no altar, sacrifices, priesthood, or anything else to give them direction.

⁵ ‘But after these things are completed, IsraEl’s sons will return to search for their God Yahweh and for David to serve as their king. So at the end of the days, they’ll find joy in Yahweh and with the good things that He provides.’

Hosea 4

←3 | All books | All chapters | 5→

¹ [Hosea now says:]

‘O sons of IsraEl, hear the Word of Yahweh!

‘For He has a case against all of you…

Those who now live in this land,

Because you have no mercy or truth,

Or any knowledge of God:

² ‘Cursing, lying, murder, and fraud,

As well as adultery, cover your land.

You’ve also mingled blood with your blood…

And for this, your land will now mourn.

³ ‘So those living here will be fewer…

And all the game in the fields,

All the birds in the skies,

And all the fish in the seas will now fail.

⁴ ‘Then there’ll be no priests or judges to scold you;

⁵ For each day, I’ll be making them weaker.

And I’ll do the same to your prophets…

So your mother will then be [the darkness of] night.

⁶ ‘For, from my people, they’ve taken the knowledge…

And because they’ve pushed higher knowledge away,

I’ll push them away…

They won’t be My priests anymore!

‘And because you’ve forgotten the laws of your God,

I’ll be forgetting your children.

⁷ So because of your sins against Me,

Their glory, I’ll appoint to dishonor.

⁸ Then My people will have to eat their own sins,

As their lives will be claimed by their unrighteous ways.

⁹ ‘And these things that will happen to the people

Will also happen to the priests…

Yes I’ll bring my vengeance upon them

For all of their evil ways,

And I’ll pay them back for their [unrighteous] thoughts.

¹⁰ ‘Then they’ll eat and never be filled;

For, they’ve become whores who can’t straighten their ways.

They no longer look [to their God] anymore;

Yes, they’ve abandoned Yahweh!

¹¹ For whoring, wine, and strong drink

Have captured the hearts of My people.

¹² ‘They now look to omens for answers,

And [wave magic] wands for replies.

In a spirit of whoring, they’ve wandered,

And to their God, they’re unfaithful.

¹³ ‘They offer sacrifices upon the hill tops

And beneath the oaks and white poplars,

As well under the rest of the trees,

[To ask] for good and protection.

‘For this, your daughters will all become whores

And your brides will be filled with adultery.

¹⁴ Then, I’ll not visit your daughters

When they’re found guilty of whoring!

Nor [will I visit] your daughters-in-law

When they’re committing adultery!

‘Among prostitutes, they’ll all be mixed

(Among those [that offer their bodies]).

And since the men won’t understand,

They’ll just treat them like whores.’

¹⁵ ‘So IsraEl... Stop being stupid!

And Judah... Stop going to GilGal

And to the temple at BethEl!

‘Nor should you say, ‘As Yahweh is living,’

When you’re swearing your oaths!

¹⁶ For since IsraEl is now like a heifer in heat,

She’ll be fattened like a lamb in a feedlot.

¹⁷ ‘And because Ephraim has partnered with idols,

He’s set his own snares.

¹⁸ For with CanaAnite whores he’s had sex,

And he’s loved the dishonor of their neighing.

¹⁹ So a mighty wind will now sweep him away,

And his altars will bring him disgrace.’

Hosea 5

←4 | All books | All chapters | 6→

¹ [And Hosea continues:]

‘Hear these things, O you priests…

And house of IsraEl, you should pay close attention.

O house of the king, you must listen too;

For there’s a judgment that’s coming against you!

[‘For God says:]

‘Despite your important positions,

You’ve become your own snares.

So I’m stretching a net on [Mount] Tabor

² (The type that they use to catch game),

And I’ll be the One who corrects you.

³ ‘I remember Ephraim and IsraEl

Before they had strayed far from Me.

But, Ephraim has since been immoral,

And IsraEl is also defiled…

⁴ Neither has remembered to turn to their God.’

‘Now the spirit of whoring is in them,

And they’ve [forgotten] Yahweh.

⁵ So because of her insolent ways,

IsraEl’s face will be humbled.

And for Ephraim’s unrighteous ways,

I’ll bring weakness upon him…

And I’ll also bring weakness on Judah.’

⁶ ‘Although they bring before Him their sheep and their calves,

There’s no way that they’ll follow Yahweh.

So now, they can no longer find Him,

Because they’ve all turned away.

⁷ ‘Yes, they’ve abandoned Yahweh,

And to children of strangers, they’re now giving birth.

So, they and all that they’d hope to inherit

Will soon be eaten by blight.

⁸ [‘For God says:]

‘So, blow the trumpets on the hill tops…

Sound it from all the high places!

In the house of On, you should proclaim it,

So that BenJamin will also be shaken.

⁹ For, Ephraim will soon be destroyed

In the day of correction!

‘Although IsraEl’s tribes once put faith in Me,

¹⁰ The rulers of Judah then joined with the rest

That moved the property markers…

So I’ll pour My rage upon them like water!

¹¹ ‘Yes, Ephraim [will be oppressed]

Because he’s trampled on justice,

And because he’s chased worthless things.

¹² So to Ephraim, I’m sending disturbance,

And to the house of Judah, I’ll now be a spur.

¹³ ‘Although Ephraim saw his disease,

And although Judah understood his reasons for grief;

Ephraim looked to Assyria

And asked their king for his aid…

But [that king] won’t be able to save them,

And he won’t bring an end to their grief.

¹⁴ ‘So to Ephraim, I’ll now be a panther,

And to the house of Judah, a lion…

For I’ll snatch them away and I’ll go…

I’ll grab them and no one will save them.

¹⁵ Then I’ll go back to My place,

And I won’t be seen again ‘til the time

That they turn and search for My face.’

Hosea 6

←5 | All books | All chapters | 7→

¹ ‘But, when they’re oppressed, they’ll rise early;

And then, about Yahweh, they’ll say:

‘We should return to our God;

For He’ll snatch us away and then heal us.

He’ll attack them and then dress our wounds…

² Yes, after two days, He’ll restore us;

Then, by the third day, we’ll be alive

And we’ll be standing before Him!

³ ‘Knowledge of Him, we’ll know and pursue…

We’ll find Him at the first crack of dawn.

Then like morning rain, He will arrive…

Yes, like evening rain on the ground.’

⁴ ‘[But right now God says:]

‘O Ephraim, what must I do?

And Judah, what must I do?

For your mercy is like morning fog,

Which like the dew, fades away.

⁵ ‘So, by the Prophets, I’ve mowed you down,

And I’ve killed you with words from My mouth…

My judgments upon you have gone forth like light.

⁶ ‘What I want is mercy, not sacrifice…

Higher knowledge instead of burnt-offerings!

⁷ But you’ve broken your Sacred Agreement with Me,

And you’ve shown Me your hatred.

⁸ ‘GileAd is a city of wasted deeds…

One which muddies the water.

⁹ For her strength now comes from her thieves,

And her priests also murder from ambush.

‘So, SheChem has committed unrighteous acts

Against the house of IsraEl,

¹⁰ And causes for shuddering, I’ve seen there;

So because of Ephraim’s whoring,

Both IsraEl and Judah have now been defiled.

¹¹ Thus they’ll reap [from the vine] of rebellion

Until I bring back My people.’

Hosea 7

←6 | All books | All chapters | 8→

¹ [‘And God continues:]

‘When I brought healing to IsraEl,

It exposed the injustice of Ephraim,

As well as Samaria’s evils.

For at first, they all just told lies;

Then, from among them, came thieves,

And robbers led them out to the highways.

² ‘They sang together of the evil in their hearts,

Remembering all the [bad things] they’d done.

And now, they’re covered by the things that they chose…

What they did in front of My face!

³ ‘And all the bad things that they’ve done

Have gladdened [the hearts] of their kings…

Their lying ways delighted their rulers!

⁴ ‘Now, all those who are committing adultery

Are in an ‘oven’ that’s heated for baking by flames…

They’ve been ‘kneaded’ and allowed to grow fat

And the [whole ball] has ‘fermented.’

⁵ ‘For, in the days of their kings,

Their rulers became enraged by their wine,

And they held out their [arms] towards vile men…

⁶ Those whose hearts were burning like kilns.

‘Then, Ephraim’s sleep became filled

With [thoughts of destroying] all night…

And in the morning, they burst into flames.

⁷ They all became heated like ovens,

And then they devoured their judges.

So, although all their kings have now fallen,

No one has called out to Me.

⁸ ‘Now, Ephraim’s people are all intermixed…

They’re like a cake that’s been baked in hot ashes,

Which [no one has bothered] to turn.

⁹ ‘So, strangers have eaten his strength

While he wasn’t paying attention…

And after that, his hair all turned grey;

Yet, he was still unaware.’

¹⁰ [Hosea says:]

‘Now, IsraEl’s insolent ways

Will bring humility to their faces;

For, they haven’t turned towards Yahweh their God…

No, after these things have all happened,

They haven’t gone looking for Him.

¹¹ ‘So Ephraim has become like a dove

That has no mind and no heart.

First, he called out to Egypt,

And then, to Assyria, he [turned].

¹² [‘And God says:]

‘But, when they go there, I’ll throw out My net

And I’ll catch them like birds…

I’ll drag them down and correct them,

And listen as they’re tormented.

¹³ ‘Yes, woe to them, for they’ve leaped away…

O how wretched their lives have become

In their irreverence towards Me.

‘Although I’m the One who once paid their ransom,

They spoke against Me and lied…

¹⁴ In their hearts, they failed to call out…

They just laid there and shrieked in their beds,

As they sold themselves for wine and for bread.

¹⁵ ‘When they were corrected by Me,

I also strengthened their arms!

But then, against Me, they hatched wicked plots.

¹⁶ ‘So when they return, they’ll have nothing…

They’ll be like a bow that’s stretched tight,

And their rulers will fall by the sword,

Because they’ve said stupid things;

Then in the land of Egypt, they’ll all be defiled.’

Hosea 8

←7 | All books | All chapters | 9→

¹ ‘Yes their land is in [Egypt’s hands],

And against them, an eagle now flies,

Because they’ve broken [God’s] Sacred Agreement,

And they’ve disregarded His Laws.

² ‘However, before Him, they cry out:

‘O God, Aren’t we the same ones who’ve known You?’

³ ‘But they threw away the good things He sent

And turned to His enemies for aid.’

⁴ [‘For God said:]

‘By themselves, they chose their own rulers

(No, they didn’t ask Me),

And when these men started to rule,

They saw no reason to tell Me.

Then with silver and gold they made idols…

So now, they must be wiped away!

⁵ ‘O Samaria; get rid of your calves,

Because they provoke Me to rage…

How much longer will IsraEl stay dirty?

⁶ For [your calves] are just things that you’ve made [with your hands]…

No, they aren’t really gods!

And Samaria; you’ve strayed because of your calves!

⁷ ‘Yes, the seeds of destruction, you’ve sown to the wind,

And now your end is searching for you.

You’re a stalk of grain too weak to give flour,

And if you could give just a little,

It would be eaten by strangers.

⁸ ‘So IsraEl will be swallowed down,

And they won’t be a power among other nations.

⁹ For, up to Assyria she traveled,

And as Ephraim so loves to do,

She offered them bribes [for their aid].

¹⁰ ‘So among the nations, they’ll be scattered

And there, they’ll just be too weak

To again anoint rulers and kings for themselves.

¹¹ ‘Ephraim has built many altars,

And these alters that she loves are the [roots] of her sins.

¹² So for them, I’ll write extra laws,

Because she loves those strange altars.’

¹³ [And Hosea comments:]

‘But if they place their sacrifices on them,

And if they thereafter eat all the meat;

[God] still won’t receive them in favor.

‘For, their unrighteous ways are what He’ll recall…

And for their sins, He’ll send vengeance upon them.

Yes, they’ve turned back to Egypt,

¹⁴ And forgotten the One by whom they were made.

[‘For God says:]

‘Sacred precincts have also been established

Within the walls of the cities of Judah.

So, I’ll send fire to their cities

And burn them to their foundations.’

Hosea 9

←8 | All books | All chapters | 10→

¹ ‘Therefore, IsraEl; don’t rejoice,

For your people don’t have any reasons for joy.

Since against Yahweh, you’ve been a whore.

‘You’ve loved the gifts of the grain

From the threshing floors where they laid you.

² But your threshing-floor grain [won’t feed you],

And the wine in your vats will [soon fail].

³ ‘For you chose not to dwell in the land of Yahweh…

Yes, life in Egypt is what you preferred,

And with the Assyrians, you ate what’s unclean.

⁴ ‘You offered Yahweh no wine,

And set nothing delicious before Him.

So your sacrifices became like the bread

That’s offered in mourning…

It defiles all those who would eat it.

‘So, since you can’t bring your bread to [His Temple]

For [the purpose of saving] your lives;

⁵ What will you do on your feasts to Yahweh

And on His festival days?

⁶ {Look!} For, because you’ve done all of these wicked things,

To the misery of Egypt, I’ll send you!

‘Then, Memphis will watch over you,

And in Machmas, you’ll be buried.

So then ruin will inherit your silver,

And thorns will grow in your tents.

⁷ For the days of His vengeance will have arrived…

The time when you’ll receive what you’re due!

‘As a prophet without inspiration,

Is how IsraEl will view her affliction…

Like a man blown away by the wind.

And because you’ve been so unrighteous,

The pressures [in your lives] will increase.

⁸ ‘Even though Ephraim’s watchmen once [walked] with God;

Their prophets have become crooked snares,

And madness [now reigns] in their temples.

⁹ ‘Yes, they’ve been corrupt since the days of the hills;

So He won’t forget their unrighteous ways,

And He’ll punish them for all their sins.

¹⁰ [‘And God says:]

‘O IsraEl,

‘Back when I had first found you,

It was like finding grapes in the desert

Or early figs on a tree.

But thereafter, as I was still watching,

Your fathers [chose to bow to] BaAl Peor…

And that’s when you left [Me] in shame

To become something disgusting…

Something that’s no longer loved.

¹¹ ‘Now, Ephraim’s like a bird that flew [from its nest],

For they’ve lost the glory of [the place of] their birth

As well as their pangs of conception.

¹² So, although they still nourish their children,

They’ll soon be childless along with the rest.

‘O woe, when I tear away all their flesh!

¹³ For Ephraim’s young will be treated like game…

Their children will be led out and stabbed!’

¹⁴ [And Hosea says:]

‘Yes, give it to them, O Yahweh…

Yes, please give it to them!

Give them a womb that’s childless,

As well as breasts that are dry!

¹⁵ [‘For God says:]

‘In GilGal their evil deeds are now done,

And that’s where [they’ve gained] all My hatred.

Because of the evils they’ve done there,

I’ll throw them away and love them no more,

For none of their rulers [will listen].

¹⁶ ‘Although Ephraim was [like a vine] I tended and hoed,

His roots have still become dry,

And this is why he no longer bears fruit.

Thus, when they give birth, I’ll destroy

Those whom they love from their bellies.

¹⁷ ‘Yes, I’ll push them away,

Because they’re refusing to listen to Me…

Then, among the gentiles, they’ll wander.’

Hosea 10

←9 | All books | All chapters | 11→

¹ ‘IsraEl was a vine with many good branches,

And her fruit was [once] straight and true.

But the more of her fruit [I provided],

The more they built altars to others.

And the more prosperity [I brought to] the land,

The more they built [shrines to other gods].

² ‘Yes they gave their hearts to such things,

So now, they’ll be wiped away.

For I’ll cut their altars down to the ground

And empty out all of their shrines.

³ ‘They say:

‘We don’t have a king anymore…

Someone we feared [more than God];

For, what was Yahweh able to do?’

⁴ ‘So they give excuses and lie;

But because I had an agreement with them,

My judgments will soon rise against them

Like weeds in an untended field.

⁵ ‘To the calf in the [temple] at BethEl

The people of Samaria now go.

And there, My people have wailed…

Which has embittered My soul.

For when they should have rejoiced in My glory,

They chose to move far away.

⁶ ‘So Assyrians will chain them and lead them away

As gifts and tributes to their king.

And then it’ll be by His decree

That Ephraim and IsraEl will be shamed.

⁷ ‘Samaria threw away her [true] King,

As though throwing a stick across water.

⁸ So the shrines at BethEl (IsraEl’s sin)

Will soon be lifted away.

‘Then upon all of their altars

Thorns and thistles will grow.

So, they’ll say to the mountains:

‘Come and cover us over!’

‘And they’ll say to the hills:

‘Fall upon us!’

⁹ ‘But for as long as the hills have existed,

IsraEl has stood in her sins.

So no way will her hills [then come to her aid]

When war arrives on her unrighteous young

¹⁰ To correct them and bind them together…

For, it’ll take [war] to straighten their ways.

¹¹ ‘Ephraim is [like] a heifer who’s learned to love fights;

But, I’ll [grab hold] of her neck

And lead Ephraim off as [a captive].

I [will also force] Judah [to plow],

And Jacob [to break the hard ground].’

¹² ‘So, you should sow what’s righteous,

And gather the vintage of life!

On yourselves, you should shine light of knowledge,

And keep on seeking Yahweh

Until your [hearts] become righteous!

¹³ ‘Why prefer to overlook the bad things you do

And gather the vintage [wine] of the unrighteous?

For you’re eating fruit that’s false,

And in [war] chariots, you’re putting your faith…

You’re trusting in your own power.

¹⁴ But destruction will come to your people,

And all your walled [cities] will fall!

‘O house of IsraEl,

‘As ShalMan once treated the house of JeroBoam

In the day of their war,

And dashed the mothers on top of their young…

¹⁵ That’s how I’ll treat you for your wicked ways!’

Hosea 11

←10 | All books | All chapters | 12→

¹ [And God continues:]

‘It was early on when they were disowned,

And IsraEl’s kings were also disowned.

But as an infant, IsraEl was so deeply loved,

So I called his children from Egypt.

² But, as I was calling them back,

They started turning from Me…

To BaAl Im they brought sacrifices,

And burned incense before the idols they carved.

³ ‘I once held Ephraim [tight] in my arms…

And when he didn’t know Me, I healed him.

⁴ While he was in the corrupt state of men,

I wrapped him in the bonds of My love.

‘To him, I became like a [father]…

One who disciplines him…

So I’ll watch over him and I’ll win!

⁵ ‘But to the land of Egypt, he won’t return,

For Assyria’s king will now rule him

Because he refused to turn from [bad ways].

⁶ ‘So, swords will rage in their cities

And they’ll consume the bars on their gates…

For their bad decisions, they’ll be destroyed!

⁷ ‘Their people have clung to the things in their homes,

And I’m enraged by the things they hold dear.

So as a result, I won’t bless them.

⁸ ‘How should I treat you, O Ephraim…

How can I shield you, O IsraEl?

Should I treat you the same as I’ve treated AdMah?

Will I appoint you as I did to Zeboim?

‘Will My heart be changed in such matters…

Shouldn’t such things upset Me…

Yes, shouldn’t such deeds make Me sad?

⁹ ‘But no way will I send all My rage upon you…

No way will I wipe Ephraim away.

For, I am your God (not a man)…

I’m the Holy One in your midst,

So I won’t enter your cities!’

¹⁰ [And Hosea pleads:]

‘But now, you must [return to] Yahweh;

Or He will roar like a lion

And startle your young by the sea in the west.

[‘For God says:]

¹¹ ‘They’ll be startled like a bird out of Egypt,

And like Assyrian doves;

Then I’ll bring them back to their homes,’ says Yahweh.

¹² ‘By Ephraim, I was circled with lies…

By the irreverence of the houses of IsraEl and Judah.’

‘But Yahweh will know them once more

And call them The Holy People of God.’

Hosea 12

←11 | All books | All chapters | 13→

¹ ‘Like an evil wind, Ephraim’s become…

One who pursues burning winds all day long

And does many things that are empty and vain.

With Assyria, he’s made treaties of peace,

And he’s traded olive oil down in Egypt.

² ‘And Yahweh has a case against Judah,

So He’ll punish Jacob according to his ways,

Then pay him back for the bad things he’s done.

³ ‘For, while he was still in the womb,

He caught the heel of his brother

And grew in strength with his God.

⁴ With an angel, he wrestled and won;

Then he wept and begged [for a blessing].’

[‘And God said:]

‘So, there in [BethEl], he found Me.

⁵ And it was also there where I said

From now on, I must be remembered

As Yahweh, the Almighty.’

⁶ ‘So, you should return to your God…

Show mercy and learn to be fair…

Yes, always [stay close] to Yahweh!

[‘Yet God says:]

⁷ ‘Yet, in [your land], you have unrighteous scales,

And you love to tyrannize others.

⁸ So, Ephraim is saying:

‘I’ve become rich,

And I’ve found many ways to relax.’

‘But he’ll never see the fruits of his work,

Because of the evil he’s doing.

⁹ ‘I am Yahweh, your God…

I’m the One who led you from Egypt.

And I’ll settle you in your tents once again

As I did in the days of My holiday feasts.

¹⁰ ‘Once more, I’ll speak by My Prophets,

And many visions, I’ll send them;

For it’s through the hands of the Prophets

That I’m being described.’

¹¹ [And Hosea says:]

‘GilGal no longer exists

Because their kings offered things that were false.

So their altars are heaps of turtle manure…

The type that’s found in unplanted fields.

¹² ‘To the plains of Syria, Jacob had gone,

As IsraEl’s servant searched for a wife;

Then, for a woman, he watched over sheep.

¹³ ‘And it was by [JoSeph], a Prophet of God,

That IsraEl was led down to Egypt.

Then, by that very same Prophet,

IsraEl’s people were saved.

¹⁴ ‘But now that Ephraim’s provoked [God] to rage;

His blood will be poured out upon him…

For Yahweh will pay him back for his scorn.’

Hosea 13

←12 | All books | All chapters | 14→

¹ ‘According to what Ephraim said;

IsraEl’s righteous laws came from Him…

Then he turned to a BaAl and he died.

² ‘Yet, they’ve continued to sin,

And cast images of idols with their silver,

Which are thereafter finished by craftsmen

Who say:

‘Now we must sacrifice men,

Because there aren’t enough calves anymore!’

³ ‘So, they’re like morning fog,

Which like the dew, fades away…

As chaff on the floors, they’ll just blow away,

And like tears, they’ll dry.

⁴ ‘[God says:]

‘I am Yahweh your God…

I’m the One who led you from Egypt,

And no other God, should you know,

For there are no saviors other than Me!

⁵ ‘I shepherded you in the desert,

And in barren lands, made pastures for you.

⁶ But then, your hearts became haughty,

And because of this, you forgot Me.

⁷ ‘So I’ll be like a panther or a leopard to you…

Like the ways of the Assyrian people.

⁸ Then like an angry bear, I’ll attack you!

Yes, I’ll rip you to pieces,

Then feed you to my cubs in the woods…

Wild beasts of the fields will rip you apart!’

⁹ ‘O IsraEl,

‘Because you’re now so corrupt,

Who will come to your aid?

¹⁰ ‘And what has happened to your king…

Why isn’t he saving your cities…

Why doesn’t he come and serve as your judge?

‘A long time ago you had asked Me

To give you a king as your ruler!

¹¹ So I gave you a king in My anger,

And My rage was then satisfied.

¹² ‘But from Ephraim, then came much injustice,

And he tried to cover his sins.

¹³ So the pangs of birth are now coming to him.

And even his smartest of sons

Won’t stop the destruction of his young.

¹⁴ ‘Will I save them from the hands of the grave?

Will I [pay] their ransom from death?

Where is your punishment, O death,

And where is your sting, O place of the dead?

For, consoling them is far from My eyes!

¹⁵ ‘This is why I’ll separate brothers

And send burning winds from the desert to them,

Which will dry up their veins

And wipe away all their springs…

Their land and good things will wither and dry.

¹⁶ ‘Samaria will be wiped away

Because she resisted her God.

So her people will fall by the sword…

Then those by her breasts will be dashed [to the ground]

And those in the womb will be shredded!’

Hosea 14

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¹ [And Hosea continues:]

‘O IsraEl,

‘Return to Yahweh, your God!

For because of your sins, you’ve become weak.

² Follow your own [good advice]

And then turn back to Yahweh!

‘Just ask Him to please overlook

All of your unrighteous ways

So that you can receive what’s good

And be repaid for the fruit of your lips.

³ [‘For God says:]

‘Assyria won’t be your savior,

And upon their war horses, you’ll never ride.

So stop calling those hand-made things gods,

And start showing mercy to orphans!

⁴ Then I’ll repair all your homes;

I’ll turn back my rage;

And I’ll confess that I love you!

⁵ ‘To IsraEl, once more, I’ll become

Like dew that arrives in the morning;

Then, like a lily, he’ll blossom again

And grow roots like Lebanon’s [trees].’

⁶ ‘Yes his branches will grow very full;

And like olive trees, he’ll bear so much fruit

That to Lebanon, its scent will be carried.

⁷ ‘Then, they’ll all be returned,

And in His protection, they’ll sit.

They’ll live amidst plenty of grain,

And like grapevines, they’ll blossom…

They’ll be remembered like Lebanon’s wines.

⁸ [‘For God says:]

‘O Ephraim,

‘What good are all of your idols?

Am I not the One who is humbling you

And the One who can make you strong once again?

For I’m a dense juniper tree,

And it’s only by Me that you can bear fruit!’

⁹ ‘So, who among you is wise,

And who understands all these things…

Who among you can recognize them?

For the ways of Yahweh are straight,

And the righteous will live by these ways

While the irreverent will stumble and fall.’

Joel

01  02  03  All books

Joel is the record of a late 7th Century BCE prophecy given to Prophet Joel.

It dates from before Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians, and concerns the city’s destruction and later restoration. In the book of Acts, Peter quotes part of this prophecy when explaining how some of these words were fulfilled in JeruSalem on the Day of Pentecost in 33 CE.

Most of this book is poetry

Something that only a Bible translator would notice is when words are in the form of Hebrew poetry. There’s a definite cadence that can be seen in the original language. Therefore, because this is the chosen style of God, we’ve tried to recreate it as it was originally intended: in poetic verse.

Why use poetry?

Poetry must conform to a certain rhythm and style. These act as memory aids, helping you to recall the words, making it easier for messages to be spread via the most common communication method of the time: song.

Who was talking?

When translating the words of the Prophets, you can’t help but notice the constant changing personal pronouns (I, you, he, they, etc.) used in the text. It makes it very confusing to figure out exactly who’s talking.

However, we now realize one reason for the confusion that’s usually overlooked: God didn’t speak to the Prophets personally. Rather, He sent His messages through a mediator, either referred to as a messenger (an angel), or sometimes as ‘The Word’ (which some interpret to mean Yeshua).

So there are actually three voices speaking:

1. That of the Prophet, who sometimes quotes himself,

2. That of the angelic messenger who’s bringing the message from God,

3. The words of God Himself (which we put in italics).

How can we tell the difference? From the context, the pronouns, and the tenses:

1. When the Prophet speaks, he’s either clearly reporting what he said or did, or is simply saying what was happening.

2. When the angelic messenger speaks, he talks about God in the third person.

3 When God is speaking, all references to God are naturally spoken in the first person.

Did we get it all right? Probably not, but it has been an honest attempt at doing so. If you think you’ve spotted a place where our choice is incorrect, please let us know and we’ll reconsider it.

Joel 1

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¹ These are words of Yahweh that came to JoEl (son of BathuEl).

² [Joel says:]

‘Listen to these things, O you elders…

Give ear, all you who live in the land!

Have you seen such things in your [lives]?

Were they seen in the days of your fathers?

³ ‘Describe these things to your children,

And to all the generations that follow!

[‘For God says:]

⁴ ‘For, caterpillars ate all that there was,

And locusts devoured what they didn’t eat;

Then, grasshoppers ate what remained from the locusts,

And what the grasshoppers didn’t consume,

Was thereafter destroyed by the blight.

⁵ ‘Now, sober up and start crying,

All you who are drunk from your wine;

For, joy and gladness are gone from your mouths,

⁶ Since a powerful and populous nation,

Has now arrived in your land.

‘They have teeth that are like those of lions,

And molars like those of young bears.

⁷ They’ve appointed your grapevines to extinction,

And condemned your fig-trees to splinters.

They’re searching for you and cutting you down,

So now, all of your branches are white.

⁸ ‘Therefore, wail like woman wearing sackcloth,

[Who mourns] for the man of her virgin years.

⁹ For the drink offerings and other sacrifices,

Have been removed from [His Temple].

Yes mourn, O you Priests who serve at the Altar,

¹⁰ For all of the fields now lie bare!

‘And mourn, O land, for the grain is now gone,

Also, the wine has all dried,

And the oil is in short supply,

¹¹ Because the farmers have withered away.

‘Therefore, wail for all that you own,

Since the wheat and barley are gone from the fields!

¹² ‘The grapes [have shriveled and] dried;

Very few fig-trees remain;

The pomegranates, palms, and the melons,

And all the trees in the plains are now dry…

Yes, all that brings joy to sons of men,

Has been taken away!

¹³ ‘So Priests, tie your [hands] and beat on your chests…

Yes wail, you who serve at the Altar!

Go to bed wearing sackcloth,

You who are serving before Me,

Since there’s nothing left to be sacrificed,

And nothing to bring as drink offerings,

To the House of Yahweh!’

¹⁴ [And Joel says:]

‘Call for a period of fasting…

Proclaim a solemn assembly!

Gather the elders and all of the people,

To the House of Yahweh your God,

Where all must fervently call to the Lord!

¹⁵ ‘Woe, woe, woe for this time!

For the Day of the Lord has arrived,

And misery upon misery has reached you!

¹⁶ Before your eyes, all the food was destroyed,

With the rest that brings joy to your people.

¹⁷ ‘In the stables, the cows are now restless,

Since all that they treasure is gone.

The wine vats have all been cut down,

And all of your grain is now parched…

¹⁸ So you’re left with nothing at all.’

‘The herds of oxen are bawling,

Because they don’t have any pasture,

And your flocks of sheep have all been destroyed.

¹⁹ So, you should call out to Yahweh,

For your beautiful fields have been burned,

And the flames have consumed all your trees.

[‘For God says:]

²⁰ ‘Now, even the beasts in the plains,

Have all started looking to Me,

Because their springs have gone dry,

And the desert’s beauty has vanished.’

Joel 2

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¹ [‘For God says:]

‘So, sound the trumpets in Zion,

And on the Holy Mountain, you must proclaim,

That all should bow to their faces,

For the Day of the Lord is at hand (it’s near)!

² ‘It’s a day that’s gloomy and dark…

It’s a day that’s cloudy with fog.

And as dawn peaks over the mountains,

[You can see] a vast, mighty people.

‘Throughout the ages, such a thing hasn’t happened,

And through coming years, it won’t happen again…

From one generation to another.

³ ‘A consuming fire is raging before you,

And all that’s behind you is burning.

A paradise of delights lies before you,

But all that’s behind is extinction and desert,

From which no man can escape.

⁴ ‘The sight of them is like horses…

Like cavalry in hot pursuit.

⁵ Theirs is the sound of chariot wheels

Leaping across tops of mountains…

Like the sounds of flames burning stubble,

And of a vast mighty hoard of warriors.

⁶ ‘Before them, the people will all be destroyed,

And their faces will be like burnt pots.

⁷ For as soldiers, they’ll attack you;

And as men of war, they’ll then scale your walls.

‘Each of their men will go their own ways,

And they’ll not be turned from their paths…

⁸ But, none will stray far from their brothers.

‘They’ll arrive here with shields,

And by their arrows, the people will fall…

For no way will they tire [of killing].

⁹ ‘They’ll thereafter capture the city,

And along its walls, they’ll run.

Then, into your homes, they’ll descend

And climb through your windows like thieves.

¹⁰ ‘Before their faces, there’ll be just confusion,

And even the skies will be shaken.

Then the sun and the moon will grow dark,

And the brightness of the stars will decrease.

¹¹ ‘Before his armies, the Lord will call out;

For he’s leading a great mighty hoard.

His power will be seen in the things that he does,

For great is the Day of the Lord,

Since none can stand and oppose him.

¹² ‘Now run,’ says Yahweh your God!

‘Flee to Me whole-heartedly…

Come fasting, weeping, and beating your chests!’

¹³ [Joel then says:]

‘So, tear at your hearts, not your clothes,

And turn to Yahweh your God!

For, He shows mercy and pity…

He’s gentle and He’s forgiving,

[So He’ll overlook] the bad things you’ve done.

¹⁴ ‘Who knows if He’ll stop and consider,

Then change His plans and bless you instead.

So, bring sacrifices and drink offerings,

To Yahweh your God!

¹⁵ ‘Now, blow the trumpets in Zion…

Proclaim a [day] of holy fasts…

A day of sacred service must be declared!

¹⁶ ‘Yes, gather all of the people,

And proclaim a holy assembly!

Choose your elders, then gather your young…

Even those who are nursing at breasts!

Call the grooms from their bedrooms

And the brides from their wedding chambers!’

¹⁷ ‘Now, Priests, you should all start to weep…

Yes, you who serve before God,

At the base of the Altar.

Then pray:

‘Spare Your people, O Lord!

Don’t hand them over for scorning

And to be ruled by the gentiles!

Then the nations will never have reason to ask,

What has become of your God?’

¹⁸ ‘O Yahweh,

‘Show zeal for Your land,

And please show mercy to Your people!

¹⁹ ‘O Yahweh,

‘Reply to Your people and say:

‘{Look!} I’ll send enough grain that you’ll be full,

Along with much wine and olive oil…

And you’ll be scorned by the nations no more!

²⁰ ‘Then I’ll drive away those who have come from the north

And push them into a waterless land…

I’ll remove their faces to the farthest of seas,

And their rears to the opposite end,

Where they [will lie] rotting and groaning,

And where nothing that they’ve done can be seen.’

²¹ ‘So, be courageous O land…

Yes, you should rejoice and be glad,

For Yahweh will be moved to take action!

²² ‘Also take courage, you cattle;

For, pastures will burst from the desert,

And all the trees will bear fruit…

The fig-trees and grapevines will then yield their strength!

²³ ‘And be glad, O children of Zion…

Find joy in Yahweh your God.

For to the righteousness, He will send food,

And He’ll bring the rains (both the early and late)

Just like He’s done in the past.

²⁴ ‘Then your threshing-floors will be covered with grain,

As your vats of wine and oil overflow.

²⁵ He will repay you for all of those years

When your things were devoured by blight…

By grasshoppers, caterpillars, and locusts,

And by the great army that He sent against you.

²⁶ ‘Then you’ll all eat and be filled,

And you’ll praise the Name of your God…

The One who sent you great wonders.

And thereafter, His people won’t meet with disgrace

Throughout the ages that follow.

²⁷ [Now God says:]

‘O IsraEl,

‘At that time, you’ll come here and know

That I’m here in your midst…

Yes Me, Yahweh your God!

For there are no Gods other than Me,

And I’ll not leave My people disgraced throughout the age!

²⁸ ‘Then, in the last days, I’ll pour out My Breath,

And your sons and daughters will all prophesy,

Your aged men will dream dreams,

And young men in your midst will see visions.

²⁹ ‘In those days, I’ll pour out My Breath

Upon My male and female attendants.

³⁰ Miracles, I’ll bring to the skies,

And fire, smoke and blood to the land.

³¹ ‘For the sun will then become dark,

And the moon [will be changed] into blood,

Before the great and apparent arrival,

Of the Day of the Lord.

³² ‘Then, all who call on the name of the Lord

Will be the ones who are saved,’ said Yahweh.

‘For, to Mount Zion and JeruSalem,

Will come a person who saves,

Announcing good news to all those

Who’ve been called by the Lord.’

Joel 3

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¹ [And God continues to say:]

‘For, {Look!} in those days and at that time,

I’ll return all those who were taken away

From Judah and JeruSalem.

² ‘Then I’ll gather all of those nations

To the Valley of JehoShaphat;

And on behalf of My people, I’ll judge them…

On behalf IsraEl (My inheritance)…

Those whom I’d scattered among all the nations…

Those among whom I’ve divided My land…

My people, over whom I’ve cast lots…

³ Those who once gave their boys to the whores

And sold their young women for wine (which they drank).

⁴ ‘What are you to Me, O Sidon and Tyre,

Or Galilee of the Philistines?

Shouldn’t I repay you for the things that you’ve done…

What reasons did I give you to hate Me?

‘So I’ll swiftly bring what’s due on your heads;

⁵ For you’ve taken My silver and gold,

As well as the things that I’ve chosen,

Then carried it back to your temples!

⁶ And the sons of Judah and JeruSalem,

You’ve given to the sons of the Greeks…

You pushed them away from your borders.

⁷ ‘But Look!

‘In every place where you’ve sent them,

I’ll make them stand once again,

And I’ll lay the payment for them on your heads.

⁸ ‘Then, after that, I’ll give

Your sons and daughters to the sons of the Jews.

And many will be taken as captives

To nations that live far away;

For, I Yahweh, have spoken.

⁹ ‘So, proclaim these things to the nations!

Declare a holy war against them…

Yes, awaken the soldiers and shout:

‘[Attack and conquer], O men of war!

¹⁰ Cut your plows into broadswords,

And beat your scythes into spears!

Let the weak among you say they’re strong,

¹¹ And attack the nations that live roundabout!

Come and assemble [your armies],

And let your meek become warriors!’

¹² ‘Yes, awaken the gentiles and send them

To the Valley of JehoShaphat;

For there, I’ll separate nations

(Those who live round-about you),

¹³ And then, I’ll send for the scythes…

For the crops are now ready for harvest!

Climb in and tread, for the wine vat is full…

The vats overflow with their badness!

¹⁴ ‘Then throughout the valley, [you’ll hear] the cries

Of those who are about to be punished;

For the Day of the Lord is at hand!

¹⁵ ‘Then the sun and the moon will grow dark,

And the stars will start to grow dim.

¹⁶ And from Zion, the Lord will then shout…

From JeruSalem, his voice will be heard.

‘At that time, the lands and skies will be shaken…

But the Lord will spare all his people.

For I’ll make the sons of IsraEl strong,

¹⁷ And you’ll know that I am Yahweh your God!

‘On Zion, My Holy Mountain, I’ll camp,

And JeruSalem will be holy once more…

The nations won’t overrun her again.

¹⁸ ‘And in that day,

The mountains will trickle down sweetness,

Milk will flow from the hills,

And from the springs of Judah, water will flow.

‘Then a spring will flow from My [Temple],

And its waters will become a great river! [Ezekiel 47:3]

¹⁹ ‘Egypt will no longer be,

And Edom’s land in the plains will be gone;

For to the sons of Judah, they were unfair,

And in their lands, they shed righteous blood.

²⁰ ‘Throughout the ages, they’ll be living in Judah again…

Throughout generations of generations in JeruSalem.

²¹ Then I’ll avenge all the blood that I’ve not avenged,

And the Lord will be camping on Zion.’

Amos

01  02  03  04  05  06  07  08  09  All books

Amos is a record of the prophecy given to the Prophet Amos while he was living in the 10-tribe Kingdom of IsraEl.

God’s message to Amos is about the future destruction of that kingdom, and many other nations that lived nearby or had dealings with it. He also foretells what would happen to both Judah and IsraEl.

Most Bible scholars date it to around 758 BCE. However, our estimates place it closer to 800 BCE.

Most of this book is poetry

Something that only a Bible translator would notice is when words are in the form of Hebrew poetry. There’s a definite cadence that can be seen in the original language. Therefore, because this is the chosen style of God, we’ve tried to recreate it as it was originally intended: in poetic verse.

Why use poetry?

Poetry must conform to a certain rhythm and style. These act as memory aids, helping you to recall the words, making it easier for messages to be spread via the most common communication method of the time: song.

Who was talking?

When translating the words of the Prophets, you can’t help but notice the constant changing personal pronouns (I, you, he, they, etc.) used in the text. It makes it very confusing to figure out exactly who’s talking.

However, we now realize one reason for the confusion that’s usually overlooked: God didn’t speak to the Prophets personally. Rather, He sent His messages through a mediator, either referred to as a messenger (an angel), or sometimes as ‘The Word’ (which some interpret to mean Yeshua).

So there are actually three voices speaking:

1. That of the Prophet, who sometimes quotes himself,

2. That of the angelic messenger who’s bringing the message from God,

3. The words of God Himself (which we put in italics).

How can we tell the difference? From the context, the pronouns, and the tenses:

1. When the Prophet speaks, he’s either clearly reporting what he said or did, or is simply saying what was happening.

2. When the angelic messenger speaks, he talks about God in the third person.

3 When God is speaking, all references to God are naturally spoken in the first person.

Did we get it all right? Probably not, but it has been an honest attempt at doing so. If you think you’ve spotted a place where our choice is incorrect, please let us know and we’ll reconsider it.

Amos 1

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¹ These are the words of Amos [which tell] of things that took place [while he was at] KiriAth JaiRim in Tekoa and of the things that he saw concerning JeruSalem in the days of UzziAh the king of Judah, and in the days of JeroBoam (son of JoAsh) the king of IsraEl, two years before the earthquake.

[He said:]

² ‘From Zion, Yahweh spoke out…

From JeruSalem, He spoke and said this:

‘Over their pastures, the shepherds will mourn

About the drought on [Mount] CarMel.’

³ ‘And Yahweh said:

‘Because of these three godless deeds of Damascus (and even four),

I won’t turn [My] attention away from them.

For they used iron saws to saw open

Those in GileAd with [babies] in their wombs.

⁴ ‘So, to the house of HazaEl, I’ll send fire

And burn the foundations of the sons of Hadad.

Damascus and those in On’s plains, I’ll destroy;

I’ll cut the men of Edem to bits;

And Assyria’s best men will be captured,’ says Yahweh.

⁶ ‘Then Yahweh said:

‘For Gaza’s three godless deeds (and even four),

I won’t turn [my] attention from them.

For they captured Solomon’s captives,

And handed them over to Edom.

⁷ ‘So, to Gaza’s walls, I’ll send fire,

Which will eat her to her foundations.

⁸ I’ll also destroy those in AshDod;

And from AshKelon I’ll remove a whole tribe.

Then I’ll bring My hand against EkRon

And destroy the remaining Philistines,’ says Yahweh.

⁹ ‘And then Yahweh said:

‘Because of Tyre’s three godless deeds (and even four),

I won’t turn [my] attention from them.

For they handed captives to Edom…

Forgetting their treaty of brothers.

¹⁰ So, to the walls of Tyre, I’ll send fire,

Which will eat her to her foundations.’

¹¹ ‘And Yahweh said:

‘Because of Edom’s three godless deeds (and even four),

I won’t turn [my] attention from them.

For they chased their brothers with swords,

And [cut down] the mothers throughout the land…

They seized [the mothers] by force

As proof of their awesome terror,

And they continued to do this until they’d won.

¹² So, I’ll send fire against TeMan

Which will eat her to her foundations.’

¹³ ‘And Yahweh said:

‘Because of the three godless deeds

Of the sons of AmMon (and even four),

I won’t turn [my] attention from them.

For in GileAd they went and ripped open

[Women] with [babies] in their wombs,

Just to widen their borders.

¹⁴ ‘So I’ll light a fire upon RabBah’s walls,

Which will eat her to her foundations.

Then I’ll raise cries of war in that day…

And they’ll shake in the day she’s consumed.

¹⁵ Into captivity, I’ll then send her king,

Along with her rulers and priests,’ says Yahweh.

Amos 2

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¹ ‘And Yahweh said:

‘Because of MoAb’s three godless deeds (and even four),

I won’t turn [my] attention from them.

For, the king of Edom’s bones, they burned into dust.

² ‘So, I’ll send fire upon MoAb,

And it’ll devour their cities’ foundations.

Then MoAb will be left without strength…

She’ll hear cries and the blowing of trumpets.

³ I’ll destroy all her judges and rulers…

Yes, I’ll kill them all,’ says Yahweh.

⁴ ‘And Yahweh said:

‘Because of the three [lawless] deeds

Of the sons of Judah (and even four),

I won’t turn [my] attention from them.

For they pushed [aside all My] Laws,

And refused to follow My orders.

‘So, I’ll cause them to wander

And follow the foolish idols they’ve made,

Which they’ve followed [since the time of] their fathers.

⁵ Then, I’ll send fire upon Judah,

And wipe JeruSalem to her foundations.’

⁶ ‘And Yahweh said:

‘Because of IsraEl’s three godless deeds (and even four),

I won’t turn [My] attention from them.

For, from the righteous and needy

They demanded silver for sandals…

⁷ [Things they need] to walk on the dust of the ground.

‘They also trampled the heads of the poor,

And turned the humble away.

Then, with the very same slaves,

Fathers and sons both had sex,

So that they could profane the Name of their God.

⁸ ‘Then, with their old clothes and rough cords,

They erected booths next to My Altar,

Where they drank the wine that they’d extorted

There at the [Temple] of God!

⁹ ‘Yet for them, I had wiped out the Amorites,

Even though they’d become as strong as the oaks

And as tall as the cedars…

I removed all the fruit from their boughs,

As well as the roots underneath them.

¹⁰ ‘Then from the land of Egypt, I took them,

And through the desert I led them

During the next 40 years,

So they could inherit the Amorites’ land.

¹¹ ‘I also took their sons as [My] Prophets,

And their young men to serve as My [Nazarites].

O Sons of IsraEl;

Aren’t these the things that I did,’ asks Yahweh?

¹² ‘But to those [Nazarites], you then offered wine,

And you told the Prophets not to foretell!

¹³ So, because of this, I’ll roll over you

Like a wagon loaded with stubble.

¹⁴ ‘Then all hope of flight into exile

By those who can run, will be lost;

For the strong won’t be able to maintain their strength,

And no way will the soldiers save their own lives.

¹⁵ ‘Then you’ll find your bowmen unable to stand;

Those fleet of foot won’t escape;

Horseman won’t save their own lives;

¹⁶ The strong won’t have mighty hearts;

And in that day, they’ll flee naked,’ says Yahweh.

Amos 3

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¹ ‘O house of IsraEl,

‘Listen to these words of Yahweh

That He’s pronouncing against you…

To those tribes that He led out of Egypt.

For, this is what He’s declared:

² ‘I’ve known only you

Among all the tribes of earth;

And because of this (because of your sins),

I’ll take vengeance upon you!’

³ ‘Can two walk together unless they’ve agreed? No!

⁴ ‘Will a lion roar from the woods

If he hasn’t [caught] any game? No!

‘Will a cub call out from his lair

If he hasn’t captured his prey? No!

⁵ ‘Will a bird fall to the ground

If it hasn’t [been shot by] a hunter? No!

‘Will a snare snap shut without catching? No!

⁶ ‘Will the sound of the trumpet be heard in a town

Without terrorizing its people? No!

‘Will harm ever come to a city

Unless it’s been sent by Yahweh? No!

⁷ ‘There’s nothing that God Yahweh will do,

Unless it’s revealed to His servants, the Prophets.

⁸ So as when a lion lets out a roar

And all that hear it are fearful;

When Yahweh God has something to say,

What [Prophet] won’t prophesy?

⁹ ‘So, you must make this pronouncement

To Assyria and those down in Egypt!

Tell them to gather on Samaria’s hills,

And as they gaze at her wonders,

They should notice the tyranny within her.

¹⁰ Then, those who so treasure misery and injustice

Will never see what’s coming,’ said Yahweh.

¹¹ ‘So Yahweh, The God, sends them this message:

‘Tyre and all that’s around it

Will soon become desolation.

For, I’ll remove all their strength,

And then rip their regions to pieces!

¹² ‘Yahweh says:

‘As a shepherd will pull from the mouth of a lion

Two legs or part of an ear;

That’s how IsraEl’s sons will be ripped

(Those dwelling in Samaria and Damascus)

By a tribe that they haven’t known.

¹³ ‘And listen to this, O you Priests…

Then to the house of Jacob, you must proclaim it,’

Says Yahweh, the Almighty God!

¹⁴ ‘In the day of My vengeance upon IsraEl,

I’ll destroy your altar at BethEl.

And because of the godless things that you’ve done,

They’ll cut off the horns of your altar

Then knock it down to the ground!

¹⁵ ‘I’ll also send you confusion,

And I’ll strike the bins in your barns

Where [the fruits of] your harvests are stored.

Your ivory houses, I’ll also destroy,

As well as the homes roundabout them,’ says Yahweh.

Amos 4

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¹ ‘So, hear these words, O heifers of BaShan…

Yes, you in Samaria’s mountains…

You who are tyrants to the needy,

And you who trample the poor...

Those poor that must now beg their masters

To give them something to drink!

² ‘For by all that He deems to be holy,

Against them, God swore this oath:

‘Look, the days will soon come

When they’ll gather you and your families

And throw you into hot cauldrons.

³ You’ll be led away naked in lines,

And they’ll scatter [your bones] on Mount HerMon,’ says Yahweh.

⁴ ‘For, when you went up to BethEl

You went there to do irreverent things.

And at GilGal you did even worse…

Although you brought sacrifices in the mornings,

And on the third day, you brought in your tithes;

⁵ Thereafter, you read outside of the Law,

And demanded [special] offerings for confessions.

‘So against you, I’ve made this pronouncement,

Because IsraEl’s sons have loved all these things:

⁶ To your cities, I now will send toothaches,

And I’ll send famines of bread…

For you left Me and never returned,’ says Yahweh.

⁷ ‘I’ll hold back the rain on your crops for three months;

Then, I’ll [send] rain to one town,

But I’ll not send rain on another…

Yes, I’ll send rain to one portion,

And not send rain to another,

So some places will become very dry.

⁸ ‘Then, those from two or three cities

Will go to one city to drink…

But no way will they be satisfied,

Because they won’t turn back to Me,’ says Yahweh.

⁹ ‘Then I’ll strike you with jaundice and fire;

And the vineyards and gardens you’ve gained,

As well as your groves of olives and figs,

Will all be eaten by bugs…

But you still won’t turn back [to Me],’ says Yahweh.

¹⁰ ‘Then from Egypt, I’ll send you a plague,

And your young men, I’ll kill by the sword.

Thereafter, I’ll take all your horses…

And because this will just make you angry,

Into your camps, I’ll send fire…

Yet to Me, you still won’t return,’ says Yahweh.

¹¹ ‘Like Sodom and GomorRah, I’ll wipe you away…

I’ll make you like coals that are pulled from the flames…

Yet to Me, you still won’t return,’ says Yahweh.

¹² ‘Because of such things, O IsraEl;

Both this and that, I’ll then do to you

Until you’re ready to call to your God!

¹³ ‘Look! I’m the One who sends thunder…

I’m also the One who created the wind

And the One who tells men about His concerns.

‘I’m the One who sends both the dawn and the fog,

And I ride across the heights of the earth…

Yes, I am Yahweh, the Almighty God!’

Amos 5

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¹ ‘So, hear the word of Yahweh;

For against you, He sang this lament:

‘The house of IsraEl will fall,

And thereafter, she won’t be raised.

² IsraEl (the virgin) will trip in her land,

And there’ll be no one to lift her.’

³ ‘And thus says Yahweh, [her] God:

‘From a city that 1,000 had left,

Only 100 will return;

And from a town that 100 had left,

Only 10 from IsraEl’s house will return.’

⁴ ‘For, thus says Yahweh to the house of IsraEl:

⁵ ‘Inquire of Me and you’ll live…

Don’t [go to] BethEl

And into GilGal don’t enter,

Nor should you go to the Well of the Oath!

For those going to GilGal will be captured,

And BethEl will be wiped away.’

⁶ ‘So inquire of Yahweh and live,

As the house of JoSeph has done…

And then you won’t have to be burned!

For, [fire] will come and consume,

And no one will quench IsraEl’s flames.

⁷ ‘From the heights, it’s Yahweh who says what’s right

And who sets the earth’s righteous [standards],

⁸ For He’s the One who created it all,

And who made everything different!

‘He’s the One who turns shadows into morning

And the day into the darkness of night;

He’s the One who calls the water from the seas

And pours it back on the face of the ground…

He is Yahweh the Almighty God.

⁹ ‘He’s the One who divides the conflicts and strengths

And sends misery into the strongholds

¹⁰ Of those who shout at His Prophets

When they arrive at their gates…

Because they hate those who speak holy words.

¹¹ They’re the ones who strike the poor with their fists,

And steal their choicest of treasures.

‘Yes, I can see the paneled houses you’ve built…

Homes in which you won’t live.

I can also see the vineyards you’ve planted…

From which you won’t drink the wine.

¹² ‘For I know all the [bad] things you’re doing

And of how you’ve trampled the righteous…

How you’ve inflated your prices,

And turned the needy away from your gates.

¹³ For during that time, I silently watched

As [you were becoming] more evil.’

¹⁴ ‘Now, ask for the good (not the bad)

So that you can continue to live.

If you’ll ask the Almighty to stay among you,

He will provide the things that you need

Whenever you’re willing to say,

¹⁵ ‘We hate what’s bad and love what’s good!’

‘If you’ll return justice to your [city] gates;

Jehovah the Almighty God

Will show mercy on the remnants of JoSeph.

¹⁶ ‘For, it’s because of such things,’

‘...says Yahweh, the Almighty God,

‘That you’ll beat your chests in your squares,

And cry, ‘Woe [is me],’ in your streets!

‘Then the farmers will be called to do mourning…

They’ll be wailing and beating their chests.

¹⁷ Yes they’ll know all the ways to beat on their chests,

Because I’ll go through their midst,’ says Yahweh.

¹⁸ ‘Woe to those who wish for the Day of the Lord;

For, after they ask what the Lord’s Day will bring,

They’ll find that it only brings darkness, not light!

¹⁹ ‘It’s like when a man is fleeing a lion

Or being attacked by a bear,

And he rushes to his house and grabs hold of its walls…

Just to be bitten by snakes.

²⁰ For the Day of the Lord will bring darkness, not light…

It’ll bring dimness, not brightness!

²¹ ‘So, I’ve detested and I’ve pushed away

All of your holiday feasts…

For, in such things, I [find no delight].

²² Therefore, should you bring whole burnt-offerings to Me

Along with other sacrifices;

I won’t receive them in favor

Or approve of your gifts for salvation.

²³ ‘So remove the sounds of your hymns…

No I don’t want to hear the tunes of your psalms!

²⁴ For the waters of judgment will pour down on you,

And the river of righteousness, you won’t cross.

²⁵ ‘O house of IsraEl;

You brought [animal] victims to Me to be sacrificed

During the 40 years in the desert.

²⁶ But then, you chose Moloch’s tent

And the star of Raiphan to serve as your gods…

You molded idols of them for yourselves!

²⁷ So beyond Damascus, I’ll move you...’

‘...says Yahweh, the Almighty God.’

Amos 6

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¹ [‘And God continued, saying:]

‘Woe to those who are treating Zion with contempt,

And those putting trust in Samaria’s hills…

Those who’ve harvested heads from the nations,

And to whom the house of IsraEl has turned.

² ‘Now, pass through them all and take a good look;

Travel to HaMath of RabBah

And to Gath of the Philistines.

Is yours any better than these kingdoms?

Are your borders any larger than theirs?

³ ‘So an evil day will soon come,

To those hanging onto false Sabbaths…

⁴ Those who sleep in ivory beds

And waste their lives on divans.

‘They eat the kids of the flocks

And the suckling young calves from the midst of the herds.

⁵ They clap along as [music] is played,

And think of themselves as [eternal]

(Not as something that’s passing away).

⁶ ‘They drink [the best] filtered wine;

They wear the best of colognes;

And about the destruction of JoSeph,

They still remain unconcerned.

⁷ But soon, they’ll be led into exile,

And their feasting and lounging will end.’

⁸ ‘Then Yahweh swore this oath by Himself:

‘Because I abhor the insults of Jacob

And detest their fortified cities;

I’ll now lift them away

Along with all those who live there.

⁹ ‘So if 10 should survive in a house,

They’ll all die after that.

¹⁰ Yes, they’ll walk away from their [loved ones],

And not retrieve their bones from their homes.

‘They’ll just ask those in charge of their homes

If any are still left within them;

And these will answer, ‘No longer.’

Then another will say:

‘Just be quiet…

Don’t mention the Name of the Lord.

¹¹ For, {Look!) He’s the One who gave them the order

To strike our mansions with fractures,

And to shred our small homes!’

¹² ‘Will horses run in the rocks? No!

Will stallions stay silent near mares? No!

But, you’ve replaced true justice with rage

And turned righteous fruit into bitter.

¹³ You’re also glad to hear bad reports,

And you say:

‘We’re so mighty that we’ve grown horns!’

¹⁴ ‘So, O house of IsraEl, Be careful!

For I’m arousing a nation against you

That will [surround you] and then hem you in

To keep you from running to HamAth

And to the western ravine.’

Amos 7

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¹ Then {Look!} the [messenger of the] Lord showed me [a vision of] a breed of locusts that arrived early in the morning, being led by Gog the grasshopper king. ² These [locusts] came to devour all the grass in the land [of IsraEl].

So I shouted:

‘O Lord, please be kind; for, who’ll raise Jacob again, since so few now remain? ³ O Lord, please change Your mind about this thing that You’re doing!’

But the [messenger of the] Lord replied:

‘That won’t happen.’

⁴ Then {Look!} the [messenger of the] Lord took me and showed me that he’d also called fire down upon them as their punishment… And [this fire] devoured everything to the depths [of the great sea], as well as a portion [of the land].

⁵ And I said:

‘O Lord God, please stop! Who’ll raise Jacob again now that so few are left? O Lord, please change your mind about doing this!

⁶ But the Lord replied:

‘That won’t happen.’

⁷ Then the Lord [took me] and showed me something… {Look!} he was standing on a straight wall with a plumb line in His hand. ⁸ And the [messenger of the] Lord asked me:

‘What do you see, Amos?’

And I replied:

‘A plumb line.’

Then the [messenger of the] Lord said to me:

‘{Look!} In the midst of IsraEl, my people,

I’ve now set a plumb line,

And beyond it, I’ll no longer pass.

⁹ ‘I’ll wipe their shrines to laughter away,

And their sites of mystic rites will lie ruined;

For against the house of [King] JeroBoam,

I’m now sending the broadsword.’

¹⁰ Well after that, AmaziAh (the priest of BethEl) sent [a message] to JeroBoam (the king of IsraEl) that said:

‘Amos is hatching a plot against you there in the midst of the house of IsraEl, and there’s no way that the land will be able to endure the things that he’s saying. ¹¹ For Amos is [telling the people] that JeroBoam will be destroyed by the broadsword, and that IsraEl will be led away from this land as captives.’

¹² And later, AmaziAh said this to Amos (there in front of everyone):

‘Get out of here and go to the land of Judah!

‘Spend the rest of your life there and do all your prophesying there! ¹³ You may no longer prophesy here in BethEl, for this is the sanctuary of the king and the place of his royal palace!’

¹⁴ But I (Amos) replied to AmaziAh:

‘I wasn’t a prophet or a prophet’s son; I was just a herder of sheep and someone who picked the fruit of mulberry trees. ¹⁵ But then Yahweh took me away from my sheep and said to me:

‘Go and prophesy over My people IsraEl!’

¹⁶ ‘So now, listen to what the Lord told me! Because you’ve warned me not to prophesy over IsraEl, and you’ve said:

‘There’s no way that armies will be led against the house of Jacob...’

¹⁷ ‘...this is what was said by Yahweh:

‘Your wife will become a city prostitute,

And your sons and daughters will fall by the sword.

Then they’ll measure your land with a plumb line,

And you’ll come to your end in a place that’s unclean.

For, IsraEl will in fact be led from this land…

They’ll be carried away as captives.’

Amos 8

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¹ Then {Look!} the [messenger of the] Lord came and showed me the cage of a bird hunter, ² and he asked:

‘What do you see, Amos?’

And I replied:

‘A bird cage.’

Then the [messenger of the] Lord said:

‘These things were said by Yahweh:

‘My people, IsraEl, have now reached their end,

For I’ll overlook what they’re doing no longer.

³ ‘So in that day...

There’ll be screams from their temples and stock pens…

For there’ll be many [people] that fall there,

As I bring silence to this place.’

⁴ ‘So listen, O you who are destroying the needy,

And those tyrannizing the poor…

⁵ Yes, all of you who keep asking

When the [New Moons] will be over

So that you can go back to your trading…

And you who look for the Sabbaths to end

So that you can open your [cash drawers],

Then measure out small and [unfairly]

By adding weights to the things that you weigh,

And by using unbalanced scales.

⁶ Then, from the needy and poor,

You take all of their silver

In return for sandals and [clothes].’

⁷ And after that, Yahweh swore this oath against Jacob’s pride:

‘Do you think that I’ll forget about this

And that I’ll let you win? Well, I won’t!’

⁸ Then [He said]:

‘Won’t this bring disturbance to the land,

And won’t all who live there start mourning?

For destruction will rise like a river,

And in its deep waters they’ll sink.’

⁹ Jehovah said:

‘Then the sun will set at midday,

And the land will get dark in the daytime.

¹⁰ So their holiday feasts will turn into mourning,

And all of their songs into wailing.

‘Then, upon every loin, I’ll bring sackcloth,

And baldness, I’ll bring upon every head.

I’ll appoint them as those who mourn loved ones,

And their happy days, I’ll turn into grief.

¹¹ ‘Look, the days are coming,’ says Yahweh,

‘When to this land, I’ll send famine…

But it won’t be a famine of bread

Nor a famine of water,

But a famine of hearing the Word of Yahweh.

¹² ‘Then from sea to sea, the waters will shake,

And [people] will run from the north to the east

Seeking the Word of Yahweh.

But then, no way will they find it.

¹³ ‘In that day, all of your pretty virgins

And all of your [handsome] young men

Will be wilting from thirst.

¹⁴ ‘And those who swear oaths by Samaria’s Redeemer,

And say, O Dan, as your god lives,

Or, As your god lives, O BeerSheba…

These will fall and not rise again.’

Amos 9

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¹ Well after that, I saw the [messenger of the] Lord standing at the Altar, and he said:

‘Strike the Lid [of the Chest] and shake all its [Temple] gates,

Then cut off all of their heads,

And kill the rest with the broadsword!

There’s no way that they can escape,

And no way that they’ll be saved!

² ‘So if they should [hide] in the place of the dead;

My hand will [reach down and] grab them.

And if they should [fly] into the sky;

From there, I’ll drag them back down.

³ ‘If they should hide on [Mount] CarMel,

I’ll search for them there and I’ll grab them.

And if they hide from my eyes in the depths of the seas,

I’ll send a wild beast to bite them.

⁴ ‘If their enemies should take them as captives,

I’ll instruct their broadswords to kill them…

Yes, it’s for the bad, not for the good

That I’ve set my eyes on them.

⁵ ‘For Yahweh, the Lord God Almighty

Has grabbed the land and ordered a shaking.

Then, all who dwell there will mourn…

It’ll rise and fall like the Nile.

⁶ ‘And the One who built His [home] in the skies…

The One who founded the earth…

The One who calls water out of the seas

And pours it back on the land…

The One whose Name is Yahweh, says this:

⁷ ‘O sons of IsraEl,

‘To Me, you aren’t like the descendents of Kush,

For I’m the One who led you from Egypt,

And from the Cappadocian Philistines,

Then from the Syrians of Kir.

⁸ ‘{Look!} For My eyes watch the kingdoms of sinners

Whom I then remove from the face of the earth.

But the one whom I won’t completely remove

Is the house of [My servant] Jacob, says Yahweh.

⁹ ‘But, {Look!} I’ll issue My orders

And cause IsraEl’s house to be threshed

[Along with] the rest of the nations

In the same way that you’d winnow with a shovel…

And no broken pieces will [be overlooked].

¹⁰ ‘Then, it’ll be by the broadsword

That the sinners among My people will end…

Yes, all of those who now say:

‘Such bad things will never approach us…

These things won’t happen to us!’

¹¹ ‘And in that day, the tent of David that has fallen

Will thereafter stand once again

And its [broken] things, I’ll rebuild…

The things I cut down, I’ll raise…

I’ll rebuild it as it had been before.

¹² ‘Then, those who are left of the nations

May inquire of those who’ve called on My Name,’

‘...says Yahweh, the One who’ll do all these things.’

¹³ ‘For the days are coming, says Yahweh,

When the harvests will last to the threshing

And grapes will stay ripe until planting.

The mountains will trickle down sweetness,

And [there’ll be] crops upon all the hills.

¹⁴ ‘Then, I’ll bring back My people

(Those who were carried away…

The IsraElites that had been captured)

And they’ll rebuild their cities

(Yes, they’ll live in them again).

Then, they’ll plant vineyards and drink their own wine…

They’ll plant gardens and eat their own fruit!

¹⁵ ‘Upon their own ground, I’ll plant them,

And from this land that I gave them,

They’ll no longer be uprooted.’

‘...says Yahweh, The God.’

Obadiah

Obadiah is a record of the prophecy by Prophet Obadiah, made in the late 7th century BCE.

It was spoken against the descendants of IsaAc’s son Esau (known as the Edomites). It foretold their coming destruction for the bad things that they did to the Kingdom of Judah while it was being destroyed by the Babylonians.

Most of this book is poetry

Something that only a Bible translator would notice is when words are in the form of Hebrew poetry. There’s a definite cadence that can be seen in the original language. Therefore, because this is the chosen style of God, we’ve tried to recreate it as it was originally intended: in poetic verse.

Why use poetry?

Poetry must conform to a certain rhythm and style. These act as memory aids, helping you to recall the words, making it easier for messages to be spread via the most common communication method of the time: song.

Obadiah 1

All books

¹ This is the vision of ObadiAh.

Yahweh God spoke this against Edom.

I heard this report from Yahweh, and it’s a summary of what He sent to the nations:

‘{Look!} Arise against her in battle!

² ‘Among the nations, I’ve left you just few,

And upon you, I’ve brought much disgrace.

³ For, you’ve made your hearts proud

By camping in cracks in high rocks;

And you’ve said in your hearts:

‘From here, who can drag us down to the ground?’

⁴ ‘But if you could fly as high as an eagle

And put your nest up in the stars...

From there, I’d lead you back down,’ says Yahweh.

⁵ ‘Now if thieves were to enter among you,

Or robbers were to come during the night;

[How many things] would you lose?

Wouldn’t they take just the things [that they want]?

And if those who [steal] grapes came among you,

Wouldn’t they leave you a gleaning?

⁶ ‘But, there’ll come those who’ll search Esau through

And take even the things that you’ve hidden away.

⁷ Then, to your borders, they’ll drive you,

Where your allies will fight against you and win…

Yes, men you’re at peace with

Will then rise up against you,

And they won’t understand why they did this.

⁸ ‘So, in that day,’ says Yahweh,

‘I’ll destroy all of Edom’s wise men.

And thereafter, in the mountains of Esau,

Understanding will be gone from the land.

⁹ ‘For they’ll frighten your Temanite warriors;

And then, from the mountains of Esau,

Every man will be carried away.

¹⁰ ‘Because you’ve been so defiant

And brought slaughter to Jacob, your brother;

With shame, you’ll be covered,

And throughout ages thereafter, you’ll be gone.

¹¹ ‘For, from the day that you faced and opposed them

To the day that strangers captured their army

And foreigners entered their gates,

Who then cast lots for JeruSalem’s spoils,

You were considered to be one of them.

¹² ‘So you shouldn’t have [sneered at] your brothers

On the day that those strangers arrived…

You shouldn’t have rejoiced at their downfall,

And [approved of the killing] of Judah’s sons.

‘You shouldn’t have [laughed] in the day of their pain,

¹³ And you shouldn’t have entered their gates

On that day of their misery!

‘Especially so, you should never have looked

Upon them in joy at their ruin.

Nor should you have joined to attack them

In the day that they were destroyed.

¹⁴ ‘In their mountain passes, you shouldn’t have stood

To destroy those who tried to escape…

No, you shouldn’t have locked up those fleeing

In their day of affliction.

¹⁵ ‘But now, the Day of the Lord has arrived

Upon all those nations [that did this].

So, all of the [bad] that you did to them

Is what they’ll now do to you…

What you did will come upon your own heads!

¹⁶ ‘So, as you drank wine on My Holy Mountain,

The nations will drink wine from you…

Yes, they’ll swallow you down,

And it’ll be like you never existed.

¹⁷ ‘But salvation will come to Mount Zion,

And My Holy Place will stand there again.

Then the house of Jacob will inherit

All those who’ve inherited them!

¹⁸ ‘Like the fire that came upon Jacob’s house

And the flames that came upon JoSeph…

Like stubble, they’ll burn the house of Esau,

Yes among them, the fire will burn and consume,

And there’ll be no wheat harvest in Esau!

For I, Yahweh, have spoken.

¹⁹ ‘At that time, the Mountains of Esau

Will be owned by those in the Negev.

And those who live in the Philistine ShepheLa

Will inherit Ephraim’s mountains,

Along with Samaria and BenJamin’s plains,

And all of GileAd’s land.

²⁰ ‘For the sons of IsraEl who’ll then return

Will inherit all of your land

From CanaAn, all the way to ZarEphath.

And those who return to JeruSalem

Will inherit the Negev to EphRatha.

²¹ ‘So the survivors [who return to] Mount Zion

Will take vengeance on the mountains of Esau,

And then your kingdom will belong to Yahweh!’

Jonah

01  02  03  04  All books

Jonah is a story about a prophet of the same name, who reluctantly delivered a message to the Assyrian capital city of Nineveh.

Although the the story is set sometime in the mid-8th Century BCE, it’s a third-person account, and its Hebrew text shows influence from Aramaic – so it may have been written by someone else after the Babylonian exile, possibly Ezra.

Is it an historical account, or was it just a popular story to teach a moral lesson?

Well, archaeologists have not (yet) found evidence outside of the Bible for these events. However, Yeshua spoke about the trials of Jonah at Matthew 12:39-41; therefore, many conclude that it’s a real story. Yet we must remember that Yeshua also used fictional stories (parables) to teach – so modern Bible scholars are divided on the matter.

The traditional Jewish view is that the events were real, and the early Christians shared this view. Muslims also view the book as reporting real events.

Large parts of this book are poetry

Something that only a Bible translator would notice is when words are in the form of Hebrew poetry. There’s a definite cadence that can be seen in the original language. These portions are written in the style of poetic verses.

Why use poetry?

Poetry must conform to a certain rhythm and style. These act as memory aids, helping you to recall the words, making it easier for messages to be spread via the most common communication method of the time: song.

Jonah 1

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¹ The Word of Yahweh came to Jonah (son of AmaThi), and said:

² ‘Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh and make this proclamation against it; for, cries of their evil have reached up to Me.’

³ However, Jonah got up and decided to flee from the face of Yahweh [all the way] to Tharsis! For he went down to JopPa and there he found a boat that was sailing to Tharsis, then he paid his fare, boarded, and preceded to sail away from the face of Yahweh.

⁴ But then Yahweh raised a wind over the sea that created huge swells, and [soon] the boat was in danger of breaking up. ⁵ Of course, this made the sailors so frightened that they each started yelling out to their own gods, and they started throwing things into the sea to lighten the load.

Meanwhile, Jonah had gone down into the ship’s hold and fallen asleep, and then he started snoring. ⁶ So the ship’s captain went down to him and said:

‘Why are you [just lying there] snoring? Get up and call to your God so He will save us and we won’t be destroyed!’

⁷ Well at that, each man started saying to his companion:

‘Come, let’s throw lots to find out why this evil has fallen on us!’

So they threw lots, and the lot fell to Jonah. ⁸ And they asked him if he knew the reason why this evil had come down upon them. They also asked what he did for a living and where he came from (what kind of place and what kind of people).

⁹ Then he told them:

‘I’m a servant of Yahweh, the God of the heavens… I worship the One who made the seas and the dry land.’

¹⁰ Well at that, the men became very frightened and they asked him what he’d done, because they realized that he was running away. So he explained [to them all that had happened].

¹¹ Then they asked him:

‘So, what must we do to you in order to calm the sea?’

And just as they asked this, the sea rose in a great swell.

¹² So Jonah told them:

‘Just pick me up and throw me into the sea… Then it’ll become calm for you. I know that that these great swells have come upon you because of me.’

¹³ Nevertheless, the men pressed on and they tried to reach land… But they couldn’t – the sea [kept pushing] against them.

¹⁴ So they called out to Yahweh and said:

‘Please don’t destroy us over the life of this man, because we don’t want the blood of the righteous held against us! But for You, O Lord, we’ll do whatever You want.’

¹⁵ So then they took Jonah and threw him into the sea… And suddenly the sea became still and stopped tossing about! ¹⁶ As a result, the men became very frightened of Yahweh, and they made vows to Him and offered sacrifices to Him.

¹⁷ Then Yahweh ordered a great sea creature to swallow Jonah, and he stayed in its belly for three days and three nights.

Jonah 2

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¹ Well, from from the belly of the sea creature, Jonah prayed to Yahweh his God, ² saying this:

‘In my affliction, I called out to You,

O Yahweh, my God,

And You paid attention to me.

I’ve called from the belly of the place of the dead,

And from there, You listened to my voice!

³ ‘You threw me into the heart of the sea…

Into the depths of its waters,

And by the sea, I was covered.

‘Then I asked, as their waves and crests poured upon me:

⁴ ‘Have I been pushed away from Your eyes…

Won’t I see Your Holy Temple again?

⁵ ‘But the waters were rolling around me,

And then, they entered my soul…

By the deep, I was encircled,

And my head went under the water.

⁶ ‘I went down between mountain fissures…

Through the earth and its bars of the ages.

And I said:

‘O Yahweh, my God;

Let my soul rise above this corruption!’

⁷ ‘Then, as my life was reaching [its end],

You noticed [my bad situation];

For my prayers had ascended to You…

Yes, to You in Your Holy Temple!

⁸ ‘Some pay attention to things that are foolish,

While others will listen to lies…

For they’ve given up on Your mercy.

⁹ But, with my voice, I’ll praise You,

And I’m offering [this song] as my sacrifice.

For I’ll do everything that I’ve promised

If you’ll just save me, Yahweh!’

¹⁰ And at that, the Lord gave orders to the large sea creature, and it vomited Jonah out on dry land.

Jonah 3

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¹ Well thereafter, The Word of Yahweh came to Jonah a second time and said:

² ‘Now, you must get up and travel to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim My words over it, just as I told you before!’

³ So Jonah got up, and for the next three days he traveled to Nineveh, just as the Lord had told him (for God considered Nineveh to be a great city).

⁴ Then when Jonah arrived at the city, he spent [a full] day traveling through it proclaiming:

‘In just three days, Nineveh will be wiped away!’

⁵ Well, because the men of Nineveh believed in God, they called for a fast and for everyone (from the least to the greatest) to wear sackcloth. ⁶ And when [Jonah’s] words reached the king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne, removed all of his clothes and put on sackcloth, and then he sat in ashes. ⁷ 

The king and his great men also sent a proclamation throughout Nineveh, that said:

‘The people may not eat anything, [nor may they feed] their cattle, oxen, or sheep… They may not eat or drink anything at all!

⁸ ‘They must each wrap themselves and their cattle in sackcloth as they all fervently call out to God! Also, every man must turn from his wicked ways and from the sins of his hands and say:

⁹ ‘Who knows if God will change His mind and turn from the anger of His rage, so that we’ll not perish?’

¹⁰ Well, when God saw what they were doing and that they’d turned from their wicked ways, He changed His mind over the evil things that He said He’d do to them, and He didn’t do anything.

Jonah 4

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¹ However, Jonah was very upset and confused by this...

² So he prayed to Yahweh and said:

‘O Lord,

‘Wasn’t this what I said [would happen] when I was back in my own land?

‘It was because of something like this that I thought about fleeing to Tharsis! For I knew that because You’re kind, sympathetic, lenient, and full of mercy, You’d change Your mind about doing such evil!

³ ‘So now, O Master and Lord, please kill me… For it’d be better for me to die than to go on living!’

⁴ And the Lord asked:

‘Has this [really] grieved you that much?’

⁵ Well thereafter, Jonah left the city and sat down in front of it… He built a shelter and just sat there, staring at it.

⁶ Then Yahweh God provided a gourd [plant] that grew up over Jonah’s head to shade him during this bad [time]. And Jonah became very happy and joyful over the gourd [plant].

⁷ But then, early the next morning, God sent a worm which killed the [plant] and dried it up. ⁸ And just as the sun was rising, God also sent a burning wind, which (along with the sun) burned Jonah’s head. So he became discouraged to the point where he wanted to just resign from life.

For he said:

‘It’s better for me to die than to live!’

⁹ Then God asked Jonah:

‘Are you [really] that grieved over the gourd [plant]?’

And he replied:

‘Yes, I’m grieved to the point of death!’

¹⁰ And the Lord said:

‘You treated that plant so tenderly… You nourished it and worked hard over it, even though it grew up in a single night and was gone before the next evening! ¹¹ So, shouldn’t I spare this great city where 120,000 people now live who don’t know their right hands from their left… Along with all of their cattle?’

Micah

01  02  03  04  05  06  07  All books

Michah is the record of the prophecy given to Prophet Micah.

It was written around 750 BCE, and foretells the destruction of the northern 10-tribe Kingdom of IsraEl (often just called Samaria, since that was its most dominant region). It also foretells what would happen to JeruSalem before SenNacherIb the king of Assyria invaded their lands in the time of Judah’s King HezekiAh.

Finally, the prophecy goes on to describe JeruSalem’s destruction by the Babylonians and of how the IsraElites would later return to the city.

Most of this book is poetry

Something that only a Bible translator would notice is when words are in the form of Hebrew poetry. There’s a definite cadence that can be seen in the original language. Therefore, because this is the chosen style of God, we’ve tried to recreate it as it was originally intended: in poetic verse.

Why use poetry?

Poetry must conform to a certain rhythm and style. These act as memory aids, helping you to recall the words, making it easier for messages to be spread via the most common communication method of the time: song.

Who was talking?

When translating the words of the Prophets, you can’t help but notice the constant changing personal pronouns (I, you, he, they, etc.) used in the text. It makes it very confusing to figure out exactly who’s talking.

However, we now realize one reason for the confusion that’s usually overlooked: God didn’t speak to the Prophets personally. Rather, He sent His messages through a mediator, either referred to as a messenger (an angel), or sometimes as ‘The Word’ (which some interpret to mean Yeshua).

So there are actually three voices speaking:

1. That of the Prophet, who sometimes quotes himself,

2. That of the angelic messenger who’s bringing the message from God,

3. The words of God Himself (which we put in italics).

How can we tell the difference? From the context, the pronouns, and the tenses:

1. When the Prophet speaks, he’s either clearly reporting what he said or did, or is simply saying what was happening.

2. When the angelic messenger speaks, he talks about God in the third person.

3 When God is speaking, all references to God are naturally spoken in the first person.

Did we get it all right? Probably not, but it has been an honest attempt at doing so. If you think you’ve spotted a place where our choice is incorrect, please let us know and we’ll reconsider it.

Micah 1

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¹ The Word of Yahweh came to MicAh the Morasthite in the days of JoTham, Ahaz, and HezekiAh (kings of Judah) and said this about the things he saw going on in Samaria and in JeruSalem.

² ‘Hear these words, O you peoples;

Also pay attention, you lands

And those who are dwelling within you!

For, from His Most Holy [Place],

Jehovah will now testify.

³ ‘{Look!} Yahweh will come from His place

And go down upon your high places,

Then seat Himself in the heights.

⁴ ‘The mountains will shake underneath Him,

And like beeswax in fire, the valleys will melt,

Then flow like water that rolls down a slope.

⁵ ‘Yes, He will do all these things

Because of Jacob’s irreverent ways

And because of the sins of the house of IsraEl.

[‘For God says:]

‘Isn’t Samaria the irreverence of Jacob

And isn’t Judah’s sin, JeruSalem?

⁶ ‘So I’ll turn Samaria into a barn

Where the fruits of the fields can be stored

Along with the [grapes] of the vineyards.

I’ll tear down her stones in great chaos,

And her foundations, I’ll expose.

⁷ ‘I’ll cut her carved idols to pieces;

Her temple whores, I’ll burn in a fire;

And I’ll appoint her idols to extinction.

For she hired whores and gathered them there…

So the wages of whores are what I’ll destroy.

⁸ ‘For this, she’ll wail and beat on her breasts…

She will go barefoot and naked…

She’ll beat on her chest like a dragon,

And mourn like chained demon’s daughters.

⁹ ‘This calamity upon her will surely arrive;

For she went to Judah and JeruSalem

And touched the gates of my people.’

¹⁰ ‘Now, those in Gath shouldn’t feel special,

Nor should those who are living in BakaIm…

And don’t laugh as you try to rebuild your homes,

For the land will be strewn with your laughter,

¹¹ And nothing good will come to your towns.

‘Then, those in ZaAnan will beat on their breasts

On behalf of the houses next door…

They’ll be grieved by the things that will happen to you.

¹² ‘For then, who’ll console her when she is sad

Over the bad things Yahweh will send,

Which will reach all the way to JeruSalem’s gates?

¹³ ‘They’ll hear the sounds of chariots and riders

[Attacking the City] of LachIsh.

For, they’re the ones who’ve been taking the lead

In the sins of the daughters of Zion…

All of IsraEl’s godless deeds can be found there!

¹⁴ ‘Because of this, they’ll be carried away

And become the inheritance of Gath…

Yes, even their poorest of homes.

¹⁵ ‘There, IsraEl’s kings won’t be valued…

The inheritance of Gath, they’ll become.

The people of LachIsh will then be their [slaves].

And off to AdulLam, they’ll carry

The glory of IsraEl’s daughters.

¹⁶ ‘So, shave [the heads of] your beloved young…

Make them as bald as the vultures;

For, they’ll all be carried away!’

Micah 2

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¹ ‘When they came here, they were looking for trouble

And doing what’s bad in their beds.

They did it all during the daytime,

And they wouldn’t raise a hand to Yahweh.

² ‘Then, because they desired more fields,

They plundered orphans and tyrannized homes…

They plundered the people along with their homes…

Both the men and the things they’d inherit.

³ ‘It’s because of this, that thus says Yahweh:

‘{Look!} Against their tribe, I’m bringing what’s bad,

And thereafter, they won’t lift their necks

Or in any way walk erect…

Yes for them, it’ll be a very bad time!

⁴ ‘In that day, they’ll be saying these words…

They’ll raise this lament in a song:

‘In our miserable condition, we knew misery;

For our people were [led off in] lines,

And no one [came here] to stop it

Or to bargain for their return;

So their fields were thereafter divided [as loot].’

⁵ ‘Now, no one will measure allotments

For those in the Lord’s congregation.

⁶ You’ll weep and cry for these things;

But I won’t remove all your scorn.

⁷ ‘Then, this is what they’ll say about you:

‘Because the house of Jacob provoked

Jehovah’s Spirit to rage,

These are the things that He did;

For His words and His ways are all straight and good!’

⁸ ‘[Throughout the years], my people have shown

A hatred and resistance to peace.

So they’ve flayed the skin [of those passing by],

[And brought upon themselves] the conflict of war.

⁹ ‘Now the leaders of my people will be driven from their homes…

They’ll be pushed away, because they’re so bad!

So, flee to the mountains of the ages,

¹⁰ Since for you, there’ll be no rest,

Because you’re corrupt and unclean!

¹¹ ‘So you’ll run when no one is chasing,

Because of your lying spirit,

Which trickles upon you like the wine and strong drink

That you’ve gained from the sweat of your people.

¹² ‘But, after some time, they’ll return…

I’ll gather Jacob along with the rest,

And I’ll search for IsraEl’s remnants…

I’ll collect them and I’ll return them

Like sheep that have gone through hard times…

They’ll jump away from those people,

And in their own pastures, they’ll live as one flock.

¹³ ‘They’ll [run] through the breach that’s before them,

For the gate will be cut so they can escape.

And before them, will travel their king…

Yes, they’ll be led by their Lord!’

Micah 3

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¹ [‘And God continues:]

‘So listen, you head ones of Jacob,

And the rest that are left of IsraEl’s house!

‘When will you learn to do what’s fair?

² Since you’ve hated what’s good and searched for what’s bad;

They’ll reach out for you and tear off your skin,

Then rip the flesh from your bones,

³ The same as you’ve eaten the flesh of my people

And flayed off all of their skin…

Then you broke their bones as flesh for the pot,

And as meat for the cauldron!’

⁴ [Micah now explains:]

‘So, you’ll cry out to Yahweh,

But He won’t listen to you…

He’ll just turn His face at that time,

Because of the wicked things that you’ve done.

⁵ ‘So, to the prophets, Yahweh declares

(To those misleading His people…

Those clenching their teeth as they proclaim peace

When [God hasn’t put] any [words] in their mouths):

‘A holy war, I’ll be sending to you

⁶ Because [you’ve told them] such things.

‘Then you’ll see no more visions during the nights…

You’ll just see darkness (not light).

For the sun won’t rise upon you prophets,

And the days will darken before you.

⁷ ‘Disgrace will then come to those who dream dreams,

And those telling the future will be ridiculed.

About them, all will speak badly,

And no one will listen to the things that they say.’

⁸ [Yet Micah says:]

‘However, I’ll be filled

With the strength and the Breath of Yahweh,

As well as with His justice and might,

So I can report the irreverence of Jacob

And speak to IsraEl about all their sins!

⁹ ‘Therefore, listen to this, O leaders of Jacob,

And you remnants of the house of IsraEl…

You who hate what’s fair and twist what’s straight…

¹⁰ You who’ve built Zion on blood

And filled JeruSalem with injustice!

¹¹ ‘For your leaders take bribes when they judge;

Your priests require a wage for replies;

And your prophets ask for silver when they prophesy.

Yet they still rest upon Yahweh and say:

‘Isn’t Yahweh among us?

No way will He bring bad things on us!’

¹² ‘And it’s for all of these reasons

That Zion will be plowed like a field...

JeruSalem will become empty barns;

And the Temple Mount, just a place in the woods!’

Micah 4

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¹ ‘But, in the last days,

They will see the Mountain of Yahweh

Sitting above the rest of the mountains,

Raised higher than all of the hills,

And to it, all the peoples will run.

² ‘Many nations will go there and say:

‘Let’s ascend the Mountain of Yahweh

And enter the [Temple] of Jacob’s God.

For there, He will show us His ways,

And we’ll thereafter walk in His paths!’

‘For, Laws will come out of Zion…

And from JeruSalem, the Word of Yahweh

³ Will serve as judge between peoples,

And make decisions among distant tribes.

‘Then they’ll cut their swords into plows,

And [they’ll beat] their spears into sickles.

Nation won’t rise against nation again,

Nor will they learn war anymore.

⁴ ‘Under their own grapevines, each person will sit,

And they’ll rest beneath their own fig trees…

For, none will make them afraid anymore.’

‘This was said by the mouth of Yahweh the Almighty:

⁵ ‘And although other people may go their own way;

You’ll walk in the Name of your God

From the present and into the ages.

⁶ ‘And in that day, says Yahweh,

I’ll regather all those who were broken

(The ones whom I had once discarded),

And I’ll welcome back those whom I’ve pushed away.

⁷ ‘Yes, those who are broken, I’ll welcome,

And I’ll make a great nation of them once again…

Of those whom I once pushed away!

And thereafter, and into the ages,

Their Lord will rule from Mount Zion.’

⁸ [Micah then says:]

‘But now, upon you, O tower of the flock…

Yes you, O JeruSalem’s daughter

(You austere offspring of Zion);

The foremost of Babylon’s kings

Will come here and enter your [gates]!

⁹ ‘For, why did you learn to do such bad things…

Wasn’t there a king here among you,

And has all good council now perished?

‘So, pangs are what you’ll have to endure

Like a woman who’s about to give birth.

¹⁰ But hang on and take courage, O daughter of Zion,

As [a woman] who’s giving birth!

‘For what’s coming to you is a city

That will set up its camps in your plains…

And then, to Babylon, they’ll take you.

But your God, Yahweh, will save you from there,

And ransom you from your enemies’ hands.

¹¹ ‘Now, many nations have come against you,

And this is what they’re saying:

‘Our eyes will rejoice as we gaze on Zion!’

¹² ‘But they don’t know the ways of Yahweh,

And His council, they don’t comprehend.

For like sheaves [of grain], they’ll be gathered,

And on a threshing floor, they’ll be piled,

¹³ So that you can thresh them, O daughter of Zion!

‘For I’ll turn your horns into iron,

And I’ll turn your hoofs into brass.

Then, I’ll dissolve many peoples,

And you’ll carry all their abundance

As well as their strength to the Lord of the earth.’

Micah 5

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¹ [Micah continues:]

‘Now the daughter of Zion has a reason to fear,

For upon her, He’s decreed war,

And they’ll strike IsraEl’s tribes on the jaw!

² ‘Then from you, O BethLehem of EphRatha

(The few among the thousands of Judah),

Will come a man who’ll be IsraEl’s king…

One whose [roots] are from the most ancient times

And from the days of the ages.

³ ‘And because of this, he’ll appoint her

A time that will be [like the giving] of birth.

For thereafter, she’ll [really] give birth

To the remnant of those who are brothers,

And to the sons of IsraEl, they’ll return.

⁴ ‘Yes, by the strength of Yahweh,

A shepherd will rise to [watch over] them,

And they’ll bask in the glory of the Name of their God,

Which will then become known to the ends of the earth.

⁵ ‘And this is [the sign that there’ll be] peace:

When the Assyrians arrive in your land

And they climb onto your place.

But seven shepherds will then rise against them

[And whip them] with the eight strokes of men.

⁶ ‘They’ll shepherd Assyria with a broadsword,

And the land of NimRod [will serve as] her grave.

For, from the Assyrians, He’ll save you,

When against your land, they’ve ascended,

And when they’ve crossed over your borders.

⁷ ‘Thereafter, the few of Jacob that remain

Will [be scattered] among many peoples.

But, like the dew that falls from the Lord,

And like the lambs [that are fed] on wild grass;

They’ll be gathered by no one,

Nor before sons of men, will they stand.

⁸ ‘And although the remnant of Jacob

Will be [scattered] among all the nations

And dwell among many peoples;

They’ll be like lions among cattle …

As bear cubs among flocks of sheep.

‘Then they’ll go through and scatter their prey…

None of which will be saved.

⁹ Then they’ll lift their hands against their opponents,

And their enemies will all be destroyed!

¹⁰ ‘But [before] that day,’ says Yahweh,

‘I’ll destroy all your horses and chariots…

¹¹ All the cities in your land will wiped away,

And I’ll remove all your forts.

¹² ‘From your hands, I’ll wipe out your potions,

And there’ll be no fortune tellers among you.

¹³ I’ll also destroy all the idols you’ve carved

And remove the sacred stones from your midst…

You’ll [no longer] bow to the works of your hands.

¹⁴ ‘I’ll cut down all of your sacred poles

And wipe away all of your cities.

¹⁵ Then, in My anger and rage,

I’ll send My vengeance to the rest of the nations,

Because they too failed to listen!’

Micah 6

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¹ ‘So, hear indeed, what Yahweh has said!

Arise and plead with the mountains…

Let all the hills hear what He’s said!

² ‘Yes, listen, O mountains, to the judgments of God…

You foundations of the earth and its valleys!

For between Yahweh and His people

There’s a case to be tried…

And with IsraEl, He’s going to war!

³ [‘For God asks:]

‘O My people, what did I do?

Tell Me what trouble I’ve caused you!

⁴ From the land of Egypt, I led you…

From the house of slaves, I ransomed you back,

And before your face, I had sent you

MiriAm, Aaron, and Moses!

⁵ ‘Remember the plans that MoAb’s King Balak

Had once made against you,

And the answers that BalaAm (son of BeOr)

Was given from Shittim to GilGal,

So he’d know the righteous ways of the Lord.

⁶ [And Micah comments:]

‘Yes, how can you conquer Yahweh?

Can you snatch Him down from the heights?

With your whole burnt-offerings, can you beat Him,

Or with [the blood of] 1-year-old calves? No!

⁷ ‘Will Yahweh [be swayed] by 1,000 male sheep

Or 10,000 one-year-old calves? No!

For your sins, can you offer your first-born? No!

Can you offer the first fruits that come from your bellies

To cover [the sins] in your lives? No!

⁸ ‘To you, He’s explained it, O man…

All the things that are righteous.

And all that Yahweh requires

Is for you to be fair and love mercy,

And to be ready to walk with your God!

⁹ ‘So the voice of Yahweh is calling to you,

And those fearing His Name will be saved.

So, listen to this, O you tribes,

[For God says:]

‘Who will be the adornment of your cities?

¹⁰ Won’t the homes of Law breakers be burned

Along with [the houses] of those loving crimes…

All the insolent and the unrighteous?

¹¹ ‘Will I overlook all of your wicked scales

And your bags of deceptive weights?

¹² Will your irreverent ways be covered by wealth?

And all you liars that live there;

Will your [wicked] tongues [bring praise] from your mouths? No!

¹³ ‘For your sins, I’ll torment you to extinction,

¹⁴ Then you’ll eat and never be filled.

I’ll banish you, and you’ll be lost

(No way will you be preserved);

And the survivors, I’ll hand to the broadsword.

¹⁵ ‘Then, although you may plant, you won’t reap;

And although you’ll press olives, you won’t anoint,

Nor will you drink any wine…

Since the Laws of My people will be wiped away.

¹⁶ ‘For the rules of [IsraElite King] OmRi, are what you’ve chosen,

As well as the deeds of the house of [IsraElite King] Ahab.

Yes, you’ve chosen their plans

So you wouldn’t be laughed at by others…

Thus, I’m bringing extinction upon you!’

Micah 7

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¹ ‘I’m like a man who gleans stubble in the harvest,

Or one who gleans grapes after they’re gone…

Those ripe ones for which my soul craves (woe is me)!

² ‘For the upright have all been wiped from the land…

Those who walk straight, no longer exist,

And all righteous blood has been squeezed

By the oppression of their neighbors,

³ Whose hands are doing whatever is bad.

‘Your rulers now ask you for gifts

And your judges [give rulings] for bribes…

Yet, this is what your souls have wanted!

⁴ ‘So He’ll take away all your good things

Like a moth chewing through woolen clothes

[On behalf of those] found walking straight lines

In the day that they’re being inspected.

‘Yes, woe to you, for your punishment is due,

And soon you all will be weeping!

⁵ ‘So, don’t confide in your friends,

And put no hope in your leaders!

Watch out for the one who sleeps in your bed…

To her, show nothing at all!

⁶ ‘For, sons will dishonor their fathers,

And daughters will oppose their own mothers…

It is daughters-in-law against mothers-in-law,

And your enemies will be those in your own homes.’

⁷ ‘But, I’ll look to my Lord…

On my Savior, Yahweh, I’ll wait,

And my God will listen to me.

⁸ ‘So, enemies of mine, don’t rejoice,

For although I’ve fallen, I’ll rise again.

And if I must sit in the darkness,

Jehovah will provide me with light.

⁹ ‘Yes, I’ll endure the rage of Yahweh;

For against Him, I’m also a sinner.

But I’ll wait until He sends justice…

Until He shows me His judgments

And leads me into the light,

Where I’ll look to His righteous ways.

¹⁰ ‘Then, upon my enemies, I’ll gaze,

For then, they must bear all their shame;

Since they’re the ones who once asked me:

‘So, where is Yahweh, your God?’

[‘But God says]:

‘My eyes have noticed these things,

So I’ll trample on her like mud in the streets…

¹¹ Like mortar on bricks, she’ll be wiped away,

And her rules will be gone in that day.

¹² ‘Your cities will then all be leveled

And by the Assyrians, they’ll be subdivided.

Yes your fortified cities will be given away

From Tyre down to the [Nile] river…

From mountain to mountain and sea to sea!

¹³ ‘For the land will all be destroyed,

Along with [the people] who live there…

It’s the fruitage of what they’ve done!’

¹⁴ [‘O God,]

‘Tend Your people with Your mighty rod;

For, they’re Your inherited sheep…

May they camp all alone in the woods

And [on the sides] of [Mount] CarMel!

‘In BaShan and GileAd, please feed them

As You did for them back in that age

¹⁵ When [You led] them from Egypt.

¹⁶ [‘And God replies:]

‘Yes, wonderful things, I’ll show them,

Which the nations will see in disgrace.

For [the nations will lose] all their strength…

They’ll place their hands over their mouths

And they’ll cover their ears.

¹⁷ Then they’ll lick the dust just like snakes

That slither along on the ground.

And because of this, they’ll then be confused.’

‘Yes by God, they’ll be amazed…

But, they must learn how to fear Him!

¹⁸ For, to what other god can He be compared?

[‘O God,]

‘As You remove the unrighteous,

[Please overlook] the irreverence

Of Your inherited ones who are left…

Hold back Your rage for the things that You’ve seen,

And please show mercy upon us!

¹⁹ ‘Please turn around and show pity on us,

But, sink our unrighteous ways…

Cast our sins into the depths of the seas.

²⁰ ‘Then to Jacob, please send what’s true,

And on AbraHam’s [offspring], please show mercy,

As You swore in Your oath to our fathers.’

Nahum

01  02  03  All books

Nahum is the record of a prophecy by the Prophet Nahum.

It was written sometime during the mid-7th Century BCE, and is a proclamation against the Assyrians (the world empire of that time), who had destroyed the northern 10-tribe Kingdom of Israel in the previous century.

Nahum refers to himself as an Elkoshite, which may be a reference to the City of Alqosh in Assyria, where the Bible tells us that the 10 tribes of IsraEl had been relocated by the Assyrians in the 8th Century BCE. Interestingly, Kurds live in that area today, and DNA evidence shows that Kurds are closely related to modern Jews.

Most of this book is poetry

Something that only a Bible translator would notice is when words are in the form of Hebrew poetry. There’s a definite cadence that can be seen in the original language. Therefore, because this is the chosen style of God, we’ve tried to recreate it as it was originally intended: in poetic verse.

Why use poetry?

Poetry must conform to a certain rhythm and style. These act as memory aids, helping you to recall the words, making it easier for messages to be spread via the most common communication method of the time: song.

Who was talking?

When translating the words of the Prophets, you can’t help but notice the constant changing personal pronouns (I, you, he, they, etc.) used in the text. It makes it very confusing to figure out exactly who’s talking.

However, we now realize one reason for the confusion that’s usually overlooked: God didn’t speak to the Prophets personally. Rather, He sent His messages through a mediator, either referred to as a messenger (an angel), or sometimes as ‘The Word’ (which some interpret to mean Yeshua).

So there are actually three voices speaking:

1. That of the Prophet, who sometimes quotes himself,

2. That of the angelic messenger who’s bringing the message from God,

3. The words of God Himself (which we put in italics).

How can we tell the difference? From the context, the pronouns, and the tenses:

1. When the Prophet speaks, he’s either clearly reporting what he said or did, or is simply saying what was happening.

2. When the angelic messenger speaks, he talks about God in the third person.

3 When God is speaking, all references to God are naturally spoken in the first person.

Did we get it all right? Probably not, but it has been an honest attempt at doing so. If you think you’ve spotted a place where our choice is incorrect, please let us know and we’ll reconsider it.

Nahum 1

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¹ The concern over Nineveh.

This is the scroll of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite:

² ‘Because He’s very zealous,

Yahweh won’t fail to punish.

In His rage, Yahweh will punish

All those who are standing against Him…

He will destroy all those who oppose Him.

³ ‘Yahweh is patient and mighty,

And the [guilty], [He] won’t acquit.

For His ways are rumbling and final.

⁴ ‘There are clouds of dust under His feet,

And He can squeeze the seas and cause them to dry.

He also desolates rivers,

Which is how He weakened BaShan and CarMel,

And it’s why Lebanon’s blossoms have failed.

⁵ ‘Before Him, the mountains have shaken,

And [before Him], the hills have all trembled.

They rise at His presence throughout the whole earth,

As do all [the peoples] who dwell there.

⁶ ‘Before His rage, who can stand…

Yes, who can withstand His anger?

For, sovereign rulers melt at His rage,

And even the rocks split apart.

⁷ ‘Yet He’s kind to those who [put faith] in Him

In their day of affliction…

And He knows all those who respect Him.

⁸ ‘Like a downpour, He wipes away and consumes

All those who’ve been roused [to oppose Him],

And He chases His enemies into the dark.

⁹ ‘So against Yahweh, what plans can you make,

For He can wipe you away.

But He won’t punish you twice,

Or punish you for the same [errors].

¹⁰ ‘His enemy’s [cities], He will lay bare

To their very foundations.

Like twisted yews, they’ll be burned…

As though they’re very dry stubble.

¹¹ ‘Yet, against Yahweh, you’ve made plans…

Against Him, you’ve made wicked plans.

¹² So Yahweh (who rules all the waters) says this:

‘I’ll send them away

And they’ll not be heard from again.

¹³ For I’ll lift their whips from [your backs],

And I’ll remove all their shackles.’

¹⁴ ‘It was concerning [the Assyrians], that Yahweh said this:

‘Your name won’t be mentioned again;

For, I’ll destroy all your idols

(Those which you molded and carved),

Then a time will be set for your funeral,

Which will arrive very soon!

¹⁵ ‘Look! Upon the mountains, he’s coming…

The feet of the one announcing good news

And the one with reports about peace!

‘So in Judah, declare a holiday [feast],

And you must get ready to pay all your vows,

So that never again will they enter [your gates],

Nor again, should they see your corruption.’

Nahum 2

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¹ ‘Now He’s finished [His work] and He’s consumed…

This One who came and breathed in your face…

This One who [brought] you affliction!

‘So, watch the roads and [wrap up] your loins…

Be very manly and strong!

² For Yahweh has taken away

The haughtiness of Jacob’s [tribes],

As well as IsraEl’s insolent ways.

‘And now, He’s ready to shake off

Those who’ve been shaking you,

And He’ll bring their branches to ruin.

³ For under Him, there are men who have weapons,

And laugh at fire, because of their might.

‘Their chariots have now been prepared,

And their horsemen will make many wail.

⁴ Their chariots will wreak havoc along all the roads,

And thereafter, they’ll meet in [Assyria’s] squares.

‘The sight of them is like burning lamps,

And lightning [is found in their wake].

⁵ ‘So all of [Assyria’s] mighty men

Should stop and think about this…

For in the daytime, they’ll flee.

And as they leave, they’ll be feeble,

Then between their walls, they’ll run

From the troops in the lead that arrive.

⁶ ‘Then their city gates will be opened wide,

And all their great homes will be ruined…

⁷ Yes, all their supports will lie bare.

‘Then their [women] will appear with their servants,

And as meek as doves, they’ll be led away

To the flutter of their own beating hearts.

⁸ ‘For, Nineveh is a pool amidst waters,

And her men won’t resist, they’ll just flee

When no one is paying attention.

⁹ ‘So their silver and gold will be looted…

There are no limits to all that they’ll take.

And those looters will then be weighed down

With [the city’s] most desirable things.

¹⁰ ‘There’ll be thrusting, shaking, and tumult…

Hearts will be breaking and knees will be weak…

Loins will all become loose,

And their faces will look like burned pots!

¹¹ ‘So, where is this great lion’s den…

Yes, where is the pasture [where she hides] her cubs…

Where has the [great] lion gone?

She’s gone away to be with her cubs

Who ran when there was nothing to fear.

¹² ‘She is the same lion that once snatched away

All that her cubs had required.

And for her, the cubs strangled their prey,

Until their den became filled with game…

Their home was filled with the things she’d seized.

¹³ [‘And God says:]

‘But look!

I’m the One who’s coming against you,’

‘...says Yahweh, the Almighty,

‘And all of your army, I’ll burn into smoke.

‘I’ll devour your lions with the broadsword,

And I’ll take all the game from your land,

So that none of the things you’ve accomplished

Will ever be mentioned again.’

Nahum 3

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¹ ‘O you city of blood

And of all that’s false and unrighteous:

‘You’ll no longer be in charge of your game.

² For the sounds of whips, [you’ll hear],

Along with the rumble of [chariot] wheels…

The hot pursuits upon horses,

And the dust that they’ll raise with their wheels…

³ The attacks of men riding steeds…

The shine of their swords and the flashing of shields.

‘Great multitudes will be slaughtered;

For a downfall is coming to you.

Unnumbered nations will come there,

And from [looting and rape], they’ll tire.

⁴ ‘You’re a whore who once satisfied men,

And in the making of potions, you took the lead.

Then you sold your whoring to the nations,

And your potions, you sold to their tribes.

⁵ ‘So look… I’m the One who’s against you,’

‘...says Yahweh the Almighty!

‘I’ll uncover your backside,

And show all the nations your shame…

Other kingdoms will see your dishonor!

⁶ ‘Because of all your uncleanness,

I’ll bring what’s disgusting upon you…

I’ll use you as an example.

⁷ ‘Then, all who see you will leave you and say:

‘O Nineveh, you great wretched one;

Who’ll now mourn over you?

And where can they search to send comfort?’

⁸ ‘So, tune up the strings of your lyres,

And prepare your potions for Amun

([Your god] who inhabits the rivers);

For your walls are surrounded by water,

From which you’ve ruled all the way to the sea.

⁹ ‘Although Ethiopia and Egypt have served as your strength,

They’ll [be no help] when you’re taken away…

There’ll just be Libya and the Sudan

That will come to your aid.

¹⁰ ‘Your [people] will be captured and taken to exile,

And your infant’s [heads] will be dashed on the walls.

For your honorable things, they’ll cast lots,

As your great men are tethered and bound.

¹¹ ‘So, you’ll be provoked and get drunk,

As from your enemies, you seek shelter.

¹² But what will happen to those in your forts,

Is the same as what will happen to you.

‘For, you’ll then be the fruit…

And when they start shaking the [tree],

You’ll fall into the mouths

Of those who’ve come to consume you.

¹³ ‘{Look!} Your enemies will view you as women,

So they’ll burn the bars off your gates

And open all doors throughout your land!

¹⁴ ‘Then you’ll have to draw water from your rivers

To rescue all of your burning forts!

So, you should tread mortar and mix it with straw…

Then make it stronger with bricks!

¹⁵ For fire and the sword will destroy you…

They’ll consume you like locusts,

And by grasshoppers, you’ll be oppressed.

¹⁶ ‘Although you once grew your trade higher

Than all the stars in the skies;

Grasshoppers are coming to spread [over you]…

¹⁷ Small locusts will leap and consume,

And cover your fences like frost.

Then, as the sun rises, they’ll just hop away…

And woe, because you won’t know where they’ve gone!

¹⁸ ‘And you, O Assyria’s king;

All of your shepherds have fallen asleep

And all of your mighty are resting.

Your people [have fled] to the mountains,

And no one is searching for them.

¹⁹ Thus there’ll be no one to heal your destruction,

And your wounds will soon be inflamed.

‘Yet, those hearing this message about you

Are all now clapping their hands…

For to them, you’ve done evil things.’

Habakkuk

01  02  03  All books

Habakkuk the record of the prophecy given to the Prophet Habakkuk.

It foretells JeruSalem’s destruction by Babylon, written sometime around the middle 7th Century BCE.

Most of this book is poetry

Something that only a Bible translator would notice is when words are in the form of Hebrew poetry. There’s a definite cadence that can be seen in the original language. Therefore, because this is the chosen style of God, we’ve tried to recreate it as it was originally intended: in poetic verse.

Why use poetry?

Poetry must conform to a certain rhythm and style. These act as memory aids, helping you to recall the words, making it easier for messages to be spread via the most common communication method of the time: song.

Who was talking?

When translating the words of the Prophets, you can’t help but notice the constant changing personal pronouns (I, you, he, they, etc.) used in the text. It makes it very confusing to figure out exactly who’s talking.

However, we now realize one reason for the confusion that’s usually overlooked: God didn’t speak to the Prophets personally. Rather, He sent His messages through a mediator, either referred to as a messenger (an angel), or sometimes as ‘The Word’ (which some interpret to mean Yeshua).

So there are actually three voices speaking:

1. That of the Prophet, who sometimes quotes himself,

2. That of the angelic messenger who’s bringing the message from God,

3. The words of God Himself (which we put in italics).

How can we tell the difference? From the context, the pronouns, and the tenses:

1. When the Prophet speaks, he’s either clearly reporting what he said or did, or is simply saying what was happening.

2. When the angelic messenger speaks, he talks about God in the third person.

3 When God is speaking, all references to God are naturally spoken in the first person.

Did we get it all right? Probably not, but it has been an honest attempt at doing so. If you think you’ve spotted a place where our choice is incorrect, please let us know and we’ll reconsider it.

Habakkuk 1

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¹ These are the things that Prophet HabakKuk saw:

² ‘How long, O Lord, must I cry out

As You don’t listen [to me]?

How long should I yell to You over wrong

As You don’t bring us salvation?

³ ‘Why have You shown toil and trouble to me,

As you look upon misery and irreverence?

Right opposite me, there’s judging going on…

But it’s the judge that carries away!

⁴ ‘Because of this, the Law has been shaken,

And in the end, there’s no justice;

For the godless are tyrannizing the righteous,

And the justice they receive is perverted!’

⁵ [Then the Lord replied]:

‘Look, O you who’s speaking such words…

Gaze and wonder at wonders,

And thereafter, just pass away!

For I’ll do a work in your day,

Which you won’t believe and none can describe!

⁶ ‘{Look!} I’ll awaken the Chaldean people,

And they’ll travel across the breadth of the earth

To inherit tents not their own.

⁷ ‘[Their king] is known to be fearsome,

And he [creates] his own kind of justice,

For his only concern is himself.

⁸ ‘His horses leap higher than leopards,

And [their teeth] are like those of Arabian wolves.

‘His horsemen will make great advances…

They’ll spread [their wings] out like eagles

That are eager for something to eat.

⁹ ‘Then, upon those who don’t show him respect,

He will bring a consumption…

It’ll come upon all who oppose him,

And he’ll gather captives like sand.

¹⁰ ‘Then among all their kings, he will revel…

Their sovereignty will be things he plays with,

And he will mock every fortress…

He’ll build siege mounds around them and win!

¹¹ ‘But thereafter, his spirit will change;

For, he will repent and then say,

This power has come from my God!’

¹² [And Habakkuk replied:]

‘O Yahweh, my God and most Holy One;

You’re from the beginning!

But, although there’s no reason for us to die,

You’ve ordered up justice…

For discipline and correction, You’ve shaped us.

¹³ ‘If Your eyes are too pure to look at the bad,

And You’ll not view any evil;

Why do You endure those who hate You?

‘And why do You remain silent and watch

As the impious are consuming the righteous?

¹⁴ Will You let us be like the fish in the sea

Or like things that crawl [on the ground]

Where no one is taking the lead?

¹⁵ ‘You’ve let [Babylon’s king] catch destruction…

Yes, he pulled it up with a hook

And lifted it up with his net…

Then he brought it all in with his dragnet,

And this is why he’s so joyful.

¹⁶ ‘So to his dragnet, he’ll offer sacrifices,

And to it, he will also burn incense.

For by it, he’s fattened his portion,

And provided himself the choicest of food.

¹⁷ So he’ll keep on casting his net

To destroy many nations, not spare them!’

Habakkuk 2

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¹ ‘[Now I’ve told You] that during my watch,

I’ll be the one who stands guard…

I’ll climb on the rocks and observe,

Then listen to all that You’ll tell me,

So I’ll know what I must say in reply

When I’m receiving correction.’

² Then the [messenger of the] Lord told me this… He clearly said:

‘Now, you must write down this vision

To elevate those who’ll read it.

³ It’s a vision of a time in the future…

It’s what will happen in the time of the end.

‘Be patient if it seems to be late;

For it’ll surely arrive…

No way will its coming be tardy.

⁴ ‘To the depths of My core, I don’t find favor

In one who would hold back [these words].

Yet, by their faith, the righteous will live!

⁵ ‘But, those who are arrogant and filled with hate,

And any man who’s a braggart

Will receive no [blessings] at all.

‘Now he’s widening his soul like the grave,

And like death, he never gets filled.

⁶ So, if he should assemble all nations

And gather their peoples [under his rule];

Wouldn’t they say this against him…

Wouldn’t they speak this riddle and say:

‘Woe to the one who takes what’s not his…

How long [can he stand] all the pressure?

⁷ For suddenly, there’ll come those who’ll bite him…

Yes, those plotting against him will awaken

And then they’ll saw him in two!

⁸ ‘For, many nations, he’s ravaged.

But those who remain, will soon ravage him

Because of all the blood that he’s shed,

And the things that he did to their cities and lands…

What he did to all those who lived there.’

⁹ ‘O you who’ve desired all their wealth;

These same things will come upon you and your house…

Yes, on you who’ve arranged your ‘nest’ in the heights,

And whose hands have brought evil [to others].

¹⁰ ‘For, you’ve shamed your own house!

Since, throughout your life, you’ve sinned,

And you’ve ended [the lives] of [many great] men.

¹¹ ‘Therefore, from your stone walls, I’ll yell,

And the beetles in the woods will repeat it:

¹² ‘Woe to those who build their cities on blood,

And [grow] their countries by doing what’s wrong!’

¹³ ‘Yet, it’s by Yahweh the Almighty

That so many have been tested by fire,

And the nations have proven faint-hearted!

¹⁴ ‘So, like the waters that cover the seas,

The earth will soon become filled

With the knowledge about all His glory.

¹⁵ ‘But, you’ve forced your neighbors to drink

Something intoxicating and cloudy

In order to gaze on their private parts.

¹⁶ ‘So drink deeply to the glory of your dishonor

And get extremely excited!

For thereafter, you’ll be completely surrounded

Within the cup in Yahweh’s right hand,

Where your glory will meet with dishonor.

¹⁷ ‘By Lebanon’s irreverence, you’ll also be covered,

And the misery of wild beasts will terrify you,

Because of the blood of men that you’ve shed,

And the badness within [your] cities and lands,

Along with the [evil] of your people.

¹⁸ ‘So, what good are the idols that they’ve carved,

Or the molded castings they’ve shaped…

The false things that they can see with their eyes?

For your people rely on things that they’ve shaped…

On idols that they’ve made, which can’t speak!

¹⁹ ‘So, woe to those who say to the wood [idols]:

‘[It’s time for you to] awaken and rise!’

‘And who say to things made of stone:

‘Become great!’

‘For, they’re only things you can look at…

Things that you’ve hammered from silver and gold,

Which are still unable to breathe.

²⁰ ‘But, in His Temple, Yahweh is [alive]!

So in every land, they should bow before Him!’

Habakkuk 3

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¹ The prayer of Prophet HabakKuk, in a song:

² ‘O Lord,

‘I heard Your report and I was afraid.

‘O Yahweh,

‘I thought of your works and I trembled.

‘You stand between the two cherubs,

And in coming years, all will know You…

Yes, when that time arrives, You’ll be seen.

‘And when disturbance comes into my life,

You’ll think of [me] and show mercy.

³ For, God will come out of TeMan…

Yes, from the shadow of Mount Paran,

The Most Holy one will arrive.’

PAUSE

‘His virtues cover the skies

And His praises fill the [whole] earth…

⁴ Like all kinds of light is His brightness.

‘In His hands, He carries a trumpet;

And by His might, He sends us His love.

⁵ ‘So, from His face, a word will go forth,

Which will travel from there to the plains;

⁶ And where His feet stand, the [whole] earth will shake.

‘When He looks upon them, the nations dissolve…

By [His] might, the mountains will break

And the hills of the ages will melt.

⁷ ‘On the tents of Ethiopian peoples,

I saw distress about to arrive,

And the tents of Media were also disturbed.

⁸ ‘Were You provoked by their rivers, O Lord…

Did their rivers make You so angry

That against their sea, You took action?

‘O you who’re arriving on horses;

As you ride, are you bringing salvation?

⁹ No, Yahweh has told you to stretch out…

Against their tents, you must stretch tight your bows!’

PAUSE

‘You’ll divide up their lands by their rivers,

¹⁰ And when they see you, they’ll start having birth pangs;

For they’ll know that the rivers will be their new borders.

‘Then the abyss will shout to the heights

When it sees that you’re arriving.

¹¹ For the sun won’t rise in the sky,

And the moon will fail and stand still.

But, by the flash of your arrows

And sparks from your weapons, they’ll move.

¹² ‘When [God] threatens, He’ll leave just few in their lands;

For in His rage, He wipes nations away.

¹³ But to His people, He’s bringing salvation,

And He will save His anointed.

‘But to the heads of the lawless, He will send death…

First, He’ll put chains on their necks,

Which will shake and astonish the mighty,

And then He will chop off their heads!’

PAUSE

¹⁴ ‘Yes, He’ll split the heads of the mighty,

After He makes them all shiver.

So then they’ll put down their reins

And look for places to hide…

Where they’ll be fed like the poor.

¹⁵ ‘For He’ll lead their horses into the sea,

And there they’ll muddy its waters…

Which will bring fear to all, when they see it.

¹⁶ ‘On my lips, there was the sound of a prayer…

Trembling entered my backside and bones…

Yes, all of my ways were disturbed.

But I’ll find rest in that day of distress…

When I leave the people to whom I was sent.

¹⁷ ‘For their fig trees won’t bear fruit anymore,

And there’ll be no grapes on their vines.

Their olives will also be gone,

And there’ll be no crops in their fields.

‘At that time, there’ll be no more sheep,

And there’ll be no oxen left in their barns.

¹⁸ ‘But I’ll shout in joy to Yahweh…

I’ll rejoice over my Savior, God!

¹⁹ For Yahweh God is my strength,

And He’s provided straight paths for my feet…

Upon a high place, He’s set me,

And by His song, I’ll win!’

Zephaniah

01  02  03  All books

Zephaniah is a record of the prophecy given to the Prophet Zephaniah.

It’s message is a warning to JeruSalem, the surrounding countries, and the Assyrians. It was probably written around 640 BCE.

Most of this book is poetry

Something that only a Bible translator would notice is when words are in the form of Hebrew poetry. There’s a definite cadence that can be seen in the original language. Therefore, because this is the chosen style of God, we’ve tried to recreate it as it was originally intended: in poetic verse.

Why use poetry?

Poetry must conform to a certain rhythm and style. These act as memory aids, helping you to recall the words, making it easier for messages to be spread via the most common communication method of the time: song.

Who was talking?

When translating the words of the Prophets, you can’t help but notice the constant changing personal pronouns (I, you, he, they, etc.) used in the text. It makes it very confusing to figure out exactly who’s talking.

However, we now realize one reason for the confusion that’s usually overlooked: God didn’t speak to the Prophets personally. Rather, He sent His messages through a mediator, either referred to as a messenger (an angel), or sometimes as ‘The Word’ (which some interpret to mean Yeshua).

So there are actually three voices speaking:

1. That of the Prophet, who sometimes quotes himself,

2. That of the angelic messenger who’s bringing the message from God,

3. The words of God Himself (which we put in italics).

How can we tell the difference? From the context, the pronouns, and the tenses:

1. When the Prophet speaks, he’s either clearly reporting what he said or did, or is simply saying what was happening.

2. When the angelic messenger speaks, he talks about God in the third person.

3 When God is speaking, all references to God are naturally spoken in the first person.

Did we get it all right? Probably not, but it has been an honest attempt at doing so. If you think you’ve spotted a place where our choice is incorrect, please let us know and we’ll reconsider it.

Zephaniah 1

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¹ The Word of Yahweh came to ZephaniAh (son of Cushi, grandson of GedaliAh, and great-grandson of AmariAh, son of HezekiAh) in the days of JosiAh (son of Amon) the king of Judah, and said:

² ‘When it comes to being in want,

Let all on the face of the earth be in want,’ said the [messenger of the] Lord!

³ ‘Let men and their cattle all be in want;

Let things that fly in the sky be in want,

As well as the fish in the seas.

‘May the irreverent all become ill

Because of their lawless deeds;

For, from the land, I’ll remove them,’ said the [messenger of the] Lord.

⁴ ‘Then over Judah and JeruSalem

I’ll stretch out my hand,

And the name of the BaAl, I’ll remove from this place,

Along with the names of his priests

And the things dedicated [to him].

⁵ ‘[I’ll remove] all those who bow on their roofs

Before the [stars] in the skies,

As well as those who bow low

And swear their oaths by their masters,

Or those who swear oaths by their king.

⁶ For, they’ve all turned from Yahweh,

And they’re not seeking their Lord…

[To Him], they haven’t stuck closely.

⁷ ‘So be cautious before Yahweh [your] God,

For the Day of the Lord is at hand!

Jehovah has readied His [great] sacrifice,

And made His Chosen One holy.

⁸ ‘For the day of sacrifice will arrive

When I’ll take vengeance upon all their rulers,

As well as on the house of their king,

And on those who wear foreign clothes.

⁹ ‘When I take vengeance, you’ll see it;

For, it’ll come to the gates in that day

Of those filling the House of Yahweh

With their treacherous, ungodly ways.

¹⁰ ‘And in that day,’ said the [messenger of the] Lord,

‘There’ll come the sounds of cries from the gates…

[The sounds] of people who are being stabbed through.

And from the second quarter, the screams of the women,

As the battles rage on in the hills.

¹¹ ‘So wail, all you who dwell in this place

That soon will be cut to pieces.

For [as happened] to the people of CanaAn;

Those who carry silver will be slaughtered!

¹² ‘And in that day;

I’ll search JeruSalem through with a lamp

And take vengeance upon all the people

Who’ve paid no attention to my orders,

And on those who’ve said in their hearts:

‘Yahweh will do neither evil nor good!’

¹³ ‘Then I’ll give them the power to ravage

And ruin all of your houses.

So, you’ll build homes in which you won’t live,

And plant vineyards, from which you won’t drink the wine.

¹⁴ ‘For the Day of the Lord has approached…

Yes, it’ll come very soon!

And the sounds of the Day of the Lord

Are ordered to be bitter and harsh.

¹⁵ ‘It’ll be a day of His rage;

A day of distress and affliction;

A day of misery and extinction;

A day of dimness and darkness;

A day of clouds and [thick] fog.

¹⁶ ‘It’ll be a day when the trumpets are blown,

And cries will arise from all your walled cities,

As well as from your high towers.

¹⁷ For, I’ll squeeze out the people,

And then they’ll walk like the blind

Because of their sins against [God].

‘I’ll pour their blood out in the dust,

And I’ll [pour] their flesh out like dung.

¹⁸ Then their silver and gold won’t save them

In the Day of the Rage of Yahweh.

For the fire of His zeal will consume the whole land.

‘In a diligent way, He will bring it

Upon all those who dwell in this land.’

Zephaniah 2

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¹ ‘So, gather and be bound together,

You nation that can’t be taught,

² Before this day passes by like a blossom…

Before [God’s] wrath has come upon you…

Before the day of His anger and rage.

³ ‘So, seek Yahweh, you meek of the earth…

Seek what’s righteous and fair!

Give truthful answers to all,

And tell them to hide in the Day of God’s wrath.

⁴ ‘For, it’ll bring plundering to Gaza,

And AshKelon will be wiped away.

AshDod will fall at mid-day,

And EkRon will soon be uprooted.

⁵ ‘Woe to you in the lands by the sea…

All you who’ve [moved there] from Crete.

For the Word of Yahweh is coming against you

(You Philistines within CanaAn’s land),

And I’ll destroy all the places where you dwell.

⁶ ‘[Your lands] will become pastures for flocks…

They’ll be safe havens for sheep.

⁷ And the lands of those who dwell by the sea

Will be given to the remnants of Judah.

‘AshKelon’s homes will then become [pens]

Where sheep will rest [in the heat of the day].

Then the sons of Judah, Yahweh will visit,

And from captivity, return them.

⁸ [‘For God says:]

‘For I’ve heard the scorning of MoAb

And of their mistreatment by AmMon’s sons

When they berated My people,

And forced themselves over My borders.

⁹ ‘Because of this, as I live;

‘...says IsraEl’s God, Yahweh of Armies,

‘MoAb will soon be like Sodom,

And the sons of AmMon, like GomorRah.

‘Damascus will also come to its end

And be heaps of salt throughout the age!

They’ll be plundered by what remain of My people…

They’ll be inherited by the remnant of My nation.’

¹⁰ ‘This will happen because of their insolent ways…

Because they berated [God’s people],

And because they put themselves higher

Than Yahweh, the Almighty God.

¹¹ ‘Then before them, the Lord will appear

To destroy the gods of those nations and countries,

And thereafter, they’ll all bow before him…

Each man within his own land

And the gentiles that live in the islands.

¹² ‘Then, the Ethiopian peoples;

I’ll put to death with my broadsword!

¹³ And I’ll stretch out my hand towards the north,

Then the Assyrians too, will be wiped away…

I’ll turn Nineveh into a desert!

¹⁴ ‘Flocks will then feed in her midst

Beside the wild beasts of the land.

Chameleons and hedgehogs will live in her fretwork,

Wild beasts will roar in her ditches,

And crows will nest in her gates.

‘But because she has been a tall cedar,

¹⁵ This city that has paid no attention

Will still have hope that she can survive.

‘For, she has said in her heart:

‘[Here] I am, and after me, there’ll be no others!’

‘But soon, she won’t be anymore…

She’ll be a place where wild beasts will dwell,

And all that thereafter go through her

Will whistle and just wring their hands.’

Zephaniah 3

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¹ ‘And you, O great city of [JeruSalem]…

O my dove, whom I’ve repurchased;

² To His voice, you just wouldn’t listen,

And you chose not to follow His orders…

Upon Yahweh, you wouldn’t rely…

You refused to turn back to your God.

³ ‘So your rulers are like roaring lions,

And your judges are like Arabian wolves

That leave nothing over ‘til morning.

⁴ ‘Your prophets are all wanton liars

[Whose words] are blown by the winds.

And [God’s] Holy Things are profaned by your priests

Who have no respect for His Laws.

⁵ ‘But among you, Yahweh’s been righteous…

No way has He been unjust…

Each morning, He sends you justice and light.

But, nothing is hidden from Him,

And He doesn’t put up with injustice.

‘So the wicked will all come to shame,

⁶ And He will tear down your proud,

Then destroy all the places where they hide.

‘He’ll also wipe away all your roads,

So that no one will pass through your cities.

Then all of your towns will be wiped away…

No one will dwell there, because they’ll be gone!

⁷ [‘For God says:]

‘I told you to fear Me and do as I say,

So I wouldn’t have to destroy you.

But now, prepare for the vengeance

That I’ll be bringing upon you.

For, I’ll rise early and reap,

And even your gleanings, I’ll ruin, said Yahweh.

⁸ ‘Then, upon the gathering of nations,

I’ll thereafter pass judgment,

And I’ll pour out My rage on their kings…

Yes, all of My anger and rage

And the fire of My zeal will consume them.

⁹ ‘Then, to that generation, I’ll bring just one language

So that all can call on the name of the Lord

And serve him under one yoke.

¹⁰ ‘From the ends of Ethiopia’s rivers

I’ll welcome back those who were scattered,

And to Me, they’ll bring sacrifices.

¹¹ ‘In that Day, you won’t be disgraced

By the disrespect that you’ve shown Me.

For I’ll remove your insolent ways

And the careless attitudes that you’ve shown…

Then about My Holy Mountain, you’ll boast once again.

¹² ‘But among you, I’ll leave the humble and meek

(Those who respect the name of the Lord).

¹³ And this remnant of IsraEl won’t be unrighteous…

Of vain things, they’ll not speak,

And no way will their tongues then deceive.

Then they’ll eat as they lie in their beds,

And no one will make them afraid.’

¹⁴ [And the messenger of the Lord continues:]

‘So rejoice, O daughter of Zion…

O JeruSalem’s daughter, shout loudly…

Whole-heartedly [cry out in] joy…

JeruSalem’s daughter, yell in delight!

¹⁵ For Yahweh has removed your offenses

And ransomed you from your enemy’s hands.

For IsraEl’s King, Yahweh, is with you,

So you’ll no longer see any evil!

¹⁶ ‘To JeruSalem, I’ll say at that time:

‘Be courageous, O Zion,

And don’t let your hands become weak!

¹⁷ For Yahweh your God is among you…

The Almighty has brought you salvation!’

‘Then, He will spread gladness among you,

And because He cares, He’ll revive you.

He will be as glad and delighted with you

As He was in the days of your holiday feasts.

¹⁸ ‘Then I’ll gather back those who are broken,

And bring woe upon any that scorn you!

¹⁹ {Look!} In that time, I’ll act on your behalf…

I’ll save all those who were pressured,

And I’ll welcome back those whom I once pushed away.

Then I’ll make them [a people] of boasting and fame

In every place throughout the whole earth.

²⁰ ‘At that time, your enemies will all be disgraced

And I’ll do whatever you think to be good;

Because, in that time, I’ll accept you…

I’ll make you famous and reasons to boast

Before the rest of the nations on earth.

For in front of their eyes, I’ll return you

From the places where they once held you captive,’

‘...said Yahweh.’

Haggai

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Haggai is the record of the prophecy given to the Prophet Haggai.

It’s a message to the people of JeruSalem, given about 22 years after the first batch of refugees returned to the land of IsraEl after the deportation to Babylon. It concerns the need to rebuild God’s Temple.

Most of this book is poetry

Something that only a Bible translator would notice is when words are in the form of Hebrew poetry. There’s a definite cadence that can be seen in the original language. Therefore, because this is the chosen style of God, we’ve tried to recreate it as it was originally intended: in poetic verse.

Why use poetry?

Poetry must conform to a certain rhythm and style. These act as memory aids, helping you to recall the words, making it easier for messages to be spread via the most common communication method of the time: song.

Who was talking?

When translating the words of the prophets, you can’t help but notice the constant changing personal pronouns (I, you, he, they, etc.) used in the text. It makes it very confusing to figure out exactly who’s talking.

However, we now realize one reason for the confusion that’s usually overlooked: God didn’t speak to the prophets personally. Rather, He sent His messages through a mediator, either referred to as a messenger (an angel), or sometimes as ‘The Word’ (which some interpret to mean Yeshua).

So there are actually three voices speaking:

1. That of the prophet, who sometimes quotes himself,

2. That of the angelic messenger who’s bringing the message from God,

3. The words of God Himself (which we put in italics).

How can we tell the difference? From the context, the pronouns, and the tenses:

1. When the prophet speaks, he’s either clearly reporting what he said or did, or is simply saying what was happening.

2. When the angelic messenger speaks, he talks about God in the third person.

3 When God is speaking, all references to God are naturally spoken in the first person.

Did we get it all right? Probably not, but it’s an honest attempt. If you think you’ve spotted a place where our choice is incorrect, please let us know and we’ll reconsider it.

Haggai 1

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¹ In the 2nd year [of the reign] of King Darius, in the 6th month and on the 1st day of the month, The Word of Yahweh came by the hand of HagGai the prophet and said:

‘Speak to ZerubBabel son of ShealtiEl from the tribe of Judah and to JoShua (son of JoZadek) the High Priest, and tell them ² that Yahweh the Almighty says this:

‘These people say that the time isn’t right

To rebuild the Temple of Yahweh.’

³ Then the Word of Yahweh went on to say this through the hands of HagGai the prophet:

⁴ [‘For God says:]

‘Is it, indeed, the right time

For you men to live in nice houses,

While this Temple is lying in ruins?

⁵ ‘And now,‘ says Yahweh the Almighty,

‘Arrange your hearts for the ways you must go!

⁶ For you plant a lot, but you don’t harvest much;

You eat, but not ‘til you’re full;

You drink, but not ‘til you’re drunk;

You wear clothes that don’t keep you warm;

And those to whom you’ve paid wages

Keep them in bags full of holes.’

⁷ ‘So, thus says Yahweh the Almighty:

‘Get your hearts ready to travel,

⁸ And go to the mountains to cut the wood

With which you’ll rebuild My Temple.

For, if you choose to do this,

I’ll think well of you,

Because that would glorify Me,’ says Yahweh.

⁹ ‘Now you look for much [but find] little,

And after you carry it home,

I just blow it away.

This happens, says Yahweh the Almighty,

Because you’ve abandoned My Temple

While you each [repair] your own homes.

¹⁰ So the sky is withholding its dew,

And the ground is withholding its blessings.

¹¹ ‘Therefore, to your land and its mountains;

Also, to your oil and your grain,

And to the ground that brings wine to men,

I will be sending the sword!

I’ll also send the sword to your cattle,

And [to the things that you make with] your hands.’

¹² Well, ZerubBabel (son of ShealtiEl) from the tribe of Judah, and JoShua (son of JoZadek) the High Priest (as well as all the rest of the people) listened to the voice of Yahweh their God and to the words of HagGai the prophet – to all [the words] that Yahweh their God had sent to them – and the people became fearful before Yahweh.

¹³ Then HagGai, one of the messengers of Yahweh, told the people this:

‘Yahweh says:

‘I am with you!’

¹⁴ So after that, Yahweh awakened the spirit of ZerubBabel (son of ShealtiEl) from the tribe of Judah, the spirit of JoShua (son of JoZadek) the High Priest, and the spirits of the rest of the people, and they went to work on the Temple of their God Yahweh the Almighty!

¹⁵ They started [the project] on the 24th day of the 6th month in the 2nd year [of the reign] of King Darius.

Haggai 2

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¹ Then on the 21st day of the 7th month, the Word of Yahweh came again by the hand of HagGai the prophet.

He said:

² ‘Speak to ZerubBabel (son of ShealtiEl) of the tribe of Judah, and to JoShua the High Priest (son of JoZadek), and to all the rest who are left there, and ask them this [from Yahweh]:

³ ‘Who among you had seen this Temple

In [the days of] its glory?

Do you see what it has become…

It no longer exists here before you!

⁴ ‘So ZerubBabel, you must be strong,’ says Yahweh;

And High Priest JoShua, you must be strong…

And you people of the land must also be strong;

For, if you choose to [obey Me],

I’ll be there with you,’

‘...says Yahweh the Almighty.

⁵ ‘This is the same thing that I said to [your fathers]

When they were fleeing from Egypt…

And then, I sent them My Breath.

So now, you must also show courage!’

⁶ ‘For, thus says Yahweh the Almighty:

‘Once again, I’ll shake the lands and the skies,

As well as the seas and dry ground.

⁷ I’ll also shake all the nations,

And My chosen ones will return…

Then I’ll fill this Temple with glory!’

‘...says Yahweh the Almighty.

⁸ ‘For, all the silver is Mine,

And all the gold is Mine also...’

‘...says Yahweh the Almighty.

⁹ ‘So the glory of this Temple will be greater…

The last will be greater than the first!’

‘...says Yahweh the Almighty.

‘And to this place, I’ll bring peace...’

‘...says Yahweh the Almighty…

‘Peace that will save all the lives

Of those who rebuild this Temple.’

¹⁰ Then it was on the 24th day of the 9th month in the 2nd year of Darius that these words came from the [messenger of the] Lord to HagGai the prophet.

He told them that ¹¹ Jehovah the Almighty said this:

‘Ask the Priests [this question] concerning the Law:

¹² ‘If a man should touch holy meat

With just the edge of his clothes,

And the edge of his clothes should thereafter touch

Bread, stew, wine, or olive oil

(Or any other such food);

Would it make those things holy?’

And all the Priests replied:

‘No!’

¹³ Then HagGai asked:

‘But, if they should touch a dead person,

Would any of these things still be clean?’

And the Priests replied:

‘[No, they’d] be defiled!’

¹⁴ Then HagGai told them that this is what Yahweh said:

‘So it will be of these people

(Of this nation that stands here before Me

And of the works of their hands)…

Those who come here will all be defiled

If they’re more concerned about their own [homes]!

‘Such ones should rather be grieving

About the wicked things that they’ve done;

For they’ve hated [the prophets]

That scolded them at their gates.

¹⁵ ‘So, take [these words] to your hearts from this day

Before laying stone upon stone

To [rebuild] the Temple of Yahweh:

¹⁶ ‘Remember when you went to your stores

To get 20 measures of barley

And found there were only 10 measures?

Or, when you went to the wine vat

To draw 50 measures [of wine]

And found there were just 20 measures?

¹⁷ ‘Well, I’m the One who had struck you

With this lack of production…

[I’m the One who struck] the works of your hands

And sent hail and strong wind upon you,

Because you refused to turn back to Me, says Yahweh.

¹⁸ ‘So, keep this in your hearts from this day…

From the 24th day and 9th month…

From the day the Temple’s foundation was laid…

Yes, store it deep in your hearts!

¹⁹ ‘Will the threshing-floor still [be empty]? No!

And will the grapevines, fig trees, pomegranates, or olives

Fail to put out their fruit? No!

Because, from this day, I’ll bless them!’

²⁰ Then the Word of the Yahweh came to HagGai the prophet a second time [that day] (on the 24th day of the month), and he said:

²¹ ‘Speak to ZerubBabel (son of ShealtiEl) of the tribe of Judah, and this is what you must tell him:

‘I’ll shake the ground and the sky,

As well as the sea and dry land.

²² Then I’ll wipe away the thrones of the kings

And I’ll destroy all the power

Of the nations [that are living around you]!

‘Their chariots and horsemen will be wiped away…

Their horses and horsemen will fall,

And they’ll each turn their swords on their brothers.

²³ ‘O ZerubBabel,

‘On this day, I’ve chosen you as My servant,’

‘...says the Almighty Yahweh.

‘I’ve established you as a seal,

For you’re the one whom I’ve chosen.’

‘...says the Almighty Yahweh.’

Zechariah

01  02  03  04  05  06  07  08  09  10  11  12  13  14  All books

Zechariah is the record of the prophecy given to Prophet Zechariah.

It’s about JeruSalem and the need to restore Temple worship there. It was written at the same time as Haggai, around 559 BCE. This was about 22 years after the first batch of refugees returned to the land of IsraEl after the deportation to Babylon.

It includes prophecies about the coming Messiah, and many of the visions are similar to what we later see in Revelation. The words seem to look beyond JeruSalem’s restoration after the Babylonian exile, and some believe they even look beyond the later destruction by the Romans, to far distant times.

Most of this book is poetry

Something that only a Bible translator would notice is when words are in the form of Hebrew poetry. There’s a definite cadence that can be seen in the original language. Therefore, because this is the chosen style of God, we’ve tried to recreate it as it was originally intended: in poetic verse.

Why use poetry?

Poetry must conform to a certain rhythm and style. These act as memory aids, helping you to recall the words, making it easier for messages to be spread via the most common communication method of the time: song.

Who was talking?

When translating the words of the Prophets, you can’t help but notice the constant changing personal pronouns (I, you, he, they, etc.) used in the text. It makes it very confusing to figure out exactly who’s talking.

However, we now realize one reason for the confusion that’s usually overlooked: God didn’t speak to the Prophets personally. Rather, He sent His messages through a mediator, either referred to as a messenger (an angel), or sometimes as ‘The Word’ (which some interpret to mean Yeshua).

So there are actually three voices speaking:

1. That of the Prophet, who sometimes quotes himself,

2. That of the angelic messenger who’s bringing the message from God,

3. The words of God Himself (which we put in italics).

How can we tell the difference? From the context, the pronouns, and the tenses:

1. When the Prophet speaks, he’s either clearly reporting what he said or did, or is simply saying what was happening.

2. When the angelic messenger speaks, he talks about God in the third person.

3 When God is speaking, all references to God are naturally spoken in the first person.

Did we get it all right? Probably not, but it has been an honest attempt at doing so. If you think you’ve spotted a place where our choice is incorrect, please let us know and we’ll reconsider it.

Zechariah 1

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¹ It was in the 8th month in the 2nd year [of the reign] of Darius that the Word of Yahweh came to ZechariAh (son of BarachiAh and grandson of IdDo) the prophet and said:

² ‘Yahweh was provoked by your fathers

And [driven] into great rage;

³ So, tell them that Yahweh of Armies now says:

‘Return to Me’, says Yahweh of Armies,

‘And then, I’ll turn back to you!

⁴ ‘Don’t be like your fathers

Whom the prophets accused.

For they came beforehand and warned them…

They said that Yahweh of Armies

Had warned them to turn from their wicked ways

And from the bad things they were doing.

But they just paid no attention,

And chose not to listen to Me,’ says Yahweh.

⁵ ‘Now, where are your fathers and where are those prophets…

Have they lived into this age?

⁶ ‘You have My words and My Laws;

Yes, all that I sent by My Breath

Through My servants the prophets…

Those whom were seized by your fathers.

‘For [your fathers] gave this reply to [the prophets]:

‘Whatever Yahweh of Armies had planned

Because of our sins and our evil ways

Has already been fulfilled upon us!’

⁷ Well, it was on the 24th day of the 11th month (the month of Shebat), in the 2nd year [of the reign] of Darius, that the Word of Yahweh came to me (ZechariAh the prophet, son of BarachiAh and grandson of IdDo).

⁸ For during the night, I looked up and saw a man who was riding a red horse. He was standing in the shade between the mountains, and behind him were red horses with white spots.

⁹ So I asked:

‘What is this, O Lord?’

And [God’s] messenger (the person who was speaking to me) replied:

‘I’ll show you what all these things mean.’

¹⁰ Then the man who was standing between the mountains spoke to me and said:

‘These [men] were sent by Yahweh

To travel throughout the whole land.’

¹¹ And thereafter, the men who were standing between the mountains said to the messenger of Yahweh:

‘We’ve finished our travels throughout the whole land,

And Look! It’s all tranquil and filled.’

¹² So the messenger of Yahweh said this:

‘O Yahweh of Armies,

‘How long will you fail to show mercy

On JeruSalem and the cities of Judah?

For, this is the 70th year of Your rage.’

¹³ And Yahweh replied to the messenger:

‘You, the one who’s speaking for Me,

Must send him good words that bring comfort.’

¹⁴ So then the messenger spoke to me and told me that I should start shouting [in joy], because Yahweh the Almighty had said this:

‘I have a great zeal for JeruSalem…

Over Zion, I’m very zealous!

¹⁵ And I’ve been provoked by the nations,

Because they had joined to attack you.

‘But, although you people provoked Me,

They planned their attack for bad [reasons].

¹⁶ And because of this,’ said Yahweh,

‘On JeruSalem, I’ll show mercy,

And My Temple will soon be rebuilt there.’

Then Yahweh added:

‘So, I’m stretching a line over JeruSalem.’

¹⁷ ‘[And the messenger said]:

‘Therefore, shout aloud [in joy] once again!

For Yahweh of Armies said this:

‘To your cities, I’ll be sending good things;

For, I’ll show mercy on Zion,

Since JeruSalem is the place that I chose!’

¹⁸ Then, when I raised my eyes and looked, I saw four trumpets... ¹⁹ So I asked the messenger (the one who was speaking to me):

‘What are these, O Lord?’

And he replied:

‘These are the trumpets…

The ones who brought scattering to Judah,

As well as to IsraEl and JeruSalem.’

²⁰ Then the Lord [messenger] showed me four workers. ²¹ So I asked him:

‘What have these come to do?’

And he replied to Me, saying:

‘They’ve come to cut down the trumpets

That brought scattering [to the people of] Judah,

And so much destruction upon IsraEl

That those who lived there could not raise their heads…

They’re the horns that the nations had raised

To scatter the land of Yahweh.’

Zechariah 2

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¹ Then I raised My eyes and I saw a man... And in his hand was the string of a surveyor. ² So I asked him:

‘Where are you going?’

And he said:

‘I’m going to measure JeruSalem…

To determine its length and its width.’

³ Well at that, {Look!} the messenger who was speaking to me stopped, and another of [God’s] messengers came to meet him, ⁴ and said:

‘Tell him that JeruSalem

Will be lived in again…

Within her, there’ll be crowds of cattle and men.

⁵ ‘And [tell him] that Yahweh says this:

‘I’ll be a wall of fire to surround her

As well as the glory within her.

⁶ ‘So now, flee from the land in the north, says Yahweh;

For I’ll gather you from the four winds,

⁷ And those who dwell among Babylon’s daughters

Must get up and run back to Zion.’

⁸ Then [the messenger said]:

‘I was sent to the nations by Yahweh,

In order to establish your glory

Among the people who sacked you.

‘For, those who have dared to touch you

Have touched the pupil of my eye.

⁹ So {Look!} against them, I’ll now raise my hand,

And they will then be the spoils

Of those who had once been their slaves…

And then you’ll know I was sent

By Yahweh the Almighty.

¹⁰ ‘So be glad and rejoice, O daughter of Zion;

For I’ll return and camp in your midst.

¹¹ Then, many nations will come seeking refuge

Among Yahweh and His people…

For, I’ll be there in your midst,

And you’ll know that Yahweh the Almighty

Was the [One] who sent me to you.

¹² ‘Yes, Judah will be His inheritance again

(His portion in His holy land),

And JeruSalem is His chosen city, once more.

¹³ So to Yahweh, all flesh must now bow;

For, from His holy cloud, He’s awakened.’

Zechariah 3

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¹ Then the Lord [messenger] showed me JoShua [Greek: Ιησούν, Yeshua] the High Priest. And standing before him was the messenger of Yahweh… But the Slanderer was also there, standing to his right in order to serve as his opponent.

² Then [the messenger] of Yahweh said to the Slanderer:

‘O Slanderer,

‘May Yahweh send His reproach upon you…

May the Lord who chose JeruSalem

Speak condemnation against you!

For, doesn’t [JoShua now look like] an ember

That has been snatched from the fire?’

³ Well, [I noticed that] JoShua was wearing filthy clothes as he was standing there in front of [God’s] messenger. ⁴ So the messenger said to those who were standing before him:

‘Now, remove all of his filthy clothes!’

Then he said:

‘{Look!} And after you’ve removed all of these dirty things;

In a full-length robe, you must dress him!’

⁵ Then he said:

‘Dress him in the [robes of a Priest],

And on his head, you must place a clean turban!’

So they dressed him in the official [garments], placed a clean turban on his head, and wrapped the [official] robe around him.

⁶ And thereafter, the messenger of Yahweh stood there and testified to JoShua saying:

⁷ ‘Thus says Yahweh the Almighty:

‘If you will walk in My ways

And keep strict watch on My orders,

I’ll [assign you to be over] My [Temple]

And to keep watch on My courtyard.

Then I’ll give you [guards] that will pace

Between other [guards] that stand still.

⁸ ‘O High Priest JoShua, listen to this…

Yes, you and your neighbors that are sitting before you!

For these men [will serve as] observers of signs…

They’ll be witnesses that I gave to My servant

Something that will raise his position!

⁹ For I’ll place a stone before JoShua’s face,

And on this stone, there’ll be seven eyes.

‘{Look!} Then upon it, I’ll engrave an inscription,’

‘...says Yahweh the Almighty,

‘It will say that I’ll [wipe out] injustice…

In a day, I’ll wipe injustice away

In all places throughout the whole land.

¹⁰ ‘And then, in that day, says Yahweh;

They will each call to their neighbors and brothers

From under their own grapevines and fig trees.’

Zechariah 4

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¹ Then the messenger who was speaking to me returned and woke me up in the same way that you’d wake up a man who was sleeping.

² Then he asked me:

‘Now, what do you see?’

Well when I looked, I saw a gold lampstand and a bowl of oil… There were seven lamps on [the stand] and seven oil funnels for the seven lamps. ³ There were also two olive trees… One was on the right of its bowl, and the other was on its left side. ⁴ So I asked the messenger that was speaking to me:

‘What are these things, O Lord?’

⁵ And the messenger that had been speaking to me replied:

‘Don’t you know what all these things mean?’

And I answered:

‘No, O my Lord.’

⁶ Then he told me this:

‘They’re the words of Yahweh to ZerubBabel;

For, you must say this to him:

‘Not by strength or great power,

But just by My Breath,’

‘...says Yahweh the Almighty.

⁷ ‘So, who are you, O great mountain,

To stand before ZerubBabel’s face?

For, you’ll become just a plain

Before My inherited rock

Upon whom I’ll show My favor and care.’

⁸ Then the Word of Yahweh [His messenger] came to Me and said:

⁹ ‘ZerubBabel’s hands that laid the foundation

Will also be the hands that complete it.

Then you’ll know that Yahweh the Almighty

Is the One who sent Me to you.

¹⁰ ‘For, those who’ve despised the days of small things

Will rejoice when they see the stone plumb bob

Held in ZerubBabel’s hands…

The stone with the eyes of Yahweh

That look upon the whole earth.’

¹¹ Then I asked him:

‘But what do the two olive trees signify… The ones on the right and left sides of the lampstand?’

¹² And I asked him again:

‘What [is the meaning of] the two branches of the trees that are around the gold handles that are used to do pouring… And the gold funnels?’

¹³ So he spoke again and asked me:

‘Don’t you know what all these things mean?’

And I replied:

‘No, O Lord.’

¹⁴ And he said:

‘These are two sons of the oil [or ‘fat,’ possibly meaning ones anointed with oil],

Who’ll stand beside the Lord of the earth.’

Zechariah 5

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¹ Then I turned and raised my eyes and saw what looked like a flying sickle.

² And he asked me:

‘What do you see now?’

And I replied:

‘I see a flying sickle… It’s 20 forearms long and 10 forearms wide!’

³ Then he said:

‘This is the curse…

The one that will go ‘cross the face of the earth.

One side brings death to all thieves,

And the other, to those who would lie in a trial.

⁴ ‘For Yahweh the Almighty says this:

‘I will [soon] send it forth…

I’ll send it to the thieves who would enter My House

And to those who swear false oaths in My Name.

It will come and enter their houses,

And then it will wipe them away,

Along with their woodwork and stones.’

⁵ Then the messenger who was speaking to me came up and said:

‘Now, raise your eyes and see what’s coming!’

⁶ And I asked him:

‘What is it?’

And he said:

‘What’s coming is the measuring basket

That will measure the land’s unrighteous ways.

⁷ Look… I have a measure of lead.

And look… There’s a woman inside of [that basket]!’

⁸ Then he said:

‘This [lead] is their lawless ways!’

And at that, he threw [the lead] at the basket, and it fell into the woman’s mouth.

⁹ Then I raised my eyes and I saw two more women coming. Both had wings that were like those of a hoopoe bird, and [their wings] thereafter became filled with the wind. Then they picked up the basket and lifted it between the land and the sky.

¹⁰ So I asked the messenger that was speaking to me:

‘Where are they taking the basket?’

¹¹ And he replied:

‘To the land of Babylon, they’ll take it,

In which there [will be] a house,

That they’ve prepared for it there.’

Zechariah 6

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¹ Then I turned and raised my eyes and I saw four chariots coming from between two mountains… Mountains that were made out of brass!

• ² The 1st chariot [that I saw] was pulled by red horses,

• The 2nd was pulled by black horses,

• ³ The 3rd was pulled by white horses, and

• The 4th was pulled by horses that were spotted dapple gray.

⁴ So I spoke to the messenger and asked him (this one who was speaking to me):

‘What are these, O my Lord?’

⁵ And the messenger that was speaking to me replied:

‘These are the four winds of the heavens,

And they’ll stand next to the Lord of the earth...

⁶ ‘The black ones will go to the land of the north;

The white ones will follow behind them;

And the spotted are going to the land of the south.’

⁷ Then the dapple-gray ones left, and they traveled around the whole earth. For he told them:

‘Go and travel around the whole earth!’

So then they went and traveled throughout all the lands [of the earth].

⁸ Then he yelled out to me and said:

‘Look! The ones that are going to the land of the north

Have brought rest to My rage in the north.’

⁹ Then the Word [messenger] of Yahweh came to me and said:

¹⁰ ‘Take [silver and gold] from the rulers,

As well as from those who are wealthy,

And from those who have greater knowledge!

[You’ll find them] in the house of JosiAh (son of ZephaniAh),

Who’s just returned from Babylon.

¹¹ ‘Then, with the silver and gold, make a crown,

And place it upon JoShua’s head

(The son of JoZadek, the High Priest).

¹² And tell him that thus says Yahweh:

‘{Look!} There’s a male whose name is The Sprout,

And he will grow from below

To rebuild the Temple of Yahweh.

¹³ ‘Then, he will receive all the greatness he needs

To sit and rule from his throne.

For there’ll be a Priest on [God’s throne],

And there’ll be peace and purpose between [those two roles].’

¹⁴ ‘This crown will remain [in the Temple]

As a reminder to those who showed recognition

And favor to the son of ZephaniAh…

This will serve as a psalm in the Temple of Yahweh.

¹⁵ ‘And thereafter, from far-away places, will come

Those who’ll rebuild the Temple of [God].

Then you’ll know that I had been sent

By Yahweh the Almighty.

And all who hear this will [wish]

That they’d paid closer attention

To the voice of Yahweh their God.’

Zechariah 7

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¹ It was in the 4th year of [the reign] of King Darius, on the 4th day of the 9th month (which is Chislev) that the Word of Yahweh [His messenger] came to ZechariAh...

² For the king had sent SherEzar (as well as Regem and his men) to BethEl to atone [for their sins] before Yahweh. ³ Then they said to the Priests at the Temple of Yahweh the Almighty and to the prophets:

‘The holy offering has been brought here again in this 5th month, as we’ve been doing for a good number of years now.’

⁴ And thereafter, the Word of Yahweh of Armies came to me and said:

⁵ ‘Speak to the people throughout the land

And to all of the Priests,

Then tell them [that thus says Yahweh]:

‘In the 5th and 7th months, you’ve fasted

And you’ve beat on your chests for 70 years;

But, during all of this fasting,

Were you really fasting to Me?

⁶ For, when you’re eating and drinking,

Aren’t you eating and drinking just for yourselves?’

⁷ ‘Now, aren’t these the same words that Yahweh once spoke

By the [mouths] of the prophets

When He was blessing JeruSalem

As well as those in the cities [of Judah],

And those in her mountains and plains?’

⁸ And thereafter, the Word of Yahweh came to ZechariAh and said:

⁹ ‘Yahweh the Almighty said this:

‘I told them to make righteous judgments…

To show mercy and compassion to their brothers…

¹⁰ Not to tyrannize orphans or widows,

Or the needy, or people from foreign lands.

And no matter what harm their brothers may do;

In their hearts, they shouldn’t hold grudges.

¹¹ But, they resisted and paid no attention…

They turned their backs and just ranted,

Covering their ears, so they couldn’t hear.

¹² ‘They set their hearts to resist My persuasion,

And to My Laws, they chose not to listen,

Or to the words that came from their Lord

By My Breath through the hands of the prophets

(Those whom I’d sent to give them a warning)…

So thereafter, I poured My rage upon them.

¹³ ‘It’s the same as I’ve told them before;

When they refuse to listen to Me,

I’ll not listen to them when they call out to Me,’

‘...said Yahweh the Almighty...

¹⁴ ‘So among the gentiles, I tossed them

(Among nations that they didn’t know).

And from their land, they were wiped away

And they weren’t allowed to return…

For they’d brought extinction upon their choice land.’

Zechariah 8

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¹ Then The Word of Yahweh the Almighty[, His Messenger,] came to me and said:

² [‘God said:]

‘I’ve shown zeal for Zion and JeruSalem…

In My rage, I’ve been jealous on their behalf, ³ said Yahweh.

So to Zion, I’ll now return,

And in JeruSalem’s midst, I’ll camp;

Then, it will be called The City of Truth…

The Holy Mountain of Yahweh the Almighty.’

⁴ ‘And after that, Yahweh the Almighty told me to say this:

‘Old men and women will once again sit

In JeruSalem’s squares,

Each with their canes in their hands…

For they’ll have lived many days.

⁵ And the city will also be filled

With boys and girls that will play in her squares.’

⁶ ‘Then Yahweh the Almighty said this:

‘Couldn’t this have happened to those who remained…

To those who were left back in those days? No!

But, is this something that I can’t do?

Asks Yahweh the Almighty... No!’

⁷ ‘For thus says Yahweh the Almighty:

‘{Look!} I’ll [return] My people from the lands in the east

And from the lands in the west.

⁸ Yes, I’ll bring them all back,

And in JeruSalem, they’ll camp.

Then, they’ll be My people again,

And in truth and righteousness, I’ll be their God.’

⁹ ‘For, thus says Yahweh the Almighty:

‘O you who listened during these days;

Strengthen your hands [to follow] the words

That have come from the mouths of the prophets

Since the Temple’s foundation was laid

And in the day that they built it…

¹⁰ Back when their wages bought nothing,

And nothing was paid for in cattle.

‘For those who entered and those who went out,

There was only affliction, not peace;

And against their neighbors, I turned every man.

¹¹ ‘But, I won’t treat the few [that remain]

The same as I did in the past,

‘...says Yahweh the Almighty...

¹² ‘Rather, I’ll send peaceful times;

The grapevines will then produce fruit;

The land will yield its abundance;

And the sky will bring forth its dew…

Yes, I’ll bring this to those who remain.

¹³ ‘And as for you, house of Judah;

Although you were a curse among nations,

I’ll now send salvation to you,

And you’ll be a blessing once more.

But, [you must now] be courageous,

And you must strengthen your hands!’

¹⁴ ‘Thus says Yahweh the Almighty:

‘Although I once thought to bring evil on you

Because your fathers provoked Me to rage

(And until now, I hadn’t relented),

‘...says Yahweh the Almighty...

¹⁵ ‘I’ve reconsidered and I’m now ready

To do good for those living in Judah

And for those who are living in JeruSalem…

So, you must now be courageous!

¹⁶ ‘And these are the things you must do:

You must each speak truth to your neighbors;

You must make decisions that bring about peace;

And justice must be returned to your gates!

¹⁷ ‘Against your neighbors, you must not consider

Doing evil things in your hearts…

And don’t love lying oaths!

For, I detest all such things,

‘...says Yahweh the Almighty.’

¹⁸ Then the Word of Yahweh[, that is, his messenger] came to me and said:

¹⁹ ‘You must fast in the 4th and 5th months,

And fast in the 7th and 10th.

Then to Judah, I’ll bring joy and gladness,

And you’ll carry good things to your holiday feasts.

You’ll all be glad, for then there’ll be truth…

There’ll be peace and love [throughout the whole land].

²⁰ ‘For, thus says Yahweh the Almighty:

‘Many peoples will then come among you,

And there’ll be many cities in which they can dwell.

²¹ Then, in those cities, they’ll gather and say:

‘Let’s go beg before the face of the Lord…

Let’s seek the face of Yahweh…

Yes, all should go there with me!’

²² ‘Then, to JeruSalem, they’ll come

Seeking the face of Yahweh

In order to bow down before Him.’

²³ ‘Thus says Yahweh the Almighty:

‘In those days, ten men from all nations and tongues

Will come to grab hold of the hem of each Jew,

And this is what they’ll say:

‘We wish to come [and live] among you,

Because we’ve heard God is with you!’

Zechariah 9

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¹ This is a proclamation… It’s the [message from the] Word of Yahweh against the land of HadRach, and against [the city of] Damascus where they offer sacrifices [to him]. For Yahweh examines all men (not just the tribes of IsraEl). ² [This proclamation is also] for HamAth, as well as Sidon and Tyre, since all their people have the same mindset.

³ ‘Tyre has made a fortress of herself…

She’s treasured up silver like dust,

And gathered gold like mud in the streets.

⁴ So, by Yahweh, she will be owned.

He’ll strike down her power over the seas,

And she will be burned in a fire.

⁵ ‘Then, AshKelon will see this and fear,

And Gaza will be very grieved.

In EkRon, her errors will bring her much shame,

And the kings of Gaza will perish.

‘In AshKelon, no one will live,

⁶ And in AshDod, foreign peoples will dwell;

For, I’ll soon wipe away

The insolence of the Philistines…

⁷ I’ll remove all the blood from their mouths,

And the disgusting things from their teeth.

‘Then they’ll leave their things to your God

And submit to a general from Judah.

And what happened to the Jebusi,

Is the same that will happen to EkRon.

⁸ ‘[For God said:]

‘Then, I’ll stand in My [Temple] there in the heights

And I won’t leave it again.

No way, will [armies] march on it;

For upon it, My eyes will keep watch.

⁹ ‘So rejoice, O daughter of Zion;

Shout aloud, you daughters of JeruSalem;

For {Look!} your king will be coming to you…

The righteous one who’s your Savior.

‘He will be [a person who’s] gentle,

And on a beast of burden, he will arrive…

Yes, even upon a young foal!

¹⁰ ‘Ephraim’s chariots, he will destroy,

As well as JeruSalem’s horses.

He’ll destroy [all the weapons] of warfare,

And send you peace with the nations roundabout.

Then he’ll rule from the waters of the [great] sea

To the rivers and passes throughout your land.

¹¹ ‘Then by his blood of My Sacred Agreement,

From dry pits, he will ransom your captives.

¹² Those who were captives, he’ll settle in forts,

And for each day that they’ve [been there],

He will repay them with double.

¹³ ‘O Judah; I’ve held you tight to Myself…

[As tight] as I’d hold a bow.

‘So, Ephraim will be [free] once again,

And I’ll awaken your children, O Zion,

Against the sons of the Greeks…

Like a warrior’s sword, I’ll use them.’

¹⁴ ‘Then the Lord will be seen as your leader,

And he’ll [shoot] his arrows like lightning.

Then, from the Lord Yahweh, a trumpet will sound,

Which will send intimidation on them.

¹⁵ ‘For Yahweh the Almighty will serve as your shield

As you bring them [destruction].

Upon them, your [sons] will be heaping sling stones,

And drink their blood as though it were wine…

Like basins for the Altar, their bowls will be filled.

¹⁶ ‘In that day, Yahweh will be known as your God,

And He’ll save the sheep of His people…

They’ll be like [gems] in His land.

¹⁷ ‘Then for all that are found to be good,

And for all that are found to be fair;

The young men will be given their grain,

And there’ll be fragrant wine for the virgins.’

Zechariah 10

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¹ ‘Then you can ask Yahweh for rain in each season

(Both the early and late rains),

And Yahweh will do what’s fantastic…

To all their pastures and fields,

He will send winter rains.

² ‘But [right] now, there are those declaring big things…

Things that will only bring trouble.

And there are those who are having false visions…

False dreams that offer no comfort.

So [my people now wander] like sheep…

They’re ill and they haven’t been healed!

³ ‘So, since those shepherds have provoked [God] to rage,

He will come and visit His lambs.

Yes, Yahweh God the Almighty

Will visit the house of Judah (His flock).

‘And as He will do to His handsome horse,

He will order up war [on those prophets]…

⁴ In His rage, He will look [down] upon them,

And [arrows will be shot] against them.

‘Yes, He’ll send [His armies] against them

⁵ And His warriors will tread mud in battle.

For Yahweh will [bless] the attack,

And to their cavalry, He’ll bring disgrace.

⁶ [‘And God says:]

‘But the house of Judah, I’ll strengthen,

And house of JoSeph, I’ll save…

Because I love them, I’ll save them,

And they’ll be as before I disowned them.

Yes, because I am Yahweh their God,

I’ll pay attention to them once again!

⁷ ‘Then they’ll be like Ephraim’s soldiers…

They’ll rejoice in their hearts as though drinking wine.

They’ll look at their children in joy,

And rejoice in their hearts over their Lord.

⁸ ‘I’ll give them a sign that I’ll accept them…

I’ll pay their ransom and then they’ll grow

To be as many as they’d been before.

⁹ ‘Then I’ll plant them among all the peoples,

And I’ll be remembered by those far away.

¹⁰ ‘They’ll return and nourish their children…

From the land of Egypt, I’ll bring them back,

And from Assyria also.

Then to GileAd and Lebanon, I’ll send them,

And none will be left behind (no, not one)!

¹¹ ‘Through the narrows of the sea, they’ll march;

For, they’ll strike the waves of the sea

And before them, the rivers will dry to their depths.

‘Then the insolence of Assyria will vanish,

And Egypt’s scepter will no longer be.’

¹² ‘[Yes I swear] by Yahweh their God,

That I’ll then make them mighty…

And about His Name, they’ll boast.’

...said the Lord.

Zechariah 11

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¹ ‘O Lebanon; open your doors

And let fire devour all your cedars!

² Then, all the pine trees will shriek

Because the cedars have fallen…

Yes, misery will come to your great ones.

‘And oaks of BaShan, you should now howl,

For the groves that you’re planted will all be cut down!

³ ‘There’s the sound of the wailing of shepherds,

Because their greatness is gone.

And there’s the sound of the roaring of lions,

For no one’s keeping watch at the JorDan.

⁴ ‘So, thus says Yahweh the Almighty:

‘Tend the sheep’ for the slaughter…

⁵ Those who were bought by the butcher,

And those who haven’t repented.

For those who sold them have said:

‘Praise the Lord, because we’ve gained wealth!

And their shepherds have suffered no loss.’

⁶ ‘So, I’ll not spare those who live here,’ said the Lord.

‘{Look!} To his neighbor, I’ll hand every man,

And into the hands of their king.

Then, they’ll divide up their land,

And from their hands, I’ll not save them.

⁷ So in CanaAn’s land, I’ll tend them…

All of these sheep for the slaughter.

‘Then I’ll take two sticks for myself;

The first one, I’ll call Beauty,

And the other, I’ll call Measured Land…

And then, I’ll tend all those sheep.

⁸ ‘In the 1st month, I’ll take the three shepherds,

And my soul will be heavy against them,

For their souls have roared out against me!

⁹ ‘So I told them that I won’t tend them…

I’ll let the ones who are dying just die,

And the ones who are failing just fail…

And let the rest eat the flesh of their neighbors!

¹⁰ ‘Then I’ll take my stick (the one [I called] Beauty)

And I’ll throw it away

To erase [God’s] Agreement with them.

¹¹ It’ll be erased in that day,

And those in CanaAn who have guarded my sheep

Will know that I am The Word of Yahweh.

¹² ‘And then, I’ll tell them to do

Whatever they find to be good…

Yes, pay my wage or forbid it!

So, they established my wage…

It was 30 pieces of silver.’

¹³ Then the Lord [messenger] said to me:

‘Now, throw them into the Temple…

But check to make sure that the [coins] are all pure;

For, this is my [value] before them.

So [he’ll] take the 30 pieces of silver

And throw them into the Temple.

¹⁴ ‘That’s when my second stick will be thrown

(The one that I called Measured Land),

For I’ll wipe IsraEl and Judah away

From [the land] that they’ve owned.’

¹⁵ And the Lord said to Me:

‘Now, gather a shepherd’s tools for yourself…

The tools of one who’s unqualified.

¹⁶ For {Look!} against the land, I’m sending a ‘shepherd’…

One who won’t visit the [weak],

And one who won’t search for the scattered.

Those who are broken, he won’t heal,

And those who are well, he won’t lead.

He will just [break] all their necks

And devour their choicest of meats.

¹⁷ ‘So, you who are tending to vain things

And leaving behind all my ‘sheep;’

A sword will come against your right arms

As well as against your right eyes.

For your arms will then become withered,

And your right eyes will be blinded.’

Zechariah 12

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¹ The matter of the Word of Yahweh over IsraEl:

‘Thus says Yahweh,

The One who stretched out the skies,

Who laid the foundations of the earth,

And from Himself, shaped the breath of mankind:

² ‘{Look!} I’ve appointed JeruSalem’s thresholds

To be shaken by the people roundabout them.

So, into Judea, they’ll come,

And they’ll surround JeruSalem.

³ ‘In that day, I’ll appoint JeruSalem

To be a stone that’s trampled by the nations.

For, all nations of the earth will [attack] her;

And those who trample upon her

Will mock and poke fun at her.

⁴ ‘And in that day,’ says Yahweh the Almighty;

‘I will strike [Judah’s] horses with wonder

And drive their riders to ranting.

‘On the house of Judah, I’ll then raise My eyes,

And I’ll strike all their horses with blindness.

⁵ But the generals of Judah will say in their hearts:

‘JeruSalem’s [people will always be safe]

Under Yahweh, their Almighty God.’

⁶ ‘But then, I’ll make Judah’s generals

Like burning coals amidst wood

And as flaming torches in stubble.

For they’ll devour everyone who’s around them

(Both those on their right and those on their left).

‘Yet, JeruSalem will be lived in again

As it had been before.

⁷ Then the Lord will save Judah’s tents

As he did back in the beginning.

But they won’t have any reason to boast

Over the house of [King] David,

Or to think themselves better than Judah.

⁸ ‘So the Lord will be the shield in that day

For those who live in JeruSalem.

And in that day, even the least

Will be like David among them.

‘And the house of David will then come to be

Like the Temple of God…

As the angel that’s standing before them.

⁹ ‘And in that day, I’ll lift away all the nations

That marched against JeruSalem.

¹⁰ Then, upon the house of King David,

And on JeruSalem’s people,

I’ll pour the spirit of mercy and care.

‘So they’ll turn to Me and beat on their chests

Like those who beat on their chests

Over the death of a loved one,

Because they’ve been disrespectful to Me.

And they’ll mourn with the grief

Of someone who’s lost his first-born.

¹¹ ‘Yes, on that day in JeruSalem,

They’ll all be beating their chests

As though they’d lost groves [of fruit trees].

¹² And the land will beat on its chest

For each of the tribes [by its name]…

The house of the tribe of David

As well as all of its women…

The house of the tribe of Nathan

As well as all of its women…

¹³ The house of the tribe of Levi

As well as all of its women…

The house of SimeOn’s tribe

As well as all of its women…

¹⁴ And the houses of the rest of the tribes

As well as all of their women.’

Zechariah 13

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¹ ‘In that Day, the [springs] will all open

For the rinsing and cleansing of David’s house

And to cleanse [the people] of JeruSalem.

² ‘In that Day,’ says Yahweh of Armies,

‘The names of their idols, I’ll wipe from the land

So they’ll be remembered no more.

And false prophets that have unclean spirits,

I’ll also remove from the land.’

³ ‘So, if there’s a man who still prophesies;

His father and the mother who bore him

Must tell him that he can no longer live

Because he’s told lies in the Name of the Lord.

Then his father and the mother who bore him

Must bind him, because of his prophecies.’

⁴ ‘And in that Day, their visions will bring them disgrace,

As will the things that they prophesied.

They’ll cover their heads with animal hides,

Because all will know that they’ve lied.

⁵ ‘And [such a man] will say:

‘No, I’m not a prophet;

I’m just a man who works the ground…

This is all that I’ve done since my youth!’

⁶ ‘But when asked:

‘Then what are these wounds in your hands [from being bound]?’

‘He will say:

‘I got these in a friend’s house.’

⁷ ‘O broadsword, rise up against my shepherds,

And against my own countryman...’

Says Yahweh the Almighty,

‘Strike the shepherds, and the sheep scatter…’ [Matthew 26:31]

‘For against the shepherds, I’m raising My hand.

⁸ ‘And in that day,’ says Yahweh,

‘Two-thirds will be wiped away,

But one-third will be allowed to remain.

⁹ ‘Then, like trying gold, I’ll try all the rest.

I’ll speak to those who have called on My Name,

And tell them:

‘You are My people,’

‘And they’ll reply:

‘Yahweh is my God.’

Zechariah 14

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¹ ‘{Look} The Day of the Lord has approached

When they’ll divide up the loot.

² For, to JeruSalem, I’m gathering nations,

And the city will thereafter be taken.

‘All of its homes will be looted,

And all the women defiled.

Then, half of the city will be led away,

And the rest (those who are My people)

Won’t be destroyed from the [land].

³ ‘But then the Lord will return

And he will attack all those nations

In his battle, on the day of the war.

⁴ ‘And in that Day, his feet will then stand

On the Mount of Olives (to JeruSalem’s east).

Then in chaos, the Mount of Olives will split

In halves to the east and the west.

Half of the mount will lean towards the north,

And half will then lean towards the south.

⁵ ‘So, flee to the valley of My Mountain,

Which [runs] to the [Wadi] AzaEl.

You must flee as in the day of the earthquake

[That happened] in the days of UzziAh.

‘For then, [your Lord] will arrive,

And bring all his Holy Ones with him.

⁶ There’ll be no light in that Day…

There’ll be just coldness and ice.’

⁷ [And the Word continues:]

‘But, this will all last just one day,

Which is only known by Yahweh.

There’ll be no daytime or night,

But light will arrive towards the evening.

⁸ ‘In that day, from JeruSalem,

Life-giving waters will flow…

Half will flow to the [Dead] Sea,

And the rest, in other direction…

This will happen in the springtime and summer.

⁹ ‘Then Yahweh will be the King of the earth;

And in that Day, there’ll be just one Lord,

And he will have just one name.

¹⁰ ‘Then around the land, there’ll be deserts…

From JeruSalem south to RemMon and Geba

(although RamAh will still remain in its place);

From the BenJamin Gate to the First Gate,

And the Corner Gate to the Tower of HananeEl,

To where the king’s wine vats are stored.

¹¹ ‘Then JeruSalem will be a safe place,

And there won’t be any more danger.

¹² ‘But, there’ll be a great downfall

When Yahweh strikes down the peoples

That against JeruSalem, marched.

Their flesh will melt as they stand on their feet;

Their eyes will flow from their sockets;

And their tongues will melt in their mouths.

¹³ ‘And in that Day, there’ll come

Astonishing things from Yahweh.

Each man will grab hold of his neighbor’s hand

(Yes they’ll join hand-to-hand with their neighbors),

¹⁴ And there within JeruSalem,

Judah’s people will ready themselves

To collect the might of those living roundabout…

All of their silver and gold,

As well as huge numbers of clothing.

¹⁵ ‘I’ll bring the downfall of their horses and mules,

As well as their camels and burros.

Yes, to all the cattle that’s found in their camps,

It’ll be a day of great downfall.

¹⁶ ‘Then, all that remain from the nations

That marched against JeruSalem

Will ascend each year to bow to the King,

To the Almighty Yahweh,

And observe the feast of the Pitching of Tents.

¹⁷ ‘Then to all who won’t come [in that Day]

To bow before the Almighty

From all the tribes of the earth;

Bad things will then come upon them,

And they won’t receive any rain.

¹⁸ ‘So, if the tribe of Egypt won’t come;

The same downfall will happen to them

That the Lord will bring to the nations…

To those who wouldn’t observe

The feast of the Pitching of Tents.

¹⁹ ‘For, this will be Egypt’s sin,

As well as the sin of all nations

When they refuse to ascend

To observe the feast of the Pitching of Tents.

²⁰ ‘In that Day, this is what will be [written]

Upon the bridles of their horses:

‘Holy to Yahweh the Almighty.’

‘And then the stew pots of Yahweh

Will be like the bowls in front of the Altar.

²¹ And throughout Judah and JeruSalem,

They’ll treat the stew pots as holy

To the Almighty Yahweh.

And that’s where those who bring sacrifices

Will take them to cook all the meat.

‘And in that Day, there’ll be no CanaAnites

To oppose Yahweh of Armies.’

Malachi

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Malachi is the record of a prophecy written after the Jews returned from Babylonian exile (during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah).

It’s unclear exactly who the author was, since ‘Malachi’ is probably not someone’s name. The Hebrew name of the book is ‘Malaki,’ and just means ‘my messenger’ – and it doesn’t have the usual prefix or suffix of ‘jah’ found in most Jewish names. 1st century Jews believed that the author was actually Ezra. Whoever the author actually was, according to the Jewish tradition, he (or she) was the last prophet that God sent.

This prophecy shows all the reasons why God had become displeased with His people and with their Priests – even at this early date.

Indeed, after the coming of Yeshua, the Judean cities were destroyed, the people were either killed or sold into captivity, and Temple-based Judaism led by the Priests was totally dissolved.

The prophecy also contains references to the work of John the Immerser, the coming of the Messiah, the final destruction of JeruSalem, and the respect that even the people of the nations (the gentiles) had for God and His Name.

Most of this book is poetry

Something that only a Bible translator would notice is when words are in the form of Hebrew poetry. There’s a definite cadence that can be seen in the original language. Therefore, because this is the chosen style of God, we’ve tried to recreate it as it was originally intended: in poetic verse.

Why use poetry?

Poetry must conform to a certain rhythm and style. These act as memory aids, helping you to recall the words, making it easier for messages to be spread via the most common communication method of the time: song.

Malachi 1

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¹ This is the matter of the word of Yahweh concerning IsraEl [that came] by the hand of His messenger.

[‘For God says:]

² ‘I have loved you,’ says Yahweh...

‘But you’ve asked:

‘How have You loved us?’

‘Wasn’t Esau the brother of Jacob?’ asked Yahweh,

‘Yet, although I loved Jacob, ³ I disliked [his brother];

So I ordered an end to his borders

And I gave him a home in the desert.

⁴ ‘And because Edom will say,

Although we’ve been cut down,

We’ll return and rebuild our [homes]…

For this,’ says Yahweh the Almighty;

‘If they rebuild them, I’ll still knock them down;

For the ‘Lawless Borders,’ is what they’ll be called,

And a ‘People Opposed to Yahweh.’

⁵ ‘And when your eyes see this, you’ll say:

‘Yahweh has been magnified

Far beyond IsraEl’s borders.’

⁶ ‘Fathers are glorified by their sons

And servants bring glory to their masters.

But if I’m your father, where is My glory?

And if I’m your Master, where is [your] fear?’

‘...asks Yahweh the Almighty.

‘You Priests treat My Name with contempt,

Then ask how you’ve shown it dishonor…

⁷ By bringing unclean bread to My Altar!

‘Then you ask how you’ve made it unclean…

You do it when you say that My table’s unclean,

And you treat it with contempt by the things that you bring!

⁸ ‘For, when you offer [a lamb] who’s blind;

Isn’t this something that’s evil?

And when you bring Me the lame and the ill;

Isn’t this [something that’s] wrong?

‘Carry it instead to [your king]

(The man who [rules over] you)…

Will this gift bring you his favor?

Yes, when you present it to him,

Will he bestow honor upon you?’

‘...asks Yahweh the Almighty...

‘No!’

⁹ ‘Now, repent before the face of your God…

Yes, come before Me and beg!

With all the bad being done by your hands,

Should I accept such things from your souls?’

‘...asks Yahweh the Almighty...

‘No!’

¹⁰ ‘Thus to you, the doors will be closed…

So don’t come and ask for My favor

By igniting a fire on My Altar.

‘There’s nothing at all that I need from you,’

‘...says Yahweh the Almighty...

‘So I won’t accept any [gifts] from your hands.

¹¹ ‘Among the rest of the nations

(All from the sunrise to the sunset)

My Name has been glorified.

For, to My Name, they burn incense,

And what they offer before Me is pure!

‘Yes My Name is great among even the gentiles,’

‘...says Yahweh the Almighty...

¹² ‘But, you still profane it whenever you say:

‘The table of Yahweh is unclean!’

‘And you treat the food that’s set before Me

As something that’s worthy of contempt.

¹³ ‘For you say:

‘It’s just too much trouble...’

‘And then, you [sniff in distain],’

‘...says Yahweh the Almighty...

‘As you bring Me game and the lame and the ill.

‘Yes you’ve offered such things up to Me.

But, when I receive these things from your hands,

Do you think that I’ll show you favor?’

‘...asks Yahweh the Almighty...

‘No!’

¹⁴ ‘Cursed is the powerful man

Who has a male [sheep] in his flock

And whose vow [to Me] is now due…

But he offers Me something imperfect instead!

For, no one is greater than I,’

‘...says Yahweh the Almighty…

‘My Name is known among even the gentiles!’

Malachi 2

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¹ ‘O Priests,

‘This is what I’m saying:

² ‘If you won’t listen and take it to heart

That My Name must be glorified,’

‘...says Yahweh the Almighty...

‘I’ll send curses upon you…

I’ll curse all the things that you want me to bless…

I’ll curse them and not let them happen

If you don’t take this message to heart.

³ ‘{Look!} Although I’ve given the [lamb’s] shoulders to you;

I can throw their dung in your faces…

Their manure, I’ll send to your holiday feasts,

And after that, I’ll remove you!

⁴ Then you’ll know that I am the One

Who sent these instructions to you.

‘This is what I promised to Levi,’

‘...says Yahweh the Almighty God...

⁵ ‘For I made an agreement with him…

An agreement that brings life and peace.

I also [taught him to] fear Me,

As I prepared him to glorify My Name.

⁶ ‘The law of truth, [I put] into his mouth,

And unrighteous words weren’t found on his lips.

Straightforward in peace, he traveled with Me,

And many, he turned from injustice.

⁷ ‘So the Priests must safeguard the knowledge

That used to come from his lips,

And seek the laws that came from his mouth;

For, he’d served as a messenger

Of Yahweh the Almighty God.

⁸ ‘But, you’ve turned from his ways,

And many, you’ve turned from the Law…

You’ve corrupted My sacred agreement with Levi...’

‘...says Yahweh the Almighty...

⁹ ‘So I’ve now handed you over

To those whom you view with contempt…

To those whom even the gentiles

Fail to view with respect.

For, you haven’t guarded My ways,

And My people, you’ve turned from My Laws.

¹⁰ ‘Don’t you each have one father,

And weren’t you formed by one God?

So, why have you each let your brothers

Profane My Agreement with your fathers?

¹¹ ‘For this, I’m abandoning Judah…

Because in IsraEl and JeruSalem,

Disgusting things are now being done!

‘Judah has profaned [My] most holy things

(Things that I [dearly] loved)

When they [turned] to alien gods.

¹² ‘So the Lord will destroy those who’ve done this,

And Jacob’s tents will be humbled…

Those who carry sacrifices [before Me].

¹³ ‘Yes, you’re the ones who’ve done all these things,

And that’s why I’ve come to hate you…

For you’ve covered My Altar with tears!

‘You’ve brought weeping and groaning upon it,

Because of the troubles you’ve caused.

For you thought I’d accept whatever you bring

As though it was truly worthy!

¹⁴ ‘So the time has arrived when you’ll ask Me:

‘Why have You done this [to us]?’

‘It’s because the Lord has served as a witness

Between you and the wives of your youth…

Those whom you’ve sent away…

Those who’ve [long] been your partners…

Those to whom [you’ve sworn oaths]!

¹⁵ ‘Because you’re doing such things,

Don’t expect Me to send anything good

With even small portions of My Holy Breath!

‘Then you asked:

‘What more than offspring does God want?’

‘[I want you to] safeguard your spirits,

And not to abandon the wives of your youth!

¹⁶ ‘No, don’t detest them and send them away,

Then cover it up in your minds,’

‘...says Yahweh, IsraEl’s God.

‘For, thus says Yahweh the Almighty God:

‘Keep a close watch on your spirits,

And don’t abandon [your women]!

¹⁷ ‘You also provoke [Me] with things that you say…

And then you ask how you’ve done this.

You do it by saying before Him

That even the wicked are good…

That He really thinks [kindly] of them,

And that God doesn’t truly want justice.’

Malachi 3

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¹ ‘So, {Look!} I’ll be sending My messenger to you,

To prepare the way for the face of the Lord

(The one for whom you’ve been searching),

And he’ll suddenly arrive at My Temple…

This messenger of [My] Sacred Agreement.

‘Look, he’s coming,’ says Yahweh the Almighty,

² ‘And who can endure the Day he arrives…

Yes, when he appears, who will stand?

For he’ll enter like the fire of a furnace

And like bleach that’s used to do washing.

³ ‘He’ll put his melting pot into a furnace

As they do when they refine silver;

Then the sons of Levi, he will refine,

And he’ll pour them out like silver or gold.

‘Then they’ll finally be found worthy to serve

[Before Yahweh, the Almighty]…

And they’ll offer sacrifices that are righteous.

⁴ Then once again, I’ll be as pleased

With the offerings of Judah and JeruSalem

As I was in the days of the ages,

And in the years of long ago.

⁵ ‘Then I’ll come against you in judgment,

And against all those who make potions.

I’ll also be a swift witness

Against those who’re committing adultery

And swearing false oaths by My Name…

Those who don’t pay their employees…

Those who tyrannize orphans and widows,

And to foreigners, won’t give any justice.

‘Yes, these are the ones who don’t fear Me,’

‘...says Yahweh the Almighty…

⁶ ‘I’m Yahweh, your God, and I never change!

⁷ ‘For you sons of Jacob just won’t turn away

From the sins of your fathers…

You’ve not turned from them or guarded My Laws!

‘[All I ask] is for you to turn back to Me,

And then I’ll turn back to you.’

‘...says Yahweh the Almighty...

‘Yet you ask:

‘From what do you want us to turn?’

⁸ ‘Will a man be stomped on by God? No!

Yet, you [are guilty] of stomping on Me!

Then you ask:

‘How have we been stomping on You?’

‘By holding back your first-fruits!

⁹ For you’ve turned from Me and stashed them away…

This is how you’re stomping on Me!

¹⁰ ‘This year has now come to an end,

And you’ve harvested produce and stored it in barns…

But your homes will soon all be ravaged!

‘If you’ll just offer to Me what [is due],’

‘...says Yahweh the Almighty...

‘See if I don’t open to you

An outpouring of rain from the skies!

‘Yes I’ll pour My blessings upon you

Until you’ve received [more than] enough.

¹¹ For you, I’ll set aside food,

And I’ll not destroy the fruit of your ground,

Nor will I weaken your grapevines,’

‘...says Yahweh the Almighty.

¹² ‘Then, all the nations will say that you’re blest,

And your land will be one which is desired,’

‘...says Yahweh the Almighty.

¹³ ‘But, you’ve put Me down with your words,’ says Yahweh.

‘And then you dare to [come here and] ask:

‘How have we spoken against You?’

¹⁴ ‘By your saying:

‘Our service to God is in vain!’

‘And:

‘Although we’ve kept His instructions;

Before Him, we still must come begging!

¹⁵ Therefore, we’ll bless foreign peoples,

As well as those who are breaking the Law…

And say that those who oppose God will live!’

¹⁶ ‘Yet, there are some who still council their neighbors

And speak of their fear of Yahweh.

So the Lord will take notice and listen to this,

Then write [their names] in the scroll

Of those who show honor and still fear My Name.

¹⁷ ‘And in that Day, they’ll be Mine,’

‘...says the Almighty Yahweh...

‘I’ll prepare a procurement and set them aside

As a man [shows favor] to the son who [obeys].

¹⁸ ‘Then you’ll turn to look and you’ll see

The things that’ll happen to the sinners…

Yes, you’ll see what happens to those who serve God

And to those who prefer not to serve Him.’

Malachi 4

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¹ ‘Look! The Day is about to arrive

When they’ll be consumed in an oven…

I’ll blaze against their arrogance and evil…

In that day, they’ll be burned up like stubble,’

‘...says Yahweh of Armies…

‘No way will a branch or a root still remain!

² ‘But upon those who still fear My Name,

The sun of righteousness will shine,

And healing [will follow on] its wings.

Then you’ll come here and leap like young calves

That have been spared from the stock pens.

³ ‘And on the lawless, you’ll trample…

They’ll be like ashes under your feet

In the Day that I’ve prepared,’

‘...says Yahweh the Almighty.

⁴ ‘Remember the Laws of My servant Moses…

Those that I gave him in that dry place,

As well as the orders and decisions

That I gave to IsraEl through him!

⁵ ‘{Look!} I’ll send EliJah, the Prophet

Before the Great Day of the Lord.

⁶ He’ll restore the hearts of fathers to sons,

And the hearts of men to their neighbors…

So I won’t have to strike the whole land.’

Matthew

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Matthew is an historical account of Yeshua’s life.

Matthew is known as a ‘Gospel’ (meaning ‘Good News’). It is traditionally understood to have been compiled and written by Yeshua’s Apostle Matthew around the year 42 CE (9 years after Yeshua’s death).

According to ancient sources, Matthew was the first Gospel written (modern scholars believe that the Gospel of Mark was first), and it was originally written in the ‘language of the Hebrews,’ which at the time would be Aramaic – not the language of the Greeks.

Ancient sources further report that the first translation of Matthew into Greek was lost, so it had to be translated again sometime in the early 2nd century CE. If true, then the Greek text of Matthew that we have today was actually a 2nd century translation, and the surviving Aramaic version may be closer to the original.

Differences

Since Matthew was (according to the Early Christians) the first Gospel, it allowed more time for corruptions to creep in to the text while Christians were still a small community. Indeed, it seems to us that Matthew has been corrupted more than any other Gospel.

Since we’re aware of this fact, you’ll see many differences between our translation of Matthew and others – as we’ve tried to identify and fix these corruptions. Don’t worry though, as we’ve added many links to translator notes, commentaries, Wikipedia, and other sources where you can learn more.

The Poetry of Yeshua

Many of Yeshua’s sermons and parables were given as poetry. This was common at the time because most people were illiterate, and there were no ways to electronically record speeches. Most communication was via word of mouth, and poetry and songs were the easiest things to remember and to repeat.

This poetic cadence is clearly seen by translators, but most Bibles have chosen not to translate it as poetry. Why not? Perhaps it’s because it requires more effort, and because many Bible readers aren’t interested in the beauty of his words, but in the contents.

However, Yeshua made much effort to speak and teach beautifully, so it’s only proper that we also put in much effort to convey this to modern readers. So, we’ve attempted to translate Yeshua’s words just as he spoke them – poetically – but not to the point of sacrificing accuracy.

Matthew 1

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¹ This is the scroll of the origins of Yeshua the Anointed, the Son of David, the Son of AbraHam:

² AbraHam fathered IsaAc. IsaAc fathered Jacob. Jacob fathered Judah and his brothers. ³ Judah fathered Perez and Zerah by Tamar. Perez fathered HezRon. HezRon fathered Ram. ⁴ Ram fathered AmiNadab. AmiNadab fathered NaShon. NaShon fathered SalMon. ⁵ SalMon fathered BoAz by RaHab. BoAz fathered Obed by Ruth. Obed fathered JesSe. ⁶ JesSe fathered David, the king.

David fathered Solomon by the wife of UriAh. ⁷ Solomon fathered RehoBoam. RehoBoam fathered AbiJah. AbiJah fathered Asa. ⁸ Asa fathered JehoShaphat. JehoShaphat fathered JehoRam. JehoRam fathered UzZiAh. ⁹ UzZiAh fathered JoTham. JoTham fathered Ahaz. Ahaz fathered HezekiAh. ¹⁰ HezekiAh fathered ManasSeh. ManasSeh fathered Amon. Amon fathered JosiAh. ¹¹ JosiAh fathered JeconiAh and his brothers before the deportation to Babylon.

¹² After the deportation to Babylon: JeconiAh fathered ShalathiEl. ShalathiEl fathered ZerubBabel. ¹³ ZerubBabel fathered AbiUd. AbiUd fathered EliAkim. EliAkim fathered Azor. ¹⁴ Azor fathered ZaDok. ZaDok fathered Achim. Achim fathered EliUd. ¹⁵ EliUd fathered EliAzar. EliAzar fathered MatThan. MatThan fathered Jacob. ¹⁶ Jacob fathered JoSeph [the father of Mary] from whom Yeshua (who’s called the Anointed One) was born.

¹⁷ So there were:

• 14 generations from AbraHam to David,

• 14 generations from David until the deportation to Babylon, and

• 14 generations from the deportation to Babylon until [the coming of] the Anointed One.

¹⁸ This is the way that Yeshua the Anointed One started out:

While his mother Mary was promised in marriage to JoSeph, she was found to be pregnant by [God’s] Holy Breath before the marriage was consummated. ¹⁹ However, because JoSeph (her man) was righteous and didn’t want to make [Mary] a public spectacle, he planned to release her secretly.

²⁰ But after he decided to do that, {Look!} Yahweh’s messenger appeared to him in a dream, saying:

‘JoSeph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been fathered in her is from [God’s] Holy Breath. ²¹ She’ll give birth to a son and you must call his name Yeshua [meaning, Yahweh Saves], because he will save his people from their sins.’

²² This whole thing happened so that what was spoken by Yahweh through the Prophet would be fulfilled:

²³ ‘{Look!} A virgin will get pregnant and then bear a son

Whose name you must call, ImManuEl.’ [Meaning, With Us is God.]

[Isaiah 7:14]

²⁴ Well, after JoSeph woke up, he did what Yahweh’s messenger told him to do, and he took the woman. ²⁵ However, [JoSeph] didn’t have sexual relations with her until after she’d given birth to a son, whom he called by the name Yeshua.

Matthew 2

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¹ Then, after Yeshua was born (in BethLehem of Judea during the days of King Herod), {Look!} Magi from the east came to JeruSalem, ² asking:

‘Where is this one who was born to be the king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and we came to bow low before him.’

³ Well, when he heard about this, King Herod was very disturbed (as was everyone else in JeruSalem). ⁴ So he gathered all the Chief Priests and the peoples’ Scribes and asked them where this Anointed One was to be born. ⁵ And they replied:

‘In BethLehem of Judea… Because, this is what was written through the Prophet:

⁶ ‘And you, O BethLehem in the land of Judea

Will no way be the least among rulers of Judah.

For from you, will come forth a leader,

Who will shepherd IsraEl, My people.’

[Micah 5:2-4, paraphrased]

⁷ Then Herod secretly called for those Magi and carefully determined from them when the star had appeared. ⁸ And before he sent them on to BethLehem, he said:

‘Search carefully for the young child... And when you find him, report back to me, so I can go and bow before him also.’

⁹ Then, after listening to what the king had to say, they traveled on… For {Look!} the star that they saw in the east went ahead of them until it stood directly over [the place] where the young child was! ¹⁰ Well, when they saw the star [do this], they were beside themselves with joy!

¹¹ And after they entered the house, they saw the little boy with Mary (his mother), and they fell down and bowed before him. Then they opened their treasures and gave the child gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

¹² However, because they’d been given a divine warning in a dream that they weren’t to return to Herod, they went back home via another route.

¹³ Well, after they left, {Look!} Yahweh’s messenger appeared to JoSeph in a dream and said:

‘Get up! Take the boy and his mother, then hurry to Egypt and stay there until I tell you otherwise, because Herod is going to search for the boy to destroy him!’

¹⁴ So he got up during the night and took the child and his mother, and they left for Egypt, ¹⁵ where they stayed until after Herod died… So the thing that was said by Yahweh through the Prophet would be fulfilled:

‘I called My son out of Egypt.’ [Hosea 11:1, Masoretic Text]

¹⁶ Well, when Herod saw that the Magi had outwitted him, he was furious. So he sent [a proclamation] throughout BethLehem and its districts to have all the boys that were two-years-old and younger to be gathered [for destruction], since that was the period he’d determined so carefully from the Magi.

¹⁷ And that’s also when the thing that was spoken through the Prophet JeremiAh was fulfilled, which said:

¹⁸ ‘A voice was heard crying from RamAh…

The sounds of weeping, wailing, and grief.

It was the voice of RachEl, crying for her sons,

And she refused to accept any comfort,

Because they’re no longer [alive].’

[Jeremiah 31:15]

¹⁹ Well, after Herod died, {Look!} Yahweh’s messenger appeared in a dream to JoSeph while he was in Egypt, ²⁰ and he said:

‘Now, get up and take the child and his mother back to the land of IsraEl, because those who wanted to take the child’s life are dead!’

²¹ So [JoSeph] got up and took the child and his mother back to the land of IsraEl. ²² However, when he heard that ArcheLaus had become the ruler in Judah in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, because of a divine warning that he had received in a dream.

As a result, he traveled to the territory of Galilee, ²³ and they went to live in a city named Nazareth.

So the thing that was spoken through the prophet[Syr] was fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene, [meaning, contemptible].

Matthew 3

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¹ It was back in those days that John the Immerser came preaching in the desert around Judea, ² saying:

‘Repent, for the Kingdom [of God] has drawn near.’

³ He’s the one about whom the Prophet IsaiAh spoke, saying:

‘A voice is calling out in the desert:

‘Prepare the way for the Lord…

Before him, straighten the roads!’

[Isaiah 40:3]

⁴ John wore clothes made of camel’s hair, he had a thick leather belt around his waist, and what he ate was locusts and wild honey.

⁵ Then, [people from] JeruSalem (as well as from the rest of Judea and the area all around the JorDan) came to him ⁶ to be immersed in the JorDan River, as they openly admitted their sins.

⁷ And when he saw many of the Pharisees and SadDucees coming to be immersed, he said to them:

‘Children of vipers!

‘Who has shown you the need to flee from the coming rage? ⁸ You should first produce the [type of] fruit that proves you’re worthy of repentance!

⁹ ‘And don’t be so bold as to say, Our father is AbraHam; for I tell you that God can make children of AbraHam from these stones!

¹⁰ ‘Now the ax is already lying at the roots of the trees and every tree that isn’t producing good fruit is going to be cut down and thrown into the fire!

¹¹ ‘Indeed, I dip you in water [as a sign of your] repentance. But the one who is coming behind me is greater than me… In fact, I’m unfit to remove his sandals!

‘[When he arrives], he will immerse you in fire and Breath… ¹² Yes, he’ll [take] his shovel into his hands and completely clean up his threshing floor, then he will gather the ‘wheat’ into his storehouse and burn all the ‘chaff’ with a fire that can’t be extinguished!’

¹³ Then sometime later, Yeshua came from Galilee to see John at the JorDan River in order to be immersed by him. ¹⁴ But [John] tried to prevent him, saying:

‘Since I’m the one who should be immersed by you; why are you coming to me?’

¹⁵ But Yeshua told him:

‘Let it be like this for now… This is the right thing for us to do, so we can fulfill all that’s righteous.’

And at that, [John] no longer tried to stop him.

¹⁶ Well, after Yeshua was immersed, immediately after he came up out of the water, {Look!} the heavens opened up before him, and [John] saw God’s Breath descending upon him [in the form of] a dove.

¹⁷ And {Look!} there was also a voice that came out of the sky that said:

‘This is My dearly-loved Son, with whom I’m well pleased.’

Matthew 4

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¹ Then [God’s] Breath led Yeshua into the desert to be tempted by the Slanderer. ² And after he’d fasted for 40 days and 40 nights, he became very hungry. ³ So the Tempter came to him and said:

‘If you’re [really] the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread!’

⁴ And [Yeshua] replied:

‘It is written:

‘Man doesn’t live by just bread alone,

But by every word that comes from God’s mouth.’

[Deuteronomy 8:3]

⁵ Then the Slanderer took him to the Holy City and put him up on one of the Temple’s high battle towers. ⁶ And he said:

‘If you’re [really] a son of God, jump down! For it is written:

‘He’ll assign [His] messengers around you,

And on their hands, they’ll lift you,

So you’ll not hit your foot on a stone.’

[Psalm 91:12]

⁷ But Yeshua told him:

‘Once again, it is written:

‘Don’t put Yahweh your God to the test.’ [Deuteronomy 6:16]

⁸ Then the Slanderer took him to an unusually high mountain where he showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. ⁹ And he said:

‘I’ll give all of these to you if you’ll just bow before me with your face to the ground.’

¹⁰ But Yeshua replied:

‘Go away Slanderer, because it is written:

‘Indeed; you must worship Yahweh, your God,

And Him alone should you serve.’

[Deuteronomy 6:13]

¹¹ Well after that, the Slanderer left him, and {Look!} [God’s] messengers came and started serving [Yeshua’s needs].¹² Then, it was after he heard that John had been arrested that [Yeshua] returned to Galilee… ¹³ He moved out of Nazareth and started living in CapharNaum (which is by the sea in the districts of ZebuLun and NaphTali). ¹⁴ This was done so [the prophecy] that was spoken through the Prophet IsaiAh could be fulfilled:

¹⁵ ‘O lands of ZebuLun and NaphTali…

You coasts and those on the JorDan’s east shore,

And you, O Galilee of the gentiles;

¹⁶ The people who were traveling in darkness

Then saw a [very] bright light.

For a light will shine upon those

That live in the place of the shadow of death.’

[Isaiah 9:1-2]

¹⁷ Well, from that time on, Yeshua started preaching and saying:

‘Repent, for the Kingdom of [God] has drawn near!’

¹⁸ Then, it was while he was walking along by the Sea of Galilee that he saw two brothers, Simon (the one called Peter) and his brother Andrew… Fishermen who were casting their nets on the sea. ¹⁹ And he said to them:

‘Follow me and I’ll make you fishers of men!’

²⁰ Well they immediately dropped their nets and started following him.

²¹ And as he traveled on from there, he saw two more brothers, James [the son] of ZebediOu, and his brother John. They were in the boat with ZebediOu their father repairing their nets, when he called them… ²² And right away, they left the boat and their father and they also started following him.

²³ Thereafter, [Yeshua] traveled throughout all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the Kingdom, and curing all the peoples’ diseases and infirmities.

²⁴ As a result, people heard about him all the way to the land of Syria, and they also brought their sick (those with various diseases and ailments, the demon-possessed, as well as epileptics and paralyzed persons), and he cured them all.

²⁵ So huge crowds from Galilee, the DecaPolis, JeruSalem and the rest of Judea, as well as those from the other side of the JorDan, started following him.

Matthew 5

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¹ Well, when [Yeshua] saw the crowds, he went up a mountain and sat down, and his disciples came to him. ² Then he opened his mouth and started teaching them, saying:

³ ‘Blest are the humble;

For theirs is the Kingdom of [God].

⁴ ‘Blest are those who are sad;

For they’ll be given comfort.

⁵ ‘Blest are also the meek;

For they’ll inherit the land.

⁶ ‘Those hungering and thirsting for righteousness are blest;

For they’ll find satisfaction.

⁷ ‘Blest are those who show mercy;

For mercy is what they’ll receive.

⁸ ‘Blest are those with pure hearts;

For they’ll [come to] see God.

⁹ ‘Blest are those who make peace;

For they’ll be called Sons of God.

¹⁰ ‘Blest are those who receive persecution

For doing [things that are] righteous,

Since theirs is the Kingdom of [God].

¹¹ ‘You’re blest when they [shout] insults at you,

And when they persecute you,

Then say many bad things about you

And lie about you for my sake.

¹² ‘For this, you should [cry out in] joy;

Since your reward in the heavens is great,

For that’s how they treated the Prophets before you.

¹³ ‘You’re the salt of the earth;

But if salt becomes weak, is it still salt?

No, when it no longer has strength,

It’s thrown outside to be walked on.

¹⁴ ‘You’re the light of this world…

And a city on a hill can’t be hidden!

¹⁵ ‘You don’t light a lamp

And then put it under a basket…

You put it on a lampstand instead,

Where it can shine throughout the whole house!

¹⁶ ‘So let your light shine before all,

Then they can speak of the good things you’ve done

And give glory to your Father in the heavens.

¹⁷ ‘Don’t think that I came to destroy

The Law or the [words of the] Prophets…

For I came to fulfill, not to destroy.

¹⁸ ‘I’m telling you the truth when I say that it’s more likely that the land and skies would pass away, than for an iota or a small point on a letter of the Law to pass away before it’s all fulfilled.

¹⁹ ‘So, whoever breaks the least of the commands and teaches others to do the same will be called the least in the Kingdom of [God], while those who teach and follow them will be called great in the Kingdom.

²⁰ ‘I also say this to you:

‘If you aren’t more righteous than the Scribes and Pharisees, you won’t enter the Kingdom of [God].

²¹ ‘You’ve heard that the ancients were told:

‘You must not commit murder, for those who murder will be judged.’

²² ‘However, I tell you this:

‘Anyone who stays angry with his brother will have to be judged, and anyone who calls his brother empty-headed must stand before the religious court. Also, anyone who [calls his brother] a moron will be [condemned] to the garbage-dump fires.

²³ ‘And if you bring a gift to [God’s] Altar, but while you’re on the way you remember that your brother holds something against you; ²⁴ leave your gift at the Altar and go [to him].

‘First make peace with your brother, and then return to offer your gift.

²⁵ ‘Also, while you’re on your way [to a court], you should quickly work out an agreement with your adversary, so you won’t have to leave the matter in the hands of the judge... Who may hand you over to the bailiff... Who’ll then lock you in jail.

²⁶ ‘If that happens, I tell you this for a fact:

‘You won’t be released ‘til you’ve paid the last penny!

²⁷ ‘You’ve all heard that it’s said:

‘You must not commit adultery.’

²⁸ ‘But I tell you that any man who stares at a woman and develops a desire [to have] her, has committed adultery [with her] in his heart.

²⁹ ‘So if your right eye becomes a trap to you, pull it out and throw it away! For it’s better to lose a piece of yourself than to lose your whole body in the garbage dump. ³⁰ Or if your right hand becomes a trap to you, cut it off and throw it away! For it’s better to lose a piece of yourself than to lose your whole body in the garbage dump.

³¹ ‘It is also said that [any man] who releases his woman should give her a certificate of rejection. ³² But I say:

‘[Any man] who releases his woman except on account of sexual immorality, leads her into adultery. And [any man] who marries a woman who’s been released is committing adultery.

³³ ‘Again, you heard it was said long ago:

‘You must not swear a false oath; rather, you must do as you vow to Yahweh.’ [paraphrase of Numbers 30:2]

³⁴ ‘However, I tell you this: Swear oaths by nothing at all!

‘Don’t swear by heaven,

For that’s God’s throne;

³⁵ ‘Nor should you swear oaths by the earth,

Because that’s also [God’s] footstool;

‘And don’t swear by JeruSalem,

For that’s the city of the great king.

³⁶ ‘Don’t swear oaths by the hairs on your head,

For you can’t turn a hair black or white!

³⁷ ‘Let your yes just mean yes,

And let your no just mean no,

For it’s things like this that lead you towards evil.

³⁸ ‘You’ve also heard it was said:

‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.’

³⁹ ‘But I’m telling you this: Don’t oppose evil men.

‘So if someone slaps your right cheek,

Turn the other to him also.

⁴⁰ ‘And if someone wants to take you to court

And sue for your underwear,

Give him the rest of your clothes!

⁴¹ ‘Or if someone makes you to serve him for a mile,

Go with him for two miles!

⁴² ‘Yes, give freely to all those who ask,

And don’t turn away those wishing to borrow.

⁴³ ‘You’ve heard the saying that goes:

‘You must love all your neighbors

And dislike [all of] your enemies.’

⁴⁴ ‘But I say:

‘Show love for your enemies

And pray for those who persecute you;

⁴⁵ ‘For by doing this, you’ll prove yourselves

The sons of your Father in the heavens

Who lets the sun arise on the wicked and the good,

And sends rain to the righteous and the unrighteous.

⁴⁶ ‘For if you only love those who love you;

What reward are you really due…

Don’t tax collectors do the same thing?

⁴⁷ ‘And if you greet only your brothers;

What are you doing that’s special…

Don’t the gentiles do the same thing?

⁴⁸ ‘So, just be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect!’

Matthew 6

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¹ ‘Be careful not to practice your righteousness before other men so that they can see what you’re doing; for if you do, you won’t receive a reward from your Father in the heavens.

² ‘And when you’re giving gifts to the needy, don’t blow a trumpet in the synagogue or out in the streets like the hypocrites do so they can be praised by the people. I tell you the truth: when they do this, that’s the only reward they’ll receive!

³ ‘Rather, when you give gifts to the needy, don’t [tell] your left hand what your right hand is doing. ⁴ Give your gifts to the needy in secret, and then your Father who watches in secret will be [the One] that repays you.

⁵ ‘And don’t pray like the hypocrites do, for they [like to] pray as they’re standing in their synagogues and on the corners of the main streets, so that people will notice what they’re doing. I tell you the truth: that’s their full reward.

⁶ ‘Instead, when you pray, go into your room and after shutting the door, pray to your Father in secret. Then you’ll be repaid by your Father who’s watching in secret.

⁷ ‘Also, when praying, don’t babble the same words like the gentiles do. For they think that they may only be heard through the use of many words. ⁸ No, don’t act like them, for your God and Father already knows everything that you need before you ask Him.

⁹ ‘Now, this is how you should pray:

‘Our Father who’s in the heavens,

May Your Name be treated as Holy,

¹⁰ And may Your Kingdom arrive…

May Your Will take place on the earth,

As it has in the heavens.

¹¹ ‘Give us our bread for this day,

¹² And please forgive all our debts,

As we’ve forgiven our debtors.

¹³ Into temptation, may we not be led,

And from the wicked [one], save us.’

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

Amen. [spurious]

¹⁴ ‘For if you’re willing to forgive other people’s errors, your Father in the heavens will overlook yours. ¹⁵ However, if you aren’t willing to forgive their errors, your Father won’t forgive yours either.

¹⁶ ‘Also, when you fast, don’t put on a sad face like the hypocrites do, because they contort their faces to make sure that everyone knows they’re fasting. I tell you the truth: this is all the reward they’ll receive.

¹⁷ ‘But whenever you fast, wash your face and rub your head with oil, ¹⁸ so that no one will know that you’re fasting other than your Father who’s watching in secret… And then your Father who’s watching in secret will be [the One] that repays you.

¹⁹ ‘Stop storing up treasures here on the earth that can be eaten by rust and by moths, or which thieves can break in and steal. ²⁰ Rather, store your treasures in the heavens where they can’t be consumed by moths or by rust, and where thieves can’t break in and steal them.

²¹ ‘For your hearts will be wherever your treasures are!

²² ‘Your eyes are the lamps of your bodies, and if [you keep] your eyes simple, they’ll make your whole body bright. ²³ But if your eyes are just wicked, they’ll make your whole body dark. And when the only light within you is darkness... How great that darkness will be!

²⁴ ‘No one can slave for two masters. For you’ll [find that] you won’t care for one, but love the other… Yes, you’ll be devoted to one, but you’ll despise the other…

‘And this is why you can’t slave for God and for wealth!

²⁵ ‘I’m also telling you that you shouldn’t worry about your lives, or what you’ll eat, or what you’ll drink [spurious] or your bodies and what you’ll wear. The person you are inside is more important than food; your body is more important than clothes.

²⁶ ‘Rather, notice the birds in the skies… They don’t plant seeds, or harvest, or put things in storage sheds, because your Father in the heavens provides their food… And aren’t you [greater than] they are?

²⁷ ‘Which of you can, through worry, add even a smidgen of length to your lifespan?

²⁸ ‘Also, when it comes to clothes, why should you worry? Rather, pay attention to the way that lilies grow in the fields. For even though they don’t work or spin cloth, ²⁹ not even Solomon in all of his glory was as well-dressed as them.

³⁰ ‘So, if God so well-dresses the plants in the fields (that are here today and thrown into the oven tomorrow), wouldn’t He rather clothe you… You with so little faith?

³¹ ‘Therefore, never be worried and ask, What are we going to eat or drink, or, What are we going to wear?

³² ‘For these are the types of things that the gentiles are concerned with… And your Father in the heavens already knows that you need these things! ³³ Rather, put the Kingdom and righteousness first, and then all these other things will be given to you.

³⁴ ‘No, don’t worry about what tomorrow will bring,

For tomorrow will have its own problems,

And each day will have its own badness.’

Matthew 7

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¹ ‘Don’t judge others, so you won’t be judged…

² ‘For the [rules] by which you judge others

Are the rules they’ll use to judge you.

And the standards you’re setting for them

Are the standards that they’ll set for you.

³ ‘Why look for the chaff in your brother’s eye,

When you can’t see the rafter in yours?

⁴ For, how can you say to your brother,

Let me remove this chaff from your eye,

When {Look!} there’s a rafter in yours?

⁵ ‘Hypocrites!

Remove first the rafters from your own eyes,

And then you’ll be able to see

How to take chaff from the eye of your brother.

⁶ ‘And don’t lay your holy things before dogs

Nor throw your pearls before pigs,

So they can’t trample them under their feet

And then turn around and gore you.

⁷ ‘Keep asking and you’ll receive…

Keep searching and you’ll find…

Keep knocking and [the door] will be opened.

⁸ For all will receive that keep asking…

All that keep searching, will find…

And [the door] will be opened to all those who knock.

⁹ ‘For about which man, isn’t this true:

If his son should ask him for bread,

He won’t hand him a stone.

¹⁰ Or if he should ask for a fish,

He won’t hand him a snake.

¹¹ ‘So if you, in your wicked condition,

Will provide good gifts to your children;

How much more will your Father in heaven

Give good things to those who keep asking?

¹² ‘Also, as you would like to be treated,

Is the way that you should treat others.

For, that’s [the whole point] of the Law and the Prophets!

¹³ ‘You should enter through the gate that’s narrow;

For the road to destruction is both broad and wide,

And that’s the way most people are going.

¹⁴ But the gateway to life is narrow and tight,

And few are those who can find it.

¹⁵ ‘Beware of false prophets that come dressed as sheep,

But on the inside, are just hungry wolves.

¹⁶ You’ll recognize them by the fruit that they bear…

For you don’t pick grapes from the briers,

And you don’t pick figs among thistles.

¹⁷ ‘A good tree will bear fruit that’s good,

While the rotten ones bear fruit that’s bad.

¹⁸ So a good tree won’t bear fruit that’s bad,

And a rotten tree won’t bear fruit that’s good.

¹⁹ Then the trees that don’t bear good fruit

Will be cut down and thrown in a fire…

²⁰ So you’ll recognize them by the fruit that they bear!

²¹ ‘Not all that shout Lord, Lord, to me

Will enter the Kingdom of [God]…

Just those who are doing the will

Of my Father in the heavens.

²² ‘Yet, many will say, O Lord!

In your name, didn’t I prophesy?

And in your name, didn’t I cast out demons?

Yes, haven’t we done great deeds in your name?

²³ But I’ll tell them: I never knew you…

Get away from me, you lawbreakers!

²⁴ ‘Now, those who listen and do as I say

Are like the very wise man

That founded his home upon rock.

²⁵ So because of its solid foundation,

It’ll be able to stand

When winds, floods, and rains beat on his house.

²⁶ ‘Yet, those who hear and don’t do as I say

Are like fools that build their houses on sand.

²⁷ For, when they face winds, rains, and floods,

Their houses will fall in a mighty collapse.’

²⁸ Well after Yeshua finished saying these things, the crowds were awe-struck by his way of teaching. ²⁹ Because unlike their Scribes, he taught with authority.

Matthew 8

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¹ Then, as he was coming down the mountain (along with a large crowd that was following him), ² {Look!} a man with leprosy came up and bowed low before him, and said:

‘Lord, if you just want to, you can make me clean!’

³ So [Yeshua] stuck out his hand and touched him, and said:

‘I want to… Be clean.’

And [the man] was immediately wiped clean of his leprosy.

⁴ Then Yeshua said to him:

‘Don’t tell anyone [about this]… Just go and show yourself to the Priests, then offer the gift that Moses specified, so they can testify to what happened.’

⁵ And as he was entering CapharNaum, a [Roman] Centurion came up to him and said:

⁶ ‘Lord,

‘My [house]boy is so paralyzed that he can’t leave my home, and he’s in a lot of pain!’

⁷ So [Yeshua] told him:

‘I’ll cure him when I get there.’

⁸ However, the Centurion said:

‘Sir, I’m unfit to have you enter my house… Just say the word and I know that he will be healed. ⁹ For I’m also a man who’s been given a lot of authority, because I have many soldiers under me. So if I tell this one, Be on your way, he’s on his way; if I say to another, Come, he comes. So, whatever I tell my slave to do, he does.’

¹⁰ Well, Yeshua was amazed at this, and he said this to those who were following him:

‘I tell you the truth: I haven’t found anyone in IsraEl with this much faith!

¹¹ ‘So I’m saying this:

‘Many will be coming from the sunrise to the sunset, and they’ll recline [at the table] along with AbraHam, IsaAc, and Jacob in the Kingdom of [God], ¹² while the Sons of the Kingdom will be thrown outside into the darkness, where they’ll cry and grind their teeth.’

¹³ Then Yeshua said to the Centurion:

‘Just go on… Let it be just as you’ve believed!’

And the man’s [house]boy was healed in that very hour.

¹⁴ Well, when he finally arrived at Peter’s house, Yeshua saw [Peter’s] mother-in-law lying down, because she had a fever. ¹⁵ So he touched her hand, and the fever left her. Then, she got up and started serving him.

¹⁶ Then later that evening, people started bringing him many of the demon-possessed. So he cast out the spirits with [just] a word, and he cured all of those who were ill, ¹⁷ so that the words that were spoken through the Prophet IsaiAh could be fulfilled:

‘He took our infirmities and bore our diseases.’ [Isaiah 53:4]

¹⁸ However, when Yeshua saw that a huge crowd had started to form, he said to [his disciples]:

‘Let’s go over to the other side [of the Sea of Galilee].’

¹⁹ But [as they were leaving], a scribe came up to him and said:

‘Teacher, I’ll follow you wherever you go!’

²⁰ And Yeshua said to him:

‘Although foxes have burrows and birds in the skies have their nests,

The Son of Man has no place to lay his head.’

²¹ Then another disciple came up to him and said:

‘Lord, please allow me to go and bury my father first.’

²² But Yeshua said to him:

‘Just keep on following me and let the dead bury their own dead.’

²³ Well after that, Yeshua and his disciples stepped into a boat and left. ²⁴ But soon, {Look!} the sea became agitated and waves started crashing over the boat… Yet, [Yeshua] was just lying there sleeping. ²⁵ So [the disciples] went over and woke him up, and said:

‘Lord, please save us, for we’re about to be destroyed!’

²⁶ But [Yeshua] asked:

‘Why are you so afraid… You with so little faith?’

Then he got up and scolded the winds and the sea, and a great calm set in, ²⁷ which caused the [disciples] to start wondering and asking each other:

‘What kind of person is this? For even the winds and the seas obey him!’

²⁸ Well, when they got to the other side [of the sea], into the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men came out from among the tombs to meet him. They were so unusually fierce that no one else had the courage to even pass that way.

²⁹ Then {Look!} they started shouting:

‘What do you want with us, O Son of God? Did you come here before the appointed time to torment us?’

³⁰ Well, it so happened that at the time, there happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding [in a field] some distance away. ³¹ So the demons started begging [Yeshua], saying:

‘If you’re going to cast us out, send us into that herd of pigs!’

³² And [Yeshua] said to them:

‘Then go!’

So they came out and went into the pigs, and {Look!} the entire herd ran down a steep cliff into the sea, where they [drowned] in the water.

³³ Well after that happened, the people who’d been keeping watch over the pigs in the field ran away. And when they got to the city, they told everyone about the things that they saw… Including what [Yeshua had done] to the demon-possessed men.

³⁴ So {Look!} all the people in the city then came out to meet Yeshua. However, when they saw him, they begged him to just cross back [over the sea] and leave their district.

Matthew 9

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¹ So then he stepped back into the boat, and they traveled back to the town where he’d been staying. ² And when he got there, {Look!} some people brought him a paralyzed man who was lying on a cot.

Then when he saw that the man had a lot of faith, Yeshua said to him:

‘Take courage child; your sins are forgiven.’

³ However, {Look!} some Scribes [who heard him say this] were thinking to themselves:

‘He’s blaspheming!’

⁴ But Yeshua (who knew what they were thinking) asked them:

‘Why are you thinking such wicked things in your hearts? ⁵ Is it easier to say, your sins are forgiven, or just, get up and walk? ⁶ However, I want you to know that the Son of Man has the power to forgive sins here on the earth.’

So at that, he said to the paralyzed man:

‘Now, get up, pick up your cot, and go home.’

⁷ And the man just got up and went home!

⁸ Well when the crowds saw this, they were all frightened and they started praising The God who gives such powers to men. ⁹ So thereafter, he left that place.

As he was traveling on, Yeshua noticed a man named Matthew sitting in a tax office, and he said to him:

‘Be my follower.’

And immediately, [Matthew] got up and started following him.

¹⁰ Then later, while [Yeshua] was reclining at a table in [Matthew’s] home, {Look!} many tax collectors and sinners started coming in and reclining next to Yeshua and his disciples. ¹¹ But on seeing this, the Pharisees asked [Yeshua’s] disciples:

‘Why is your teacher eating with these tax collectors and sinners?’

¹² Well, [Yeshua] overheard them saying this, so he told them:

‘Healthy people don’t need doctors… Only the sick do.¹³ Now, go and learn the meaning of the words, I want mercy, not sacrifice. For I didn’t come here to call the righteous, just the sinners.’

¹⁴ Then some of John’s disciples came to [Yeshua] and said to him:

‘We and the Pharisees always fast… So, why don’t your disciples fast?’

¹⁵ And Yeshua answered:

‘The bridegroom’s friends don’t have any reason to be sad when he’s with them, do they? However, the day is coming when the bridegroom will be taken away from them… And then they’ll fast.’

¹⁶ ‘Understand that nobody sews a patch of un-shrunk cloth onto old clothes, because its [shrinking] strength will pull the clothes and make the tear worse.

¹⁷ ‘And people don’t put new wine into old wineskins; for if they do, the old wineskins will burst, spilling the wine and ruining the skins… This is why people put new wine into new wineskins, so that both things are preserved.’

¹⁸ Well, as he was saying this, {Look!} a certain ruler came up and bowed low before him, saying:

‘By now my daughter may have died… So please come and lay your hands on her to bring her back to life!’

¹⁹ Therefore, Yeshua got up and followed the man (as did his disciples).

²⁰ However, [as he was on the way], {Look!} a woman who had suffered from a blood flow for some 12 years came up behind him and touched the fringes on his robe. ²¹ [She did this] because she kept saying:

‘If I can just touch his clothes, I’ll be saved [from this illness].’

²² Then when Yeshua turned around and saw her, he said to her:

‘Take courage daughter; your faith has saved you.’

And from that time on, the woman was healed.

²³ Thereafter, when he got to the house of the ruler and saw flute players and a wailing crowd, ²⁴ Jesus said:

‘You should all leave now, because the little girl isn’t really dead, she’s just sleeping!’

Well, everyone started laughing and making fun of him because of this. ²⁵ But after the crowd had been ushered outside, [Yeshua] went in and took hold of her hand, and the little girl stood up!

²⁶ So, word of what happened there was quickly spread throughout that whole area.

²⁷ Then, just as Yeshua was leaving that place, two blind men came up and started following him, hoarsely shouting:

‘Have pity on us, O Son of David!’

²⁸ And when he entered the house [where he was staying], these blind men followed him inside. So Yeshua asked them:

‘Do you really believe that I can do this thing?’

And they answered:

‘Yes, Lord!’

²⁹ So he touched their eyes and said:

‘As you believed, may it happen to you!’

³⁰ And at that, their eyes were opened.

Then Yeshua warned them sternly:

‘Now, don’t tell anyone about this!’

³¹ But after they left, they started spreading the news [about what he’d done] throughout that whole area.

³² And then, before he could leave, {Look!} some more people brought him a man who couldn’t speak, because he was demon possessed. ³³ And after Yeshua cast out the demon, the man was able to speak, which amazed the crowds. So they were saying:

‘Nothing like this has ever been seen in IsraEl.’

³⁴ However, the Pharisees were saying:

‘He’s casting out demons by the ruler of the demons!’

³⁵ Well, from there, Yeshua traveled throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in the synagogues, preaching the good news of the Kingdom, and curing every sort of disease and infirmity.

³⁶ For when he looked at the crowds, he felt pity, because they were scraped and knocked about like sheep without a shepherd.

³⁷ Then he said to his disciples:

‘There is, in fact, a huge harvest... But there aren’t enough workers. ³⁸ So, beg the Master of the harvest to send more workers into the field to do His harvesting.’

Matthew 10

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¹ Well after that, he called twelve of his disciples to him and he gave them the power to dominate and throw out unclean spirits and to cure every sort of disease and infirmity.

² These are the names of those twelve Apostles:

First there was Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew.

And there was James (son of ZebediOu) and his brother John.

³ There was also:

• Philip,

• BarTholomew ([NathaniEl]),

• Thomas,

• Matthew (the tax collector),

• James (son of Alpheus),

• ThadDeus ([Judas]),

• ⁴ Simon (the CanaNaean), and

• Judas IsCariot (who [later] betrayed him).

⁵ Jesus thereafter sent these twelve out, giving them the orders:

‘Don’t go to the gentiles or to any of the Samaritan cities… ⁶ Just go to the lost sheep of the house of IsraEl.

⁷ ‘[You should each] go your own way; and as you go, you should proclaim that the Kingdom of [God] has drawn near.

⁸ ‘Cure sick people, raise the dead, [spurious] make lepers clean, and throw out demons… You received it freely, so give it freely!

⁹ ‘You won’t have to carry along any gold, silver, or copper [coins] in your waist sashes ¹⁰ or a food pouch for the trip; nor should you carry two pairs of underwear, or extra sandals, or walking sticks, because the worker has earned his provisions.

¹¹ ‘Then, whenever you enter a city or village, you should search for those who are deserving and stay with them until you must travel on. ¹² And when you enter any house, offer the household a greeting of peace… ¹³ And if the house is worthy, let peace come into it. But if it isn’t worthy, let the peace return to you.

¹⁴ ‘Wherever the people don’t take you in and listen to your words; when you leave that house or that city, just shake the dust off your feet. ¹⁵ For I tell you the truth: On the Judgment Day, it will be more bearable for the lands of Sodom and GomorRah than for that city!

¹⁶ ‘Look! I’m sending you out as sheep among wolves. So, prove yourselves to be as cautious as snakes while remaining as innocent as doves.

¹⁷ ‘Now, be careful, because men will carry you before religious courts and they’ll whip you in their synagogues. ¹⁸ Yes, you’ll be taken before governors and kings for my sake as a witness to them and to the gentiles. ¹⁹ But when they bring you up [for trial], don’t worry about what you should say or how you should say it, because right then, you’ll be given what you have to say... ²⁰ You won’t be the one doing the talking, the Breath of your Father will be speaking through you.

²¹ ‘For, brothers will hand their own brothers over for death, and fathers will do the same to their children.

‘Yes, even children will rise against their own parents and hand them over for death.

‘²² Everyone will hate you because of my name… But those who endure to the end will be saved.

²³ ‘So when they chase you out of one city, just run to another. For I tell you the truth: You may not get to all of IsraEl’s cities before the Son of Man arrives.

²⁴ ‘Understand that a disciple can’t be greater than his teacher and a slave can’t be greater than his master. ²⁵ However, a disciple may become like his teacher and a slave may become like his master.

‘But if they’re calling the master BeElZebub, then how much more [will they say this] of those in his home?

²⁶ ‘So [expect this] to happen to you, and don’t be afraid!

‘For there’s nothing that’s covered which won’t be shown

And there are no secrets that won’t be known.

²⁷ What I say in darkness, you must say in the light;

And whatever is whispered to you in your ear

Must be proclaimed from the rooftops!

²⁸ ‘Don’t fear those who can kill the body,

But can’t kill the person within.

Rather, fear the One who can fully destroy

The person and his body in the garbage.

²⁹ ‘Don’t two sparrows cost very little?

Yet whenever one falls to the ground,

Your Father’s aware of what happened…

³⁰ For He’s even counted the hairs on your head!

³¹ So you have no reason to fear;

For, more than many sparrows, is your value to Him!

³² ‘If you’ll admit that you’re with me to others,

I’ll also admit that I’m with you

Before my Father in the heavens.

³³ ‘But if you deny that you know me to men,

I’ll also deny knowing you

Before my Father in the heavens.

³⁴ ‘Don’t think that I came to bring peace to the earth;

For I’m not bringing peace… Just the sword!

³⁵ I came to divide fathers from sons,

As well as daughters from mothers

And brides from their mothers-in-law.

³⁶ ‘Your enemies will be those in your own homes;

³⁷ But those who care less for me

Than for their fathers or mothers,

[Will never] be worthy of me.

‘And the one who cares less for me

Than for his sons or his daughters,

Isn’t worthy of me.

³⁸ ‘Those who won’t lift their own torture poles

And follow behind me, aren’t worthy.

³⁹ ‘For those who seek first their own lives

Are really the ones who’ll lose them;

But they’ll find them, if they lose their lives for my sake.

⁴⁰ ‘Those who invite you into [their homes]

Are also inviting me in.

And those who are inviting me in,

Are inviting the One by whom I was sent.

⁴¹ ‘Those who welcome a Prophet because he’s a Prophet,

Will receive a Prophet’s reward.

And those who welcome the righteous because they’re righteous,

Will receive the reward of the righteous.

⁴² ‘For whoever gives one of these least ones

So much as a cold cup of water

Because he’s my disciple…

I swear that he won’t lose his reward.’

Matthew 11

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¹ Now, after Yeshua had finished giving his twelve disciples these instructions, he went out to preach and teach in their cities.

² However, because John [the Immerser] (who was in jail) heard about the things that the Anointed One was doing, he sent his disciples to ask him ³ whether he was really the one who was to come, or if they should expect someone else.

⁴ And this is what Yeshua told them:

‘Go back and report to John all that you’re seeing and hearing!

⁵ ‘Tell him that the blind are seeing, the lame are walking, the lepers are being cleansed, the deaf are hearing, the dead are being raised, and the poor are being taught the good news.

⁶ ‘So, anyone who doesn’t stumble over me will be blest.’

⁷ Then after [John’s disciples] had left, Yeshua asked the crowd this about John:

‘What did you go to the desert to see…

Reeds being blown in the wind?

⁸ Yes, what did you go out to see…

A man who’s dressed in soft clothes?

‘Those wearing soft clothes live in mansions!

⁹ So, why did you really go out there?

Did [you go there] to [visit] a Prophet?

Yes, and one who’s more than a Prophet!

¹⁰ ‘For, this is the one of whom it was written:

‘{Look!} I’ll send My messenger ahead

To prepare the road that’s before him!’

[Malachi 3:1]

¹¹ ‘I tell you the truth: Of those born to women, none have been raised that are greater than John. But the least in the Kingdom of [God] will be greater than him.

¹² ‘For from the time of John [until now], the Kingdom of [God] has been taken by force… And the forceful are the ones who’ve seized it. ¹³ Indeed, this was all prophesied in the Law and the Prophets. ¹⁴ And if you’re willing to accept it; he’s the EliJah that was to come [first]… ¹⁵ Let those who have ears pay attention!

¹⁶ ‘To whom can I liken this people? They’re like children playing in the markets that shout at their mates:

¹⁷ ‘We played the flute, but you didn’t dance…

We wailed, but you didn’t beat on your chests!’

¹⁸ ‘When John came along; because he didn’t eat fine food or drink any [wine], they said that he had a demon! ¹⁹ But because the Son of Man loves fine foods and wine, they call him an alcoholic and glutton… A friend of tax collectors and sinners!

‘Yet, wisdom is proven righteous by its results.’

²⁰ And then he started to berate the cities where he’d done most of his powerful deeds, because they hadn’t repented.

He said:

²¹ ‘Woe to you, O ChoraZin, and woe to you, O BethSaida; for if the powerful deeds that had happened in you had also happened in Tyre and Sidon, then they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes.

²² ‘But I tell you: It’ll be easier for Tyre and Sidon on Judgment Day than for you!

²³ ‘And you, O CapharNaum, will you be raised to the heavens? No, you’ll go down to the place of the dead!

‘For if the powerful deeds that happened in you had also happened in Sodom, [that city] would still be here today.

²⁴ ‘So I tell you that it’ll be better for the land of Sodom on Judgment Day than it will be for you!’

²⁵ Then it was concerning this that Yeshua prayed:

‘I publicly praise you O Father,

Lord of the heavens and earth;

For You’ve hidden these things from the smart and the wise,

While You revealed them to infants.

²⁶ ‘Yes Father; this is the thing that You have approved.

²⁷ ‘All that I have, came from my Father;

For no one knows the Father as well as His son,

And no one knows the son as well as his Father…

Or those to whom he’s revealed Him.

²⁸ ‘So, come to me, you who’ve worked hard,

And you who’ve born heavy loads,

Because I’ll bring you refreshment.

²⁹ ‘Yes, learn from me and put on my yoke.

For I’m meek and I have a kind heart,

So your souls will find refreshment in me.

³⁰ This yoke of mine is very gentle

And the load [I give you] is light!’

Matthew 12

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¹ Well, as Yeshua was traveling through some grain fields on a Sabbath, his disciples got hungry and they started plucking some of the grain and eating it. ² But when the Pharisees saw this, they said:

‘Look! Your disciples are doing what’s illegal on the Sabbath!’

³ And [Yeshua] said to them:

‘Haven’t you read what David did when he and his men got hungry… ⁴ How they entered God’s House and ate the show bread on Yahweh’s table, which wasn’t legal for them to eat, since it was only for the Priests?

⁵ ‘Or haven’t you read in the Law that the Priests in the Temple can break the Sabbath rules [by offering sacrifices] and not be found guilty?

⁶ ‘So I’m telling you that something greater than the Temple is here now! ⁷ And if you understood what the words mean, ‘I want mercy, not sacrifices,’ you probably wouldn’t be condemning these innocent ones.

⁸ ‘For the Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath!’

⁹ Then from there, Yeshua entered their synagogue, ¹⁰ where {Look!} he found a man who had a withered hand. So [those Pharisees] then asked him:

‘Is it legal to heal on the Sabbath?’

(They said this so they could find something that they could accuse him of doing wrong).

¹¹ And he asked them:

‘If any of you had a sheep that fell into a pit on the Sabbath; which one of you wouldn’t go there to lift it out?

¹² ‘So, since a man is worth much more than a sheep… Yes, it is legal to do good things for him on the Sabbath!’

¹³ And at that, he said to the man:

‘Now, stretch out your hand.’

And when he stretched it out, it became healthy just like the other hand!

¹⁴ Well, thereafter, the Pharisees then went out and assembled a counsel to destroy [Yeshua]. ¹⁵ However, Yeshua knew what they were planning, so he left that place.

There were many [people who traveled] with him at that time, and he cured them all. ¹⁶ But he sternly warned them not to expose him, ¹⁷ so that the words spoken through the Prophet IsaiAh might be fulfilled:

¹⁸ ‘{Look} My servant, whom I have chosen…

My loved one who’s approved by My Soul!

In him, I’ll now put My Breath,

And he’ll tell the nations about My decisions.

¹⁹ ‘Yet, he won’t argue or shout,

Nor in the main streets, will they hear his voice.

²⁰ He won’t crush a bruised reed,

Nor will he extinguish a smoking flax wick

Until he brings triumph to justice

²¹ And the nations put hope in his name.’

[Isaiah 42:1]

²² Well after that, they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and couldn’t speak, and he cured him so that he could both speak and see. ²³ This amazed the crowds and they all started asking:

‘Isn’t this the Son of David?’

²⁴ However, when the Pharisees heard them saying this, they said:

‘He’s throwing out demons by [the power of]BeElZebub the ruler of the demons!’

²⁵ Of course, [Yeshua] knew what they were thinking, so he said this to them:

‘A kingdom that’s divided will fall,

And a city or house that’s divided won’t stand.

²⁶ So if the Opposer casts out the Opposer,

He’s fighting himself and his kingdom won’t stand.

²⁷ ‘Now, if I’m really using BeElZebub’s [power] to cast out demons, then whose [power] are your sons using when they cast them out?

‘You see; it’s things like this that condemn you!

²⁸ ‘For if I’m really casting out demons by means of God’s Breath, then God’s Kingdom has rolled over you! ²⁹ After all, no one can break into the house of a powerful person and steal his things unless they first tie him up… Only then can they loot his house.

³⁰ ‘So now; those who aren’t with me are against me, and those who aren’t on my side will be scattered.

³¹ ‘And I’m telling you this: All sins and blasphemies can be forgiven… But not blasphemy against [God’s Holy] Breath. That won’t be forgiven!

³² ‘If someone speaks badly against the Son of Man, this is something that can be forgiven. But if someone blasphemes [God’s] Holy Breath, he won’t be forgiven… No, not in this age or in that to come.

³³ ‘So, either declare the tree and its fruit to be good or declare it [all] to be rotten. For you’ll recognize the trees by the fruit that they bear.

³⁴ ‘O you offspring of vipers! How can evil people like you speak of good things, since what you’re saying is coming from your hearts? ³⁵ A good man will bring what’s good from the good [that’s in his heart], while the evil just bring bad things from what’s stored there.

³⁶ ‘So I’m telling you now that when the Judgment Day arrives, you’ll each answer for the things that you’ve said to mislead…

³⁷ ‘You’ll either be found righteous, or you’ll be condemned by the things that you’re saying.’

³⁸ Then some of the Scribes and Pharisees came up to him and said:

‘Teacher, we want to see a sign from you!’

³⁹ And [Yeshua] replied:

‘A wicked and adulterous people [is always] looking for signs. However, they won’t receive one other than the sign of Jonah the Prophet. ⁴⁰ For as Jonah was in the sea creature’s belly for three days and three nights; the Son of Man will be in the heart of the ground for three days and three nights.

⁴¹ ‘Then the men of Nineveh will stand in the Judgment along with this people and they’ll condemn it; for they repented at what Jonah preached…

‘But look; something greater than Jonah is here!

⁴² ‘The Queen of the South will also arise in the judgment and she will condemn this people; for she came from the ends of the land to listen to Solomon’s wisdom…

‘But look; something greater than Solomon is here!

⁴³ ‘When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it travels through [many] dry places searching for a [good] place to rest.

‘But if it can’t find one, it says:

⁴⁴ ‘I’ll just go back to the house that I left.’

‘And then, upon his return, if he finds [the house] empty, furnished, and swept, ⁴⁵ he’ll move back in, bringing along seven more spirits that are even more wicked than himself. So then, after [he] gets inside [of the man], the others will dwell in him also, making things worse for him than they were before… Yet, that’s how this people will be.’

⁴⁶ Well, while he was still talking to the crowds, {Look!} his mother and brothers showed up and they were standing outside waiting to speak to him. ⁴⁷ So someone said to [Yeshua]:

‘Look, your mother and brothers are standing outside and waiting to speak to you.’

⁴⁸ But he said:

‘Just who’s my mother, and who are my brothers?’

⁴⁹ Then he held out his hand towards his disciples and said:

‘Look… My mother and my brothers! ⁵⁰ For all those who are doing the will of my Father in the heavens are my brothers, sisters, and mother.’

Matthew 13

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¹ Then one day, Yeshua came out of the house and he was sitting by the sea, ² when a huge crowd came and gathered around him. So, he stepped into a boat and [started teaching] those who were standing there on the beach, ³ and he did so using parables… For he said:

‘{Look!} A farmer went out to do planting,

⁴ And some of his seeds fell by the road,

Where birds quickly came there and ate them.

⁵ ‘Others fell among rocks where there wasn’t much soil,

Yet, they quickly started to sprout.

⁶ But when the sun rose, they were scorched,

And they withered, because they couldn’t spread roots.

⁷ ‘Still others fell among briers,

Which [quickly] grew and choked them all out.

⁸ ‘Yet the rest fell upon the good soil,

And there they started producing [much] fruit…

This one 60, that one 100,

And just 30 for another…

⁹ ‘Let those who have ears, pay attention!’

¹⁰ Well later, the disciples came up to him and asked him why he was speaking to the crowd in parables.

¹¹ And he replied:

‘Although you’ve been allowed to understand the mysteries of the Kingdom of [God], they haven’t.

¹² ‘So, those who have will be given more,

And they’ll have more than enough.

But, as for those who don’t have…

Even what they own will be taken from them.

¹³ ‘Therefore, this is why I’m speaking to them in parables; because when they look they can’t see, and when they listen they don’t hear or understand the meaning of it.

¹⁴ ‘And in this, the prophecy of IsaiAh is being fulfilled in them that says:

‘By listening, you’ll hear, but not understand,

And by looking, you’ll look, but not see.

¹⁵ For the hearts of these people have grown thick;

So their ears now listen very slowly,

And all their eye lids are closed.

So they’re unable to see with their eyes,

And they can’t hear with their ears,

Nor can they understand in their hearts,

Then turn back, so that I can heal them.’

[Isaiah 6:9]

¹⁶ ‘However, your eyes are blest because they can see, as are your ears, because they can hear.

¹⁷ ‘I tell you the truth: many of the Prophets and righteous men wished to see the things that you’re seeing today… But they didn’t see them. And [they wished] to hear the things that you’re hearing… But they didn’t hear them.

¹⁸ ‘So now, listen to the [meaning of the] parable of the farmer that planted:

¹⁹ ‘Whenever someone hears about the Kingdom but doesn’t understand it, the wicked one comes and snatches away whatever has been planted in his heart. This is the one who grew alongside the road.

²⁰ ‘As for the one who grew among the rocks; he hears the word and quickly accepts it with joy. ²¹ But because he has no roots, he just lasts a short time… When hard times or persecution come along because of the word, he’s immediately trapped.

²² ‘As for the one who grew among the thistles: This one hears the word, but the concerns of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke out the word, so he doesn’t produce any fruit.

²³ ‘But as for the one who’s planted on good soil: He hears the word, understands it, and actually puts out fruit… This 100, that one 60, and the other 30.’

²⁴ Well after that, he gave them another parable. He said:

‘The Kingdom of the heavens is much like a man

Who planted good seeds in his field.

²⁵ But while all his people were sleeping,

An enemy scattered weed seeds over his wheat.

²⁶ So when the blades started sprouting with fruit,

The weeds also appeared.

²⁷ ‘Then the master’s slaves came and asked him:

‘Lord, weren’t those good seeds [that you gave us] to plant?

And if so, then, why are there so many weeds?’

²⁸ ‘And he replied:

‘It was an enemy of mine that did this.’

‘So they asked him:

‘Then, should we go and pull up [the weeds]?’

²⁹ ‘And he told them:

‘No, for as you’re pulling up weeds,

You may also uproot the wheat!

³⁰ Let them grow together ‘til the harvest arrives.

Then I’ll tell the reapers to collect the weeds first,

And put them in bundles and burn them;

Then, gather the wheat into my barn.’

³¹ Thereafter, he told them another parable, saying:

‘The Kingdom of the heavens is like mustard seeds

That a man had planted in his field.

³² Even though it’s [one of] the smallest of seeds;

It can grow to become the largest of plants…

[It can grow as large as] a tree

In whose branches, the birds in the skies can then roost.’

³³ And he told them another parable:

‘The Kingdom of the heavens is like a bit of [yeast]

That a woman hid within in three scoops of flour…

So it soon became filled with [the yeast].’

³⁴ Jesus said all these things to the crowds in parables. And it’s a fact that if he wasn’t using parables, he wasn’t talking to them. ³⁵ This was done so as to fulfill what was spoken through the Prophet, who said:

‘With parables, I’ll open my mouth.

And I’ll talk about things that have been hidden

Since the founding of the world.’

[Psalm 78:2]

³⁶ Then, after dismissing the crowds, he went back into the house. And there his disciples came to him and asked him to explain the parable of the weeds in the field. ³⁷ So [Yeshua] told them this:

‘The one who planted the good seeds is the Son of Man, ³⁸ and the field is this system of things.

‘The good seeds are the sons of the Kingdom, the weeds are the sons of the wicked one, ³⁹ and the enemy who planted them is the Slanderer.

‘The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are [God’s] messengers.

⁴⁰ ‘So, just as the weeds are collected and burned in a fire; that’s what will happen at the end of the age. ⁴¹ The Son of Man will send his messengers to collect all the snares and all the lawless people out of his Kingdom, ⁴² and they’ll be thrown into a flaming furnace, where they’ll cry and grind [their] teeth.

⁴³ ‘But after that, the righteous will shine as brightly as the sun in the Kingdom of their Father…

‘Let those who have ears pay attention to this!

⁴⁴ ‘For the Kingdom of the heavens is like a treasure that a man found and hid in a field. Then to [get that treasure], he went and sold everything that he had to buy that field.

⁴⁵ ‘The Kingdom of the heavens is also like a traveling merchant who was searching for good pearls; ⁴⁶ And when he found one very valuable pearl, he went away and quickly sold everything that he had to buy it.

⁴⁷ ‘Again, the Kingdom of the heavens [God] is like a net that’s dropped into the sea and collects all sorts [of sea creatures]. ⁴⁸ Then, when it’s full, they haul it onto the beach and sit down to collect the good things, which they throw into baskets, while they toss all the bad things away.

⁴⁹ ‘Yes, that’s how it’ll be at the end of the age… [God’s] messengers will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous, ⁵⁰ and they’ll throw [the wicked] into a flaming furnace, where they’ll cry and grind their teeth.’

⁵¹ [Then Yeshua asked them]:

‘Do you understand all these things?’

And they replied:

‘We do.’

⁵² So Yeshua said:

‘Well, this is how all the disciples of the Kingdom of the Heavens will teach… They’ll be like a man –a master of his house– who brings both old and new things out of his stores.’

⁵³ Well, after Yeshua had finished explaining these parables, he left that area ⁵⁴ and traveled to the place where he was raised, and there he started teaching in their synagogue.

This dumbfounded the people, for they asked:

‘Where did this man get such wisdom and powers?’

⁵⁵ ‘Isn’t he the carpenter’s son?’

‘Isn’t his mother called Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, JoSeph, Simon, and Judas? ⁵⁶ And his sisters… Aren’t they all with us?’

‘Where did he get all these things?’

⁵⁷ So they were stumbled over him.

But Yeshua said:

‘A Prophet is never treated with dishonor except in the place where he was raised and within his own home.’

⁵⁸ Therefore, he didn’t do many powerful deeds there, because of their lack of faith.

Matthew 14

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¹ It was around this time that Herod (the ruler over that area) heard about Yeshua.

² And he said to his boys:

‘This is really John the Immerser. He’s been raised from the dead, and this is why he can do such powerful things!’

³ He said this because Herod had arrested John and thrown him in prison due to things that [John had said about] his brother’s (Philip’s) wife.

⁴ For, because John had told him that he had broken the Law by taking her, ⁵ [Herod] wanted to kill him. [Yet, he couldn’t], because he was afraid of the people, since they considered [John] to be a Prophet.

⁶ However, at Herod’s birthday party, the daughter of Herodias [came out and] danced before him, and this pleased Herod so much ⁷ that he promised with an oath to give her anything that she asked.

⁸ So, (with her mother’s coaching) she said:

‘Then, give me the head of John the Immerser on a platter!’

⁹ Well, the king was really saddened by this, but because he had given his word (and because of those who were eating at the table with him), [Herod] gave the command ¹⁰ to have John beheaded in prison. ¹¹ Then, when his head was brought in on a platter, he gave it to the young girl, who took it to her mother.

¹² Well, afterwards, [John’s] disciples went to get his body and buried it, then they reported everything that had happened, to Yeshua. ¹³ And when Yeshua heard about this, he got into a boat to find a quiet place where he could be alone.

However, the crowds noticed [where he was going] and they followed him on foot from the towns. ¹⁴ So when he got to that place, he saw a huge crowd of people. And because he felt sorry for them, he went on to heal their sick.¹⁵ Then later that evening, [Yeshua’s] disciples came to him and said:

‘This is a very remote place and it’s getting late, so we should send the crowds off into the villages around here so they can buy something to eat!’

¹⁶ But Yeshua said to them:

‘They don’t have to go… Why don’t you give them something to eat?’

¹⁷ And [the disciples] answered:

‘But all we have is just five loaves [of bread] and two fish!’

¹⁸ So Yeshua told them:

‘Bring them to me.’

¹⁹ Then he told the crowd to lie down on the grass, and he took the five loaves and two fish, and after looking into the sky, he spoke a blessing, and he started breaking the bread and handing it to the disciples, who then passed it out to the crowd…

²⁰ And everyone ate until they were full!

Well, when they picked up the scraps, they found that there were 12 baskets full of leftovers. ²¹ Yet there were about 5,000 men (as well as many women and children) that ate.

²² Then [Yeshua] dismissed the crowd and he told his disciples to take the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side [of the sea]. ²³ And after most of the people had left, he went up the mountain to a private spot where he could pray. So, although it was getting dark, he stayed there all alone.²⁴ Meanwhile, the boat [that the Apostles were rowing] had gotten a long way from land. But they’d been fighting the waves, because there was [a strong] wind blowing against them. ²⁵ And then, sometime just before sunrise, [Yeshua] came to them, walking across the sea.

²⁶ Well when they saw him walking on the water, the disciples were terrified and they shouted:

‘It’s a vision!’

And they started screaming out of fear.

²⁷ But right away, Yeshua told them:

‘Be brave… Don’t be afraid, it’s me!’

²⁸ Then Peter said:

‘Lord! If it’s you, then command me to come out to you on top of the water!’

²⁹ So [Yeshua] said:

‘Then come on!’

Well, Peter got out of the boat and started walking across the water towards Yeshua. ³⁰ But then he got distracted by the windstorm and got frightened… And he started to sink, so he shouted:

‘Lord, please save me!’

³¹ Then Yeshua immediately reached out his hand and grabbed him, and he said:

‘O you with so little faith! Why did you start to doubt?’

³² Well, after they both got into the boat, the windstorm subsided, ³³ and the others in the boat all bowed low before him and said:

‘You truly are the Son of The God!’

³⁴ Then, after they had finished the crossing, they docked their boat at GenNesaret. ³⁵ And there, the people recognized him and sent word throughout the surrounding countryside, so they started bringing all those who weren’t doing well to him… ³⁶ They were all begging to just touch the fringes on his clothes.

And all that touched them were made completely well.

Matthew 15

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¹ It was sometime later that some Pharisees and Scribes came from JeruSalem to see Yeshua, and they asked him:

² ‘Why are you allowing your disciples to overstep the traditions of the elders?

‘For example, they don’t wash their hands before they eat bread!’

³ But [Yeshua] said to them:

‘Then, why do you overstep the Commands of God with your traditions? ⁴ For God told you to honor your fathers and mothers, and to have those who speak badly to their fathers or mothers put to death!

⁵ ‘Yet you're telling your fathers and mothers that all you might have to give to them is already [dedicated] as a gift [to God]. ⁶ So [what you’re really saying], is that you don’t have to honor your parents at all. And when you do this, you’re voiding the word of God with your traditions.

⁷ ‘You hypocrites! How well IsaiAh prophesied about you, when he said:

⁸ ‘Although they offer Me praise with their lips,

They’re far away from Me in their hearts!

⁹ So it’s in vain that they come to bow before Me,

Since they’re teaching the ideas and instructions of men.’

[Isaiah 29:13]

¹⁰ Then he called the crowds closer and said to them:

‘Listen and understand… ¹¹ It isn’t the things that go into a man’s mouth that dirty him, it’s the things that come out of his mouth that pollute him!’

¹² Well later, the disciples came up to him and said:

‘Don’t you know that the Pharisees were stumbled by what you said?’

¹³ But he replied:

‘Anything that my heavenly Father didn’t plant will be uprooted. ¹⁴ So just let them go, for they’re blind guides! And if a blind man leads a blind man, they’ll both fall into a pit.’

¹⁵ Then Peter said:

‘Well then; please explain the meaning of that parable to us.’

¹⁶ And [Yeshua] asked:

‘Don’t you get the point? ¹⁷ Don’t you realize that whatever you put into your mouth just goes into your belly and then into the sewer?

¹⁸ ‘However, the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart… These are the things that dirty a man. ¹⁹ For out of the heart comes wicked thinking, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, thievery, false testimonies, and blasphemy. ²⁰ These are the things that pollute a man! But eating with unwashed hands doesn’t make him dirty.’

²¹ Well, after he left that place, Yeshua traveled up into areas of Tyre and Sidon. ²² And there {Look!} a Phoenician woman who lived nearby came to him and started shouting:

‘Have mercy on me O Lord, son of David; for my daughter is badly demon possessed!’

²³ Now, [Yeshua] didn’t pay any attention to her. But his disciples begged him to [do something], because she kept following them and shouting at them.
²⁴ So he said to them:

‘I wasn’t sent here to [help] anyone other than just the lost sheep of the house of IsraEl.’

²⁵ But then, the woman came up to [Yeshua]. She bowed low and said:

‘Lord, please help me!’

²⁶ And he said to her:

‘It isn’t right to take bread from the children and throw it to the puppies.’

²⁷ But she replied:

‘Yes Lord; but aren’t puppies allowed to eat the crumbs that fall from the tables of their masters?’

²⁸ Well at that, Yeshua said to her:

‘O woman; you have a lot of faith… May it be as you wish.’

And her daughter was healed from that moment on.

²⁹ Then, going cross-country from that place, Yeshua traveled along the Sea of Galilee. And finally, he climbed a mountain and sat down… ³⁰ And large crowds started coming to him, bringing people who were lame, injured, blind, and those who were unable to speak (along with many others).

They almost threw them at his feet, and he cured them all.

³¹ So the crowds were amazed when they saw the speechless talking, the lame walking, and the blind seeing… And they praised the God of IsraEl.

³² Well later, Yeshua called his disciples to him and said:

‘I’m concerned for the crowds, because they’ve stayed with me for three days and they don’t have anything to eat. I certainly don’t want to send them away hungry, because they might give out on the road!’

³³ However, the disciples asked:

‘Where could we get enough bread to satisfy this large a crowd in such a remote location?’

³⁴ So Yeshua asked them:

‘How many loaves do you have?’

And they replied:

‘Seven, plus a few little fish.’

³⁵ So he told the crowd to recline on the ground. ³⁶ Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and after offering thanks, he broke them up and gave them to the disciples, who [distributed them] among the crowd… ³⁷ And everyone ate until they were satisfied.

And after they picked up the scraps, they found that they had seven provision baskets full, ³⁸ even though there were some 4,000 men, plus women and children, who ate!

³⁹ Well, finally, after dismissing the crowd, he got into the boat and they traveled to the area of MagaDan.

Matthew 16

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¹ This is where the Pharisees and SadDucees came to [Yeshua] and tried to tempt him by asking for a sign from heaven.

² He answered and said to them:

‘When it’s evening, you say, ‘The weather will be fair, for the sky is red.’ ³ Then in the morning, ‘It will be bad weather, because the sky is red and overcast.’

‘Hypocrites! You know how to read the sky, but you can’t read the signs of the times.’ [spurious text]

But he said:

⁴ ‘A wicked and adulterous people is always looking for signs.

‘However, no sign will be given other than the sign of Jonah [the Prophet].’

Then he just walked away and left them.

⁵ Well, after Yeshua and his disciples got to the other side [of the sea], they [realized that they] had forgotten to bring along any bread. ⁶ And when Yeshua told them to keep their eyes open and watch out for the fermentation of the Pharisees and SadDucees, ⁷ the disciples started saying to each other:

‘Why [did he say this]? Is it because we didn’t bring any bread along?’

⁸ Well, because Yeshua knew [what they were thinking], he said:

‘You with so little faith! Why are you talking about not having any bread?

⁹ ‘Don’t you get the point… Don’t you remember how many baskets you picked up after [we fed] five thousand [men with just] five loaves; ¹⁰ or how many provision baskets you picked up after we fed four thousand [men] with just seven loaves?

¹¹ ‘Why don’t you understand that I’m not talking about bread… [I’m telling you to] watch out for the fermentation of the Pharisees and SadDucees!’

¹² Well with that, they [finally] realized that he wasn’t telling them to watch out for fermentation in bread, but for the teachings of the Pharisees and SadDucees.

¹³ Thereafter, he traveled on to Caesarea Philippi, and there Yeshua asked his disciples:

‘Who are people saying that the Son of Man is?’

¹⁴ So they told him:

‘Some say you’re John the Immerser, others EliJah, and still others are saying that you’re JeremiAh or one of the Prophets.’

¹⁵ Then he asked them:

‘But, whom do you say that I am?’

¹⁶ And Simon Peter answered:

‘You’re the Anointed One, the Son of the Living God.’

¹⁷ So Yeshua said to him:

‘You are blest, Simon son of Jonah, because this wasn’t shown to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in the heavens.

¹⁸ ‘I also tell you this:

‘Just as you’re Peter [meaning, Rock], I’ll build my congregation on this bedrock so that the gates of the place of the dead won’t overpower it.

¹⁹ ‘I’ll also give you the keys to the Kingdom of the heavens, so that whatever you bind on earth will be bound in the heavens, and whatever you set free on the earth will be set free in the heavens.’

²⁰ Then he sternly warned the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Anointed One. ²¹ And that’s when Yeshua (the Anointed) started showing his disciples that he would have to go to JeruSalem and suffer many things at [the hands of] the elders, Chief Priests, and Scribes… And although he would be killed, [he would thereafter be] raised on the 3rd day.

²² But at that, Peter took him aside and started scolding him, saying:

‘Be kind to yourself Lord; this isn’t going to happen to you!’

²³ However [Yeshua] turned to Peter and said:

‘Get behind me opposer! You’re a trap to me, because you aren’t thinking God’s thoughts, but those of men.’

²⁴ Then Yeshua said this to his disciples:

‘If anyone wants to follow me, he’ll have to deny his own needs, then pick up his impaling pole and travel behind me.

²⁵ ‘For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

²⁶ ‘So, what good would it do for a man to gain the whole world, if he just loses his life? And what will a man give [to save] his own life?

²⁷ ‘Well, the Son of Man is about to come into the glory of his Father and of His messengers, and then he’ll repay each person for the things that he’s done. ²⁸ Yet, I tell you the truth when I say that some of you standing here won’t taste death at all until you see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.’

Matthew 17

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¹ Well, it was just six days later that Yeshua took Peter, James, and John (the brother of James) to a private spot on a high mountain, ² where he changed form in front of them! His face became as bright as the sun, and his clothes became as white as light! ³ And {Look!} they saw Moses and EliJah speaking to [Yeshua]!

⁴ So Peter said to Yeshua:

‘Lord, it’s good for us to be here… And if you want, I’ll put up three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for EliJah.’

⁵ But just as he said this, {Look!} a bright cloud covered them and {Look!} a voice came out of the cloud that said:

‘This is my beloved Son whom I have approved… Listen to him!’

⁶ Well when they heard that, the disciples were frightened and they fell to their faces. ⁷ But Yeshua went over to them and touched them, and said:

‘Get up; don’t be afraid.’

⁸ Then when they looked up, they saw just Yeshua all by himself.

⁹ Well, as they were walking down the mountain, Yeshua gave them this warning, he said:

‘Don’t tell anyone what you saw here until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.’

¹⁰ Then sometime later, the disciples asked him:

‘Why do the Scribes say that EliJah must come first?’

¹¹ And Yeshua told them:

‘EliJah does indeed come and he restores everything. ¹² However, I tell you that EliJah has already come and they didn’t recognize him. So they did whatever they wanted to him… And this is the same way that the Son of Man is about to suffer at their hands!’

¹³ Well, it was then that the disciples finally realized that he was talking to them about John the Immerser.

¹⁴ And as they were approaching a crowd, a man came up to Yeshua, then he kneeled down, and said:

¹⁵ ‘Lord, please show mercy on my son! He gets loony and he often falls into the fire or into the water. ¹⁶ Even though I brought him to your disciples, they haven’t been able to cure him!’

¹⁷ It was then that Yeshua said:

‘O [what a] faithless and twisted people! How much longer must I be with you? How much longer will I have to put up with you?

‘Bring him here to me!’

¹⁸ So Yeshua thereafter scolded the demon and it came out, and the boy was cured from that moment on.

¹⁹ Then the disciples came to Yeshua while he was alone and asked:

‘Why couldn’t we cast it out?’

²⁰ And he replied:

‘Because of your lack of faith!

‘I tell you the truth: If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, Move from here to there, and it would go… Nothing would be impossible for you!’

²¹ ‘However, this kind won’t go out except by prayer and fasting.’ [spurious words]

²² Then, while they were all gathered in Galilee, Yeshua said to them:

‘The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men ²³ who will kill him… But he will be raised on the 3rd day.’

And this made them all very sad.²⁴ Well, after they arrived in CapharNaum, the men who collected the double-silver [tax] came up to Peter and asked:

‘Doesn’t your teacher pay the double-silver [tax]?’

²⁵ And he replied:

‘Yes he does.’

Then, after he went back into the house, Yeshua was already ahead of him and he asked [Peter]:

‘What do you think, Simon; from whom do the kings of the earth get their duties and head taxes… From their sons, or from strangers?’

²⁶ And [Peter] answered:

‘From strangers.’

Then Yeshua said:

‘So, the sons are really tax-free, aren’t they?

²⁷ ‘But because we don’t want to stumble them, go over to the sea and cast out a hook, then take the first fish that you catch. And when you open its mouth, you’ll find a coin.

‘Take [the coin] and give it to them for both you and me.’

Matthew 18

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¹ It was less than an hour later that the disciples came up to Yeshua and asked:

‘Which [of us] will be the greatest in the Kingdom of the heavens (or, of God)?’

² So [Yeshua] called a little boy over and stood him in their midst, and said:

³ ‘I tell you the truth: Unless you change your ways and become like this little boy, you won’t get into the Kingdom of the heavens!

⁴ ‘But the one who humbles himself like this little boy will be the greatest in the Kingdom of the heavens. ⁵ And whoever welcomes someone like this little boy in my name, welcomes me.

⁶ ‘But if anyone sets a snare before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for him to have the type of millstone that’s turned by a burro hung around his neck, and then to be dropped into the open sea!

⁷ ‘Woe to this system of things because of its snares!

‘Of course, there’ll always be snares… But woe to the man who sets them!

⁸ ‘So if your hand or foot is a snare to you, cut it off and throw it away. For it’s better to enter life maimed or lame than to be thrown into the age-long fire with two hands or two feet.

⁹ ‘Also, if your eye is a snare to you, rip it out and throw it away. For it’s better to enter life with one eye than to be thrown with two eyes into the fires of the garbage dump.

¹⁰ ‘This is why you should never disregard any of these little ones!

‘For I tell you: Their messengers in the heavens gaze upon the face of my Father in the heavens!’

¹¹ ‘For the Son of Man came to save that which was lost. [spurious text, copied from Luke 19:10]

¹² ‘What do you think? If a man has 100 sheep, but one of them strays, won’t he leave the 99 and search in the mountains for the one who’s strayed?

¹³ ‘Then, if he happens to find it, I tell you, he’ll be happier over that one than over the 99 that didn’t stray!

¹⁴ ‘So it is with my Father in the heavens… He doesn’t want even one of these little ones to perish. ¹⁵ Therefore, if your brother should fail in some way, take him aside and discuss it between you and him alone; then if he listens to you, you’ll have won over your brother.

¹⁶ ‘But if he doesn’t listen, you should bring along one or two others, so that whatever is said [by him] can be proven by the mouths of two or three witnesses. ¹⁷ However, if he refuses to listen even to them, you should speak to the congregation. And if he refuses to listen to even the congregation, let him become as a gentile or as a tax collector among you.

¹⁸ ‘I tell you the truth: everything that you bind on the earth will be bound in the heavens, and everything that you set free on the earth will be set free in the heavens.

¹⁹ ‘Again, I truthfully say: If two of you agree to anything on this earth that you must request, it’ll happen because of my Father in heaven. ²⁰ For wherever two or three are gathered in my name, I’ll be there among them.’

²¹ Then Peter came up to him and asked:

‘Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother when he sins against me… Up to seven times?’

²² But Yeshua replied:

‘I tell you; not up to seven times, but up to seventy-seven times!

²³ ‘To illustrate:

‘The Kingdom of [God] is like a man, a king, who wanted to settle some accounts with his slaves. ²⁴ So he started by bringing in a man who owed him 10,000 large silver coins. ²⁵ And because he couldn’t repay it, the master ordered that he, his wife, his children, and everything that he owned was to be sold to make the payment.

²⁶ ‘However, the slave fell down with his face to the ground before [the master] and begged:

‘Be patient with me and I’ll pay back everything that I owe you!’

²⁷ ‘Well, [the king] was moved to pity at this, so he forgave him and freed him from his entire debt.

²⁸ ‘But shortly thereafter, the slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves that owed him just 100 small coins, and he grabbed him and started choking him, saying:

‘Pay back everything that you owe me!’

²⁹ ‘Then his fellow slave fell down and started begging him, saying:

‘Be patient with me, and I’ll pay you back!’

³⁰ ‘However, [the first slave] had the man locked up until he could pay everything that he was owed.

³¹ ‘Well, when all the other slaves saw this they became very upset, so they went and told their master what had happened. ³² Then the master summoned him and said this:

‘Wicked slave! I canceled all that debt for you because you begged me. ³³ So, why didn’t you see the need to show the same type of mercy for your fellow slave that I had shown to you?’

³⁴ ‘And the master became so furious that he had him taken off to jail until he could repay all that he owed.

³⁵ ‘Now, this is how my heavenly Father will deal with you if you don’t forgive your brothers from your hearts.’

Matthew 19

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¹ Well after Yeshua had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and traveled to the Judean border across the JorDan River, ² and because huge crowds followed along, he cured them there.

³ However, the Pharisees came to test him, asking:

‘Is it legal for a man to divorce his woman on any grounds?’

⁴ And [Yeshua] replied:

‘You’ve read that the One who created them long ago made them male and female ⁵ and said:

‘This is why a man will leave his father and mother and join to his woman, making the two one flesh.’ [Genesis 2:24]

⁶ ‘So they’re no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, no man should split apart what The God has yoked together!’

⁷ And they said:

‘Then, why did Moses say that we could give them divorce certificates and dismiss them?’

⁸ And he replied:

‘Moses realized how hardhearted you would be, so he allowed you to release your women… But that hasn’t always been the way!

⁹ ‘I tell you that whoever divorces his woman except on the grounds of sexual immorality and marries another, is an adulterer!

‘And whoever marries a released woman is an adulterer.’

¹⁰ Then [one of] his disciples said:

‘If this is true of a man and his woman, then it’s probably best not to marry at all!’

¹¹ And Yeshua said:

‘Yes, but this is something that not every man can do… Just those who have the gift. ¹² For there are eunuchs that were born that way, eunuchs that were made that way by men, and those who have made themselves eunuchs for the Kingdom of [God].

‘So let those who can make room for it, make room for it!’

¹³ Well after that, [people] started bringing their young children to him so that he could lay his hands on them and offer a prayer, but the disciples started scolding them.

¹⁴ However, Yeshua told them:

‘Leave the children alone and don’t stop them from coming to me, because the Kingdom of [God] is for people just like this!’ [frequently mistranslated]

¹⁵ And after he laid his hands on them, he traveled on.

¹⁶ Then later, {Look!} someone came up to [Yeshua] and asked:

‘Teacher, what sort of good things must I do in order to receive age-long life?’

¹⁷ And [Yeshua] replied:

‘Why are you asking me about doing what’s good? There’s just One who is truly good… But if you want to enter into the life, just follow the Commandments!’

¹⁸ Then [the man] asked:

‘Which ones?’

And Yeshua replied:

‘You must not murder, you must not commit adultery, you must not steal, you must not testify falsely, ¹⁹ you must honor [your] father and mother, and you must love your neighbor as yourself.’

²⁰ And the young man said to him:

‘Well, I’ve kept all these things… So what else am I lacking?’

²¹ And Yeshua said to him:

‘If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your belongings and give to the poor, then come follow me and you’ll have treasures in the heavens.’

²² However, after the young man heard this, he left very sad, because he owned many things.

²³ So then Yeshua said to his disciples:

‘I tell you the truth: It’ll be difficult for a rich man to get into the Kingdom of [God]. ²⁴ Let me put it this way… It would be easier [to thread] a rope through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into the Kingdom of God.’

²⁵ Well, the disciples were very surprised at hearing this, and they asked:

‘Then, who can really be saved?’

²⁶ And looking them straight in their faces, Yeshua said:

‘With men, this is an impossibility. However, all things are possible with God.’

²⁷ But then Peter said to him:

‘{Look} Since we’ve left everything to follow you, what will we really get?’

²⁸ And Yeshua replied:

‘I tell you the truth: In the rebirth – when the Son of Man sits down on his glorious throne – you who’ve followed me will sit on 12 thrones and you’ll judge the 12 tribes of IsraEl.

²⁹ ‘Also, anyone who has left a house, or his brothers, sisters, father, mother, children, or land for the sake of my name will receive many times more, and he will inherit age-long life.

³⁰ ‘Yet, many that are the first will be the last, and the last will be the first.’

Matthew 20

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¹ ‘For the Kingdom of the heavens is like a man, the master of his house, who went out very early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. ² And when they agreed on a payment of one silver coin per day, he sent them out to work in his field.

³ ‘However, he thereafter went out again (about the 3rd hour [9am]) and noticed others that were standing in the marketplace looking for work, ⁴ and he said:

‘You go into the vineyard also, and I’ll pay you whatever is fair.’

⁵ ‘So off they went.

‘Then he went out again about the 6th and the 9th hours [12 noon and 3pm] and he did the same thing.

‘⁶ Finally, about the 11th hour [5pm], he went out and found more workers standing around, and he asked them:

‘Why have you been standing here all day long unemployed?’

⁷ ‘And they said:

‘Because nobody has hired us!’

‘So, he said to them:

‘Then you go into my vineyard too.’

⁸ ‘Well, later that evening, the master of the vineyard told the man in charge to call in all the workers and pay them their wages… And he told him to pay the last ones first.

⁹ ‘So [after] the 11th hour [5pm], the men came in and he started paying each of them a silver coin. ¹⁰ However, when it came time [to pay] the first, these figured that they’d be getting more… Yet they were also paid a [single] silver coin.

¹¹ ‘And as they were receiving it, they started complaining about the master, saying:

¹² ‘Even though these last ones just put in only one hour’s work, he paid them the same as those of us that worked all day long in the burning heat!’

¹³ ‘But in reply to one of them, [the master] said:

‘Man, I haven’t done you any wrong! Didn’t we agree on one silver coin? ¹⁴ Take what is yours and go. I paid the last ones the same as you, because I want to! ¹⁵ And isn’t it legal for me to do whatever I wish with my own things? Are you viewing me as wicked because I’ve done something good?’

¹⁶ ‘So understand this:

‘The last will be the first and the first will be the last.’ For many are called, but few chosen. [spurious words, copied from Matthew 22:14]

¹⁷ Then, as they were starting down the road to JeruSalem, Yeshua took the 12 disciples off privately and explained this to them… He said:

¹⁸ ‘{Look!} We’re heading up to JeruSalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the Chief Priests and Scribes, and they’ll condemn him to death. ¹⁹ Then they’ll hand him over to the gentiles, who will make fun of him, whip him, and impale him… But on the third day he will be raised!’

²⁰ Well sometime later, the mother of the sons of ZebediOu came up to him with her [two] sons, and she bowed low as if to request something.

²¹ So he asked her:

‘What is it that you want?’

And she said:

‘[Promise me] that my two sons will sit, one at your right hand and one on your left, in your Kingdom.’

²² But Yeshua replied:

‘You don’t really know what you’re asking… Can they drink from the same cup that I’ll be drinking?’

And [her sons] answered:

‘Yes we can!’

²³ So he said to them:

‘You will indeed drink from my same cup! But sitting on my right and left isn’t mine to give… It belongs to those for whom my Father has prepared it.’

²⁴ Well when the 10 other [disciples] heard what the brothers had done, they became very angry with them. ²⁵ However, Yeshua called them all to him and said this:

‘You know how the rulers of the nations like to be masters over [the people] and keep them under their feet… ²⁶ But you shouldn’t be like that! Rather, whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, ²⁷ and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave.

²⁸ ‘For this is how the Son of Man came… Not to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.’

²⁹ Then, as they were leaving JeriCho with a large crowd following them, ³⁰ {Look!} there were two blind men sitting alongside the road who heard that Yeshua was passing by.

So they shouted:

‘Lord… Have mercy on us, Son of David!’

³¹ But even though the crowd told them to be quiet, they shouted even louder:

‘Lord… Have mercy on us, Son of David!’

³² So Yeshua stopped and called them over, and asked:

‘What do you want me to do for you?’

³³ And they replied:

‘Lord, we want you to open our eyes!’

³⁴ Then, moved with pity, Yeshua touched their eyes, and immediately they were able to see… And they started following him.

Matthew 21

←20 | All books | All chapters | 22→

¹ Well, when they got close to JeruSalem and arrived at BethPhage (on the Mount of Olives), Yeshua sent two disciples ahead, ² telling them:

‘Go into the village that’s across from us, and you’ll immediately find a burro that’s tied next to its colt. Untie them and bring them here to me.

³ ‘If anyone asks you about it, just tell him that the Lord needs them, and he’ll send them with you.’

⁴ Of course, the reason why this happened is so that the thing spoken through the Prophet might be fulfilled:

⁵ ‘Say this to the daughter of Zion:

Look! Your King is coming to you!

[He’s] gentle and comes riding the colt of a burro…

The foal of a creature that bears heavy loads.’

[Zechariah 9:9]

⁶ So the disciples went and did just as Yeshua told them. ⁷ They brought the burro and its colt to him, then they put their robes [over its back] for him to sit on. ⁸ Also, many in the crowd spread their robes out on the road ahead of him, while others cut branches from trees and spread them out on the road.

⁹ So, part of the crowd walked ahead of him, while the rest followed behind him shouting:

‘[God] save the Son of David!

Praise the one who comes in the Name of Yahweh…

Save, we pray, from the heights!’

¹⁰ Well, as he was entering JeruSalem, this caused quite a stir throughout the city, [for people were asking]:

‘Who is this?’

¹¹ And the crowd [that was with Yeshua] replied:

‘This is Yeshua, the Prophet from Nazareth of Galilee!’

¹² Well from there, Yeshua entered the Temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling. He also overturned the tables of the money-changers and the benches of those who were selling doves, ¹³ saying to them:

‘It is written:

‘My house will be called a house of prayer...’

‘But, you’re turning it into a den of thieves!’

¹⁴ And after that, people who were blind and lame started coming to him in the Temple, and he cured them.

¹⁵ But when the Chief Priests and Scribes saw the wonderful things that he was doing and they heard all the children shouting in the Temple, ‘[God] save the Son of David,’ they became very upset.

¹⁶ So they said to him:

‘Don’t you hear what they’re shouting?’

And Yeshua replied:

‘Yes… Haven’t you ever read this:

‘From the mouths of infants and babies

You have ordered up praises.’

[Psalm 8:2]

¹⁷ And with that, he left them… He walked out of the city and went to BethAny, where he spent the night.¹⁸ Well, while he was on the way back to the city early the next morning, he was hungry. ¹⁹ So he walked over to a fig tree that was growing alongside the road, but found nothing on it but leaves, so he said:

‘Let no fruit come from you anymore throughout the rest of the age.’

And the fig tree withered instantly.

²⁰ Then when the disciples saw this, they wondered:

‘How can a fig tree wither instantly?’

²¹ And Yeshua said:

‘I tell you the truth: If you have faith (and you must not doubt), not only will you be able to do what I did to this fig tree, but you could say to this mountain, Lift up and be thrown into the sea, and it’ll happen… ²² You’ll receive anything you ask for in prayer if you have faith.’

²³ Then after he’d entered the Temple and started teaching, the Chief Priests and the peoples’ elders came up to him and asked:

‘Who authorized you to do these things… Who said that you could do this?’

²⁴ In reply, Yeshua said:

‘Let me ask you something, and if you answer me, I’ll tell you who authorized me to do these things...

²⁵ ‘What was the source of John’s immersing? Did it come from heaven or from men?’

So they started reasoning among themselves and saying to each other:

‘If we say from heaven, he will ask us, Then why didn’t you believe him? ²⁶ But if we say from men, we’ll have to deal with the crowd, because they think John was a Prophet.’

²⁷ So they told Yeshua:

‘We don’t know.’

And he told them:

‘Then I’m not going to tell you where I got the authority to do the things that I’m doing.

²⁸ ‘What do you think?

‘There was once a man who had two children. He went to the first one and said:

‘Son, I want you to work in the vineyard today.’

²⁹ ‘This one answered:

‘Yes sir!’

‘But he didn’t [do it].

³⁰ ‘Then [the man] went to the second son and said the same thing. And he replied:

‘I don’t want to…’

‘But later, he felt sorry and he did go [to work in the vineyard].

³¹ ‘So, which of the two did what their father wanted?’

And they replied:

‘The second one.’

Then Yeshua said to them:

‘I tell you the truth; tax collectors and whores will go ahead of you into the Kingdom of God, ³² because John came to you [preaching] the ways of righteousness, but you didn’t believe him.

‘However, tax collectors and whores believed him! And although you saw this, you didn’t feel sorry later and put faith in what he was saying.

³³ ‘Listen to another parable:

‘There was a man – the master of his house – who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, built a tower [to protect it], and hired [people to] cultivate it before he traveled abroad.

³⁴ ‘Then when the [harvest] season arrived, he sent his servants to the farm hands to collect the fruit.

³⁵ ‘However, those farm hands took his slaves and beat the first one up, threw stones at the second, and killed the third one.

³⁶ ‘So he then sent other slaves to them (more than the first)… But they did the same things to these.

³⁷ ‘Finally, he sent his son to them, saying:

‘They’ll show respect for my son!’

³⁸ ‘But when they saw the son, the farmers said:

‘This is the heir! Let’s kill him and get his inheritance!’

³⁹ ‘So they grabbed him and threw him out of the vineyard, then they killed him.’

⁴⁰ ‘Now, when the owner of the vineyard returns, what do you think he will do to those farm hands?’

⁴¹ And they replied:

‘Because they’re so bad, he will destroy them in a painful way, then he’ll hire others who’ll cultivate the vineyard and give him the fruit when it’s due.’

⁴² And Yeshua said to them:

‘Haven’t you ever read in the Scriptures:

‘The stone that the builders rejected

Has become the foundation cornerstone…

By Yahweh this was done,

And this is a wonderful thing in our eyes?’

[Psalm 118:22]

⁴³ ‘This is why I tell you that the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that produces its fruit. ⁴⁴ For the person who falls on this ‘stone’ will be shattered, and anyone it falls on will be smashed into dust!’

⁴⁵ Well, after the Chief Priests and the Pharisees heard these parables, they realized that he was talking about them. ⁴⁶ Yet, although they were looking to grab him, they didn’t, because they were afraid of the crowds, since [the people] viewed him as a Prophet.

Matthew 22

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¹ Then Yeshua gave them another parable. He said:

² ‘The Kingdom of the heavens [or, of God] is like a man… A king, that arranged a wedding banquet for his son. ³ And thereafter, he sent his slaves out to call all those whom he wished to invite.

‘However, none of the people wanted to come.

⁴ ‘So then he sent other slaves, giving them these instructions:

‘Tell those whom I invited that {Look!} the banquet is ready… Bulls and fattened animals have been slaughtered, and everything is prepared, so they should come to the feast!’

⁵ ‘However, none of them paid any attention. One went out to his field, another to his business, ⁶ and the rest grabbed his slaves, abused them, and then killed them.

⁷ ‘Of course, this sent the king into a rage!

‘So he sent his army to destroy those murderers and to burn their city.

⁸ ‘And after he did that, he said to his slaves:

‘The marriage feast is indeed ready, but those whom I invited were unworthy. ⁹ So, go out to the roads that lead into the city and invite everyone you can find to my wedding banquet!’

¹⁰ ‘Therefore, the slaves went out to the roads and they gathered everyone they could find (both the wicked and the good), and the banquet hall was soon filled with people reclining at the tables.

¹¹ ‘But then, when the king came in to inspect the guests, he noticed a man who wasn’t properly dressed for a wedding celebration.

¹² ‘So he asked him:

‘How did you get in here [dressed like that]?’

‘Well, the man was speechless.

¹³ ‘Then the king said to his servants:

‘Tie him hand and foot and throw him into the darkness outside, where he can cry and grind his teeth!’

¹⁴ ‘For, many are called, but few are chosen.’

¹⁵ Well, after he said that, the Pharisees all went off and held a meeting [to discuss ways to] catch [Yeshua] in something that he might say. ¹⁶ So they sent some of their disciples along with some of the followers of Herod to ask him this:

‘Teacher, we know that you tell the truth and what you teach about the way of God is right.

‘We also know that you aren’t overly impressed by anyone, because you don’t look at what a person seems to be on the outside. ¹⁷ So, tell us what you think:

‘Is it right for us to pay Caesar’s head tax, or not?’

¹⁸ But Yeshua (knowing their wickedness) said to them:

‘Why are you testing me, you hypocrites? ¹⁹ Show me the coin that you use to pay the head tax.’

So they brought him a silver coin, ²⁰ and he asked them:

‘Whose image and inscription is on this?’

²¹ And they replied:

‘Caesar’s.’

Then he said to them:

‘Pay Caesar’s things to Caesar, but God’s things to God.’

²² Well when they heard that, they were bewildered. So they left him and went away.

²³ Then on that same day, the SadDucees (who don’t believe in the resurrection) approached [Yeshua] and asked him this:

²⁴ ‘Teacher, Moses said that if a man dies without having children, his brother must take his woman and sire [children] for his brother.

²⁵ ‘So now, let’s say there were seven brothers.

‘The first one married and died without having [children], leaving his woman to his brother.

²⁶ ‘Then the same thing happened to the second and to the third, until [she had gone] through all seven.

²⁷ ‘Finally the woman died.

²⁸ ‘So, to which of the seven will she be married in the resurrection, since they all had her?’

²⁹ And Yeshua replied:

‘This is why you’re headed in the wrong direction… For you don’t understand the Scriptures or the power of God.

³⁰ ‘In the resurrection, they won’t marry or be given in marriage, for they’ll be like the angels in the heavens.

³¹ ‘Also, haven’t you read what God told you about the resurrection of the dead [when he said]:

³² ‘I am the God of AbraHam, the God of IsaAc, and the God of Jacob?’

‘He isn’t the God of the dead, but of the living!’

³³ Well when the crowds heard that, they were amazed by his [way of] teaching.³⁴ Then after the Pharisees heard how he had muzzled the SadDucees, they all came up to him as a group. ³⁵ And one of them that was well-versed in the Law asked (to test him):

³⁶ ‘Teacher, which is the greatest Commandment of the Law?’

³⁷ And Yeshua replied:

‘You must love Yahweh your God with your whole heart, soul, and mind.’

³⁸ ‘This is the first and the greatest Commandment.

³⁹ ‘The second, which is like it, is this:

‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’

⁴⁰ ‘These two commandments are the basis of the whole Law and all the [words of the] Prophets.’

⁴¹ Then as all the Pharisees were still there in front of him, Yeshua asked them:

⁴² ‘What do you believe about the Anointed One… Whose son is he to be?’

And they replied:

‘David’s.’

⁴³ So he said:

‘Then why did David, through the Breath [of God], call him his Lord, when he said:

⁴⁴ ‘Yahweh said this to my lord:

‘Sit here at my right hand,

‘Til I set your enemies as a stool for your feet?’

[Psalm 110:1]

⁴⁵ ‘So if David called him ‘Lord,’ how could he be his son?’

⁴⁶ Well, nobody was able to say even a word in reply, nor did anyone dare to ask him any more questions from that day on.

Matthew 23

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¹ Then Yeshua spoke to the crowd and to his disciples, and said this:

² ‘Since the Scribes and Pharisees have put themselves in the seat of Moses, ³ you should do whatever they tell you to do… Yes, do and pay attention! But don’t do as they do, because they like to talk, but they don’t [practice what they preach].

⁴ ‘Rather, they bundle heavy loads to lay on men’s shoulders, which they’re personally unwilling to try to lift with even a finger, ⁵ since everything that they do is done just to be seen by men.

‘They broaden the [scripture-carrying] cases they wear, they make the fringes [on their clothes] a bit longer, ⁶ they like the first places at meals and the front seats in the synagogues, ⁷ and they enjoy being greeted in the markets and having people call them Rabbi.

⁸ ‘But not you!

‘Don’t [have people] call you rabbi, for you only have one teacher, while you’re all just brothers.

⁹ ‘Nor should you address anyone on this earth as Father, because there’s just One who’s your Father, the Heavenly One.

¹⁰ ‘Don’t even be called leaders, because you only have one Leader, the Anointed One.

¹¹ ‘Rather, the greatest among you must be your servant. ¹² For those who promote themselves will be humbled, while those who humble themselves will be promoted.

¹³ ‘Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees – you hypocrites – for you’re blocking the way into the Kingdom of the heavens.

‘You don’t enter it, and you don’t allow the rest that are on their way to enter it!

¹⁴ ‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer. Therefore, you shall receive the greater damnation. [spurious words, copied from Luke 20:47]

¹⁵ ‘So, woe to you Scribes and Pharisees – you hypocrites – because you travel land and sea to make a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of the garbage dump as yourselves!

¹⁶ ‘And woe to you blind guides that say:

‘If someone swears an oath by the Temple, it doesn’t mean anything.

But if he swears by the gold in the Temple, the oath is binding.’

¹⁷ ‘Morons and blind men!

‘Which is really greater… The gold, or the Temple that makes the gold holy?

¹⁸ ‘You also say:

‘If someone swears an oath by the Altar, it doesn’t mean anything; but if anyone swears by the gift on [the Altar], the oath is binding.’

¹⁹ ‘Blind men!

‘Which is really greater… The gift, or the Altar that makes the gift holy? ²⁰ Those who swear an oath by the Altar are not only swearing by it, but also by everything that’s on it.

²¹ ‘Also, those who swear an oath by the Temple are swearing by the One who dwells there, ²² and those who swear an oath by heaven are swearing by the throne of God and by the One who’s sitting upon it!

²³ ‘Yes, woe to you Scribes and Pharisees – hypocrites – for even though you contribute even 1/10th of your mint, dill, and cumin, you ignore the deeper things of the Law, like justice, mercy, and faith!

‘Yes, you should do those things also… In addition to the rest. ²⁴ [However, you’re just] blind guides that strain out weevils as you gulp down camels!

²⁵ ‘Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees – hypocrites – because you wash the outsides of cups and dishes that are still filled with theft and excesses on the insides.

²⁶ ‘Blind Pharisees: first clean the insides of the cups and dishes, so that the outsides can also be clean!

²⁷ ‘Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees – hypocrites – because you’re like whitewashed graves that look beautiful on the outside, but you’re full of dead men’s bones and every sort of filth on the inside…

²⁸ ‘You look like righteous men on the outside, but on the inside, you’re full of hypocrisy and lawlessness!

²⁹ ‘Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees – hypocrites – because you build tombs to dead Prophets… Yes, you decorate the tombs of the righteous and say:

³⁰ ‘If we had lived back in the days of our forefathers, we wouldn’t have shared in [spilling] the blood of the Prophets!’

³¹ ‘But when you say this, you’re testifying against yourselves that you’re the sons of those who murdered the Prophets! ³² And now [it’s time] for you to fully measure up to [the badness of] your ancestors!

³³ ‘Yes, you snakes and children of vipers! How can you escape the judgment of the garbage dump?

³⁴ ‘Look! I’ll be sending you Prophets, wise men, and writers, whom you’ll kill… You’ll hang some on poles, and you’ll whip others in your synagogues and chase them down in one city after another.

³⁵ ‘And that’s when you’ll become responsible for all the righteous blood that has been spilled on the earth from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of ZechariAh (son of BarachiAh), whom you murdered between the Holy Place and the Altar.

³⁶ ‘Yes, I’m telling the truth when I say that all of this [guilt] will be laid upon this people!

³⁷ ‘O JeruSalem, JeruSalem…

‘You killer of Prophets and stoner of those who were sent to you!

‘How often I’ve wanted to gather your children the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings… But you didn’t want that!

³⁸ ‘So look… Your house has been taken from you!

³⁹ ‘I tell you the truth: You won’t see me again until you say:

‘Praise the one who comes in Yahweh’s Name!’

Matthew 24

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¹ Well, after Yeshua had left the Temple, his disciples came up to him and were pointing admiringly towards its buildings.

² So he said to them:

‘Do you see all these things?

‘I tell you the truth: there won’t be a stone left on top of a stone here that won’t be thrown down.’

³ Then, as he was sitting in a quiet spot on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came up to him and asked:

‘Tell us when these things will happen. What will be the sign?’ of your coming and the end of the world? [Possibly spurious words]

⁴ And Yeshua replied:

‘Watch out so that no one misleads you; ⁵ for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Anointed’, and they’ll mislead many.

⁶ ‘You’ll also hear of wars and reports of wars, but don’t let that frighten you, for these things must happen too… But that isn't the end. ⁷ Yes, nations will be rising against nations and kingdoms against kingdoms, and there’ll be famines and great shakings in many places… ⁸ Yet, these will just be the beginnings of the birth pangs.

⁹ ‘Then people will hand you over to be persecuted and killed… You’ll be hated by all the nations on account of my name. ¹⁰ And because many will be stumbled, they’ll dislike each other and they’ll even betray each other!

¹¹ ‘There’ll also be false prophets that will arise and mislead many; ¹² and because of the increasing of lawlessness, the love of the majority will grow cold.

¹³ ‘However, those who endure to the end will be saved.

¹⁴ ‘For this good news of the Kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole habitation of mankind as a testimony to all the nations before the end arrives.

¹⁵ ‘So when you see the disgusting destroyer that was spoken of through the Prophet DaniEl standing in the Holy Place (let the reader pay attention to this), ¹⁶ those [living] in Judea should flee to the mountains!

¹⁷ ‘The man who’s standing on his roof shouldn’t go down to remove things from his house, ¹⁸ and the man who’s standing in his field shouldn’t [go back home] to get his clothes.

¹⁹ ‘Also, woe to those who are pregnant and those who are nursing babies in those days… ²⁰ They should keep praying that their time to run doesn’t arrive in the winter or on a Sabbath!

²¹ ‘For a difficult time will then arrive that will be unlike anything that has happened since the beginning of this arrangement until now, nor should ever happen again!

²² ‘And if those days weren’t going to be shortened, no flesh could be saved… But for the sake of the elected, those days will be shortened.

²³ ‘Then if anyone should say:

‘Look! [He’s] here!’

‘Or:

‘There! It’s the Anointed One!’

‘Don’t believe it! ²⁴ Because, false anointed [ones] and false prophets will arise. They’ll perform such great omens and signs that they could possibly mislead even the elected!

²⁵ ‘Now, I’ve warned you!

²⁶ ‘So if people should say:

‘Look! He’s in the desert!’

‘...you shouldn’t go there. Or [if they say]:

‘Look, He’s in that barn!’

‘...you shouldn’t believe it [either].

²⁷ ‘For as lightning flashes across the skies from the east to the west, that’s how you’ll know that the Son of Man is nearby… ²⁸ [Just] like when vultures gather at a carcass.

²⁹ ‘Then immediately after that difficult time:

‘The sun will grow dark,

The moon won’t give out its light,

The stars will fall from the skies,

And the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’

[Isaiah 13:10]

³⁰ ‘Thereafter, the Son of Man’s sign will appear in the skies, and all the tribes of the land will beat themselves in grief as they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds in the sky with great power and glory.

³¹ ‘For He will send his messengers [blowing] loud trumpets that will then collect his elected from the four winds… From one end of the skies to the other.

³² ‘Now, learn this from the story of the fig tree:

‘When its young branches grow tender

And it starts putting out leaves,

You know that summer is near.’

³³ ‘So when you see these [things start to happen], know that it’s near… At the doors!

³⁴ ‘I tell you the truth: This people won’t pass away until these things have all been fulfilled. ³⁵ Although the skies and the lands may all pass away, my words won’t pass away!

³⁶ ‘Yet, no one knows the date and time, not the angels in the heavens or the Son… Just the Father. ³⁷ For as it was in the days of Noah is how it’ll be at the arrival of the Son of Man.

³⁸ ‘Back in the days that led up to the Downpour, the people were all eating and drinking, getting married and being taken in marriage, right up to the very day that Noah entered the Chest. ³⁹ Yes, they were unaware until the Downpour came and swept them all away!

‘And that’s how it’ll be when the Son of Man arrives.

⁴⁰ ‘Then, where there are two men in a field, one will be taken along while the other is abandoned. ⁴¹ Also, where two women are grinding [grain] at one mill; one will be taken along, while the other will be abandoned.

⁴² ‘So [you should all] stay awake, since you don’t know the day that your Lord will arrive.

⁴³ ‘I want you to recognize this:

‘If the master of the house had known in which watch the thief would be coming, he would have stayed awake and not allowed his house to be [broken into].

‘⁴⁴ So always prove yourselves ready; for the Son of Man will arrive at a time that he isn’t expected.

⁴⁵ ‘Who is the faithful and sensible slave that the master has put in charge of his household to provide them their food at the right times? ⁴⁶ That slave will be blest if he’s found doing this when his master arrives… ⁴⁷ I tell you the truth; he’ll put him in charge of everything that he owns!

⁴⁸ ‘However, if that bad slave should ever say in his heart:

‘My master is late in arriving...’

⁴⁹ ‘...and then he starts beating his fellow slaves and eating and drinking with the drunks... ⁵⁰ That slave’s master will arrive on a date and time that he isn’t expected, ⁵¹ and he will cut him down and assign him among hypocrites, where he’ll weep and grind his teeth.’

Matthew 25

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¹ ‘For the Kingdom of the heavens is like ten virgins that took their lamps and went out to meet the groom and his bride. ² Five of them were wise, but [the other] five just didn’t care. ³ For although they brought their lamps, they didn’t bring any oil, ⁴ while the wise brought jars of oil for their lamps.

⁵ ‘Well, as the bridegroom was taking his time, they all nodded off and went to sleep. ⁶ But in the middle of the night, someone shouted:

‘Look, it’s the groom [and his bride]… Let’s go out and meet them!’

⁷ ‘So thereafter, all the [wise] virgins got up and started preparing their lamps.

⁸ ‘However, those who didn’t care then said to the wise:

‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are about to go out!’

⁹ ‘But the wise replied:

‘There probably isn’t enough for us all, so you’d best go to the store to buy your own.’

¹⁰ ‘Well, the [bride and] groom happened to arrive just as these ones were leaving. So those who were ready entered the wedding banquet along with him… And then the door was closed.

¹¹ ‘Well later on, the other virgins finally showed up and they shouted:

‘Lord! Lord! Open to us!’

¹² ‘But he said to them:

‘I tell you the truth: I don’t know you!’

¹³ ‘So, this is why you must stay awake… For you don’t know the date and time!

¹⁴ ‘It’s [the same] as when a man who was about to travel abroad called for his slaves to entrust his belongings to them.

¹⁵ ‘To one he gave five [silver] coins, to another he gave two, and to another he gave just one (each according to their abilities). And thereafter, he left on his trip.

¹⁶ ‘Well, the one who got the five went right out and put [his five coins] to work, gaining five more coins.

¹⁷ ‘The same was true of the slave who’d received two; he gained two more.

¹⁸ ‘But [the slave] that received just one went and dug a hole in the ground, where he buried his master’s silver.

¹⁹ ‘Then after some time, the master of those slaves [finally] returned and he called them in for an accounting.

²⁰ ‘So the one who received the five coins came forward carrying the five more and said:

‘Lord, you gave me five coins, and look… I’ve gained you five more!’

²¹ ‘And his master said:

‘Well done, good and faithful slave! Since you’ve been faithful in a few things, I’ll appoint you over many… Enjoy the favor of your Lord!’

²² ‘Next, the one who received the two coins came forward and said to his master:

‘Lord, you gave me two coins, and look… I’ve gained you two more!’

²³ ‘So his master said to him:

‘You’ve done well, my good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things, so I’ll appoint you over many… Share in the joy of your Lord!’

²⁴ ‘Finally, the [slave] that was given the one coin came up to his master and said:

‘Lord, I know that you’re a hard man who reaps where he doesn’t sow and harvests where he doesn’t plant. ²⁵ So because I was afraid, I hid your coin in the ground. Now see; I give you what’s yours!’

²⁶ ‘In reply, his master then said to him:

‘O you wicked and lazy slave!

‘So you know that I reap where I don’t sow and I harvest where I don’t plant, do you? ²⁷ Then you should have deposited my silver with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received what’s mine with interest!

²⁸ ‘So now; take the coin away from him and give it to the one who has 10 coins. ²⁹ Because, more will be given to those who have, and they’ll have plenty. But it’ll all be taken from those who don’t have.

³⁰ ‘Now, throw this useless slave into the darkness outside, where he will weep and grind his teeth!’

³¹ ‘Likewise, this is what’s going to happen when the Son of Man arrives in his glory along with all of the messengers:

‘He’s going to sit down on his glorious throne, ³² and all nations will be led before him. Then he’ll separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

³³ ‘He will put the sheep on his right, but the goats on his left.

³⁴ ‘And at that, the king will say to those on his right:

‘Come, you who’ve been praised by my Father; inherit the Kingdom that has been prepared for you since the founding of the arrangement.

³⁵ ‘For when I was hungry, you fed me.

When I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink.

When I was a stranger, you took me in.

³⁶ When I was naked, you clothed me.

When I was sick, you looked after me.

And when I was in prison, you came to me.’

³⁷ ‘Then the righteous will ask:

‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and take you in, or naked and clothe you? ³⁹ Yes, when did we see you sick or in prison and come to your [aid]?’

⁴⁰ ‘And the king will say:

‘I tell you the truth: when you did it for the least of my brothers, you also did it for me.’

⁴¹ ‘Then he will say to those on his left:

‘Leave me, you who’ve been cursed into the age-long fire that was prepared for the Opposer and his messengers!

⁴² ‘For when I was hungry, you didn’t feed me.

When I was thirsty, you gave me nothing to drink.

⁴³ When I was a stranger, you didn’t take me in.

When I was naked, you didn’t clothe me.

And when I was sick and in prison, you didn’t come to my aid.’

⁴⁴ ‘Then they’ll also ask:

‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and not serve your needs?’

⁴⁵ ‘And he will answer:

‘I tell you the truth; when you didn’t do it for one of these least ones, you didn’t do it for me.’

⁴⁶ ‘Then these will go into an age-long lopping off, as the righteous go into age-long life.’

Matthew 26

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¹ Well, after Yeshua had finished saying all these things, he told his disciples this:

² ‘You know that the Passover will be here in just two days, and the Son of Man is going to be betrayed and hung on a pole.’

³ Meanwhile, the Chief Priests and the peoples’ elders had all gathered in the courtyard of the High Priest (who was called CaiAphas) ⁴ to discuss sneaky ways to grab Yeshua and kill him.

⁵ However, they decided not [to do it] at the festival, because that would have created a commotion among the people.

⁶ Then, while Yeshua was in BethAny at the house of Simon the leper, ⁷ a woman arrived carrying an expensive alabaster case of perfumed oil. She came to him as he was lying down and started pouring it over his head. ⁸ When the disciples saw what she was doing, they were bothered by it and they asked her:

‘Why are you wasting this? ⁹ We could have sold this for a lot [of money] and given it to the poor!’

¹⁰ But Yeshua asked:

‘Why are you bothering this woman? She just did a nice thing for me! ¹¹ You’ll always have the poor, but you won’t always have me.

¹² ‘When this woman poured the oil on my body, she did it to prepare me for my burial. ¹³ And I tell you the truth: wherever this good news is preached throughout the entire world, what this woman did for me will be told in memory of her!’

¹⁴ Well after that, one of the 12 (the one called Judas IsCariot) went to the Chief Priests ¹⁵ and asked them:

‘What will you give me if I betray [Yeshua] to you?’

And they told him that they’d pay him 30 silver coins [which is about a month’s wage]. ¹⁶ So from that point on, [Judas] started looking for a good opportunity to betray [Yeshua].

¹⁷ Now, since it was [just before] the first day of [Passover], Yeshua’s disciples came up to him and asked:

‘Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?’

¹⁸ And he told them:

‘Go into the city to (a certain person), and tell him that the Teacher says:

‘My appointed time is near, so I’ll celebrate the Passover with my disciples in your home.’

¹⁹ Therefore, the disciples went and did just as Yeshua told them and they got everything ready for the Passover.

²⁰ Then later that evening, while [Yeshua] was reclining at the table ²¹ eating with the 12 disciples, he said to them:

‘I tell you the truth; one of you will betray me.’

²² Well, they were all deeply saddened by this, and they each asked him:

‘Lord, it isn’t me, is it?’

²³ Then he said:

‘One [of you] who has dipped his hand into this bowl with me will betray me.

²⁴ ‘It’s a fact that the Son of Man must leave… Just as it was written about him. But woe to the one through whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for him had he never been born!’

²⁵ Then Judas (the one who was about to betray him) asked:

‘That isn’t what I am, is it Rabbi?’

And [Yeshua] replied:

‘You said it yourself.’

²⁶ Well thereafter, as they were eating, Yeshua took a loaf, and after giving thanks, he broke it and distributed it among the disciples and said:

‘Take some of this and eat it, because this is my body.’

²⁷ He also took a cup [of wine], and after giving thanks, he passed it among them and said:

‘All of you should drink from this; ²⁸ for indeed, this is my blood of the Sacred Agreement with the many, which is being poured out for the forgiveness of their sins.

²⁹ ‘However, I’m telling you now that I definitely won’t be drinking the product of the vine anymore until the day that I drink it with you as it has never been drunk before, in the Kingdom of my Father.’

³⁰ And finally, after singing songs of praise, they walked out to the Mount of Olives.

³¹ [There] Yeshua said to them:

‘All of you will be stumbled [by what will happen to] me tonight, because it’s written:

‘When the shepherd is struck, the sheep will be scattered.’ [Zechariah 13:7; see note]

³² ‘But after I wake up, I’ll go ahead of you into Galilee.’

³³ However, Peter said to him:

‘Although the others may be trapped, I’ll never stumble!’

³⁴ And Yeshua said:

‘I tell you the truth: Before a rooster crows tonight, you’ll have denied knowing me three times.’

³⁵ Yet, Peter just kept on talking. He said:

‘Even if I have to die with you, I’ll never deny knowing you!’

And all the other disciples were saying the same thing.

³⁶ Then Yeshua took his disciples to the spot called GethSemane (the Oil Press), and he said to them:

‘Now, sit here while I go over there to pray.’

³⁷ Well, he took Peter and the two sons of ZebediOu with him… And then he became very sad and deeply disturbed, ³⁸ and he said to them:

‘My soul has been saddened to the point of death. So, please wait here and stay awake with me.’

³⁹ Then, going a little way forward, he fell to his face and started praying, saying:

‘My Father; if it’s possible, let this cup pass from me. However, not my will, but Yours.’

⁴⁰ However, when he returned to the disciples, he found them sleeping.
So he asked Peter:

‘Aren’t you strong enough to stay awake with me for just an hour? ⁴¹ You should stay awake and pray that you won’t be put to the test! But indeed… Although the spirit is willing, the flesh is weak.’

⁴² So he went off and prayed a second time, saying:

‘My Father; if this can’t pass and I have to drink it, may Your Will be done.’

⁴³ And when he got back, he found them sleeping again, because their eyes were heavy. ⁴⁴ So then he left them and went to pray a third time, and he said the same things once more. ⁴⁵ And when he got back to his disciples, he said to them:

‘Here you’re resting and sleeping… And look! The time has arrived when the Son of Man will be handed over to sinners. ⁴⁶ Get up… Let’s go! Look! Here comes my betrayer!’

⁴⁷ And while he was still speaking, {Look!} Judas (one of the 12) arrived with a large mob of Priests and elders, each of whom was carrying a sword or a club!

⁴⁸ Now, the betrayer had given them a sign to watch for. He said:

‘Whomever I kiss is the one… Grab him!’

⁴⁹ And going straight up to Yeshua, [Judas] greeted him with the words,

‘Rejoice, Rabbi!’ as he tenderly kissed him.

⁵⁰ But Yeshua said to him:

‘Man, just why are you here?’

Then [some of the mob] came up and grabbed Yeshua, and they tied him up. ⁵¹ However, {Look!} one of those who was with Yeshua reached down and unsheathed his sword, and he struck the Chief Priest’s slave, taking off his ear.

⁵² But then Yeshua said to him:

‘Put your sword away! For all who take up the sword will perish by the sword!

⁵³ ‘Don’t you realize that I can ask my Father to immediately send more than 12 battalions of angels? ⁵⁴ But if [I did] that, how would the scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way?’

⁵⁵ Then Yeshua spoke to the mob and said:

‘Have you come with swords and clubs to arrest me like some robber? I used to sit and teach in the Temple every day, and you didn’t choose to grab me then! ⁵⁶ However, all of this has happened so that the writings of the Prophets can be fulfilled.’

Well at that, all the disciples ran away and left him.

⁵⁷ So then, those who had arrested Yeshua carried him off to [the house of] CaiAphas the High Priest, where the Scribes and the elders had already assembled.

⁵⁸ Meanwhile, Peter followed the group some distance behind all the way to the courtyard of the High Priest. Then he went inside and sat among the building supervisory staff, to see what would happen.

⁵⁹ At the time, the Chief Priests and those of the Judean High Court had been trying to find [someone who would] lie about Yeshua, so they could condemn him [to death]. ⁶⁰ However, of all those who came forward, none were willing to perjure themselves.

Yet later on, two did come forward that said:

⁶¹ ‘This man told us that he could tear down the temple sanctuary of The God and rebuild it in just three days.’

⁶² And after they heard that, the High Priest stood up and asked Yeshua:

‘Don’t you have a reply? What are these people accusing you of?’

⁶³ However, Yeshua just remained silent.

So the High Priest said to him:

‘By the living God, I put you under oath to tell us whether you’re the Anointed One… The Son of The God!’

⁶⁴ And Yeshua replied:

‘You’re saying it yourself!

‘Now, let me tell you something: from this point on, you’ll see the Son of Man sitting at [His] powerful right hand and coming on the clouds in the sky!’

⁶⁵ Well at that, the High Priest ripped his clothes and he shouted:

‘He has blasphemed!

‘Why do we need any more witnesses? See… Now you’ve actually heard the blasphemy! ⁶⁶ Therefore, what’s your opinion?’

And everyone shouted:

‘Hold him for death!’

⁶⁷ Then after that, some of them started spitting in his face and hitting him with their fists, as others were slapping him ⁶⁸ and saying:

‘Prophesy to us, O Anointed One… Which of us hit you?’

⁶⁹ Meanwhile, as Peter was still sitting outside in the courtyard, a servant girl came up to him and said:

‘You were also with this Yeshua the Galilean!’

⁷⁰ However, he denied it in front of everyone, and said:

‘I don’t know what she’s talking about!’

⁷¹ Then as he [was walking out towards] the gatehouse, another girl noticed him and said to everyone there:

‘This man was with Yeshua the Nazarene!’

⁷² And once again he denied it with an oath, saying:

‘I never knew the man!’

⁷³ But then all those who were standing around came up and said to him:

‘Sure, you’re one of them! Why, your accent gives you away!’

⁷⁴ So Peter started cursing at them and swore:

‘I don’t know the man!’

And immediately, a rooster crowed.

⁷⁵ It was then that Peter remembered Yeshua’s words:

‘Before a rooster crows you will have denied that you know me three times.’

So he went outside and cried bitterly.

Matthew 27

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¹ Then the next morning, all the Chief Priests and peoples’ elders held a meeting to discuss ways to have Yeshua put to death. ² So they bound him and took him to be handed over to Governor Pilate.

³ It was then that Judas (who had betrayed [Yeshua]) realized that he was condemned. So, feeling deeply regretful about what he’d done, he tried to return the 30 silver [coins] to the Chief Priests and elders, ⁴ saying:

‘I sinned when I betrayed righteous blood.’

But they replied:

‘What’s that to us? That’s your problem!’

⁵ So at that, he threw the silver into the Temple and left… And then he went out and hung himself.

⁶ Well, the chief priest then [picked up] the silver coins and said:

‘It isn’t legal for us to put these [coins] in the sacred treasury, because they’re the price of blood.’

⁷ So after discussing it further, they decided to use them to purchase the potter’s field as a place to bury foreigners. ⁸ And to this day, that field has been called, ‘The Field of Blood.’

⁹ It was then that the words of the Prophet were fulfilled that he would take the 30 pieces of silver (which was the price that was put on a man, as was set by the sons of IsraEl) ¹⁰ and use them to pay for the field of the potters, as Yahweh had said. [Zechariah 11:12-13]

¹¹ Next, they brought Yeshua and stood him before the governor, who asked him:

‘Are you the king of the Jews?’

And Yeshua replied:

‘You’re saying it yourself.’

¹² However, when the Chief Priests and elders were accusing him, he didn’t say anything.

¹³ Then Pilate asked:

‘Don’t you hear all the things that they’re saying against you?’

¹⁴ But [Yeshua] wouldn’t answer him – he didn’t say a word – and that really got the governor wondering.

¹⁵ Now, it was the governor’s custom to release whichever prisoner the crowd wanted during these festivals. ¹⁶ And at that time, they were holding a particularly notorious criminal called BarAbbas.
¹⁷ So when the people gathered before him, Pilate asked:

‘Which do you want me to release to you, BarAbbas or Yeshua… The so-called Anointed One?’

¹⁸ Well, [Pilate] knew that the only reason they had bound [Yeshua] over, was because they were jealous of him. ¹⁹ Also, while he was sitting on his judgment seat, [Pilate’s] wife had sent [a message] to him, saying:

‘Don’t have anything to do with that righteous man, because I suffered a lot in a dream today over him.’

²⁰ However, the Chief Priests and elders persuaded the crowd to ask for BarAbbas, and to demand to have Yeshua destroyed. ²¹ So when the governor asked which of the two they wanted released, everyone shouted:

‘BarAbbas!’

²² And when Pilate asked:

‘Then, what should I do with this Yeshua, the so-called Anointed One?’

They all shouted:

‘Hang him up on a pole!’

²³ But he asked:

‘Why? What crime has he committed?’

And they all kept shouting louder and louder:

‘Hang him up on a pole!’

²⁴ Well, when he saw that he wasn’t doing any good and he was just inciting a riot, Pilate got some water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying:

‘I’m innocent of this man’s blood… You take the responsibility for this on yourselves!’

²⁵ And all the people said:

‘May we and our children be responsible for his blood!’

²⁶ So he then released BarAbbas to them, and he had Yeshua whipped and bound over for impaling.

²⁷ Thereafter, the governor’s soldiers took Yeshua inside the palace and they brought in the whole Battalion. ²⁸ There they removed [Yeshua’s] clothes, wrapped a scarlet cape around him, ²⁹ braided a crown of thorns and slipped it over his head, and they put a piece of cane in his right hand.

Then, kneeling down, they made fun of him by shouting the greeting:

‘Rejoice, O you King of the Jews!’

³⁰ They also spit on him and they took the cane and started hitting him on the head with it.

³¹ Finally, after they had tired of their fun, they took off the cape, put his clothes back on, and took him out to be impaled.

³² Well, as they were leading him out, they found a man from Cyrene [Libya] whose name was Simon, and they made him carry the pole.

³³ Then when they got to the place called GolGotha (Skull Place), ³⁴ they offered [Yeshua] some wine mixed with gall to drink. But after he tasted it, he wouldn’t drink it.

³⁵ It was after [they had nailed] him on the pole that [the soldiers] then divided his clothes by throwing lots. ³⁶ And thereafter, they all just sat around and watched him.

³⁷ They also put a sign over his head that showed the charge against him:

‘This is Yeshua, the King of the Jews.’

³⁸ Two robbers were also hung on poles beside him… One on his right and the other on his left.

³⁹ Then those who were passing by started shouting terrible things at [Yeshua], shaking their heads ⁴⁰ and saying:

‘O you who would tear down the Most Holy and rebuild it in three days! Save yourself! If you’re a son of The God, come down off the pole!’

⁴¹ That’s the way the Chief Priests, Scribes, and elders also made fun of him.

They were saying:

⁴² ‘He saved others, but he can’t save himself! If he’s the King of IsraEl, let him come down from the pole and we’ll believe him. ⁴³ He’s put his trust in God, so let [God] rescue him if He wants him. After all, he says, I’m God’s Son!’

⁴⁴ In fact, even the robbers that were hung on poles with him started saying cruel things to him.

⁴⁵ Then from the 6th to the 9th hours [12 noon to 3pm], darkness fell over the whole land.

⁴⁶ And at about the 9th hour [3pm], Yeshua called out in a loud voice:

‘Eli, Eli;

Lama sabachthani?’

That is:

‘My God, my God;

Why have you abandoned me?’

⁴⁷ Well when some of those who were standing around heard this, they thought he was calling for EliJah. ⁴⁸ And immediately, one of them ran and took a sponge, soaked it in vinegar, then lifted it on a reed to give him something to drink.

⁴⁹ But the rest of them said:

‘Leave him alone! Let’s see if EliJah comes to save him!’

Finally, a man took a spear and jabbed it into his side, and blood mixed with water poured out. ⁵⁰ Then Yeshua cried out loudly and gave up his breath.

⁵¹ And at that, {Look!} the Temple’s [inner] curtain ripped in two from the top to the bottom, as the ground shook and rocks split! ⁵² and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised ⁵³ and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. [spurious text]

⁵⁴ But the army officer and those with him that were watching over Yeshua (after they saw the earthquake and the other things that had happened) were really frightened and said:

‘This truly was God’s Son!’

⁵⁵ Well during this entire time, many women were standing around and watching from a distance. These women had traveled with Yeshua from Galilee in order to serve him. ⁵⁶ They included Mary from Magdala, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of the sons of ZebediOu.⁵⁷ Then later that afternoon, a rich man from HariMathea named JoSeph (who was also a disciple of Yeshua) ⁵⁸ went to Pilate and asked for his body. So Pilate commanded that it should be given to him.

⁵⁹ Therefore, JoSeph took the body, wrapped it up in fine clean linen, ⁶⁰ and laid it in a new tomb that had just been quarried in the bedrock. And after rolling a large rock against the tomb entrance, he left.

⁶¹ Meanwhile, Mary from Magdala and the other Mary just sat there across from the tomb.⁶² Then the next day (after the Preparation), the Chief Priests and Pharisees gathered and they went before Pilate to say:

⁶³ ‘Lord,

‘We remember that while he was alive, that impostor said:

‘In three days, I’ll be raised.’

⁶⁴ ‘Therefore, order the grave to be made secure until the third day, so his disciples don’t go there and steal him, then tell the people that he was raised from the dead.

‘For that would make this last deceit even worse than the first!’

⁶⁵ But Pilate replied:

‘You have watchmen; go make it as secure as you know how.’

⁶⁶ So they went and made the grave secure by sealing the stone and posting guards [at the end of the Sabbath, that is, Saturday evening].

Matthew 28

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¹ At the end the Sabbath, [see note] But at dawn on the first day of the week, [that is, Sunday,] Mary of Magdala and the other Mary went to see the tomb.

² But {Look!} something tumultuous had [previously] occurred… Yahweh’s messenger had come down from heaven and rolled away the stone, and [now] there he was – sitting on top of it!

³ He looked like lightning and his clothes were as white as snow… ⁴ Which made the watchmen shake in fear and become as dead men.

⁵ Then the messenger said to the women:

‘Don’t be afraid, for I know that you’re looking for Yeshua who was impaled. ⁶ He isn’t here, because he was raised, just as he said [would happen]. Come and see the place where he was lying, ⁷ then hurry and tell his disciples that he was raised from the dead.

‘Why look… He’s gone ahead of you into Galilee! Look! You’ll see him there, just as I said.’

⁸ So they quickly left the tomb (both in fear and great joy), and they ran to report [what they’d seen] to his disciples. ⁹ However, {Look!} Yeshua then [appeared] to them, greeting them with the word:

‘Rejoice!’

So they both went up to him and bowed low at his feet.

¹⁰ And Yeshua said:

‘Don’t be afraid! Go and report [what you’ve seen] to my brothers. [Tell them to] go back to Galilee… They’ll see me there.’

¹¹ Meanwhile, while [the women] were on their way back, {Look!} some of the guards had returned to the city to report all that had happened to the Chief Priests. ¹² And after holding a conference and meeting with the elders to ask for advice, they all [bribed] the soldiers with enough silver, ¹³ and said:

‘Tell the people that his disciples came during the night and stole [his body] while you were sleeping. ¹⁴ And if the governor hears about this, don’t worry. We’ll persuade [him] to release you.’

¹⁵ So [the guards] took the silver and did as they were told.

And the story that they made up has been spread among Judeans everywhere down to this day.¹⁶ However, the 11 disciples then went back to Galilee, to the mountain where Yeshua had arranged [to meet] them. ¹⁷ And when they saw him, they all bowed low before him (although there were some that doubted).

¹⁸ Then coming towards them, Yeshua spoke and said:

‘All the power in the heavens and on the earth has now been given to me.

¹⁹ So now, go make disciples in all the nations in my name, immersing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit [possibly spurious words], ²⁰ and teach them to obey all the things that I’ve commanded.

‘Look… I’ll be with you every day until the end of the age!’

Mark

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Mark is an historical account of Yeshua’s life.

It was probably written in Greek by the Disciple Mark about 55 CE. It seems to be loosely based on the Gospel of Matthew, because (according to Origen) there was no Greek translation of Matthew’s Gospel available to Greek-speaking gentile converts during the 1st Century before Mark was written.

However, modern scholars argue that Origen was wrong, and that it was the other way around: that Mark was actually the first Gospel written, upon which Matthew was based.

Missing ending

The ending to Mark is missing. While two endings were added later, both are unoriginal. Some speculate that Mark was written in a codex, and that the last leaf was lost before it could be copied. Others say that the apostle himself was executed before he could complete the writing.

Nobody knows what really happened.

The Poetry of Yeshua

Many of Yeshua’s sermons and parables were given as poetry. This was common at the time because most people were illiterate, and there were no ways to electronically record speeches. The main way to communicate was through word of mouth, and poetry and songs were the easiest things to remember and to repeat.

This poetic cadence is clearly seen by translators, but most Bibles have chosen not to translate it as poetry. Why not? Perhaps it’s because it requires more effort, and because many Bible readers aren’t interested in the beauty of his words, but in the contents.

However, Yeshua made much effort to speak and teach beautifully, so it’s only proper that we also put in much effort to convey this to modern readers. So, we’ve attempted to translate Yeshua’s words just as he spoke them – poetically – while maintaining accuracy as much as possible.

Mark 1

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¹ This is the beginning of the good news about Yeshua the Anointed.

² This was written by the Prophet IsaiAh:

‘Look!

I’m sending My messenger ahead

To prepare the road that’s before you.

³ ‘Listen!

Someone calls out in the desert,

Prepare the way for the Lord;

Straighten out all of his roads!’

[Isaiah 40:3]

⁴ So, this is why John came… To do immersing in the desert and to preach an immersion of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵ And throughout Judea and JeruSalem, people were going there to be immersed by him in the JorDan River, as they openly confessed their sins.

⁶ John wore clothes that were made of camel’s hair and he wore a wide leather belt around his waist. His diet consisted of locusts and wild honey, ⁷ and this is what he preached:

‘Someone greater is coming behind me

Whose sandals, I’m unworthy to bend and untie.

⁸ And while I immerse in water,

He will immerse you in Holy Breath.’

⁹ Well back then, Yeshua came from Nazareth of Galilee to be immersed in the JorDan by John also. ¹⁰ And immediately after coming up out of the water, [John] saw the sky split open and the Breath [of God] descending upon [Yeshua in the form of] a dove.

¹¹ Then a voice came from the sky that said:

‘You’re My Son whom I love, and with whom I’m well pleased.’

¹² Then [God’s] Breath immediately forced [Yeshua] into the desert, ¹³ where he spent 40 days among the wild animals, as he was being tempted by the Opposer. However, the messengers [of God] [thereafter came and] served him.

¹⁴ Well, it was after John had been arrested that Yeshua went into Galilee and started preaching the good news of God.

¹⁵ For he was saying:

‘This period has reached its fulfillment,

And the Kingdom of God is at hand.

So, believe the good news and repent!’

¹⁶ Then, as he was walking along by the Sea of Galilee, [Yeshua] noticed Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets on the sea (because they were fishermen).

¹⁷ So Yeshua said to them:

‘Come follow me and I’ll make you fishers of men.’

¹⁸ And right away, they released their nets and started following him.

¹⁹ Then as he traveled on a little farther, he saw James son of ZebediOu and his brother John sitting in their boat mending their nets. ²⁰ So he called to them, and they immediately left their father ZebediOu and his crew in the boat, and they started following [Yeshua].

²¹ From there, they all traveled on to CapharNaum, where on the Sabbath, [Yeshua] entered their synagogue and started teaching… ²² Which amazed everyone, because (unlike the Scribes) he taught with great authority.

²³ Well at the time, there was a man in the synagogue that was under the influence of an unclean spirit, which caused him to shout:

²⁴ ‘What dealings do I have with you, Yeshua of Nazareth? Did you come here to destroy me? I know who you are! You’re The Holy One of God!’

²⁵ But Yeshua scolded [the spirit], saying:

‘Put a muzzle on it and come out of him!’

²⁶ So the unclean spirit (after throwing the man into convulsions and causing him to yell loudly) came out. ²⁷ This shocked the people, and they started asking each other:

‘What’s this, some new teaching? For he has the power to give orders to unclean spirits and they obey him!’

²⁸ So after that, the story about him was spread throughout all the country around Galilee.²⁹ Well from there, [Yeshua] left the synagogue along with James and John, and they went directly to the home of Simon and Andrew, ³⁰ where they found Simon’s (Peter’s) mother-in-law lying down and burning up with a fever, which they immediately pointed out to [Yeshua].

³¹ So he took her by the hand to help her up, then the fever left her and she started serving them.

³² Well that evening, after sunset, people started bringing all those who were ill and the demon-possessed to him… ³³ Virtually the whole city had gathered at their door! ³⁴ So he cured their various illnesses and expelled many demons. However, he wouldn’t allow the demons to speak, because they knew that he was the Anointed One.

³⁵ Then early the next morning, while it was still dark, he got up and went outside to a remote place where he started praying. ³⁶ However, Simon (and those who were with him) searched ³⁷ for him, and when they found him they said:

‘Everyone has been looking for you!’

³⁸ But he said to them:

‘Let’s go into the nearby villages, so I can preach there too. For, that’s why I came outside.’

³⁹ And [after that], he traveled throughout all of Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.

⁴⁰ It was while he was there that a leper came to him, who got down on his knees and said:

‘If you just want to, you can make me clean!’

⁴¹ And moved with pity, [Yeshua] stuck out his hand and touched him, saying:

‘I want to… Be clean.’

⁴² Then the leprosy immediately left him and he became clean!

⁴³ But [Yeshua] sent him away and gave him strict orders ⁴⁴ not to tell anyone what he’d done. He only told him to go and show himself to the Priests and to bring along the offering of cleansing that was specified by Moses, as a witness to them.

⁴⁵ However, after the man left, he started telling everyone and spreading the word around, so that Yeshua wasn’t able to enter the cities openly, and he had to camp out in lonely places…

Yet [the people] still kept coming to him from all directions.

Mark 2

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¹ Well after several days, [Yeshua] returned to CapharNaum, and when word got out that he was back home, ² so many people came to him that there wasn’t any room around the door. Then he started preaching the word to them.

³ Thereafter, four people came to him carrying a man who was paralyzed. ⁴ But because the crowd was so large, they couldn’t get him to [Yeshua]. So, they dug an opening through the part of the roof where [Yeshua] was standing, and lowered down the cot on which the [man] was lying.

⁵ Then when Yeshua saw how much faith they’d shown, he said to the paralyzed man:

‘Child, your sins are forgiven.’

⁶ Well, when they heard him say that, some of the Scribes that were sitting there started reasoning in their hearts:

⁷ ‘Why is he talking in such a way, for this is blasphemy!

‘Who is able to forgive sins other than the one God?’

⁸ And through the spirit, Yeshua immediately realized that they were reasoning in this way inside themselves, so he asked them:

‘Why are [such bad] thoughts entering your hearts? ⁹ Which is easier, to tell the paralyzed man,

Your sins are forgiven, or, Get up, pick up your cot, and walk?

¹⁰ ‘Well, so that you men will know that the Son of Man has been authorized to forgive sins on the earth...’

¹¹ [He said to the man]:

‘Get up, pick up your cot, and go home.’

¹² And immediately, the man got right up, picked up his cot, and walked out in front of everyone!

Well, all those who were there were beside themselves and they started glorifying God, saying:

‘We’ve never seen anything like this!’

¹³ Then later, he went outside to the seashore, where huge crowds came to him and he taught them.

¹⁴ It was as he was passing the tax office that he noticed Levi (son of AlphaEus), sitting there.

So [he] said to him:

‘Follow me.’

And [Levi] got right up and went with him.

¹⁵ Then later, as Yeshua was reclining at the table in [Levi’s] home, several tax collectors and sinners started coming and reclining with him and his disciples (many of whom became Yeshua’s followers). ¹⁶ But when the Scribes and Pharisees saw that he was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples:

‘Why is he eating with the tax collectors and sinners?’

¹⁷ And because Yeshua overheard this, he said:

‘Those who are well don’t need a doctor, only the ill do.

‘So I didn’t come to call the righteous, just the sinners.’

¹⁸ Well, back then, John’s disciples (who practiced fasting, as did the Pharisees) came to [Yeshua] and asked:

‘Why is it that while the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, your disciples don’t fast?’

¹⁹ And Yeshua replied:

‘The sons of the bride chamber can’t fast while the bridegroom is among them, because as long as he’s with them, there’s [no reason to] fast.

²⁰ ‘But the days are coming when the groom will be taken away… And then they’ll fast.

²¹ ‘Understand that no one sews patches of new cloth onto old clothes, for if they do, the new [cloth] will shrink and stretch the old cloth, which will make the tear worse.

²² ‘Also, if you put young wine into old wineskins, the [new] wine will burst the skins and both the wine and the skins will be lost. So it’s best for people to use new wineskins for new wine.’

²³ Then on another day, as [Yeshua] was walking through the grain fields on the Sabbath, his disciples started plucking heads of grain [to eat] as they were traveling along.

²⁴ And the Pharisees asked him:

‘{Look!} Why are they doing something that’s illegal on the Sabbath?’

²⁵ But he replied:

‘Haven’t you ever read what David did when he was in need, and he and the men who were with him got hungry (in the account about AbiAthar, the High Priest)… ²⁶ How he entered the House of God and ate the Presentation Bread, which isn’t legal for anyone to eat other than the Priests, and how he also gave some of it to the men who were with him?’

²⁷ Then [Yeshua] said this:

‘The Sabbath came into existence for the sake of mankind, not mankind for the Sabbath.

²⁸ ‘But you should also know that the Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath.’

Mark 3

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¹ On another occasion, he entered a synagogue where there happened to be a man with a withered hand ² Well, [the Pharisees] were watching [Yeshua] closely to see if he would cure him on the Sabbath, because they were trying to find something that they could accuse him of doing wrong.

³ However, [Yeshua] said to the man with the withered hand:

‘Get up and come into the center [of the room].’

⁴ Then he asked everyone there:

‘Is it legal to do something good or bad, or to save a life or destroy it on the Sabbath?’

But no one would answer.

⁵ Then, after looking around at them angrily (because he was saddened by the dullness of their hearts), he said to the man:

‘Now, stretch out your hand.’

So he stretched it out... And his hand was restored!

⁶ Well, right away the Pharisees went outside and met with the followers of Herod, and they started talking about ways to destroy him.

⁷ Meanwhile, Yeshua and his disciples got up and walked out to the sea, followed by a huge crowd that had come from all around Galilee and Judea. ⁸ For people were coming to him from as far away as JeruSalem, Idumea, the other side of the JorDan, and the area around Tyre and Sidon. Huge numbers came to him when they heard of the things that he was doing.

⁹ Well, to keep the crowds at bay, [Yeshua] had instructed his disciples to always have a little boat available for him. ¹⁰ For because he cured so many that had terrible diseases, people were literally falling on him just to touch him!

¹¹ And when unclean spirits saw him, they’d bow low before him and shout:

‘You’re the Son of The God!’

¹² However, he scolded them and warned them not to expose him.¹³ Then [Yeshua] walked up a mountain, where he called for those whom he’d chosen, ¹⁴ and he formed a [special] group from these 12 that he started calling Apostles (Sent Ones), that were to stay with him. Thereafter, he also sent them out to preach, ¹⁵ and he gave them the power to cast out demons.

¹⁶ The names of those in the group of 12 that he formed were:

• Simon (Peter),

• ¹⁷ James (son of ZebediOu), and

• his brother John (he called them BoanErges, which means Sons of Thunder),

• ¹⁸ Andrew,

• Philip,

• BarTholomew ([NathaniEl]),

• Matthew,

• Thomas,

• James (son of AlphaEus),

• ThadDaeus (Judas),

• Simon the CanaNaean, and

• ¹⁹ Judas IsCariot (who later betrayed him).

Well, whenever he went into a house after that, ²⁰ so many people would show up, that they couldn’t even eat a meal! ²¹ And when [Yeshua’s] relatives heard what was happening, they tried to take him away, because they said that he’d lost his mind!

²² There were also some scribes that had come down from JeruSalem who were telling people he was [under the influence of] BeElZebub, and that he was using ‘the ruler of the demons to cast out the demons.’

²³ So he called [the scribes] to him and he reasoned with them using [these] parables:

‘How can the Opposer throw out the Opposer?

²⁴ For a kingdom divided cannot stand.

²⁵ Nor can a house that’s divided.

²⁶ So, if the Opposer is divided,

He cannot stand and he’s reaching his end.

²⁷ ‘Also, no one can enter a mighty man’s house

And rob him of all his things

Unless he first ties him up…

Only then can he loot his house.

²⁸ ‘So I tell you this as the truth:

‘Sons of men can be forgiven for all,

No matter what sins that they might commit

Or whatever blasphemies they speak.

²⁹ But whoever blasphemes [God’s] Holy Breath

Won’t be forgiven throughout the age,

And it remains a sin throughout the ages.’

³⁰ Of course, [Yeshua] was saying this to them because they’d accused him of having an unclean spirit.

³¹ Meanwhile, [Yeshua’s] mother and brothers had arrived and were standing outside, so they asked [someone] to call for him, ³² because there was a crowd sitting around him at the time.

Therefore, someone went up to him and said:

‘Look! Your mother and brothers are outside and they’re looking for you!’

³³ But he said to them all:

‘Just who are my mother and brothers?’

³⁴ Then he looked at those who were sitting around him in a circle and said:

‘Look… My mother and brothers!

³⁵ For, all that do the will of our God

Are truly my brothers, sisters, and mother.’

Mark 4

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¹ Well on another occasion, as he was teaching by the seashore, such a huge crowd came to him there that he had to step into a boat and sit out on the sea, as the crowd stood on the shore.

² Then he taught them many things through parables, saying:

³ ‘Now, pay close attention!

‘{Look!} A farmer went out to do planting.

⁴ And as he was scattering seeds,

A few fell alongside the road,

Which were thereafter eaten by birds.

⁵ ‘Other seeds fell among rocks,

And they sprouted where there wasn’t much ground.

But because there was too little soil,

⁶ When the sun arose, they were scorched…

They withered, because they didn’t have roots.

⁷ ‘Other seeds fell among briers,

Which grew and choked out those seeds,

So they couldn’t produce any fruit.

⁸ ‘But others fell upon good soil,

Where they flourished and grew, producing much fruit,

Some 30, some 60, or 100 times more.’

⁹ Then he added:

‘Let those who have ears pay attention!’

¹⁰ Well later, the 12 (as well as the rest that were around him) asked [Yeshua] what the parable meant.

¹¹ And he told them this:

‘The mystery of the Kingdom of God has just been given to you. For those on the outside only hear the stories ¹² so when they can look, they can’t see, and when they hear, they don’t really listen and understand, so they can ever turn back and be forgiven.

¹³ ‘However, if you don’t understand the meanings of these parables, how will you be able to understand all the rest?

¹⁴ ‘The one who is scattering the seeds is planting the word, ¹⁵ and where it falls beside the road, the Opposer immediately comes and snatches away all that was dropped there.

¹⁶ ‘The same is true of those that fall among the rocks. These are the ones who joyfully accept the word as soon as they hear it, ¹⁷ but because they don’t have roots, they only last a little while. For when some difficulty or persecution comes along over the word, they’re stumbled.

¹⁸ ‘Likewise, those who are planted among the thorns are the ones who hear the word, ¹⁹ but let it get choked out by the concerns of this life, the allure of wealth, and desires for other things, so they become unfruitful.

²⁰ ‘However, those that are planted on the fine soil are the ones who listen to the word and accept it…

‘Then they bear fruit 30, 60, and 100 times more.’

²¹ So Yeshua went on to tell them this:

‘You don’t put a lamp under a basket,

Nor do you put it under a bed…

You it put on a table, instead.

²² So there’s no secret that won’t be made known,

Or anything hidden that won’t be shown…

²³ Let those who have ears pay attention!’

²⁴ He continued:

‘Pay attention to the things that I’m saying!

Whatever amount that you measure for others

Is the amount that you’ll receive…

And more will be added to that.

²⁵ For those who have will be given more,

While all will be taken from those who don’t have.’

²⁶ Then he went on to say:

‘The Kingdom of God is much like a man

Who scatters his seeds on the ground,

²⁷ And goes to sleep through the night.

Then, when he wakes up the next morning,

He finds that the seeds have sprouted and grown,

And he doesn’t really know how it happened!

²⁸ ‘For the ground produces fruit by itself…

First the blades, then the stalks,

And finally, the full heads of grain.

²⁹ Then as soon as it has all ripened,

The man arrives with his sickle…

For the time to harvest has arrived.’

³⁰ And he asked:

‘To what [else] can the Kingdom of God be compared…

What parables can we use to describe it?

³¹ ‘It’s much like the small mustard seed,

Which, before it’s planted under the ground

Is one of the smallest seeds on the earth.

³² Yet, after it’s planted, it grows

To be larger than all vegetation…

It grows branches that can be so great

That birds in the skies can dwell in its shadow.’

³³ Yes, this is the way he taught the word to them, speaking in parables for as long as they were able to pay attention. ³⁴ It’s a fact that if he wasn’t speaking in parables, he wasn’t talking to them. However, when they were all alone, he thereafter explained everything to his disciples.³⁵ Well, later that evening, he said to them:

‘Now, let’s cross over to the other shore.’

³⁶ So after they dismissed the crowd, they left in the same boat that he had been teaching from (along with some other boats that came with them). ³⁷ However, a gale-force wind then arose and waves were pouring into the boats... until it was nearly full [spurious words] ³⁸ But meanwhile, [Yeshua] was peacefully sleeping on a pillow in the stern.

So they woke him up and said:

‘Teacher, aren’t you worried that we’re about to die?’

³⁹ So he got up and scolded the wind, then he said to the sea:

‘Be quiet! Hush!’

And at that, the wind died down and a great calm set in.

⁴⁰ And he asked them:

‘Why are you so cowardly? Don’t you have any faith?’

⁴¹ Well, this really frightened them and they started asking each other:

‘Who really is this? For even the wind and the sea obeys him!’

Mark 5

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¹ Then when they got to the other side of the sea to the country of the Garasenes, ² [Yeshua] got out of the boat and was immediately confronted by a man with an unclean spirit, who had come from the tombs.

³ For he lived among the tombs and no one had been able to restrain him, even with chains. ⁴ In fact, he’d often been bound using leg irons and chains, but he broke the chains and smashed the leg irons. Nothing was strong enough to hold him! ⁵ So all day and night long, he’d go around the tombs and the mountains yelling crazily, while hitting himself with rocks.

⁶ Then, when he saw Yeshua coming in the distance, he ran up to him and bowed low, ⁷ screaming:

‘What dealings do I have with you, Yeshua, the Son of the Most High God?

‘I put you under oath by God not to torment me!’

⁸ [He said this] because [Yeshua] had told the unclean spirit to come out of the man.

⁹ Then [Yeshua] asked [the spirit]:

‘What’s your name?’

And it replied:

‘My name is Legion, because there are many of us!’

¹⁰ And [the spirits] repeatedly begged [Yeshua] not to drive them out of those fields. ¹¹ Well at the time, there was a large group of pigs feeding on the mountain. ¹² So [the demons] begged Yeshua to send them into the pigs, ¹³ and he gave them permission.

So the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs, then they all ran down a steep drop-off and fell into the sea, drowning about 2,000 of them.

¹⁴ Well thereafter, the herdsmen ran off and reported this to the people in the cities and the fields roundabout, and then all the people went there to see [what had happened]. ¹⁵ And when they got to Yeshua, they could see that the man who’d once been possessed by the legion [of demons] was just sitting there, wearing clothes, and in his right mind… And this frightened them.

¹⁶ Then after [the herdsmen] who had been there explained everything that had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs, ¹⁷ the people begged [Yeshua] to leave their district!

¹⁸ Well, as [Yeshua] got back into the boat, the man who was once demonized started begging to let him come with them. ¹⁹ However, [Yeshua] wouldn’t allow this, for he said:

‘Go back to your home and family and tell them all the things that Yahweh has done for you, and about the great mercy He has shown to you.’

²⁰ So [the man] went back to the DecaPolis and started telling everyone about what Yeshua had done for him, and it amazed everyone.²¹ Well, after they had crossed back to the other side [of the sea] in the boat, a huge crowd started to gather as Yeshua arrived. ²² Then, one of the [local] synagogue’s head people (a man named JaiRus) came and fell at his feet.

²³ And he kept begging [Yeshua], saying:

‘My little daughter is [about to breathe her] last. Please come and lay your hands on her so she can recover and live!’

²⁴ So [Yeshua] went off with him, and a huge number followed along, all crowded against him...

²⁵ Well, among [these people] was a woman who had [endured] a blood flow for about 12 years… ²⁶ She’d suffered a lot at the hands of the healers, and she’d spent everything she had to no avail (she only got worse). ²⁷ So when she heard about Yeshua, she came up behind [him] in the crowd and touched his clothes; ²⁸ for she kept saying:

‘If I can just touch his clothes I’ll be saved [from this condition].’

²⁹ And right away, her fountain of blood dried up, and she knew in her body that she had been healed of this plague!

³⁰ However Yeshua also recognized in himself that some power had left him when this happened. So he turned around in the crowd and asked:

‘Who touched my clothes?’

³¹ And his disciples replied:

‘You see all these people crowded around you, and you ask, Who touched me?’

³² But he kept on looking around to see who did this.

³³ Then the woman (who was frightened and trembling because she knew what had happened to her) came and fell down before him and told him the truth.

³⁴ And he said to her:

‘Daughter, your faith has saved you! Go in peace… And may this be the last of the plague.’

³⁵ Meanwhile, as he was still speaking, a messenger came from the home of the synagogue chief, who told him:

‘Your daughter has died, so don’t bother the teacher.’

³⁶ But when Yeshua overheard this, he told the chief of the synagogue:

‘Don’t be afraid, just have faith.’

³⁷ Well, [when he reached the home], he didn’t allow anyone to go with him other than Peter, James, and John (James’ brother). ³⁸ And when he got inside the synagogue-chief’s house and saw all the confusion, crying, and wailing, ³⁹ he asked:

‘Why are you creating such an uproar and crying? The little girl isn’t dead, she’s just sleeping!’

⁴⁰ Well at that, they all started laughing at him. But after he ushered them outside, he took the father, mother, and those who were with him into [the room] where the child was.

⁴¹ Then he took [the little girl] by the hand and said:

‘Talitha, cumi!’ (which translates as, ‘Little girl, wake up!’).

⁴² And the 12-year-old girl got up right away and started walking around!

Well, [the parents] were beside themselves [with joy].

⁴³ Then he told them to give her something to eat, and he repeatedly ordered them not to tell anyone what had really happened.

Mark 6

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¹ Thereafter, he left that place and went with his disciples to the town where he’d grown up. ² And when the Sabbath arrived, he entered their synagogue and started teaching.

Well, most of those who heard him were shocked, and asked:

‘Where did he get all these things? Why has such wisdom been given to this man, and why are such powerful deeds being performed through his hands?

³ ‘For isn’t this the carpenter, Mary’s son, and the brother of James, JoSeph, Judas, and Simon? And aren’t his sisters here among us?’

So they were stumbled over him.

⁴ And Yeshua told them:

‘A Prophet doesn’t go without honor anywhere – other than in his own home, among his relatives, and in the area where he grew up.’

⁵ So because of this, he wasn’t able to preform any powerful deeds there, apart from laying his hands on a few [sick ones], whom he cured. ⁶ For he was amazed by their lack of faith.Well from there, he traveled around to the local villages in a circuit, teaching.

⁷ Then he called the 12 and started sending them out by twos, and he gave them power over the unclean spirits. ⁸ He ordered them not to carry anything with them other than a walking stick… [yes,] no bread, no food pouch, nor copper money in their sashes. ⁹ And he told them not to tie on their sandals or to [carry extra] underclothes.

¹⁰ For he said:

‘Wherever you enter a house, stay in that place until you get ready to leave. ¹¹ But in those places where they don’t invite you in or listen to you, shake the dirt off your feet as you leave, as a witness against them.’

‘Truly I say to you, it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the Day of Judgement, than for that city.’ [spurious words, copied from Matthew 10:15]

¹² So they all went out and preached, calling for people to repent, ¹³ as they were casting out many demons and greasing sick people with oil to cure them.¹⁴ Meanwhile, King Herod had heard about how famous [Yeshua] was becoming.

For some people were saying:

‘John, the man who did the immersing [in water], has been raised from the dead! And now there are great powers working through him.’

¹⁵ However, others were saying that he was EliJah, and some were saying that he was a Prophet like one of the Prophets [of old].

¹⁶ But after he’d listened to all of this, Herod concluded:

‘The John whom I beheaded has been raised!’

¹⁷ For it was Herod himself that had [ordered] John arrested and locked in prison over the matter of his taking Herodias (his brother’s woman), ¹⁸ since John kept telling Herod that he’d broken the Law by taking her. ¹⁹ That’s why Herodias hated him and wanted him killed… However [until then], she’d been unable to do so.

²⁰ Herod was actually afraid of John, because he knew that he was a righteous and holy man. As a result, he kept him safely [locked away]. For after he’d listened to him for a while, Herod had no idea what to do with him. So, he gladly just kept on listening to him.

²¹ However, there came a day that turned out to be convenient for Herod… It was when he was holding a banquet to celebrate his [own] birthday. He had invited several high-ranking men, military commanders, and the foremost people of Galilee.

²² There, Herod and Herodias’ daughter entered and danced before them. This pleased Herod and those at the table so much, that the king said to the little girl:

‘Ask for whatever you wish and, I’ll give it to you!’

²³ Yes, he swore to her:

‘Whatever you ask of me I’ll give you, up to half of my kingdom!’

²⁴ So she went out and asked her mother:

‘What should I ask for?’

And [her mother] replied:

‘Ask for the head of John, the one who does the immersing!’

²⁵ So she ran back to the king and said:

‘I want you to give me the head of John the Immerser on a platter… Right now.’

²⁶ And although this deeply disturbed the king, he didn’t want to ignore her because of the oaths, and because of those who were reclining at the table.

²⁷ So the king immediately sent his bodyguard and commanded him to bring back [John’s] head. And that’s when [the guard] went off and beheaded John in prison, ²⁸ after which he brought in his head on a platter and gave it to the young girl, who gave it to her mother.

²⁹ Well when [John’s] disciples heard about this, they came and took his corpse and laid it in a tomb.³⁰ Meanwhile, all of the Apostles had assembled with Yeshua, and they were reporting to him about everything that they’d been teaching and doing.

³¹ So he told them:

‘I want you to come with me to a private place where you can rest up for a while.’

Of course, he said this because there were always so many people coming and going that they didn’t have enough free time to even eat a meal. ³² So they all traveled by boat to a remote place where they thought they could be by themselves.

³³ However, some people noticed them leaving, and they started telling many others, who all ran from the cities on foot and got ahead of them. ³⁴ So when [Yeshua and his Apostles] got out of the boat, they saw an enormous crowd!

Yet, he felt sorry for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and so he started teaching them many things.

³⁵ Well, it was getting quite late, so the disciples came up to Yeshua and said:

‘This is the middle of nowhere, and it’s getting late. ³⁶ We should send the people off into the countryside and villages around here so that they can buy themselves some food.’

³⁷ But [Yeshua] said to them:

‘Why don’t you give them something to eat?’

And they said:

‘Should we really go and buy 200 silver coin’s worth of bread just to feed them?’

³⁸ Then [Yeshua] asked them:

‘How many loaves do you have? Go see!’

And after checking, they said:

‘Five [loaves], plus two fish.’

³⁹ So he told all the people to lie down on the green grass in rows, ⁴⁰ and they reclined in rows of 50s and 100s.

⁴¹ Then [Yeshua] took the five loaves [of bread] and two fish, and he looked up towards the heavens and spoke a blessing, then he broke up the bread and divided the two fish and started giving it to the disciples so they could set it in front of the people…

⁴² And thereafter, everyone ate until they were full!

⁴³ Well, when they went to pick up the scraps, they found they had 12 baskets full, which didn’t even include the fish!

⁴⁴ Yet, there were about 5,000 men who had eaten the bread.

⁴⁵ Then right after that, [Yeshua] instructed his disciples to get into their boat and travel ahead of him towards BethSaida, which was across [the lake] on the opposite shore, and he also dismissed the crowd. ⁴⁶ And after excusing himself, he went up the mountain to pray.⁴⁷ But then, later that evening (as the boat was well out to sea and [Yeshua] was there by himself on the land), ⁴⁸ Jesus could see [from a distance] that they were still out there rowing with all their might, since they had a strong headwind blowing against them.

So the next morning (while it was still dark), he walked out towards them on top of the sea… In fact, he started to walk right past them!

⁴⁹ Well, when they saw him walking on top of the sea, they thought they were seeing a vision, and they started screaming in fright! ⁵⁰ For they all saw him and everyone was deeply disturbed.

But right away, he spoke to them and said:

‘Be brave… It’s me! Don’t be afraid.’

⁵¹ Then he got into the boat with them and the wind died down.

However, all of these events left them stunned, ⁵² because they didn’t really understand the meaning of the bread, since their hearts had been dulled.⁵³ Well, soon thereafter, they reached land, arriving at GenNesaret, where they docked.

⁵⁴ However, as soon as they got out of the boat, some people recognized [Yeshua], ⁵⁵ and they ran [to tell others] throughout all that area. So, many people came to the place where they’d heard Yeshua was, carrying their ill to him on cots.

⁵⁶ And thereafter, wherever he entered any village or city (or fields or markets), they’d all bring their sick people, and beg him just to let them touch the fringes of his clothes.

And everyone who touched them were healed.

Mark 7

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¹ Now, some Pharisees and Scribes had come from JeruSalem and surrounded him, ² because they’d noticed some of his disciples eating bread with unwashed hands. ³ For none of the Pharisees (or any of the Judeans for that matter) would eat [anything] unless they vigorously washed their hands first, since they followed the traditions of the elders… ⁴ Nor did they eat anything that they brought [home] from the market until after they had carefully rinsed it. They observed many other traditions like this that had been passed down, such as soaking their cups, pitchers, and copper pots in water.

⁵ So these Pharisees and Scribes asked him:

‘Why don’t your disciples follow the traditions of the elders?

‘Look, they eat bread without washing their hands first!’

⁶ But [Yeshua] replied:

‘IsaiAh prophesied well about you hypocrites when he wrote:

‘With their mouths, these people approach Me,

And with their lips, they offer Me praise.

But because they’re far from Me in their hearts,

⁷ They bow before Me in vain,

Since they teach the ideas and instructions of men!’ [Isaiah 29:13]

⁸ ‘You’re really ignoring the commandments of God with all these traditions of men… ⁹ Yes you zealously push aside the commandments of God so you can observe your own traditions!

¹⁰ ‘[For example], although Moses told you to honor your father and mother, and that anyone who says bad things to his father or mother should be put to death... ¹¹ You say that a man should tell his father and mother that everything he owns –that he could use to help them– has already been reserved to be a holy gift! ¹² So you don’t allow [people] to do anything at all [to help] their parents!

¹³ ‘And by these traditions that you’re passing on, you’re nullifying the Word of God… Yes, you’re doing lots of things like that!’

¹⁴ Then he called the crowd to him again and said to them:

‘I want all of you to pay close attention and be sure that you understand:

¹⁵ ‘There’s nothing on the outside that goes into a man, which can make him unclean. Rather, it’s the things that come out of a man that dirty him!’

¹⁶ ‘If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.’ [spurious words, probably copied from Mark 4:9 and 4:23]

¹⁷ Then, after he left the crowd and went back inside the house, his disciples asked him what he meant by these things that he said.

¹⁸ And he said:

‘Don’t you understand either?

‘Nothing from the outside that enters a man can make him unclean, ¹⁹ for [such things] don’t go into his heart, but into his belly and then into the sewer.

‘Therefore, everything that you eat is really clean.

²⁰ ‘Rather, it’s the things that come out of a man that make him unclean. ²¹ It’s things that come from the inside – from the heart – that bad thoughts come… Things such as sexual immorality, thievery, murder, ²² adulteries, selfish desires, wicked actions, deceitfulness, lack of restraint, eyes that are wicked, blasphemy, arrogance, and unreasonableness.

²³ ‘It’s all these wicked things that come from inside of a man that make him unclean.’

²⁴ And at that, he got up and left.Well from there, he traveled [north] into the area of Tyre and Sidon, where he entered a house. And although he didn’t want anyone to know where he was, he couldn’t escape being noticed.

²⁵ So when a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard where he was, she came to him and bowed low at his feet ²⁶ (she was a Greek woman of Syrian-Phoenician descent). And she kept asking [Yeshua] to cast the demon out of her daughter.

²⁷ But he told her:

‘The children should be satisfied first… It isn’t right to take bread from the children and throw it to the puppies.’

²⁸ But she replied:

‘Yes Lord, but don’t the puppies under the table eat the crumbs [that fall from] the little children?’

²⁹ So he said to her:

‘Because you said this, go! The demon has left your daughter.’

³⁰ Then when she got back home, she found the child lying on her bed, and the demon was gone!³¹ Thereafter, he left the area of Tyre and traveled on through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, and then through the middle of the region called the Ten Cities.

³² There, they brought him a man who was deaf and dumb, and they begged [Yeshua] to lay his hands on him. ³³ So [Yeshua] led him away from the crowd to a private spot, and he put his fingers in the man’s ears. And after that, he spit and touched the man’s tongue.

³⁴ Then he looked up into the sky and groaned and said:

‘Eph phatha!’ (which means, ‘Be opened!’)

³⁵ Well, the man was thereafter able to hear, and the thing that held his tongue was loosened, so he started speaking normally! ³⁶ However, Yeshua commanded everyone present not to tell anyone about this… But the more he commanded them, the more they talked about it!

³⁷ For everyone was amazed beyond belief, and they were saying:

‘He does everything well… He even makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak!’

Mark 8

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¹ Back in those days, there was another huge crowd [listening to him] that had nothing to eat. So [Yeshua] called his disciples and said to them:

² ‘I feel sorry for the crowd, because they’ve stayed here with me for the past three days, and now they”ve got nothing to eat.

³ ‘If I just send them home hungry, they may faint on the road! For some of them have actually come a long way.’

⁴ But his disciples asked:

‘Where could anyone find enough loaves [of bread] here in this isolated place to satisfy that many people?’

⁵ So he asked them:

‘How many loaves do you have?’

And they replied:

‘Seven.’

⁶ Then he told the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, gave thanks, broke them, and handed them to his disciples to serve… And they passed them out to the crowd. ⁷ They also had a few little fish. And after offering a blessing over them, Yeshua told [the disciples] to serve these also.

⁸ Well, everyone ate until they were satisfied, and when the disciples picked up the leftovers, [they filled] seven provision baskets with them, ⁹ although [there were] about 4,000 who were fed!

Then after that, he sent the crowd away, ¹⁰ and he immediately got into the boat with his disciples and traveled into parts of DalmaNutha.¹¹ It was there that the Pharisees came up and started arguing with him, demanding that he give them a sign from heaven (so as to test him). ¹² But he breathed a deep sigh and asked them:

‘Why is this people always looking for signs?

‘I tell you the truth: this people won’t be given a sign!’

¹³ And with that, he walked over and got back into the boat, and traveled on to the opposite shore!¹⁴ Meanwhile, it so happened that [the Apostles] had forgotten to bring along any [bread] for the trip. So, except for one small loaf, they had nothing to eat in the boat.

¹⁵ As a result, when [Yeshua] started warning them saying, ‘Keep your eyes open and watch out for the fermentation of the Pharisees and the fermentation of Herod,’ ¹⁶ they started quarreling with each other over the fact that they didn’t have any bread.

¹⁷ When [Yeshua] recognized this, he asked them:

‘Why are you arguing about not having any bread? Don’t you understand yet, and don’t you get the meaning? Are your hearts so dull when it comes to understanding?

¹⁸ ‘You have eyes; can’t you see?

‘You have ears, can’t you hear?

‘Do you remember when ¹⁹ I broke five loaves [to feed] 5,000, and how many baskets full of leftovers were you able to pick up?’

And they replied:

‘Yes, twelve.’

²⁰ ‘And when I broke the seven loaves [to serve] 4,000 men... [do you remember] how many provision baskets full of leftovers you picked up then?’

And they said:

‘Seven.’

²¹ So he asked them:

‘Don’t you understand all of this yet?’

²² Well from there, they traveled on to BethSaida, where the people brought him a man who was blind, and they begged [Yeshua] to just touch him. ²³ So he took the blind man by the hand and led him outside of the village, then he spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him and asked:

‘Do you see anything yet?’

²⁴ And the man looked up and said:

‘Yes, I see men… They look a little like trees, but they’re walking around.’

²⁵ So [Yeshua] laid his hands on the man’s eyes a second time, and after that, the man started seeing better. And before long, [his eyesight] was completely restored and he was able to see everything clearly!

²⁶ So [Yeshua] sent him home with the warning:

‘Don’t go back into that village.’

²⁷ Well from there, Yeshua and his disciples traveled on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi.

And as they were on the way, he asked his disciples:

‘Who are the people saying that I am?’

²⁸ And they replied:

‘[Some say you’re] John the Immerser, others say you’re EliJah, and yet others say you’re one of the Prophets.’

²⁹ Then he asked:

‘But whom are you saying that I am?’

And Peter answered:

‘You’re the Anointed One.’

³⁰ Then he ordered them not to say this to anyone.

³¹ And that’s when he started teaching them that the Son of Man would have to suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, Chief Priests, and Scribes, and then be killed… But after three days, he would arise. ³² Yes, he told them plainly [what was about to happen to him].

But at that, Peter took him aside and started scolding him. ³³ Then [Yeshua] turned and looked at his disciples, and he started scolding Peter, saying:

‘Get behind me opposer, because you aren’t thinking God’s thoughts, but those of men!’

³⁴ Well after that, he called the crowd and his disciples to him and he said this:

‘If any of you wish to be my disciples, [you’ll have to] deny your own desires, then pick up your impaling poles and keep on following me!

³⁵ ‘For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever is willing to lose his life for my sake –and for the [sake of the] good news– will save it.

³⁶ ‘What good would it do for a man to gain the whole world and still lose his life… ³⁷ And what would a man give in exchange for his life?

³⁸ ‘Well, if anyone is ashamed of me and my words before this adulterous and sinful people, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he arrives in the glory of his Father with his holy messengers.’

Mark 9

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¹ Then he went on to say this to them:

‘I tell you the truth; some of you who are standing here won’t taste death before you see the Kingdom of God coming in power.’

² And just six days later, Yeshua took just Peter, James, and John along to a private spot on a high mountain, where he changed form in front of them! ³ His clothes started to glow much whiter than anyone on earth who washes and bleaches clothes could whiten them… ⁴ And then EliJah and Moses appeared, and started talking to Yeshua!

⁵ Well in reaction, Peter said to Yeshua:

‘Rabbi, it’s good for us to be here. So, let us erect three temporary structures… One for you, one for Moses, and one for EliJah.’

⁶ However, he really didn’t know what he was saying, because they were all so frightened.

⁷ Then right away, a cloud formed that covered them all, and a voice came from the cloud that said:

‘This is My Beloved Son; listen to him!’

⁸ And when they looked around, they suddenly saw just Yeshua standing by himself.

⁹ Well, as they were coming back down the mountain, [Yeshua] ordered them not to tell anyone what they had seen until after the Son of Man has been resurrected from the dead.

¹⁰ So, they took these words to heart.

However, shortly afterwards, they started talking among themselves about what [Yeshua meant] when he spoke of being resurrected from the dead.

¹¹ Then later, they asked him:

‘Why do the Scribes say that EliJah must come first?’

¹² And [Yeshua] replied:

‘EliJah does indeed come first and he restores everything.

‘But, why do you suppose it was written about the Son of Man that he will be tried, suffer greatly, and be treated as a no-account?

¹³ ‘I tell you this: EliJah has in fact already come and they did whatever they wanted to him, just as it was written about him.’

¹⁴ Then when they got back to the rest of the disciples, they found that a large crowd had gathered around them, and there were some Scribes that were arguing with them. ¹⁵ But when the crowd saw [Yeshua], they were all stunned and everyone ran up to him and started greeting him.

¹⁶ So he asked [the disciples]:

‘What have you been arguing about?’

¹⁷ And someone in the crowd replied:

‘Teacher, I was bringing my son to you, because he has a spirit that won’t allow him talk.

¹⁸ ‘Whenever it takes control of him, it throws him on the ground, he foams [at the mouth] and grinds his teeth, and then he just goes limp!

‘I asked your disciples to cast it out, but they couldn’t do it.’

¹⁹ And Yeshua said:

‘O you faithless people! How much longer do I have to be with you? How much longer must I put up with you?

‘Bring him to me!’

²⁰ So they brought [the boy] to him, and at the sight [of Yeshua], the spirit immediately threw [the child] into convulsions… He fell on the ground and rolled around, foaming [at the mouth].

²¹ Then [Yeshua] asked the father:

‘How long has this been happening to him?’

And he replied:

‘Ever since he was a child, ²² it has thrown him into the fire and into the water repeatedly, trying to destroy him.

‘So if you can do anything, [please] feel pity and help him!’

²³ And Yeshua replied:

‘You said, If you can! Don’t you know that everything is possible for those who have faith?’

²⁴ Then the father of the young boy immediately shouted:

‘I do have faith… But help me to have more faith!’

²⁵ Well at the time, Yeshua could see that more people were running towards [them]; so he scolded the unclean spirit and said:

‘I order you to come out of him, you spirit of speechlessness and deafness, and don’t go back into him anymore!’

²⁶ Then, after shouting and going through several convulsions, [the spirit] came out. However, [the boy] then looked like he was dead. So most of the crowd started shouting:

‘He’s dead!’

²⁷ But Yeshua took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he was able to stand.

²⁸ Well after that, [Yeshua] went back into the house, and his disciples went in with him. But they asked him in private why they couldn’t cast it out. ²⁹ And [Yeshua] told them:

‘This is the kind that will only come out through prayer.’

³⁰ Then from there, they traveled on through Galilee, but [Yeshua] didn’t want anyone to know [where they were going], ³¹ because he wanted to spend what little time he had left teaching his disciples.

And that’s when he went on to explain to them that he (the Son of Man) was going to be betrayed into the hands of men who would kill him… But after being dead for three days, he would stand again.

³² Nevertheless, they still couldn’t grasp the meaning of what he was saying, and they were all afraid to ask him any more questions.³³ Well, they finally got back to CapharNaum (which is where [Yeshua was staying]).

And when they got there, he asked them:

‘What were you arguing about along the road?’

³⁴ However, none of them wanted to answer, because they’d been arguing about which of them was the greatest. ³⁵ So he sat down and called the 12 over.

Then he said this to them:

‘Whoever wants to be first must be the last and the servant of the rest.’

³⁶ Then he took a little boy and stood him in their midst, and he put his arms around him and said:

³⁷ ‘Whoever welcomes anyone like this little boy in my name, also welcomes me. And anyone who welcomes me, is welcoming the One who sent me.’

³⁸ [Then later], John said to him:

‘Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he isn’t following us!’

³⁹ But Yeshua told him:

‘Don’t try to stop him, because those who do powerful deeds in my name won’t be too quick to say bad things about me… ⁴⁰ For those who aren’t against us are for us.

⁴¹ ‘I tell you the truth: Anyone who gives you so much as a cup of water to drink because you’re walking in the name of the Anointed One… That person won’t lose his reward.

⁴² ‘But as for anyone who becomes a snare to one of these little believers… It would be better if the type of millstone that’s turned by a burro was hung around his neck and he was cast into the open sea!

⁴³ ‘Therefore, if your hand traps you, cut it off! For it is better to enter life physically handicapped than to have both hands and go into the garbage dump… Into the fire that can’t be put out. ⁴⁴ Where the worm doesn’t die, and the fire isn’t quenched. [spurious, copied from verse 48]

⁴⁵ ‘And if your foot is a trap to you, cut it off; for it’s better to enter life lame than to have both feet and end up in the garbage dump. ⁴⁶ Where the worm doesn’t die, and the fire isn’t quenched. [spurious, copied from verse 48]

⁴⁷ ‘Also, if your eye is a trap to you, pluck it out and throw it away; for it is better to enter the Kingdom of God with one eye than to have both eyes and be thrown into the garbage dump...

⁴⁸ ‘Where the worms won’t come to an end,

And the fire is never extinguished.’

[Isaiah 66:24]

⁴⁹ ‘For you’ll all be salted with fire in the same way that a sacrifice is [offered with] salt. ⁵⁰ And although salt is good, if it loses its salty flavor, how can it be used for seasoning? So, you should each keep salt in yourselves by staying at peace with each other.’

Mark 10

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¹ Well from there, he traveled on to the border of Judea and he crossed the JorDan, where great crowds came [to see] him. So, as was his custom, he started teaching them.

² However, the Pharisees also came there, and to test him they asked him whether it was legal for a man to divorce his wife.

³ So [Yeshua] asked them:

‘What Commandment did Moses give you?’

⁴ And they replied:

‘Moses allowed [us to] write out a certificate of dismissal and let her go.’

⁵ Then Yeshua said:

‘He wrote this commandment for you because you’re so hardhearted!

⁶ ‘However, back in the earliest [days] of their creation, [God] made them male and female. [For it’s written:]

⁷ ‘This is why a man will leave his father and mother, ⁸ and the two will become one flesh.’ [Genesis 2:24]

‘So they’re no longer two, but one flesh.

⁹ ‘Therefore, what God has put together under the same yoke shouldn’t be separated by any man.’

¹⁰ Well when they got back home again, the disciples asked him about this.

¹¹ And he told them:

‘Whoever divorces his wife and marries another is committing adultery against her.

¹² ‘And if a woman leaves her husband and marries another, she’s committing adultery.’

¹³ Then after that, people started bringing their young children to [Yeshua] so that he could just touch them… But the disciples started scolding them! ¹⁴ And when Yeshua saw this, he was irritated and said to them:

‘Let the young children come to me… Don’t try to stop them, because the Kingdom of God belongs to people like this.

¹⁵ ‘I tell you the truth; anyone who doesn’t welcome the Kingdom of God like a young child won’t ever get into it.’

¹⁶ Then he took the children in his arms and started blessing them, laying his hands on them.

¹⁷ Well, as Yeshua was leaving, someone ran up and fell to his knees before him and asked:

‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit age-long life?’

¹⁸ And he said to him:

‘Why do you call me good? No one is good except the one God.

¹⁹ ‘You know the Commandments: Don’t murder; don’t commit adultery; don’t steal; don’t give false testimony; don’t defraud; honor your father and mother.’

²⁰ But the man said:

‘Teacher, I’ve kept all of these things since my youth.’

²¹ Well, because Yeshua saw what the man was on the inside, he felt love for him and he said:

‘Then there’s just one thing that’s missing:

‘Go and sell everything you have, and give [the money] to the poor, and you”ll have treasures in the heavens… Then, come and be my follower.’

²² But at that, [the young man] grew very sad and went off grieving, because he owned so many things.

²³ Then Yeshua looked around and said this to his disciples:

‘It is a difficult thing for the wealthy to enter the Kingdom of God!’

²⁴ And because the disciples were surprised at those words, he added:

‘Children, it will be difficult to enter the Kingdom of God. ²⁵ In fact, it would be easier [to thread a rope] through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into the Kingdom of God.’

²⁶ Well when they heard this, they were even more shocked and they asked:

‘Then, who can actually be saved?’

²⁷ And looking straight at them, Yeshua said:

‘With men, this is impossible… But that isn’t true of God, for all things are possible with [Him].’

²⁸ Then Peter said to him:

‘Look! We’ve left everything to follow you!’

²⁹ And Yeshua told him:

‘I tell you the truth: All who are willing to leave their homes, or their fields, or their brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, or children for my sake, and for the sake of the good news, ³⁰ will get 100 times more houses and brethren and sisters and mothers and children and lands with persecutions [spurious words] along with age-long life in the era that’s coming.

³¹ ‘However, many that are first will be last, and the last will be first.’

³² Well, as they were traveling up to JeruSalem, Yeshua started walking out in front of them, which amazed everyone (and it worried his followers). So he took the 12 aside and told them everything that was about to happen to him, saying:

³³ ‘{Look!} We’re heading towards JeruSalem, where the Son of Man will be handed over to the Chief Priests and Scribes, who’ll then condemn him to death and hand him over to the gentiles.

³⁴ ‘They in turn will make fun of him, spit on him, whip him, and finally kill him… But after three days, he will stand again.’

³⁵ Then [sometime later], James and John (the two sons of ZebediOu) came up to him and said:

‘Teacher, we want to ask you to do something for us.’

³⁶ And he asked:

‘What do you want?’

³⁷ So they said:

‘Allow us to sit, one at your right hand and the other on your left, in your glory.’

³⁸ But Yeshua replied:

‘You don’t know what you’re asking. Can you drink from the same cup that I’ll be drinking? And can you be immersed in the same type of immersion that I’ll be immersed in?’

³⁹ And they replied:

‘We can.’

Then Yeshua told them:

‘You’ll indeed drink from the same cup that I’ll be drinking, and be immersed in the immersion that I’ll be immersed in.

⁴⁰ ‘However, sitting at my right or left isn’t mine to give. That belongs to those for whom it’s been prepared.’

⁴¹ Well, when the 10 others heard what the [two men] had asked, they became very irritated with James and John. ⁴² But Yeshua called [them all over] to him and said:

‘You know that those who appear to be ruling the nations act like masters over [their subjects]… And [you know] how the greatest among them like to use their power.

⁴³ ‘This isn’t the way it should be among you. For whoever wants to become great among you must become your servant, ⁴⁴ and whoever wants to be first among you must become everyone’s slave.

⁴⁵ ‘[Remember that] the Son of Man didn’t come here to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.’

⁴⁶ Well, before long, they finally arrived at JeriCho.

Then as [Yeshua] was leaving JeriCho (along with his disciples and quite a crowd), there happened to be a man called BarTimaeus (a blind beggar) who was sitting alongside the road. ⁴⁷ And when he heard that Yeshua the Nazarene [was passing], he started shouting:

‘Yeshua… Son of David… Have mercy on me!’

⁴⁸ Then when many [in the crowd] told him to be quiet, he started shouting even louder:

‘Son of David… Have mercy on me!’

⁴⁹ So Yeshua stopped and said:

‘Call him over.’

And they called the blind man over and told him:

‘Cheer up and come here, because he’s calling for you!’

⁵⁰ Well at that, the man threw off his robe, jumped to his feet, and went over to Yeshua.

⁵¹ And Yeshua asked him:

‘What do you want me to do for you?’

And the blind man replied:

‘My Teacher; let me see again!’

⁵² Then Yeshua said to him:

‘Go on, for your faith has made you well.’

And immediately, he was able to see! So he too started following Yeshua.

Mark 11

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¹ Now, as they were getting close to JeruSalem (they were near BethPhage and BethAny on the Mount of Olives), he sent two of his disciples ahead ² and told them:

‘Go into the village across from us, and as soon as you enter you’ll find a colt that’s tied, which no man has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. ³ And if anyone asks why you’re doing this, just tell him that the Lord needs it, and he will immediately let you take it.’

⁴ So they went and found the colt tied outside of a door on a side street, and they untied it. ⁵ Then when some of those who were standing there asked why they were untying the colt, ⁶ [the disciples] told them what Yeshua had said, and they let them take it.

⁷ Thereafter, they brought the colt to Yeshua, so they put a robe over it and he mounted it.

⁸ Then many [of his disciples] started spreading their robes out over the road, while others were laying down palm fronds that they’d cut from trees in the fields. ⁹ And those who walked in front of him and behind him started shouting:

‘May [God] save him! Praise the one who comes in the Name of Yahweh!

¹⁰ Praise the Kingdom of our Father David that’s about to arrive!

Save him, we pray, from the heights!’

¹¹ Well from there, [Yeshua] rode into JeruSalem. [And when he got there], he went into the Temple and looked around. But because it was late, he just [went back] to BethAny with the 12.¹² Then the next morning (as he was leaving BethAny), because he noticed some leaves on a fig tree, ¹³ and because he was hungry, he went over to see if he could find some [fruit]. But when he got there, he found nothing but leaves, because it was [a little early in the year] for figs.

¹⁴ So [Yeshua] said to [the tree] (and his disciples heard [him say] this):

‘May nobody eat fruit from you for the rest of the age!’

¹⁵ Well, from there, they traveled on into JeruSalem.

Then [Yeshua] entered the Temple... And started throwing out those who were buying and selling! He also pushed over the money-changer’s tables and the seats of those who sold doves… ¹⁶ And he wouldn’t allow anyone to carry things through the Temple!

¹⁷ He kept instructing them and saying:

‘Although it is written:

‘My house will be called a House of Prayer for all nations...’

‘...you’ve turned it into a den of thieves!’

¹⁸ And when the Chief Priests and Scribes heard about this, they started looking for ways to destroy him. However, they were afraid of him, because his teaching always amazed the crowds.

¹⁹ Then (since it was late), they left the city.²⁰ And as they were returning early the [next] morning, [the disciples] noticed that the fig tree had become all withered up from its roots. ²¹ So, because he remembered what Yeshua had said to it, Peter pointed this out and said to him:

‘Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered!’

²² And Yeshua said:

‘You must have faith in God. ²³ For I tell you the truth: If you’d say to this mountain, Rise and be thrown into the sea… And if you did it without any doubts in your heart but had total faith, whatever you say will happen, will in fact happen!

²⁴ ‘This is why I’ve told you that if you believe that you’ll receive anything you ask for in prayer, you’ll receive it.

²⁵ ‘However, as you stand there praying, you must [also remember to] forgive anything that others may have done to you, so that your Father in the heavens will forgive your errors.’ ²⁶ But if you don’t forgive others, your Father in heaven won’t forgive your sins. [spurious, copied from Matthew 6:15]

²⁷ Well, after they got back to JeruSalem, and as Yeshua was walking around in the Temple, the Chief Priests, Scribes, and elders all came up to him ²⁸ and asked:

‘Who told you that you could do these things… Who gave you the authority?’

²⁹ And Yeshua replied:

‘I’m going to ask you a question, and if you answer me, I’ll tell you where I got the authority to do these things!

³⁰ ‘Did John’s immersion come from heaven or from men? Tell me!’

³¹ So they started reasoning among themselves and saying:

‘If we say it was from heaven, he’ll ask: Then why didn’t you believe him? ³² But if we say it was from men…!’

[You see,] they were afraid of the crowd, since everyone [around] really believed that John was a Prophet.

³³ So they told Yeshua:

‘We don’t know.’

And Yeshua said:

‘Then I won’t tell you where I got the authority to do these things.’

Mark 12

←11 | All books | All chapters | 13→

¹ Well after that, Yeshua used this parable to teach them.

He said:

‘There was once a man who planted a vineyard. He put a fence around it, dug a vat for a wine press, built a lookout tower [to protect it], and then he rented it out to some tenant farmers before he traveled abroad.

² ‘Then, when the [harvest] season arrived, he sent a slave to the farmers to get some of the vineyard’s fruit.

³ ‘However, they grabbed [the slave], beat him up, and sent him away with nothing.

⁴ ‘So then he sent another slave to them. This one they hit on the head and treated dishonorably.

⁵ ‘Then he sent another, whom they killed… And [he sent] many others, some of whom they flayed with whips and others whom they murdered!

⁶ ‘Well, [the master] had one last [person whom he could send]: a dearly-loved son! So he sent his son to them, saying:

‘Surely they’ll respect him!’

⁷ ‘But those farmers said to each other:

‘This is the heir! Let’s kill him, and then his [land] will be ours!’

⁸ ‘So they grabbed him and killed him, then they threw [his body] outside of the vineyard.

⁹ ‘Now, what do you think the owner of the vineyard will do? Surely he would go there and destroy those tenant farmers, and then entrust the vineyard to others, wouldn’t he?

¹⁰ ‘Have you ever read the scripture that says:

‘The stone that the builders rejected

Has become the foundation cornerstone…

¹¹ It’s by Yahweh that this came to pass,

And it’s a wonderful thing in our eyes.?’

[Psalm 118:22]

¹² Well [when he said] this, they started to realize that he was applying the parable to them. So after that, they started looking for ways to arrest him. However, because they were afraid of the crowds, they just released him and left.¹³ Thereafter, they sent some of the Pharisees and some of the followers of Herod to him to try to get [Yeshua] to say something [that they could use against him].

¹⁴ So these people came up to him and said:

‘Teacher, we know that you tell the truth and that you aren’t impressed by anyone, for you don’t look at what men are on the outside, but you truly teach the ways of God.

‘So tell us: Does the Law require us to pay the head tax to Caesar or not… ¹⁵ Should we pay, or shouldn’t we pay?’

But noting their hypocrisy, he said:

‘Why are you testing me? Bring me a silver coin.’

¹⁶ So they brought him [a coin].

Then he asked:

‘Whose image and inscription is on this?’

And they replied:

‘Caesar’s.’

¹⁷ Then Yeshua said:

‘Pay Caesar’s things to Caesar, but God’s things to God.’

And that left them bewildered.¹⁸ Now, the SadDucees (who say there’s no such thing as a resurrection) then came to [Yeshua] and said:

¹⁹ ‘Teacher, Moses wrote that a brother of any man who dies and leaves his woman without a child should take his woman and sire offspring for him.

²⁰ ‘So, let’s say that there were seven brothers. The first one took a woman [as his wife], but he died without offspring. ²¹ Then the second took her, but he also died without offspring, as did the third, and so on… ²² Therefore, none of the seven left her with any offspring.

‘And finally, she also died.

²³ ‘So... Whose wife will she be in the resurrection, since all seven of them had her as theirs?’

²⁴ Then Yeshua replied:

‘This is why you’re so misled, because you don’t understand the Scriptures or the power of God!

²⁵ ‘When the dead are resurrected, they won’t marry or be married, because they’ll be like [God’s] messengers in the heavens.

²⁶ ‘And when it comes to the dead that will be raised – haven’t you read in the book about Moses (in the story about the thorn bush) that God said to him:

‘I am the God of AbraHam, the God of IsaAc, and the God of Jacob?’

²⁷ ‘Notice that He isn’t the God of the dead, but of the living!

‘Yes, you’re very misled!’

²⁸ Well, one of the scribes that had just arrived and overheard the things that were being said knew that [Yeshua] had given a good answer.

So he asked:

‘Then, which is the primary Commandment?’

²⁹ And Yeshua answered:

‘The primary one is this:

‘Hear, O IsraEl: Yahweh your God is your only Lord.

³⁰ ‘So, you must love your God Yahweh with your whole heart, soul, mind, and strength.’ [Deuteronomy 6:4]

³¹ ‘The second one is this:

‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’ [Leviticus 19:18]

‘No Commandments are greater than these.’

³² Then the scribe said:

‘That’s good… You’re speaking the truth, teacher, when you say that He is One and that there’s no other, ³³ and that loving Him with our whole heart, mind, and strength, and loving our neighbors as ourselves is worth much more than all of our whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.’

³⁴ And when Yeshua recognized that [the scribe] had responded intelligently, he said to him:

‘You aren’t far from the Kingdom of God.’

Well, from then on, no one else had enough courage to ask him any more questions.

³⁵ So in reply to a question that had been raised while Yeshua was teaching in the Temple, Yeshua went on to ask [the Scribes] this:

‘Why do you say that the Anointed One is to be a son of David? ³⁶ For through the Holy Breath [of God], David said:

‘Yahweh said to my Lord;

Sit here at my right hand

‘Til I put your enemies under your feet.’

³⁷ ‘So if David called him Lord; how could he be his son?’

[Well, all the while], the huge crowd was listening to him with a lot of pleasure. ³⁸ So as he was teaching, he gave them this warning:

‘Watch out for the Scribes who like to walk around in robes, who wish to be greeted in the markets, ³⁹ and who want the front seats in the synagogues and the first positions at the meals. ⁴⁰ For despite the fact that they devour the homes of widows, they like to put on great pretenses and deliver very long prayers.

‘So, this is why they’re going to receive a heavier judgment.’

⁴¹ Then, as he was sitting across from the [Temple] Treasury, he noticed the crowd dropping money into the box, and he could see that the rich people were dropping in many coins.

⁴² But then he also noticed a poor widow that went up and dropped in just two small copper coins (they weren’t worth very much).

⁴³ So, [Yeshua] called his disciples over and said to them:

‘I tell you the truth: this poor widow put in more than all the rest that were dropping their money into the Treasury chest, ⁴⁴ because they’re throwing in something of which they have plenty.

‘However, this needy woman dropped in everything that she had… Her whole [means of] living!’

Mark 13

←12 | All books | All chapters | 14→

¹ Then as he was leaving the Temple, one of his disciples said:

‘Teacher, just look at these stones and these buildings!’

² And Yeshua said to him:

‘Do you see these great buildings?

‘There won’t be a stone left on top of a stone here that won’t be thrown down!’

³ Then, as he was sitting in a quiet spot on the Mount of Olives (across from the Temple), Peter, James, John, and Andrew came to him and asked:

⁴ ‘When will these things happen… What will be the sign that all these things are about to end?’

⁵ So Yeshua said to them:

‘Be careful so that no one misleads you. ⁶ For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am [the one]’, and they’ll mislead many.

⁷ ‘And when you hear of wars and reports of wars, don’t worry, because [these things] must happen… That isn’t the end.

⁸ ‘For there’ll be wars between nations and nations, and kingdoms and kingdoms, and there’ll also be famines and rumblings in one place after another.

‘Yet, these things will be just the beginning of the birth pangs.

⁹ ‘At that time, watch out for yourselves, because you’ll be led before religious courts, you’ll be whipped in the synagogues, and you’ll have to stand before governors and kings for my sake, as a witness to them…

¹⁰ ‘But before that, the good news must be preached to all the gentiles.

¹¹ ‘Now... When these things happen to you, and they’re leading you off to face your accusers, don’t worry about what you should say! Just say whatever will be given to you right then, since [God’s] Holy Breath will be doing the speaking, not you.

¹² ‘At that time, brothers will hand over their brothers for death, fathers [will hand over] their children, and children will oppose their parents and have them put to death! ¹³ For everyone will hate you because of my name.

‘However, those who endure to the end will be saved.

¹⁴ ‘Now, when you see the disgusting destroyer standing where it shouldn’t (the readers should pay attention to this), those in Judea should flee to the mountains!

¹⁵ ‘The man who’s standing on his rooftop shouldn’t go down to take anything out of his house, ¹⁶ and the person who’s out in a field shouldn’t go back home to pick up his clothes.

¹⁷ ‘Also, woe to those who are pregnant and those who are nursing babies in those days… ¹⁸ Keep praying that this doesn’t happen during the winter!

¹⁹ ‘For a difficult time will arrive in those days that won’t be like anything that has happened since the earliest creation by God until now – nor should ever happen again!

²⁰ ‘And if Yahweh hadn’t shortened those days, it’s likely that no flesh would be saved… But for the sake of the elected ones whom He’s chosen, He shortened those days.

²¹ ‘Then if anyone says to you:

‘Look! Here’s the Anointed One!’

‘Or:

‘Look! There he is!’

‘Don’t believe it!

²² ‘For false anointed and false prophets will arise bringing signs and omens that could possibly mislead even the elected!

²³ ‘Now, you must be careful, because I’ve warned you!

²⁴ ‘Then in the days that follow this difficult time:

‘The sun will grow dark and the moon won’t shine [Joel 2:31],

²⁵ The stars will be falling out of the skies,

And the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

²⁶ ‘For they’ll see the Son of Man arriving in the clouds

With great power and glory.

²⁷ Then he’ll send his messengers to collect his elected

From the four winds [of the earth]…

From the ends of the lands to the ends of the skies!

²⁸ ‘Now, you should learn this from the parable of the fig tree:

‘When its branches grow tender

And it starts putting out leaves,

You know that summer is near.

²⁹ So, when you see these things start to happen,

Know that he’s near… At the doors.

³⁰ ‘I tell you the truth: this people won’t pass away until all of these things have happened! ³¹ For even if the lands and skies should pass away, my words won’t pass away!

³² ‘However, no one knows that date or time – not the messengers in the heavens nor the Son, just the Father.

³³ ‘Therefore, you should stay awake and keep watching, because you don’t know when he will arrive!

³⁴ ‘It’s like a man, who before leaving his house and traveling abroad, instructed each of his slaves to just go on doing their jobs… But he commanded his doorkeeper to stay awake.

³⁵ ‘This is why you must stay awake, because you don’t know when the Master of the house will return… Whether it’s in the evening, at midnight, at rooster crowing, or early in the morning.

³⁶ ‘Just be sure that when he suddenly arrives, he doesn’t find you sleeping!

³⁷ ‘So, what I’m saying to you, I’m saying to everyone:

‘Stay awake!’

Mark 14

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¹ Now, it was just two days before Passover and the Festival of No Fermentation, and the Chief Priests and the Scribes were trying to come up with devious ways to grab [Yeshua] and kill him.

² But they said:

‘Not at the festival… Not whenever it’ll create a commotion!’

³ Well, as [Yeshua] was reclining at a meal in the house of Simon the leper (in BethAny), a woman arrived that was carrying a very expensive alabaster jar of perfumed oil (genuine nard). And after breaking open the alabaster, she poured it over Yeshua’s head.

⁴ But when she did that, some [of his Apostles] started grumbling among themselves and asking each other:

‘Why [is she] wasting this perfume? ⁵ We could have sold the ointment for as much as 300 silver coins and given it to the poor!’

So they were very displeased with her.

⁶ But Yeshua told them:

‘Leave her alone… Why are you making trouble for her? She just did a good thing for me!

⁷ ‘You’ll always have the poor with you, and you can do good things for them whenever you wish; however, you won’t always have me! ⁸ For when she poured the perfumed ointment over me, she was doing everything that she could to prepare my body for its burial.

⁹ ‘And I tell you the truth:

‘Wherever the Good News is preached anywhere in the world, what this woman did for me will be told in memory of her!’

¹⁰ [Well, after that happened], Judas IsCariot (one of the 12) went to see the Chief Priests so as to betray him. ¹¹ And when they heard [his offer], they were delighted and they promised to pay him in silver.

So, that’s when he started looking for an opportunity to betray [Yeshua].¹² Well, it was just before the 1st day of No Fermentation (the day when the Passover sacrifices are offered) that [Yeshua’s] disciples asked him:

‘Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?’

¹³ So he sent two of his disciples off, giving them these instructions:

‘Go into the city, and there you’ll meet a man who’s carrying a large clay jar of water… Follow him, ¹⁴ and wherever he goes inside, tell the master of the house that the Teacher wants to know where the guest room is that he can use to eat the Passover with his disciples.

¹⁵ ‘He’ll then show you a large upper room that’s already furnished… Make your preparations there.’

¹⁶ Therefore, the disciples left and went into the city, where they found everything just as he said, so they prepared for the Passover.

¹⁷ Then that evening, [Yeshua] went there with the 12, ¹⁸ and as they were reclining and eating at the table, Yeshua said:

‘I tell you the truth: One of you who’s eating with me here will betray me!’

¹⁹ Of course, they were all deeply saddened by this, and each one asked whether he was the one.

²⁰ But he told them:

‘It’s one of the 12 that’s dipping into the common bowl with me.

²¹ ‘It’s a fact that the Son of Man is going to be taken away, just as it was written about him… But woe to the one who betrays the Son of Man, for it’d be better if he’d never been born!’

²² Well, as they were eating, [Yeshua] then took a loaf, and before breaking it, he offered a blessing over it.

Then he passed it among [his Apostles] saying:

‘Take it, for this is my body.’

²³ And after that, he took a cup, and after offering thanks for it, he handed it to them and they all drank from it.

²⁴ Then he said to them:

‘This is my blood of the Sacred Agreement that’s being poured out [on behalf of] many.

²⁵ ‘I tell you the truth: I definitely won’t drink from the fruit of the vine again until the Day that I drink it new in the Kingdom of The God.’

²⁶ And finally, after singing songs of praise, they went out to the Mount of Olives. ²⁷ It was there that Yeshua said to them:

‘All of you’ll be stumbled over me tonight, because it is written:

‘I will strike down the shepherd,

And all the sheep will be scattered.’

²⁸ ‘But after I wake up, I’ll go ahead of you into Galilee.’

²⁹ Well at that, Peter said to him:

‘Even if all the others are stumbled, I won’t be!’

³⁰ And Yeshua said to him:

‘I tell you the truth: today… Tonight… Before a rooster crows twice, you’ll deny knowing me three times!’

³¹ Yet [Peter] kept insisting, saying:

‘Even if I have to die with you, I definitely won’t deny you.’

And all the others were saying the same thing.

³² Then later, when they got to a place called GethSemane (the Olive Press), he said to his disciples:

‘Now sit here, while I [go over there] to pray.’

³³ So he took Peter, James, and John along with him, and then he became deeply upset and bothered. ³⁴ For he said to them:

‘My soul is grieved to the point of death… So wait here and stay awake!’

³⁵ Then he went a little way forward and fell to the ground, praying that if it was possible, he could be freed from that hour.

³⁶ And he said:

‘Papa! Father! Everything is possible for You, so remove this cup from me!

‘Yet, not as I wish, but as You wish.’

³⁷ Well, when he returned, he found them all sleeping. And he said to Peter:

‘Simon, are you sleeping? Didn’t you have enough strength to stay awake for just an hour?

³⁸ ‘Now, stay awake and keep praying that you won’t be put to the test!

‘But indeed; although the spirit is willing, the flesh is weak.’

³⁹ Then he went off and prayed once more, saying the same things. ⁴⁰ However when he came back, he found them all sleeping again, because their eyes were heavy… And they just didn’t know what to say to him.

⁴¹ [And finally], after he returned a third time, and said to them:

‘Here you are, resting and sleeping. That’s enough! The time has arrived!

‘Look! The Son of Man has now been betrayed into the hands of sinners!

⁴² ‘Get up, let’s go!

‘Look… My betrayer is nearby!’

⁴³ Well immediately (while he was still talking), Judas (one of the 12) arrived with a mob, which included the Chief Priests, Scribes, and elders, all of whom were carrying swords and clubs.

⁴⁴ Then the betrayer gave the sign that they’d agreed on, for he’d said:

‘The one whom I kiss is him… Grab him and arrest him!’

⁴⁵ Therefore, he went straight up [to Yeshua] and said:

‘Rabbi!’

And then he kissed him tenderly.

⁴⁶ Well at that, the men grabbed [Yeshua] and bound him!

⁴⁷ However, one of those who was standing nearby drew his sword and struck the Chief Priest’s slave, cutting off his ear.

⁴⁸ But then Yeshua said to [the mob]:

‘Did you come here with swords and clubs to arrest me like some robber? ⁴⁹ I was with you in the Temple where I taught for days, but you didn’t grab me then!

‘However, this has happened so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled.’

⁵⁰ Then [the Apostles] all abandoned [Yeshua] and ran away.

⁵¹ However, a certain young man (who had slipped a linen nightgown over his naked body) started following close behind them… And [the mob] tried to grab him too, ⁵² so he ran away naked, leaving behind his covering.

⁵³ Well from there, they led Yeshua to the [house of the] High Priest, where all the Chief Priests, elders, and Scribes had already assembled. ⁵⁴ Then Peter (who’d been following at some distance) went into the courtyard of the High Priest, and sat there among the building supervisors who were warming themselves in front of the fire.

⁵⁵ Meanwhile, the Chief Priests and those of the Jewish religious court were trying to find witnesses against Yeshua so that they could hand him over for execution. However, they couldn’t find any.

⁵⁶ Many did come forward to give false testimony against him, but their stories just didn’t agree. ⁵⁷ Then some stood up and perjured themselves with the words:

⁵⁸ ‘We heard him say that he will tear down this Most Holy Place that was made with hands and build another that isn’t made with hands in just three days.’

⁵⁹ Yet, even these witnesses couldn’t agree.

⁶⁰ So finally, the High Priest stood up in their midst and questioned Yeshua, asking:

‘Don’t you have an answer… What is it that they’re accusing you of?’

⁶¹ But [Yeshua] remained silent and he didn’t reply to anything that he asked.

Then the High Priest questioned him again, and when he asked:

‘Are you the Anointed One, the Son of the Praised One?’

⁶² Jesus spoke up and said:

‘I am… And you’ll see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of the skies!’

⁶³ Well at that, the High Priest ripped his clothes and said:

‘Why do we need any more witnesses?

⁶⁴ ‘You’ve heard the blasphemy! What’s your opinion?’

So they all [voted to] condemn him and hold him for execution.

⁶⁵ Then some started spitting on him, and they covered his face and started hitting him with their fists, shouting:

‘Prophesy!’

[And finally], the building supervisors (after slapping him in the face) took him into their custody.

⁶⁶ Meanwhile, Peter was still in the courtyard below, and there, one of the High Priest’s servant girls ⁶⁷ noticed him [standing there and] warming himself. She looked at him very hard, and then she said:

‘You were also with the Nazarene… This Yeshua!’

⁶⁸ But he denied it, saying:

‘I don’t know him and I don’t know what you’re talking about!’

Then when he went outside to the courtyard entrance, ⁶⁹ the servant girl saw him again and said to those who were around her:

‘He’s one of them!’

⁷⁰ But once more, he denied it.

However, some that were standing around him said to Peter:

‘Sure you’re one of them, because you’re also a Galilean!’

⁷¹ But Peter started cursing and swore:

‘I don’t know the man you’re talking about!’

⁷² Well right away, a rooster crowed a second time, and that’s when Peter remembered what Yeshua had said to him:

‘Before a rooster crows twice you’ll have disowned me three times.’

And at that, he broke down and cried.

Mark 15

←14 | All books | All chapters | 16→

¹ First thing in the morning, the Chief Priests, elders, Scribes, and the complete Jewish religious court was appointed as a council. They bound Yeshua and handed him over to Pilate.

² So Pilate asked him:

‘Are you the King of the Jews?’

And he replied:

‘You’re saying it yourself!’

³ Then the Chief Priests started accusing him of many other things.

⁴ So Pilate questioned him again and asked:

‘Don’t you have any reply? Look at all the charges they’re bringing against you!’

⁵ But Yeshua wouldn’t say anything more, which amazed Pilate.

⁶ Well, it was [Pilate’s] custom to release any prisoner that they asked for at the festivals. ⁷ And at the time, there was one man in jail called BarAbbas that was with a group of rebels who had committed murder during a rebellion.

⁸ So when the crowd came [to Pilate] to petition him to release a prisoner (as it was their custom), ⁹ Pilate asked:

‘Do you want me to release the King of the Jews to you?’

¹⁰ ([This was] because he knew that the Chief Priests had only handed him over because they were jealous of him).

¹¹ But the Chief Priests stirred up the crowd and had them call for the release of BarAbbas instead.

¹² So Pilate asked:

‘Then, what shall I do with this one whom you call, the King of the Jews?’

¹³ And once again, they shouted:

‘Impale him!’

¹⁴ But Pilate asked:

‘Why? What crime did he commit?’

However, they just kept shouting louder and louder:

‘Impale him!’

¹⁵ So, to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released BarAbbas to them. Then, after having Yeshua whipped, he handed him over to be impaled.

¹⁶ Well from there, the soldiers took him out into the courtyard of the Governor’s Palace and assembled all the troops. ¹⁷ There, they covered him with purple [cloth] and braided a crown of thorns, which they slipped over [his head], ¹⁸ and they started greeting him, saying:

‘Rejoice, O you King of the Jews!’

¹⁹ [Saying this] as they were hitting him on the head with a measuring rod and spitting on him.

Then they got down on their knees and [sarcastically] bowed to their faces before him.

²⁰ Finally, after they’d had their fun, they stripped him of the purple [cloth], put his clothes back on, and took him out to be hung on the pole.

²¹ So they drafted a man named Simon (a Cyrenian who was coming in from the fields; the father of Alexander and Rufus) to carry the pole. ²² And from there, they took him to GolGotha (which translates as ‘Skull Place’).

²³ Then, when they tried to give him wine mixed with myrrh, he wouldn’t take it. ²⁴ So finally, they hung him on the pole and they threw dice to see which ones would get his clothes.

²⁵ It was during the 3rd hour [9am] that they hung him on the pole, ²⁶ and they put a sign over him that showed the charge against him:

‘The King of the Jews.’

²⁷ There were also two robbers that were hung on poles along with him, one on his right and the other on his left. ²⁸ And the scripture was fulfilled, which says, ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ [spurious, copied from Luke 22:37]

²⁹ Then, those who were passing by started saying terrible things to him, shaking their heads and shouting:

‘Bah! O you who would tear down the Temple and rebuild it in three days… ³⁰ Save yourself! Come down from the pole!’

³¹ And that’s also the way that the Chief Priests and Scribes were joking about him, saying:

‘He saved others, but now he can’t save himself!’

[And:]

³² ‘Let the Anointed One who is the ‘King of IsraEl’ come down from his pole so we can witness it and believe in him!’

And even those who were hanging with him mocked him.

³³ Thereafter, [a great] darkness came over the whole land from the 6th to the 9th hours [12 noon to 3pm].

³⁴ And at the 9th hour [3pm], Yeshua shouted in a loud voice:

‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?’ (which translates as, ‘My God, my God, why have You abandoned me?’).

³⁵ And when some of those standing there heard it, they said:

‘Look! He’s calling for EliJah!’

³⁶ So, someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine and held it up on a reed to give him something to drink. But the rest said:

‘Leave him alone… Let’s see if EliJah comes to take him down.’

³⁷ But then Yeshua let out a loud groan and died.

³⁸ Well at that, the curtain [that separated] the Most Holy ripped in two from the top to the bottom!

³⁹ And when the centurion who was standing across from him saw all the things that happened when he died, he said:

‘This man truly was God’s Son!’

⁴⁰ Meanwhile, there were some women who had been watching from a distance. Among them was Mary of Magdala, Mary (the mother of Little James and Joses), Salome, ⁴¹ and many others that had traveled with Yeshua to JeruSalem and that used to serve him back in Galilee.

⁴² Well, since it was already late in the afternoon, and because it was Preparation (the day before the Sabbath), ⁴³ JoSeph of HariMathea (a well-known member of the Council who was also accepting God’s Kingdom) got up enough courage to go before Pilate and ask for the body of Yeshua. ⁴⁴ However, Pilate didn’t know if he was dead yet, so he called the centurion to ask if he’d died. ⁴⁵ Then, after checking with the centurion, he released the body to JoSeph.

⁴⁶ So JoSeph then went out and bought some fine linen. And after taking Yeshua down, he wrapped him in the cloth and laid him in a tomb that had been cut into the bedrock, then he rolled up a stone over the tomb’s entrance.

⁴⁷ Meanwhile, Mary of Magdala and Mary the mother of Joses [just sat there] looking at the place where he’d been laid.

Mark 16

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¹ Then, after the Sabbath, Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spiced ointments that, once they arrive, they’ll use to grease his body. ² Then, very early in the morning on the first day of the week[, that is, Sunday], they arrived at the tomb at sunrise.

³ One asked the other:

‘Who’ll roll the stone away from the tomb entrance for us?’

⁴ But when they looked up, they saw that the extremely large stone had already been rolled away!

⁵ So when they entered the tomb, they saw a young man who was sitting on the right side wearing a white robe, and they were shocked!

⁶ But he said to them:

‘Don’t be surprised.

‘You’re looking for Yeshua the Nazarene who was impaled… But he isn’t here, he’s risen!

‘Look, here’s the place where they laid him!

⁷ ‘Now, go tell his disciples and Peter that he’s going ahead of them into Galilee… They’ll see him there, just as he said.’

⁸ Well when they came out, they ran from the tomb, because they were shaking with excitement. But then they didn’t say anything to anyone, being too afraid because ...

[Editor note: The Gospel text ends here, perhaps even in mid-sentence. Why? Perhaps the Gospel was never finished. Maybe the author, Mark, was martyred before he could complete it. If so, this would be a powerful ending! Alternatively, the Gospel may have been written in a codex (an early form of book), and the last page was lost before copies could be made.

The truth is, we don’t know.

At some later time, someone tried to fix the abrupt ending by adding a long conclusion – probably taken from another, now lost, book about Yeshua. These verses appear in other Bibles as verses 9 to 20. However, this new ending contradicts some earlier statements in the same chapter, and is written in a different style.

Much later, somebody created a shorter conclusion which doesn’t contradict the rest of the chapter – perhaps to replace the longer conclusion with something better.

Almost all Bible scholars believe that these two endings are inauthentic later additions. However, the long ending is accepted by the Roman Catholic Church. See our page on spurious texts if you’d like to read the shorter and longer conclusions and see why we agree that they’re both inauthentic.

To read what happened next, see the parallel accounts starting at:

• Matthew 28:9 • Luke 24:10 • John 20:19]

Luke

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Luke is an historical account of Yeshua’s life.

It was written in the form of a letter to a man named TheoPhilus by Paul’s traveling companion Luke the Physician about 64 CE, probably in the Greek language.

It’s partially based on the Gospel of Matthew. According to ancient church historians, Matthew was only available in Aramaic at the time, but Luke was writing to a Greek-speaking disciple.

The Poetry of Yeshua

Many of Yeshua’s sermons and parables were given as poetry. This was common at the time because most people were illiterate, and there were no ways to electronically record speeches. The main way to communicate was through word of mouth, and poetry and songs were the easiest things to remember and to repeat.

This poetic cadence is clearly seen by translators, but most Bibles have chosen not to translate it as poetry. Why not? Perhaps it’s because it requires more effort, and because many Bible readers aren’t interested in the beauty of his words, but in the contents.

However, Yeshua made much effort to speak and teach beautifully, so it’s only proper that we also put in much effort to convey this to modern readers. So, we’ve attempted to translate Yeshua’s words just as he spoke them – poetically – while maintaining accuracy as much as possible.

Luke 1

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¹ Since many others have already taken on the job of putting together a statement of the facts regarding the things we believe ² (as they were given to us by those who were eyewitnesses from the earliest [times], and by caretakers of the message)... ³ It seemed good for me to trace everything accurately from the start, then write it down for you in the order that it happened, O mighty TheoPhilus, ⁴ so that you can have confidence in the things you’ve been taught by word of mouth.⁵ In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a Priest named ZechariAh who was of the division of AbiJah. He had a wife named EliZabeth [meaning, My God has Sworn], who was a descendant of Aaron. ⁶ Both of them were found righteous by God, because they obeyed all the commandments and requirements of Yahweh.

⁷ However, they never had children and they were both advanced in years, so EliZabeth was [beyond child-bearing age].

⁸ Then it was while [ZechariAh] was assigned as the Priest before God (in his division of Priests, ⁹ following the custom of the Priesthood), that he had been chosen by lot to enter the temple sanctuary of Yahweh to burn incense there. ¹⁰ Since it was the scheduled time for offering incense, a large crowd of people had also gathered outside to pray.

¹¹ Well, Yahweh’s messenger then appeared to [ZechariAh], standing on the right-hand side of the incense altar! ¹² Well, upon seeing him, ZechariAh was very frightened!

¹³ However, the messenger said to him:

‘Don’t be afraid ZechariAh, because your prayers have been heard! Your wife EliZabeth will give birth to a son for you, and you must call his name John [Greek: YoHanain, meaning Yahweh Is Merciful].

¹⁴ ‘He’ll be a great joy for you, and a delight… In fact, many people will rejoice at his birth, ¹⁵ because he’ll be great in the eyes of Yahweh.

‘[This son] won’t drink any wine or liquor at all, and he will be filled with Holy Breath while he’s still in his mother’s womb!

¹⁶ ‘Thereafter, he will turn many sons of IsraEl back to their God Yahweh, ¹⁷ and he’ll travel before him with the power and spirit of EliJah as he prepares a people for the Lord – by turning the hearts of fathers back to their children, and the [hearts] of those who don’t obey to righteous good sense.’

¹⁸ But ZechariAh asked the messenger:

‘How can I be sure of this? After all, I’m quite old and my woman is advanced in years.’

¹⁹ Then the messenger replied:

‘I’m GabriEl – someone who stands before God – and I was sent to bring this good news to you!

²⁰ ‘But because you don’t believe these words (which will come true right on time), {Look!} you’ll be silent and won’t able to talk until the day that these things happen!’

²¹ Meanwhile, the people who were waiting [outside] for ZechariAh started wondering why he was taking so long in the temple sanctuary. ²² So when he [finally] came out [of the sanctuary] and couldn’t speak, they realized that he’d just seen a supernatural vision… He gestured to them with his head, but he couldn’t talk.

²³ Well, when his service time [in the Temple] was finished, he went back home, ²⁴ and that’s when his wife EliZabeth became pregnant.

However, she hid herself for five months, saying:

²⁵ ‘It’s Yahweh’s will that I do this, so that people won’t laugh at me.’

²⁶ Well, it was in her 6th month that the Messenger GabriEl was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, ²⁷ to a virgin who was engaged to a man named JoSeph who was from the house of [King] David. This virgin’s name was Mary [Greek: Mariam].

²⁸ And when he came to her, he said:

‘Rejoice, you most beloved person, because Yahweh is with you!’

²⁹ Well, these words bothered her, because she wondered just what type of greeting that was.

³⁰ Then the messenger said:

‘Don’t be afraid Mary, because you’ve found God’s favor.

³¹ ‘Look! You’ll conceive in your belly and give birth to a son whom you are to name Yeshua [Aramaic: IShoah, Hebrew: YeShuah, meaning Yahweh’s Salvation]. ³² He will be great and he’ll be called the Son of the Most High, and Yahweh God will give him the throne of his ancestor David.

³³ ‘He will then rule over the house of Jacob throughout the ages, and there’ll be no end to his Kingdom.’

³⁴ But Mary asked the messenger:

‘How can this be possible, since I haven’t been with a man?’

³⁵ And the messenger replied:

‘God’s Holy Breath will come over you and the Power of the Most High will overshadow you, so that what will be born will be called Holy… God’s Son.

³⁶ ‘Look! Your relative EliZabeth is also pregnant with a son, even in her old age! And this is the 6th month for this so-called sterile woman, ³⁷ because nothing is impossible when God says it’ll happen.’

³⁸ Then Mary said:

‘Look! I’m Yahweh’s slave girl! May this thing that you told me about, happen to me!’

And at that, the messenger left her.³⁹ So after that, Mary got up and quickly traveled to a Judean city located in the hill country, where she ⁴⁰ entered the home of ZechariAh to speak to EliZabeth.

⁴¹ And just as EliZabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby in her womb jumped, and EliZabeth was filled with Holy Breath, ⁴² for she shouted aloud:

‘You’re a blest woman, and the fruit of your womb is blest! ⁴³ So, how is it that the mother of my Lord has come to me? ⁴⁴ Look! When I heard the sound of your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy! ⁴⁵ The woman who has faith will be blest, and everything that Yahweh said to her will come true.’

⁴⁶ Then Mary said:

‘I give glory to Yahweh with my whole soul,

⁴⁷ And over my God and my Savior,

My body will cry out in joy,

⁴⁸ For He’s looked down on His lowly slave girl.

‘{Look!} By all peoples, I’ll be called blest,

⁴⁹ For the Almighty One did great things for me…

The One whose Name is Most Holy.

⁵⁰ ‘For generations, He has shown mercy

To those who show that they fear Him.

⁵¹ But, with His strong arm, He will scatter

Those who think in their hearts that they’re better.

⁵² ‘He removes kings from their thrones,

And He puts the humble in charge.

⁵³ He fills the hungry with good things,

And He sends the rich off as starved.

⁵⁴ ‘He sent help to IsraEl, His child,

And He remembered His mercy

⁵⁵ As He promised to AbraHam, our father,

And to his offspring, throughout the ages.’

⁵⁶ So, Mary stayed there with EliZabeth for about three months before she returned home.⁵⁷ Well, it soon came time for EliZabeth to deliver her baby, and she had a son. ⁵⁸ So when her neighbors and relatives heard how Yahweh had shown such magnificent mercy towards her, they were all overjoyed. ⁵⁹ But when they went to circumcise the boy on the 8th day, they expected that he would be named after his father, ZechariAh.

⁶⁰ However, his mother said:

‘Absolutely not! He will be called John.’

⁶¹ But [the neighbors] said:

‘That isn’t the name of any of your relatives!’

⁶² So they nodded to the father, to ask what he wanted to call it. ⁶³ And after asking for a tablet, he wrote:

‘His name is John.’

And this really caused them to wonder.

⁶⁴ Well at that, [ZechariAh] was suddenly able to speak… His tongue came loose, and he started talking and praising God ⁶⁵ (which frightened all the neighbors). And thereafter, these things were talked about throughout the hills of Judea.

⁶⁶ Also, everyone who heard about it made a note of it in their hearts, for they were all wondering what this little boy would [grow up to] be, since the hand of Yahweh was upon him.

⁶⁷ Then ZechariAh ([the boy’s] father) became filled with Holy Breath and he spoke this prophecy:

⁶⁸ ‘Praise Yahweh, IsraEl’s God,

For He looked down and set free His people.

⁶⁹ ‘He raised the horn of salvation for us

In the house of his servant David,

⁷⁰ Just as He promised through the mouths of the holy

Back in the age of the Prophets,

⁷¹ To save us from our enemy’s hands,

And from the hands of all those who hate us,

⁷² To fulfill [His] mercy to our fathers

By remembering His Holy Sacred Agreement,

⁷³ And His oath to AbraHam, our father,

⁷⁴ That we don’t have to fear our enemy’s hands;

For because we’re His servants, He’ll save us,

⁷⁵ And we’ll loyally stand here before Him

As righteous, throughout [the rest of] our days.

⁷⁶ ‘But, as for you, little boy;

You’ll be called a Prophet of the Most High,

And you’ll travel ahead of Yahweh,

To prepare the road that’s before him.

⁷⁷ ‘You’ll tell his people how [they can] be saved

By seeking forgiveness of their sins,

⁷⁸ Through the tender mercies of God,

Who looks down on us from above

As though it were a new day,

⁷⁹ Which is shining on those in the darkness,

And on those who are sitting in the shadow of death.

For he’ll straighten [the paths for] our feet,

And guide us in the ways that are leading to peace.’

⁸⁰ Well, after that the little boy grew and he kept getting stronger in the Breath [of God]. Then he went and lived in the desert until the day that he presented himself to IsraEl.

Luke 2

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¹ Back in those days, Caesar Augustus had decreed that everyone in the land had to be registered, ² and this first registration took place when QuiRinius was the governor of Syria. ³ So, everyone had to return to his hometown to be registered.

⁴ As a result, JoSeph had to travel from Nazareth in Galilee to David’s city of BethLehem in Judea (because he was from the house and family of David) ⁵ to be registered with Mary (who was pregnant), whom he married like he’d promised.

⁶ Well, while they were there, the time came for her to have her baby. ⁷ So she gave birth to her first son and wrapped him tightly in a cloth, then laid him in a feed trough, because there wasn’t any room for them in the lodge.

⁸ At the time, there were some shepherds who had been staying outdoors in the surrounding countryside, keeping watch over their flocks throughout the night. ⁹ Then a messenger of Yahweh [appeared] to them – and the glory of the Lord started shining around them, which frightened them.

¹⁰ But the messenger told them:

‘Don’t be afraid. Look! I’m bringing you good news of great joy for everyone, ¹¹ because a Savior – the chosen Lord – has been born to you today in David’s city! ¹² This is the sign to look for: You’ll find an infant wrapped tightly in a cloth and lying in a feed trough.’

¹³ And after that, a large heavenly army suddenly appeared along with the messenger, praising God and saying:

¹⁴ ‘Glory in the highest to God,

And on the earth, [may there be] peace

Among the people with whom He is pleased.’

¹⁵ So after the messengers [of God] went back up into the sky, the shepherds said to each other:

‘Let’s go to BethLehem and see this thing that the Lord’s revealed to us.’

¹⁶ Therefore, they went and quickly found Mary and JoSeph, along with the infant, who was lying in the feed trough. ¹⁷ So when they saw this, they explained to them what they’d been told about the little boy.

¹⁸ Well, all those who heard about this were amazed by the things that the shepherds were saying, ¹⁹ and Mary started preserving all these words, drawing conclusions about them in her heart.

²⁰ Meanwhile, the shepherds kept on glorifying and praising God for all the things that they saw and all the things that they’d heard… Just as it had been spoken to them.²¹ Eight days later, when the time came to circumcise the boy, he was given the name Yeshua [Greek: YaySous, Hebrew: YeShua] (the name that [God’s] messenger had said he should be called before he was conceived in Mary’s womb).

²² Well, it was at the end of the [seven] days of purification (required by the Law of Moses) that they took him to JeruSalem to present him to Yahweh, ²³ exactly as it was written in His Law, which said:

‘Every male who opens a womb must be called holy to Yahweh.’ [Exodus 13:2]

²⁴ So they offered the sacrifice that was specified in the Law – a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.

²⁵ {Look!} [At this time] there was a man in JeruSalem named SimeOn; he was a righteous and devout person who had been expecting IsraEl’s comforter, and [God’s] Holy Breath was in him. ²⁶ You see, it had been divinely shown to him by the Holy Breath that he wouldn’t die before he saw Yahweh’s Anointed, ²⁷ and he came to be in the Temple that day because [God’s] Breath led him [there].

So, as the parents were carrying the boy (Yeshua) in to do what the Law customarily required, ²⁸ [SimeOn] took him in his arms and praised God saying:

²⁹ ‘Now, O Sovereign Lord,

You can set Your slave free in peace, as You said,

³⁰ For my eyes have now seen this one who’ll save…

³¹ The one You provided for all men to see…

³² The revealing light to all nations,

And a glory to IsraEl, Your people.’

³³ Well, Joseph and his mother were amazed by all the things that he said about him, ³⁴ and SimeOn also blest them.

However, he said this to [Yeshua’s] mother Mary:

‘Look… This young one has been appointed

To elevate and debase many in IsraEl.

He will serve as a sign that’s spoken against,

³⁵ So your soul will be run through, as by a sword,

For [he will] reveal what many have thought in their hearts.’

³⁶ There was also the Prophetess AnNa (a daughter of the tribe of Asher). This woman was well up in years and had only been married for seven years after her virginity. ³⁷ She was [now] an 84-year-old widow who was always at the Temple, serving there day and night, fasting, and praying. ³⁸ Right then, she stood up and gave thanks to the Lord as she talked about [the child] to all those who were expecting JeruSalem’s release by ransom.

³⁹ Then, after [JoSeph and Mary] did everything that Yahweh’s Law required, they went back to their home in Nazareth of Galilee. ⁴⁰ So the little boy grew and became strong in spirit and filled with wisdom, as God’s favor continued upon him.⁴¹ Well, every year his parents would travel to JeruSalem for the Festival of the Passover. ⁴² And when he was 12 years old, they again followed the custom of going to the festival. ⁴³ But after the festival days were over and as they were returning home, the boy Yeshua stayed behind in JeruSalem… And Joseph and his mother didn’t notice it.

⁴⁴ So, assuming that he was somewhere in the company of all the people who were traveling with them, they were a day’s journey away before they finally started searching for him among their relatives and friends. ⁴⁵ When they couldn’t find him, they returned to look for him in JeruSalem.

⁴⁶ It took them three days, but they finally found him in the Temple sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking questions… ⁴⁷ And his understanding and answers amazed everyone who heard him.

⁴⁸ Well, since they’d been in such a panic as they searched for him, his mother said:

‘Child! Why did you treat us this way? Your father and I have been worried to death searching for you!’

⁴⁹ But he replied:

‘Why’d you need to search for me? Don’t you know that I need to be around the [things] of my Father?’

⁵⁰ However, they really didn’t grasp the meaning of all that he was saying.

⁵¹ Then, after he returned home to Nazareth with them, he always obeyed them, and his mother carefully kept all these things that were said in her heart. ⁵² So Yeshua continued to progress in wisdom, physical growth, and in the favor of God and men.

Luke 3

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¹ It was in the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea and Herod was district ruler of Galilee (but Philip his brother was district ruler of the countries of Ituraea and Trachonitis), and Lysanias was district ruler of Abilene, ² in the days of High Priests AnNas and CaiAphas, that God’s words came to John (son of ZechariAh) [while he was] in the desert.

³ So he traveled throughout the country around the JorDan preaching an immersion of repentance for forgiveness of sins, ⁴ just as it was written about him in the book of the Prophet IsaiAh:

‘Listen!

‘Someone calls out in the desert:

‘Prepare the way for the Lord.

Straighten out all of his roads;

⁵ Fill the gullies and level the mountains and hills;

Straighten the curves and smooth-out the ruts,

⁶ So all flesh will be able to see

What God has provided to save them.’

[Isaiah 40:3]

⁷ And as he saw the crowds coming out to be immersed by him, he said to them:

‘Offspring of vipers!

‘Who’s frightened you into fleeing the rage that’s about to arrive?

⁸ ‘For you must first produce the type of fruitage that shows you’re ready for repentance! And you shouldn’t say of yourselves, We have AbraHam as our father, because I tell you that God has the power to raise children of AbraHam from these stones!

⁹ ‘Why, the ax is now lying at the roots of the trees – and every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire!’

¹⁰ So the crowds started asking him:

‘Then, what we must do?’

¹¹ And he replied:

‘Those who have two suits of clothes should share them with those who have none, and those who have something to eat should do the same thing.’

¹² Then even the tax collectors came to be immersed. And when they asked, ‘Teacher, what should we do?’ ¹³ He told them:

‘Just collect a fair tax!’

¹⁴ Also, when those in the military came and asked him what they should do, he told them that they shouldn’t harass or falsely accuse anyone, and to be satisfied with just their provisions.

¹⁵ Well, since the people had been looking for [the coming of the Messiah] at that time, everyone was wondering in their hearts whether John was the Anointed One.

¹⁶ But John told them this:

‘My part is just to dip [you] in water.

However, someone greater is coming behind me,

Whose sandals I’m unfit to untie,

And he’ll immerse you people with fire and [Holy] Breath.

¹⁷ ‘His shovel is already in his hand,

And he’s going to sweep his threshing floor clean.

Then he will carry the wheat to his barn,

But he’ll burn the chaff with an unquenchable fire.’

¹⁸ [John] also said many other encouraging things as he was preaching the good news to the people.

¹⁹ However, Herod (the district ruler) had been scolded [by John] because of Herodias (his brother’s wife), and because of all the other bad things that he was doing. ²⁰ And [eventually], Herod added to this [badness] by locking John in jail.²¹ Well, it was after all the [other] people had been immersed that [John] also immersed Yeshua. And as [Yeshua] was praying, the sky opened up ²² and the Holy Breath came down upon him in the shape of a dove.

Then a voice came out of the sky [that said]:

‘You’re My Beloved Son and I approve of you.’

²³ Well, Yeshua came into his power when he was about 30 years old, being the son (as the opinion was):

• of JoSeph,

• of Heli,

• ²⁴ of MatThat,

• of Levi,

• of Melchi,

• of JanNai,

• of JoSeph,

• ²⁵ of MatTathias,

• of Amos,

• of Nahum,

• of Esli,

• of NagGai,

• ²⁶ of MaAth,

• of MatTathias,

• of Semein,

• of JoSech,

• of Joda,

• ²⁷ of JoAnan,

• of Rhesa,

• of ZerubBabel,

• of ShealthiEl,

• of Neri,

• ²⁸ of Melchi,

• of Addi,

• of Cosam,

• of ElMadam,

• of Er,

• ²⁹ of JoShua,

• of EliEzer,

• of JoRim,

• of MatThat,

• of Levi,

• ³⁰ of SymeOn,

• of Judas,

• of JoSeph,

• of JoNam,

• of EliAkim,

• ³¹ of Melea,

• of MenNa,

• of MatTatha,

• of Nathan,

• of David,

• ³² of JesSe,

• of Obed,

• of BoAz,

• of SalMon,

• of NahShon,

• ³³ of AmiNadab,

• of Arni,

• of HezRon,

• of Perez,

• of Judah,

• ³⁴ of Jacob,

• of IsaAc,

• of AbraHam,

• of Terah,

• of NaHor,

• ³⁵ of Serug,

• of Reu,

• of Peleg,

• of Heber,

• of SheLah,

• ³⁶ of Kainan,

• of ArPachShad,

• of Shem,

• of Noah,

• of Lamech,

• ³⁷ of MethuSelah,

• of Enoch,

• of JaRed,

• of MaHalaleEl,

• of Kainan,

• ³⁸ of Enosh,

• of Seth,

• of Adam,

• of God.

Luke 4

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¹ [Well after this happened], Yeshua became filled with the Holy Breath. Then he left the JorDan, and [Holy] Breath led him into the desert, ² where he was tempted by the Slanderer for 40 days. But because he hadn’t eaten anything during that entire period, he became very hungry. ³ So the Slanderer came to him and said:

‘If you’re a son of The God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread!’

⁴ But Yeshua told him:

‘It’s written that people can’t just live on bread… They also need the Word of God.’ [Deuteronomy 8:3]

⁵ So [the Slanderer] took him up on a mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the earth in an instant of time, ⁶ and he said:

‘I will give you glory and power over all of these. For they’ve all been given to me, and I can give them to whomever I wish. ⁷ They’ll all be yours if you’ll just bow to your face before me.’

⁸ But Yeshua replied:

‘Get behind me Satan, for [spurious, copied from Mark 8:33]

‘It’s written:

‘You should only bow to Yahweh your God,

And Him alone, should you serve.’

[Deuteronomy 6:13]

⁹ Then [the Slanderer] took him into JeruSalem and put him on one of the Temple’s highest towers, and said:

‘If you’re a son of The God, jump down from here; ¹⁰ for it’s written:

‘He will order His messengers to protect you;

¹¹ So they’ll lift you up on their hands,

And you won’t bump your foot on a stone.’

[Psalm 91:12]

¹² But Yeshua replied:

‘It’s also said:

‘You must not put Yahweh your God to the test.’ [Deuteronomy 6:16]

¹³ So after the Slanderer finished his tempting, he left him until the appointed time.

¹⁴ Then the Power of [God’s] Breath moved Yeshua to return to Galilee, and his fame spread throughout all that area. ¹⁵ He also started teaching in the synagogues, where he was honored by everyone.¹⁶ Well, when he got to Nazareth (where he was brought up), as was his custom on the Sabbaths, he went into the synagogue and stood up to read.

¹⁷ Then someone handed him the scroll of the Prophet IsaiAh to read, so he opened it and found the place where it said:

¹⁸ ‘The Breath of Yahweh is upon me,

And I’ve been anointed by Him

To teach good news to the poor.

‘He sent me to heal broken hearts;

To proclaim a release to the captives;

A regaining of sight to the blind;

Deliverance to those who’ve been oppressed;

¹⁹ And to announce the year of Yahweh’s favor.’

[Isaiah 61:1-2]

²⁰ Thereafter, he rolled up the scroll and handed it back to the attendant, and he sat back down... While everyone in the synagogue was staring at him.

²¹ Then he said:

‘Today this scripture that you just heard, has been fulfilled!’

²² Well after that, everyone started praising him as they marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. But they were also asking:

‘Isn’t this JoSeph’s son?’

²³ So he told them:

‘You would undoubtedly like to apply the words to me:

‘Heal yourself, doctor!’

‘And:

‘Do all the things that we heard you did in CapharNaum here in your own hometown!’

²⁴ Then he said to them:

‘I tell you the truth when I say that no Prophet is ever accepted in his own hometown. ²⁵ Therefore, although it’s a fact that there were many widows in IsraEl back in the days of EliJah (back when the skies were closed up for 3-1/2 years, causing a terrible famine in the land) ²⁶ EliJah wasn’t sent to any of them. Rather, he was just sent to a widow in the land of Sidon.

²⁷ ‘And although there were many lepers in IsraEl during the time of the Prophet EliSha, the only one who was cleansed was NaAman – a Syrian.’

²⁸ Well, this made everyone who heard him say this in the synagogue very angry, ²⁹ so they got up and pushed him outside to the edge of the mountain upon which the city was built, and they wanted to throw him down headfirst!

³⁰ But he just walked through their midst and continued on his way.³¹ From there, he went on to CapharNaum (a city in Galilee), where he again taught on the Sabbath. ³² And those [people] were amazed by his way of teaching, because he spoke with such great authority.

³³ There he found a man in that synagogue [who was possessed by] an unclean demon.

And [the demon] shouted at him:

³⁴ ‘Ah! What dealings do we have with you, Yeshua… You Nazarene? Did you come here to destroy us?

‘I know exactly who you are; [You’re] the Holy One of God!’

³⁵ But Yeshua scolded it saying:

‘Put a muzzle on it and come out of him!’

So the demon threw the man down in their midst, then it came out without hurting him.

³⁶ Well, everyone was astonished and they all started speaking to each other and asking:

‘What kind of talk is this? He gives orders to unclean spirits with authority and power, and out they come!’

³⁷ So the news about him was echoed everywhere throughout that entire region.

³⁸ Then, after he left that synagogue, he went to Simon’s house. And there, Simon’s mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, so they asked him to help her. ³⁹ Therefore, he stood over her and scolded the fever, and it left her... Then she got right up and started serving him!

⁴⁰ Well after sunset, all those who had people who were sick with various infirmities brought them to him, and he laid his hands on each one and cured them all.

⁴¹ Demons also came out of many of them, shouting:

‘You’re the Son of The God!’

But because they knew that he was the Anointed One, he scolded them and he wouldn’t allow them to speak.⁴² Then the next day, he walked out by himself to an isolated place. So the crowds started searching for him, and when they finally found him, they tried to keep him from leaving.

⁴³ But he told them:

‘I must preach the good news of the Kingdom of God to other cities… That’s why I was sent here.’

⁴⁴ So thereafter, he preached in the synagogues throughout all of Galilee.

Luke 5

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¹ Well, there was an occasion when people were crowded very close to [Yeshua] as they listened to the word of God. And at that time, he happened to be standing beside Lake GenNesaret.

² So, noticing two boats that were docked at the lakeside where the fishermen had gotten out and were washing off their nets, ³ [Yeshua] got into one of the boats that belonged to Simon, and he asked him to pull out a short distance from the land.

Then he sat down and he started teaching the crowds from the boat. ⁴ And when he finished speaking, he said to Simon:

‘Now, pull out to where it’s deep and let down your nets for a catch.’

⁵ But Simon replied:

‘Lord, we worked all night long and we didn’t catch anything.

‘However, because you asked, I’ll lower the nets.’

⁶ Well when they did this, they netted a huge number of fish. In fact, their nets started to rip! ⁷ So they waved to their partners in another boat to come and help. And when they got there, they filled both boats to the point where they were about to sink!

⁸ Well upon seeing this, Simon (Peter) fell down at Yeshua’s knees and said:

‘Get away from me, because I’m a sinful man, O Lord!’

⁹ [He said this] because when they’d brought in so many fish, Simon and those who were with him were amazed and overwhelmed… ¹⁰ As were his partners James and John (the sons of Zebedaiou).

But Yeshua said to Simon:

‘Stop being afraid! For from now on, you’re going to be catching men!’

¹¹ So then they rowed their boats back to land and they just walked away from everything to follow him.¹² On another occasion, while he was in one of the cities, {Look!} there was a man who was full of leprosy. And when he saw Yeshua, he fell to his face and begged:

‘Lord; if you just want to, you can make me clean!’

¹³ So [Yeshua] stuck out his hand and touched him, saying:

‘I want to… Be clean!’

And immediately, the leprosy left the man!

¹⁴ Thereafter, he ordered the man not to tell anyone about this. He just said:

‘Go and show yourself to the Priests and give an offering for your cleansing as a witness to them, just as Moses commanded.’

¹⁵ However, word about him kept spreading, and huge crowds would assemble – both to listen, and to be cured of their illnesses. ¹⁶ As a result, [Yeshua] had to go out into the desert to even pray.¹⁷ Well, several days later, while he was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of the Law were there [sitting among a crowd] of people who had come from every village of Galilee, Judea, and from JeruSalem, because [Yeshua] was healing by the power of Yahweh.

¹⁸ Then {Look!} some men arrived that were carrying a paralyzed man who was lying on a cot, and they were trying to find a way to bring the man to [Yeshua]. ¹⁹ But because they couldn’t get through the crowd, they climbed up on the roof and lowered the little cot through the tiles, down in front of Yeshua.

²⁰ And when he saw their faith, he said:

‘Man – your sins are forgiven!’

²¹ Well at that, the Scribes and Pharisees started asking each other:

‘Just who is this who talks so blasphemously?

‘Who can forgive sins other than The God?’

²² But Yeshua recognized what they were thinking and he asked them:

‘What are you concluding in your hearts? ²³ Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or, ‘Get up and walk’?

²⁴ ‘But, just so you’ll know that the Son of Man has the authority to forgive sins on the earth...’

He then said to the paralyzed man:

‘I tell you: Get up, pick up your little cot, and go home!’

²⁵ And at that, the man stood right up before them all, then he picked up the [cot] that he’d been lying on and went home, glorifying The God.

²⁶ Well, everyone was delighted and they all started glorifying The God. But they were also frightened and said:

‘We’ve seen some very strange things today!’

²⁷ Then sometime later, [Yeshua] went out and happened to notice a tax collector named Levi sitting in the tax office, and he said to him:

‘Come be my follower!’

²⁸ Well, [Levi] got right up, and leaving everything behind, he started following him.

²⁹ Then that evening, Levi held a big reception feast for [Yeshua] in his home, where a large crowd of tax collectors and others were reclining with him at the meal. ³⁰ So the Pharisees and their Scribes started complaining to the disciples, asking:

‘Why is he eating and drinking with the tax collectors and sinners?’

³¹ But Yeshua told them:

‘Those who are healthy don’t need a doctor, only the sick do.

³² So I came to call sinners to repentance, not righteous people.’

³³ Then later on, they said this to him:

‘Why is it that, although John’s disciples and those of the Pharisees fast frequently in order to make requests [of God], your [disciples] just go on eating and drinking?’

³⁴ And Yeshua told them:

‘Friends of the bridegroom can’t be expected to fast while the groom is with them, can they? ³⁵ But the days will surely come when the groom will be taken away; and that’s when they’ll fast.’

³⁶ Then he gave them this illustration:

‘No one cuts a patch from new cloth,

To repair a rip in old clothes.

For if they do, the patch will rip out…

And the new patch won’t match the old anyhow.

³⁷ ‘And they don’t put new wine in old wineskins.

For new wine will burst the old skins,

Breaking the skins and spilling the wine…

³⁸ So, new wine is put in new wineskins.

³⁹ And anyone who’s tasted the old wine,

Doesn’t want the new anyway...

For they say that the old [wine] is better!’

Luke 6

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¹ Now, [Yeshua] happened to be walking through some grain fields on a Sabbath and his disciples had been picking the grain, rubbing it in their hands, and eating it.

² So some of the Pharisees asked him:

‘Why are they doing something that isn’t legal on the Sabbath?’

³ And Yeshua replied:

‘Haven’t you ever read how David did the same thing when he and his men got hungry… ⁴ How he went into the Temple of God and ate the presentation bread, sharing some with his men… Something that isn’t legal for anyone to eat other than the Priests?’

⁵ Then he added:

‘The Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath!’

⁶ And on another Sabbath, he again went into the synagogue and started teaching.

Well, there he found a man whose right hand was withered, ⁷ and the Scribes and Pharisees were watching [Yeshua] closely to see if he would cure him on the Sabbath, so they could accuse him of some wrongdoing.

⁸ However, because [Yeshua] knew what they were thinking, he said to the man with the withered hand:

‘Get up and go stand in the center [of the room].’

So [the man went over there] and stood. ⁹  Then Yeshua asked them all:

‘Is it legal to do good or bad, or to save a life or destroy it on the Sabbath?’

¹⁰ And after looking around at everyone, he said to the man:

‘Now, stretch out your hand.’

And when he did, his hand was healed!

¹¹ Nevertheless, [the Scribes and Pharisees] went into a rage and they started talking to each other about what they could do to Yeshua.

¹² It was also about this time that Yeshua went up a mountain to pray, and he spent the whole night there in prayer to God. ¹³ Then the next day, he called his disciples to him and chose 12 of them whom he started calling Apostles [meaning, Sent Ones].

¹⁴ There was:

• Simon (whom he also named Peter) and,

• his brother Andrew, as well as...

• James,

• John,

• Philip,

• BarTholomew [or, NathaniEl],

• ¹⁵ Matthew,

• Thomas,

• James, [the son] of AlphaEus,

• Simon (who’s called the zealous one),

• ¹⁶ Judas [ThadDaeus, the son] of James, and

• Judas IsCariot (who turned traitor).

¹⁷ Well, after they came down [the mountain], he found a level spot where a large group of his disciples, as well as a huge crowd of people from Judea, JeruSalem, and the seaside areas of Tyre and Sidon came to listen to him and to be healed of their illnesses.

¹⁸ And there, as many people who were bothered by unclean spirits were being healed, ¹⁹ everyone else in the crowd was trying to touch him. So power flowed from him, and he healed them all.

²⁰ Then he looked at his disciples and he said this to them:

‘Blest are the poor, for theirs is the Kingdom of God;

²¹ Blest are the hungry, for they’ll be filled;

And blest are those who are crying,

For they’ll find reasons to laugh.

²² ‘You’re blest whenever men hate you

And don’t wish to be among you;

Or when they say bad things about you

And call you wicked for the Son of Man’s sake.

²³ ‘In that day, be happy and jump for joy,

For {Look!} your reward in the heavens is great,

Since these are the very same things

That their fathers used to say of the Prophets.

²⁴ ‘But, woe to those who are rich,

For they won’t receive any comfort.

²⁵ And woe to those with full [stomachs],

For they’ll be the ones going hungry.

‘Also, woe to those who are laughing,

Because they’ll be crying and mourning.

²⁶ And woe when people say nice things about you,

For that’s what their fathers said of false prophets.

²⁷ ‘I say this to all that will listen:

‘Show love for those who oppose you,

And do good to all those who hate you.

²⁸ Yes, praise the ones who would curse you,

And pray for those who insult you.

²⁹ ‘If someone should slap you on [the right] cheek,

Turn [your left] to him also.

And if someone should take all your clothes,

Offer your underwear too.

³⁰ ‘Yes, to each one who asks, you should give,

And don’t tell them that they must repay…

³¹ Treat others as you wish to be treated!

³² ‘And if you love just those who love you,

What kind of good are you doing?

Even sinners love those who love them.

³³ ‘Also, if you’re just good to those who do good for you,

What kind of kindness are you showing?

Even sinners will do that same thing.

³⁴ ‘And if you choose to lend without interest

To those whom you know will repay you,

What kind of good deed are you doing?

For, sinners lend to sinners without interest

When they know that they’ll be paid back.

³⁵ ‘So love those [that hate you] and do what’s good,

And lend without hope of return;

Then you’ll receive a better reward…

You’ll be the sons of the Most High,

Who is kind to even the ungrateful…

³⁶ Yes, show mercy as your Father shows mercy.

³⁷ ‘Don’t judge [others], so you won’t be judged…

Don’t condemn, and you won’t be condemned…

Set free, and you’ll be set free.

³⁸ ‘Give to others and you’ll receive…

They’ll give you a generous portion,

Overflowing and tightly packed down.

For the amount that you measure [to others]

Is the amount that they’ll measure to you.’

³⁹ Then he spoke these parables to them:

‘If a blind man leads another who’s blind,

Won’t both fall into a pit?

⁴⁰ ‘A disciple isn’t over his teacher,

But those who learn [from their teachers]

Will then become like their teachers.

⁴¹ ‘Why look for chaff in your brother’s eye,

When you can’t see the rafter in yours?

⁴² For, how can you say to your brother:

‘Let me remove that [chaff] from your eye...’

‘When you can’t see the rafter in yours?

‘Hypocrite!

‘First remove the rafter from your own eye,

And then you’ll be able to see clearly

How to take the [chaff] from your brother’s eye.

⁴³ ‘A good tree doesn’t produce rotten fruit

And a rotten tree doesn’t give good fruit…

⁴⁴ So all trees are known by their fruit.

As you don’t pick figs from the briers,

And you don’t cut grapes from thorn bushes.

⁴⁵ ‘So a good man brings good from the good in his heart,

While the wicked bring bad things from theirs;

For their mouths speak from all the badness

That they’ve treasured within their hearts.

⁴⁶ ‘And why cry out to me, ‘O Lord, O Lord,’

If you don’t do the things that I say?

⁴⁷ Those who come here to listen and do as I say

⁴⁸ Are like the man who dug down to rock

To lay the foundation for his house.

So when floods and the river washed on it,

It stood, because it was built upon rock.

⁴⁹ ‘But those who don’t listen and do as I say

Are like the man who built his house on the sand.

So when the river washed on it,

It collapsed, resulting in damage.’

Luke 7

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¹ Well, after he’d finished saying all these things within earshot of the people, he traveled on to CapharNaum. ² And there, a [Roman] centurion who had a trusted servant that was sick and near death ³ sent some Judean elders to ask him to come and save his slave’s life (for he’d heard about Yeshua).

⁴ So they quickly went to Yeshua and begged him, saying:

‘[The centurion] is worthy of your doing this for him, ⁵ because he loves our nation and he built a synagogue for us!’

⁶ So Yeshua went off with them. But he wasn’t very far from the house when the centurion sent his friends to say:

‘Sir, don’t bother [coming here], because I’m unfit to have you under my roof. ⁷ It’s only because I consider myself so unworthy that I didn’t come to you personally.

‘Just say the word and [I know that] my servant will be healed. ⁸ For I’m also a man who is given authority, since I have soldiers under me. So if I tell this one to leave, he leaves, and if I tell that one to come, he comes… Whatever I tell my servants to do, they do.’

⁹ Well when Yeshua heard this, he was amazed, and he turned to the crowd that was following him and said:

‘I tell you – I haven’t found this much faith anywhere in IsraEl!’

¹⁰ And then, after the friends that he sent returned to the man’s house, they found his slave to be in good health.¹¹ Well from there, Yeshua traveled with his disciples and quite a crowd to a city called Nain. ¹² And as he was approaching the city gate, {Look!} he saw that they were carrying out [the body] of a man who’d just died… The only son of a woman who was a widow, and she was being followed by a large crowd [of mourners].

¹³ So when the Lord saw her, he was moved with pity and he said to her:

‘Stop crying.’

¹⁴ Then he went over and touched the open casket; and at that, the pallbearers stopped. And Yeshua said:

‘Young man – I tell you to get up!’

¹⁵ Well, the man who had been dead then sat up and started talking… And so [Yeshua] gave him to his mother.

¹⁶ Of course, everyone was startled by this, and they all started glorifying God, saying:

‘A great Prophet has been raised among us,’

and,

‘God has started paying attention to His people!’

¹⁷ So thereafter, the news about him was spread throughout all of Judea and all the lands roundabout.¹⁸ Meanwhile, John’s disciples had been reporting back to him about the things that were happening. ¹⁹ So John called two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord to ask:

‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’

²⁰ And when they got to [Yeshua], the men told him:

‘John the Immerser sent us to ask if you’re the Anointed One, or if we’re to expect someone else?’

²¹ Well, during that same hour, Yeshua cured many people who were ill or in great pain or had wicked spirits, and he granted many blind people the gift of vision. ²² And after that, he said this [to John’s disciples]:

‘Now, go back and report what you’ve seen and heard to John. [Tell him that] the blind are seeing, the lame are walking, lepers are being cleansed, the deaf are hearing, the dead are being raised, and the poor are hearing the good news…

²³ ‘So, the one who isn’t stumbled by me will be blest.’

²⁴ Well, after John’s messengers left, he asked the crowd this about John:

‘What did you go to the desert to see…

Reeds being blown in the wind?

²⁵ Yes, what did you go out to see…

A man who’s dressed in soft clothes?

Those who dress and live well,

Are the ones who are living in mansions.

²⁶ ‘So, what did you go out to see… A Prophet?

Yes, and I say, much more than a Prophet,

²⁷ For, he’s the one of whom it was written:

‘{Look!} I will send My messenger before him,

To prepare the road that he’ll travel.’

[Malachi 3:1]

²⁸ ‘So I tell you this:

‘Of all those born of a woman,

None have been greater than John.

Yet the least in the Kingdom of God

Will be greater than him.’

²⁹ Well, when all the common people and the tax collectors heard this, they praised God’s righteousness, because they’d all been immersed with John’s immersion. ³⁰ But the Pharisees and those who were trained in the Law disregarded this counsel from God, and they didn’t go out to be immersed by John.

³¹ [So, Yeshua said this to them]:

‘To what can I compare this people…

Yes, what are they really like?

³² They’re like children that play in the markets

And shout at each other and say:

We played the flute, but you didn’t dance…

We wailed, but you didn’t cry.

³³ ‘For when John the Immerser arrived,

He didn’t feast or drink any wine…

Yet you said that he had a demon!

³⁴ ‘But when the Son of Man arrived here,

Eating well and drinking the wine,

You called him an alcoholic and glutton…

A friend to tax collectors and sinners!

³⁵ ‘But wisdom is proven righteous by its results.’

³⁶ Thereafter, one of the Pharisees invited [Yeshua] to dine with him, so he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at his table.

³⁷ But {Look!} a woman of the city (a known sinner), who had learned that [Yeshua] was going to recline for a meal in the house of the Pharisee, brought in an alabaster jar of perfumed ointment... ³⁸ And she reclined behind him at his feet and started weeping and wetting his feet with her tears, then wiping them dry with her hair, as she tenderly kissed his feet and greased them with the perfumed ointment.

³⁹ Well, when the Pharisee that invited him saw this, he thought to himself:

‘If this man was truly a Prophet, he’d know who it is and just what kind of woman is touching him… She’s a sinner!’

⁴⁰ Then Yeshua said to him:

‘Simon, I have something to tell you.’

And [Simon] replied:

‘Go ahead and tell it, Teacher!’

[And Yeshua said:]

⁴¹ ‘There were two men who each owed money to a certain lender... One was in debt for 500 silver coins, and the other for 50. ⁴² Well, when neither one could pay him back, he freely forgave them both.

‘So, which one will love him more?’

⁴³ Then Simon answered:

‘I guess it’s the one he forgave the most.’

And [Yeshua] said:

‘You judged correctly.’

⁴⁴ Then Yeshua turned and looked at the woman, and he said to Simon:

‘Do you see this woman?

‘When I entered your house, you didn’t give me any water for my feet… Yet this woman wet my feet with her tears, and she wiped them dry with her hair!

⁴⁵ ‘And you didn’t greet me with a kiss… Yet from the time that I entered, this woman has been tenderly kissing my feet.

⁴⁶ ‘You didn’t grease my head with oil either… Yet this woman greased my feet with perfumed ointment.

⁴⁷ ‘So I tell you: Although she has many sins, they are forgiven because she showed a lot of love. However, those who haven’t been forgiven for much, don’t love as much.’

⁴⁸ Then he told her:

‘Your sins are forgiven.’

⁴⁹ Well at that, those who were reclining at the table with him started wondering within themselves:

‘Just who is this man who [thinks he can] even forgive sins?’

⁵⁰ But he said to the woman:

‘Your faith has saved you. Go your own way in peace.’

Luke 8

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¹ Well after that, [Yeshua] started traveling from city to city and village to village with the twelve [disciples], preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God.

² Also [traveling with him] were some women whom [he’d] cured of wicked spirits and illnesses. There was Mary (whom is called the Magdalean) from whom 7 demons had come out, ³ Joanna the wife of Chuza (Herod’s top aid), as well as Susanna and many others that were serving his needs from their possessions.

⁴ Well when a large crowd had gathered along with those who were traveling with him from city to city, he spoke to them using this parable:

⁵ ‘A farmer went out to plant seeds.

‘And as he was planting, some fell by the road,

Which were walked on, and birds came to eat them.

⁶ ‘Others fell among rocks,

Where they dried up after they sprouted,

Because there was too little water.

⁷ ‘Still others fell among thorns,

Which grew and then choked them out.

⁸ ‘But some fell on the good soil and grew,

Producing fruit 100 times more.’

And after he said this, he shouted:

‘Let those who have ears to hear, listen to me!’

⁹ Well, his disciples later asked him what this parable meant. ¹⁰ So he said:

‘While you’ve been allowed to understand the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, the rest of these people just hear the stories. So when they look, they look in vain, and when they hear, they don’t understand.

¹¹ ‘Now, the illustration means this:

‘The seeds are the word of God.

¹² ‘Those [that fall] by the road are people who listen, but then the Slanderer comes and snatches the word from their hearts, so they don’t believe and come to salvation.

¹³ ‘Those which fall on the rocks are the ones who hear and welcome the word with joy... But because they don’t have any roots, they only believe for a season. So, when a time of testing comes along, they fall away.

¹⁴ ‘As for those which fall among the thorns... These are the ones who’ve heard, but because of their daily concerns such as [seeking] wealth and the pleasures of living, they’re choked out and fail to produce any fruit.

¹⁵ ‘However, [those which fall] on the good soil have good and pure hearts. And after hearing the Word, they remember it and keep on bearing fruit.

¹⁶ ‘Understand that nobody lights a lamp and then covers it with a pot, or hides it under a bed… They put it on a lampstand so that those who step in can see by the light.

¹⁷ ‘So there’s nothing hidden that won’t be shown,

Or nothing covered that won’t be known,

And then brought out in the light.

¹⁸ ‘So pay attention to the way that you listen...

For those who have will be given more.

But as for those who have nothing,

What they think they have will be taken away from them.’

¹⁹ It was then that [Yeshua’s] mother and brothers came to see him, but they were unable to reach him because of the crowd.

²⁰ So someone came up to him and said:

‘Your mother and brothers are waiting outside and [they] want to see you.’

²¹ But he replied:

‘My mother and brothers are these that hear the word of God and obey it.’

²² Well, some days later, [Yeshua] and his disciples got into a boat, and he said to them:

‘Let’s cross over to the other side of the lake.’

So they set off... ²³ And as they were sailing along, he fell asleep.

But then a violent windstorm came down on the lake, and the boat started taking on water, putting them in a dangerous situation.

²⁴ So [the disciples] went over and woke Yeshua up and said:

‘Lord… Lord… We’re about to drown!’

Then when he awoke, he scolded the wind and the raging water, which made things suddenly become very calm and peaceful.

²⁵ And then he asked them:

‘Where is your faith?’

Well, they were frightened and awestruck [by what had happened], and they started asking each other:

‘Who really is this? For he even orders the wind and waves and they obey him!’

²⁶ Then from there, they sailed on to the country of the GeraSenes, which is on the shore directly across from Galilee.

²⁷ And when he stepped out on land, a demonized man came from the city to meet him. This man hadn’t worn clothing for some time, and he didn’t live in a house, for he stayed among the tombs.

²⁸ And when he saw Yeshua, he screamed and fell down in front of him, shouting:

‘What dealings do I have with you, Yeshua, you Son of the Most High God?

I beg you… Don’t torment me!’

²⁹ ([He said this, because Yeshua] had ordered the unclean spirit to come out of the man).

[This man had been] arrested repeatedly, then bound with chains and leg irons and put under guard... But he would break the chains, and the demons forced him to [live in] such isolated places.

³⁰ So Yeshua asked him:

‘What’s your name?’

And they replied:

‘Legion’ (because many demons had entered him).

³¹ And they kept begging him not to order them to go away into the abyss.

³² Well at the time, a large herd of pigs happened to be feeding there on the mountain; so they begged [Yeshua] to allow them to go into [the pigs]… And he gave them permission.

³³ Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the whole herd ran down a steep drop-off into the lake and drowned!

³⁴ Well, when the herders saw this, they ran and reported what had happened throughout the whole city and countryside. ³⁵ As a result, the people all came to see this. When they got to Yeshua, they found the man whom the demons had left now wearing clothes and in his right mind – [sitting] there at Yeshua’s feet… And this frightened them.

³⁶ Then those who had witnessed what had happened explained to the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. ³⁷ And the huge number [of people] who had come from the surrounding area started begging [Yeshua] to leave them, because they were so frightened!

So, he stepped back into the boat to return [to the other side of the lake].

³⁸ However, the man whom the demons had left started begging [Yeshua] to let him go back with him. But he sent the man away, saying:

³⁹ ‘Just go home and tell everyone about all the things that God has done for you.’

So the man went back and spread the word about what Yeshua had done throughout the whole city.⁴⁰ Meanwhile, a crowd was waiting for Yeshua when he got back [to the other side], because they were all expecting him.

⁴¹ And {Look!} a man named JaiRus (who was a presiding officer of the [local] synagogue) came to him and fell at Yeshua’s feet, begging him to come to his home, ⁴² because his only daughter (who was about 12 years old) was dying.

Well, as he was on his way [to the man’s house], the people were all crowded closely around him, ⁴³ and a woman who had [been experiencing] a blood flow for some 12 years (which no one had been able to cure) ⁴⁴ came up behind him and touched the fringe of his robe… And her flow of blood stopped instantly!

⁴⁵ So Yeshua asked:

‘Who touched me?’

Well, everyone denied it. And Peter said:

‘Master, there’s a whole crowd of people around you [and they’re all] touching you!’

⁴⁶ But Yeshua said:

‘Someone else touched me, because I felt the power flowing out of me.’

⁴⁷ So, seeing that [what she did] didn’t go unnoticed, the woman came up and fell down in front of Yeshua trembling, then she told everyone why she touched him and of how she’d been healed instantly.

⁴⁸ So [Yeshua] said to her:

‘Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go your own way in peace.’

⁴⁹ Then as he was still talking, someone came up beside the presiding officer of the synagogue and said:

‘Your daughter has died, so don’t bother the teacher anymore.’

⁵⁰ But when he heard this, Yeshua said to the man:

‘Don’t be afraid; just have faith and she’ll be saved.’

⁵¹ Well when he got to the man’s house, he wouldn’t let anyone go inside with him other than Peter, John, James, and the girl’s father and mother. ⁵² Meanwhile, [outside] the people were all crying and beating themselves in grief over her. So he said to them:

‘Stop crying! The girl isn’t dead, she’s just sleeping.’

⁵³ Then they all started laughing at him, because they all knew that she’d died. ⁵⁴ But thereafter, he went inside and took her by the hand and called her, saying:

‘Child, get up!’

⁵⁵ And at that, she started breathing and she stood up! Then he ordered that she be given something to eat.

⁵⁶ Well, they were beside themselves [with joy]… But he warned them not to tell anyone what happened.

Luke 9

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¹ Sometime later, he brought the 12 [disciples] to him and gave them power and authority over the demons and [the power] to cure illnesses! ² Then he sent them off to preach about the Kingdom of God and to do healing.

³ He told them:

‘Don’t carry anything with you… Not a staff, or a food pouch, or bread, or silver, or even two pairs of underwear! ⁴ But, wherever you enter a home, lodge there and go out [to preach].

⁵ ‘And wherever people fail to welcome you, just shake the dust off your feet as you’re leaving that city, as a witness against them.’

⁶ So they left and traveled throughout all the villages, declaring the good news and curing people everywhere.⁷ Meanwhile, Herod (the district ruler) had heard about everything that was happening, and he was bothered by doubts. You see, some people were saying that [Yeshua] was actually John raised from the dead, ⁸ while others were saying that EliJah had appeared, and still others were saying that he was one of the ancient Prophets that had risen.

⁹ But Herod was wondering:

‘Since I beheaded John, who’s this man whom I’m hearing all this about?’

So he looked for an opportunity to see [Yeshua].¹⁰ Well, after the Apostles had returned [from their preaching], they told [Yeshua] about all that they’d done. Then he took them along with him to a place where they could be alone, close to a city called BethSaida.

¹¹ However, when the crowds learned where he was going, they followed him… But he kindly welcomed them and started speaking to them about the Kingdom of God, as he healed those who needed a cure.

¹² Well, as the day was drawing to a close, the 12 came to him and said:

‘You should dismiss the crowd so they can go into the villages and surrounding countryside to find provisions and a place to rest, because this is a very desolate place.’

¹³ But he said:

‘Why don’t you give them something to eat?’

But they replied:

‘We don’t have anything… Other than five loaves [of bread] and two fish. Should we go out and buy food for all these people? ¹⁴ There are about 5,000 of them!’

But he told his disciples:

‘Have them recline as they do at meals in rows of about 50 each.’

¹⁵ So [the Apostles] did this, and everyone reclined on the ground.

¹⁶ Then he took the five [loaves of] bread and the two fish, and after looking up to the heavens, he spoke a blessing over them, broke them up, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.

¹⁷ Then everyone ate until they were satisfied… And [afterward], they picked up 12 baskets of leftovers!¹⁸ Well later, as he was praying in a quiet spot, his disciples came to him and he asked them:

‘Who are the crowds saying that I am?’

¹⁹ And they replied:

‘Some are saying that you’re John the Immerser, others are saying that you’re EliJah, while others are saying that you’re one of the ancient Prophets who’s been raised [from the dead].’

²⁰ Then he asked:

‘You though... Who do you say I am?’

And Peter replied:

‘[You’re] God’s Anointed One.’

²¹ And at that, he firmly instructed them not to say this to anyone. ²² Then he told them this:

‘The Son of Man must suffer many things… He will be rejected by the elders, Chief Priests, and Scribes, and he will be killed.

‘But on the third day, he will wake up.’

²³ And after that, he said this [to all of his followers]:

‘If you wish to follow me, you must set aside everything else that you want, then pick up your own execution pole every day and walk behind me.

²⁴ ‘For those who wish to save their lives will lose them,

While those who lose their lives for my sake will save them.

²⁵ ‘Indeed, what profit is there for a man who gains the whole world, just to lose it or to be destroyed?

²⁶ ‘Yet if anyone is ashamed of me and what I’m saying, then the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he arrives in his glory and in the glory of the Father and His holy messengers.

²⁷ ‘And I tell you the truth: some [of you who are] standing here won’t even taste death before you’ve seen the Kingdom of God!’

²⁸ Well, just as he said, this is what happened about eight days later:

He’d taken Peter, John, and James up on a mountain to pray... ²⁹ And as he was praying, his face changed and his clothes started to glow!

³⁰ Then {Look!} two men appeared and started talking to him… It was Moses and EliJah! ³¹ (They could recognize them.) And these men started talking [with Yeshua] about his departure that was about to be fulfilled in JeruSalem.

³² Until then, Peter and the others had been very sleepy. But when they saw his glory and the two men standing with him, they were suddenly wide-awake! ³³ And through the separation between them, Peter said to Yeshua:

‘Master, it’s good for us to be here, so let us erect three temporary structures… One for you, one for Moses, and one for EliJah!’

But he really didn’t know what he was saying. ³⁴ And just as he said that, a cloud formed and started to cover them... Then [Moses and EliJah] disappeared into the cloud, which frightened [the Apostles].

³⁵ And a voice came from the cloud that said:

‘This is My Son… The one whom I’ve chosen. Listen to him!’

³⁶ Well, after they heard the voice, they suddenly saw Yeshua standing all by himself! But back then, they didn’t say anything or tell anyone about the things that they saw.³⁷ Then the next day, as they were descending the mountain, they were met by a huge crowd.

³⁸ And {Look!} a man shouted from the crowd:

‘Teacher! I beg you to take a look at my son, for he’s the only one I have!

³⁹ ‘Look! A spirit comes over him and he screams... Then it throws him into convulsions and he foams [at the mouth]. And although it stops after that, it leaves him all bruised!

⁴⁰ ‘I begged your disciples to throw it out, but they couldn’t do it!’

⁴¹ So Yeshua said:

‘O faithless and twisted people! How much longer must I stay among you and put up with you?

‘Bring your son over here!’

⁴² However, just as [the son] was approaching, the demon threw him to the ground and forced him into a violent convulsion. But Yeshua scolded the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father… And everyone was astonished by the majestic power of God.

⁴³ Well, his disciples were stunned by all the things that [Yeshua] was doing, but then he said to them:

⁴⁴ ‘Let these words live in your ears:

‘The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men!’

⁴⁵ However, they still didn’t understand what he was saying. In fact, it was hidden from them so they couldn’t understand, and they were afraid to ask him anything more.⁴⁶ But then later, [the Apostles] started wondering which of them would be the greatest. ⁴⁷ And because Yeshua knew what they were thinking in their hearts, he took a little boy and sat him down next to him, ⁴⁸ then he said:

‘Whoever welcomes this young child in my name, welcomes me. And whoever welcomes me, welcomes the One who sent me.

‘Therefore, the one who acts as the least one among you will be the greatest.’

⁴⁹ In reply, John said:

‘Master, we saw a man casting out demons by using your name and we tried to stop him, because he isn’t one of us!’

⁵⁰ But Yeshua said to him:

‘Don’t try to stop him, because those who aren’t against you, are for you!’

⁵¹ Now, since the number of days before he was going to be lifted up were about to run out, Yeshua became firm in his resolve to go up to JeruSalem. ⁵² So he sent messengers ahead of him, and they entered a Samaritan village in order to prepare [for his arrival].

⁵³ However, [the people there told them] that he wasn’t welcome if he was headed towards JeruSalem! ⁵⁴ And when the Disciples James and John [heard about] this, they asked Yeshua:

‘Lord, do you want us to call fire down from the sky to wipe them out?’

⁵⁵ But he turned and scolded them, and said, You don’t know what kind of spirit you are. ⁵⁶ For the Son of man didn’t come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. [spurious words] and they traveled on to another village.

⁵⁷ Well, as they were traveling along the road, someone said to [Yeshua]:

‘Lord, I’ll follow you wherever you go!’

⁵⁸ And Yeshua told him:

‘Foxes have burrows, and [birds] in the skies have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’

⁵⁹ Well after that, he invited someone else to become his follower. But the man replied:

‘First let me go and bury my father.’

⁶⁰ And [Yeshua] told him:

‘Let the dead bury their own dead! You should go out and preach about the Kingdom of God!’

⁶¹ Then another one came up and said:

‘I’ll follow you Lord… But first let me say goodbye to those in my home.’

⁶² However, Yeshua told him:

‘No one who looks back after he puts his hands to a plow is well suited for the Kingdom of God.’

Luke 10

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¹ Well after that, the Lord appointed 70 others that he sent out ahead of him in pairs into every city and place that he was going to go.

² And he told them:

‘There’s a huge harvest, but there aren’t enough workers. So, beg the Master of the harvest to force more workers to do the harvesting.

³ ‘Now, get going!

‘Look; I’m sending you out as lambs among wolves. ⁴ Therefore, don’t carry a bag of money or a food pouch or sandals, and don’t [stop to] greet people along the road.

⁵ ‘Then as you enter each house you should say:

‘May this house have peace.’

⁶ ‘And if a son of peace lives there, your peace will rest upon him… But if not, it’ll return to you. ⁷ So, stay in that house and eat and drink the things that they provide, because a worker deserves his wages… Don’t keep moving from one house to another.

⁸ ‘Also, whenever you enter a city and they welcome you, eat whatever they set before you, ⁹ then cure their sick and tell them that the Kingdom of God is near!

¹⁰ ‘But whenever you enter a city and they fail to welcome you, go into its main streets and say:

¹¹ ‘We’re wiping off the dust that got stuck on our feet in this city – and giving it all back to you!’

‘Remember this: The Kingdom of God is really near!

¹² ‘And I tell you – it’ll be easier for Sodom to endure [the Judgment] day than for such a city to do so!

¹³ ‘So, woe to you ChoraZin! And woe to you BethSaida! For if the powerful deeds that happened in you had also happened in Tyre and Sidon, they’d have repented in sackcloth and ashes a long time ago. ¹⁴ This is why it’ll be easier for Tyre and Sidon to endure the Judgment Day than for you.

¹⁵ ‘And you, O CapharNaum; will you be lifted into the heavens? [No,] you’ll go down to the place of the dead!

¹⁶ ‘Understand that those who listen to you’re also listening to me, and those who ignore you are also ignoring me… And those who ignore me are ignoring the One who sent me.’

¹⁷ Well, when the 70 whom Yeshua had sent out in pairs finally returned, they joyfully said to him:

‘Lord, even the demons obeyed us when we used your name!’

¹⁸ And he replied:

‘I was watching the Opposer falling like lightning from the sky! ¹⁹ For I’ve given you the authority to walk on serpents, scorpions, and on the power of the enemy… And nothing will harm you!

²⁰ ‘However, don’t be joyful because [evil] spirits obeyed you; be joyful that your names have now been written in the heavens!’

²¹ Then the Holy Breath caused him to shout out joyfully:

‘I publicly praise You Father, Lord of the heavens and the earth, because You’ve hidden these things from the wise and understanding, and You’ve uncovered them to infants.

‘Yes Father; this is why such clear reasoning was approved by You.

²² ‘Now my Father has given me everything! For nobody knows the Son as well as the Father, [and nobody knows] the Father as well as the Son… And to whoever the Son wants to reveal Him.’

²³ Then with that, he turned to his disciples and spoke to them privately, saying:

‘The eyes that are seeing the things that you’re seeing, are blest; ²⁴ for I tell you that many prophets and kings wished to see the things that you’re seeing, but didn’t see them, and to hear the things that you’re hearing, but didn’t hear them.’

²⁵ {Look!} Then a man who knew the Law very well stood up [in the crowd], and to test [Yeshua], he asked:

‘Teacher, what must I do to inherit age-long life?’

²⁶ And [Yeshua] replied:

‘What’s written in the Law… What have you read there?’

²⁷ Then the man said:

‘You must love Yahweh your God with your whole heart, soul, strength, and mind, and you must love your neighbor as yourself.’ [combination of Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and 34]

²⁸ And [Yeshua] replied:

‘That’s the right answer. Keep on doing that and you’ll live.’

²⁹ But [because the man] wanted to show how righteous he was, he asked Yeshua:

‘Well then, just who really is my neighbor?’

³⁰ And this is how Yeshua replied:

‘A man was traveling from JeruSalem to JeriCho when he was jumped by some robbers. They stripped him, beat him up, and left him for dead.

³¹ ‘Well, it so happened that a Priest was traveling along the same road. But when he saw [the injured man], he passed on the opposite side.

³² ‘In the same way, when a Levite reached that place and saw him, he too passed on the opposite side.

³³ ‘However, when a Samaritan came along and saw him, he felt pity for him. ³⁴ So he got down and poured oil and wine on his wounds and bandaged them. Then he mounted the man on his own animal and carried him to an inn, where he cared for him.

³⁵ ‘And the next day, he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, and told him:

‘Attend to this man, and I’ll repay you for all that you spend beyond this when I return.’

³⁶ ‘Now, which of the three men seems to have made himself a neighbor to the person who had been jumped by the robbers?’

³⁷ And the [young man] answered:

‘The one who showed mercy to him.’

Then Yeshua said:

‘Go your way and do the same thing.’

³⁸ Now, as they were traveling along, they entered a certain village where there was a woman named Martha, who welcomed him into her home. ³⁹ This woman had a sister named Mary, who then sat down at the feet of the Lord and listened to all that he was saying. ⁴⁰ But at the time, Martha was distracted, because she was busy preparing [a meal].

So she came to him and said:

‘Lord, doesn’t it bother you that my sister has left me to do all the preparing by myself? Tell her to give me a hand!’

⁴¹ But the Lord replied:

‘Martha, Martha,

‘You’re worried and upset about [preparing] many things, ⁴² when all we need is just a few things… Or just one.

‘Mary has chosen the best part… Something that they can’t take away from her.’

Luke 11

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¹ Well, Yeshua happened to be in a certain place praying; and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him:

‘Lord, teach us how to pray, as John taught his disciples.’

² Then he told them:

‘When you pray, you should say:

‘Our Father who’s in the heavens,

‘May Your Name be treated as Holy,

And may Your Kingdom arrive.

‘May Your Will be done on the earth,

As it is done in the heavens.

³ ‘Give us the bread that we need for each day,

⁴ And [please] forgive all our sins,

As we forgive those [who’ve sinned against] us.

‘Into temptation, don’t let us be led,

And from the evil one, save us.’

⁵ Then he asked:

‘Which of you has a friend to whom you could go at midnight and say:

‘Friend, loan me three loaves [of bread] ⁶ because another friend of mine has arrived after a long journey, and I don’t have anything [to feed him]?’

⁷ ‘Wouldn’t he call to you from inside [his house] and say:

‘Don’t give me any trouble! My door is already locked and my kids are here in bed with me, so I can’t get up and give you anything!’

⁸ ‘But I tell you the truth – although he won’t get up to give you anything because he’s your friend, he will get up and give you what you need if you keep on bothering him!

⁹ ‘Therefore:

‘If you keep asking, you’ll receive,

If you keep searching, you’ll find,

And if you keep knocking, it’ll be opened.

¹⁰ ‘For, those who keep asking, will [get what they ask],

Those who keep searching will find [what they want],

And for all that keep knocking, the door will be opened.

¹¹ ‘Now, which father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? ¹² Or if he asks for an egg, who would hand him a scorpion?

¹³ ‘Therefore, if you – in your wicked condition – know to give good gifts to your children... How much more will your Father in heaven give Holy Breath to those who keep asking Him?’

¹⁴ Well, [Yeshua] had once cast out a demon that was causing a man to be unable to talk. And after the demon came out, the man spoke, which amazed the crowds.

¹⁵ But some of [the Pharisees] said:

‘He’s throwing out the demons with the help of BeElZebub, the ruler of the demons!’

¹⁶ And at this same time, others were trying to tempt him by asking him to give them a sign from heaven. ¹⁷ But knowing what they were thinking, Yeshua said this:

‘A kingdom that’s divided can be conquered,

And a house that’s [divided] can fall.

¹⁸ ‘So if the Opposer is opposing himself,

How can his kingdom survive?

‘Now, you say that I’m casting out demons by the power of BeElZebub; ¹⁹ but if I’m casting out demons by BeElZebub, whose [power] are your sons using when they do the same thing?

‘It’s over things such as this that you’re going to be condemned!

²⁰ ‘For if I’m really casting out demons by the finger of God, then you’ve been overrun by His Kingdom!

²¹ ‘When a strong, well-armed man guards his mansion,

All of his things will be safe.

²² ‘But if someone who’s stronger should come there,

And take the weapons in which he put trust...

He will divide up the loot.

²³ ‘Now, those who aren’t with me are against me,

And those not with me are scattering!

²⁴ ‘When an unclean spirit comes out of a man,

It travels through [many] dry places

In search of a [good] place to rest.

And when it doesn’t find one, it says:

‘I’ll go back to the house that I moved from.’

²⁵ ‘Then, when he sees it swept and arranged,

²⁶ He goes back with seven more spirits

That are even more wicked than him!

‘And after they get back inside,

They’ll all continue to live there.

And so, the end result for that man,

Is worse than it was at the start.’

²⁷ Now, as he was saying these things, a certain woman in the crowd shouted:

‘Blest is the womb that carried you – and the breasts that you fed from!’

²⁸ But he replied:

‘No, blest are those who hear the word of God and obey it!’

²⁹ Well, a crowd was starting to form, so he said:

‘This is a wicked people that’s always looking for signs. But no sign will be given to it other than the sign of Jonah… ³⁰ For just as Jonah was a sign to the people of Nineveh, so the Son of Man will be to this people.

³¹ ‘Why, the Queen of the South will be raised in the Judgment,

Along with this people,

And she will speak in judgment against it.

‘For she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom.

But look! Something more than Solomon is here!

³² ‘The people of Nineveh will be raised in the Judgment,

Along with this people,

And they’ll also condemn it.

‘For they repented at what Jonah preached.

But look! Something more than Jonah is here!

³³ ‘No one lights a lamp and then hides it,

And they don’t put it under a basket.

They set it on a lampstand instead,

So people can see where they’re going.

³⁴ ‘Now, the body’s lamps are your eyes.

And when you keep your eyes simple,

They’ll make your whole body bright;

But, if you have eyes that are wicked,

They’ll make your whole body dark.

³⁵ ‘So be sure that your light isn’t darkness.

³⁶ For if your whole body is bright,

It’ll serve a lamp to shine on your way.’

³⁷ Well after he said this, a Pharisee asked [Yeshua] to dine with him, so he went in and reclined at his table. ³⁸ However, the Pharisee was surprised to see that Yeshua hadn’t washed before dinner.

³⁹ But the Lord said to him:

‘You Pharisees like to wash the outsides of dishes and cups, but your insides are filled with wickedness and robbery!

⁴⁰ ‘Unreasonable people! Didn’t the One who made the insides also make the outsides?

⁴¹ ‘However, if you’ll be charitable to those who are in need, {Look!} not just your outsides, but everything about you will be clean!

⁴² ‘But, woe to you Pharisees... For although you offer even your mint and your rue when you tithe, you keep overlooking justice and the love of God!

‘Yes, you do all that [the Law] requires of you… But then you bypass all the rest.

⁴³ ‘Yes, woe to you Pharisees... For you love [to sit in the] front seats in the synagogues and [to receive] all the greetings in the markets! ⁴⁴ Yes, woe to you, for you’re like the hidden graves that men unwittingly walk on.’

⁴⁵ Well in reply, someone who was trained in the Law said to him:

‘Teacher, you know, when you say things like this, you’re insulting us!’

⁴⁶ But [Yeshua] replied:

‘Woe to you who are trained in the Law, for you pile loads upon men so high that they can’t be carried and which you wouldn’t touch with even a finger!

⁴⁷ ‘Yes, woe to you! For you build tombs for the Prophets that were murdered by your fathers! ⁴⁸ And in so doing, you’re testifying against yourselves, since you’re approving of the very same things that your fathers did when they murdered those Prophets… Those whose tombs you’re now building.

⁴⁹ ‘It was concerning such things that the Wisdom of God said this:

‘I’m sending Apostles and Prophets to you

Whom you’ll persecute and you’ll kill.’

⁵⁰ ‘And this is why the blood of all of the Prophets

That’s been spilled since this system was founded

Will be laid upon this people…

⁵¹ ‘From the blood of Abel to that of ZechariAh,

Who [was murdered] between the [Temple] and Altar…

It’ll all be laid upon this people!

⁵² ‘So, woe to you who are trained in the Law,

For although you accept the key to [great] knowledge,

You fail to come through [the door],

While blocking the way for everyone else trying to enter!’

⁵³ So after he said these things, he got up and walked out.

For the Scribes and Pharisees were just trying to pin him down... Constantly asking him questions about things ⁵⁴ as they were lying in wait, trying to trap him in anything that he might say.

Luke 12

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¹ Well, a huge crowd had gathered… There were so many thousands that they were literally stepping on each other. Then [Yeshua gave this warning to] his disciples.

He said:

‘Watch out for the fermentation of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

² ‘For there’s nothing hidden that won’t be exposed,

And no secret that won’t be known.

³ So the things that you say in the darkness,

Will be all heard in the light.

And whatever is whispered within private rooms,

Will be shouted aloud from the rooftops!

⁴ ‘I tell you this, my friends:

‘Fear not those who can kill the body,

But can do no more than that.

⁵ ‘Let me show you whom you must fear:

‘Fear the One, who after killing [your body],

Can throw [your life] into the garbage…

Yes, He’s the One you must fear!

⁶ ‘Although you can buy 5 sparrows with just 2 small coins,

In the eyes of God, they’re not overlooked…

⁷ And He’s even numbered the hairs on your head.

So you have no reason for fear,

Since, more than many sparrows, is your value!

⁸ ‘I tell you this:

‘For those who’ll admit before others,

That they’re united with me.

The Son of Man will also admit

That they’re one with him before angels.

⁹ But for those who deny me to others,

I’ll deny knowing them before angels.

¹⁰ ‘Now, those who speak against the Son of Man can be forgiven; but those who blaspheme [God’s] Holy Breath won’t be forgiven! ¹¹ So when they drag you up before synagogues, or authorities, or government officials, don’t worry about what you must do or what you must say in your defense. ¹² For you’ll be taught what to say by [God’s] Holy Breath at that time.’

¹³ Then someone in the crowd shouted:

‘Teacher, tell my brother to share his inheritance with me!’

¹⁴ And [Yeshua] said:

‘Man, who appointed me as judge or arbitrator between you two?’

¹⁵ Then he [went on] to say this:

‘Keep your eyes open and guard against greed...

For the things that you own won’t buy you life.’

¹⁶ And then he gave them this parable:

‘A rich man’s fields produced well, ¹⁷ so he thought about this and then asked himself:

‘What should I do, since there’s not enough room

In which to store all my crops?’

¹⁸ ‘Then he said:

‘Ah, I’ll do this –

I’ll tear down my barns and build larger,

And that’s where I’ll put all my wheat

As well as my other good things.

¹⁹ ‘Then I’ll say to myself:

You now have many good things

Saved away [to last] many years.

So, you can just take it easy…

Yes, eat, drink, and enjoy it!’

²⁰ ‘But God said:

‘O foolish man!

Tonight, they’re demanding your life!

So, who will now own all these things?’

²¹ ‘Yes, this is what will happen to a man

Who lays away treasures for himself,

But fails to gain wealth with God.’

²² Then he said to his disciples:

‘This is why I’ve told you not to worry about your lives and about what you’ll eat, or about your bodies and what you’ll wear.

²³ ‘For your lives are worth so much more than food, and your bodies are worth [so much more] than clothes.

²⁴ ‘Notice the ravens; they don’t plant or harvest, and they don’t have barns or storage sheds, since they’re fed by God… So [think about] how much more you’re worth than those birds!

²⁵ ‘And which of you can add even a smidgen to your lives by worrying?

²⁶ ‘So if [worry] is unable fix little things, why be concerned about all these other things?

²⁷ ‘Also notice how the lilies grow; although they don’t work or spin cloth – I tell you that even Solomon in all of his glory wasn’t as well-dressed as they are! ²⁸ So if God so well clothes the plants in the fields – that are here today and thrown into an oven tomorrow – how much more would He rather clothe you… You with so little faith?

²⁹ ‘Therefore, stop searching for things to eat and drink, and don’t worry about how you’re going to get them! ³⁰ For these are the kinds of things that all the ethnics are pursuing.

‘However, your Father already knows that you need all these things. ³¹ And if you’ll keep on seeking His Kingdom first, you’ll receive all the rest.

³² ‘Don’t be afraid, little flock... For it’s the delight of your Father to give you the Kingdom!

³³ ‘Therefore, sell everything that you own and give it to those who really need it. Make purses for yourselves that won’t wear out… The unfailing treasures in the heavens, which can’t be consumed by thieves or by moths.

³⁴ ‘For where your treasures are is where your hearts will be.

³⁵ ‘Therefore, wrap on your sashes and light up your lamps, ³⁶ then act like men who are expecting their master’s return from his wedding, so that when he arrives and starts knocking, you can open [the door] to him right away.

³⁷ ‘Blest are those slaves who are watching

When their master arrives!

For I tell you this as the truth:

He will then put on his apron,

And make them recline at his table;

Then, he will come there and serve them!

³⁸ ‘If it’s in the 2nd watch that he should arrive,

Or even if it’s during the 3rd...

You’ll be blest if he finds you doing these things!

³⁹ ‘Recognize this:

‘If the master of the house would’ve known

The time when the thieves would arrive,

He would have been keeping watch

And not let them enter his house.

⁴⁰ ‘Likewise, you must also be ready!

‘For the Son of Man will arrive

At a time that you consider unlikely.’

⁴¹ Then Peter asked:

‘Lord, are you giving this parable to just us, or to everyone?’

⁴² And the Lord said:

‘Who is the faithful house steward…

The sensible one, assigned by his lord

To be in charge over his faithful friends,

And to provide their meals at the right times?

⁴³ ‘Such a slave will be blest

If he’s found doing that when his master arrives.

⁴⁴ I tell you the truth…

He will put him in charge of everything he owns!

⁴⁵ ‘But if that slave should say in his heart:

‘My master’s return is delayed!’

And then he starts beating [the Lord’s] boys and girls,

And he feasts, drinks, and gets drunk…

⁴⁶ His master will arrive on an time and date

That he’s not been expected,

And he’ll whip him and count him among the unfaithful.

⁴⁷ ‘So the slave that knows what his master expects

And doesn’t prepare or do what he wants

Will be lashed with a whip many times.

⁴⁸ But the one who doesn’t understand

And does things for which he deserves to be whipped,

Will be beaten with [just a] few [strokes].

‘For from those to whom much is given,

Much is also expected.

And from those who’ve been put in charge over much,

Much is also required.

⁴⁹ ‘I came here to start a fire on the earth; so, what more could I possibly wish than to see it already lit?

⁵⁰ But there’s also an immersion coming that I must endure, and I’m under great pressure until it arrives.

⁵¹ ‘Do you think that I came to bring peace on earth?

No, I’ve come to create divisions!

⁵² So, if there are five in a house,

They’ll be divided three against two,

Or two against three.

⁵³ ‘Fathers will be against their own sons,

And sons [will be] against their own fathers…

Mothers will be against their own daughters,

And daughters will be against their own mothers.

It will be mothers-in-law against daughters-in-law,

And daughters-in-law against mothers-in-law!’

⁵⁴ Then he said this to the crowd:

‘When you see a cloud arise in the west,

You say that a storm is approaching… And it happens.

⁵⁵ And when you see the wind blow in from the south,

You say that a heat wave is coming… And it happens.

⁵⁶ ‘Hypocrites! Since you know how to read the land and the sky,

Why can’t you read the [signs of the] times?

⁵⁷ ‘It’s best to decide the right thing to do

⁵⁸ Than to [argue] your case before rulers.

‘So, try to resolve things before you take it to them,

So you won’t be brought in front of a judge,

Who may hand you over to the bailiff,

Who will thereafter throw you into a jail.

⁵⁹ ‘I tell you:

‘If that happens, you won’t get out

Until you’ve paid your last cent.’

Luke 13

←12 | All books | All chapters | 14→

¹ Well at the time, some people there were talking to Yeshua about certain Galileans whose blood had been mixed with their sacrifices by [Pontius] Pilate.

² So [Yeshua] asked them:

‘Do you think those Galileans suffered such things because they were worse sinners than all other Galileans?

³ ‘No! For I tell you this: If you don’t repent, you’ll be destroyed that same way!

⁴ ‘And what about those 18 people upon whom the tower at SiloAm fell and killed? Do you think they were worse sinners than all the others that live in JeruSalem?

⁵ ‘No! I tell you this: If you don’t repent, you’ll all be destroyed that same way!’

⁶ Then he gave them this parable:

‘There was a man who had a fig tree in his vineyard,

And when he went there looking for fruit,

He wasn’t able to find any.

⁷ ‘So he said to the man who cared for the vineyard:

‘For the past three years,

I’ve come looking for fruit from this tree,

But so far, I haven’t found any.

So, you should just cut it down,

For it is just wasting space.’

⁸ ‘But [the vinedresser] gave this reply:

‘Master,

Leave it alone for just one more year,

While I’ll cultivate and fertilize it,

⁹ Then, it may bear fruit in the future…

But if not, I’ll just cut it down.’

¹⁰ Well, [on another occasion], he happened to be teaching in one of the synagogues on a Sabbath ¹¹ where {Look!} there was a woman who’d endured a spirit of weakness for some 18 years… She was bent over and unable to straighten herself.

¹² And when Yeshua saw this, he called to her and said:

‘Woman, you’re now free from this weakness.’

¹³ Then he laid his hands on her and she straightened up instantly and started glorifying God.

¹⁴ However, the chief of the synagogue resented this because Yeshua had performed the cure on the Sabbath.

So he said to the crowd:

‘There are six days when work should be done. Come to be cured on those days, not on the Sabbath!’

¹⁵ But the Lord replied:

‘Hypocrite! Don’t you untie your bulls and burros from their stalls and lead them out to drink on the Sabbath?

¹⁶ ‘Yet, this is a daughter of AbraHam, whom the Opposer has held tied {Look!} for some 18 years! So, isn’t it appropriate for her to be untied from this type of bondage on the Sabbath?’

¹⁷ Well after he said that, all those who opposed him were ashamed; and the crowd started rejoicing over all the glorious things that he was doing.

¹⁸ Then he went on to say:

‘To what can the Kingdom of God be compared?

To what can it really be likened?

¹⁹ ‘It’s like the seed of the mustard

That a man had planted in his garden.

For it grew and became as tall as a tree,

In whose branches, the birds of the skies came to roost.’

²⁰ And once again, he said:

‘To what can the Kingdom of God be compared?

²¹ It’s like a little fermentation

That a woman hid in three scoops of flour,

Until the mass rose and was filled with [the yeast].’

²² Well, he did all of this as he was teaching in city after city and village after village on his way to JeruSalem.

²³ Then someone asked:

‘Lord, will only a few be saved?’

And he said to him:

²⁴ ‘You must strive to enter through the gate that’s narrow,

For I tell you that many will try to get in,

But they’ll not have enough strength.

²⁵ ‘So when the master gets up and latches the door;

If you find yourself on the outside,

Knocking and shouting:

‘Lord, open to us!’

‘He will say:

‘I don’t know where you’re from!’

²⁶ ‘And if you should say:

‘But before you, we ate and we drank,

And you taught us along our main streets!

‘Yet, he will then give this reply:

²⁷ ‘No I don’t know where you’re from…

Get away from me, you unrighteous people!’

‘Then, you’ll be crying and grinding your teeth

When you see AbraHam, IsaAc, and Jacob

With all the Prophets in the Kingdom of God,

As you are left on the outside.

²⁹ ‘For they’ll come from the east, west, north, and the south

To recline at the table in the Kingdom of God.

³⁰ But {Look!} those who are last will be first,

And those who are first will be last.’

³¹ Well within that very same hour, some Pharisees came to him and said:

‘You’d better get out of here and go, because Herod is looking to kill you!’

³² But he replied:

‘Go tell the old fox that I’ll keep on casting out demons and healing today and tomorrow, and I’ll be finished on the third day.

³³ ‘However, I’ll also keep moving [on towards JeruSalem] today, tomorrow, and the next day, since it wouldn’t be fitting for a Prophet to be destroyed outside of [that city].

³⁴ ‘O JeruSalem, JeruSalem… You murderer of the Prophets and stoner of those being sent to you. How often I’ve wanted to gather your young like a hen brings her chicks under her wings! But you didn’t want it...

³⁵ ‘So look! Your house has now been taken from you!

‘And I’m telling you that you won’t see me again until [you’re ready to] proclaim:

‘Praised is the one coming in Yahweh’s Name!’ [paraphrase of Psalm 118:26]

Luke 14

←13 | All books | All chapters | 15→

¹ Well, there was a time when [Yeshua] went to eat a meal at the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees on a Sabbath… And everyone there was watching him closely. ² Then {Look!} a man suffering from edema came to him.

³ So Yeshua asked those students of the Law and the Pharisees this:

‘Is it legal to cure on the Sabbath or not?’

⁴ However, they wouldn’t answer.

So he touched [the man] and healed him, and then he sent him away. ⁵ And Yeshua asked them:

‘If your burro or bull fell into a well on the Sabbath, who of you wouldn’t immediately go and pull him out?’

⁶ Well, they were unable to come up with a reply.

⁷ Then, after noticing how the guests were choosing the best spots at the table, he gave them this parable:

⁸ ‘If you’re invited to a wedding reception,

Don’t go and recline in the very best place.

For if someone more honored arrives,

⁹ The host will have to come there and say:

‘Let this man have that spot.’

‘And you’ll be shamed when you’re sent to the least honored place.

¹⁰ ‘So whenever you’re invited [to a banquet],

Go and recline in the very last spot.

Then, when the host arrives, he’ll say:

‘Friend, take a better position!’

‘And you’ll be honored before all his guests.

¹¹ For the self-exalting will be humbled,

And the humble will be lifted high.’

¹² Then Yeshua said to the man who invited him:

‘When you spread a dinner or a supper,

Don’t call your friends and your brothers,

Nor your kin or your rich neighbors;

For, you’ll then get your reward

When they invite you [for a meal].

¹³ ‘But whenever you’re planning a banquet,

Invite the crippled and poor,

As well as the lame and the blind…

¹⁴ Those who can’t repay you;

For then you’ll receive your reward

When the righteous are standing again.’

¹⁵ Well, when one of the guests heard this, he shouted:

‘Aren’t those who [are invited to] dine in the Kingdom of God those who’ll be blest?’

¹⁶ And [Yeshua] said:

‘There was a man who prepared a large supper,

And he invited many [friends] to come there and dine.

¹⁷ So, after the meal was prepared,

He sent his slave out to tell them:

‘Come on, for [the banquet] is ready!’

¹⁸ ‘But each thereafter gave an excuse.

Said the first:

‘I must look at a field that I’ve bought;

So, please let me be excused.’

¹⁹ ‘And then another said this:

‘I’ve purchased five pairs of oxen,

And I must now go to inspect them;

So, please let me be excused.’

²⁰ ‘Still another replied:

‘Because I’m about to get married,

I’m unable to come at this time.’

²¹ ‘Well when the slave returned and reported these things,

The master of the house became angry,

And this is what he said to his slave:

‘Go quickly to the main streets and alleys,

And bring the crippled and poor,

As well as the blind and the lame.’

²² ‘And when he returned, the slave told him:

‘Although I did everything you told me to do,

There’s still plenty of room!’

²³ ‘So the master then gave these instructions:

‘Go out to the roads and backyards,

And make people come, so my house will be filled!

²⁴ For I tell you that nobody I invited

Will get even a taste of my supper!’

²⁵ Well, since a large crowd had come there with him, he turned to them and said:

²⁶ ‘Unless those who come to me care less for their fathers, mothers, wives, children, brothers, and sisters – yes, even for their own lives – they can’t become my disciples...

²⁷ ‘Nor can anyone follow me who’s unwilling to carry his own impaling pole!

²⁸ ‘For, which of you who might choose to build a tower for himself wouldn’t first sit down to calculate the costs, so you’d be sure that you have enough [funds] to complete it?

²⁹ ‘Because, if you laid the foundation and then found out that you couldn’t finish the project, everyone who sees it would make fun of you and say:

³⁰ ‘This man started the job, but then he couldn’t complete it!’

³¹ ‘Or, what king, when he’s marching [to battle], doesn’t first sit down and ask his advisors if his 10,000 troops can possibly beat the one coming with 20,000?

³² ‘Because if he’s unable to do that, while [his enemy] is still far away, he’ll send his ambassadors to sue for peace.

³³ ‘So, you must be sure too!

‘For anyone who’s unwilling to give up everything they own, isn’t capable of being my disciple!

³⁴ ‘Yes, salt is good... But if it loses all its strength,

What good will it be for seasoning your food?

³⁵ So if it isn’t any good to use on soil or manure,

People will just throw it away!

‘Now, let those who have ears pay attention to this!’

Luke 15

←14 | All books | All chapters | 16→

¹ Well, tax collectors and sinners kept coming to [Yeshua] to listen to the things that he was saying. ² And because of this, the Pharisees and Scribes started murmuring:

‘This man accepts sinners… And look, he even eats with them!’

³ So he then told them this parable:

⁴ ‘Which of you who owns 100 sheep,

And then should lose just one,

Wouldn’t leave the 99 out in the fields,

To search for the lost until it is found?

⁵ ‘Then when you find it, you will rejoice,

And [carry it home] on your shoulders.

⁶ And when you get home,

You’ll call your friends and neighbors and say:

‘Come and with me, rejoice,

For I’ve found my sheep that was lost!’

⁷ ‘So in the same way, I tell you this:

‘There is more rejoicing in heaven

Over just one sinner that turns from bad ways,

Than over 99 of the righteous

Who have no need of repentance.

⁸ ‘Or when a woman with 10 silver coins

Finds that she has lost one,

She’ll light [all her] lamps and sweep her whole house

To search until she has found it.

⁹ And when she finds it, she’ll call her neighbors and friends, and say:

‘Come and with me rejoice,

For I’ve found the silver coin that I lost!’

¹⁰ ‘So I tell you:

‘There is joy among the angels of God

Over each sinner that repents.’

¹¹ Then he said:

‘There once was a man who had two sons.

¹² And the youngest went to his father and said:

‘Please give me my share of what I’ll inherit!’

‘So he gave him the portion that was his.

¹³ ‘Well just a few days after that,

This younger son gathered his things

And traveled to a far-away land,

Where he quickly squandered all that he had.

¹⁴ ‘Then after he’d spent [all his money],

A famine came to that land,

Which left him in a very bad spot.

¹⁵ ‘So he went to work for a man in that place

That sent him to watch over his pigs.

¹⁶ And soon he even started longing

For the carob pods he was feeding the pigs,

For the man gave him nothing [to eat].

¹⁷ ‘Then when he came to his senses,

He thereafter asked of himself:

‘Since my father’s hired-hands have plenty of bread,

Why am I here, dying from hunger?

¹⁸ ‘So I’ll get up and return to my father!

And since I’ve sinned against heaven and him,

¹⁹ I’ll admit that I am unworthy

To be called his son anymore,

And I’ll tell him that I just want to work

As one of his hired hands.’

²⁰ ‘So then he got up and returned to his father.

‘However, while he was still far way,

His father recognized him in the distance,

And in pity, he ran and fell on his neck

And then he tenderly kissed him.

²¹ ‘But the son said:

‘Father, I’ve sinned against heaven and you,

So I’m unworthy to be called your son anymore…

Just let me be one of your hired hands.’

²² ‘But the father said this to his slaves:

‘Quickly bring him a robe…

Bring the very best one,

Then put a ring on his finger

And put some shoes on his feet.

²³ ‘Also, slaughter the calf that we’ve fattened with wheat,

Then let’s hold [a feast] and have a good time!

²⁴ For my son who was dead is alive…

He was lost, but now he’s been found!’

‘So thereafter, they held a banquet for him.

²⁵ ‘Meanwhile, the older son had been out in the fields.

And as he returned and got close to his home,

He could hear [the sounds] of music and dancing.

²⁶ So he called to one of the servants and asked,

‘What is happening here?’

²⁷ ‘And in reply, [the servant] said this:

‘Your brother has just returned,

So your father had us slaughter the calf that was fattened,

Because [your brother] returned in good health!’

²⁸ ‘Well at that, [the son] became very angry

And he refused go back inside.

So his father came and begged him to come on in.

²⁹ But this is what he said to his father:

‘Even though I’ve slaved for you all these years

And I’ve never broken your rules,

You’ve not given me even a single kid goat

That I could enjoy with my friends.

³⁰ ‘Yet, when this son returns home

Who spent all his money on whores,

For him, you slaughtered the wheat-fattened calf!’

³¹ ‘But this is what his father then said:

‘Child, you’ve always been with me,

And everything I have is yours also.

³² However, we had to celebrate and rejoice,

Because your brother, who was as one of the dead,

Has now been brought back to life…

The one who was lost, has been found!’

Luke 16

←15 | All books | All chapters | 17→

¹ Then [Yeshua] went on to say this to his disciples:

‘There was a rich man who had a house manager that was accused of mishandling his belongings. ² So [the rich man] called him in and asked:

‘What’s this that I’m hearing about you?

Turn in your things! You’re not managing [my] house anymore!’

³ ‘Then the [house manager] thought to himself:

‘What should I do now that my master is taking away my position? I’m not strong enough to dig and I’d be too ashamed to beg.

⁴ ‘Ah! I know what I’ll do when I lose my job… I’ll do something to make people welcome me into their homes!’

⁵ ‘So he called in everyone who owed debts to his master, and he asked the first one:

‘How much do you owe my master?’

⁶ ‘He replied:

‘900 gallons (3,400l) of olive oil.’

‘Then he told him:

‘Here, take your contract, then sit down and quickly write 450.’

⁷ ‘Then asked the next:

‘How much do you owe?’

‘And he replied:

‘36,000 quarts (34,000l) of wheat.’

‘So he told him:

‘Take your contract and write 29,000.’

⁸ ‘Well, although [what he’d done] was unrighteous, his master praised him, because he showed very good sense.

‘As you can see, the sons of this age are better at understanding how to deal with this people than the sons of light.

⁹ ‘Therefore, I’m telling you to befriend unrighteous wealth, so that when everything else fails, they’ll welcome you into their tents throughout the ages.

¹⁰ ‘For the one who’s faithful in little things

Will also be faithful in much.

But the one who’s unrighteous in little things

Will also be unrighteous in much!

¹¹ ‘So if you fail to prove that you’re faithful

With the unrighteous wealth [of this world]...

Who will trust you with things that are true?

¹² And if you fail to prove that you’re faithful

With things belonging to others...

Who of us will trust you with our things?

¹³ ‘You can’t slave for two [different] masters;

For you’ll dislike one and you’ll love the other,

And you’ll stick to one while despising the other…

So you can’t slave for both God and wealth.’

¹⁴ Now, the Pharisees (who loved silver) were listening to him as he was saying these things, and they were looking at him with contempt.

¹⁵ So he said to them:

‘You claim to be righteous before men, but God knows what’s really in your hearts; and things that are important to men are disgusting in God’s eyes.

¹⁶ ‘Until John [came along], we had the Law and the Prophets. However, since then, what’s been preached is the Kingdom of God – and everyone has been trying to force their way into it.

¹⁷ ‘Yet, it’d be easier for the land and sky to pass away than for a single stroke on one of the Law’s letters to fail!

¹⁸ ‘Therefore, whoever releases his wife and takes some other [woman] has committed adultery. And whoever marries a released woman has also committed adultery.

¹⁹ ‘Now, there once was a very rich man who dressed himself in purple and linen, and he enjoyed the very best things each day.

²⁰ ‘There was also a poor man named Lazarus who used to sit just outside of [the rich man’s] porch. This [poor] man was covered with sores, ²¹ and all he wanted was to eat some of the things that fell from the rich man’s table. Also, even dogs would come and lick his sores.

²² ‘Well, the poor man [eventually] died, and [God’s] messengers carried him off to the most-favored position of AbraHam.

‘Then the rich man also died and was buried.

²³ ‘But from the place of the dead he raised his eyes, and he was tormented when he saw AbraHam off in the distance with Lazarus lying before him.

²⁴ ‘So [the rich man] called out and said:

‘Father AbraHam, have mercy on me!

‘Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water to cool off my tongue, for I’m suffering in these flames!

²⁵ ‘But AbraHam replied:

‘Child, remember that you had all the good things in life, while Lazarus [had just] the bad. So now he’s here [receiving my] comfort, while you are there suffering. ²⁶ Also, an abyss has been placed between us, so that those who are here can’t go there, and those who are there can’t come here.

²⁷ ‘Well at that, [the rich man] said:

‘Then I beg you… Please father, send him to the house of my father, ²⁸ for I have five brothers… Get him to warn them what happened, so they don’t end up in this place of torment!

²⁹ ‘But AbraHam replied:

‘They’ve already got the Prophets and Moses, [so your brothers] should listen to them!

³⁰ ‘Then [the rich man] said:

‘No indeed, Father AbraHam; for they’d surely repent if someone were to come to them from the dead!

³¹ ‘But [AbraHam] said:

‘No! If they won’t listen to the Prophets or Moses, then they wouldn’t be persuaded even if someone rose from the dead!’

Luke 17

←16 | All books | All chapters | 18→

¹ Well after that, [Yeshua] said this to his disciples:

‘It’s unavoidable that there’ll be snares.

However, woe to those who set them!

² For it would be better if a millstone was hung on his neck

And he was thrown into the sea,

Than to stumble one of these least ones.

³ So, pay attention to yourselves!

‘If your brother should sin [against you],

You should go to him and discuss it.

And if he repents, forgive him!

⁴ ‘If he sins against you seven times in a day,

And comes back seven times to tell you that he’s sorry,

You should forgive him all seven times!’

⁵ Then the Apostles said:

‘Lord, give us more faith!’

⁶ And he told them:

‘If you had faith [the size of] a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree:

‘Pull out of the ground and plant yourself in the sea!’

‘...and it would likely obey you.

⁷ ‘Which of you has a slave who, after he’s been plowing or tending a flock, would say to him when he returns:

‘Come over here and recline at my table?’

⁸ ‘No, it’s more likely that you’d tell him:

‘Put on an apron and prepare my supper, then serve it to me. [You can wait] until I’m done eating and drinking, and thereafter you can get yourself something to eat and drink.’

⁹ ‘You won’t be grateful to that slave because he did what he was assigned, will you? ¹⁰ So you too… After you’ve done all that you’ve been assigned, you should say:

‘We are just worthless slaves, and we’re just doing what we’re expected to do.’

¹¹ Well, as [Yeshua] was on his way to JeruSalem, he traveled through the midst of Samaria and then into Galilee. ¹² And as he entered a certain village, ten men who had leprosy who stood at a distance [spurious words] ¹³ started shouting:

‘Yeshua! Lord! Have mercy on us!’

¹⁴ So when [Yeshua] saw them, he said:

‘Go and present yourselves to the Priests.’

Then as they were leaving, each one was made clean.

¹⁵ Well, one of them, when he realized that he had been healed, came back [to Yeshua] glorifying God in a loud voice, ¹⁶ and he fell to his face at Yeshua’s feet to thank him (this one was a Samaritan).

¹⁷ So Yeshua asked:

‘Weren’t there ten that were cleansed? So, where are the other nine? ¹⁸ Was this man of another race the only one who returned to glorify God?’

¹⁹ Then he said to him:

‘Get up and go, for your faith has saved you!’

²⁰ Well [later], there was a Pharisee that asked [Yeshua] when the Kingdom of God was coming. And this is the reply that he gave:

‘The coming of the Kingdom of God won’t be easily noticed, ²¹ so people won’t be saying, Look, it’s here, or, It’s there! Rather, the Kingdom of God is within you!’

²² Then he went on to say to his disciples:

‘The time is coming when you’ll wish that you could see just one of these days of the Son of Man… But you’ll no longer be able to see them. ²³ And although people will be saying, Look he’s here, or, He’s there don’t follow them. ²⁴ For when the Son of Man arrives, it’ll be like lightning that flashes across the whole sky.

²⁵ ‘But before that, he will have to endure many things and be rejected by this people. ²⁶ For just like it was back in the days of Noah is how it’ll be in the day of the Son of Man. ²⁷ Back then they were eating and drinking, getting married and being taken in marriage right up to the day that Noah entered the chest… And that’s when the Downpour arrived, destroying them all.

²⁸ ‘The same thing happened in Lot’s day. They were also eating and drinking, buying, selling, planting, and building ²⁹ right up until the day that Lot [fled from] Sodom. Then fire and sulfur rained down from the sky, destroying them all. ³⁰  Yes, this is how it’ll be on the day that the Son of Man is revealed.

³¹ ‘So in that day, the man [who’s] on his roof shouldn’t go back down into his house to retrieve his things, and the person out in a field shouldn’t go back for things he’s left behind. ³² Rather, remember [what happened to] Lot’s woman!

³³ ‘For those who try to save their lives will lose them, while those who lose them will live.

³⁴ ‘I tell you this:

‘In that night, there’ll be two in one bed,

One will be taken along,

And the other will be left behind.

³⁵ ‘Two will be grinding at [the same] mill;

One will be taken along,

And the other will be left behind.’

³⁶ ‘Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.’ [spurious words, probably copied from Matthew 24:40]

³⁷ So they asked him:

‘When [is this going to happen], Lord?’

And he replied:

‘When [you see] the vultures gather at the carcass.’

Luke 18

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¹ Then he gave them an illustration to show them why they should keep praying and never give up.

² He said:

‘There was a judge in a city who didn’t fear God

And couldn’t be shamed by other men.

³ But a widow in that city kept coming and saying:

‘I want justice from the man whom I [sued].’

⁴ ‘Well at first, [the judge] did nothing at all,

But then he started to reason:

‘Although I don’t fear God,

And there aren’t men who can shame me...

⁵ Since this widow keeps coming and making more work,

I’ll see that she receives justice

So she doesn’t just nag me to death!’

⁶ Then the Lord asked:

‘Now, did you hear what this unrighteous judge said?

⁷ ‘So won’t God, who is patient,

Also give justice to His chosen ones

That call out to Him day and night?

⁸ Yes, I tell you...

He’ll bring speedy justice for you!

‘Yet, when the Son of Man arrives, will he really find the faith on earth?’

⁹ Then he gave this illustration to some there that were putting more trust in themselves and thinking that they were righteous, while everyone else was just nothing.

He said:

¹⁰ ‘Two men went up to the Temple to pray…

A tax collector and a Pharisee.

¹¹ ‘Now, the Pharisee stood up and said this

Concerning himself in his prayer:

‘I thank You O God, that I’m not like the rest,

Who are robbers, the unrighteous, and adulterers…

Or like that tax collector [over there].

¹² For I fast two times every week,

And contribute 1/10th of all I receive.’

¹³ ‘Yet the tax collector, who stood at some distance,

Wouldn’t raise his eyes towards the sky.

He just beat on himself as he said:

‘O God,

‘Please don’t be angry with this sinner!’

¹⁴ ‘Well, I tell you that this man went back home more righteous than the other, because the self-promoters will be humbled, while the humble will be promoted.’

¹⁵ Thereafter, people started bringing their young children for [Yeshua] to have him just touch them. However, when the disciples saw this, they started scolding them.

¹⁶ Then Yeshua called [the disciples] to him and said:

‘Let the young children come to me… Don’t try to stop them, because the Kingdom of God belongs to people like this.

¹⁷ ‘I tell you the truth; those who don’t welcome the Kingdom of God like a little child, won’t enter it at all.’

¹⁸ Then a certain ruler asked him:

‘Good teacher, what must I do to inherit age-long life?’

¹⁹ But Yeshua asked him:

‘Why are you calling me good? Nobody’s good except One… The God!

²⁰ ‘You know the Commandments... Don’t commit adultery, don’t murder, don’t steal, don’t provide false testimony, honor your father and mother… ’

²¹ Then [the ruler] replied:

‘Well, I’ve guarded all these [things] since my youth!’

²² And Yeshua said:

‘But there’s still one thing that you’re lacking… Go and sell all that you have, then give to the poor, and come be my follower. That’s when you’ll have treasures in the heavens!’

²³ Well when he heard this, [the ruler] became very sad, because he was extremely rich.

²⁴ So Yeshua looked at him and said:

‘It’ll be very difficult for those who are rich

To find their way into the Kingdom!

²⁵ It’s easier to thread a rope through a needle

Than for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!’

²⁶ Well at that, those who heard him say this, asked:

‘Then, who can possibly be saved?’

²⁷ And he replied:

‘Things that are impossible for men are still possible with God.’

²⁸ But Peter said:

‘Look, we’ve left everything to follow you!’

²⁹ And [Yeshua] said to him:

‘I tell you the truth;

There’s no one who loses a house or a wife,

Or brothers, parents, or children

For the sake of the Kingdom of God,

³⁰ Who won’t receive much more in this age,

And life in the age that’s coming.’

³¹ Then he took the 12 aside and said this to them:

‘Look! We’re on our way up to JeruSalem, where everything that the Prophets wrote about the Son of Man is now going to be fulfilled. ³² He’ll be handed over to the gentiles and made fun of; he’ll be treated shamefully and spat on; ³³ and then after flaying him with a whip, they’ll kill him…

‘But on the third day, he’ll stand again.’

³⁴ However, they just didn’t grasp the meaning of any of these things, because what he said was hidden from them and they couldn’t understand it.³⁵ Well later, as he was approaching JeriCho, there happened to be a blind man who was sitting alongside the road begging. ³⁶ Then as he heard the crowd moving past, he asked what was happening, ³⁷ and he was told:

‘Yeshua the Nazarene is coming!’

³⁸ So he started shouting:

‘Yeshua! Son of David! Have mercy on me!’

³⁹ Well, those who were walking in front [of Yeshua] told him to be quiet. However, he shouted even louder:

‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’

⁴⁰ So Yeshua stopped and gave orders to have him brought over. And when [the blind man] got to him, [Yeshua] asked:

⁴¹ ‘What is it that you want me to do for you?’

And he answered:

‘Lord, let me see again!’

⁴² So Yeshua said:

‘Then, see again… For your faith has saved you!’

⁴³ And instantly, his sight returned! Then he started following [Yeshua], glorifying God, and the people were also praising God after they saw this.

Luke 19

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¹ Well after that, as [Yeshua] was continuing on through JeriCho, ² {Look!} there was a rich man called ZacChaeUs (he was the chief tax collector) ³ and he wanted to see just who this Yeshua was, but he couldn’t because of the crowd, since he was too short.

⁴ So he ran ahead and climbed a fig-sycamore tree along the street where [Yeshua] was walking, so he could see him.

⁵ Then when Yeshua reached that spot, he looked up and said:

‘ZacChaeUs, hurry and get down from there, because I’ll be staying at your house today.’

⁶ So the man quickly got down and started rejoicing that he could welcome him as his guest. ⁷ But when [the crowds] saw this, they all started grumbling:

‘Is he going to spend the night at the home of a man who’s a sinner?’

⁸ But then ZacChaeUs stood up and said this to [Yeshua]:

‘Lord, I’ll give half of my belongings to the poor, and whatever I got from anyone by extortion and false accusations, I’ll repay four times over!’

⁹ So Yeshua said:

‘Salvation has come to this house today, for he’s also a son of AbraHam! ¹⁰ This is the reason why the Son of Man came… To search for and save those who are lost.’

¹¹ Well, as they were listening to him say these things, Yeshua gave them this parable (because he was getting close to JeruSalem and they all thought that the Kingdom of God was coming right away).

¹² So he said:

‘A certain man of noble birth

Traveled to a far-away land

To be appointed as king.

¹³ ‘So he called for ten of his slaves,

And he gave them each a large silver coin,

Saying:

‘Do business [with this], until I return.’

¹⁴ ‘But, he was hated by some of his subjects,

Who sent envoys ahead to say this about him:

‘We don’t want this man as our ruler!’

¹⁵ ‘Well, when he returned, appointed as king,

He summoned all [ten] of those slaves

To whom he’d entrusted his silver,

To find out how much they’d gained.

¹⁶ ‘So the first one came up and told him:

‘With your coins, I’ve earned ten silver coins!’

¹⁷ ‘And [the king] said this in reply:

‘Well-done, my good [faithful] slave!

Since you’ve proved yourself faithful in small things,

I’ll appoint you over ten cities.’

¹⁸ ‘Then the second [slave] came up and said:

‘With your coins, I’ve earned five silver coins!’

¹⁹ ‘So [the king] said:

‘I’ll appoint you over five cities.‘

²⁰ ‘But the last came up and said:

‘Lord, here’s the coin you gave me,

Which I wrapped up in a bandanna.

²¹ I did this because I’m afraid,

For I know that you’re a very harsh man…

One who picks up what he hasn’t put down

And harvests where he hasn’t planted.’

²² ‘Then [the master] said:

‘O wicked slave!

From the words of your mouth, I’ve judged you…

So you know that I’m a very harsh man,

Who picks up what he hasn’t put down,

And harvests what he hasn’t planted?

²³ Then you should have put my coin in a bank,

Where it likely would have gained interest!’

²⁴ ‘Then he said this to those who were standing nearby:

‘Take away the coin that I gave him,

And give it to the one who has ten!’

²⁵ ‘But when they said:

‘O Lord, he already has ten.’

²⁶ ‘He said:

‘More will be given to those who have much,

While all will be taken from those who have none.

²⁷ ‘Now, bring all my enemies here…

Those who didn’t want me to serve as their king,

And before me, slaughter them all!’

²⁸ Then after he said all these things, he got up and started leading the way to JeruSalem.²⁹ And when he got close to BethPhage and BethAny (near the hill called the Mount of Olives), he sent two of his disciples ahead, ³⁰ telling them:

‘Go into that village opposite us, and as you’re entering it, you’ll find a colt that’s tied up, which no one has ridden before. Untie it and bring it here.

‘³¹ And if anyone asks why you’re untying it, just tell him that the Lord needs it.’

³² Well, those who were sent ahead found things exactly as he said they’d be. ³³ So when the owners asked why they were untying the colt, ³⁴ they replied:

‘The Lord needs it.’

³⁵ So they thereafter led it to Yeshua, and they threw a robe over the colt and set Yeshua on [top of it]. ³⁶ Then, as he was traveling along, they were all spreading their robes over the road in front of him.

³⁷ Well, as soon as he got close to the road that leads down the Mount of Olives [into JeruSalem], huge crowds of his disciples started rejoicing and praising God, shouting about all the powerful things that they had seen, ³⁸ and saying:

‘Praise this one who comes as King in the Name of Yahweh!

‘Peace in the heavens and glory in the highest places!’

³⁹ However, some of the Pharisees among the crowd went up [to Yeshua] and said:

‘Teacher! Scold your disciples!’

⁴⁰ But Yeshua replied:

‘I tell you this: If they were to remain silent, these stones would be doing the shouting!’

⁴¹ Well, as he was approaching the city, he looked at it and shed tears over it, saying:

⁴² ‘If you just knew this today… The things that [would have led you] to peace… But now they’ve been hidden from your eyes.

⁴³ ‘For the days are coming when your enemies will come here and build a fort of pointed stakes around you. Yes, they’ll completely surround you and come at you in force from all sides! ⁴⁴ Then they’ll toss you and your young to the ground, and they won’t leave a stone on top of a stone here, because you failed to recognize the time of your being inspected.’

⁴⁵ Then from there he entered the Temple and started throwing out the vendors, ⁴⁶ saying to them:

‘Despite it being written, My house will be a house of prayer, you’ve made it a den of thieves!’

⁴⁷ So he taught in the Temple every day after that.

And although the Chief Priests, Scribes, and prominent people were looking to destroy him, ⁴⁸ they couldn’t come up with a just reason to do it, since all the people were gathering around and listening to him.

Luke 20

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¹ Then one day, while he was teaching the people in the Temple and preaching the Good News, the Chief Priests, Scribes, and elders came up ² to him and said:

‘Tell us where you got the authority to do these things!

‘Who told you that you could this?’

³ So he replied:

‘Let me ask you a question… Tell me:

⁴ ‘Did John’s immersion come from heaven or from men?’

⁵ Then they got together and reasoned among themselves, saying:

‘If we say, From heaven, he’ll ask, Then, why didn’t you believe him?

⁶ ‘But if we say, From men, all the people will stone us, because they believe that John was a Prophet.’

⁷ So they came back and told him that they didn’t know where it came from.

⁸ And Yeshua said:

‘Then I’m not telling you where I got the authority to do these things.’

⁹ Well after that, he gave the people this parable:

‘A man once planted a vineyard

And contracted it out to some farmers;

Then he traveled abroad for a very long time.

¹⁰ ‘So, when it came time for the harvest,

He sent a slave to the farmers

To ask for some fruit from his vineyard.

But the farmers then had [that slave] whipped,

And sent him away empty-handed.

¹¹ ‘Thereafter, [the man] did the same thing again,

But sending a different slave.

This one, they whipped and dishonored,

And they sent him away empty-handed.

¹² ‘Thereafter, he sent them a 3rd slave,

Whom they wounded and then threw him out.

¹³ ‘So the owner asked himself what else he could do...

Then he said:

‘I’ll send my dearly-loved son,

For I’m sure that they’ll respect him!’

¹⁴ ‘But when those farmers saw him arriving,

They discussed it, and then they said this:

‘This is the heir, so let us kill him,

And then his inheritance will be ours!’

¹⁵ ‘So they threw him out of the vineyard,

And thereafter, they put him to death.

‘So now, what do you think the owner will do?

¹⁶ Won’t he come and destroy those [bad] farmers,

Then entrust his vineyard to others?’

Well when they heard this, the [Pharisees] said:

‘Nothing like that is ever going to happen!’

¹⁷ But he looked at them and said:

‘Then, what’s the meaning of what was written, which says:

‘The stone that the builders rejected

Has become the foundation cornerstone?

[Psalm 118:22]

¹⁸ ‘I tell you; all who fall on this stone will be broken, and it’ll smash everyone it falls on.’

¹⁹ Well after that, the Scribes and Chief Priests started looking for ways to arrest him, for they realized that his parable was about them. However, they were still afraid of the people, ²⁰ so they just kept on watching him closely.Then they sent men who pretended to be righteous so they could trick him into saying something that would give them a reason to hand him over to the government and to the power of its governor.

²¹ So they came up to him and said:

‘Teacher, we know that what you say and teach is right, and that you aren’t swayed by a man’s appearance… For you truthfully teach the ways of God.

²² ‘So now, tell us... Should we pay the taxes to Caesar or shouldn’t we?’

²³ Well, recognizing what they were up to, he said:

²⁴ ‘Show me a coin… Whose image and inscription is on it?’

And they replied:

‘Caesar’s.’

²⁵ Then he said:

‘You should pay Caesar’s things to Caesar, and God’s things to God.’

²⁶ Well as a result, they weren’t able to catch him in anything that he said there in front of the people, and they were amazed by his answers. So they didn’t say anything more to him after that.

²⁷ However, some of the SadDucees (who say there’s no resurrection) went up to him and asked him this:

²⁸ ‘Teacher, Moses wrote that if a man dies leaving his woman childless, his brother should take the brother’s woman and sire offspring for him.

²⁹ ‘Now, let’s say there were seven brothers... The first took a woman, and then he died childless.

³⁰ ‘So, the second one and then ³¹ the third took her, and the same thing happened to all seven… They all died before siring children.

³² ‘Finally, the woman also died.

³³ ‘So... Whose woman will she be in the resurrection, since all seven had her as theirs?’

³⁴ And Yeshua replied:

‘Although the sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, ³⁵ those who’ve been found worthy of that age and the resurrection from the dead won’t marry or be given in marriage, ³⁶ nor will they die anymore.

‘For they’ll have the power of the angels, since, as sons of the resurrection, they [will also be] sons of God.

³⁷ ‘Even Moses showed that the dead will be raised! For when [he was] at the [burning] bush, he called Yahweh the God of AbraHam, the God of IsaAc, and the God of Jacob.

³⁸ ‘So He isn’t a God of the dead, but of the living, since they’re all living to Him!’

³⁹ Then some of the Scribes came up and said:

‘Teacher, that was a fine answer.’

⁴⁰ And they didn’t have the courage to ask him anything more after that.

⁴¹ So [Yeshua] then asked them:

‘Why do they say that the Anointed One is David’s son? ⁴² For David himself said in the scroll of the Psalms:

‘Yahweh said this to my lord:

Sit here at My right hand,

⁴³ ‘Til I set your enemies as a stool for your feet.’

[Psalm 110]

⁴⁴ ‘So if David called him Lord, how could he be his son?’

⁴⁵ Well at the time, all the people were there listening to this. So then he turned and said this to his disciples:

⁴⁶ ‘Watch out for the Scribes who like to walk around in robes, to be greeted in the markets, to have the front seats in the synagogues, and to have the most prominent places at the suppers. ⁴⁷ For they swallow down the homes of widows and then cover up their wrong-doing by saying long prayers.

‘This is why they’ll receive a heavier judgment!’

Luke 21

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[Editor note: This chapter division appears to be in the wrong place – perhaps placed here deliberately to change the meaning. The account below is a continuation of the one at the end of chapter 20.]

¹ Well, as he looked up, he noticed the rich dropping their gifts into the [Temple] treasury chests. ² And then he saw a poor widow drop in just two small copper coins, ³ and he said:

‘I tell you the truth, although this widow is very poor, she dropped in more than they all did, ⁴ since they dropped in gifts from their surplus, while this needy person dropped in her whole means of living!’

⁵ Then, as certain ones were discussing the Temple (how fine its stonework was and how nicely it was adorned), ⁶ he said:

‘When it comes to these things that you see... The days are coming when there won’t be a stone left on top of a stone here that won’t be thrown down!’

⁷ So they asked him:

‘Teacher, when will these things take place… What will be the signs that they’re about to happen?’

⁸ And he replied:

‘Be careful that no one misleads you, for many will come in my name and say,

I’m the one, and, The time has arrived…

‘But don’t follow them!

⁹ ‘You’ll also hear about wars and disorders, but don’t be frightened by this, for all those things must happen first.

‘However, the end doesn’t come right away.’

¹⁰ And he told them:

‘Then nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, ¹¹ there’ll be many great rumblings, and there’ll be famines and plagues everywhere, as well as fearful sights and signs in the skies.

¹² ‘However, before all these things happen, they’re going to persecute you and arrest you, then lead you up before religious courts and have you locked up. Yes, because of my name they’ll drag you before governors and kings… ¹³ And that’ll be your sign!

¹⁴ ‘[But when this happens], don’t bother to plan your defense. ¹⁵ For I’ll give you a mouth and enough wisdom so that anyone who lies about you will be unable to resist or contradict you.

¹⁶ ‘However, your own brothers and parents… Yes, even your own families and friends will betray you and kill some of you! ¹⁷ And although everyone will dislike you because of my name, ¹⁸ not a hair on your heads will be harmed.

¹⁹ ‘So by your endurance, you’ll have gained your own lives!

²⁰ ‘Now, when you see armies camped around JeruSalem, know that her destruction is near. ²¹ Then those in Judea should run to the mountains… Yes, everyone in her midst should flee, and those who are in [fields] must not come back into her! ²² For those will be days of avenging and for accomplishing all that’s been written about her.

²³ ‘Woe to those who are pregnant and nursing babies in those days, for there’ll be great distress in the land as [God’s] wrath is brought upon these people. ²⁴ They’ll either be cut down by swords or be carried off to the nations as captives.

‘Then JeruSalem will be trampled by the gentiles until the times of the nations are filled.

²⁵ ‘At that time there’ll be signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And on the earth, the nations will all be in distress, for they’ll be confused by the roaring and the rolling surges of the seas.

²⁶ ‘Then men’s hearts will become weak with fear in expectation of the things that will be coming upon the habitation of mankind, as [they see] the powers in the heavens being shaken. ²⁷ And that’s when they’ll see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with great power and glory!

²⁸ ‘But as [you see] these things start to happen, you should stand erect and raise your heads high... For you’ll know that the time of your deliverance has drawn near!’

²⁹ Then he gave them this parable:

‘Consider the figs and all other trees;

³⁰ For, when they start putting out buds,

You know that summer is near.

³¹ ‘Thus, when you see these things start to happen,

You should know that the Kingdom of God has drawn near.

³² ‘I tell you the truth...

This people won’t pass away

Until all these things are fulfilled…

³³ Although the lands and the skies may all pass away,

My words won’t pass away!

³⁴ ‘So pay attention to yourselves,

And don’t let your hearts become overburdened…

Don’t allow the worries of life

To make your hearts reel, and let you get drunk,

So that day doesn’t sneak up upon you.

³⁵ For, it’ll arrive like a snare

Upon all that sit on the face of the earth.

³⁶ ‘Therefore, you must keep watch in every season

And keep praying that you’ll have the strength

To escape all these things that will happen,

And before the Son of Man, be able to stand.’

³⁷ Well, [Yeshua] taught in the Temple during the daytime, and every night he would go and camp on the hill called The Mount of Olives.

³⁸ So, all the people would come to the Temple early each morning to listen to him.

Luke 22

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¹ Now, as the Festival of Passover was drawing near, ² the Chief Priests and Scribes were looking for ways to get rid of Yeshua. However, they were still afraid of the people. ³ But then the Opposer entered Judas (the one called IsCariot, who was one of the 12), ⁴ and he went off and talked to the Chief Priests and [Temple] captains about ways that he could betray [Yeshua] to them.

⁵ Well, they were delighted by this, and they agreed to pay him in silver coins, ⁶ which he accepted. So then he started looking for opportunities to betray [Yeshua] when there were no crowds around.⁷ Then, [just before] the Day of No Fermentation (which is when the Passover was to be sacrificed), ⁸ [Yeshua] sent Peter and John ahead of him, saying:

‘Go and prepare for us to eat the Passover.’

⁹ And when they asked him where he wanted them to prepare it, ¹⁰ he told them:

‘{Look!} When you go into the city, you’ll be met by a man who is carrying a clay jar of water. Follow him into the house that he enters.

¹¹ ‘Then tell the master of the house that the Teacher wants to know where the guest room is where he can eat the Passover with his disciples. ¹² And he’ll show you a large furnished upstairs room.

‘Prepare for it there.’

¹³ So they left and found things just as he said; and they prepared for the Passover.

¹⁴ Then when it was time, he reclined at the table with his Apostles, ¹⁵ and he said to them:

‘I really wanted to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. ¹⁶ For I tell you that I won’t eat it again until it’s fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.’

¹⁷ And at that, he took a cup, gave thanks for it, and said:

‘Take this and pass it among yourselves...

¹⁸ ‘I tell you that from this point on, I definitely won’t be drinking the fruit of the vine again until after the Kingdom of God has arrived.’

¹⁹ Then he took a loaf [of bread], gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them saying:

‘This is my body, which is being handed over for you. Continue to do this in memory of me.’

²⁰ He also did the same thing with the cup after supper. He said:

‘This cup is the New Sacred Agreement of my blood which is being poured out on your behalf.

²¹ ‘But look… The hand of my betrayer is with me here at this table! ²² So the Son – who indeed is from among mankind – will be going the way that has been marked out for him… Yet, woe to that man through whom he’s being betrayed!’

²³ Well at that, they started discussing among themselves which one would possibly do such a thing. ²⁴ But then, a friendly dispute also arose between them as to which one of them seemed to be the greatest.

²⁵ So [Yeshua] said to them:

‘The kings of the gentiles like to dominate them, and those with power like to be called their benefactors. ²⁶ However, you shouldn’t be like that. Rather, the greatest among you should act like the youngest, and the one taking the lead should be the servant of the others.

²⁷ ‘For, which one is truly the greatest… The one who reclines at the table, or the one who does the serving? Isn’t it the one who reclines at the table? Yet, here among you, I’m the one who’s been serving!

²⁸ ‘Now, because you’re the ones who stuck with me during my trials, ²⁹ I’m giving this appointment to you, as my Father has given the appointment to me, for a Kingdom:

³⁰ ‘In my Kingdom, you’ll eat and drink at my table, and you’ll sit on thrones, from which you’ll judge the 12 tribes of IsraEl.

³¹ ‘But Simon, O Simon... Look! The Opposer has demanded to have you so [he can] sift you like wheat! ³² However, I’ve pleaded with [God] on your behalf so that your faith doesn’t give out… And then after you return, you can strengthen your brothers.’

³³ But [Peter] said to him:

‘Lord, I’m ready to go with you to prison and even into death!’

³⁴ However, [Yeshua] said:

‘I tell you this Peter; a rooster won’t crow today until you’ve denied knowing me three times!’

³⁵ Then [Yeshua] went on to say this to them:

‘When I sent you out before without a money bag, or a food pouch, or extra sandals, you didn’t really need anything else, did you?’

And they all replied:

‘No!’

³⁶ But then he gave them this warning… He said:

‘But now; if you have a money bag, you must carry it along, as well as a pouch for your food. And if you don’t have a sword, you should go sell your coat and buy one.

³⁷ ‘For I’m telling you that the thing that was written about me must now be fulfilled:

‘He was counted among the law breakers.’ [Isaiah 53:12]

‘Yes, this scripture is now going to be fulfilled in me.’

³⁸ Then [the Apostles] said:

‘Look, Lord… Here are two swords!’

And He said to them:

‘That’s enough.’

³⁹ Then he left, and as was his custom, he went to the Mount of Olives… And the disciples followed along. ⁴⁰ And when he got there, he told them this:

‘Now, pray that you won’t be tested!’

⁴¹ And at that, he walked away from them about a stone’s throw, and he bent down and started to pray, saying:

⁴² ‘Father, if it’s Your Will, please take this cup away from me… But only if it’s Your will, not mine.’

⁴³  Then a messenger from the heavens appeared to him, and this gave him strength. ⁴⁴ Yet, because he was still in agony, he prayed even harder, and his sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground. [likely spurious words]

⁴⁵ Well, after he’d finished praying, he got up and returned to the disciples and found them sleeping (because they were all very grieved).

⁴⁶ So he asked them:

‘Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you won’t be tested!’

⁴⁷ But while he was still talking, {Look!} a mob approached with one of the 12 (the one called Judas) in the lead, and he walked right up to Yeshua and kissed him!

⁴⁸ Well at that, Yeshua said:

‘Judas, do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?’

⁴⁹ And when those who were around [Yeshua] saw what was about to happen, they asked him:

‘Lord, shall we fight them off with the swords?’

⁵⁰ Then that’s when one of them struck the High Priest’s slave, taking off his right ear. ⁵¹ And after that happened, Yeshua said:

‘It has gone far enough!’

Then he touched the [man’s] ear and healed him.

⁵² And thereafter, Yeshua asked the Chief Priests, Temple captains, and elders that had come for him:

‘Are you coming here with swords and clubs [as though I were] some thief?

⁵³ ‘I was with you in the Temple every day, and you didn’t try to grab me then… However, this is your hour and the power of darkness!’

⁵⁴ So they arrested him and led him off to the house of the High Priest, as Peter followed behind at some distance. ⁵⁵ There they lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard, where they all sat down together, and Peter went and sat down among them.

⁵⁶ But then a servant girl noticed [Peter] sitting there in the light of the fire… She looked at him very hard and said:

‘[This man] was with him also!’

⁵⁷ But [Peter] denied it, saying:

‘I don’t know him, woman!’

⁵⁸ And a little while later, someone else saw him and said:

‘You’re also one of them!’

But Peter said:

‘Man, I am not!’

⁵⁹ Then, after standing around for another hour, someone started insisting, saying:

‘It’s true; this man was with him, because he’s also a Galilean!’

⁶⁰ But Peter said:

‘Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!’

And just as he was speaking, a rooster crowed.

⁶¹ Then the Lord turned and looked at Peter, and Peter remembered the words that the Lord had said to him:

‘Before the rooster crows today, you’ll deny knowing me three times.’

⁶² And at that, [Peter] went outside and wept bitterly.

⁶³ Well, the men who had taken [Yeshua] into custody then started making fun of him, and they [slapped] him ⁶⁴ as they were covering [his head] and shouting:

‘Now prophesy… Tell us who’s disciplining you!’

⁶⁵ They were also saying all sorts of slanderous things about him.⁶⁶ Well, as the day was dawning, the people’s body of elders assembled with the Chief Priests and Scribes, and then they brought [Yeshua] before the Jewish High Court, where they said to him:

⁶⁷ ‘If you really are the Anointed One, then say so!’

And he replied:

‘If I told you, you wouldn’t even start to believe it!

⁶⁸ ‘Also, if I asked you any questions, you wouldn’t answer at all!

⁶⁹ ‘But from now on, the Son of Man will be sitting at the powerful right hand of The God!’

⁷⁰ Well at that, they all asked:

‘So, are you the Son of The God?’

And he replied:

‘You’re the ones who are saying I am!’

⁷¹ And then they said:

‘So, why do we need any more witnesses, for now we’ve heard it from his own mouth!’

Luke 23

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¹ Well thereafter, the whole assembly got up and took [Yeshua] before Pilate. ² And there they accused him, saying:

‘We found this man trying to undermine the principles of our nation by forbidding us to pay taxes to Caesar, and by saying that he’s the Anointed One… A king!’

³ So Pilate asked him:

‘Are you the king of the Jews?’

And he replied:

‘You’re the one saying this.’

⁴ Then Pilate said to the Chief Priests and the crowds:

‘I can’t find anything wrong with this man.’

⁵ But they insisted, saying:

‘He’s been stirring up the people teaching throughout all of Judea… That’s why he came here from Galilee!’

⁶ Well on hearing that, Pilate asked whether [Yeshua] was in fact a Galilean.

⁷ Then, after learning that he was from Herod’s realm, he sent him over to Herod (who also happened to be in JeruSalem at the time [for the Passover]).⁸ Well, when Herod saw Yeshua, he was overjoyed, because he’d been wanting to see him for quite some time, since he’d heard so much about him and he hoped to see Yeshua perform some sign. ⁹ So he asked many questions, but [Yeshua] wouldn’t answer him.

¹⁰ [And all the while], the Chief Priests and Scribes kept standing up and accusing him.

¹¹ But then, not knowing what to make of him, Herod and his troops made fun of Yeshua by dressing him in bright clothes, and thereafter they sent him back to Pilate. ¹² This is also why Herod and Pilate became friends that day, for they really hadn’t liked each other before that.¹³ So Pilate then assembled the Chief Priests, rulers, and all the people, ¹⁴ and he said to them:

‘You brought this man to me as someone who was inciting the people to revolt. And look! I’ve examined him before you and I can’t find any basis for the charges that you’re bringing against him.

¹⁵ ‘In fact, Herod didn’t either, because he returned him to us.

‘So, since he’s done nothing deserving of death, ¹⁶ I’m just going to discipline him and then release him.’

¹⁷ For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast. [spurious words]

¹⁸ But with that, the entire crowd started shouting:

‘Impale him and release BarAbbas to us!’

¹⁹ ([BarAbbas] was in prison at the time because of [his involvement in] a revolt in the city, and for murder).

²⁰ Well, Pilate shouted to them once again, because he wanted to release Yeshua. ²¹ But they started yelling:

‘Impale him! Impale him!’

²² So he asked them a third time:

‘Why? What crime has he committed?

‘I haven’t found anything that he’s done to deserve death, so I’m just going to discipline him and then set him free!’

²³ But they started shouting impatiently, demanding to have [Yeshua] hung on a pole… And their voices started to win out. ²⁴ So Pilate gave in ²⁵ and he released [BarAbbas] (who was in prison for rebellion and murder) to meet their demands, then he did what they wanted [him to do] to Yeshua.

²⁶ Well, as they were leading him away, they grabbed Simon (a Cyrenian who happened to be coming in from the fields) and laid the pole [to be used to execute Yeshua] on him, so that he could carry it behind Yeshua [on his behalf].

²⁷ Meanwhile, a huge crowd of people (including many women) followed behind [Yeshua], beating themselves in grief and wailing over him.

²⁸ But then Yeshua turned to the women and said:

‘Daughters of JeruSalem, stop crying for me… Cry instead for yourselves and for your children!

²⁹ ‘Because, {Look!} the days are coming when people will say:

‘Those without any children,

And those whose wombs have not given birth,

Or whose breasts haven’t nursed, are the blest!’

³⁰ ‘For they’ll then call to the mountains and say:

‘Come and fall over us!

And to the hills they’ll shout,

[Fall down] and cover us over!

³¹ ‘For if [the Romans] have been willing to do such bad things

While the tree is still moist,

What will they do after it’s withered?’

³² Well, two criminals were also being led out to be impaled along with [Yeshua]. ³³ And when they got to the place that was referred to as ‘The Skull,’ they hung him and the criminals on poles there (one on his right and the other on his left).

³⁴ Then said Yeshua:

‘Father, forgive them; they don’t know what they’re doing.’ [possible spurious words]

Then [the soldiers] threw dice for [Yeshua’s] clothes, ³⁵ as the people just stood there watching. However, their rulers were looking on angrily and saying:

‘He saved others, so let him save himself if he’s truly the Anointed of God… His chosen one!’

³⁶ Even the soldiers made fun of him, coming up to him and offering him soured wine ³⁷ and saying:

‘If you’re the king of the Jews, save yourself!’

³⁸ There was also a sign that had been placed above him [that said]:

‘This is the king of the Jews.’

³⁹ Then one of the criminals that was hanging there started speaking badly to him, saying:

‘If you’re the Anointed One, save yourself… And save us too!’

⁴⁰ But the other one scolded him, saying:

‘Aren’t you at all afraid of God, since you’ve received the same judgment… ⁴¹ Which is only right, because we’re getting what we deserve in full measure for the bad things we’ve done.

‘However, he hasn’t done anything wrong at all!’

⁴² Then the man said to Yeshua:

‘Remember me when you come into your Kingdom.’

⁴³ And [Yeshua] replied:

‘Truly I tell you today, you’ll be with me in the Paradise.’

⁴⁴ Well, it was already about 12 noon… And then the whole land became covered by a darkness [that lasted] until 3pm, ⁴⁵ for the sunlight had failed.

Then, the Temple curtain split down the middle, ⁴⁶ and Yeshua called out in a loud voice, saying:

‘Father, I leave my breath in Your hands.’

And after saying that, he died.

⁴⁷ Well when the centurion saw [all of this] happening, he glorified God and said:

‘This truly was a righteous man!’

⁴⁸ And all the crowds that had come to watch this spectacle (after seeing all these things) started beating themselves [in grief] once again.

⁴⁹ Meanwhile, those who knew him (such as the women who had followed him from Galilee) were standing at some distance and paying attention to all that was going on.⁵⁰ Then {Look!} JoSeph (a man from HariMathea, a city in Judea), who was a good and righteous man and one of the Council members ⁵¹ (one who didn’t go along with what the [others] said or did, and who was also expecting God’s Kingdom) ⁵² went to Pilate and asked for Yeshua’s body.

⁵³ So he took it down, then he wrapped it in fine linen and laid it in a tomb that had been cut into the rock where no one had ever been placed before.

⁵⁴ Well, since it was [the day of] Preparation and the Sabbath was about to arrive, ⁵⁵ the women who’d come with him from Galilee and who followed along to look at the tomb to see how his body was laid out, ⁵⁶ went back to prepare spices and perfumed ointments [for his body] (but they followed the Commandments by resting on the Sabbath).

Luke 24

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¹ It was on [Sunday,] the first day of the week, at early dawn, that [the women] went back to the tomb carrying the spices that they’d prepared. ² But when they got there, they found that the stone [that covered the tomb’s entrance] had been rolled away; ³ and when they went inside, they couldn’t find the Lord Yeshua’s body.

⁴ Well, as they were standing there confused, {Look!} two men in glowing clothes appeared beside them, ⁵ which frightened them, and they hung their heads to the ground.

Then [the men] asked:

‘Why are you looking for the living among the dead?

⁶ ‘[Yeshua] isn’t here, he has risen!

‘Don’t you remember? When he spoke to you in Galilee, ⁷ he said that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men, then he would be hung on a pole, and [he would be] resurrected on the third day!’

⁸ Well, that’s when they remembered what he had told them, ⁹ and they left the tomb to report these things to the 11 [disciples] and all the others.

¹⁰ It was Mary of Magdala, Joanna, Mary (the [mother] of James) and the rest of the women who reported these things to the Apostles. ¹¹ However, what they said sounded like nonsense, so nobody believed them.

¹² But then Peter got up and ran to the tomb... And when he leaned in, all he found was the wrappings. So he left, wondering what had happened.¹³ {Look!} Meanwhile, on that very same day, two of [Yeshua’s disciples] had been traveling to a village named EmMaus (which is about 7 miles / 11km from JeruSalem), ¹⁴ and as they [were walking along], they were discussing everything that had happened.

¹⁵ Then, as they were talking and reasoning, Yeshua himself came up and started walking along with them… ¹⁶ However, their eyes refused to recognize him.

¹⁷ So he asked them:

‘What’s this subject that you’re debating while you’ve been walking along?’

And at that, they stopped and looked very sad.

¹⁸ Then the one named CleoPas said:

‘Have you been living as a hermit in JeruSalem so you don’t know what’s happened over the past few days?’

¹⁹ And [Yeshua] asked:

‘What things?’

Then they said:

‘The things [that happened to] Yeshua the Nazarene… A Prophet that came before all the people with powerful words and deeds!

²⁰ ‘But our Chief Priests and rulers then handed him over to be sentenced to death and hung on a pole.

²¹ ‘Yet, we were hoping that he’d be the one who’d set IsraEl free… It’s only been three days since these things happened!

²² ‘Then some women among us really shocked us; they went to the tomb early [this morning] ²³ and said that they couldn’t find his body. And when they came back, they told us that they had a vision of messengers [from God] who told them that he’s still alive!

²⁴ ‘So, some of us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said… They didn’t see him.’

²⁵ Well at that, [Yeshua] said to them:

‘O senseless ones, whose hearts are slow when it comes to believing all the things that the Prophets said!

²⁶ ‘Wasn’t it necessary for the Anointed One to suffer these things and then enter his glory?’

²⁷ So, starting from Moses and the Prophets, he explained all the scriptures that talked about him. ²⁸ Well when they reached the village where they were headed, he acted as though he was going to travel on.

²⁹ But they pressured him, saying:

‘Stay with us, because it’s getting late and most of the day is already gone!’

So he stayed with them.

³⁰ Then, as he was reclining with them for a meal, he took a loaf, spoke a blessing over it, broke it, and started handing it to them… ³¹ And that’s when their eyes were fully opened and they recognized him… But then he vanished!

³² And they said to each other:

‘Weren’t our hearts burning as he talked to us along the road, completely explaining the Scriptures to us?’

³³ So they got up right away and went back to JeruSalem.And there they found the 11 gathered with the rest, ³⁴ who told them:

‘The Lord was in fact raised, because he appeared to Simon!’

³⁵ Then these [two men] also told [the group] what had happened [to them] on the road and of how he became recognizable when he broke the loaf.

³⁶ Well, while they were still talking about these things, [they suddenly saw] Yeshua standing there in their midst!

And he said:

‘May you have peace.’

³⁷ However, this frightened and terrified them, because they thought they were seeing a spirit.

³⁸ So he asked them:

‘Why are you so worried, and what sort of conclusions are you reaching in your hearts?

³⁹ ‘Look… My hands and my feet… It’s me! Touch me and see, because a spirit doesn’t have flesh and bones as you see that I have!’

⁴⁰ And as he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.

⁴¹ But because they still didn’t believe (due to both joy and confusion), he asked them:

‘Do you have something to eat?’

⁴² So they handed him a piece of broiled fish; ⁴³ and he took it and ate it in front of them.

⁴⁴ Then he said to them:

‘These are the things I talked to you about while I was still with you; for everything that was written about me in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets, and in the Psalms, had to be fulfilled.’

⁴⁵ Then he opened their minds to fully understand the meanings of the Scriptures.

⁴⁶ Thereafter, he said to them:

‘It was written that the Anointed One would suffer this way and then rise from the dead on the third day. ⁴⁷ Then in his name, [the message of] repentance for the forgiveness of sins is to be preached among all the ethnics, starting from JeruSalem… ⁴⁸ And you [are the ones] that are to serve as the witnesses to these things!

⁴⁹ ‘So look! I’ll [soon] be sending you [something] that was promised by my Father. Therefore, you must stay in this city until after you’ve become clothed with the power from above.’

⁵⁰ And with that, he led them out along the road to BethAny… Then he raised his hands and blest them. ⁵¹ And as he was blessing them, he was taken away from them into the sky.

⁵² Then, after bowing to their faces before him, they all returned to JeruSalem filled with joy. ⁵³ And after that, they were found in the Temple praising God every day.

John

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John is an historical account of Yeshua’s life.

It’s mostly extra material not mentioned in the other Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). It was compiled by Yeshua’s Apostle John sometime in the late 1st century CE, but was likely written by one or more secretaries.

They probably originally wrote and compiled it in Aramaic before it was translated into Greek for a wider audience.

John 1

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¹ In the beginning, there was the Word, The Word was with The God [Greek: ton theon], And [a] god [Greek: theos] was the Word.

² This one was with The God in the beginning, ³ Everything, by his hand, was made, Without him, not a single thing was made.

⁴ Life was in him, And the life was the light of mankind.

⁵ This light shines in the darkness, And the darkness has not overpowered it.

⁶ Then a man named John arrived who had been sent by God. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify about the light so that everyone might believe through him.

⁸ He wasn’t the light, but he was to testify about the light; ⁹ for the true light that enlightens all mankind had come into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and although the world came to be through him, it didn’t recognize him.

¹¹ For even when he went to [those who were] his own, he wasn’t welcomed by them. ¹² Yet, he gave all those who did welcome him (all those who put faith in his name) the authority to become the children of God.

¹³ So they will not be born from blood, from the will of the flesh, or from man’s will, but from God.

¹⁴ Thus, the Word became flesh and tented among us as we gazed upon his glory, which was the glory of the one-and-only next to the Father… And he was filled with kindness and truth.

¹⁵ Concerning him, John gave this testimony:

‘This is the one about whom I said:

‘Although he is coming behind me, he preceded me and he came before me!’

¹⁶ So, we have received loving-kindness after loving-kindness from his great wealth. ¹⁷ For although Moses gave us the Law, loving-kindness and truth come to us through Yeshua the Anointed One.

¹⁸ And, although nobody’s ever seen God, this ‘only generated god’ (the one in the favored position of the Father) has explained Him.

¹⁹ Now, this is what John testified to when the Judeans sent Priests and Levites from JeruSalem to ask him who he was. ²⁰ [John] admitted it… He didn’t deny it, he admitted it, saying:

‘I’m not the Anointed One!’

²¹ Then when they asked:

‘Then who [are you]… Are you EliJah?’

He told them:

‘No, I’m not.’

[And when they asked]:

‘Are you the Prophet?’

He answered:

‘No!’

²² So they said:

‘Then, tell us who you are, so we can give an answer to those who sent us… What are you saying about yourself?’

²³ And he told them:

‘I’m just the voice of someone who’s calling out in the desert, as the Prophet IsaiAh said:

‘I have come to straighten the way for the Lord.’ [Isaiah 40:3]

²⁴ Now, those who’d come were sent by the Pharisees, ²⁵ so they asked him:

‘Then, why are you immersing if you aren’t the Anointed One, or EliJah, or the Prophet?

²⁶ And John told them:

‘I immerse in water; but there’s someone standing in your midst whom you don’t know. ²⁷ He’s the one who’s coming behind me, and I’m not worthy even to untie his sandals’ laces!

²⁸ Well, all of these things happened in BethAny-Behind-the-JorDan, which is where John was doing his immersing.²⁹ Then the next day, as [John] saw Yeshua coming towards him, he said:

‘Look! The Lamb of God... Who lifts away the sins of the world!

³⁰ ‘This is the one about whom I said:

‘There’s a man coming behind me who preceded me and came before me!’

³¹ ‘Yet, even I didn’t recognize him... Although the reason that I came immersing [people] in water was so that I might reveal him to IsraEl.

³² Then John gave this testimony:

‘I saw the Breath [of God] coming down from the sky like a dove and settle upon him! ³³ And although I didn’t know who he was, the One who sent me to dip in water told me this:

‘Whoever you see [Holy] Breath come down and rest upon is the one who immerses in Holy Breath...’

‘³⁴ And this is what I saw – so I can now testify to the fact that this is the Son of The God!

³⁵ Then the next day, as John was standing there with two of his disciples, ³⁶ he noticed Yeshua walking by, and he again said:

‘Look, the Lamb of God!’

³⁷ So the two disciples that heard him say this started following Yeshua. ³⁸ And when Yeshua turned around and saw them following him, he asked them:

‘What are you looking for?’

And they replied:

‘Where are you staying?’[Syr]

³⁹ Then he said:

‘Come with me and see.’

So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent the rest of the day with him (until about 4pm).

⁴⁰ Well after that, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter (one of the two that heard what John said and who followed [Yeshua]) ⁴¹ went and found his brother Simon and told him:

‘I’ve found the the Anointed One!’[Syr]

⁴² Then he led him to Yeshua. And when Yeshua saw him, he said:

‘You’re Simon, son of Jonah… You’ll be called Cephas [meaning, ‘a stone’; Greek: Petros; English: Peter].

⁴³ Then the next day, as Yeshua was preparing to leave for Galilee, he found Philip and said to him:

‘Be my follower’.

⁴⁴ (Philip was from BethSaida, the same city as Andrew and Peter).

⁴⁵ Then after that, Philip [went and] found NathaniEl (BarTholomew) and told him:

‘We’ve found the one about whom Moses wrote in the Law and the Prophets… He is Yeshua, son of JoSeph, from Nazareth!’

⁴⁶ But when NathaniEl asked:

‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’

Philip told him:

‘Well, come and see!’

⁴⁷ Then when Yeshua saw NathaniEl coming, he said to him:

‘Look… An IsraElite who really speaks his mind!’

⁴⁸ So NathaniEl asked him:

‘How is it that you know me?’

And Yeshua replied:

‘Before Philip called you, while you were under the fig tree, I saw you.’

⁴⁹ Then NathaniEl said:

‘Rabbi, you’re the Son of God… You’re the King of IsraEl!’

⁵⁰ And Yeshua asked:

‘Do you [only] believe this because I said that I saw you under the fig tree?

You’ll see even greater things than that!’

⁵¹ Then he said:

‘I tell you men the truth; you’ll see the heavens opening up and the messengers [of God] ascending and descending upon the Son of Man!’

John 2

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¹ Well, three days later, there was a wedding banquet in Cana of Galilee. And because Yeshua’s mother was there, ² Jesus and his disciples were also invited. ³ Then when the wine started to run out, Yeshua’s mother said to him:

‘They don’t have any more wine.’

⁴ But Yeshua said to her:

‘Lady, why is this any of my business? My hour hasn’t come yet.’

⁵ But then his mother told the waiters:

‘Do whatever he tells you to do.’

⁶ Well, there were six stone water jars sitting there that the Judeans required for washing, each of which held about 15 gallons (56 liters).

⁷ Then, Yeshua told them to fill the jars to the brim with water.

⁸ And then he said:

‘Now, dip some out and take it to the banquet director.’

So they did this and they took it to the banquet director...

⁹ And when he tasted the water that had been turned into wine (he didn’t know where it came from, but the waiters that drew the water knew), the director called the bridegroom ¹⁰ and said to him:

‘Everyone else puts out the finest wine first, then once people are intoxicated, the inferior. However, you’ve kept the best wine for now!

¹¹ So it was, there in Cana of Galilee, that Yeshua first showed the signs that revealed his glory, and it’s where his disciples [first started believing] in him.¹² Well after that, [Yeshua] went down to CapharNaum with his mother, brothers, and disciples. However, they didn’t stay there long, ¹³ because it was getting close to the Jewish Passover.

So then Yeshua traveled up to JeruSalem, ¹⁴ where he found [people] in the Temple selling cattle, sheep, and doves, as well as some currency changers that were sitting there. ¹⁵ Then, after making a whip out of ropes, he drove all those with the sheep and cattle out of the Temple, and he poured out the currency changers’ coins, turning their tables over!

¹⁶ And after that, he said to those who were selling the doves:

‘Get these things out of here!

‘Quit turning my Father’s House into a marketplace!’

¹⁷ So that’s when his disciples remembered that it was written:

‘Zeal for Your House will consume me.’ [Psalm 69:9]

¹⁸ Well after he did that, the Judeans asked him:

‘What sign can you show us [to prove] that you should be doing these things?’

¹⁹ And Yeshua replied:

‘When you tear down this temple sanctuary, I will rebuild it in three days.’

²⁰ Then the Judeans said:

‘It took 46 years to build this Holy Place! And you’ll rebuild it just in three days?!’

²¹ But of course, Yeshua was talking about his body as a [figurative] temple sanctuary. ²² After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered how he used to say this, so they believed the Scriptures and the things that Yeshua said.

²³ It was there (while he was in JeruSalem for the Passover festival) that many people started believing in his name… That is, after they saw the signs that he was performing.

²⁴ But Yeshua didn’t trust them, because he knew them… ²⁵ He didn’t need anyone to tell him about people, because he knew what they were like on the inside.

John 3

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¹ Now, there was a man named NicoDemos (he was a Pharisee and a ruler of the Judeans) ² who came to him one night and said:

‘Rabbi, we know that you came as a teacher from God, because nobody can perform signs like you’re doing unless God is with him.’

³ Then Yeshua said:

‘I tell you the truth; unless a person is born from above, he can’t see the Kingdom of God.’

⁴ So NicoDemos asked:

‘How can a man be born again after he’s old… He can’t go back into his mother’s womb a second time to be born, can he?’

⁵ And Yeshua replied:

‘I tell you the truth; unless a person is born from water and [God’s] Breath, he can’t enter the Kingdom of God. ⁶ Because, things that have been born from the flesh are fleshly... While things that have been born from the Breath are spiritual.’

⁷ ‘However, don’t be surprised because I told you that people have to be born again… ⁸ For the wind blows wherever it wishes, and although you can hear the noise, you don’t know where it’s coming from or where it’s going… And that’s how it’ll be for everyone who’s been born from the Breath.

⁹ Then NicoDemos asked:

‘How can things like this happen?’

¹⁰ And Yeshua replied:

‘You’re a teacher of IsraEl, and you don’t know?

¹¹ ‘I tell you the truth; we talk about things we know, and we testify to things we’ve seen… Yet you haven’t accepted our testimony. ¹² So if you don’t believe the earthly things that I’m telling you, how will you believe the heavenly things?

¹³ ‘No one has gone to heaven other than the one who came down from heaven: the Son of Man.’ (who’s [now] in heaven.)

¹⁴ ‘And as Moses raised the [sign of the] snake in the desert – that’s how the Son of Man must also be raised... ¹⁵ So that everyone who believes in him might have age-long life.

¹⁶ ‘This is how [much] God loved the world:

‘He gave His one-and-only Son so that everyone who believes in him might not be destroyed but have age-long life.

¹⁷ ‘God didn’t send His Son into the world to judge it, but rather, so that the world might be saved through him!

¹⁸ ‘Therefore, those who believe in [the Son] won’t be condemned, while those who don’t believe have already been condemned... Because they haven’t put faith in the name of God’s one-and-only Son. ¹⁹ Indeed, this [is the basis] for their judgment!

‘Although the light has now entered the world, these men have loved darkness more than the light, because the things that they’re doing are evil.

²⁰ ‘For people who do what’s foul hate the light. They don’t come into the light so [that they won’t] be disciplined for the [bad] things they’re doing. ²¹ However, those who do what’s true will come towards the light, so the things they’re doing can be exposed as having been done in God.’

²² Well after that, Yeshua and his disciples traveled into the Judean countryside, and he spent some time with them, immersing [them].²³ Meanwhile, John was also immersing [people] in Aenon near Salim (because there was a lot of water there), and people kept going out to be immersed [by him], ²⁴ since John hadn’t been thrown in prison yet.

²⁵ Well, John’s disciples had been arguing about purification with [a certain] Judean.

²⁶ And then they went to John and said:

‘Rabbi, the man who was with you across the JorDan (the one whom you testified about) is also immersing [people], and now everyone is going to him!’

²⁷ And John told them:

‘A man can’t have anything unless he receives it [first] from heaven… ²⁸ And you’re witnesses that I said I’m not the Anointed One, but that I’ve been sent ahead of him.

²⁹ ‘So the one who has the bride is the bridegroom. But his friend, when he stands and listens to him, gains much joy from the voice of the bridegroom.

‘Therefore, my joy is now complete! ³⁰ For as he increases, I must decrease.

³¹ ‘[Understand that] the one who comes from above is over everything. And while the one who comes from the ground is earthly and talks about earthly things... The one who comes from heaven is over all... ³² And he speaks of things that he’s actually seen and heard! Yet, they aren’t accepting his testimony. ³³ However, those who do welcome his testimony are proving God to be true.

³⁴ ‘And since the one who was sent by God speaks God’s words, he doesn’t just measure out [small] portions of [God’s] Breath, ³⁵ because the Father loves the Son, and He’s entrusted everything into his hands.

³⁶ ‘So those who believe in the Son will have age-long life, while those who disobey him won’t see life at all, because God’s wrath remains upon them.’

John 4

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¹ Well, when the Lord realized that the Pharisees knew he was making and immersing more disciples than John ² (although Yeshua didn’t really do any immersing, his disciples did), ³ he left Judea and returned to Galilee.

⁴ However, on the way back, he had to travel through Samaria. ⁵ So he stopped at a Samaritan city called Sychar, which was close to the field that Jacob had given to his son JoSeph, ⁶ and it’s where Jacob’s [well] was located.

Since Yeshua was tired from the journey, he sat down at the edge of the [well] (at about 12 noon), ⁷ and at the time, there was a Samaritan woman who had come to draw water.

So, Yeshua said to her:

‘Give me a drink.’

⁸ (at the time, his disciples had gone into the city to buy some food.)

⁹ But the Samaritan woman asked him:

‘So, why are you, a Jew, asking me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?’ For the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans [spurious words]

¹⁰ And Yeshua told her:

‘If you knew about the gift of God, and who it is that’s asking you for a drink, you might have asked him, and he would have given you living water.’

¹¹ Then she said:

‘Lord, you don’t have anything to draw water with… And it’s a deep well! So, where will you get this ‘living water?’ ¹² You aren’t greater than our ancestor Jacob who gave us this well and who drank from it with his sons and cattle, are you?’

¹³ And Yeshua replied:

‘Whoever drinks this water will just get thirsty again...

¹⁴ ‘But whoever drinks the water that I give him won’t be thirsty again in this age! For the water that I give will become a fountain inside him that bubbles up age-long life.’

¹⁵ Then the woman said:

‘Lord, give me this water so I won’t be thirsty again and have to keep coming to this place to draw water!’

¹⁶ And he said to her:

‘Go call your husband [and tell him] to come here.’

¹⁷ But the woman replied:

‘I don’t have a husband.’

And Yeshua said:

‘It’s good that you say you don’t have a husband, ¹⁸ because you’ve had five husbands... And the one you’ve got now isn’t your husband… You’ve spoken the truth.’

¹⁹ So the woman said:

‘Lord, I see that you’re a Prophet!

²⁰ ‘Our ancestors worshiped here on this mountain, but you people say that JeruSalem is where we should worship.’

²¹ Then Yeshua said to her:

‘Believe me, lady; the time is coming when you won’t worship the Father on this mountain or in JeruSalem [either]!

²² ‘Yet, you worship what you haven’t known, while we worship what we have known… For salvation comes from the Jews.

²³ ‘But the time is coming (and it’s now) when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, because, the Father is searching for such people to worship Him. ²⁴ And since God is spirit, those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.’

²⁵ Then the woman said:

‘I know that the Messiah, who is called the Anointed One, is coming... And when he gets here, he’ll explain everything to us.’

²⁶ And Yeshua said:

‘I, this person who’s speaking to you, am that one!’

²⁷ Well, his disciples arrived just then, and they were puzzled because he was talking to a woman. And of course, no one asked what she was looking for or why he was talking to her.

²⁸ However, the woman just left her water jar and walked back into the city. And there she said to the people:

²⁹ ‘Come and see a man who told me everything that I did… This couldn’t be the Anointed One could it?’

³⁰ As a result, everyone came from the city to see him.

³¹ Meanwhile, the disciples had been urging him, saying:

‘Rabbi, eat!’

³² But he told them:

‘I’ve got food to eat that you don’t know about.’

³³ So the disciples started asking each other:

‘No one has brought him anything to eat, have they?’

³⁴ Then Yeshua said:

‘Doing the will of the One who sent me and finishing His work is my food!

³⁵ ‘For although you say that there’s still four more months until the harvest... I say to you, look up and notice the fields! Because they’re already white and ready for harvesting!

³⁶ ‘Yes, the harvesters are already getting their pay and they’re gathering in the fruit of age-long life… So the planters and the harvesters can now rejoice together.

³⁷ ‘For the saying is true:

‘One person plants, another harvests.’

³⁸ ‘I’m now sending you out to harvest what you didn’t [plant]. Yes, although others have done the work, you’re now benefiting from their efforts!’

³⁹ Well at the time, many of the Samaritans in that city started believing in [Yeshua] because of what the woman had testified to when she said:

‘He told me everything that I did.’

⁴⁰ So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay there with them… And he spent a couple of days in that place. ⁴¹ However, many more started believing in him after that, because of the things he was saying.

⁴² So they told the woman:

‘We don’t believe just because of what you said, but because of what we’ve heard for ourselves… And now we know that this man is truly the Savior of the world!’

⁴³ Well, two days later, he finally left [Samaria] and arrived in Galilee. ⁴⁴ And there Yeshua himself witnessed the fact that a Prophet receives no honor in his hometown. ⁴⁵ However, when he [first] arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him because they’d seen all the things that he did at the festival in JeruSalem (since they’d also been there).⁴⁶ Thereafter, he traveled on towards Cana of Galilee (where he’d turned the water into wine). Now, at the time, there happened to be a man of noble birth in CapharNaum, and he had a son who was ill.

⁴⁷ So when the man heard that Yeshua had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went and asked him to heal his son (who was about to die).

⁴⁸ However, Yeshua said to him:

‘You [people] just refuse to believe unless you see signs and omens!’

⁴⁹ But the man urged him, saying:

‘Lord, please come on, before my little boy dies!’

⁵⁰ And Yeshua told him:

‘Be on your way! Your son is alive.’

So the man believed what Yeshua said and he went away.

⁵¹ Then, as he was traveling back, his slaves met him on the way and told him that his boy was alive. ⁵² And when he asked them exactly what time he got better, they told him:

‘The fever left him yesterday at the 7th hour [that is, 7am in the Roman Time system, 1pm in the Jewish system].’

⁵³ And at that, the father recognized that this was the same time that Yeshua had told him his son was alive. So thereafter, he and his whole household became believers. ⁵⁴ This was the second sign that Yeshua had performed when he came out of Judea into Galilee.

John 5

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¹ Well later, because there was a Jewish festival, Yeshua [once again] went up to JeruSalem.

² And in JeruSalem, at the Sheep-gate Pool (it’s called BethZatha in Hebrew) where there are five stone columns, ³ he found many people who were sick, blind, lame, and otherwise physically handicapped, and they were all lying down. waiting for the moving of the water. ⁴ For at a certain time, an Angel would go into the pool and disturb the water; whoever was first to step in the water after its disturbance was cured of whatever disease he had. [spurious text] ⁵ Among them was a man who’d been extremely weak for some 38 years.

⁶ So when Yeshua saw this man lying there (being aware of the long time he had this condition), he asked him:

‘Would you like to get well?’

⁷ And the sick man answered:

‘Lord, I don’t have anyone to put me into the pool when the water is shaking. And while I’m trying to get in, somebody else steps in ahead of me!’

⁸ Then Yeshua said:

‘Get up, pick up your cot, and walk around.’

⁹ And with that, the man immediately became healthy… He picked up his cot and started walking around!

Now, it so happened that this was a Sabbath day; ¹⁰ so the Judeans started saying to the cured man:

‘It’s the Sabbath, so it’s illegal for you to carry you cot!’

¹¹ But he said to them:

‘The one who cured me told me to pick up my cot and walk around!’

¹² And they asked:

‘Which man told you to pick it up and walk around?’

¹³ But the healed man didn’t know who he was, because Yeshua had faded into the crowd.

¹⁴ Then later on, Yeshua found the man in the Temple and said to him:

‘See… Now you’re healthy!

‘Don’t sin anymore, so that something worse doesn’t happen to you.’

¹⁵ Well after that, the man went off and told the Judeans that it was Yeshua who had cured him. ¹⁶ So, this is why the Judeans started persecuting Yeshua… Because he was doing these things on the Sabbath.

¹⁷ But he told them:

‘My Father has kept working until now, and I keep working.’

¹⁸ As a result, the Judeans started looking [for ways to] kill him. For, not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he also called God his own Father, making himself equal to God.

¹⁹ Then Yeshua said to them:

‘I tell you the truth; the Son can’t do anything other than what he sees the Father doing… Whatever [the Father] does, is what the Son does.

²⁰ ‘And because the Father cares about the Son, He shows him everything that He’s doing… And [God] will show him greater works than these, just to amaze you!

²¹ ‘For just as the Father raises the dead and makes them alive, the Son can also give life to whomever he wishes.

²² ‘And the Father doesn’t judge anyone, for He’s left all the judging to the Son, ²³ so that everyone may honor the Son just as they honor the Father.

‘Therefore, whoever doesn’t honor the Son, doesn’t honor the Father who sent him!

²⁴ ‘I tell you the truth; those who hear what I say and believe in the One who sent me will have age-long life… They won’t have to be judged, for they’ve come out of ‘death’ and into ‘life!’

²⁵ ‘I also truthfully say that the time’s coming and it is now [probably spurious] when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who listen to him will live.

²⁶ ‘For just as the Father has life in Himself, He’s given the Son life in himself ²⁷ and authorized him to do judging… Because he’s the son of man.

²⁸ ‘Don’t be surprised at this, because the time is coming when everybody in the tombs will hear his voice ²⁹ and come out… Those who did good things to a resurrection of life, and those who practiced what’s foul to a resurrection of judgment.

³⁰ ‘[Understand that] I won’t do something just because I want to… I judge by what [evidence] I hear, and my judgments are righteous, because I’m not looking to do what I want, but to do the Will of the One who sent me!

³¹ ‘Now, if I were to testify about myself, that testimony wouldn’t be true. ³² But someone else has already testified about me, and I know that the testimony he gave about me is true. ³³ For you sent [people] to John and he testified to the truth.

³⁴ ‘Nevertheless, I don’t really need the testimony of men… I’m just telling you these things to save you!

³⁵ ‘[John] was a burning, shining lamp... And you all wished to rejoice in that light during his hour. ³⁶ But now I have a testimony that’s even greater than John’s, because I’m doing the work that my Father assigned me to finish. And these things will testify about me [and prove] that I was sent by the Father.

³⁷ ‘For even the Father who sent me has testified about me… Yet, you’ve never heard His voice or seen His shape, ³⁸ and His words don’t stick with you, because you don’t believe in the one who He sent.

³⁹ ‘Rather, you keep searching the Scriptures, thinking they’ll give you age-long life. And although they actually do testify about me, ⁴⁰ you still refuse to come to me so you can live!

⁴¹ ‘I don’t [need] glory from people, ⁴² and I know that you don’t have God’s love in you. ⁴³ Even though I’ve come in the Name of my Father, you haven’t welcomed me... Yet if someone else came in his own name, you’d welcome him!

⁴⁴ ‘So how can you believe, when you receive your glory from each other, and you don’t glorify the one who’s come here from the One God?

⁴⁵ ‘Now, don’t think that I’m going to accuse you before the Father, because the one who accuses you is Moses… The very person you’re putting all your hope in! ⁴⁶ For if you believed Moses, you’d also believe me, since he wrote about me!

⁴⁷ ‘However, if you don’t even believe what he wrote, how can you believe what I have to say?’

John 6

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¹ Well, [sometime] after this Yeshua had crossed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (or Tiberius), ² and a large crowd followed along just to see the signs he was performing upon those who were sick.

³ And there, Yeshua went up a mountain and sat down with his disciples.

⁴ It was close to the time of the Jewish Passover festival, ⁵ so when Yeshua looked up and noticed the huge crowd coming, he asked Philip:

‘Where should we buy bread for them all to eat?’

⁶ However, he just said this to test him, because he already knew what he was going to do.

⁷ Then Philip answered:

‘200 silver coins worth of loaves wouldn’t be enough to provide even a little for this many [to eat]!’

⁸ And one of his disciples (Andrew the brother of Simon Peter) said to him:

⁹ ‘Here’s a little boy with 5 loaves of barley bread and 2 small fish… But then, what good is this when there’s so many?

¹⁰ Then Yeshua said:

‘Have the people recline as they would at a meal.’

Well, there was a lot of grass there, so they all (about 5,000 men) got down on the ground. ¹¹ Then Yeshua took the bread, and after giving thanks, distributed it to those who were lying there. [He also did the same with] the small fish, [giving them as much] as they wanted.

¹² And after everyone was filled, he told his disciples to pick up the leftovers so that nothing was wasted. ¹³ And when they picked them up, they filled 12 baskets with the leftovers of the 5 loaves of barley that those who’d eaten had left behind.

¹⁴ So when the people saw the signs that he was performing, they started saying:

‘This really is the Prophet that was to come into the world!’

¹⁵ And then Yeshua (because he knew that they were about to come and take him to make him their king) went away again… [he walked] up on the mountain [to be] by himself.¹⁶ Well, later that evening, [Yeshua’s disciples] went down to the water ¹⁷ and got into their boat, then left for the other side of the Sea to CapharNaum, because it had grown dark and Yeshua hadn’t returned yet.

¹⁸ However, a strong wind arose and the sea started becoming very rough.

¹⁹ Well, after they’d rowed for about 3 or 4 miles (5 or 6km), they saw Yeshua walking across the sea towards the boat! This frightened them.

²⁰ But he said to them:

‘Don’t be afraid… It’s me!’

²¹ And at that, they were finally willing to let him into the boat. Then, shortly thereafter, they reached shore at their destination.²² However, the next morning, the crowd that was still on the opposite shore could see that there was just the single little boat and that the other was gone… And they knew that Yeshua hadn’t gotten into the boat with his disciples, and that [the disciples] had left by themselves.

²³ Then some boats arrived from Tiberias and they docked close to the place where everyone had eaten the bread after the Lord gave thanks, ²⁴ and that’s when the crowd started to realize that Yeshua and his disciples were no longer there.

So they got into their little boats and traveled to CapharNaum to look for Yeshua. ²⁵ And when they found him across the sea, they asked him:

‘Rabbi, when did you get here?’

²⁶ So Yeshua said to them:

‘I tell you the truth; you aren’t looking for me because you saw signs, but because you had enough bread to eat.

²⁷ ‘Don’t work for food that can spoil. Rather, [work for] for the bread of life that lasts throughout the ages, which the Son of Man –who was sealed by our Father The God– will give to you.’

²⁸ Then they asked:

‘So, what must we do to perform the works of God?’

²⁹ And Yeshua replied:

‘All that God requires, is that you believe in the one He sent.’

³⁰ So they asked:

‘Then, what sign will you perform for us, so we can see and believe… What [miracles] can you show us?

³¹ ‘Didn’t Moses give our ancestors manna as bread from heaven when they were in the desert?’

³² Then Yeshua replied:

‘I tell you the truth; the bread that Moses gave them didn’t [really] come from heaven. However, my Father will give you bread that truly does come from heaven. ³³ For God’s bread is the one who came from heaven so as to give life to the world.’

³⁴ Then they said:

‘Lord, always give us this bread!’

³⁵ And Yeshua went on to say:

‘I am that bread of life. And those who come to me won’t ever be hungry again, nor will those who believe in me ever be thirsty again.

³⁶ ‘However, I tell you this:

‘Although you’ve seen me, you still don’t believe… ³⁷ And only those whom the Father has given to me will come to me.

‘However, I won’t throw away anyone who comes to me, ³⁸ because I didn’t come here from heaven to do my will, but [to do] the Will of the One who sent me.

³⁹ ‘And this is what His Will is:

‘That I shouldn’t lose any of those He’s given to me, and that I should resurrect them [on] the Last Day.

⁴⁰ ‘Yes, it’s the Will of my Father that everyone who pays close attention to the Son and believes in him should have age-long life. For I will resurrect him… [yes] me, on the Last Day!’

⁴¹ Well at that, the Judeans started grumbling about him, because he’d said:

‘I am the bread that has come down out of the heavens.’

⁴² And they started asking each other:

‘Isn’t this Yeshua, son of JoSeph? Don’t we know his mom and dad? So, how is it that he’s saying:

‘I came down out of the heavens?’

⁴³ Then Yeshua said to them:

‘Stop your grumbling!

⁴⁴ ‘Nobody can come to me unless he’s drawn by the Father who sent me… And then I’ll resurrect him on the last day.’

⁴⁵ ‘It’s written in the Prophets:

‘They’ll all be taught by God.’

‘So, all who listen to the Father and learn, will come to me.

⁴⁶ ‘However, nobody’s seen the Father other than the one who was with The God… Yes, he’s seen the Father. ⁴⁷ And I tell you the truth; those who believe this will have age-long life, ⁴⁸ because I am the bread of life!’

⁴⁹ ‘Even though your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, they [still] died… ⁵⁰ But those who eat this bread which came from heaven will not die!

⁵¹ ‘I am the living bread that came from heaven, and all that eat this bread will have age-long life. Yes, the bread that I’m offering up is my flesh, and I’m giving it away so that I can bring life into the world!’

⁵² Well at that, the Judeans started arguing with each other, asking:

‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’

⁵³ So Yeshua said:

‘I tell you the truth; if you don’t eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you won’t have life in yourselves.

⁵⁴ ‘For those who eat my flesh and drink my blood will have age-long life… Because I will resurrect them on the Last Day. ⁵⁵ Since my flesh is truly food, and my blood is truly drink... ⁵⁶ Those who eat on my flesh and drink my blood will remain in me, and I in them.

⁵⁷ ‘I was sent here by the living Father and I became alive through the Father. So, those who eat me will live because of me!

⁵⁸ ‘Yes, this is the bread that came down from heaven. It’s not the same as the bread that your fathers ate and then died; for those who eat this bread will live throughout the ages.’

⁵⁹ Well, he said all these things while he was teaching in the synagogue at CapharNaum. ⁶⁰ But after they heard him say these things, many of his disciples said:

‘These are tough words… Who can listen to them?’

⁶¹ Well, because Yeshua knew what his disciples were grumbling about, he asked them:

‘Has this become a trap for you?

⁶² ‘[If so], what’ll happen when you see the Son of Man going back up to the place he came from?

⁶³ ‘[Understand that your] breath is what makes you alive, for [without it], the flesh is useless.

‘Likewise, these things that I’m telling you are your life and your breath…⁶⁴ Yet, some of you still don’t believe.’

Well, Yeshua knew from the start who wouldn’t believe and who would betray him, ⁶⁵ so he went on to say:

‘This is why I told you that none of you can come to me unless you’ve been given to me by the Father.’

⁶⁶ However, because of [the things he said], many of his disciples went back to what they’d left behind and wouldn’t walk with him anymore.

⁶⁷ Then Yeshua asked the 12 [disciples]:

‘Don’t you want to turn back also?’

⁶⁸ And Simon (Peter) replied:

‘Lord, who should we turn to?

‘You’re the one who speaks the words leading to age-long life… ⁶⁹ For we’ve known and believed that you’re the Holy One of God!’

⁷⁰ Then Yeshua said:

‘I chose you 12, didn’t I? Yet, one of you is a slanderer.’

⁷¹ Of course, he was talking about Judas, [the son] of Simon IsCariot; because, although he was one of the 12, he was about to betray [Yeshua].

John 7

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¹ Well after all these things had happened, Yeshua limited his travels to [the area around] Galilee… He no longer cared to travel through Judea, because the Judeans were looking to kill him.

² However, the Jewish Festival of Temporary Structures was coming up, ³ so his brothers said to him:

‘You should leave here and go to Judea, so your disciples there can also see the things that you’re doing. ⁴ ‘For nobody does things in secret when they want everyone to know what they’re saying.’

⁵ (Yes, it’s a fact that his brothers didn’t believe in him).

⁶ So Yeshua told them:

‘My time hasn’t arrived yet… But it’s always your time, ⁷ because the world has no reason to hate you. It hates me, because I testify to the fact that its ways are wicked.

⁸ ‘So, you go on up to the festival… I won’t be going to this festival yet, because my time hasn’t arrived.’

⁹ Well, he remained in Galilee [for a while] after telling them this. ¹⁰ However, after his brothers had left for the festival, Yeshua also went (not openly, but in secret).

¹¹ Meanwhile, the Judeans were all looking for him at the festival, for they were asking:

‘Where is that [man]?’

¹² And there was a lot of discussion about him among the crowds. Some were saying:

‘He’s a good man.’

But others were saying:

‘No he isn’t… He’s misleading them all!’

¹³ Of course, nobody would talk about him publicly, because they were all afraid of the Judeans.¹⁴ Well, by the time that Yeshua arrived, the festival was half over. But then he went into the Temple and started teaching, ¹⁵ which caused the Judeans to wonder and ask:

‘How is it that this man understands the scriptures, since he hasn’t studied them?’

¹⁶ So Yeshua told them:

‘What I’m teaching you isn’t mine… It belongs to the One who sent me.

¹⁷ ‘And everyone who wants to do His Will already know whether the things I’m teaching come from God, or if I’m speaking on my own. ¹⁸ For those who speak on behalf of themselves are just trying to glorify themselves.

‘But this one’s only wish is to glorify that One who sent him, and [he] is telling the truth, and there isn’t any unrighteousness in him.

¹⁹ ‘However, although Moses give you the Law, none of you are trying to do what the Law says... For why are you looking to kill me?’

²⁰ Well at that, the crowd started shouting:

‘You’re demonized! Who’s looking to kill you?’

²¹ And Yeshua said:

‘I’ve only done this one thing that really bothers you.

²² ‘Moses gave you the circumcision (although it’s not really from Moses but from your forefathers), so you circumcise men on the Sabbath.

²³ ‘And if a man can be circumcised on a Sabbath without breaking the Law of Moses, then why are you so angry with me because I made a man healthy on a Sabbath?

²⁴ ‘Stop judging from the way things look on the surface… Judge righteously!’

²⁵ Well at that, some who lived in JeruSalem started asking:

‘Isn’t this the man they’re actually seeking to kill?

²⁶ ‘Yet, look… Here he is speaking in public, and they haven’t said anything to him! Have the rulers come to believe that he really is the Anointed One?

²⁷ ‘However, we all know where this man came from. But [surely] when the [real] Anointed One arrives, nobody will know where he’s from!’

²⁸ Then (as he was standing in the Temple, teaching) Yeshua shouted aloud:

‘Yes, you know me, and you know where I’m from! But, coming here wasn’t my idea; for the One who sent me here is real, and you don’t know Him. ²⁹ I know Him, because I came from Him and He sent me here!’

³⁰ Well after that, they started looking for ways to arrest him, but no one was able to lay a hand on him because his time hadn’t come yet.

³¹ But meanwhile, many in the crowd started believing in him and they were saying:

‘When the Anointed One arrives, he surely won’t perform more signs than this man has, will he?’

³² And because the Pharisees could hear what the crowd was saying about him, the Chief Priests and Pharisees did send officers to arrest him.

³³ It was then that Yeshua said:

‘I’ll be here with you just a little while longer before I return to the One who sent me… ³⁴ And then you’ll look for me, but not find me; for where I’m [going], you can’t go.’

³⁵ So the Judeans started asking each other:

‘Where does he plan to go that we won’t be able to find him? He doesn’t intend to go to those scattered among the Greeks and start teaching the Greeks, does he? ³⁶ What does he mean when he says:

‘You’ll look for me but not find me,’

‘And,

‘Where I’m going you can’t go?’

³⁷ Well, it was on the last day (the climax) of the festival, that Yeshua stood up and shouted:

‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink!

³⁸ ‘For the scriptures say that those who’ll put faith in me will have rivers of living water flowing from them.’

³⁹ Of course when he said this, [he was talking] about The [Holy] Breath that those putting faith in him were about to receive. However, the Spirit hadn’t arrived yet, because Yeshua hadn’t been glorified.

⁴⁰ Then some in the crowd who’d heard these words started saying:

‘This is surely the Prophet!’

⁴¹ While others were saying:

‘This is the Anointed One!’

However, some also said:

‘The Anointed One won’t really come from Galilee., will he?

⁴² ‘Didn’t the Scriptures say the Anointed One is from the line of David and from BethLehem, the village of David?’ [Micah 5:2]

⁴³ So the crowd became divided over him.

⁴⁴ And although some of them were actually there to arrest him, nobody laid a hand on him!

⁴⁵ Then after the officers returned to the Chief Priests and Pharisees, and were asked why they hadn’t brought him in, ⁴⁶ they replied:

‘No man has ever spoken like this!’

⁴⁷ So the Pharisees said to them:

‘You haven’t been misled also, have you?

⁴⁸ ‘Why, none of the rulers or Pharisees believe in him, do they?

⁴⁹ ‘Yet this crowd that doesn’t know the Law is cursed!’

⁵⁰ Then NicoDemos (the man who had come to him previously and was truly one of [Yeshua’s followers]) said to them:

⁵¹ ‘Your Law doesn’t allow you to judge a man before you’ve heard what he has to say and understand what he’s up to, does it?’

⁵² But they said to him:

‘Are you also a Galilean? Search [the Scriptures] and you’ll see that no Prophet is to come from Galilee!’

⁵³ And every man went to his own home. [spurious]

John 8

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¹ Yeshua went to the mount of Olives.

² And early in the morning, he again went into the temple, and all the people came to him. He then sat down and taught them.

³ Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to him a woman who was found committing adultery. After they’d presented her to everyone, ⁴ they say to him:

‘Master, this woman was found committing adultery, caught in act! ⁵ Now, in the Law, Moses commanded us that such a person should be stoned [to death]; but what do you say?’

⁶ They asked this to trap him, so they might get [something] to accuse him with. But Yeshua stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as if he hadn’t heard them.

⁷ So when they continued asking him, he lifted himself up, and said to them:

‘Whoever among you who has no sin, let him be the first one throw a stone at her!’

⁸ And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. ⁹ And those who heard him, being convicted by their own conscience, went away, one by one, first the oldest, right up to the last one.

Then Yeshua was left alone, with the woman standing there. ¹⁰ When Yeshua had lifted up himself, and saw nobody except the woman, he said to her:

‘Woman, where are your accusers? Has anyone condemned you?’

¹¹ She said:

‘No one, Lord.’

And Yeshua said unto her:

‘Neither do I condemn you. Go, and don’t sin anymore.’ [spurious text, even if a true story]

¹² So Yeshua continued to speak [to the people], saying:

‘I am the light of the world, and whoever follows me won’t ever walk in darkness, because he’ll have the light of life.’

¹³ Then the Pharisees said to him:

‘You’re just testifying about yourself, and what you’re testifying to isn’t true!’

¹⁴ But Yeshua said:

‘Even if I am testifying about myself, my testimony is true, because I know where I came from and where I’ll return!

‘However, you don’t know where I came from, or where I’ll be going, ¹⁵ since your judgment is fleshly.

‘Now, I’m not really judging anyone!

¹⁶ ‘But if I should judge, my judgment would be true, because I’m not alone… For with me is the Father who sent me!

¹⁷ ‘And isn’t it written in your Law that whatever two people testify about is true? ¹⁸ So although I’m testifying about myself, the Father who sent me has also testified about me.’

¹⁹ Then they asked:

‘So, where is your Father?’

And Yeshua replied:

‘You don’t know me or my Father; for if you knew me, you’d also know my Father.’

²⁰ And, although [Yeshua] was saying these things right there inside [the Temple] treasury, during this entire time that he was teaching in there, nobody arrested him, because his time hadn’t come yet.

²¹ Then He told them again:

‘I’m about to go away and then you’ll look for me.

‘However, you’ll just die in your sins, because I’m going to a place where you can’t go.’

²² So the Judeans started asking:

‘Is he saying that he’s going to kill himself? For he says:

‘I’m going to a place where you can’t go.’

²³ But he went on to tell them this:

‘You came from the things below, and I came from the things above… You’re from this world, but I’m not from this world.

²⁴ ‘So just like I told you before, you’ll die in your sins… Indeed, if you don’t believe that I’m the one, you’ll die in your sins!’

²⁵ Then they asked:

‘So, who are you?’

And Yeshua said to them:

‘Why am I even talking to you?

²⁶ ‘Yet, I have so many things to tell you and to judge about you... For the One who sent me is true, and I’m telling the world whatever I heard from Him.’

²⁷ Well, because they really didn’t understand that he was talking to them about the Father, ²⁸ Jesus said:

‘After you hang the Son of Man up, you’ll know who I am and that I haven’t been doing anything on my own… I’ve just been telling you what I was taught by the Father.

²⁹ ‘For the One who sent me is with me, and He didn’t send me off alone, because I always do the things that please Him.’

³⁰ Well, as he was saying these things, many started to believe in him.

³¹ So Yeshua then addressed those Judeans that believed in him, and he said this to them:

‘If you hang onto these things that I’m telling you, then you are really my disciples…

³² ‘You’ll know the truth, and the truth will set you free!’

³³ But some [in the crowd] shouted:

‘We’re the offspring of AbraHam and we’ve never been slaves to anyone!

‘So, why are you saying that we’ll be set free?’

³⁴ And Yeshua said to them:

‘I tell you the truth; everyone who sins is really a slave to sin. ³⁵ And a slave doesn’t always live in the house… Only the son lives there throughout the age.

³⁶ ‘Yet if the Son sets you free, you’ll really be free!

³⁷ ‘I know that you’re AbraHam’s offspring… However, you’re looking to kill me, because what I’m saying isn’t getting through to you. ³⁸ Although I’m telling you the things I saw [while I was] with my Father, you’re still doing the things that you heard from your father.’

³⁹ Then they said:

‘Well, our father is AbraHam!’

And Yeshua said:

‘If you really are AbraHam’s children, then do what AbraHam did!

⁴⁰ ‘However, you still want to kill me, a man who’s just telling you the truth that I heard from God… AbraHam wouldn’t do that!

⁴¹ ‘So you’re doing the things that your father wants.’

Then they said:

‘We weren’t fathered through some immoral relationship… We have one Father, God!’

⁴² And Yeshua said to them:

‘If God were your Father, you’d love me, because I came here from God. I didn’t come here on my own, He sent me here!

⁴³ ‘Do you know why you don’t understand what I’m saying?

‘Because you aren’t listening!

⁴⁴ ‘You’re from your father the Slanderer! And you’re wanting to do the will of your father, who’s been a murderer from the beginning…

‘He didn’t stick with the truth, because there isn’t any truth in him. So when he tells a lie, he’s saying something that’s his, since he’s a liar and the father of the lie.

⁴⁵ ‘This is why, although I’m telling you the truth, you don’t believe me.

⁴⁶ ‘Who among you can accuse me of sinning? And if I’m telling the truth, why don’t you believe me?

⁴⁷ ‘Those who come from God listen to what He says… And that’s why you aren’t listening… Because you aren’t from The God!’

⁴⁸ Well at that, the Judeans said:

‘Aren’t we telling the truth when we say that you’re just a demonized Samaritan?’

⁴⁹ And Yeshua answered:

‘I don’t have a demon. I’m honoring my Father, and you’re dishonoring me… ⁵⁰ I’m not trying to glorify myself!

‘However, there’s someone who is watching and judging! ⁵¹ And I truthfully say that those of you who obey my words won’t see death throughout the age.’

⁵² Then the Judeans said to him:

‘Now we know that you’re demonized! For although even AbraHam and the Prophets died, you’re saying:

‘If anyone obeys my words, he won’t see death throughout the age.’

⁵³ ‘You aren’t greater than our father AbraHam or the Prophets that all died, are you? Who are you claiming to be?’

⁵⁴ And Yeshua told them:

‘If I were just glorifying myself, my glory would mean nothing. However, my Father is the One who’s glorifying me… The One you claim to be your God, ⁵⁵ although you’ve never really known Him!

‘I know Him, and if I ever say that I don’t know Him, I’d be a liar like you!

‘However, I do know Him and I’m doing what He told me to do.’

⁵⁶ [Then Yeshua went on to tell them:]

‘Your father AbraHam shouted in joy over the hope of seeing my day…

‘Yes he saw it, and he rejoiced!’

⁵⁷ But the Judeans said:

‘You aren’t 50 years old yet, yet you’ve seen AbraHam?!’

⁵⁸ And Yeshua replied:

‘I tell you the truth; I existed before AbraHam was born!’

⁵⁹ Well at that, they picked up rocks to stone him! But Yeshua hid himself, left the temple, slipped through them, and went away.

John 9

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¹ Well, as they were walking along, [Yeshua’s disciples] noticed a man who had been blind since birth.

² So they asked [Yeshua]:

‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, causing him to be born blind?’

³ And Yeshua said:

‘It wasn’t because of the sins of this man or his parents… This happened so that the works of God could be demonstrated through him.

⁴ ‘For I must do the work of the One who sent me while it is still day, since the night is coming when no one can work.

⁵ ‘And as long as I’m in the world, I’m its light.’

⁶ Well after he said that, he spat on the ground and made a paste with his saliva, then he put it over the man’s eyes ⁷ and told him:

‘Now, go wash in the Pool of SiloAm’ (which translates as The Sent Place).

So the man went off and washed, and he came back seeing!

⁸ Then when his neighbors (those who knew that he’d been a beggar) saw this, they asked:

‘Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?’

⁹ And some agreed, saying:

‘That’s him!’

However others were saying:

‘No, it’s just someone who looks like him.’

But the man said:

‘I am him!’

¹⁰ So they asked:

‘Then, how were your eyes opened?’

¹¹ And he replied:

‘The man called Yeshua made a paste and smeared it on my eyes, then he told to me to go to SiloAm and wash. So I went and washed, and I started seeing!’

¹² And they asked him:

‘Where is that man?’

But he said:

‘I don’t know.’

¹³ So they took the man who used to be blind to the Pharisees ¹⁴ (for the day that Yeshua made the paste and opened his eyes happened to be a Sabbath).

¹⁵ Then the Pharisees asked him again how he had gained his sight, and he answered:

‘He put a paste on my eyes, then I washed it off and I started seeing.’

¹⁶ And some of the Pharisees said:

‘Well, the man [that did this] isn’t from God, because he doesn’t observe the Sabbath!’

But then, others asked:

‘But if the man is a sinner, how could he perform such signs?’

So as a result, they were divided.

¹⁷ Then they asked the blind man once more:

‘Since he opened your eyes, what do you have to say about him?’

And the man said:

‘He’s a Prophet!’

¹⁸ However, the Judeans still didn’t believe that he had once been blind and started seeing, so they called his parents in ¹⁹ and asked them:

‘Is this your son whom you say was born blind? And if so, how is he able to see now?’

²⁰ And his parents replied:

‘We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. ²¹ However, we don’t know how he started seeing or who opened his eyes… Ask him, he’s old enough. Let him speak for himself!’

²² Of course, his parents said this because they were afraid of the Judeans, who had agreed that if anyone would admit that [Yeshua] is the Anointed One, he would be expelled from the synagogue. ²³ So that’s why his parents said:

‘He’s old enough, ask him.’

²⁴ Then they spoke to the man who used to be blind again, saying:

‘Glorify God… For we know that man is a sinner!’

²⁵ But he told them:

‘Whether he’s a sinner or not, I don’t know. The only thing I do know is that I was blind and now I can see!’

²⁶ So they asked him once more:

‘What did he do to you… How did he open your eyes?’

²⁷ And he replied:

‘I already told you, but you aren’t listening!

‘Why do you want to hear me say it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?’

²⁸ Well at that, they spoke very rudely to him; they said:

‘You’re one of that man’s disciples! However, we’re the disciples of Moses!

²⁹ ‘We know that God spoke to Moses, but we don’t know where this man is from!’

³⁰ And the man said:

‘It’s truly marvelous that you don’t know where he’s from… Yet he opened my eyes! ³¹ We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, He only listens to those who are God-fearing and wish to do His Will.

³² ‘Yet, throughout the ages, nobody’s ever heard of anyone who could open the eyes of a person who was born blind!

³³ ‘If this man wasn’t from God, he couldn’t do such a thing!’

³⁴ Then they said:

‘You were born a complete sinner… And now you’re teaching us?’

So at that, they threw him out!

³⁵ Well, Yeshua heard that they’d thrown him out, and when he found him, he asked:

‘Have you started to put faith in the Son of Man?’

³⁶ And the man answered:

‘Just who is he Lord, so that I can believe in him?’

³⁷ And Yeshua said:

‘You’ve already seen him, for this one who’s speaking to you is him.’

³⁸ Then the man said:

‘I do believe in him, Lord’… At that, he bowed with his face to the ground.

³⁹ Then Yeshua said:

‘The judgments that I’m bringing into this world are helping those who don’t see, [start] to see, and makes those who can see, blind!’

⁴⁰ But when some of the Pharisees that were walking with him heard this, they asked:

‘We aren’t blind also, are we?’

⁴¹ And Yeshua told them:

‘If you were blind you wouldn’t have any sin.

‘But because you claim to see, your sins remain.’

John 10

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¹ ‘I tell you the truth; those who don’t enter the sheep pen through the gate, but climb in at some other place, are thieves and robbers.

² ‘Only the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of those sheep. ³ He’s the gatekeeper that opens to them, and the sheep listen to his voice.

‘So he calls his sheep by their names and then he leads them out. ⁴ And after he has them all out, he leads the sheep and they follow, because they recognize his voice. ⁵ They won’t follow a stranger… They’ll run from him, since they don’t recognize the voice of a stranger.’

⁶ Then, because they didn’t understand what he meant when Yeshua gave them this parable, ⁷ Jesus again said:

‘I tell you the truth; I’m the gateway to the sheep, ⁸ and all those who came ahead of me were thieves and robbers… So the sheep didn’t listen to them.

⁹ ‘I’m the gateway, and whoever enters through me will be saved… He can come in or he can go out and find a place to graze. ¹⁰ So while thieves only enter to steal, kill, and destroy, I came here so they can have life… And plenty of it!

¹¹ ‘I’m the good shepherd… And a good shepherd will give his life for his sheep. ¹² A hired hand (someone who isn’t a shepherd and who doesn’t own the sheep) will leave them and run away whenever he sees a wolf coming, so the wolf can scatter them and snatch some away. ¹³ For since he’s just a hired hand, he doesn’t really care about the sheep.

¹⁴ ‘However, I’m the fine shepherd, and I know my sheep and they know me, ¹⁵ just as the Father knows me and I know the Father.

‘Therefore, I’ll lay down my life for my sheep!

¹⁶ ‘I also have other sheep that aren’t in this pen, and I must lead them too.

‘They’ll listen to my voice and they’ll all become one flock under one shepherd.

¹⁷ ‘This is why I’m so loved by the Father… Because I’m willing to lay down my life and then take it back again. ¹⁸ Nobody’s going to take it from me, I’m giving it away! For I’m authorized to lay it down, and I’m authorized to receive it again.

‘Yes, this is the rule that I received from my Father!’

¹⁹ Well, the Judeans once again became divided over these words. ²⁰ For many were saying:

‘He’s demonized and crazy… So, why are you listening to him?’

²¹ But others were saying:

‘These aren’t the words of a demonized man, for a demon can’t open the eyes of a blind man, can it?’

²² Well at the time, the Festival of Rededication [or Hanukkah] was going on in JeruSalem (it was winter). ²³ And as Yeshua was walking along in the temple among the Columns of Solomon, ²⁴ some Judeans gathered around him and asked:

‘How much longer are you going to keep us in suspense?

‘Just tell us if you’re the Anointed One!’

²⁵ And Yeshua replied:

‘I [already] told you, but you don’t want to believe it!

‘Even though the things I’m doing in my Father’s Name all testify about me, ²⁶ you still don’t believe it, because you aren’t my sheep.

²⁷ ‘My sheep listen to my voice… I know them all and they follow me, ²⁸ so I’m giving them age-long life!

‘No, none of them will be lost in this age, because no one can snatch them out of my hands. ²⁹ For my Father who gave them to me is greater than everyone, and no one can snatch them from His hands… ³⁰ And my Father and I are one!’

³¹ Then once again, the Judeans picked up rocks to stone him.

³² So Yeshua said:

‘I’ve shown you all these good things that I did, which came from the Father… So, which of these good deeds are you getting ready to stone me for?’

³³ And the Judeans replied:

‘We won’t be stoning you for doing good things, but for your blasphemy!

‘Although you’re just a man, you’re making yourself [a] god!’

³⁴ Then Yeshua asked:

‘Isn’t it written in your Law:

‘I say that you are gods?’ [Psalm 82:6]

³⁵ ‘So if God called those whom His Word spoke against, ‘gods,’... And you can’t void the Scriptures... ³⁶ How can you tell me, one who was made holy and sent into the world by the Father, that I’m blaspheming because I say that I’m God’s Son?

³⁷ ‘Now, if what I’m doing isn’t my Father’s Will, then don’t believe me! ³⁸ But if what I’m [doing really is His Will], then believe in what I’m doing, even if you don’t believe in me!

‘For then you’ll come to know, and keep on knowing, that the Father’s in me, and I’m in the Father.’

³⁹ So at that point, they tried to grab him again. However, he slipped out of their reach.⁴⁰ Then he went off and crossed the JorDan [River], and he stayed at the place where John had started his immersing. ⁴¹ Many people came to him there, and they were saying:

‘John didn’t perform a single sign, but everything that John said about this man is true!’

⁴² So, many started believing in him there.

John 11

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¹ Now, there was a man who was very ill, Lazarus of BethAny (he came from the same village as Mary and her sister Martha). ² This is the Mary who greased the Lord with perfumed ointment and wiped his feet dry with her hair. At the time, Lazarus (who was her brother) was very sick, ³ so his sisters sent word [to Yeshua], saying:

‘Lord, {Look!} the that you care about is very ill!’

⁴ But when Yeshua heard this, he said:

‘This sickness isn’t for death, it’s for the glory of God…

‘So that the Son of God will be glorified by it!’

⁵ And although Yeshua loved Martha, her sister, and Lazarus, ⁶ when he heard that [Lazarus] was ill, he actually stayed where he was for two more days.

⁷ And after that, he told the disciples:

‘Let’s go to Judea again.’

⁸ But the disciples reminded him, saying:

‘Rabbi, the Judeans just tried to stone you, so are you going there again?’

⁹ And Yeshua replied:

‘Aren’t there 12 hours of daylight? If a person walks in the daylight he doesn’t bump into things, because he sees the light of this world. ¹⁰ But if someone walks around during the night he’ll bump into things, because there isn’t any light in him.’

¹¹ Then after he said this, he told them:

‘Our friend Lazarus is lying down and I’m going there to wake him up.’

¹² So the disciples said to him:

‘Lord, if he’s just lying down, he’ll survive.’

¹³ However, Yeshua had been talking about his death, while they thought he was talking about lying down to sleep. ¹⁴ So then, Yeshua told them plainly:

‘Lazarus has died… ¹⁵ And I’m happy for your sakes that I wasn’t there, so you can believe.

‘Now, let’s go to him!’

¹⁶ Then Thomas (who was called the Twin) said to the other disciples:

‘Let’s go along too, so that we can also die with [Yeshua].’

¹⁷ Well when Yeshua arrived, he found [that Lazarus] had already been in the tomb for four days. ¹⁸ And since BethAny was just about 2 miles (3km) from JeruSalem, ¹⁹ many people had come there from Judah to see Martha and Mary in order to console them over [the death of] their brother.

²⁰ Then when Martha heard that Yeshua was coming, she went to meet him, while Mary stayed at home. ²¹ And Martha said to Yeshua:

‘Lord, if you’d just been here, my brother wouldn’t have died. ²² But I know that whatever you ask of God, He will give to you.’

²³ Then Yeshua told her:

‘Your brother will stand again!’

²⁴ And Martha said:

‘I know that he’ll stand again in the resurrection on the last day.’

²⁵ But Yeshua said to her:

‘I am the resurrection and the life; so, whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live.

²⁶ ‘And all the living that believe in me won’t see death into the age.

‘Do you believe this?’

²⁷ And she answered:

‘Yes, Lord; I’ve believed that you’re the Anointed One, the Son of The God, who was to come into the world.’

²⁸ Then after saying this, she went off to call her sister Mary, and she told her secretly:

‘The Teacher is here and he’s asking for you.’

²⁹ So when [Mary] heard this, she got up quickly and went to him.

³⁰ Actually, Yeshua hadn’t gone into the village yet, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. ³¹ And when the Judeans who’d come to the house to console Mary saw her get up quickly and leave, they followed her, thinking that she was going to the tomb to cry there.

³² Then when Mary got to the place where Yeshua was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying:

‘Lord, if you’d been here, my brother wouldn’t have died!’

³³ Well, when Yeshua saw her and all the Judeans that came with her crying, he groaned a deep sigh and was visibly upset.

³⁴ Then he asked her:

‘Where have you laid him?’

And she replied:

‘Lord, come here and see.’

³⁵ Then Yeshua broke into tears, ³⁶ and the Judean [women] said:

‘Look at how much he cared for him!’

³⁷ But some of them also asked:

‘Couldn’t this man, who opened the eyes of that blind man, able to keep him from dying?’

³⁸ Well, after groaning deeply again, Yeshua went to the tomb (it was actually a cave with a [large] rock placed over it).

³⁹ And Yeshua said:

‘Lift the stone.’

But Martha (the dead man’s sister) said:

‘Lord, he must smell by now, as it’s been 4 days!’

⁴⁰ However Yeshua said:

‘Didn’t I tell you that if you believed, you’d see the glory of God?’

⁴¹ So they lifted the stone.

Then Yeshua raised his eyes towards heaven and said:

‘Father; thank You for listening to me!

⁴² ‘I know that You always listen to me, but I said this for the sake of the crowd that’s standing around… So they can believe that You sent me.’

⁴³ And after he said that, he shouted loudly:

‘Lazarus, come on out!’

⁴⁴ Then the man who’d been dead came out... With his hands and feet still bound with wrappings, and his face still wrapped in a cloth!

And Yeshua said:

‘Now, untie and unwrap him!’

⁴⁵ Well, that’s when many of the Judeans who came with Mary and saw what he’d done started to believe in him. ⁴⁶ However, others went off to the Pharisees and reported what Yeshua was doing.⁴⁷ So the Chief Priests and Pharisees assembled the Jewish Court and said to them:

‘What should we to do… For this man is performing so many signs?

⁴⁸ ‘If we just let him keep doing this, everyone will believe in him and the Romans will come and take our land and our people!’

⁴⁹ Then one of those in the group, CaiAphas (who was the High Priest that year), said to them:

‘You don’t know anything ⁵⁰ and you haven’t figured it out yet… That it’s better for one man to die for the people so that the whole nation isn’t destroyed!’

⁵¹ However, he didn’t come up with this by himself; it was because he was the High Priest that year that he spoke this prophesy about Yeshua having to die for the nation… ⁵² And not just for the nation, but so that he could also bring the scattered children of God together as one.

⁵³ Well, because these men continued meeting and discussing ways to kill him, ⁵⁴ Jesus no longer traveled openly among the Judeans.So he left there and traveled through the countryside next to the desert to a city called Ephraim, where he remained with his disciples.

⁵⁵ But then, because the Judean Passover was coming, many of the people left the countryside for JeruSalem to undergo ceremonial cleansing before the Passover.

⁵⁶ Meanwhile, the people were looking for Yeshua in the Temple, and they were asking each other:

‘What do you think? Won’t he come to the Festival at all?

⁵⁷ ‘For the Chief Priests and Pharisees have given orders that if anyone knows where he is, they should report it, so they can arrest him.’

John 12

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¹ Well, 6 days before the Passover, Yeshua finally arrived at BethAny (the place where he raised Lazarus from the dead), ² and they prepared a supper for him there.

Martha was doing the serving, and Lazarus was reclining at the table with the others. ³ Then Mary took a pound of perfumed ointment (it was very expensive… Genuine nard) and greased Yeshua’s feet, wiping them dry with her hair and filling the whole house with the scent of the perfume.

⁴ But Judas IsCariot (one of his disciples who was about to betray him) asked:

⁵ ‘Why wasn’t this ointment sold for 300 silver coins and given to the poor?’

⁶ However, he didn’t say this because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief! He kept the money box, and he used to [steal some of] the money that was put into it.

⁷ But Yeshua said:

‘Leave her alone… Let her keep this observance of the day of my burial. ⁸ For you’ll always have the poor with you, but you won’t always have me.’

⁹ Well, a large crowd of Judeans had learned that he was there, and they didn’t just come to see Yeshua, but they also came to see Lazarus whom he’d raised from the dead. ¹⁰ As a result, the Chief Priests then met in counsel to kill Lazarus also, ¹¹ since many Judeans were going there and believing in Yeshua because of what had happened to him.¹² Then the next day, a huge crowd of people who had come to the festival (when they heard that Yeshua was coming to JeruSalem) ¹³ took palm fronds and went out to meet him, shouting:

‘[God] save the Praised One who comes in Yahweh’s Name as the King of IsraEl!’

¹⁴ And when Yeshua found a young burro, he mounted it, just as it was written:

¹⁵ ‘Don’t be afraid, O daughter of Zion;

For look… Your king has arrived

Sitting upon the colt of a burro.’

[Zechariah 9:9]

¹⁶ And although his disciples didn’t understand this at first, after Yeshua was glorified, [that’s when] they realized that it had all been written about him [in advance], and that they [actually] did these things to him.

¹⁷ Also, the crowd that was with him when he’d called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, started testifying about him. ¹⁸ So, many among the throngs [of people who were there] came to meet him, because they’d heard about his performing this sign.

¹⁹ And as a result, the Pharisees started talking among themselves, saying:

‘Look, we’re getting nowhere! See, the whole world is following him!’

²⁰ Well, there were some Greeks among those who had come to worship at the Festival, ²¹ and they went up to Philip (who was from BethSaida of Galilee) and said:

‘Lord, we’d like to see this Yeshua.’

²² So Philip went and told Andrew, then Andrew and Philip went and told Yeshua. ²³ But Yeshua told them no, because he said:

‘The time has now arrived for the Son of Man to be glorified.

²⁴ ‘I tell you the truth; unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a kernel. But if it dies, it produces much fruit. ²⁵ So, those who care for their lives will lose them, while those who don’t care about their lives in this system of things are grabbing hold of age-long life.

²⁶ ‘Therefore, if anyone wants to serve me, he must follow me, so that my servants will be wherever I am… For the Father will honor all those who wish to serve me.

²⁷ ‘Now, I’m deeply disturbed, so what should I say…

‘Father, save me from this hour?’

‘No, for this is why I came to this hour!

²⁸ ‘So Father; glorify Your Name!’

Then a voice came out of the sky that said:

‘I glorified it, and I’ll glorify it again!’

²⁹ Well, [many in] the crowd that were standing there heard [the sound] and they said it was thunder, but others said:

‘An angel has spoken to him!’

³⁰ Then Yeshua said:

‘This voice didn’t happen for my sake, but for yours, ³¹ since this system of things is now going to be judged, and the ruler of this arrangement will be cast out!

³² ‘For when I’m hung high off the ground, I’ll draw all men towards me.’

³³ He was really saying this to show what type of death he was about to die.

³⁴ And the crowd started saying:

‘Since the Law tells us that the Anointed One will be here throughout the age, why do you say that the Son of Man must be hung up? Exactly who is this Son of Man?’

³⁵ And Yeshua replied:

‘The light will be among you for just a little while longer.

‘Therefore, walk while you have the light, so that darkness doesn’t overtake you. For those who walk in darkness don’t know where they’re going.

³⁶ ‘But as long as you have the light, you have to put faith in that light, so you can become Sons of the Light.’

Then after Yeshua said these things, he went and hid from them.

³⁷ For although he’d performed so many signs before them, they still didn’t believe in him. ³⁸ Yet, all of this happened so that the words of the Prophet IsaiAh could be fulfilled, which said:

‘O Lord,

‘Who has believed in the things that we’ve heard,

And who’s shown us the arm of Yahweh?’

[Isaiah 53:1]

³⁹ Now, the reason why they couldn’t believe is, as IsaiAh once said:

⁴⁰ ‘For the hearts of these people have hardened,

So that with their ears,

They now listen slowly,

And all their eyelids are closed;

‘Thus, they’ll not hear with their ears,

Nor will they see with their eyes,

And their hearts just won’t comprehend

To make them turn back so I’d heal them.’

[Isaiah 6:9-10]

⁴¹ Yes, IsaiAh said this, because he saw and talked about the glory [of Yeshua].

⁴² Why, even many of the rulers believed in him… But they wouldn’t admit it because of the Pharisees, so they wouldn’t be expelled from the synagogues. ⁴³ For they loved the glory of men even more than the glory of God!

⁴⁴ Then Yeshua shouted [to the crowd]:

‘Those who believe in me aren’t just believing in me alone, but in the One who sent me.

⁴⁵ ‘And whoever sees me also sees the One who sent me!

⁴⁶ ‘For I came as a light to this world so that all those who believe in me won’t remain in the darkness.

⁴⁷ ‘Now, if anyone hears the things that I’m saying and doesn’t obey them, I’m not going to judge that person. For I didn’t come into the world to judge it, but to save it!

⁴⁸ ‘However... Those who ignore me and don’t welcome what I say already have someone who’s judging them! The things that I’ve said are what will judge them on the last day, ⁴⁹ since the things that I’ve said didn’t come from me.

‘Rather, it was the Father who sent me who commanded me and told me what to say. ⁵⁰ And since I know that His Commandments mean age-long life, I’ve just told you whatever the Father told me… Yes, these are the things that I’ve been saying to you!’

John 13

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¹ Well, even before the Passover Festival, Yeshua knew that the time had come for him to transfer from this world to the Father. Yet, he loved those who were his own in this world all the way to the end.

² So while they were eating supper (since the Slanderer had already put it into the heart of Judas IsCariot, son of Simon, to betray him, ³ and because he knew that the Father had put everything into his hands and that he came from God and was returning to God...) ⁴ [Yeshua] got up from the meal and laid his outer clothing aside.

Then he took a towel and wrapped it around himself, ⁵  put water in a bowl, and started washing his disciples’ feet, then drying them with the towel that he’d wrapped around him.

⁶ However, when he got to Simon Peter, [Peter] asked:

‘Lord, why are you washing my feet?’

⁷ And Yeshua replied:

‘You won’t understand what I’m doing right now, but you’ll understand later.’

⁸ Then Peter said:

‘Well, you aren’t going to wash my feet any time in this age!’

And Yeshua told him:

‘If I don’t wash you, you’ll never have a share with me.’

⁹ And at that, Simon Peter said:

‘Lord, then not just my feet, but my hands and head also!’

¹⁰ But Yeshua told him:

‘Someone who’s taken a bath is already completely clean and he doesn’t need to have anything more than his feet washed… And you men are clean…

‘But not all.’

¹¹ He knew, of course, which man would betray him. That’s why he said:

‘Not all of you are clean.’

¹² Well, after he’d finished washing their feet, he put his outer clothing back on and reclined at the table again.

Then he asked:

‘Do you know what I’ve done for you? ¹³ You call me Teacher and Lord, and there’s nothing wrong with that, because that’s what I am. ¹⁴ But, if I as your Lord and Teacher washed your feet, you should also wash the feet of each other!

¹⁵ ‘Now, I’ve set the pattern for you, so you must do just as I’ve done to you.

¹⁶ ‘I tell you the truth; a slave isn’t greater than his master, nor is the one who’s sent greater than the one who sent him!

¹⁷ ‘So if you understand these things and do them, you’ll be blest.

¹⁸ ‘However, I’m not talking about all of you, for I know those whom I chose. And the scripture must be fulfilled that says:

‘The one who used to chew on my bread

Has lifted his heel against me.’

[Psalm 41:9]

¹⁹ So, from now on I’ll be telling you things before they happen.

‘That way, when they do happen, you’ll believe that I am the one.’

²⁰ ‘I tell you the truth; those who welcome anyone who I send are welcoming me. And those who welcome me, are also welcoming the One who sent me.’

²¹ Well, after he said all these things, Yeshua became deeply disturbed and he testified to this:

‘I tell you the truth:

‘One of you will betray me!’

²² So the disciples started looking at each other and they were all at a loss as to which one he was saying this about. ²³ And because the disciple whom Yeshua particularly loved was reclining right next to Yeshua, ²⁴ Simon Peter nodded to him and said:

‘Tell [us] who he’s talking about.’

²⁵ So, this one leaned back against Yeshua’s chest and asked him [quietly]:

‘Lord, who [is it]?’

²⁶ And Yeshua [discreetly] replied:

‘This piece of bread that I’m dipping – it’s the one I’m going to give it to.’

So he dipped the piece of bread, then he took and gave it to Judas, son of Simon IsCariot!

²⁷ Well, after [Judas ate] the bread, the Opposer entered him. And Yeshua said to him:

‘Now, hurry and do all that you’ve planned to do!’

²⁸ Meanwhile, none of the others who were reclining at the table knew why he said this to him. ²⁹ In fact, some thought that since Judas was in charge of the money box, Yeshua was telling him to go and buy whatever was needed for the Festival, or that he should give something to the poor.

³⁰ So [Judas] left immediately after he’d received the piece of bread late that evening.

³¹ Then Yeshua said:

‘Now the Son of Man is being glorified, and through him, God will also be glorified!

³² ‘For God Himself will glorify him, and he’ll be glorified right away!

³³ ‘Little children; I’ll only be with you a little while longer. Then you’ll look for me, and as I told the Judeans:

‘Where I’m going you can’t come...’

‘And I’m saying the same thing to you right now.

³⁴ ‘Therefore, I’m giving you a new commandment… To love each other!

‘Yes, love each other just as I’ve loved you!

³⁵ ‘For they’ll recognize you as my disciples by the love that you have for each other’.

³⁶ Then Simon Peter asked:

‘Where are you going, Lord?’

And Yeshua told him:

‘You can’t follow me to the place where I’m going now… But you’ll follow later.’

³⁷ Then Peter said:

‘Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I’m [willing to] give my life for you!’

³⁸ But Yeshua said:

‘Will you give your life for me?

‘I tell you the truth; a rooster won’t crow before you’ve denied knowing me three times!’

John 14

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¹ ‘Now, don’t let your hearts be troubled… Just have faith in God and have faith in me.

² ‘Understand that there are many rooms in my Father’s house. If this weren’t so, I wouldn’t have told you that I’m going there to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I’m going to prepare a place for you, I’ll also return and take you back with me, so you’ll then be wherever I am…

⁴ ‘And you’ll know the way to the place where I’m going.’

⁵ But Thomas said:

‘Lord, since we don’t know where you’re going, how can we know the way?’

⁶ And Yeshua told him:

‘I am the way, the truth, and the life.

‘So nobody can come to the Father unless [he comes] through me.

⁷ ‘If you men had [truly] known me, you would have recognized my Father also… And from now on, you’ve known Him and you’ve seen Him.’

⁸ Then Philip said:

‘Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us!’

⁹ And Yeshua asked:

‘Have I spent so much time with you and you haven’t come to know me yet, Philip?

‘Since those who’ve seen me have also seen the Father, why are you saying:

‘Show us the Father’?

¹⁰ ‘Don’t you believe that I’m in the Father and the Father is in me?

‘I’m not coming up with the things that I’m saying to you all on my own… It’s the Father who’s in me who’s doing His work. ¹¹ Yes, believe me when I say that I’m in the Father and the Father is in me… Or just believe because of the things that I’m doing!

¹² ‘I tell you the truth; whoever believes in me will do the same things that I’m doing. In fact, he’ll do even greater things than these, because I’m going to the Father now.… ¹³ And thereafter, I’ll do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son can glorify the Father.

¹⁴ ‘Yes, whatever you ask of me in my name, I’ll do… ¹⁵ And if you truly love me, you’ll follow my commandments!

¹⁶ ‘Now, I’m going to ask the Father and He’ll provide another advocate for you that will be with you throughout the age: ¹⁷ The Spirit of Truth.

‘The world won’t receive it, because they can’t see it or understand it. However, you will recognize it, for it’ll stay with you and in you.

¹⁸ ‘Yet, I’m not leaving you as orphans, because I’ll be coming [back] to you.

¹⁹ ‘Nevertheless, in just a little while, the world won’t see me anymore. However, you will see me again, because I’ll be alive and you’ll be alive. ²⁰ And in that day, you’ll come to know that I am in my Father, just as you’ll be in me and I’ll be in you.

²¹ ‘Those who know my commandments and obey them are the ones who truly love me.

‘And because they love me, they’ll be loved by my Father… And I’ll love them and reveal myself to them.’

²² Then Judas (not IsCariot [but ThadDaeus]) asked:

‘Lord, what [is about to] happen so that you’ll be showing yourself to us, but not to the world?’

²³ And Yeshua replied:

‘If anyone loves me, he’ll obey my words. Then my Father will love him and we’ll come to him and dwell in him.

²⁴ ‘However, those who don’t love me won’t obey my words. And the words that you’re hearing aren’t mine… They belong to the Father who sent me.

²⁵ ‘Now, I’ve told you these things while I was with you, ²⁶ but the Advocate – the Holy Breath that the Father will send in my name – will teach you everything and remind you of everything that I’ve told you.

²⁷ ‘So now, I leave you peace… I’m giving you my peace.

‘I’m not giving it to you in the same way as this system of things offers it; I’m giving it to you so that your hearts won’t be troubled or fearful.

²⁸ ‘For although you heard me say that I’m going away… Believe that I’ll also return!

‘And if you love me, you’ll cry out in joy that I’m going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I am!

²⁹ ‘Now, I’ve told you all of these things before they happen, so that when they do happen, you can believe. ³⁰ ‘I won’t be saying many more things to you, because the ruler of this system of things is coming… Yet, he has no hold on me.

³¹ ‘Then the world will know that I love the Father, and that I’ve [fulfilled] all the commandments that the Father gave to me.

‘Now, get up! Let’s leave this place!’

John 15

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¹ [He then said:]

‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the cultivator.

² ‘So He’ll remove any branch in me that doesn’t produce fruit, and He’ll clean up all those who do produce, so that they can bear more fruit.

³ ‘Now you’ve already been cleaned by the things that I’ve told you… ⁴ So stick with me, and I’ll stick with you!

‘For just as a branch can’t produce fruit unless it remains on the vine, you can’t either, unless you remain in me.

⁵ ‘Yes, I’m the vine and you’re my branches. So those who are in me (and I in them) will produce much fruit. But apart from me, you can’t do anything.

⁶ ‘For when someone doesn’t remain in me, his branch will be removed and wither. Then men will gather up such branches and throw them into the fire, where they’ll be burned.

⁷ ‘However, if you remain in me, and if the things that I tell you remain in you, then you can ask for anything you want and it’ll happen!

⁸ ‘My Father is glorified when you keep on producing much fruit and you continue to prove that you’re my disciples. ⁹ So in the same way that the Father has loved me and I’ve loved you, remain in my love.

¹⁰ ‘Yes, if you’ll obey my commandments, you’ll remain in my love, just as I’ve obeyed the commandments of the Father and I’ve remained in His love.

¹¹ ‘Now, I’m telling you these things so that you can share in the joy that I have, and so that your joy can grow.

¹² ‘And this is what I’m commanding you:

‘Love each other just as I’ve loved you!

¹³ ‘No one has greater love than a man who will lay down his life for his friends, ¹⁴ and you’re my friends – as long as you keep on doing what I’m commanding you!

¹⁵ ‘I’m not calling you slaves, because a slave doesn’t really know what his master is doing. Rather, I’m calling you friends, because I’ve told you everything that I heard from my Father.

¹⁶ ‘Understand that you didn’t choose me, I chose you… Yes, I appointed you! So, you must now go and produce fruit… Fruit that will last, so that whatever you might ask from the Father in my name, He’ll give to you!

¹⁷ ‘Yes, this is what I’m commanding you:

‘Love each other!

¹⁸ ‘And know that if this world dislikes you, it disliked me first! ¹⁹ If you’re from this world, the world will be fond of what is its own. But because you’re no part of this world – since I chose you out of the world – it won’t care much for you.

²⁰ ‘Remember what I told you:

‘A slave isn’t greater than his master!’

‘So if they’ve hunted me down, they’ll also hunt you down… But if they’ve obeyed my words, they’ll also obey yours.

²¹ ‘So, they’re going to do all these things against you because of my name, since they don’t know the One who sent me. ²² And if I hadn’t come and spoken to them, they wouldn’t be guilty of sin… But now they won’t have any excuse for their sins!

²³ ‘Understand that those who dislike me, dislike my Father also.

²⁴ ‘And if I hadn’t done things that no one else has ever done among them, they wouldn’t be guilty of sin. However, they have [in fact witnessed these things], and they’ve shown that they don’t care for my Father or for me.

²⁵ ‘Yet, all of these things have happened so that the words written in [the Psalms] would be fulfilled:

‘They disliked me for no reason.’ [Psalm 109:1]

²⁶ ‘Now, when the Advocate that I’m going to send to you from the Father arrives – [that is,] the Spirit of Truth which comes from the Father – that [one] will testify about me.

²⁷ ‘And you’re also going to testify [about me], because you’ve been with me from the start.’

John 16

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¹ ‘Now, I’m telling you these things so you won’t be stumbled, ² for they’re going to expel you from their synagogues… In fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he’s doing a service to God!

³ ‘However, they’ll be doing these things because they don’t know me or the Father. ⁴ I’ve told you this so that when their hour arrives, you might remember how I [warned] you about these things.

‘I didn’t say anything about this at first, because I was with you. ⁵ But now I’m going to the One who sent me… And yet, none of you have asked me where I’m going.

⁶ ‘I know that because I’ve told you these things, your hearts are now filled with grief. ⁷ But, believe me when I say that my going away is for your own good… Because, if I didn’t go away, the Advocate wouldn’t come to you. However, after I go, I’ll send it to you.

⁸ ‘And when that one arrives, it’ll condemn this arrangement over its sins, its righteousness, and its judgments.

⁹ ‘About sin: Because they have no faith in me.

¹⁰ ‘About righteousness: Because I’m going to the Father and you won’t see me anymore.

¹¹ ‘About judgments: Because the Ruler of this world has been judged.

¹² ‘I still have so many things to tell you... But you won’t be able to handle them all right now. ¹³ However, when that one (the Spirit of Truth) arrives, it’ll lead you to all truth… And it won’t be speaking for itself; it’ll tell you what he hears and then it’ll announce the things that will be coming.

¹⁴ ‘That one will also glorify me, because it’ll receive things from me and then announce them to you. ¹⁵ For everything that the Father has is now mine, and that’s why I say that it’ll receive things from me and then announce them to you!

¹⁶ ‘Because, in just a little while, you won’t be able to see me anymore… But then after a little while, you’ll also see me again.’

¹⁷ Well at this, some of his disciples started asking each other:

‘What does he mean when he says:

‘After a little while you won’t see me, but after a little while you will see me again.’

‘And,

‘Because I’m going to the Father?’

¹⁸ They also asked:

‘What does he mean by ‘a little while?’

‘We don’t know what he’s talking about!’

¹⁹ Well, Yeshua knew that they wanted to ask him [about this], so he said:

‘Are you asking each other questions because I said, ‘After a little while you won’t see me; and after a while you’ll see me again?’

²⁰ ‘I tell you the truth; you’ll cry and bawl while the world rejoices… Yes, you’ll be very sad, but then your grief will be turned into joy!

²¹ ‘Whenever a woman is about to give birth, she’s in pain because her time has arrived. But after the child is born, she forgets about the difficult time that she had because of her joy in knowing that a human has been born into the world.

²² ‘So, although you’re now feeling grief, I’ll see you again… And then your hearts will rejoice and no one will ever be able to take away that joy! ²³ Also, you won’t have to ask me any more questions then!

‘I tell you the truth; if you ask the Father for anything thereafter, He’ll give it to you in my name.

²⁴ ‘Until now, you haven’t asked for anything in my name; but then you’ll ask and receive, and your joy will be complete. ²⁵ For up to now, I’ve been explaining all these things to you through parables. But the time is coming when I’ll no longer have to speak to you in parables, for I’ll talk to you openly and bring back reports to you about the Father.

²⁶ ‘And in that day, you’ll ask in my name and I’ll no longer [have to] tell you that I’ll ask the Father for you.

²⁷ ‘Understand that the Father cares for you, because you cared for me… And because you believed that I came here from the Father! ²⁸ So, since I came into the world from the Father, I’ll also be leaving the world and returning to the Father.’

²⁹ Well at this, his disciples said:

‘{Look!} Now you’re talking openly without the use of parables… ³⁰ Yes, now we’re aware that you know everything and that you don’t need anyone to be questioning you.

‘And this is why we believe that you came from The God!’

³¹ But Yeshua asked:

‘Do you believe right now?

³² ‘{Look!} The time is coming (in fact it’s already arrived) when you’ll each be scattered to your own homes and you’ll abandon me!

‘Yet I won’t be alone, because the Father is [always] with me.

³³ ‘I’ve told you these things so you can find peace in me… For in this world, you’ll only find hard times.

‘But take courage, because I’ve conquered the world!’

John 17

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¹ Well after Yeshua said these things, he raised his eyes towards the heavens and said:

‘Father, the time has arrived!

‘Now, glorify your son so your son can glorify You.

² ‘You’ve put him over all flesh so that he can give age-long life to all those whom You’ve given to him. ³ And knowing You –the only true God– and the one whom You sent –Jesus the Anointed– means age-long life.

⁴ ‘Father, I’ve glorified You on the earth and perfectly completed the work that You’ve assigned to me. ⁵ So now, glorify me alongside You with the same glory that I had beside You before there was this arrangement.

⁶ ‘For I’ve made Your Name shine among these men whom You gave me from the world. They were Yours, but You gave them to me, and they’ve obeyed everything that You told them to do.

⁷ ‘They also realize that everything that You gave to me came from You; ⁸ for I’ve passed along to [these men] everything You told me, and they’ve welcomed it…

‘And they know for a fact that I came here from You. Yes, they believe that You’re the One who sent me!

⁹ ‘So, this is why I’m asking on their behalf… I’m not asking on behalf of the whole world, just for these whom You’ve given to me, because they’re Yours.

¹⁰ ‘For all that’s Yours is mine, and all that’s mine is Yours… And now I’ve been glorified among them!

¹¹ ‘However, because I’m no longer in this world (although they are), and I’m coming to You, Holy Father... Watch over these whom You’ve given to me because of Your Name, and so that they may be in [each other], as we are in [each other].

¹² ‘I’ve watched over these while I was with them (these whom You’ve given to me because of Your Name)… Yes, I’ve watched over them so that none [of them] would be destroyed apart from the son of destruction, and so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled.

¹³ ‘But now I’m coming to You and I’m saying these things in the world so that they may all experience the joy that I have in themselves.

¹⁴ ‘I’ve also given them Your Word. So the world hasn’t cared much for them, because they’re no part of this arrangement, just as I’m no part of this arrangement. ¹⁵ I’m not asking You to take them out of the world, just to protect them from the Wicked One, ¹⁶ since they’re no part of this arrangement, just as I’m no part of this arrangement.

¹⁷ ‘Please, make them holy with the truth… For Your Word is the truth!

¹⁸ ‘And as You sent me into the world, I’m now sending them into the world... ¹⁹ For I’m making myself holy on their behalf, so that they may be made holy through the truth.

²⁰ ‘Now, I’m not just asking for just these... [I’m asking that] all those who say that they believe ²¹ may become one, just as You, Father, are in me, and I’m in You…

‘Yes, may they become one in us, so that the world may believe that You sent me.

²² ‘I’ve also given them the glory that You gave to me, so that they can be one with [each other], just as we’re one with [each other]… ²³ I in them, and You in me!

‘May they be perfected into one, so the whole world may know that You sent me, and that You love them, as You love me.

²⁴ ‘Father, as for these that You’ve given to me... I want them to be where I am, so they can see the glory that You’re giving to me – because You’ve loved me since before the founding of the cosmos!

²⁵ ‘Righteous Father,

‘The world never knew You… But I know You, and these whom You’ve sent to me have come to know [You]. ²⁶ I’ve made Your Name known to them, and I’ll [continue to] make it known, so that Your love for me can be in them, and that I [can be] in them also.’

John 18

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¹ Well, after he said this, Yeshua and his disciples crossed the Cedar (Kidron) Wadi, where they entered a garden.

² Now, Judas (his betrayer) also knew of this place, because Yeshua often met with his disciples there. ³ So Judas brought along a contingent of soldiers and some officers from the Priests and Pharisees, who all arrived carrying torches, lanterns, and weapons.

⁴ And since Yeshua knew everything that was about to happen, he asked them:

‘Who are you looking for?’

⁵ And they replied:

‘Yeshua the Nazarene!’

So he said:

‘That’s me!’

Well, Judas (his betrayer) was also standing among them. ⁶ And when he said, ‘That’s me,’ they all backed up and fell to the ground.

⁷ So he asked them once more:

‘For whom are you looking?’

And they again said:

‘Yeshua the Nazarene!’

⁸ Then Yeshua said:

‘I told you, that’s me! And if I’m the only one you’re looking for, then let the rest of them go.’

⁹ He said this so that the words he spoke [previously] could be fulfilled:

‘I haven’t lost even a single one of those You’ve given to me.’

¹⁰ And at that, Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the Chief Priest’s slave — cutting off his right ear (the slave’s name was Malchus)!

¹¹ However, Yeshua told Peter:

‘Put the sword away… Shouldn’t I drink from the cup that the Father has given me to drink?’

¹² Then the officer, his soldiers, and the Judean officials grabbed Yeshua and tied him up.¹³ Well, first they took him to AnNas, the father-in-law of CaiAphas (who was the High Priest that year). ¹⁴ This was the same CaiAphas who had advised the Judeans that it was better for one man to die on behalf of the people.

¹⁵ Meanwhile, Simon Peter and another disciple followed behind Yeshua. And since the Chief Priest was familiar with that disciple, he went into the Chief Priest’s courtyard along with Yeshua, ¹⁶ as Peter stood outside by the gate.

Then the disciple that knew the Chief Priest went outside and spoke to the gatekeeper, and he brought Peter into [the courtyard].

¹⁷ But the servant girl who served as the gatekeeper said to Peter:

‘You aren’t one of this man’s disciples also, are you?’

And Peter said:

‘No, I’m not!’

¹⁸ Meanwhile, all the servants and the officers were standing around warming themselves by a charcoal fire that they’d lit, because it was cold… And Peter was standing there with them, warming himself.

¹⁹ Well, the Chief Priest then questioned Yeshua about his disciples and his teachings.

²⁰ And Yeshua told him:

‘I’ve spoken publicly before the whole world, and I’ve taught in the synagogues and in the Temple where all the Judeans meet. So, since I haven’t said anything in secret, ²¹ why are you questioning me?

‘Question those who heard what I said. See… They all know what I said!’

²² Well at that, one of the officers who was standing nearby slapped Yeshua in the face and said:

‘Is that any way to answer the Chief Priest?’

²³ And Yeshua replied:

‘If I spoke in error, then testify that what I said was wrong.

‘But if [what I said was] right, then why did you hit me?’

²⁴ Well after that, while still tied up, AnNas sent [Yeshua] away to CaiAphas, the High Priest.

²⁵ Meanwhile, as Simon Peter was standing outside and warming himself, someone else asked him:

‘Aren’t you one of his disciples?’

But he denied it, saying:

‘I’m not!’

²⁶ Then, one of the Chief Priest’s servants (a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off) said:

‘I saw you in the garden with him, didn’t I?’

²⁷ But Peter denied it again, and immediately... A rooster crowed!²⁸ Well, early the next morning, they led Yeshua from CaiAphas’ [home] to the Governor’s Palace. However, they didn’t go inside because they didn’t want to make themselves unclean, so they could eat the Passover.

²⁹ As a result, Pilate came outside to them and asked:

‘What’s your accusation against this man?’

³⁰ And they replied:

‘If this man hadn’t done anything wrong, we wouldn’t be handing him over to you!’

³¹ But Pilate said:

‘Then take him yourselves and judge him by your own laws.’

And the Judeans said:

‘It isn’t legal for us to execute anyone!’

³² (This was said so that Yeshua’s words would be fulfilled when he showed what sort of death he would die).

³³ So then, Pilate went back inside the governor’s palace, where he called for Yeshua and asked him:

‘Are you the King of the Jews?’

³⁴ And Yeshua replied:

‘Is it your idea to ask this, or did others tell you about me?’

³⁵ So Pilate said:

‘I’m not a Jew am I?

‘Your own people and Priests handed you over to me… So what did you do?’

³⁶ And Yeshua said:

‘My Kingdom isn’t from this world.

‘If my Kingdom was from this world, my followers would likely have fought [for me] so I wouldn’t be handed over to the Judeans… But my Kingdom isn’t from here.’

³⁷ And Pilate said:

‘Then, are you a king?’

And Yeshua replied:

‘You’re the one who’s saying that I’m a king.

‘The reason why I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth, and everyone who’s on the side of truth listens to my voice.’

³⁸ Then Pilate asked:

‘What is the truth?’

And after he said this, he went back outside to the Judeans and told them:

‘I haven’t found any reason [to hold this man].

³⁹ ‘So, since you usually ask me to release someone to you on the Passover, do you want me to release the King of the Jews?’

⁴⁰ But they shouted repeatedly:

‘Not him, but BarAbbas!’

Now, BarAbbas was a robber.

John 19

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¹ So then, Pilate took Yeshua and had him flogged with a whip. ² And thereafter, the soldiers braided a crown of thorns and placed it on his head. They then wrapped him in a purple cape ³ and started coming up to him and saying:

‘Rejoice, O you king of the Jews!’

And all the while they were slapping him in the face.

⁴ Finally, Pilate went outside once more and said:

‘Look, I’m bringing him outside to you so you’ll know that I find no fault in this man!’

⁵ Then he brought out Yeshua wearing the crown of thorns and the purple cape, and [Pilate] said:

‘Look: The man!’

⁶ However, when the Chief Priests and the Temple officers saw him, they shouted:

‘Hang him on a pole! Hang him on a pole!’

And Pilate said to them:

‘Then take him and impale him yourselves! I don’t find any fault in him!’

⁷ But the Judeans shouted back:

‘We have a Law; and according to that Law he must die, because he made himself God’s Son.’

⁸ Well when Pilate heard them say this, it frightened him. ⁹ So he went back inside the Governor’s Palace and asked Yeshua:

‘Where are you from?’

However, Yeshua wouldn’t answer him.

¹⁰ So Pilate said to him:

‘Why aren’t you talking to me? Don’t you know that I have power to release you and the power to impale you?’

¹¹ And Yeshua said to him:

‘You wouldn’t have any power at all over me unless it had been given to you from above…

‘And that’s why the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.’

¹² Well, because of that, Pilate kept on looking for ways to release Yeshua. But the Judeans started shouting:

‘If you release this man, you’re no friend of Caesar.

‘For every man who makes himself a king speaks against Caesar!’

¹³ So after Pilate heard this, he brought Yeshua back outside. Then he seated himself in the public-court area called the Stone Pavement (GabBatha in Hebrew). ¹⁴ It was about the 6th hour [6am in the Roman time system, or 12 noon in the Jewish time system] on the day before Passover [which would begin that evening].

And [Pilate] said to the Judeans:

‘See, your King!’

¹⁵ However, they just kept on shouting:

‘Hang him up! Hang him up! Impale him!’

Then Pilate asked:

‘Should I hang your king on a pole?’

And the Chief Priests answered:

‘We have no king but Caesar!’

¹⁶ So at that, he handed Yeshua over to them to be impaled, and they took him away, ¹⁷ bearing his own pole, out to the spot called Skull Place [that is, GolGotha in Hebrew].

¹⁸ There they impaled him along with two other men, one on this side and one on the other, with Yeshua in the middle.

¹⁹ Pilate also wrote a sign that he put on the pole, which said:

‘Yeshua of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.’

²⁰ And as a result, many of the Judeans read this title (because the place where Yeshua was impaled was close to the city); for it was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek.

²¹ However, the Judean Chief Priests told Pilate:

‘Don’t write that he’s the King of the Jews, but that he said that he’s the King of the Jews!’

²² However Pilate told them:

‘I wrote what I wrote.’

²³ Well, when the soldiers impaled Yeshua, they took his robe and tore it into four sections so that each soldier could have a piece. But his long inner shirt was woven without a seam from top to bottom.

²⁴ So they said to each other:

‘Let’s not tear it; we’ll throw dice to see who gets it.’

This happened so that the scripture might be fulfilled:

‘They’ve divided my garments among them

And thrown dice for the clothes that I wear.’

[Psalm 22:18]

And the soldiers really did these things.

²⁵ Well, standing there by the impaling pole of Yeshua was his mother, his mother’s sister Mary (the wife of CleoPas), and Mary of Magdala. ²⁶ So when Yeshua saw his mother and the disciple he loved standing there, he said to his mother:

‘Look, woman — your son!’

²⁷ Then he said to the disciple:

‘Look — your mother!’

And from that day on, the disciple took her into his own home.

²⁸ Then later, when Yeshua realized that everything had been completed (so the Scriptures could be fulfilled), he said:

‘I’m thirsty.’

²⁹ Well, they had a full jar of vinegar, so they put a sponge filled with the vinegar on a stalk and held it up to his mouth.

³⁰ And when he received the vinegar, Yeshua said:

‘It is finished!’

Then he hung his head and stopped breathing.

³¹ Thereafter, since it was Preparation and so that the bodies wouldn’t hang on a pole over the Sabbath (because that was a Great Sabbath), the Judeans asked Pilate to have the men’s legs broken and their bodies taken away.

³² So the soldiers came and broke the legs of both men who’d been impaled with Yeshua.

³³ But when they got to Yeshua, they saw that he was already dead, so they didn’t break his legs.

³⁴ However, one of the soldiers jabbed his side with a spear, at which blood and water poured out.³⁵ Now, the one who saw this is a witness to the facts, and he’s offering this as a true testimony. He knows that he’s telling the truth and that you can believe it!

³⁶ For it’s a fact that these things happened so that the scripture could be fulfilled:

‘Not a bone of his will be crushed.’ [Psalm 34:20]

³⁷ And another scripture says:

‘They’ll look to the one whom they pierced.’ [Zechariah 12:10]

³⁸ Well after that, JoSeph from HariMathea (who was a secret disciple of Yeshua… Because he was afraid of the Judeans) asked Pilate if he could take Yeshua’s body away, and Pilate gave him permission.

So he went and took the body down.

³⁹ Then NicoDemos (the man who had come to him at night the first time) arrived with a roll of myrrh and about 100 pounds (45kg) of aloes. ⁴⁰ So they took Yeshua’s body and bound it up with wrappings and spices (that’s how the Judeans customarily prepared bodies for burial).

⁴¹ Then, because it was close to the place where he was impaled, they laid Yeshua in an unused new tomb that was in a garden, ⁴² since this tomb was nearby, and it was the Jewish day of Preparation.

John 20

←19 | All books | All chapters | 21→

¹ Well, on [Sunday,] the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early (while it was still dark), and she noticed that the stone had already been moved away. ² So she ran to Simon Peter and the other disciple (the one whom Yeshua cared for) and told them:

‘They’ve taken the Lord out of the tomb and we don’t know where they’ve put him!’

³ Then Peter and the other disciple went to the tomb… ⁴ The two started running together, but the other disciple out-ran Peter and reached the tomb first. ⁵ And bending over, he saw the wrappings lying there… However, he didn’t go inside.

⁶ Then Simon Peter came following him, and he went inside the tomb, and he saw the wrappings just lying there. ⁷ However, the cloth that had been placed [Yeshua’s] head wasn’t with the wrappings… It was rolled up and laid in another spot.

⁸ Then the other disciple (the one who had reached the tomb first) also went in… And he saw… And he believed.

⁹ But since they still didn’t understand the scripture that spoke of how [Yeshua] was to be resurrected from the dead, ¹⁰ they just returned to the [place where they’d been staying].

¹¹ Meanwhile, Mary [of Magdala] was standing outside the tomb crying.

Then as she was crying, she stooped over to look inside the tomb, ¹² and she saw two [of God’s] messengers dressed in white… One was sitting at the head and the other at the feet of where the body of Yeshua had been lying.

¹³ And they asked her:

‘Woman, why are you crying?’

And she replied:

‘They’ve taken my Lord away, and I don’t know where they’ve laid him.’

¹⁴ Then when she turned around, she saw Yeshua standing there (but she didn’t recognize [him]).

¹⁵ And Yeshua asked:

‘Woman, why are you crying… Who are you looking for?’

And she (thinking that he was the caretaker) said:

‘Lord, if you’ve carried him off, tell me where you’ve laid him and I’ll take him away.’

¹⁶ Then Yeshua said:

‘Mary!’

And when she turned around, she said to him in Hebrew:

‘Rabboni!’ [Which means,] ‘My Teacher!’

¹⁷ Then Yeshua said to her:

‘Don’t cling to me, because I haven’t ascended to the Father yet.

‘However, go to my brothers and tell them that I’m ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’

¹⁸ So then Mary of Magdala went and carried the news to the disciples saying:

‘I’ve seen the Lord!’

And [then she told them] what he said.¹⁹ So late that evening, although the doors were locked at the place where the disciples were (for fear of the Judeans), Yeshua came and stood in their midst and said:

‘May you have peace.’

²⁰ Then after he said this, he showed them his hands and his side, and the disciples rejoiced at seeing the Lord.

²¹ And once again Yeshua said:

‘May you have peace.’

Then he told them:

‘In the same way that the Father sent me, I’m now sending you.’

²² And after he said this, he blew on them, and said:

‘Receive Holy Breath.

²³ ‘For from now on, if you forgive anyone’s sins, they’ll remain forgiven. But if you don’t forgive their sins, they won’t be forgiven.’

²⁴ However, Thomas (one of the twelve, who was called the Twin) wasn’t with them when Yeshua came. ²⁵ So when the other disciples told him that they’d seen the Lord, he said:

‘I won’t believe it unless I see the print of the nails in his hands and stick my finger in them, and stick my hand into his side!’

²⁶ Well, 8 days later, his disciples were once again gathered inside… And this time Thomas was with them. Then Yeshua came again and stood in their midst (although the doors were locked) and he said:

‘May you have peace.’

²⁷ Then he said to Thomas:

‘Now, put your finger here… Look at my hands!

‘Then take your hand and stick it into my side… Stop doubting and start believing!’

²⁸ Well at that, Thomas said:

‘My Lord and my God!’

²⁹ And Yeshua said:

‘Do you believe because you’ve seen me?

‘It’s those who haven’t seen and still believe that are blest.’

³⁰ Well, it’s a fact that Yeshua performed many other signs before his disciples, which I haven’t written about in this scroll. ³¹ However, I’ve written these things so you can believe that Yeshua is the Anointed One, the Son of The God…

And that by believing, you may also gain life through his name.

John 21

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¹ Well after that, Yeshua showed himself to the disciples again at the Sea of Tiberius, and this is how he did it:

² There was:

• Simon (Peter),

• Thomas (The Twin),

• NathaniEl ([BarTholomew]) from Cana of Galilee,

• The [two] sons of ZebediOu, and

• Two other disciples.

³ You see, Simon Peter had told them that he was going fishing, and they said that they wanted to come along. So they all went out and got into the boat. However, they didn’t catch anything all night long.

⁴ Then, just as it was starting to get light, there was Yeshua standing on the beach; but the disciples didn’t recognize him.

⁵ And Yeshua shouted:

‘Children! You don’t have anything to eat yet, do you?’

And they answered:

‘No!’

⁶ So he said:

‘Cast your net on the right side of the boat and you’ll find some!’

So they threw the net out, but then they weren’t able to bring it back in, because there were too many fish.

⁷ And at that, the disciple that Yeshua used to love said to Peter:

‘It’s the Lord!’

And when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he slipped off his robe (leaving him naked) and dove into the sea.

⁸ However, the rest of the disciples followed him in on the boat, dragging along their net full of fish, because they weren’t very far from land – only about 300 feet (90 meters).

⁹ Well, when they reached the shore, they noticed that there was a charcoal fire with fish and bread already lying over it.

¹⁰ Then Yeshua said:

‘Bring me some of those fish that you just caught.’

¹¹ So Simon Peter then pulled the net to land, and he found that it was filled with 153 large fish. However, despite the fact that there were so many, the net didn’t rip.

¹² Then Yeshua said:

‘Now, come and get your breakfast!’

Well, none of the disciples had enough courage to ask him who he was, because they knew it was the Lord.

¹³ So thereafter, Yeshua went over and handed each of them some bread and some fish. ¹⁴ This was the third time that Yeshua appeared to his disciples after he’d been raised from the dead.

¹⁵ Then, following breakfast, Yeshua said to Simon Peter:

‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these [fish]?’

And he replied:

‘Yes Lord; you know how much I care for you!’

Then [Yeshua] said:

‘Feed my lambs!’

¹⁶ And he asked [Peter] a second time:

‘Simon, son of Jonah; do you love me?’

And he said:

‘Yes Lord, you know how much I care for you!’

Then [Yeshua] said:

‘Shepherd my sheep!’

¹⁷ And he asked a third time:

‘Simon, son of Jonah; do you care for me?’

Well, Peter was hurt when he asked whether he cared for him a third time, so he said:

‘Lord, you know everything… So you know how much I care for you!’

And Yeshua said to him:

‘Feed my sheep!

¹⁸ ‘I tell you the truth... When you were young, you used to wrap your clothes around you and walk wherever you wished.

‘But when you grow old, you’ll stretch out your hands and someone else will wrap you up and take you where you don’t wish to go.’

¹⁹ He said this to show [Peter] the type of death he would [have, to] glorify God.

And after that, he said:

‘Keep on following me!’

²⁰ Well, when Peter turned around, he noticed the disciple whom Yeshua loved following them... Yes, the one who had leaned back on [Yeshua’s] chest after supper and asked him, ‘Lord, who will betray you?’

²¹ And upon seeing him, Peter asked Yeshua:

‘Lord, what about him?’

²² And Yeshua answered:

‘If I want him to remain until I return, what’s that to you?

‘You just keep on following me!’

²³ However, because of that, word was spread among the brothers that this disciple wouldn’t die. Yet Yeshua didn’t say that he wouldn’t die, he just said:

‘If I want him to remain until I return, what’s that to you?’

²⁴ This is the same disciple who’s now testifying and writing about these things, and you should know that the testimony he’s providing is the truth.

²⁵ And there are many other things that Yeshua did, and if they were all written down, I suppose that even the world itself couldn’t contain the books that would be written.

Amen. [spurious words]

Acts

01  02  03  04  05  06  07  08  09  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  21  22  23  24  25  26  27  28  All books

A letter to TheoPhilus, containing the history of Christianity after the death of Yeshua, primarily focusing on Paul. It seems to be a follow-up to the previous letter, now known as the Gospel of Luke.

It was probably written by Paul’s traveling companion Luke the Physician about 64 CE, likely in Koine Greek.

Please notice the hyperlinks on the names, places, and events mentioned. These demonstrate the accuracy and authenticity of the account, as history records much of what’s written about.

And although some modern critics claim that he got his dates wrong, it would seem that the person who wrote about the events shortly after they happened should be trusted more than those who dispute his numbers more than two millennia later.

Acts 1

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¹ O TheoPhilus,

This is the first account I’ve assembled about all the things that Yeshua did and taught ² [that begins] from the day he gave his instructions to the Apostles (whom he chose by Holy Breath) after he’d been raised [from the dead], ³ [that is,] those he showed himself to after his suffering, and to those whom he provided many proofs during the 40 days that they saw him, while he spoke to them about things regarding the Kingdom of God.⁴ Well, after they’d all assembled together [with him], he gave them this order:

‘Don’t leave JeruSalem. Stay there and wait for the promise that the Father spoke of, and about which you [also] heard from me.

⁵ ‘Indeed, John immersed you with water, but in just a few days you‘ll be immersed in Holy Breath!’

⁶ And when he met with them all again, they asked him this:

‘Lord, are you going to restore the Kingdom to IsraEl now?’

⁷ But he said:

‘It’s none of your business to know the times and periods that the Father has is in charge!

⁸ ‘However, you’ll receive power when the Holy Breath comes over you... And you’ll be witnesses of me in JeruSalem, throughout all of Judea, in Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth.’

⁹ Well, right after he said these things, while they were looking at him, a cloud hid him from their eyes. ¹⁰ Then as they were staring into the sky, watching him go, {Look!} two men in white clothes stood beside them and said:

¹¹ ‘Men of Galilee,

‘Why are you standing there looking up into the sky?

‘This Yeshua, who was taken from you into the sky, will return in the same way that you saw him going into the sky.’

¹² And after this, they returned to JeruSalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, which is close to JeruSalem (the [maximum] legal distance for travel on a Sabbath).

¹³ When they entered [the city], they all went to the upper room where [the Apostles] (Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, BarTholomew, Matthew, James [the son] of AlphaEus, Simon the zealous one, and Judas [the son] of James) were staying. ¹⁴ And they were all in one mind and purpose as they continued praying, along with some women who had come there with Yeshua’s mother Mary and his brothers.

¹⁵ It was at this time that Peter stood up in the midst of the brothers (about 120 people in all) and said:

¹⁶ ‘Men! Brothers!

‘The scripture had to be fulfilled, which [spoken] through [God’s] Holy Breath, was a prophecy that [King] David spoke about Judas. This [Judas] was the man who guided those who arrested Yeshua, ¹⁷ although he used to be one of us in sharing in this service.

¹⁸ ‘Yes, he was the one whose wicked wages were paid to purchase the field into the middle of which he then fell head first and burst, causing his guts to pour out... ¹⁹ And which field has become known to everyone living in JeruSalem today as Akel Dama (The Field of Blood).

²⁰ ‘For this is what was written about him in the scroll of the Psalms:

‘Let his estate just lie empty

And may no one else ever live there;

Then let another take his position.’

[Psalm 109:6]

²¹ ‘Therefore, we have this obligation:

‘One of the men who’s been with us from when the Lord Yeshua entered among us until he left us ²² (starting with his immersion by John until the day that he was taken up from us), and someone who witnessed his resurrection, should become one of us.’

²³ So they asked two men to stand up, JoSeph (who’s called BarSabbas and was surnamed Justus) and MatThias.

²⁴ Then they prayed, saying:

‘O Yahweh,

‘The One who knows the hearts of all men,

‘Show us which of these two You’ve chosen ²⁵ to receive the position of Apostleship that Judas abandoned so that he could go his own way.’

²⁶ And at that, they were both handed lots, and the selected lot fell to MatThias. As a result, he was considered as being among the other 11 Apostles.

Acts 2

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¹ Now, towards the end of the day known as Pentecost, while they were all observing that celebration, ² a noise suddenly came out of the sky! It sounded like a violent wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

³ Then they saw what looked like tongues of fire, which were distributed so that one [tongue] sat over each of them... ⁴ And they all became filled with Holy Breath and started speaking different languages, saying whatever the Breath was telling them to say!

⁵ Now at the time, there were reverent Jews from every nation under the sky who were staying in JeruSalem. ⁶ So when this sound occurred, a huge crowd gathered there and everyone was bewildered, because each person heard one of [the disciples] speaking his own language.

⁷ They were astonished and started to wonder and say:

‘These people who are talking are all Galileans, aren’t they? ⁸ So how is it that we’re each hearing our own native tongue being spoken?’

⁹ [Well, there were] Parthinians, Medes, Elamites, MesoPotamians, Judeans, CappaDokians, [and people from] Pontus, [the province of] Asia, ¹⁰ Phrygia, PamPhylia, Egypt, parts of Libya Cyrene, travelers from Rome (Jews and proselytes), ¹¹ Cretans, and Arabians.

[They said]:

‘We hear them talking about the wonderful things of God in our own language!’

¹² Yes, they were all astonished and confused, and they were asking each other:

‘What’s this all about?’

¹³ However, others joked about them saying:

‘They’re full of sweet wine!’

¹⁴ But Peter then stood up beside the 11, and raising his voice, he said this:

‘Men of Judea and all you who live in JeruSalem,

‘I want you to know something… Listen to what I’m saying to you!

¹⁵ ‘These [men] really aren’t drunk as you think, because it’s only the 3rd hour of the day [that is, 9am in the Jewish time system, 12noon in the Roman system].... ¹⁶ What’s happening is the thing that was said through the Prophet JoEl!

¹⁷ ‘For through him, God said:

‘In the last days, says The God,

I will pour out My Breath on all flesh,

And your sons and daughters will then prophesy;

Your young men will also have visions,

And the old among you will [see things in] dreams.

¹⁸ ‘Yes, even upon My male servants

And on those who are My handmaidens,

I will pour out My Breath in those days,

And all will then prophesy.

¹⁹ ‘From the skies above, I’ll send omens and signs

With blood, fire, and smoke to the earth down below,

²⁰ Before the great, shining day of the Lord.

‘For the sun will be changed into darkness

And the moon will be changed into blood.

²¹ Then, all of those will be saved

That have called on the name of the Lord.’

[paraphrase of Joel 2:28-31]

²² ‘Men of IsraEl; listen to these words!

‘Yeshua the Nazarene was a man who was shown to you by The God with power, omens, and signs that He performed through him in your midst, as you already know. ²³ Yet you handed this man (who had received his advice and his ability to see the future from God) over to men who don’t have the Law, and who then nailed him up!

²⁴ ‘But thereafter, God resurrected him, freeing him from the cords of death, because it wasn’t possible for [death] to hold him down.

²⁵ ‘So, notice that David said this about him:

‘I’ve always put Yahweh before me;

And since He’s at my right hand,

I’ll never be shaken.

²⁶ ‘Therefore, in my heart, I’m cheerful,

And with my tongue, I’ll rejoice;

For my body finds rest in the hope

²⁷ That in the grave, You’ll not leave me,

And Your loyal one won’t see decay.

²⁸ ‘For the ways of life, You’ve shown me,

And You’ll fill me with joy from Your face.’

[older version of Psalm 16:8-11, agreeing with the Dead Sea Scrolls of Psalm 16 in 4Q85]

²⁹ ‘Men! Brothers!

‘It’s good to speak to you openly about the patriarch David; for he died, was buried, and his tomb is still with us to this day. ³⁰ For he was a Prophet, and he knew that The God had sworn an oath to him that He’d put someone on his throne who was the fruit of his loins.

³¹ ‘So [David] looked into the future and spoke about the resurrection of the Anointed One… That he wouldn’t be abandoned in the grave and that his flesh wouldn’t see decay.

³² ‘So this [one] Yeshua has now been resurrected by The God (we’ve all been witnesses to this fact) ³³ and he’s been elevated to God’s right hand, where he’s received the Holy Breath that the Father promised.

‘Therefore, he’s the one who poured out everything you’ve been seeing and hearing today!

³⁴ ‘And although David didn’t go to heaven, he said:

‘Yahweh said this to my Lord:

‘Sit here at My right hand,

³⁵ ‘Til I set your enemies as a stool for your feet.’

[Psalm 110:1]

³⁶ ‘So let the entire House of IsraEl know for sure that God appointed this Yeshua whom you impaled to be the Lord and His Anointed One!’

³⁷ Well when they heard this, they were all stabbed to the heart! So they asked Peter and the other Apostles:

‘Men, Brothers, what must we do?’

³⁸ Then Peter told them:

‘Repent!

‘And each of you should get immersed in the name of Yeshua the Anointed One, so your sins can be forgiven… And then you’ll receive the gift of the Holy Breath.

³⁹ ‘That’s a promise to you, to your children, and to all those who are far away… To all those who’ll be called by our God, Yahweh!’

⁴⁰ Well thereafter, he went on and testified to them a lot more, giving them this advice:

‘Get saved from this crooked people!’

⁴¹ Then those who welcomed his words were immersed… And about 3,000 people were added that day! ⁴² These continued to attend, listening to the Apostles as they were teaching, and everyone participated as they were sharing in meals and in prayers. ⁴³ For they were all in awe over the many signs and omens that started happening through the Apostles.

⁴⁴ And all who became believers started sharing everything that they had; ⁴⁵ they even sold their belongings and properties and distributed the proceeds to anyone who was in need.

⁴⁶ They also agreed to go to the Temple every day, after which they’d eat their meals in private homes… Eating the food happily and with sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising The God and finding favor with everyone.

And all the while, the Lord kept adding more newly-saved ones to them each day.

Acts 3

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¹ Now, Peter and John had gone to the Temple for the scheduled time of prayer (at the 9th hour [that is, 3pm]), ² and a man was there who had been lame from birth; [he] had to be carried and placed near the Temple gate (the one called Beautiful) every day, to beg from those entering the Temple.
³ And when he saw Peter and John about to enter the Temple, he started begging from them. ⁴ But Peter and John stared at him and said:

‘Look at us!’

⁵ So he looked at them, expecting to get something.

⁶ Then Peter said:

‘I don’t have any silver or gold, but I’ll give you what I do have… In the name of Yeshua the Nazarene, the Anointed One, walk!’

⁷ Then he took him by the right hand and lifted him; and instantly, the soles of his feet and his anklebones were made well! ⁸ So he jumped up and stood… And then he started walking!

So he entered the Temple with them, walking, jumping, and praising God.

⁹ Well, everyone noticed him walking around and praising God, ¹⁰ and they started to realize that this was the man who used to sit and beg at the Temple’s Beautiful Gate. This astonished them and they were all delighted by what had happened to him.

¹¹ So, as the man was holding onto Peter and John near what was called The Columns of Solomon, all the people came running to them, shocked out of their wits.

¹² And when Peter saw this, he said:

‘Men of IsraEl,

‘Why are you surprised at this? And why are you staring at us as though we made him walk by our own power or by our own devotion?

¹³ ‘It was the God of AbraHam, IsaAc, and Jacob – the God of our ancestors – who glorified His servant Yeshua, whom you then betrayed and disowned before the face of Pilate after he’d actually decided to release him.

¹⁴ ‘Yes, you disowned that holy and righteous man, and you asked [Pilate] to [instead] release a man who was a murderer! ¹⁵ So you killed the Prince of Life! However, God thereafter raised him from the dead, which we had all witnessed!

¹⁶ ‘It’s because of [our] faith in his name that this man here –whom you see and know– was made well. Yes, it’s because of faith that everything you see here has happened!

¹⁷ ‘And now brothers, I know that what you did was done in ignorance… And this was true of your rulers. ¹⁸ But, just as it was foretold by the mouths of all the Prophets, it was God who caused His Anointed One to endure all these things, so that it could be fulfilled this way.

¹⁹ ‘So now, repent and turn around to get your sins erased, so that you might come to see a period of refreshment from Yahweh! ²⁰ Then He will send this one [who was] proclaimed [or appointed] to you… The Anointed Yeshua.

²¹ ‘However, he will remain in the heavens until the time when everything that God told us through the mouths of the holy [ones] in His age of the Prophets is restored.

²² ‘In fact, it was Moses who said:

‘Yahweh God will raise a Prophet like me from among your brothers, and you must listen to everything that he tells you. ²³ Then if the people don’t listen to that Prophet, they’ll all be destroyed!’ [Deuteronomy 18:18-19]

²⁴ ‘Why, all the Prophets from SamuEl onwards – everyone who spoke – clearly talked about these days... ²⁵ And you are the sons of the Prophets! And [you’re also sons] of the Sacred Agreement that God made with your ancestors, when he told AbraHam:

‘All the families of the earth will be blest by your offspring!’ [Genesis 28:14]

²⁶ ‘Therefore, God then raised this servant and sent him to you first as a blessing to you, so that each of you might turn away from the bad things that you’re doing.’

Acts 4

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¹ Well, as Peter and John were talking to the people, the Chief Priests, the Temple captains, and the SadDucees came up to them, ² and were very annoyed by the fact that [Peter and John] were teaching the people and telling them how Yeshua had been resurrected from the dead... ³ So they had them arrested and held until the next day (since it was already evening).

⁴ However, many of those who listened to them started believing, and their numbers grew until there were about 5,000 men.⁵ Then the next day, a meeting was held in JeruSalem that included the rulers, elders, and scribes, ⁶ along with AnNas the Chief Priest, CaiAphas, John, Alexander, and all the rest of the Chief Priest’s relatives.

⁷ They stood [Peter and John] in their midst and asked them:

‘Who authorized you? And who told you that you could do these things?’

⁸ Then Peter (who became filled with Holy Breath) spoke to them, saying:

‘Rulers of the people and elders,

⁹ ‘If we’re being questioned here today because [we] did a good deed for a handicapped person, and if we’re being asked who made him well... ¹⁰ Then you and all the people of IsraEl should know that it was done in the name of Yeshua of Nazareth, the Anointed One… Whom you hung on a pole!

‘For God raised him from the dead, and he actually stood next to this man whom you now see here, completely healthy!

¹¹ ‘Yes, this is ‘the stone that was rejected’ by you builders, but which has now ‘become the foundation cornerstone’! [reference to Psalm 118:22]

¹² ‘So, salvation isn’t going to come from anyone else, because there isn’t another name that’s been given to any other man under the sky who can save us!’

¹³ Well, when they saw the confidence of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and common, everyone was amazed… And they started to recognize them, remembering that these men used to be with Yeshua.

¹⁴ However, as they looked at the man who was standing next to them who’d been cured, nobody could come up with anything to say in rebuttal.

¹⁵ So then they sent them outside of the Jewish High-Court hall as they discussed the matter between themselves.

¹⁶ And they were saying:

‘What will we do with them? For it’s a fact that a sign has come through them!

‘And because everyone in JeruSalem saw it, we can’t deny it!

¹⁷ ‘So, to keep the news about this from being spread among all the people, let’s just threaten them and tell them not to speak to anyone about this name ever again!’

¹⁸ So then they called them back in and warned them not to speak or teach in the name of Yeshua anywhere.

¹⁹ However, Peter and John replied:

‘Whether it’s righteous in God’s eyes to listen to you rather than to God, judge for yourselves... ²⁰ But we can’t stop talking about the things that we’ve actually seen and heard!’

²¹ So then, after they threatened them a little more, they let them go, because they couldn’t find any reason to punish them.

[Of course, they also chose not to do anything] on account of the people, since they were all praising God over what had happened… ²² For the man who was healed was more than 40 years old.²³ Well, after they’d been released, [Peter and John] returned to their [brothers] and reported what the Chief Priests and elders had told them. ²⁴ And on hearing this, they all raised their voices to God together and said:

‘O our only King… You who made the lands, the skies, the seas, and everything in them... ²⁵ Through Your Breath, You had asked through the mouth of our father David (Your servant):

‘Why do the nations and all of the peoples

Think about things that are worthless?

²⁶ For, the rulers of their lands and their kings

Are against Yahweh and His anointed.’

[Psalm 2:1-2]

²⁷ ‘Even Herod and Pontius Pilate (these gentiles) have joined with the IsraElites in this city against Your Holy servant Yeshua, whom You chose ²⁸ to do all the things that Your hands and directions commanded.

²⁹ ‘So, O Yahweh,

‘Pay attention to their threats, and allow Your slaves to keep on speaking Your Word in full confidence, ³⁰ while You stretch out Your hand to do healing and continue to bring signs and omens in the name of Your Holy Servant Yeshua.’

³¹ Well, as they were asking God for this, the place where they were meeting started to shake! Then everyone was filled with the Holy Breath and they started speaking the word of God confidently.

³² As a result, a huge crowd became believers, and they started sharing everything that they had with a single heart and soul. None of them claimed that anything they owned was their own, for they shared everything… ³³ And all the while, the Apostles continued to give a powerful testimony about the resurrection of the Lord Yeshua.

So a great manifestation of loving-kindness came over all of them. ³⁴ In fact, nobody could be described as being needy among them, because everyone who owned fields or houses sold them and brought back the money from the things that they sold, ³⁵ laying it at the feet of the Apostles. Then everything was distributed among them according to each one’s needs.

³⁶ For example, JoSeph, whom the Apostles called BarNabas (which translates as Son of Comfort), a Levite and a native of Cyprus, ³⁷ sold a piece of land that he owned and then he brought in the money, laying it at the feet of the Apostles.

Acts 5

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¹ However, a man named AnaNias (along with his wife SapPhira) also sold some property that they owned, ² but he secretly kept part of the money… And his wife knew about this.

Then he brought in part of it and laid it at the feet of the Apostles.

³ But Peter asked:

‘AnaNias,

‘Why has the Opposer made you so bold as to try to fool the Holy Breath and to secretly hold back some of the money for the field?

⁴ ‘As long you owned it, it was yours. And after you sold it, wasn’t the money still yours? So, why did you plan to do such a thing in your heart?

‘You should understand that you weren’t lying to men, but to God!’

⁵ Well, just as he heard those words, AnaNias fell to the ground and died – which really frightened everyone who heard about it! ⁶ Then some of the younger men got up and wrapped him in a cloth, and they carried him outside to be buried.

⁷ It was about three hours later that his wife arrived… And she didn’t know what had happened.

⁸ So Peter asked her:

‘Tell me, did you sell the field for such-and-such amount?’

And she answered:

‘Yes, for such-and-such.’

⁹ Then Peter said:

‘Why did you two agree to test the Spirit of Yahweh?

‘Look! The feet of those who buried your husband are at the door, and they’ll carry you out also.’

¹⁰ And at that, she instantly dropped dead at his feet!

So when the young men returned, they also found her dead and they carried her out to be buried next to her husband.

¹¹ Well, when the whole gathering (and everyone else) heard about this, they were all frightened by the things that were happening.¹² Yet thereafter, many signs and omens continued to be performed among the people at the hands of the Apostles, who used to meet among the Columns of Solomon. ¹³ It’s true that nobody else had enough courage to join them there, but the people continued to speak well of them, ¹⁴ and large numbers of men and women kept on being added to those who believed in the Lord.

¹⁵ [So after that], people started bringing their sick out into the main streets lying on little beds and cots, so that when Peter passed by, his shadow could fall on some of them.

¹⁶ Also, throngs from the cities around JeruSalem kept coming, carrying sick people and those who were bothered by unclean spirits… And everyone was cured!

¹⁷ However, the High Priest and everyone with him (particularly the members of the SadDucees’ sect) became very jealous of this. ¹⁸ So they attacked the Apostles and arrested them, then they locked them up in a public jail. ¹⁹ But during the night, Yahweh’s messenger opened the doors of the jail and brought them out, saying:

²⁰ ‘Now go! Keep on standing in the Temple and telling the people everything about The Life.’

²¹ So after they were told this, they went back to the Temple at daybreak and started teaching again.

Then when the High Priest and those who were with him finally arrived, they assembled the Jewish High Court, along with all the elders of the sons of IsraEl, and they sent [officers] to the jail to have [the Apostles] brought in.

²² But when the officers got there, they couldn’t find them in the lockup! So they reported back, ²³ saying:

‘We found the jail locked and guards posted at the doors. But when we went in, we couldn’t find anyone inside!’

²⁴ Well when the Temple captain and the Chief Priests were told this, they were confused and they wondered what had really happened.

²⁵ But then someone came and reported:

‘Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the Temple teaching the people!’

²⁶ So the captain took his officers and brought them back peacefully (because they were afraid of being stoned by the people). ²⁷ Then they led them in and stood them in the Jewish High Court hall, where the High Priest questioned them and said:

²⁸ ‘Although we ordered you not to teach about this name, {Look!} you’ve filled JeruSalem with your teachings, and you’re determined to bring the blood of this man down upon us!’

²⁹ However, Peter and the rest of the Apostles replied:

‘We must obey God as ruler rather than men!

³⁰ ‘For it was the God of our fathers who raised this Yeshua, whom you arrested and had hung on a tree. ³¹ And after that, God raised him to His right hand to serve as the Primary Leader and Savior in order to cause IsraEl to repent so that He could forgive their sins!

³² ‘We’re witnesses to these things, as is the Holy Breath which God gave to those who are obeying Him as their ruler.’

³³ Well, when [the leaders] heard this, they were really cut to heart and they wanted to murder [the Apostles]! ³⁴ But then a certain man stood up in the Jewish High Court hall (a Pharisee named GamaliEl, who was a highly-regarded teacher of the Law) and he commanded that the men be taken outside for a little while.

³⁵ Then he said:

‘Men of IsraEl,

‘Be very careful about what you plan to do to these men.

³⁶ ‘Do you remember when TheuDas came along saying that he was somebody important, and quite a few people (about 400 of them) followed him? But then he was done away with, and all those who listened to him were scattered and came to nothing.

³⁷ ‘And after him, Judas the Galilean arose during the registration, and he drew people after him. But then he died, and all those who listened to him were scattered.

³⁸ ‘So in this situation, I tell you not to mess with these men… Leave them alone! Because, if this thing that they’re doing is from men, it’ll be overthrown. ³⁹ But if it’s from God, you won’t be able to overthrow them and you’ll actually be fighting against God!’

⁴⁰ Well [after he said that], they all agreed with him.

So then they called the Apostles back in and had them whipped, and they ordered them to stop talking about the name of Yeshua… And then they released them.

⁴¹ But as they were leaving the Jewish High Court, [the Apostles] were actually rejoicing because they’d been found worthy of being dishonored for [Yeshua’s] name!

⁴² So they didn’t stop after that… They kept on teaching and announcing the good news about Yeshua the Anointed One every day, both in the Temple and in [private] homes.

Acts 6

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¹ Now, back in those days when the disciples were increasing, the Greek-speaking Jews started grumbling about the Hebrew-speaking Jews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution.

² As a result, the 12 called all the disciples to them and said:

‘The thought of our having to abandon the word of God to serve tables is displeasing to us.

³ ‘So brothers, find seven qualified males among you who are filled with wisdom and the Breath [of God], and we’ll appoint them to handle these needs, ⁴ so we can continue in our prayers and in serving the word.’

⁵ Well, what they suggested sounded good to the whole group, so they selected Stephen (a man who was filled with faith and Holy Breath), as well as Philip, ProChorus, NiCanor, Timon, ParMenas, and NicoLaus (a proselyte from AntiOch). ⁶ Then they took them before the Apostles, who prayed over them and laid their hands on them.

⁷ Thereafter, the word of God kept spreading and the number of disciples in JeruSalem kept on multiplying. For even a large number of Priests started obeying the faith!⁸ Stephen was especially filled with joy and power, and he was performing great omens and signs among the people. ⁹ But then certain men came from the so-called Synagogue of Freed Men (along with some Cyrenians, Alexandrians, Kilikians, and [people from the province of] Asia) and started arguing with him.

¹⁰ Well, because their arguments couldn’t stand up against the wisdom and Breath [of God] that he was speaking with, ¹¹ they persuaded some men to say that they’d heard him say blasphemous things against Moses and God, ¹² which riled up the people.

So, some of the elders and scribes came and arrested him, then they dragged him up before the Jewish High Court, ¹³ where they produced some false witnesses who said:

‘This man is speaking against this Holy Place and against the Law! ¹⁴ For we heard him say that Yeshua the Nazarene will tear this place down and change the customs that were given to us by Moses!’

¹⁵ Then as everyone who was sitting in the Jewish High Court was looking at him, they saw his face become like that of a messenger [of God].

Acts 7

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¹ So the High Priest asked him:

‘Is all of this true?’

² And [Stephen] said:

‘Men… Brothers… Fathers… Listen!

‘Our father AbraHam saw the Glorious God while he was in MesoPotamia, before he moved to Haran.

³ ‘And [God] said to him:

‘Leave your land and your relatives and go to the land that I’m going to show you.’ [Genesis 12:1]

⁴ ‘So he went to the land of the Chaldeans and started living in Haran. Then after his father died, [God] caused him to move to the land where you now live.

⁵ ‘However, He didn’t give him any land as his inheritance… Not a foot’s width! Yet [God] did promise him a land that he could own and pass on to his descendants, even though at the time when he didn’t have any children.

⁶ ‘Moreover, God spoke to him and told him that his descendants would also have to live in a foreign land where they’d be oppressed and serve as slaves for 400 years.

⁷ ‘But God said that thereafter, He would pass judgment on the nation [that makes them] slaves… And then [his descendants] would come here and serve Him. ⁸ So he made a Sacred Agreement with [AbraHam] [that required] circumcision.

‘And after that, [AbraHam] went on to father IsaAc, whom he circumcised on the 8th day… As IsaAc did to Jacob, and Jacob did to the 12 family heads.

⁹ ‘However, these family heads soon became jealous of [their brother] JoSeph, and they sold him into Egypt. ¹⁰ But God was with him and He carried him through all of his problems. Then He made him likeable and wise in the eyes of PharaOh, the king of Egypt. So [PharaOh] appointed [JoSeph] to govern Egypt, as well as [to be over] his entire house.

¹¹ ‘Then a famine came upon Egypt and CanaAn, which created such a difficult time that our ancestors couldn’t find any food. ¹² But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our ancestors down there for the first time. ¹³ And it was on their second visit that JoSeph made himself known to his brothers… Which was when JoSeph’s ethnic background first became known to PharaOh.

¹⁴ ‘Thereafter, JoSeph sent for his father Jacob and all of his relatives (some 75 people); ¹⁵ and Jacob went down to Egypt, where he died, as did the rest of our ancestors…

¹⁶ ‘And their bodies were taken to SheChem, where they were laid in the tomb that AbraHam had bought with silver from Hamor’s sons in SheChem. [spurious text]

¹⁷ ‘Well, by the time that God’s promise to AbraHam had reached its fulfillment, the people had grown and multiplied in Egypt. ¹⁸ And soon another king had arisen to rule over Egypt that was unfamiliar with JoSeph. ¹⁹ So he treated our people treacherously and he forced our fathers to give up their young children to be killed… ²⁰ And that’s when Moses was born.

‘Well, [Moses] was beautiful to God, and he was nursed for three months in [his] father’s home. ²¹ But when he was discovered, the daughter of PharaOh picked him up and raised him as her own son.

²² ‘So, this is how Moses came to be trained in the wisdom of the Egyptians… And he grew up to become mighty in everything that he said and did.

²³ ‘Then when he turned 40 years old, [Moses] decided to pay more attention to his brothers, the sons of IsraEl. ²⁴ So when he saw one of them being treated unjustly, he came to [the man’s] defense and took vengeance on behalf of the one who was being abused, by beating an Egyptian to death!

²⁵ ‘Well, he assumed that his brothers would understand that God was going to use him to save them… However, they didn’t understand. ²⁶ So when he came to [his people] the next day and found [two of them] fighting, he tried to bring them together peacefully by saying:

‘Men… You are brothers! Why are you treating each other so badly?’ [paraphrase of Exodus 2:13]

²⁷ ‘And at that, the one who was mistreating his neighbor just pushed him away and asked:

‘Who appointed you as the ruler and judge over us?

²⁸ Do you want to kill me the same as you killed that Egyptian yesterday?’

[Exodus 2:14]

²⁹ ‘And when Moses heard him say this, he ran away and lived in the land of MidiAn, where he fathered two sons.

³⁰ ‘Well, after 40 more years, Yahweh’s messenger appeared to him in the flames of a burning thorn bush while he was in the desert near Mount SinAi. ³¹ And when Moses saw it, he was dazzled by the sight!

‘But as he came closer to investigate, the voice of the Lord said to him:

³² ‘I am the God of your fathers… The God of AbraHam, IsaAc, and Jacob.’ [paraphrase of Exodus 3:6]

‘And at that, Moses started to shake so hard that he didn’t want to investigate any further.

³³ ‘And the Lord said to him:

‘Remove your sandals; for the place where you’re standing is holy ground!’ [Exodus 3:5]

[‘And:]

³⁴ ‘Now, I’ve seen the bad treatment of my people in Egypt and I’ve heard their groaning; therefore, I’ve come down here to take them... So come on, for I’m going to send you to Egypt!’ [paraphrase of Exodus 3:7-10]

³⁵ ‘And although this was the same Moses whom [the IsraElites] had previously disowned, asking, ‘Who appointed you as our ruler and judge?’… He was the one whom God sent off as both a ruler and savior by the hand of the messenger who had appeared to him in the thorn bush.

³⁶ ‘And then, after he’d performed many omens and signs, he’s also the man who led them out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and into the desert for the next 40 years.

³⁷ ‘Yes, this was the [man] who told the sons of IsraEl:

‘God will raise a Prophet like me from among your brothers.’ [Deuteronomy 18:15]

³⁸ ‘And he was the one who was with the congregation [when they lived] in the desert, who talked to [God’s] messenger on Mount SinAi, and who received life-giving signs for our ancestors, so that we might receive them!

³⁹ ‘But then our ancestors refused to obey him… They just pushed him aside, and in their hearts they were back in Egypt! ⁴⁰ For then they told Aaron:

‘Make gods to lead us, because we don’t know what has happened to this Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt!’ [Exodus 32:1]

⁴¹ ‘As a result, [Aaron] made [an image of] a calf, and then they offered sacrifices to the idol… For they were very happy with this thing that they’d made with their hands!

⁴² ‘So thereafter, God handed them over to bow before the [stars] in the skies, just as it’s written in the Book of the Prophets:

‘It wasn’t to Me that you offered victims and sacrifices for 40 years in the desert, was it, O house of IsraEl?

⁴³ ‘Rather, you took up with the images that you made for worship in the tent of Moloch, and with the star of the god Rephan. This is why I’m going to send you into exile beyond Babylon!’

[paraphrase of Amos 5:25-26]

⁴⁴ ‘However, back when our ancestors lived in the desert, they had the Tent of Proofs that [God] had ordered Moses to build using the pattern that he was shown.

⁴⁵ ‘And our ancestors who received it then brought it into this land that was once owned by the nations that God had pushed out ahead of them as they were coming here with JoShua… And it remained here until the time of David!

⁴⁶ ‘Then [David] found God’s favor, and he asked that [he might be allowed] to build a Temple for the God of Jacob… ⁴⁷ Although it was really Solomon who built the House for him. ⁴⁸ However, the Most High doesn’t really live in houses that are made by [human] hands, just as the Prophet foretold.

⁴⁹ ‘For Yahweh said:

‘Since the heavens are My throne and the earth is My footstool;

What kind of House can you build for Me...

And in what sort of place should I rest,

⁵⁰ Since all of these things were made by My hands?’

[Isaiah 66:1-2a]

⁵¹ ‘So now – you with the hardened necks and uncircumcised hearts and ears – you’ve become just like your ancestors, for you’re always resisting [God’s] Holy Breath!

⁵² ‘Which of the Prophets weren’t persecuted by your ancestors?

‘Yes, they even killed the Prophets who foretold the coming of the Righteous One… And now you’ve become the betrayers and murderers of him also!

⁵³ ‘So although you were the ones who received the Law that was brought to us by the messengers [of God], you haven’t kept it!’

⁵⁴ Well when they heard this, they were really cut down and they were grinding their teeth at him! ⁵⁵ But as he was being filled with Holy Breath, he stared into the sky and saw the Glory of God with Yeshua standing at His right hand!

⁵⁶ So he said:

‘Look! I see the sky opening up!

‘And there’s the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!’

⁵⁷ Then when he said this, they all started shouting as loudly as they could and putting their hands over their ears. Then they ran up to him and grabbed him, ⁵⁸ and they dragged him outside of the city, where they started stoning him!

(Well at the time, those who came to watch started laying their coats at the feet of a young man called Saul.)

⁵⁹ Then Stephen said this as they were stoning him:

‘Lord Yeshua,

‘Take my breath.’

⁶⁰ And he fell to his knees and shouted loudly:

‘Lord, don’t hold this sin against them!’

And with that, he fell asleep [in death].

Acts 8

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¹ Well at the time, Saul actually approved of murdering him.

On that same day, a tremendous amount of persecution started to be directed towards the congregation in JeruSalem; so everyone (except the Apostles) was scattered throughout the area of Judea and Samaria. ² However, some devoted men [took the time to] carry Stephen’s [body] out to be buried, and they wept bitterly over him.

³ [It was then that] Saul started wiping out the congregation [in JeruSalem]. He invaded one house after another, dragging out both the men and the women and sending them to jail.

⁴ Meanwhile, those who’d been scattered around just kept on preaching the good news of the word wherever they went.

⁵ [For example,] Philip had gone to a city in Samaria, where he preached to the people about the Anointed One, ⁶ and large crowds were paying attention to the things that he was saying… They listened to him closely and watched the signs that he performed. ⁷ Many who were present had been bothered by unclean spirits who shouted loudly as they came out, and many others who were paralyzed or lame were cured.

⁸ As a result, there was a lot of joy in that city.

⁹ There was also a man there named Simon, who used to practice magic. He had amazed the people of Samaria and he called himself ‘[Simon] the Great.’ ¹⁰ Why, everyone from the common people to the most powerful paid attention to him and said:

‘This man who calls himself ‘The Great’ has the Power of God!’

¹¹ So they followed him for a long time, because they were dazzled by his magic.

¹² However, when Philip came preaching the good news of the Kingdom of God and about the name of Yeshua the Anointed One, they started believing him; and as a result, many men and women got immersed. ¹³ In fact, even Simon became a believer!

Then after he was immersed, he stayed close to Philip and was amazed as he watched the signs and great powers.

¹⁴ Well, after the Apostles in JeruSalem heard that Samaria was starting to accept the word of God, they sent Peter and John there, ¹⁵ and they prayed for [the believers] to receive Holy Breath, ¹⁶ since it hadn’t come to any of them yet – even though they’d been immersed in the name of the Lord Yeshua.

¹⁷ But when [Peter and John] laid their hands on them, they each started receiving Holy Breath. ¹⁸ And when Simon saw that the Apostles could give the Breath by just touching people, he offered them money, saying:

¹⁹ ‘Give me the power so that anyone I lay my hands on can receive Holy Breath!’

²⁰ But Peter said:

‘May your silver be destroyed along with you!

‘Since you think that you can buy the gift that God gives freely, ²¹ you aren’t going to have any part in this, nor will you share in it… For God sees that your heart is crooked!

²² ‘So now, turn away from your badness and beg the Lord to forgive you for these thoughts that you have in your heart, ²³ because I see bitterness, hatred, and an unrighteous alliance in you.’

²⁴ Then Simon said:

‘Please beg the Lord on my behalf, so that none of the things that you said will happen to me!’

²⁵ Well, after they’d given everyone who was there a thorough testimony, and spoke to them about the things that the Lord had told them, [the Apostles] returned to JeruSalem. But because of what they’d done, many other Samaritan villages also heard of the good news.²⁶ Then Yahweh’s messenger spoke to Philip and told him:

‘Now, get up and go south to the road that runs through the desert from JeruSalem to Gaza.’

²⁷ And when he got there, {Look!} he found an Ethiopian man who held the office of Eunuch of the Treasury under the Kandake, the Queen of the Ethiopians [possibly Amanitore], who had gone to JeruSalem to worship.

²⁸ While the man was [on his way back home], he was sitting in his chariot reading aloud from the Prophet IsaiAh.

²⁹ So the Breath [of God] then told Philip:

‘Go and catch up with his chariot.’

³⁰ So Philip started running alongside him.

Then when he heard the man reading from the Prophet IsaiAh aloud, he asked him:

‘Do you really understand what you’re reading?’

³¹ But [the eunuch] replied:

‘How could I, unless I had someone to explain it to me?’

So at that, he begged Philip to climb aboard and sit with him.

³² Well, the particular scripture he was reading at the time was this:

‘He was brought like a sheep to the slaughter;

And as a lamb that is quiet before shearers,

He didn’t open his mouth…

³³ Then he was shamed and his justice was denied.

So who’ll tell the details to his generation

After his life is removed from the land?’

[a differently translated version of Isaiah 53:7-8a]

³⁴ Then the Eunuch asked Philip:

‘Just who was the Prophet saying this about? Was he talking about himself or someone else?’

³⁵ So Philip proceeded to explain this scripture, telling him the good news about Yeshua.

³⁶ Now, as they were traveling along the road, they happened to be passing by some water. So the eunuch said to him:

‘Look… Here’s some water! What’s to prevent me from getting immersed?’

³⁷ And Philip said: ‘If you believe it with all your heart, you may.’ And he answered and said: ‘I believe that Yeshua Christ is the Son of God.’ [spurious text]

³⁸ So he commanded the chariot [driver] to stop, and then Philip took the eunuch down to the water and immersed him.

³⁹ Well, after they came up out of the water, the Spirit of Yahweh then sent Philip quickly away, so the eunuch didn’t see him anymore… However he continued on his way rejoicing.

⁴⁰ Meanwhile, Philip found that he was in AshDod. So he traveled on throughout that area, preaching the good news in all the cities, until he got to Caesarea.

Acts 9

←8 | All books | All chapters | 10→

¹ Well at the time, Saul was still breathing threats and murder against the Lord’s disciples.

So he went to the High Priest ² and asked him to write letters that he could carry to the synagogues in Damascus that would empower him to arrest anyone he found who belonged to The Way (both men and women) and to bring them back to JeruSalem in chains.

³ But as he was getting close to Damascus, a light from the sky suddenly flashed all around him ⁴ and he fell to the ground!

Then he heard a voice say:

‘Saul, Saul... Why are you persecuting me?’

⁵ And he asked:

‘Who are you Lord?’

Then he heard:

‘I’m Yeshua, the one you’re persecuting.’

‘It’s hard for you to kick against the cattle prods.’

⁶ And he, trembling and astonished, said, ‘Lord, what would you have me do?’ And the Lord said to him: [spurious, copied from Acts 22:10 and Acts 26:14]

‘Now, get up and enter the city, and there you’ll be told what to do.’

⁷ Well, as this was happening, the men who were traveling with him were speechless, because they heard the sound of a voice, but they couldn’t see anyone!

⁸ And when Saul got up off the ground, although his eyes were open, he couldn’t see. So they took him by the hand and led him into Damascus, ⁹ where he remained blind for the next three days… And he wouldn’t eat or drink anything at all.¹⁰ Meanwhile, there was a disciple named AnaNias in Damascus; and in a vision, the Lord called out to him saying:

‘AnaNias!’

And he replied:

‘Here I am Lord!’

¹¹ Then the Lord said:

‘Get up and go to the house of Judas on Straight Street, and ask for a man called Saul of Tarsus. Look… He’s praying [right now]!

¹² For in a vision he’s seen a man named AnaNias who will come and lay his hands on him so he can start seeing again.’

¹³ However, AnaNias [objected], saying:

‘Lord, I’ve heard about this man from many people, and they’ve told me about all the bad things that he did to your Holy Ones in JeruSalem!

¹⁴ ‘He’s even been empowered by the Chief Priests to lock up everyone who calls on your name!’

¹⁵ But the Lord said to him:

‘Go on, because this man is the one I’ve chosen to carry my name before nations, kings, and the sons of IsraEl. ¹⁶ I’ll also make sure that he understands all the things that he’ll have to suffer on account of my name.’

¹⁷ So AnaNias went over to the house and went inside, and then he laid his hands on him and said:

‘Saul, Brother,

‘The Lord Yeshua who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here has sent me to restore your sight and to fill you with Holy Breath.’

¹⁸ Well at that, what looked like scales immediately fell from [Paul’s] eyes and he started to see!

Then he got up and was immersed [in water], ¹⁹ after which he started eating again and regaining his strength.

So after that, he spent several days there in Damascus with the disciples. ²⁰ And he immediately started preaching in the synagogues that Yeshua is the Son of The God.

²¹ However, all those who heard him were shocked, and asked:

‘Isn’t this the man who once ravaged those calling on this name in JeruSalem? And didn’t he come here for that same reason, to carry them back in chains to the Chief Priests?’

²² But Saul’s powers kept on growing and he really confused the Jews who lived in Damascus, because he gave them logical proofs that [Yeshua] is the Anointed One. ²³ So after several days, the Jews finally met to discuss ways to get rid of him.

²⁴ However, Saul learned about their plot against him, and because they were watching the city gates closely both day and night in order to arrest him, ²⁵ his disciples came to him one night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the city wall.

²⁶ Well, when he got back to JeruSalem, he then tried to join with the rest of the disciples. However they were all afraid of him, because they didn’t really believe that he was a disciple!

²⁷ But BarNabas finally came to his aid… He took [Saul] to the Apostles and explained to them what had happened to him on the road… Of how he’d seen the Lord and spoken to him, and of how he’d been boldly teaching in the name of Yeshua while he was in Damascus.

²⁸ So thereafter, [Saul] stayed with [the brothers], as he entered and left JeruSalem, preaching in the name of the Lord.

²⁹ He also talked and argued a lot with the Greek-speaking Jews – but then they also attempted to do away with him. ³⁰ So when the brothers learned about their [plot], they took Paul to Caesarea and sent him on from there to Tarsus.³¹ Well for some time thereafter, there was a period of peace for the congregations in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria. So [the brothers] kept on walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Breath, as they were growing [in numbers].

³² Meanwhile, as Peter was traveling around, he finally reached the Holy Ones who lived in LydDa.

³³ And there he found a man named AiNean who had spent 8 years lying flat on his back on a cot, paralyzed. ³⁴ So Peter said to him:

‘AiNean,

‘Yeshua the Anointed One heals you.

‘So now, get up and make your bed!’

And at that he immediately got up!

³⁵ Then when those who lived in LydDa and the area of ShaRon saw [what had happened to] this man, many started turning to the Lord.

³⁶ Well in JopPa, there happened to be a disciple named Tabitha (which is translated as Dorcas [in Greek]), who was well-known for the good things she was doing and for helping others when they were in need.

³⁷ However, one day she got sick and died. So they washed her body and laid her in an upstairs room.

³⁸ Now, LydDa was fairly close to JopPa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him to beg him to please hurry up and come to them.

³⁹ Therefore, Peter got up and went with them.

Well when he got [to JopPa], they took him upstairs to the room [where she was laid]. And there, all the widows came to him crying and showing him the many pieces of clothing that Dorcas had made for them while she was with them.

⁴⁰ So after sending everyone outside, Peter got down on his knees and prayed.

Then he turned towards the body and said:

‘Tabitha,

‘Stand again!’

And at that, she opened her eyes… And when she saw Peter, she sat up!

⁴¹ So he gave her his hand and stood her [on her feet]... Then he called the Holy Ones and widows in and presented her to them alive. ⁴² And before long, this event became so well known throughout JopPa that many started believing in the Lord.

⁴³ And thereafter, [Peter] stayed in JopPa for several days, [in the home of] Simon the Tanner.

Acts 10

←9 | All books | All chapters | 11→

¹ In Caesarea there happened to be a man named Cornelius (he was a centurion of the Italian Division) ² who was a devout man. He and his family feared God, praying to Him often, and they regularly helped those who were in need.

³ Well, it was about the 9th hour of the day [9am in the Roman time system, or 3pm in the Jewish] when he clearly saw a messenger from God who came to him in a vision and called out:

‘Cornelius!’

⁴ So he stared at [the messenger] in fright and asked:

‘What do you want, Lord?’

And he answered:

‘Your prayers and kind gifts have arisen and have been remembered before God.

⁵ ‘So now, send some men to JopPa and call for a man named Simon, who’s also known as Peter. ⁶ He’s a guest of Simon the Tanner, who has a house by the sea.’

⁷ Well, as soon as the messenger [from God] who spoke to him left, he called two of his house servants and a devout soldier who was staying with him, ⁸ and he told them everything that had happened, then he sent them to JopPa.⁹ And the next day (as they were on their way and getting close to the city), Peter had gone up on the roof (at about the 6th hour [6am in the Roman time system, or 12 noon in the Jewish]) to pray. ¹⁰ He was also very hungry and he wanted to eat… But then he fell into a trance. ¹¹ And in [vision] he saw the sky opening and some sort of container (it looked like a huge linen sheet that was being held at its four corners) coming down to the ground. ¹² Well, inside of it there were all kinds of four-footed animals, things that crawl on the ground, and birds of the sky...

¹³ Then a voice came to him that said:

‘Get up, Peter… Slaughter [the animals] and eat them!’

¹⁴ But Peter said:

‘Not me Lord, because I’ve never eaten anything that’s dirty or unclean!’

¹⁵ And the voice [spoke] to him a second time, saying:

‘Stop calling the things that God has made clean, dirty!’

¹⁶ Then he heard it say this two more times, and the container was then immediately taken back into the sky.

¹⁷ Now, Peter was confused about the meaning of this vision. However, the men who Cornelius had sent were already at Simon’s house, standing at the gate and asking for him… ¹⁸ They were calling out and asking whether Simon (who’s also called Peter) was a guest there.

¹⁹ Now, as Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Breath [of God] said:

‘Look! Three men are searching for you… ²⁰ So go downstairs and get ready to travel with them.

‘Don’t worry, because I sent them.’

²¹ So then Peter went downstairs to the men and said:

‘{Look!} I’m the one you’re searching for… Why are you here?’

²² And they replied:

‘Cornelius, an army officer who’s a righteous and God-fearing man of whom the whole nation of the Jews speak well, was given Divine instructions by a holy messenger to ask you to come to his house, so he can hear what you have to say.’

²³ Then [Peter] invited them in and offered them some hospitality.Then, the next day, he got up and went with them (along with some of the brothers from JopPa), ²⁴ arriving at Caesarea on the following day.

Of course, Cornelius had been expecting them, and he’d called for all his relatives and closest friends. ²⁵ Then as Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet, bowing low.

²⁶ But Peter lifted him up, saying:

‘Get up! I’m just a man!’

²⁷ Well, as they were talking, Paul walked inside... And there he found many people already assembled.

²⁸ So he said to them:

‘You know very well how illegal it is for a Jew to associate with or to even approach people of another race.

‘Yet, God has shown me that I shouldn’t call any man dirty or unclean.

²⁹ ‘Therefore, when I was called for, I came without any objections. But now, let me ask: Why have you sent for me?’

³⁰ Then Cornelius told him:

‘Exactly 4 days ago, I was praying here in my house during the 9th hour [9am in the Roman time system, 3pm in the Jewish], when {Look!} a man in bright clothes came and stood in front of me and said:

³¹ ‘Cornelius,

‘Your prayers have been heard and your kind gifts have been remembered before God.

³² ‘So, send to JopPa and ask for Simon, who’s also called Peter. He’s staying by the sea in the house of Simon the Tanner.’

³³ ‘Well, I then sent for you right away… And it’s good that you came. For now we’re all assembled here before God to listen to everything that the Lord has commanded you to say.’

³⁴ And Peter said:

‘I can see for a fact that God is impartial! ³⁵ For He accepts any man who fears Him and does righteous things, no matter what nation he’s from!

³⁶ ‘So He’s sending word to the Sons of IsraEl that they must announce the good news of peace through Yeshua the Anointed One to [the gentiles] also, for he’s really the Lord over all!

³⁷ ‘I can also see that you’ve already come to know about this thing that’s being proclaimed throughout all of Judea, which started in Galilee after John came preaching about [the need] to get immersed.

³⁸ ‘For after that, God anointed Yeshua from Nazareth with Holy Breath and power, and he traveled throughout the land doing good things and healing all those who were oppressed by the Slanderer.

‘Yes, God was with him… ³⁹ And we’re eye-witnesses to everything that he did in the region of Judea and in JeruSalem!

‘But then they murdered him by hanging him on a tree. ⁴⁰ Yet God raised this one on the third day and allowed him to be seen… ⁴¹ But not by everyone, just to witnesses whom God had selected ahead of time [from among] us. For he appeared to us, and we ate and drank with him after he was resurrected from the dead.

⁴² ‘Then he ordered us to preach to the people and to testify that he’s the one who was chosen by The God to judge the living and the dead, ⁴³ and that he’s the one all the Prophets had testified about, [where they foretold] that everyone who put faith in him will have their sins forgiven through this name!’

⁴⁴ Well, as Peter was still talking about this, the Holy Breath came over everyone who was listening to what he said! ⁴⁵ And the faithful ones who were there with Peter (all of whom were circumcised) were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Breath was now being poured out on gentiles… ⁴⁶ For they heard them speaking and glorifying God in different languages!

Then Peter asked:

⁴⁷ ‘Can anyone forbid water to immerse these who have received the Holy Breath the same as we have?’

⁴⁸ So he commanded that they should be immersed in the name of Yeshua the Anointed One.

And afterward, they asked him to stay with them for several days.

Acts 11

←10 | All books | All chapters | 12→

¹ Soon thereafter, the Apostles and other brothers in Judea heard that gentiles were also accepting the word of God. ² So when Peter returned to JeruSalem, the circumcised started arguing with him, ³ complaining that he’d gone into the house of uncircumcised men and had eaten with them.

⁴ So Peter explained it this way:

⁵ ‘While I was in the city of JopPa, I was praying. And in a trance, I saw a vision of some sort of container coming down from the sky that looked like a huge linen sheet being held by its four corners… It was very clear to me!

⁶ ‘And as I stared at it, I saw four-footed creatures of the ground, wild animals, things that crawl, and birds of the sky.

⁷ ‘Then I heard a voice say to me:

‘Get up Peter; slaughter [the animals] and eat them!’

⁸ ‘But I said:

‘Not me Lord, because I’ve never eaten anything that’s dirty and unclean.’

⁹ ‘Then the voice came from the sky a second time, and it told me:

‘Stop calling things that God has made clean, dirty.’

¹⁰ ‘Well, this happened a third time, and thereafter, everything was pulled back up into the sky.

¹¹ ‘Then {Look!} at that very moment, there were three men standing outside of the house who had been sent from Caesarea to find me. ¹² And the Spirit told me to go with them and not to doubt.

‘So, these six brothers here also went with me, and we all entered the man’s house together!

¹³ ‘[Well, when we got there, the man] told us how he’d seen a messenger [from God] standing in his house, who told him this:

‘Send your men to JopPa and ask for Simon who’s called Peter. ¹⁴ He will tell you what you must do, so that you and your household can get saved.’

¹⁵ ‘But after I started speaking to them, the Holy Breath fell upon all of them, the same as it did upon us long ago. ¹⁶ And then I remembered that the Lord used to say:

‘John immersed in water, but you’ll be immersed in Holy Breath.’

¹⁷ ‘So if God gave them the same gifts that he gave to those of us who have believed in the Lord Yeshua the Anointed; who am I that I should be strong enough to resist God?’

¹⁸ Well after they heard this, they all quieted down and started glorifying God, saying:

‘So then, God has also given gentiles the opportunity for repentance into life!’

¹⁹ Now, those who had been scattered because of the problems that arose over Stephen had traveled as far away as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and AntiOch; and until then, they’d only been spreading the word among the Jews.

²⁰ However, some Cypriots and Cyrenians that went to AntiOch started talking to the Greek-speaking [Gentile] peoples, declaring the good news of the Lord Yeshua to them. ²¹ Yahweh’s hand was certainly with them, because many started believing and turned to the Lord.

²² So when news about this reached the ears of the congregation in JeruSalem, they sent BarNabas to AntiOch, ²³ and when he got there and saw the loving-care that God had shown for these people, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to whole-heartedly stick with the Lord!

²⁴ ([BarNabas] is a good man who’s filled with Holy Spirit and faith).

So, many were thereafter added to the Lord.²⁵ Well from there, [BarNabas] went on to Tarsus to find Saul.

²⁶ And when he found him, he brought him back to AntiOch, where they stayed with that congregation for a year and taught many people (it was in AntiOch that the disciples were by Divine providence, first called Christians).

²⁷ At the time, [brothers with the gift of] prophesying had traveled to AntiOch from JeruSalem. ²⁸ And one of them named Agabus stood up and told them (through the Breath [of God]) that a great famine was about to come upon the whole habitation [of mankind] – which did in fact happen during the time of [the Roman Emperor] Claudius [c. 45 CE].

²⁹ So the disciples there decided that each of them would collect relief supplies for the brothers who lived in Judea (as each one could afford to) ³⁰ and send them back to the elders there through BarNabas and Saul.

Acts 12

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¹ This all happened about the same time that King Herod had started persecuting many of those in the congregation [at JeruSalem]; ² for he did away with James (John’s brother) with a sword.

³ And when he saw how much this pleased the Jews, during the celebration of No Fermentation, he also arrested Peter ⁴ and threw him in jail, assigning four shifts of four soldiers to guard him, because he planned to put him on [trial] before the people after the Passover.

⁵ Well while Peter was in jail, the congregation prayed to God intensely on his behalf.

⁶ And on the night before Herod planned to produce him, he had Peter bound with two chains, he forced him to sleep between two soldiers, and guards were posted at all the doors.

⁷ But then, {Look!} Yahweh’s messenger appeared and he lit up the whole cell!

Then he tapped Peter on the side and woke him up, saying:

‘Get up… Now!’

And at that, the chains just fell off his hands!

⁸ Then the messenger said to him:

‘Get dressed and tie on your sandals.’

...which Peter did.

Then [the messenger] told him:

‘Now, wrap yourself up in your robe and follow me!’

⁹ So [Peter] left, following [the messenger]...

However, he wasn’t really sure of what was happening, because, although [he knew that] the messenger was real, he also thought that he was just seeing a vision.

¹⁰ Well, they walked past the first guard, then the second, and when they got to the iron gate that leads into the city, it opened by itself!

Then, after they got out and started down a street, the messenger suddenly left him. ¹¹ And at that, Peter finally came to his senses and he said:

‘Now I really know that Yahweh sent his messenger and saved me from the hands of Herod and from everything that the Jews had planned to do [to me].’

¹² Then, after [taking a moment] to collect himself, from there he went to the house of Mary the mother of John (who was called Mark), where several had gathered to pray. ¹³ Now, when he knocked at the gate, a servant girl named Rhoda came. ¹⁴ Then when she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so excited that she failed to open the gate… She just ran inside and told everyone that Peter was standing outside.

¹⁵ Well, everyone there said that she had to be crazy, but she kept insisting.

So they said:

‘Perhaps it’s [just] his messenger.’

¹⁶ Meanwhile, Peter was still just standing outside [the gate] and knocking.

Then when they opened [the gate] and saw that it really was [Peter], everyone was astonished! ¹⁷ But he motioned with his hand for them to be quiet, and he told them exactly how the Lord had freed him from the jail.

Then he said:

‘Tell James and the other brothers what has happened.’

And with that, he left and traveled on to another place.

¹⁸ Needless to say, the next day there was quite a stir among the soldiers over what had become of Peter! ¹⁹ Herod had them search for him, and when they couldn’t find him, he interrogated the guards and gave orders to have them arrested.

However, [Peter] had left Judea and traveled to Caesarea, where he spent quite a bit of time after that.²⁰ Well, back then, [Herod] had become extremely angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. And as a result, [people from there] went to the Royal Eunuch Blastus to convince him to ask [Herod] for peace, since [Herod] had been supplying their country with food [during the famine, c. 45 CE].

²¹ Then there came a day when Herod dressed himself up in his royal clothes and he sat down on his judgment seat to give a public lecture. ²² But at that, the crowd that was assembled started shouting:

‘It’s a god’s voice, not a man’s!’

²³ And instantly, a messenger of Yahweh struck him, because he didn’t give glory to God; so he became eaten up with worms and stopped breathing.²⁴ Meanwhile, during this entire period, the word of the Lord kept on growing and spreading.

²⁵ As for BarNabas and Saul, after they’d finished delivering relief supplies to JeruSalem, they returned [to AntiOch]. And this time they took John (the one called Mark) along with them.

Acts 13

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¹ There were several Prophets and teachers in the congregation at AntiOch. These included BarNabas, SymeOn (who was called Niger), Lucius of Cyrene, Mnaen (who had gone to school with Herod, the district ruler) and Saul.

² And it was while they were serving the Lord and fasting that the Holy Breath said to them:

‘You must appoint BarNabas and Saul to do the work I’ve called them for.’

³ So thereafter, [the brothers] fasted, prayed, and laid their hands on them and sent them on. ⁴ Well, the Holy Breath first sent these men to Seleucia, then they sailed to Cyprus.⁵ And when they arrived at the city of Salamis [in Cyprus], they started preaching the word of God in the Jewish synagogues there, along with John (Mark) who had come along to help them.

⁶ Then from there, they traveled across the whole island to Paphos, where they met up with a Jew named BarJesus, who was a sorcerer and a false prophet.

⁷ He happened to be with the Island’s governor at the time (an intelligent man named Sergius Paulus), who had summoned BarNabas and Saul, because he really wanted to hear the word of God. ⁸ But the sorcerer ElyMas (that’s how his name is pronounced [in Aramaic]) opposed them and tried to keep the governor from becoming interested in the faith.

⁹ Then Saul (who’s also called Paul) became filled with Holy Breath, and he looked at the man very hard and said:

¹⁰ ‘O you unethical and deceitful person!

‘You son of the Slanderer and enemy of everything that’s righteous!

‘When will you stop twisting the straight ways of the Lord?

¹¹ ‘Now look! Yahweh’s hand has touched you so that you’ll be blind and unable to even see the sun for a while!’

And at that, [the man’s eyes] started to cloud over and grow dim, so he had to search for someone to lead him by the hand.

¹² Well, when the governor saw this, he was shocked and he started believing in the Lord’s teachings.¹³ From there, Paul and the men who were with him sailed from Paphos to [the mainland city of] Perga in PamPhylia. However, John [Mark] left them at this point and he returned to JeruSalem.

¹⁴ Then from Perga, they traveled on to AntiOch in Pisidia. And on the Sabbath, they entered the synagogue and sat down. ¹⁵ Then, after a reading of the Law and the Prophets, the presiding officers of the synagogue called them forward saying:

‘Men… Brothers… If you have anything encouraging to tell the people, say it!’

¹⁶ So Paul got up, and with a sweeping gesture, he said:

‘Men, IsraElites, and all of you who fear God, listen!

¹⁷ ‘The God of the people of IsraEl chose our ancestors, and when they were visitors in the land of Egypt, He elevated them… He raised His arm and brought them out of there.

¹⁸ ‘But after that, He [had to] put up with their bad manners in the desert for 40 years. ¹⁹ Then, after destroying seven nations in the land of CanaAn, He gave them each an inheritance of land… ²⁰ And all of this happened in a period of 450 years.

‘Thereafter, He gave them the judges until the time of the Prophet SamuEl… ²¹ For that’s when they asked for a king.

‘So then God gave them Saul, son of Kish (a man from the tribe of BenJamin), who ruled over them for the next 40 years.

²² ‘Then after He removed him, He promoted David to be their king; for God gave this testimony about him:

‘I’ve found David...’ [Psalm 89:20] (son of JesSe),

‘A man after My own heart, who’ll do as I wish.’ [paraphrasing 1 Samuel 13:14]

²³ ‘And it was from [this man’s] offspring, according to the promise, that God brought a Savior to IsraEl named Yeshua.

²⁴ ‘Now, John [the Immerser] preached publicly about an immersion of repentance to all the people of IsraEl before [Yeshua] arrived. ²⁵ And as John was finishing the ‘race’ that he was to run, he asked [the people]:

‘Whom do you think that I am? I’m not really the one!

‘Rather, {Look!} someone is coming behind me whose shoelaces I’m unworthy to untie!’

²⁶ ‘So, men… Brothers… You sons of the race of AbraHam and all among you who fear God: These words of salvation were sent to us! ²⁷ However, the people who lived in JeruSalem and their rulers didn’t recognize this man [about whom John spoke].

‘And when they were acting as his judges, they fulfilled the things that the Prophets said… The things that are read aloud [here] on each Sabbath! ²⁸ For although Pilate couldn’t find any reason for putting this man to death, the people demanded that he should have him executed!

²⁹ ‘Well, after they’d finished doing everything that was written would happen to [this man], they took his body down from the tree and laid it in a tomb.

³⁰ ‘However, God then raised him from the dead!

³¹ ‘And for several days thereafter, those [of us] who’d traveled with him from Galilee to JeruSalem, saw him again!

‘So we’re now his witnesses to the people. ³² And here we are, announcing the good news to you about the promise that God made to our forefathers, ³³ and which He’s now completely fulfilled upon their children… Upon us!

‘For He resurrected this Yeshua, just as it was written in the second Psalm:

‘You are My son,

And today I am your Father!’

[Psalm 2:7]

³⁴ ‘Yes, He resurrected him from the dead so that [his body] wouldn’t see corruption.

‘For He had said to him:

‘I’ll give you the sacred, trusted things of [King] David.’ [last line of Isaiah 55:3]

³⁵ ‘And He said in another place:

‘You won’t allow your Holy one to see corruption.’ [paraphrase or different translation of Psalm 49:9]

³⁶ ‘Yet when David, who served his people well and followed God’s instructions, fell asleep [in death], he was buried with his ancestors, and [his body] did see corruption.

³⁷ ‘However, this one who was raised by God didn’t see corruption!

³⁸ ‘Understand this, men and brothers:

‘We’re declaring to you that your sins can now be forgiven through him. ³⁹ Yes, all the wrong things that the Law of Moses couldn’t excuse you from, can now be excused for you by this one – if you’ll believe [in him]!

⁴⁰ ‘Just make sure that [this thing] which was said by the Prophet doesn’t happen to you, when he said:

⁴¹ ‘Behold, O you who show scorn;

Yes, be amazed, and then perish!

For there’s a work that I’ll do in your days,

Which you could never believe

Should someone declare it to you!’

[slightly paraphrased Habakkuk 1:5]

⁴² Well, while the Jews everyone was leaving the Synagogue, the Gentiles [spurious words], many of the people begged them to explain more about this on the next Sabbath.

⁴³ And after the meeting at the synagogue was concluded, several of the Jews and proselytes started following Paul and BarNabas, who urged them to stick closely to God’s favor.⁴⁴ Then on the next Sabbath, most of the city had assembled there to hear the word of God. ⁴⁵ And when the Judeans saw all these people, they became extremely jealous and started contradicting the things that Paul was saying in blasphemous ways.

⁴⁶ However, Paul and BarNabas just kept on speaking out boldly. And they told them:

‘We were told that we had to speak the word of God to you first. But since you’re just pushing it away and you don’t judge yourselves to be worthy of age-long life, {Look!} we’ll now be turning to the gentiles!

⁴⁷ ‘In fact, Yahweh commanded us to do this when He said:

‘I’ll make you a light to the nations…

To bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’

[last two lines of Isaiah 49:6]

⁴⁸ Well, when the gentiles in the crowd heard this, they started rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord!

And at that, everyone who was inclined to accept age-long life became believers, ⁴⁹ and the word of the Lord was thereafter spread throughout that whole country.

⁵⁰ However, the Judeans who were there incited many of the city’s elite (the devout women and the leading men), and they sent people against Paul and BarNabas who threw them out of the city.

⁵¹ So they just shook the dust off their feet against them, and traveled on to Iconium.

⁵² However, the disciples [back in AntiOch] continued to be filled with joy and Holy Breath.

Acts 14

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¹ Then the same thing happened in Iconium.

[Paul and BarNabas] went into the Jewish synagogue together to speak, and a large number of both Jews and Greeks became believers.

² However, the Jews who wouldn’t accept what they said riled up the gentiles and influenced them to act badly towards the brothers. ³ Nevertheless, [Paul, and BarNabas] spent a lot of time boldly telling them about the Lord. And [the Lord] himself testified to the fact that his favor was being shown by allowing these men to perform many signs and omens.

⁴ Well, the whole city was thereafter split… Some were for the Jews and others for the Apostles. ⁵ Then some of the Jews and gentiles met with the local rulers, who arranged to finish them off by having them stoned!

⁶ And when [Paul and BarNabas] learned about this plot, they got out of there and traveled to the cities and countryside around Lystra and Derbe in LycaOnias, ⁷ where they continued to preach the good news.⁸ Well in Lystra, they noticed a man who was sitting there because he had something wrong with his feet. In fact, he hadn’t walked at all since he was born.

⁹ This man was listening to Paul at the time; and when [Paul] looked at him and realized that he had enough faith to be healed, ¹⁰ he shouted:

‘Stand up on your feet!’

And at this, [the man] jumped up and started walking around!

¹¹ Well when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted (in the LycaOnian language):

‘The gods have turned themselves into men and come down to us!’

¹² Then they started calling BarNabas, ‘Zeus,’ and Paul, ‘Hermes’ (since he was the one who took the lead in speaking), ¹³ and the city’s Priest of Zeus brought bulls and garlands up to the gates so that he and the crowd could offer sacrifices [to them].

¹⁴ However, when the Apostles BarNabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and jumped into the crowd, shouting and asking:

¹⁵ ‘Why are you doing this?

‘We’re just humans who have the same problems as you; and the reason why we’re here preaching the good news to you is to turn you away from this foolishness and towards the living God who made the skies, the lands, the seas, and everything in them!

¹⁶ ‘For although He’s allowed the gentiles to go their own way for generations, ¹⁷ He didn’t leave Himself without witnesses.

‘And He did good things for you by giving you rain from the sky and good harvests, and He filled your hearts with food and happiness!’

¹⁸ Yet despite everything they said, they had a hard time keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.

¹⁹ But then some Jews arrived from AntiOch and Iconium, and they convinced the crowd that they should stone Paul. So after they did that, they dragged him outside of the city and left him for dead.

²⁰ However, after the disciples gathered around him, he got up and walked back into the city.Then the next day, he and BarNabas left for Derbe, ²¹ where they preached the good news in that city, making quite a few disciples.

After that, they returned to Lystra in Iconium and to AntiOch ²² so as to strengthen the disciples there.

They encouraged them to remain strong in the faith, saying:

‘We’ll all have to endure many trials if we wish to enter the Kingdom of God.’

²³ They also appointed elders in each of the congregations. Then, with prayer and fasting, they entrusted them into the hands of [the God in whom] they’d come to believe.²⁴ Well from there, they traveled through Pisidia to PamPhylia. ²⁵ And after teaching the word in Perga, they went on to AtTalia.

²⁶ Thereafter, they sailed back to AntiOch, where by God’s kindness they’d first been entrusted with the work that they were performing so well.

²⁷ And when they arrived, they gathered the congregation and told them everything that God had done through them, and of how He’d opened the door of faith to the gentiles. ²⁸ Then they spent quite some time there in AntiOch with the disciples.

Acts 15

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¹ However, some men then came down from Judea and started teaching the brothers that if they didn’t get circumcised following the custom of Moses, they couldn’t be saved. ² However, Paul and BarNabas opposed them and argued with them.

So they arranged for Paul, BarNabas, and some others who were there to go to the Apostles and elders in JeruSalem to ask [their opinion] on the matter. ³ And at that, the congregation sent them off.

Well, as they were traveling through Phoenicia and Samaria, they stopped and spoke [to the congregations] along the way about the conversion of gentiles, which brought great joy among all the brothers.⁴ Then when they got to JeruSalem, they were welcomed by the congregation (which included the Apostles and the elders), and they told them about all the things that God had been accomplishing through them.

⁵ However, some of those who were believers from the sect of the Pharisees then stood up and said:

‘We must circumcise those people and order them to obey the Laws of Moses!’

⁶ So thereafter, the Apostles and the elders held a meeting to discuss this matter.

⁷ And after a lot of wrangling, Peter then stood up and said:

‘Men… Brothers… You know how long it’s been since God chose to have gentiles hear the word of the Good News and believe through my mouth, ⁸ and of how God (who knows the heart) testified about them by giving them the Holy Breath – just as He did to us.

⁹ ‘So as you can see, He didn’t create a difference between us. And since He’s also purified their hearts in the faith... ¹⁰ Why are you testing God by putting this yoke on the neck of the disciples? [The same one] that we and our fathers couldn’t carry?

¹¹ ‘For we believe that they’ve been saved just the same as we have – through the loving care of our Lord Yeshua!’

¹² Well at that, the group became silent, and they listened to BarNabas and Paul tell about the many signs and omens that God had used them to perform among the gentiles.

¹³ Then after they’d finished speaking, James said:

‘Men… Brothers… Hear me!

¹⁴ ‘It was Simon who explained to us how for the first time, God has [chosen] to take a people for His Name from among the gentiles.

¹⁵ ‘And the words of the Prophet [Amos] agree with this, for it is written:

¹⁶ ‘In that day,

I’ll rebuild the tent of David that has fallen…

I’ll rebuild it and make it stand once again.

¹⁷ ‘Then those who remain of the gentiles

May inquire of those who have called on My Name.’

[Amos 9:11-12]

‘Yahweh, the one doing all these things, said this ¹⁸ because He’s known about these things throughout the ages!

¹⁹ ‘Therefore, I’ve decided not to create problems for the gentiles who are turning to God. ²⁰ Rather, I’ll send word to them to stay free from things polluted by idols, from immorality, from whatever is strangled, and from blood... ²¹ Because [these Laws of] Moses are preached in every city, and read in the synagogues on every Sabbath, and have been for generations!’

²² Well after that, the Apostles, elders, and the whole congregation was unanimously in favor of sending men whom they’d selected from among themselves back to AntiOch.

So among those who traveled there with Paul and BarNabas were Judas (who was called BarSabbas) and Silas… Leading men from among the brothers.

²³ And this is what was written by their hands:

‘[From] the Apostles and the older brothers, to those gentile brothers in AntiOch, Syria, and Kilikia:

‘Rejoice!

²⁴ ‘We’ve heard that there were some, who came from us, who’ve been stirring things up there with speeches... And they’ve urged you to make changes in your lives (although we really didn’t tell them to do this).

²⁵ ‘Therefore, we’ve unanimously decided to choose men to send to you along with our beloved BarNabas and Paul… ²⁶ These men who’ve been willing to give their lives for the name of our Lord Yeshua the Anointed One. ²⁷ And now Judas and Silas can further explain these things to you.

²⁸ ‘For through the Holy Breath, it’s become clear to us that we shouldn’t put any burdens on you other than these necessary things:

²⁹ ‘Stay away from:

• Things that are sacrificed to idols,

• From blood,

• From the strangled,

• And from sexual immorality.

‘If you stay away from these things, you’ll do well. Good health to you!’

³⁰ So when these men whom they’d sent arrived in AntiOch, they assembled the congregation and presented them with the letter. ³¹ And after reading it, [the brothers in AntiOch] were very happy over the encouragement that the letter conveyed.

³² Then Judas and Silas (since they were also Prophets) gave instructions to the brothers with many speeches to strengthen them.³³ And after some time had passed, [the congregation] allowed them to return to those who’d sent them with that message of peace. ³⁴ However, it seemed good to Silas to remain there. [spurious text] ³⁵ However, Paul and BarNabas stayed on in AntiOch for a while (along with many others), teaching and preaching the good news of the word of the Lord.³⁶ Then after many days, Paul said to BarNabas:

‘Now that these matters have been settled, let’s go back and visit the brothers in all those cities where we’ve preached the word, to see how they’re doing.’

³⁷ However, BarNabas wanted to bring John (who was called Mark) along with them. ³⁸ But because Paul didn’t think he was worthy, he didn’t want to take him, since he’d departed from them at PamPhylia and he hadn’t continued in the work.

³⁹ So there was quite an argument over this, which resulted in each man going his own way. Therefore, BarNabas took Mark and they sailed off to Cyprus, ⁴⁰ while Paul chose Silas.

Then after sharing the joy of the Lord with the brothers there, [Paul] traveled on, ⁴¹ going through Syria and Kilikia, strengthening the congregations in those places.

Acts 16

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¹ Well, [Paul] got as far as Derbe, and then he continued on to Lystra.

{Look!} There he found a disciple named Timothy, who was the son of a believing Jewish woman and a Greek father.

² The brothers in Lystra and Iconium had many good things to say about him, ³ and Paul wanted to take this man along with him. So he went and circumcised him… He did this because of the many Jews who were in those places, since they all knew that his father was Greek.

⁴ Well, as they traveled through the cities, they taught the decisions of the Apostles and elders in JeruSalem, and urged the brothers to obey them. ⁵ So the congregations kept getting stronger in the faith and growing day after day.⁶ From there they traveled through Phrygia and the country of Galatia.

However, the Holy Breath [of God] wouldn’t allow them to teach the word in [the province of] Asia. ⁷ And when they got down to Mysia, they tried to go on to Bithynia, but the Spirit of Yeshua wouldn’t allow them to do so. ⁸ As a result, they passed Mysia and went on to Troas.

⁹ And there, during the night, Paul had a vision of a Macedonian man who was standing and begging him:

‘Come over to Macedonia and help us!’

¹⁰ Well, as soon as he saw this vision, we started out for Macedonia, assuming that God had called us to preach the good news to them.

¹¹ So having been led from Troas, we set a straight course for Samothrace. Then the next day we traveled to NeaPolis, ¹² and from there on to Philippi (a [Roman] colony that’s one of the main cities in that part of Macedonia), where we spent several days.

¹³ And on the Sabbath we went to the riverbank outside of the city gate where we thought that we would find a place to pray, then we sat down and started talking to the women who’d assembled there.

¹⁴ Well, a woman named Lydia from ThyaTira (an importer of purple [cloth]) who was a worshiper of The God, was listening... And the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to the things that Paul was saying.

¹⁵ Then as she and her household were being immersed, she begged:

‘If you men have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my house!’

And she kept urging us to come.

¹⁶ Then sometime later, as we were going somewhere to pray, a servant girl with a divining spirit came and met us. Her masters used her to make predictions, which earned a tidy profit for them.

¹⁷ She kept following Paul and the rest of us, shouting:

‘These men are slaves of the Most High God and they’re preaching to you about the way of salvation!’

¹⁸ Well, after she’d done this for several days, Paul finally got tired of it... So he turned and said to the spirit:

‘I order you to come out of her in the name of Yeshua the Anointed One!’

...And it came right out.

¹⁹ But when her masters saw that they’d just lost their hope of any income [from her], they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the rulers in the marketplace.

²⁰ They brought them before the judges and said:

‘These men are Jews who are creating a disturbance in our city; ²¹ and they’re preaching customs that are illegal for us as Romans to either accept or to practice!’

²² Well, the entire crowd arose against them.

So the judges, having [ordered that] their clothes be stripped off, commanded that they should be beaten with rods.

²³ Then after they’d received many blows, they threw them in jail, ordering the jailer to keep them safe. ²⁴ And since [the jailer] had received such an order, he took them into the innermost dungeon and put their feet in stocks.

²⁵ However, during the middle of the night, while Paul and Silas were praying and singing sacred hymns (within earshot of the rest of the prisoners there), ²⁶ a great earthquake occurred that shook the jail to its foundation… And this immediately opened all the doors and loosened all the chains!

²⁷ Then when the jailer woke up and saw the cell doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, because he thought the prisoners had escaped.

²⁸ But Paul called out loudly:

‘Don’t harm yourself… We’re all still here!’

²⁹ So [the jailer] asked for lamps to be brought in... And shaking in fear, he jumped in and fell down before Paul and Silas.

³⁰ Then he brought them outside and asked:

‘Lords,

‘What must I do so that I might get saved?’

³¹ And they replied:

‘Believe in the Lord Yeshua, and you and all in your house will be saved.’

³² Then they spoke to him and all those in his house about the word of the Lord.

³³ So at that hour of the night, he went and washed their whip wounds; then he and his family were immediately immersed. ³⁴ And thereafter, he brought them into his home, sat them at the table, and he and his entire household started rejoicing over their coming to believe in The God.³⁵ Well the next morning, the magistrates sent officers who told him to release them.

³⁶ And the jailer said to Paul:

‘The magistrates have sent men to release you.

‘So now that you’re free, you may go your own way in peace.’

³⁷ But Paul said to him:

‘Although we weren’t found guilty [of doing anything wrong], they had us publicly flogged and thrown in jail… And we are Romans!

‘Are they now going to try to throw us out secretly?

‘No, let them come down here and bring us out themselves!’

³⁸ Well at that, the officers went back and reported what he had said to the judges, and they were frightened when they heard that the men were Romans! ³⁹ So they called for them and released them, then they asked them to leave their city.

⁴⁰ So after they were released, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and encouraged them before traveling on.

Acts 17

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¹ From there they traveled through AmphiPolis and Apollonia to ThesSalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. ² And as it was Paul’s custom, he went inside and reasoned with [the Jews] from the Scriptures for three Sabbaths.

³ He opened [the scriptures] and proved that the Anointed One had to suffer and be resurrected from the dead.

Then he said:

‘This Yeshua whom I’m preaching to you is that Anointed One!’

⁴ And as a result, some of them became believers and associated themselves with Paul and Silas, as did a large number of devout Greeks, many women, and quite a few of the [city’s] leaders.

⁵ However, this made some of the Judeans very jealous, so they formed a mob… They assembled a group of wicked men who’d been hanging around in the market, and these created quite an uproar in the city. So they all went to Jason’s house and demanded to have [Paul and Silas] brought out. ⁶ But when they didn’t find them there, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city council, shouting:

‘Those men who are creating confusion throughout the whole world are here also… ⁷ And Jason has even welcomed them into his home!

‘Yet these people oppose the decrees of Caesar by saying that there’s another king… Someone called Yeshua!’

⁸ Well when the councilmen heard the crowd saying this, they became quite agitated ⁹ and they demanded a large bail from Jason and the others, before they’d release them.

¹⁰ Then that night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas off to Berea.Well [upon arriving in Berea], they went into the Jewish synagogue. ¹¹ And there they found the people to be more noble-minded than those in ThesSalonica, because they eagerly welcomed the word and studied the Scriptures each day to make sure that the things [they were being told] were true.

¹² So, many of them became believers, as did a number of the prominent Greek women and quite a few of the men.

¹³ However, when the Jews in ThesSalonica learned that Paul was also preaching the word of God in Berea, they traveled there to incite and agitate the crowds. ¹⁴ As a result, the brothers immediately sent Paul off all the way to the sea…

However, Silas and Timothy stayed behind. ¹⁵ Then those who were taking Paul, brought him to Athens. And before they returned, he instructed them to send Silas and Timothy to him as soon as possible.¹⁶ Well, while Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he became disgusted to the core when he saw that the city was filled with idols. ¹⁷ So he started reasoning with the Jews and other worshipers in the synagogue, as well as with anyone that happened to be in the markets each day.

¹⁸ Then some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers came to hear him, and they started asking each other:

‘What’s this seed-picker trying to say?’

And someone told them:

‘He seems to be preaching a foreign demon.’

[This was] because he was telling them the good news about Yeshua and the resurrection.

¹⁹ So they grabbed him and took him up to the AeroPagus, where they asked him:

‘Tell us; what’s this new thing that you’re preaching? ²⁰ For we’ve heard that you’ve brought some strange new ideas, and we want to know what they are!’

²¹ (It’s a fact that all Athenians and even foreigners that traveled there had nothing to do other than spend their leisure time telling something new or listening to something new).

²² So Paul stood up in the middle of the AeroPagus and said:

‘Men of Athens,

‘I see that you have a greater fear of the demons than do others.

²³ ‘And as I was going along and noticing all the things that you worship, I found an altar with the inscription: To an unknown God.

‘So I’m here to preach to you about something that you don’t know, but already worship!

²⁴ ‘For this is the [same] God who made the cosmos and everything in it; and this Lord of the sky and the earth doesn’t live in handmade Temples, ²⁵ nor does He need human hands to take care of Him – or anything at all [for that matter] – because He gives life, breath, and everything else to each of us.

²⁶ ‘He’s the One who made all the nations of mankind that dwell on the face of the earth from just one man, and He’s the One who determines the times and the boundaries of [when and] where they’d live, ²⁷ so that we would each search for God and grope around to find Him… Although He really isn’t very far from any of us.

²⁸ ‘For it’s through Him that we have life, and move, and exist… Even as some of your own poets have said:

‘We’re His offspring!’

²⁹ ‘Therefore, since we’re the offspring of God, we shouldn’t think of this Divine One as being like gold, silver, stone… Or like anything else that some man may have artistically sculpted!

³⁰ ‘Yet, God has overlooked such periods of ignorance, and now He’s telling all men everywhere to repent, ³¹ because He’s set a day when He’s going to judge the entire habitation of mankind righteously by a man whom He’s appointed. And He’s also given each of us a reason to believe in this man by resurrecting him from the dead!’

³² Well when they heard [him mention] a resurrection of the dead, some started joking about it.

But others said:

‘We’ll listen to more about this at some other time!’

³³ So at that, Paul left them.

³⁴ However, some of the men started following him and became believers. This included Dionysius (a judge of the AeroPagus Supreme Court), a woman named Damaris, and several others.

Acts 18

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¹ After that, he left Athens and traveled on to Corinth.

² There he found a Judean from Pontus named Aquila who’d recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Emperor Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. So he went to see them, ³ and because they shared the same trade (they all worked as tent makers), he stayed at their house.

⁴ He also spoke in the synagogue on every Sabbath and he kept reasoning with both the Jews and the Greeks.⁵ Then after Silas and Timothy finally arrived from Macedonia, Paul really intensified his work of witnessing to the Jews and proving to them that Yeshua is the Anointed One.

⁶ However, they just kept on opposing him and blaspheming... So he shook out his clothes and said:

‘Your blood is now on your own heads… I’m clean of it!

‘From now on, I’ll just be going to the gentiles.’

⁷ Then he left them and entered the home of a man named Titius Justus (a worshiper of God), whose house adjoined the synagogue. ⁸ And later, Crispus (the synagogue’s presiding officer) became a believer in the Lord, as did his whole household… And many Corinthians that heard about it also became believers and were immersed.

⁹ Then one night, the Lord said this to Paul in a vision:

‘Don’t be afraid; keep on preaching here and don’t stop, ¹⁰ because I’m with you!

‘Nobody will attack you or try to hurt you, since I have many people in this city.’

¹¹ And as a result, Paul stayed there for a year and a half, teaching the word of God among them.¹² Well, it was while Gallio was governor of Achaea that the Jews got together and came against Paul. They took him to court and charged him, ¹³ saying:

‘This man is violating the Law by trying to convert people of other faiths to worshiping [his] God.’

¹⁴ But just as Paul was about to answer, Gallio said to them:

‘O Jews,

‘I’d be patient and put up with this if you were talking about [his doing] something wrong or committing some foul act...

¹⁵ ‘But if all you want to do is complain about words, names, and your Law – take care of it yourselves! I don’t wish to be the judge of such matters!’

¹⁶ And with that, he threw them out of his court.

¹⁷ So then they dragged [Paul] before Sosthenes, the presiding officer of the synagogue. And right there in front of the Judgment Seat, they started beating him up!

However, Gallio didn’t pay any attention to this.

¹⁸ Well, after staying there for several more days, Paul said goodbye to the brothers and sailed off for Syria, along with Priscilla and Aquila.

Then [Paul] had his hair sheared while he was at Kenchrea, because of a vow that he’d made.

¹⁹ And when they arrived at Ephesus, he left [Priscilla and Aquila] and went into the synagogue to reason with the Jews. ²⁰ But despite asking him to stay there for a while, he wouldn’t do it. ²¹ He just said goodbye and told them:

‘If it’s God’s will, I’ll be back.’

So then he traveled from Ephesus ²² to Caesarea, where he went up and greeted the congregation, and from there he traveled on to AntiOch.

²³ And after staying [in AntiOch] for some time, he left and traveled throughout the areas of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples in those places.²⁴ Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos (a native of Alexandria) who was an excellent speaker and who knew the Scriptures very well, arrived at Ephesus.

²⁵ He’d been taught the ways of the Lord, and he was aglow with the Breath [of God], so what he said and taught about Yeshua was correct. However, he only knew about the immersion [practiced by] John.

²⁶ Well, Priscilla and Aquila had been listening to him as he was boldly speaking in the synagogue, and then they took him under their wing and explained the ways of God to him more completely.

²⁷ Then, since he was planning to travel to Achaea, the brothers wrote to the disciples there, telling them to welcome him. And when he got there, he provided assistance to all those who (through [God’s] loving care) became believers, ²⁸ as he publicly and very enthusiastically showed that the Jews were absolutely wrong by using the Scriptures to prove that Yeshua was the Anointed One.

Acts 19

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¹ From there, Paul traveled inland while Apollos stayed in Corinth. And when he got to Ephesus, he found some disciples ² and he asked them:

‘Did you receive Holy Breath when you became believers?’

And they answered:

‘We’ve never even heard that there is Holy Breath.’

³ So he asked:

‘Then, into what were you immersed?’

And they replied:

‘Into John’s [form of] immersion.’

⁴ So Paul told them this:

‘When John immersed [people], it was an immersion [in symbol] of repentance. However, he told the people to believe in the one who was coming behind him… In Yeshua.’

⁵ And after they heard this, they were all immersed in the name of the Lord Yeshua.

⁶ Then after Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Breath came over them and they each started speaking in different languages and prophesying ⁷ (there were about 12 men).

⁸ So after that, [Paul] went into the synagogue, where he spoke boldly… For the next three months he reasoned and talked persuasively about the Kingdom of God.

⁹ But when [he noted] that some were just becoming more difficult, refusing to believe and saying bad things about The Way in front of the crowds, he left them… He separated the [true] disciples from among them and started giving lectures in the School of Tyrannus each day, ¹⁰ which went on for the next two years.So, everyone who lived in [the province of] Asia (both the Jews and the Greeks) eventually heard the word of the Lord Yeshua. ¹¹ And [all the while], God kept demonstrating unusual powers through the hands of Paul.

¹² For even the bandanas and aprons that he wore were carried to sick people, which caused their diseases to leave and wicked spirits to come out!

¹³ However, there were some traveling Judean exorcists that also started using the name of the Lord Yeshua against wicked spirits, saying:

‘I order you in the name of Yeshua, the one whom Paul preaches …’

¹⁴ Well, Sceva (a Judean Chief Priest) had 7 sons that were doing this. ¹⁵ However, one of the wicked spirits said to them:

‘I know Yeshua, and I’m familiar with Paul, but just who are you?’

¹⁶ And with that, the man who was possessed by a wicked spirit jumped on them, overpowered each one, and beat them up – so they had to run from the house naked and injured!

¹⁷ Well before long, everyone in Ephesus (both the Jews and the Greeks) came to know about this, and it frightened them. As a result, the name of the Lord Yeshua kept growing in praise, ¹⁸ and many who became believers would come and openly confess, telling of [the bad] things that they’d done.

¹⁹ In fact, several that used to practice magic brought their books together and burned them up in front of everyone! And when they calculated how much they’d paid for them, they found that they [were worth] some 50,000 silver coins.

²⁰ So the power of the word of the Lord kept growing and getting stronger there.²¹ Then after all these things had happened, Paul resolved that he would travel to Macedonia and Achaea, and from there on to JeruSalem.

And he told them:

‘After I get there, I want to see Rome!’

²² So he sent two of those who served him (Timothy and Erastus) on to Macedonia, as he spent more time in [the province of] Asia.

²³ However, a big disturbance thereafter arose [in Asia] because of The Way. ²⁴ For there was a man named DeMetrius who was a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis (it was a very profitable business for him and his employees).

²⁵ So he gathered them all, along with others in his trade, and he said:

‘Men,

‘You know that we all make a very good living from this business.

²⁶ ‘But now you’re seeing and hearing how this Paul is persuading large numbers of people and making converts of them, not only in Ephesus but in almost all [the province of] Asia, saying that our hand-made gods really aren’t gods!

²⁷ ‘[Such teachings] not only endanger our business by damaging its reputation, but [soon] it’ll make the temple of the great goddess Artemis unimportant, and her magnificence (which the whole [province of] Asia and the entire land worships) is about to be brought to nothing!’

²⁸ Well when they heard this, they all became very angry and started shouting:

‘Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!’

²⁹ ...And the whole city became filled with confusion.

So at that, they rushed into the theater and grabbed GaiUs and AristArchus (the Macedonians who traveled with Paul). ³⁰ And although Paul wanted to go to visit them in public, the disciples wouldn’t allow it. ³¹ For even some of the public game commissioners (who were friends of Paul) sent word to him, begging him not to enter the theater.

³² In the meantime, some [in the theater] were shouting one thing, and others were shouting something else... For the whole group was confused and most of them didn’t even know why they were there!

³³ So they located Alexander in the midst of the crowd, and the Judeans pushed him up to the front. Then Alexander started waving his hands to defend himself before the people. ³⁴ But when they recognized that he was a Jew, they started a shout that lasted for two hours:

‘Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!’

³⁵ Well when the City Recorder finally quieted the crowd, he said:

‘Men! Ephesians! Who in the world doesn’t know that the City of Ephesus is the place where the temple of the Great Artemis and the image that fell from the sky is kept?

³⁶ ‘So, since these things are undeniable, it would be better if you’d just calm down and not act so foolishly!

³⁷ ‘Now, you’ve grabbed hold of these men, who aren’t guilty of robbing Temples or blaspheming our goddess. ³⁸ But if DeMetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a case against them… [remember that] there are court days and there are governors! So let them bring charges there!

³⁹ ‘If you’re looking for anything beyond that, it has to be decided in a legal hearing!

⁴⁰ ‘Recognize that you’re really in danger of being charged with rioting today – and you don’t have a good reason for doing this!

‘Who can explain this disorderly mob?’

⁴¹ And after he said that, he sent them all home.

Acts 20

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¹ Well, after all the rioting was over, Paul sent for the disciples and encouraged them before he said goodbye and left for Macedonia.

² Then, after traveling around there encouraging the people with many speeches, he went on to Greece, ³ where he spent the next three months… But then the Jews [in Greece] started plotting against him.

And although he’d first decided to leave for Syria, he later changed his mind and returned through Macedonia.

⁴ Those who were with him at the time were:

• Sopater (son of PyrRhus of Berea),

• AristArchus,

• Secundus (of the Thessalonians),

• GaiUs (of Derbe),

• Timothy,

• Tychicus, and

• Trophimus (from [the province of] Asia).

⁵ These traveled ahead of us and waited for us in Troas.

⁶ Then, after the period of No Fermentation, we sailed from Philippi to Troas where they were, which took five days, and we spent seven more days there.⁷ Then on Sunday, when we met to have a meal, Paul gave a public speech (because he was going to leave the next day). This went on until midnight, ⁸ so many lamps were lit in the upstairs room where we met.

⁹ However, there was a young man named EuTychus who had been sitting in a window and fell fast asleep while Paul was talking… Then he slumped over and fell out of the 3rd-story window!

And when they went to pick him up, they found that he was dead.

¹⁰ But then Paul then went downstairs and threw himself on top of the man and hugged him… And finally he announced:

‘Don’t worry! He’s still alive!’

¹¹ So after that, he went back upstairs and started the meal, and they all ate and talked until daybreak, before [Paul] had to leave.

¹² Meanwhile, they took the boy [home] alive, and everyone was extremely encouraged.¹³ From there, we went on ahead of Paul by boat and sailed to Assos, where we waited for him, because that’s what he told us to do, since he was going to travel there on foot.

¹⁴ So when he caught up with us in Assos, we took him aboard and we went on to Mitylene.

¹⁵ Then we sailed from there the next day, coming ashore across from Chios, and on the following day we stopped at Samos, then we finally got to Miletus the day after that.

¹⁶ Now, Paul had planned to sail past Ephesus so he wouldn’t have to spend any time in [the province of] Asia, because he was in a hurry to get to JeruSalem before Pentecost, if he could.

¹⁷ However, [while he was] in Miletus, he sent word to Ephesus to call the elders of the congregation to him. ¹⁸ And when they arrived, he told them:

‘You know very well that from the first day I stepped foot into [the province of] Asia, I was with you all the time, ¹⁹ humbly slaving for the Lord, and [you know] of all the tears and trials that I endured because of the plots of the Jews...

²⁰ ‘Yet I didn’t fail to remind you and teach you both in public and in [your] homes! ²¹ For I thoroughly testified to both Jews and Greeks about [their need to] repent before God and to put faith in our Lord Yeshua.

²² ‘But now {Look!} I’ll be traveling to JeruSalem as though I were already in chains, for I don’t know what’s going to happen to me there... ²³ [All I know is that] in city after city, the Holy Breath keeps testifying to me, telling me that chains and difficulties are awaiting me there.

²⁴ ‘However, I refuse to say anything that would make my life more valuable to me, so I can faithfully finish my course and fulfill the service assignment that I received from the Lord Yeshua… To give a complete testimony about the good news of God’s loving care.

²⁵ ‘Now, {Look!} because I know that all of you whom I preached the Kingdom [message] to won’t see my face any more;

²⁶ ‘I’m testifying to you today that I’m clean from the blood of all men, ²⁷ for I haven’t held back from telling any of you what God has purposed to do!

²⁸ ‘Therefore, you need to pay close attention to yourselves and to the whole flock over which the Holy Breath has appointed you overseers… Feed the Lord’s congregation, which he purchased with his own blood.

²⁹ ‘For I know that after I leave, oppressive wolves will enter among you who won’t spare the flock, ³⁰ and that men from among you will arise and speak twisted things to attract some of the disciples to following them!

³¹ ‘So you must stay awake… And keep those three years in mind during which I didn’t stop counseling each of you tearfully, both night and day.

³² ‘Now, I’m leaving you the loving care of our Lord who can build you up and give you an inheritance among all the Holy Ones.

³³ ‘[You know that] I haven’t longed for anyone’s silver, gold, or clothing. ³⁴ For you’re aware of how I’ve used my own hands to take care of my own needs and [for the needs] of those who were with me.

³⁵ ‘I’ve demonstrated to you how important it is for us to work like this, so we can help those who are weak. Therefore, remember the words that were said by our Lord Yeshua:

‘There’s more happiness in giving than there is in receiving.’

³⁶ And after he said this, he kneeled down with them all and prayed.

³⁷ Well, many tears flowed as they hugged Paul’s neck and tenderly kissed him. ³⁸ For when he said that they wouldn’t see his face again, they were deeply saddened. And from there, they all accompanied him out to the ship.

Acts 21

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¹ Well, when we finally tore ourselves away from them and put out to sea, we ran straight over to Cos, then to Rhodes the next day, and from there to Patara.

² And when we found a boat that was going to Phoenicia, we went aboard and sailed off.

³ From there we came in sight of the Island of Cyprus, passing it on our left, and we sailed on to Syria, landing at Tyre (because that’s where the boat was to unload its cargo). ⁴ And while we were there, we searched for and found the disciples, and we stayed with them for seven days.

However, by the Breath [of God], they repeatedly warned Paul not to set foot in JeruSalem.

⁵ [Then a week later], we got ready to continue our journey, and everyone (including the women and children) followed us outside of the city. And after kneeling down on the beach, we had a prayer ⁶ before saying goodbye to each other. Then we boarded the ship, as they returned to their homes.⁷ Well, after we left Tyre, we finally arrived at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and spent the day with them.

⁸ Then on the next day, we traveled to Caesarea, where we went to the house of Philip the Evangelizer (one of the seven men), and stayed with him. ⁹ This man had four virgin daughters who all prophesied.

¹⁰ But after we’d stayed there for several days, a Prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. ¹¹ He walked right up to us and removed Paul’s sash, then he used it to tie up his own hands and feet, and said:

‘This is what the Holy Breath has declared:

‘The Judeans will bind the man who owns this sash and then hand him over to the gentiles.’

¹² Well when we heard this, we all (everyone there) started begging [Paul] not to go to JeruSalem.

¹³ But Paul replied:

‘Why are you crying and crushing my heart? I’m not only ready to be bound, but also to die in JeruSalem for the name of our Lord Yeshua!’

¹⁴ And when we couldn’t change his mind, we gave in, saying:

‘May [God’s] Will be done.’

¹⁵ So after several days, we prepared for the journey and headed towards JeruSalem.

¹⁶ Meanwhile, some of the disciples from Caesarea traveled with us and led us to the home of a man who showed us some hospitality… Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple.¹⁷ Well, when we arrived in JeruSalem, the brothers were all happy to see us. ¹⁸ And the next [day], we went with Paul to see James and the rest of the elders.

¹⁹ So [Paul] greeted them and started giving a detailed account of the things that God had done among the nations through his ministry. ²⁰ And after hearing about it, they glorified God.

Then they said to him:

‘Our brother,

‘You know how many thousands of believers there are among the Jews, and they all zealously obey the Law. ²¹ But they’ve heard the rumor that you’re teaching Jews who live among the nations an apostasy from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or to follow our traditions.

²² ‘So, what do you suppose we can do about this?

‘Since they’re going to hear that you’ve arrived, ²³ this is what we’re telling you to do:

‘We have four men who’ve taken a sacred vow… ²⁴ Take them with you, and all of you should cleanse yourselves ceremonially, then pay to have your heads shaved. That way, everyone will know that there’s no truth to the rumors we’ve heard about you, and that you’re personally following the rules and obeying the Law.

²⁵ ‘As for the gentiles who’ve become believers... We’ve already sent them our decision to stay free from things that are sacrificed to idols, from blood, from whatever is strangled, and from sexual immorality.’

²⁶ So the next day, Paul took the [four] men along and they cleansed themselves ceremonially. Then they entered the Temple to give their notice of their ceremonial cleansing (to start counting the days until an offering should be made for each of them).

²⁷ But when the seven days were about up, some Judeans from [the province of] Asia saw him in the Temple and started a riot among the crowd… They grabbed him, ²⁸ shouting:

‘Men of IsraEl! Help!

‘This is the man who’s teaching against our people, against the Law, and this place... To everyone, everywhere!

‘He’s even defiled this Holy Place by bringing Greeks into the Temple!’

²⁹ ([They said this], because they’d seen him in the city earlier with Trophimus the Ephesian, and they [mistakenly] thought that Paul had also brought him into the Temple).

³⁰ Well, the whole city was in an uproar, and many people started running there.

So they grabbed Paul and dragged him out of the Temple, then they closed the [Temple] doors ³¹ and tried to kill him! But when the commander of the [Roman] garrison heard the uproar there in JeruSalem, ³² he immediately took a contingent of officers and soldiers, and ran down to them.

So when [the mob] saw the commander coming with his soldiers, they stopped beating up Paul. ³³ However, the commander then arrested [Paul] and ordered him to be bound with two chains.

Thereafter, he asked [the mob] who he was and what he’d done.

³⁴ However, some in the crowd started shouting one thing, and others were shouting something else. So because he couldn’t be sure of anything (due to all the confusion), he commanded [that Paul] should be taken back to their garrison.

³⁵ Well, when they reached the [garrison] stairs, the situation got even worse. For the mob became so violent that the soldiers had to literally carry [Paul] along ³⁶ while the people followed them shouting:

‘Take him away!’

³⁷ Then, as he was being carried into the garrison, Paul asked the commander:

‘Am I allowed to say something to you?’

And he replied:

‘Can you speak Greek?

³⁸ ‘Aren’t you the Egyptian who started a rebellion and led 4,000 dagger men into the desert some time ago?’

³⁹ But Paul said:

‘No... I’m really a Jew from Tarsus in Kilikia – I’m a citizen of a well-known city. So I beg you, allow me to speak to the people!’

⁴⁰ Well at that, he gave Paul permission.

So [Paul] stood on the stairs and waved his arms [to quiet] the crowd. And when everything quieted down, he spoke to them in Hebrew, saying:

Acts 22

←21 | All books | All chapters | 23→

¹ ‘Men, brothers, and fathers!

‘Allow me to say something in my own defense now.’

² Well when they heard him addressing them in Hebrew [possibly meaning the common the language of the Hebrews, which was Aramaic], things did get quieter.

And he said:

³ ‘I’m a Jew who was born in Tarsus of Kilikia. I went to school right here in this city, and I received my instruction at the feet of GamaliEl, who taught me to obey the Law of our fathers strictly and to show the same zeal for God that you’re showing today.

⁴ ‘I personally persecuted this ‘Way,’ by arresting and delivering their men and women to prisons for execution.

⁵ ‘The High Priest and the entire assembly of elders can corroborate this, because I obtained letters from them to our brothers in Damascus, where I went to bring everybody they had in prison back to JeruSalem for punishment.

⁶ ‘But as I was on my way and getting close to Damascus, at about noon, a bright light in the sky flashed all around me!

⁷ ‘Then I fell to the ground and I heard a voice say to me:

‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’

⁸ ‘So I asked:

‘Who are you, Lord?’

‘And he replied:

‘I’m Yeshua the Nazarene, the one you’re persecuting!’

⁹ ‘Well, the men who were with me also saw the light, but they didn’t hear the voice of the person speaking to me.

¹⁰ ‘Then I asked:

‘What must I do, Lord?’

‘And the Lord said to me:

‘Get up and go to Damascus. There you’ll be told all about what you’ve been assigned to do.’

¹¹ ‘However, since I couldn’t see anymore because of the brilliance of that light, those who were [traveling] with me had to lead me into Damascus by the hand.

¹² ‘Now, AnaNias (a man who devoutly obeyed the Law and that was well spoken of by all the Judeans that live there) ¹³ came and stood next to me.

‘Then he said:

‘Saul… Brother… See again!’

‘And I could immediately see him!

¹⁴ ‘Then he said:

‘The God of our fathers has selected you to learn about His Will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear the voice from his mouth, ¹⁵ because you are to be his witness to everything that you’ve seen and heard.

¹⁶ ‘So now, why are you wasting time? Get up, get immersed [in water], and ‘wash your sins away’ by calling on his name!’

¹⁷ ‘Then after I got back to JeruSalem... And while I was praying in the Temple, I fell into a trance where I saw [Yeshua]!

¹⁸ ‘And he said to me:

‘Hurry! You must leave JeruSalem right away, because the [people here] don’t want to listen to your testimony about me!’

¹⁹ ‘But I said:

‘Lord, they all know very well that in one synagogue after another I once had everyone who believes in you arrested and whipped!

²⁰ ‘And when the blood of your witness Stephen was being spilled, I stood there and approved of it… In fact, I guarded the robes of those who killed him!’

²¹ ‘Well at that, he just told me:

‘Leave, because I’m sending you to far-away nations.’

²² Now, they had been listening to him until he said that, but then they started shouting:

‘Kill this man, for he isn’t fit to live!’

²³ And because they were shouting, throwing their clothes around and tossing dirt in the air, ²⁴ the commander ordered that Paul should be taken inside their garrison. There he gave orders to scourge him with a whip so as to force him to explain why everyone was shouting about him that way.

²⁵ But when they stretched him out to be whipped, Paul asked the centurion who was standing there:

‘Is it legal for you to whip a man who’s a Roman and hasn’t been charged with a crime?’

²⁶ Well when the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and said:

‘Just look at what you were about to do! This man is a Roman!’

²⁷ So the commander came to [Paul] and asked:

‘Tell me, are you a Roman?’

And he answered:

‘Yes.’

²⁸ Then the commander said:

‘I paid a lot to obtain my citizenship.’

And Paul said:

‘Well, I was born [a citizen]!’

²⁹ Well at that, the men who were about to torture him left immediately. And on learning that he’d arrested a Roman [citizen], the military commander was frightened.

³⁰ So the next day, because he wanted to know for sure just what the Jews were accusing him of, he [unshackled] him and commanded the Chief Priests and the entire Jewish Court to assemble.

Then he brought Paul down and stood him before them.

Acts 23

←22 | All books | All chapters | 24→

¹ Well, Paul just glared at the [judges of the] Jewish Court, and said:

‘Men… Brothers… I have a perfectly clear conscience about the way I behave before God down to this day.’

² And at that, the High Priest AnaNias ordered those who were standing by him to hit him in the mouth.

³ So Paul said:

‘God is going to hit you – you whitewashed wall!

‘Do you sit there judging me by the Law, and at the same time break the Law by telling them to hit me?’

⁴ Then those who were standing by him asked:

‘Are you speaking against the High Priest of God?’

⁵ And Paul answered:

‘Brothers, I didn’t know he was the High Priest. For it’s written:

‘You must not speak badly of the one who rules your people.’

⁶ Then when Paul noticed that part of the group were SadDucees and the rest were Pharisees, he called out in the High Court:

‘Men… Brothers… It’s because I’m a Pharisee, and the son of a Pharisee, that I’m being judged over my hope in the resurrection of the dead!’

⁷ And after he said this, quite an argument broke out between the Pharisees and SadDucees, which divided the crowd, ⁸ since the SadDucees say that there’s no such thing as a resurrection, or [divine] messengers, or the Breath [of God] – yet the Pharisees publicly preach all such things.

⁹ So there was lots of shouting, and some of the Pharisees’ scribes stood up and started heatedly arguing, saying:

‘We don’t find anything wrong with this man!

‘For if the Breath [of God] or [one of His] messengers spoke to him, [what of it?]’ Let us not fight against God. [spurious words, copied from Acts 5:39]

¹⁰ Well, the argument became so heated that the commander feared that they’d pull Paul to pieces!

So he ordered the soldiers to go down and take him from their midst and bring him back to their garrison.

¹¹ Then on the following night, the Lord stood next to [Paul] and said:

‘Be strong!

‘So far, you’ve thoroughly testified to things about me in JeruSalem… But now you must also testify about me in Rome!’

¹² Well the next morning, the Judeans formed an alliance – they all swore with a curse that they wouldn’t eat or drink until after they’d killed Paul ¹³ (there were more than 40 men who formed this oath-bound conspiracy).

¹⁴ So they went to the Chief Priests and elders and said:

‘We’ve taken a solemn oath with a curse not to take a bite of food until after we’ve killed Paul!

¹⁵ ‘Therefore, we want you and the High Court to explain to the military commander that he should bring [Paul] to you so you can learn more about the charges against him… And we’ll be ready to kill him before he gets there!’

¹⁶ However, Paul’s nephew heard that they’d be waiting for him, so he went to the garrison and reported it to Paul.

¹⁷ Then Paul called one of the centurions and said:

‘Take this young man to the commander, because he’s got something to report.’

¹⁸ So [the soldier] took [Paul’s nephew] to the commander and told him:

‘The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, because he has something to tell you.’

¹⁹ Well, the commander took him by the hand and led him in, then he asked him privately:

‘What do you want to report to me?’

²⁰ And he answered:

‘The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the Jewish Court tomorrow, pretending to want to learn more about the charges against him.

²¹ ‘But whatever you do, don’t let them convince you to do this, because they have more than 40 men waiting to ambush him. These men have sworn an oath with a curse not to eat or drink anything until after they’ve killed him. And now they’re ready, expecting you to promise [to do this for them].’

²² So at that, the commander sent the young man away, giving him the order:

‘Don’t tell anyone that you’ve explained this to me.’

²³ Then he called in two of his centurions and said:

‘I want you to get 200 soldiers ready, plus 70 cavalrymen and 200 spearmen… Have them prepared to march all the way to Caesarea at the third hour of the night [3am in the Roman system, 9pm in the Jewish]. ²⁴ Also, provide an animal for Paul to ride, for I want you to carry him safely to Governor Felix.’

²⁵ Then he wrote a letter [to Felix] that read like this:

²⁶ ‘Claudius Lysias to the mighty Governor Felix:

‘Rejoice!

²⁷ ‘This man was seized by the Jews and they were about to kill him. However, I came there quickly with a contingent of soldiers and rescued him, because I learned that he was a Roman.

²⁸ ‘And because I wanted to know their accusation against him, I had him taken down to their High Court. ²⁹ There I found that they were just accusing him over questions that have to do with their Law… But he hadn’t been charged with anything that deserves death or being sent to jail.

³⁰ ‘However, because I learned of a plot against this man, I’m sending him to you right away, and I’m ordering his accusers to speak against him before you.’

³¹ So these soldiers followed their orders and they took Paul to AntiPatris that night.³² Then the next day, they sent him on with the cavalry (which later returned to the garrison).

³³ And when they got to Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor along with Paul.

³⁴ Well, after he read the letter, [Felix] asked [Paul] which province he was from. And when he heard that he was from Kilikia, he said:

³⁵ ‘I’ll give you a thorough hearing after your accusers get here.’

So thereafter, he gave orders that [Paul] should be kept under guard in the Praetorian Palace of Herod.

Acts 24

←23 | All books | All chapters | 25→

¹ Well five days later, High Priest AnaNias arrived with some elders and an orator named Tertullus, and they explained their accusations against Paul to the governor.

² Then when he was called forward, Tertullus said this:

‘You’ve brought about so much peace, and we welcome the well-thought-out reforms that you’ve brought to our nation ³ in every way and everywhere with the greatest thankfulness, O mighty Felix.

⁴ ‘But, so that I don’t waste any of your time, I beg you to hear us briefly, in your kindness...

⁵ ‘We found this man –this plague– stirring up rebellions among the Judeans throughout the whole inhabited earth, for he’s the leader of the sect of the Nazarenes. ⁶ And when he tried to profane our Temple, we arrested him. and would have judged according to our law. ⁷ But the chief captain, Lysias, came upon us, and with great violence took him away out of our hands, ⁸ commanding his accusers to come to you, [spurious words] You can examine him yourself to learn more about all these things that we’re saying against him.’

⁹ And at that, the Judeans also joined in the attack, affirming that the things [Tertullus] was saying were true.

¹⁰ Thereafter, the governor nodded for Paul to speak.

And Paul said:

‘I know very well that you’ve been the judge of our nation for many years.

‘So I’m happy to speak in my own defense about these things that I’ve been accused of, ¹¹ since you’re in a good position to understand them.

‘It hasn’t been more than 12 days since I went to worship in JeruSalem, ¹² and they didn’t find me in the Temple arguing with anyone, nor did they find me inciting a riot in the synagogues… Or anywhere else in the city for that matter!

¹³ ‘So right now, they can’t prove any of the things they’re accusing me of before you.

¹⁴ ‘But I do admit to this:

‘That which they’re calling a sect, is nothing more than the way that I’ve always worshipped the God of my fathers.

‘For I believe everything that’s written in the Law and in the Prophets, ¹⁵ and I have this hope in God – which they also accept – that there’s going to be a resurrection of the righteous and the unrighteous.

¹⁶ ‘This is why I’m constantly on the alert so that I don’t offend my conscience by doing anything against God or men. ¹⁷ And this is also why, after [being gone for] several years, I returned [to JeruSalem]… To bring gifts to the poor in my nation and to present my offerings [before God].

¹⁸ ‘But it was while I was doing this that they found me in the Temple

– ceremonially cleansed, by the way – and I wasn’t there with a mob, nor did I start a riot!

‘Actually, some Jews from the [province of] Asia ¹⁹ should be here before you to accuse me… That is, if they could actually find anything against me.

²⁰ ‘Just ask these who are here to tell you what bad things they found me doing as I stood before their High Court… ²¹ There was only what I shouted while I was standing among them, when I said:

‘I’m being judged before you today over the resurrection of the dead!’

²² Well, although Felix knew a lot about things that have to do with the ‘Way,’ he just put them all off, saying:

‘When Commander Lysias gets here, I’ll make a decision on this matter that you’re so concerned about.’

²³ And thereafter, [Felix] ordered the centurion not to kill [Paul], but to allow him some liberty, and not to prevent his people from serving his needs.²⁴ It was several days later that Felix arrived with his woman Drousille. And since she was a Jew, he sent for Paul and they listened to him talk about his belief in the Anointed Yeshua.

²⁵ However, Felix became frightened when Paul started talking about righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment! So he said:

‘That’s enough for now!

‘Go on back, and when I have more time, I’ll send for you again.’

²⁶ However, he was actually hoping that Paul would try to bribe him... So, he sent for him and talked to him frequently!

²⁷ Well after two years, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And because Felix wanted to be liked by the Jews, he also kept Paul locked up.

Acts 25

←24 | All books | All chapters | 26→

¹ It was just three days after Festus had been appointed the provincial governor that he traveled from Caesarea to JeruSalem – ² and there the Chief Priests and Judean leaders talked to him about Paul.

³ They begged him (asking it as a favor) to send [Paul] to JeruSalem… Since they planned to ambush and kill him along the road.

⁴ However, Festus replied that he would just keep Paul in Caesarea. But, because he would be leaving [JeruSalem] shortly, he said to them:

⁵ ‘Those of you who have been empowered to do so should come back with me, and if he’s committed some crime, you can make your accusations against him there.’

⁶ Well, after he’d spent about 8 to 10 days [in JeruSalem], Festus returned to Caesarea. And the next day, he sat on the Judgment Seat and ordered to have Paul brought in.

⁷ And when [Paul] arrived, the Jews that had come from JeruSalem stood all around him and charged him with several serious offenses… However, they couldn’t prove anything.

⁸ Then Paul stood up and spoke in his own defense, saying:

‘I haven’t committed any sins against the Law of the Jews, against the Temple, or against Caesar!’

⁹ However, Festus (in an attempt to gain favor with the Jews) asked Paul:

‘Do you want to go back to JeruSalem and be judged over these things before me there?’

¹⁰ But Paul said:

‘I’m standing before the Judgment Seat of Caesar, and this is where I ought to be judged!

‘I’ve done nothing wrong to the Judeans, as you’re finding out for yourself.

¹¹ ‘However, if I’m really a criminal and have done something that I should die for, I’m not begging off from dying.

‘On the other hand, if nothing they’re accusing me of is true, then nobody can just hand me over to them as a favor!

‘Therefore, I appeal to Caesar!’

¹² Well after discussing it with his counselors, Festus replied:

‘You have appealed to Caesar, so to Caesar you’ll go!’

¹³ Then after several days had passed, Agrippa (the king) and Bernice [the king’s sister] arrived in Caesarea to pay a courtesy visit on Festus.

¹⁴ So, since they were to spend several days there, Festus laid the matter of Paul before the king, saying:

‘There’s a man here who was left as a prisoner by Felix.

¹⁵ ‘When I was in JeruSalem, the Chief Priests and Judean elders brought me some information about him and asked me to condemn him to death.

¹⁶ ‘But I told them that it isn’t the Roman way to just hand a man over as a favor before he meets his accusers face-to-face and gets a chance to speak in his own defense.

¹⁷ ‘So when they got here, I didn’t delay the matter… The next day I sat down on the Judgment Seat and ordered the man to be brought in. ¹⁸ And when they came [before me], his accusers didn’t really produce any serious charges as I thought they would... ¹⁹ They simply complained about some dispute that they had with him over questions about their religion and about some ‘Yeshua’s who was dead, but whom Paul kept claiming was alive!

²⁰ ‘Well, I became so confused over the matter that I finally asked if he’d like to go to JeruSalem to be judged there over these matters. ²¹ But then Paul appealed to be bound over for a decision by the August One, so I ordered him to be held until I can send him to Caesar.’

²² So Agrippa told Festus:

‘I’d also like to hear from this man.’

And he said:

‘You’ll hear him tomorrow!’

²³ Then the next day, Agrippa and Bernice arrived with a lot of pomp and ceremony and went into the hearing room along with some military commanders and prominent men from the city.

And when Festus gave the command, Paul was brought in.

²⁴ So Festus said:

‘O King Agrippa, and all who are here with us,

‘Now you can see this man about whom all the Judeans both here and in JeruSalem are shouting that he shouldn’t be allowed to live any longer.

²⁵ ‘However, I haven’t found anything that he’s done to deserve death; so when he appealed to the August One, I decided to send him there… ²⁶ But I really don’t have anything to write to [my] lord about.

‘Therefore, I brought him here before you… And especially before you, King Agrippa, so that you can examine him and judge something that I can write to him about.

²⁷ ‘For it seems unreasonable to send a prisoner [to Rome] and not be able to specify the charges against him.’

Acts 26

←25 | All books | All chapters | 27→

¹ So at that, Agrippa said to Paul:

‘You may now speak on your own behalf.’

Well, Paul stretched his hands out and said this in his defense:

² ‘King Agrippa,

‘I’m happy to be here so as to defend myself before you today over all these things that I’ve been accused of by the Jews, ³ because you’re an expert on all Judean customs and controversies.

‘Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.

⁴ ‘This is the way that I’ve lived since I was a boy:

‘From long ago, everyone in my nation –all in JeruSalem and all the Jews ⁵ who used to know me– can testify to the fact that I was raised in the strictest sect of our type of worship… I was a Pharisee.

⁶ ‘And now, it’s over the hope of a promise that was made by The God to our ancestors that I’m standing here being judged, ⁷ since it’s concerning the hope of attaining this, that our twelve tribes have been so earnestly serving [God] night and day.

‘And it’s over this same hope that I’m being accused by these Judeans, O king... ⁸ For, why is it that they all find it so unbelievable that God can raise the dead?

⁹ ‘For a fact, I once thought that it was right to do whatever I could to oppose the name of Yeshua the Nazarene… ¹⁰ And I did this in JeruSalem.

‘Back then, I locked up many of the Holy Ones and threw them in jail, because I was authorized to do this by the Chief Priests. And as they were being brought up for execution, I voted against them!

¹¹ ‘I often punished them in synagogues and tried to make them commit blasphemy... And since I was so crazy [in my hatred] against them, I even traveled to other cities to persecute them.

¹² ‘Well, it was while I was doing this that I traveled to Damascus with an authorization and a commission from the Chief Priests...

¹³ ‘Then at noon, as I was [walking along] the road, O king, I saw a light that was brighter than the sun, which flashed from the sky around me and those who were traveling with me!

¹⁴ Then we all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice say to me in Hebrew [possibly meaning Aramaic]:

‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?

‘And why are you trying so hard to keep kicking against the cattle prod?’

¹⁵ ‘Then I asked:

‘Who are you, Lord?’

‘And the Lord replied:

‘I am Yeshua whom you are persecuting.

¹⁶ ‘Now, get up and stand on your feet. I’ve made myself visible to you so as to take you ahead of time to be my servant, and you can testify to the fact that you saw me and all the things that I’m going to make you see.

¹⁷ ‘For I’m selecting you out of the people and out of the nations where I’m going to send you, ¹⁸ to open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light, and to lead them from the power of the Opposer towards God.

‘I’m doing this so that their sins can be forgiven and they can receive an inheritance among those who’ve been made holy by [their] faith in me.’

¹⁹ ‘As a result, O King Agrippa, I didn’t disobey this vision from the heavens.

²⁰ ‘First I went to those in Damascus, then to those in JeruSalem and the entire countryside around Judea… And finally to the gentiles, to whom I carried the message that they should repent and turn to God by doing things that prove their repentance.

²¹ ‘And this is why the Judeans grabbed me in the Temple and tried to beat me to death!

²² ‘However, through the help of God, I’ve kept witnessing to both the least and the greatest down to this day. I haven’t been saying anything other that what the Prophets and Moses told us would happen… ²³ That the Anointed One was to going to suffer... And then, as the first to be resurrected from the dead, he was going to proclaim light to these gentiles.’

²⁴ Now, while he was saying these things in his defense, Festus shouted:

‘You’re crazy, Paul!

‘All of the writings are driving you mad!’

²⁵ But Paul said:

‘I’m not going crazy, O mighty Festus... I’m telling you things that are true and make good sense!

²⁶ ‘For a fact; the king whom I’m speaking to openly already knows a lot about these things!

‘I believe that none of this has escaped his notice, because none of it was done off in some corner!

²⁷ ‘King Agrippa,

‘Do you believe the Prophets?

‘I know that you believe!’

²⁸ But Agrippa said to Paul:

‘It wouldn’t take long for you to convince me to become a Christian also!’

²⁹ And at this, Paul said:

‘I wish to God – whether it takes a short time or a long time – that not only you, but also everyone who hears me today would become men just like me… Except for these chains.’

³⁰ Then the king got up, as did the governor, Bernice, and the rest of the men who were sitting with them. ³¹ And as they were walking out, they were talking to each other, saying:

‘This man hasn’t done anything deserving of death, or even for which he should be locked up!’

³² Then Agrippa said to Festus:

‘This man could have been released if he hadn’t appealed to Caesar.’

Acts 27

←26 | All books | All chapters | 28→

¹ Well, since it had been decided that we had to sail away to Italy, they handed Paul (along with some other prisoners) over to a centurion named Julius, who was [a soldier] of the Augustus Division.

² So we boarded a ship along with AristArchus (a Macedonian from ThesSalonica).

Now, the ship had come from AdraMyttium, and it was sailing to places along the coast of the [province of] Asia. ³ So the next day, when we landed at Sidon, Julius treated Paul very kindly by allowing him to visit friends that cared for his needs.

⁴ From there we sailed around Cyprus, because the winds were against us.

⁵ Then we got into the open sea [south of] Kilikia and PamPhylia, and we put into port at Myra in Lukias. ⁶ There the centurion found a ship that was coming from Alexandria and sailing for Italy, which he made us board.

⁷ Then, after sailing slowly (and with a lot of difficulty) for several days, we stopped at Knidos. And because the winds wouldn’t let us go on, we sailed [south of] Salmone, Crete.

⁸ Then following the coastline carefully, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea.

⁹ Well, since we’d lost so much time (it was already past [Yom Kippur]) and the sea was hazardous to navigate, Paul made a recommendation.

¹⁰ He said:

‘Men, I see that any further navigation is going to result in damage and huge losses not only to the cargo and ship, but to our lives!’

¹¹ However, the army officer preferred to listened to the pilot and the ship’s owner, rather than to what Paul was saying.

¹² Now, since this harbor was a poor place to winter, the majority recommended that they set sail and go on, in an attempt to make it to Phoenix, where they could spend the winter (a harbor in Crete that has openings to the northeast and southeast).

¹³ Well, when the south wind started blowing gently, they thought that this would meet their needs... So they weighed anchor and coasted along the shore next to Crete. ¹⁴ But after a little while, a typhoon wind they call the Euro Clydon bore down on us!

¹⁵ And because the ship was being tossed so violently that it couldn’t maintain its heading, we just gave up and [allowed ourselves to be] carried along by the wind.

¹⁶ Then when we passed south of a small island called Cauda, we used all our strength to get hold of the rowboat that was tied at the rear of the ship.

¹⁷ And after we hoisted it aboard, they started wrapping the ship with [ropes and chains]. Also, since they were afraid of running aground on the shoals, they lowered the masts and we were just carried along.

¹⁸ Then on the next day (because we were still being violently tossed by the storm), they started to lighten the ship. ¹⁹ And by the third [day], they’d tossed all of the boat’s furnishings overboard with their own hands!

²⁰ Now, since we hadn’t seen the sun or stars for several days and a storm was still over us, we’d lost any hope of being saved… ²¹ And considerable time had elapsed since anyone had been able to eat.

But then Paul stood up in the midst of them and said:

‘Men, you certainly should have taken my advice and not put out to sea from Crete, just to suffer this kind of damage and loss. ²² But now I’m telling you to be happy, because not a single life will be lost… Although the ship will [be lost]... ²³ Because a messenger from the God whom I serve and belong to, came to me this evening and said:

²⁴ ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul. You’ll stand before Caesar.

‘And {Look!} God has favored you by also giving you [the lives of] those who are sailing with you.’

²⁵ ‘So be happy, men! Because, I believe that God will do exactly as He told me! ²⁶ However, we’ll be cast ashore on an island.’

²⁷ Well thereafter (on the evening starting the 14th day), as we were being carried along in the Adriatic Sea (at about midnight), the sailors thought that we might be getting close to land...

²⁸ So they did a depth sounding and found it at 120 feet (37m).

Then after we’d traveled on a little farther, they took another depth sounding, and this time it was 91 feet (27.8m).

²⁹ So, because they were afraid that we might soon run aground on the rocks, they threw out four anchors at the stern and we waited for daylight.

³⁰ Meanwhile, the crew tried to escape from the ship by lowering the rowboat into the sea as they were pretending to drop the anchors from the prow. ³¹ But Paul then told the centurion and his soldiers:

‘Unless those men stay on this ship, you can’t be saved.’

³² So the soldiers cut away the ropes that held the rowboat and let it drop.

³³ Well, very close to dawn, Paul encouraged everyone to eat something, saying:

‘Today makes the 14th day that you’ve been on watch, and during all that time you’ve gone without food or taking anything else into you.

³⁴ ‘So I encourage you to eat something, since that will help you to survive. Then, not so much as a hair on any of your heads will be destroyed!’

³⁵ And after he said this, he took a loaf [of bread], gave thanks to God before them all, broke it, and started eating. ³⁶ So they all became more cheerful and started eating some food.

³⁷ At the time, there were 276 people on the ship. ³⁸ And after they’d eaten enough food, they lightened the boat some more by throwing all of the wheat into the sea.

³⁹ However, when it finally became light, they didn’t recognize where they were… There was just a bay with a beach, and they decided to try to get to the beach in the ship.

⁴⁰ So they cut away the anchors, letting them drop into the sea; then they untied the ropes that held the rudder, hoisted the foresail to the wind, and headed for the beach… ⁴¹ But then they hit a shoal out in the water, where the ship ran aground (the prow was stuck and it couldn’t be moved), and the stern started falling apart in the crashing waves.

⁴² Well at that, the soldiers decided to kill the prisoners to keep them from swimming away and escaping. ⁴³ But because the centurion wanted Paul to make it, he prevented them from doing that.

He just told everyone who could swim to dive into the sea and get to the shore first, ⁴⁴ then the rest could [float in] on planks and other things from the ship… And that’s how everyone got to land safely.

Acts 28

←27 | All books | All chapters

¹ Well, after we made it to safety, we recognized that this was the island of Malta! ² There the native people found us and showed us uncommon hospitality, building a fire and welcoming all of us, there in the cold and the rain.

³ Then when Paul went and collected a bundle of sticks and laid it on the fire, a viper was driven out by the heat, which bit into his hand! ⁴ And when the native people saw this dangerous animal hanging from his hand, they said to each other:

‘This man must be a murderer! Because even though he made it safely from the sea, justice isn’t going to let him live!’

⁵ But [Paul] just shook the animal off into the fire, and he didn’t suffer any ill effects… ⁶ Even though they thought that he was going to swell up and suddenly drop dead.

However, after they’d waited a long time and saw that nothing bad had happened to him, they started saying that he was [a] god!

⁷ Fortunately, there was some property located nearby that belonged to the island’s leader ([a man] named Publius). He also welcomed us and treated us kindly and hospitably for the next three days.

⁸ Then, when Publius’ father became very sick with a fever and dysentery, Paul went into his room and prayed, then he laid his hands on him and healed him.

⁹ Well after that, the rest of the sick people on the island also started coming to him to be cured, ¹⁰ honoring us with many gifts, and several brought us provisions that we’d need.¹¹ It was three months later that a boat from Alexandria called The Sons of Zeus (which had been wintering on the island) finally took us aboard ¹² and carried us to Syracuse, where we stayed for three days.

¹³ Then from there, we traveled around [Sicily] and arrived at Rheggium. And a day after that, we caught a south wind and made it to Puteoli in just two days, ¹⁴ where we found some of our brothers who begged us to stay with them for the next seven days.

Then from there, we traveled on to Rome. ¹⁵ Well, when the brothers [in Rome] got the news about us, they came as far as the Market of Appius and the Three Shops to meet us.

And when Paul saw them, he thanked God, because he was very encouraged!

¹⁶ Then when we finally entered Rome, they allowed Paul to live on his own, with just a soldier to guard him.

¹⁷ Then three days later, he called a meeting of the local Jewish leaders. And after they’d assembled, he said this to them:

‘Men… Brothers… Although I haven’t done anything against our people or against the customs of our ancestors, I was taken prisoner in JeruSalem and handed over to the Romans.

¹⁸ ‘But after [the Romans] examined me, they wanted to release me, because they couldn’t find any reason to put me to death.

¹⁹ ‘However, when the Judeans kept opposing [my release], I was forced to appeal to Caesar… Although I didn’t do this to accuse my nation.

²⁰ ‘Well, this is why I begged to see you and to talk to you… For it’s because of the hopes of IsraEl that I have this chain around me!’

²¹ Then they told [Paul]:

‘We haven’t received any letters about you from Judea, nor have any of the brothers who’ve arrived from there reported or said anything bad against you. ²² So we think it’s worthwhile for us to listen to what you’ve got to say, because we know for a fact that this sect is being spoken against everywhere.’

²³ Well after that, they arranged for a day when many more could come to hear him at the place where he was staying. And there he laid things out for them by completely testifying about the Kingdom of God.

Paul also reasoned with them about Yeshua from morning until evening, citing both the Law of Moses and the Prophets. ²⁴ But although some started to believe what he was saying, the rest didn’t. ²⁵ And since they couldn’t reach a consensus, they all got ready to leave.

So Paul said this:

‘The Holy Breath [of God] spoke very accurately to your ancestors through IsaiAh the Prophet, when he said:

²⁶ ‘You must go to these people and say:

‘When you listen, you’ll hear,

But not understand.

And when you look, you’ll look,

But not see.’

²⁷ ‘For these peoples’ hearts are all closed.

So, although they can hear with their ears,

They just won’t respond,

And they’ll have eyes that are closed.

‘Thus, although they have eyes, they can’t see,

Nor can they hear with their ears

Or understand with their hearts and return,

So I can bring healing to them.’

[paraphrase or different version of Isaiah 6:9-10]

²⁸ ‘Therefore, I’m warning you that God is now giving this hope of salvation to the gentiles… And they’ll listen to it!’ ²⁹ And when he’d said these words, the Jews left, and greatly arguing among themselves. [spurious text]

³⁰ Well, he stayed in that rented house for two whole years, welcoming everyone who came to visit him, ³¹ telling them about the Kingdom of God and teaching them things about the Lord Yeshua the Anointed One openly and without any interference.

Romans

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A letter to the Christian congregation of Rome.

It was written by the Apostle Paul through his secretary Tertius, possibly in Aramaic, sometime in the middle of the 1st Century CE.

Romans 1

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¹ Paul, a slave of Yeshua the Anointed One, who’s called an Apostle and was set aside for the good news of God ² that He promised through His Prophets in the Holy Scriptures, ³ which tell about His Son who came in the flesh from the offspring of David, ⁴ and who proved to be God’s Son in a powerful way when he (by Holy Breath) was resurrected from the dead… Yes, Yeshua the Anointed One and our Lord, ⁵ through whom we’ve received loving care and a commission that we’ve obeyed so that the gentiles might also believe in his name ⁶ and be called, [that they too might] belong to the Anointed Yeshua.

⁷ To all those in Rome that are loved by God and have a holy calling:

May you have favor and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Yeshua, the Anointed!

⁸ First, I thank my God for all of you through the Anointed Yeshua, because your faith is being announced throughout the whole world!

⁹ For my God (who appointed me to use my breath in service to the good news about His Son) is my Witness that I never fail to mention you in my prayers.

¹⁰ I keep begging that I might find a way (as it is God’s Will) to come to you sometime... ¹¹ For I long to see you so that I might be able to give you some spiritual gift that would make you unshakable… ¹² Or perhaps we could encourage each other through our faith (both yours and mine).

¹³ I don’t want you to fail to recognize this, brothers:

I planned to come to you many times, but I’ve been prevented from doing so until now... So that I could find the same type of fruitage that I have in you among the rest of the gentiles ¹⁴ (the Greeks and the barbarians, the wise and the ignorant… All those to whom I’m indebted).

¹⁵ Yet I’m also still eager to preach the good news to you there in Rome.

¹⁶ I’m not ashamed of the good news, because it’s the power that God uses to save everyone who has faith… First the Jews, and then the Greeks.

¹⁷ For God’s righteous ways are revealed in the faith of the faithful.

Notice that it is written:

‘It’s by their faith that the righteous will live.’ [Habakkuk 2:4]

¹⁸ However, God’s rage is also being displayed from the heavens against all the ungodly and bad people who unrighteously try to resist the truth.

¹⁹ For everything that can be known about God already shines among them, because God made it shine among them!

²⁰ Indeed, His invisible qualities can be seen in everything that He’s made since the creation of the cosmos... And when they understand these things that clearly demonstrate His eternal power and might, it leaves them without any excuse!

²¹ But even though they already know God, they don’t glorify Him as God or give thanks to Him.

Therefore, their thoughts are wasted and their foolish hearts are darkened.

²² And while they claim to be wise, they’ve become morons... ²³ Since they’ve turned the glory of the incorruptible God into images of corruptible men, or of flying creatures, or of four-footed creatures, or of things that slither... ²⁴ So God is allowing them the uncleanness that their hearts have desired so as to dishonor their bodies.

²⁵ Yes, they’ve exchanged the truth of God for a lie – and they’ve started worshiping and serving things that were created, rather than the One who created them… The One who’s to be praised throughout the ages!

Amen!

²⁶ Therefore, this is why God has abandoned them to their dishonorable passions; for their females have changed the natural use of themselves into something that’s unnatural, ²⁷ and the same is true of their males…

They’ve left the natural use of females and started burning in their lust towards each other – males with males – doing what’s indecent and receiving the ‘reward’ that they deserve for such wrongdoing.

²⁸ Yes, because they don’t approve of coming to an accurate knowledge of The God, He’s given them depraved minds, which make them do these wrong things.

²⁹ So they’ve become filled with unrighteousness, wickedness, greediness, badness, envy, murder, arguing, deceitfulness, rudeness, and gossip.

³⁰ [They’re] slanderers, God haters, insolent, proud, braggarts, inventors of badness, disobedient to parents, ³¹ without any understanding, and agreement-breakers that are without any natural love or mercy!

³² So even though they know the righteous judgments of God very well (that those who do such things deserve death); they not only keep on doing them, but they also approve of others who do such things!

Romans 2

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¹ Therefore, you’re defenseless, O man, if you’re someone who judges others!

For when you judge others you’re condemning yourselves, since you’re doing the very same things that you judge [to be wrong in them]… ² And we know that God’s judgment on those who do such things is righteous.

³ So when you judge those who do the things that you’re also doing, do you think that you’ll somehow escape God’s judgment? ⁴ Or are you taking the loving care, the patience, and the tolerance that He’s shown towards you for granted?

What you should really understand is that these [fine] qualities of God are just trying to lead you towards repentance!

⁵ But now, because of your hard and unrepentant hearts, you’re storing away a treasure of rage upon yourselves that [will come] in the day of fury – when the righteous decisions of God will be seen ⁶ and He...

‘...pays everyone back for the things they’ve been doing.’ [Psalm 62:12]

⁷ Now, those who do good things are searching for age-long life, as well as glory, honor, and incorruption.

⁸ But for the ones who like to argue and disobey the truth by being unrighteous, there’ll just be wrath, anger, ⁹ and some very hard times!

Yes, this is what’ll come into the lives of all those who work at doing what’s bad (to the Jews first and then to the Greeks).

¹⁰ However, there’ll be glory, honor, and peace for all those who are working at doing what’s good (for the Jews first and then for the Greeks), ¹¹ because God makes no distinction between them!

¹² Indeed, all people who are without the [Jewish] Law [of Moses] and are sinning, will perish without the Law... While those who are under the Law, and still sin, are condemned by the Law!

¹³ For God doesn’t consider anyone righteous who just listens to the Law… Only those who obey the Law will be found righteous.

¹⁴ However, when people of the nations who don’t have the [Jewish] Law naturally obey things in the Law, they not only have the Law, they are the Law!

¹⁵ For when they’re obeying the Laws, they show that it’s written in their hearts and it’s working with their consciences, which examine their thoughts.

So it’s [their own hearts] that will either accuse them or defend them ¹⁶ in the Day that God judges the hidden things of men (by this good news that I’m preaching through the Anointed Yeshua).

¹⁷ So if you’re called ‘a Jew’ and you’re resting on the Law and taking pride in your God... ¹⁸ And if you understand His Will and all the excellent instructions of the Law... ¹⁹ And you consider yourself to be a guide to the blind and a light to those in darkness ²⁰ (that you’re someone who can instruct the unreasonable and teach babies)... And if you fully grasp all the knowledge and truth in the Law…

²¹ Well then, do you, who are teaching others, also teach yourselves?

Do you who preach, Don’t steal, steal?
²² Do you who teach, Don’t commit adultery, commit adultery?
Do you who teach others to be disgusted with idols, rob temples?
²³ Do you who teach others pride in [God’s] Laws, dishonor God by breaking the Law?

²⁴ For it’s written:

‘God’s Name is being blasphemed among the nations because of you people!’ [Isaiah 52:5, LXX]

²⁵ Of course, circumcision is good… That is, as long as you’re obeying the Law.

But if you’re a person who breaks the Law, then your circumcision has really become uncircumcision.

²⁶ However, if an uncircumcised person obeys the righteous requirements of the Law... Won’t his uncircumcision be considered circumcision?

²⁷ Therefore, if those who are uncircumcised obey the Law naturally (except for what it says about being circumcised), they’re really judging those of you who break the Law!

²⁸ As you can see, being a Jew isn’t something that’s visible, for [true] circumcision isn’t something that can be seen in the flesh.

²⁹ Rather, being a Jew is something that’s inside of you, since circumcision comes from the spirit of the heart, not from something that’s written…

It’s not there to be praised by men, but by God!

Romans 3

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¹ So in what way is a Jew superior, or of what benefit is circumcision?

² It’s really a huge benefit in every way!

For God entrusted His Word to the hands [of the circumcised]. ³ And if some [of them] don’t believe; does their lack of faith prove that faith in God is worthless?

⁴ May that never happen! Rather, let God be proven true even if that makes every man a liar!

As it is written:

‘So, Your decisions are righteous,

And in Your judgments, You’ve proven just.’

[Psalm 51:4, LXX]

⁵ However, if our unrighteousness [is exposed by] God’s righteousness... What can we say?

Then God won’t be wrong when He brings His wrath, will He?

So I’m saying this to everyone:

⁶ May that never happen! Otherwise, how could God judge the world?

⁷ But if I should tell a lie, and that makes the truth of God more abundant, to His glory... Then why am I still judged as a sinner?

⁸ Well, it’s [because you’re doing such things] that people aren’t only slandering us, they’re proving that some of us are saying:

‘Let’s do bad things so that good things can happen.’

And this is why such a condemnation is so well deserved!

⁹ Is there anything that makes us [Jews] better than [gentiles]?

No, not at all... For we’ve proven to you that both Jews and Greeks are sinners!

¹⁰ As it’s written:

‘No one is righteous… No not one!’ [Psalm 14:1, LXX]

¹¹ ‘For there’s no one who truly understands

And no one is searching for God,

¹² Since all have strayed and are useless.

Also, no one is kind… No not one!’

[paraphrase of Psalm 51:2-3, LXX]

¹³ ‘For their throats are like open graves;

With their tongues, they practice deceit.’

[Psalm 5:9]

‘And the poison of asps is under their lips.’ [Psalm 140:3]

¹⁴ ‘With cursing and shouting,

Their mouths have been filled.’

[Psalm 10:7, LXX]

¹⁵ ‘And their feet are ready to go and spill blood.

¹⁶ In their swath, is misery and destruction;

¹⁷ The road to peace, they’ve not known.’

[Isaiah 59:7-8, LXX]

¹⁸ ‘For, in their eyes, there’s no fear of God.’ [Psalm 36:1]

¹⁹ Now, we know that everything that was said in the Law was meant for just those who are under the Law… For it stopped every mouth and proved the whole world to be deserving of God’s punishment.

²⁰ But nobody’s going to be righteous before Him just by obeying the [Jewish] Law... Since all the Law did was help us to understand what sin is.

²¹ Therefore, even the absence of the Law is revealing the righteousness of God… Yes, the Law and the Prophets all testified to this!

²² So this is why the righteousness of God is now coming to all those who believe and are showing their faith in Yeshua the Anointed One!

And it’s why there’s no longer any difference between us, ²³ since we’ve all sinned and failed to live up to God’s glory.

²⁴ Understand that being called ‘righteous’ is just a gift that [God] kindly gives to us through the ransom that was paid by the Anointed Yeshua.

²⁵ For God sent him here as a sin offering — so that when we have faith in his blood, the sins that we committed ²⁶ (back when God was just tolerating us) can be forgiven.[Syr]

And this is what allows us to look into His righteous ways today… For He proves Himself righteous by calling [all] those who have faith in Yeshua, ‘righteous!’

²⁷ So, where is our reason [as Jews] for boasting?

It’s gone!

Does it come from obeying the [Jewish] Law?

No! It comes through the Law of Faith... ²⁸ Since we believe that a man is called ‘righteous’ because of his faith, not by following the works of the [Jewish] Law!

²⁹ [Therefore, do you think that our God is] only the God of the Jews? And that He’s not also [the God of] the gentiles?

[Yes, He’s the God] of the gentiles also!

³⁰ So God is really the One who calls both the circumcised and the uncircumcised ‘righteous’ because of their faith.

³¹ Then, can we say that our faith overrides the Law?

Never may that happen! Rather, [our faith] makes the Law stronger!

Romans 4

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¹ For example:

Consider our fleshly ancestor AbraHam.

² If [God] had called AbraHam ‘righteous’ because of the things that he did, [AbraHam] might have had a reason to boast [about himself]… And not to God.

³ What do the Scriptures say?

‘AbraHam was counted as righteous... Because he believed in The God.’ [Genesis 15:6]

⁴ Remember that when a man works [for a living], his getting paid isn’t thought of as a kindness… It’s something that he’s owed!

⁵ However, those who don’t actually do anything –other than just believe in the One who calls the ungodly ones ‘righteous’— are still counted as righteous because of their faith!

⁶ Notice that David also spoke of how blest a man is if God has counted him as righteous despite [all the bad things] he’s done.

[For he wrote]:

⁷ ‘Blest are those forgiven for their lawless ways

And those whose sins He’s covered…

⁸ Blest are those in whom

He has found no sin!’

[Psalm 32:1-2, LXX]

⁹ So, doesn’t this ‘blessing’ apply to both the circumcised and the uncircumcised?

Indeed, we’ve been saying that AbraHam was counted as righteous because of his faith... ¹⁰ And just what was [AbraHam’s] situation when [God] thought of him that way?

Was this before he was circumcised or after he was circumcised?

It wasn’t after he was circumcised! It was while he was uncircumcised!

¹¹ For the sign that he received (circumcision) was a seal of the righteousness that he demonstrated before he was circumcised!

Yes, He became the Father of those who have faith while they’re still uncircumcised, so that they too can be counted as righteous.

¹² He’s also the Father of the circumcised who aren’t just circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the same faith that our father AbraHam had prior to circumcision.

¹³ Indeed, AbraHam and his descendants weren’t given the promise of inheriting the world because of the [Jewish] Law, but because of their righteous faith!

¹⁴ For if [you could] become heirs through [obeying] the [Jewish] Law, then faith really has no value... And the promise [given to AbraHam] is worthless!

¹⁵ For the Law brings wrath... And where there’s no law, there’s nothing to break.

¹⁶ So, because we believe in [God’s] loving care, we must also believe that the promise applies to all who are [AbraHam’s] descendants... And not just those who are under the [Jewish] Law… But all those who have the same faith as AbraHam, and he’s the father of us all!

¹⁷ Just as it’s written:

‘I’ve appointed you to be the father of many nations.’ [Genesis 17:5]

He’s our father, standing before The God in whom he believed… The One who makes the dead alive and calls the things that aren’t and makes them exist.

¹⁸ So although [AbraHam] really didn’t have any reason for hope, he started to believe that he’d become the father of many nations – for he was told:

‘They’ll be your offspring.’ [Genesis 15:5]

¹⁹ Even though his body was almost dead (since he was 100 years old), and the womb of SarAh was dead, this failed to weaken his faith – ²⁰ because it was promised to him by The God he trusted in!

So his faith was strengthened by something that was unbelievable, and he glorified God!

²¹ For [AbraHam] was completely convinced that [God] could do whatever He promised. ²² And this is why...

‘It was counted to him as righteousness.’ [Genesis 15:6]

²³ Now the words, ‘it was counted to him’ weren’t just written for his sake, ²⁴ but for the sake of everybody whom [God] thinks of in the same way today… Those who believe in the One who raised our Lord Yeshua from the dead!

²⁵ For after he’d been offered up for our errors, he was then raised... All so we can be counted as righteous too!

Romans 5

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¹ So, now that we’ve been declared righteous because of our faith, let’s enjoy the peace that we have with God through our Lord Yeshua the Anointed One!

² For it’s through him that we have this faith and are able to bask in his loving care.

Therefore, let’s boast about this hope [that we have] to the Glory of God.

³ And let’s also boast about the difficulties that we’re suffering, because we know that these difficulties are giving us endurance…
⁴ The endurance to pass the tests…
And passing the tests gives us a hope ⁵ that’ll never embarrass us, because it pours God’s love into our hearts via [this] Holy Breath that He’s giving to us.

⁶ For a fact, the Anointed One came right on time – and he died for ungodly men back when we were still weak!

⁷ Although few would be willing to die for the righteous, and even fewer would be willing to die for the good... ⁸ God showed His love for us through the Anointed One, who died for us while we were still sinners!

⁹ Now, since we’ve been called righteous by [Yeshua’s] blood... Isn’t it even more likely that he will save us from [God’s] wrath?

¹⁰ Because, if we found God’s favor through the death of His Son while we were still His enemies... How much more will we be saved by His [Son’s] life now that He [has shown how much He] cares for us!

¹¹ And not only that – but now, through our Lord Yeshua the Anointed One, we’re also glorifying The God who’s granted us this privilege.

¹² Understand that sin entered the world through one man, and that sin resulted in death.

So by this [one] sin, death was passed on to all men and they’ve all sinned.

¹³ Therefore, even before the [Jewish] Law arrived [in the time of Moses], there was sin in the world… However, sin isn’t counted [against us] when there’s no law to break. ¹⁴ But despite that, death still reigned from [the time of] Adam down to Moses – even over those who hadn’t sinned in the same wrong way that Adam had sinned…

But he[, that is, Adam] was a prototype of the one who was to come.

¹⁵ Now, the sin [of Adam] can’t be compared to the gift [from God].

For if death came to many because of the wrongdoing of one man... How much more has the loving-care of God and His gift (the loving care of one man, Yeshua the Anointed One) come in abundance to so many!

¹⁶ This true gift didn’t come from the one who’d sinned[, that is, Adam]… Indeed, his judgment was just condemnation. However, [God’s] gift is [making] many errors become righteousness.

¹⁷ So, if death did in fact come to rule through that one error... How much greater is the abundance of the gift of righteousness, and the receiving of life, that will come to rule through the loving care of that one – Yeshua the Anointed.

¹⁸ Also, since the result of one error was to condemn all mankind... Then through this one righteous act, everyone can be counted righteous so they can live!

¹⁹ And as the disobedience of one man caused many to become sinners... Through the obedience of this one [man], many will also be counted as righteous!

²⁰ Understand that the Law came along so as to show up many errors.

However, where there are many sins, there’s a superabundance of loving-care that can be shown.

²¹ Therefore, just as sin has reigned and brought death, [God’s] loving care will bring a righteous rule and age-long life through our Lord Yeshua the Anointed.

Romans 6

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¹ So, what can we say… Should we remain sinners so there can be more [of His] loving care?

² May that never happen!

For if we’ve died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?

³ Don’t you know that all who were immersed into the Anointed Yeshua were also immersed into his death?

⁴ Therefore, since we were buried with the Anointed One by our immersion into his death... Just as he was raised from among the dead by the glory of the Father, we should be walking in a new way of life!

⁵ Also, if we’ve been buried with him into the same type of death, then, [just like him], we too will be resurrected.

⁶ However, we must recognize that the person we used to be was executed with [him] to bring an end to our sinful bodies… Which means that we shouldn’t be slaves to sin anymore!

⁷ For anyone who’s dead is free from sin!

⁸ And if we believe that we’ve already ‘died’ with the Anointed One, then we’ll be alive with him also.

⁹ For we know that the Anointed One has been raised from the dead and that he won’t die again. Therefore, death isn’t his master anymore.

¹⁰ So when he died, he died for sins once and for all time… And now he’s alive and he’s living to The God!

¹¹ And in the same way, you should also consider yourselves ‘dead’ when it comes to sin, but alive to The God through the Anointed Yeshua.

¹² This is why you shouldn’t allow sin to rule your mortal bodies anymore, and why you shouldn’t obey its desires…

¹³ You should no longer offer your body parts to serve as unrighteous weapons of sin!

Rather, you should offer yourselves to God as people who’ve been brought ‘back to life’ from ‘the dead,’ and [you should offer] your body parts to God as weapons of righteousness!

¹⁴ Indeed, sin must not be your master… For you aren’t under the [Jewish] Law, you’re under [God’s] loving care.

¹⁵ So if we’re no longer under the [Jewish] Law, but under [God’s] loving care, does this mean that we can just keep on sinning?

May that never be so!

¹⁶ Don’t you know that if you offer yourselves to obey someone as a slave, you’ve become that person’s slave?

[So you’re] either [a slave] to sin, which results in death, or [a slave] to obedience, which results in righteousness.

¹⁷ Thank God that, although you used to be slaves to sin, your hearts have started to obey this teaching that you were given, ¹⁸ which has set you free from sin and made you slaves to righteousness!

¹⁹ I’m going to put this in simple terms because of your fleshly weaknesses...

Just as you once offered your body parts as unclean slaves to immorality and Law-breaking, you must now offer your body parts as slaves to righteousness and holiness!

²⁰ For back when you were slaves to sin, you were free from any righteousness. ²¹ And what was the result of the things [you did] back then?

Aren’t these the very things that you’re so ashamed of now?

And these are the things that lead to death!

²² But now that you’ve been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, you can receive holiness and age-long life.

²³ For the wage [paid by] sin is death, while God’s gift is age-long life through the Anointed Yeshua, our Lord.

Romans 7

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¹ Are you ignorant, brothers?

I’m telling those of you who know the [Jewish] Law that the [Jewish] Law is a man’s master for as long as he’s alive!

² This is the same situation as with a wife that’s bound to the law of her husband for as long as he’s alive. However, after he dies, she’s no longer under his law.

³ So, although she’d be condemned as an adulteress if she ever became another man’s wife while her husband is still alive... After he dies, she’s free from his law – and she isn’t an adulteress if she marries someone else.

⁴ So my brothers:

You died to the Law through the body of the Anointed One, and now you belong to someone else!

You’ve been ‘raised from the dead’ so that you can now produce fruitage for God!

⁵ Because, while you were fleshly, what the Law labels as sinful passions were working within you, and the fruitage they produced was death.

⁶ But now that you’ve been set free from the Law (because you’ve died to the thing that held you down), you can become slaves to something new…

To a newness of spirit, and not to some old writings anymore!

⁷ So what should we say… That the Law is sinful?

May that never be true!

For I’d never have known what sin was, were it not for the Law.

For example, I wouldn’t have known what envy was – if it weren’t the Law that said:

‘You must not envy.’ [Exodus 20:17]

⁸ However, when I learned about this sin from the Commandment, it created every sort of envy [in me]. Yet before the Law arrived, [this wasn’t] a sin.

⁹ Actually, I once lived without the Law... But after I came under its Commandments, sin came to life and I ‘died.’

¹⁰ Therefore, I found that the Commandments that were supposed to lead me to life, led me to death… ¹¹ For the sins that I learned about in the Commandments seduced me and killed me.

¹² Nevertheless, the Law and the Commandments are still holy, righteous, and good.

¹³ So what was it that killed me?

Was it the thing that was good for me?

May that never be true!

Rather, it is the sin –when it was exposed as sin by what’s good for me– that [led me to] death… For the Commandments abundantly show that sin is condemned![Syr]

¹⁴ And this is because the Law is spiritual, while I’m fleshly and sold into sin.

¹⁵ So I really didn’t understand what I was doing… For I didn’t do the things that I wanted to do, and I didn’t like the things I was doing.

¹⁶ And despite the fact that I still do what I don’t want to do, I say that the [Jewish] Law is good.

¹⁷ Even though I’m no longer under [the Jewish Law], sin is still dwelling within me.

¹⁸ Now I know that nothing that’s dwelling within me (in this flesh) is any good... For even though I want to do what’s right, I don’t always have the will to do it!

¹⁹ So I don’t do the good things that I want to do... I still do bad things.

²⁰ Therefore, if I’m doing things that I don’t want to do, I’m really not in charge [of my body]… The sin that dwells there is!

²¹ So although I want to obey the [Jewish] Law and do good things, badness is always here with me.

²² And even though the man who I am on the inside really enjoys the Law of God... ²³ My body parts are obeying a different law – and they’re at war with the law of my mind! They drag me into the laws of sin that are there in my body parts.

²⁴ O what a miserable person I am!

Who’ll save me from this dying body?

²⁵ But thanks to God (through our Lord Yeshua the Anointed), even though I’m a slave to sin’s law in my flesh, I’m still a slave to God’s Law in my mind!

Romans 8

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¹ Understand that there’s nothing that can condemn those who are in the Anointed Yeshua (those who are walking in the ways of the Spirit, not [in the ways of] the flesh), ² because the law of the Spirit of Life that’s in the Anointed Yeshua didn’t come from the Law of sin and death.

³ So the weakness of the [Jewish] Law is just the weakness of the flesh... And by sending His Son over this matter of sin (in what appeared to be sinful flesh), God condemned the sins of the flesh ⁴ so that the righteous requirements of the [Jewish] Law could be fulfilled in those of us who aren’t obeying the flesh, but the Spirit.

⁵ For fleshly people just think about fleshly things, while spiritual people [think about] spiritual things.

⁶ Indeed, the thoughts of the flesh bring death, while the thoughts of the Spirit bring life and peace. ⁷ And obeying the flesh brings God’s rejection, because [the flesh] isn’t under God’s Law, nor can it ever be!

⁸ Therefore, those who follow fleshly ways can never be pleasing to God.

⁹ However, if God’s Breath is living in us, we’re no longer fleshly, but spiritual… And those who don’t have the spirit of the Anointed One don’t belong to him.

¹⁰ So if the Anointed One is truly within you, your body is indeed ‘dead’ to sin – and his spirit is making you ‘alive’ through righteousness.

¹¹ As a result, if the Spirit of the One who raised Yeshua from the dead lives in you, the One who raised the Anointed Yeshua from the dead will also make your dying bodies alive through His Breath that’s in you.

¹² So brothers... Since we don’t owe anything to the flesh, we shouldn’t be following fleshly [ways]!

¹³ For if you’re living according to the flesh, you’re intending to die – but if, through [God’s] Breath, you’re willing to destroy the deeds of the body, you’ll live!

¹⁴ Indeed, all who are led by God’s Breath are Sons of God!

¹⁵ [And because of this,] you didn’t receive a spirit of bondage to fear again; rather, you received a spirit of adoption, through which you can now call out, ‘Papa! Father!’

¹⁶ This is the same Spirit that testifies to the spirit within us that we’re God’s children…

¹⁷ And if we’re [His] children, then we’re also [His] heirs…

Yes, heirs of God, and heirs along with the Anointed One!

However, we’ll all have to suffer together so we can all be glorified together.

¹⁸ And I don’t believe that the sufferings we’re currently enduring amount to much when they’re compared to the glory that’s going to be revealed in us.

¹⁹ Indeed, [all] creation is awaiting and earnestly expecting the revealing of the sons of God. ²⁰ For His creations were never willingly subjected to futility. Rather, they were subjected to it by the Will of the One who gave us the hope that ²¹ all creation will soon be set free from bondage to decay, and then [we can] enter the glorious freedom of the children of God!

²² For we know that all creation has been groaning and in birth pains until now.

²³ And it isn’t alone... Since even those of us who’ve received the first fruitage of [God’s] Breath groan within ourselves as we await the adoption and the [payment of] the ransom that will free our bodies.

²⁴ Yes, this is the hope that’s saving us!

Now, when you hope for something that you can see, that really isn’t hope… Because people don’t hope for something that they can already see.

²⁵ However, if we keep on hoping for something that we haven’t seen, we’ll continue to patiently wait for it.

²⁶ And now we have the [Holy] Breath that’s helping us with our weaknesses, because we don’t always know what we should even be praying for!

Yet the Spirit is always there, groaning the words [that we] haven’t spoken.

²⁷ And the One who searches hearts knows the thoughts of the Spirit; because it’s praying on behalf of the holy ones, according to God’s will.

²⁸ We know that God makes everything work together for the good of those who love Him (those who’ve been called to do His will).

²⁹ For He recognized them ahead of time and chose them to become like His Son, who was the firstborn of many brothers!

³⁰ So He calls all He chooses, He makes all He chooses righteous, And He glorifies all He makes righteous!

³¹ Therefore, what can we say about all of this?

If God is over us, who can come down on us?

³² And since He didn’t even spare His Son but handed him over for all of our sakes... Then why shouldn’t [we believe that] He will also give us everything else?

³³ For who can accuse those who’ve been chosen by God?

Yes, if God has declared us to be righteous, ³⁴ who can condemn us?

So, since we now have the Anointed Yeshua, who died, was raised from the dead, and is at God’s right hand pleading our case... ³⁵ What can ever take us away from the love of the Anointed One?

Not hard times, nor difficulties, nor distress, nor persecution, nor hunger, nor nakedness, nor danger or even swords!

³⁶ It was written:

‘We’re being killed all day long for Your sake,

We’re thought of as sheep to be slaughtered!’

[Psalm 44:22]

³⁷ However, through this One who loves us, we’ve conquered everything else!

³⁸ For I’m convinced that neither death, nor life, nor [spirit] messengers, nor governments, nor things that are happening or will happen, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to take us away from God’s love that’s in the Anointed Yeshua, our Lord!

Romans 9

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¹ In the name of the Anointed One, I’m telling you this as the truth (no, I’m not lying).

For my conscience testifies with me in Holy Breath ² that I’m extremely sad and constantly sick at heart, ³ because I wish that I could be the one who’s cursed by being separated from the Anointed One – instead of my brothers and fleshly relatives, the IsraElites.

⁴ For the adoption as sons, the glory, the Sacred Agreement, the Law, the worship, and the promises all belong to these ones. ⁵ They’re the ones [who descended] from the forefathers, and the ones the Anointed One [came] through, in the flesh…

Yes, praise God who’s over it all throughout the ages!

May it be so!

⁶ However, God’s Word hasn’t failed in this, because not all who came from [the man] IsraEl are really [sons of] IsraEl, ⁷ nor are AbraHam’s descendants his only children.

Even though [it’s written],

‘That which will be called your descendant will come through IsaAc...’ [Genesis 21:12]

⁸ [IsaAc’s] fleshly children aren’t all of the children of God… For the children of the promise are that descendant.

⁹ Notice the promise that [AbraHam] was given:

‘I’ll return at this time and SarAh will have a son.’ [Genesis 18:14]

¹⁰ And this isn’t the only occasion. For when Rebecca was pregnant with twins from our forefather IsaAc, ¹¹ and before they were born or did anything good or bad (just to show that God’s purposes don’t depend on the things we do, but on the One who does the choosing), ¹² she was told:

‘The older will be the younger [one’s] slave.’ [Genesis 25:23]

¹³ And it was written:

‘I loved Jacob, but I didn’t care for Esau.’ [Malachi 1:2-3]

¹⁴ So what can we say?

Is God unjust?

May that never be true!

¹⁵ But he told Moses:

‘I’ll show mercy upon whomever I choose to show mercy, and pity upon whomever I choose to feel pity.’ [Exodus 33:19]

¹⁶ So it doesn’t depend on the one who does the wishing, nor upon the one who does the running, but on the mercy of God!

¹⁷ For the Scriptures say that He told the PharaOh:

‘The reason why I raised you is so that I can show My powers through you, and to have My Name announced throughout the whole earth!’ [Exodus 9:16, LXX]

¹⁸ So the [point is this]:

He shows mercy on whomever He wishes to show mercy,

And He hardens [the hearts] of whomever He wishes.

¹⁹ Therefore, you might ask:

‘Then why does [God] find fault with anyone who resists His plans?’

²⁰ O man, who are you to question God?

Will the thing that’s made ask its maker,

‘Why did you make me like this?’ [possible quote from Isaiah 29:16]

²¹ For isn’t the potter in charge of his clay? And can’t he make one pot for an honorable use, and another for a dishonorable use? [And all] from the same lump [of clay]?

²² Therefore, God can choose to show His rage and make His power known through whatever pottery He’s had to endure.

And if He made it for His rage, then it’s only fit to be destroyed!

²³ But He can also show the richness of His glory upon the pots of mercy that He’s prepared ahead of time for glory… ²⁴ Those among us whom He’s called, not just from among the Jews, but also from among the gentiles!

²⁵ It’s just like He said in Hosea:

‘I’ll call those who aren’t My people, My people,

And the one I didn’t love, My loved one.’

[Hosea 2:23]

²⁶ And:

‘In those places where they were told,

‘You’re not My people,’

They’ll be called,

The Living God’s sons!’

[Hosea 1:10]

²⁷ Yet, IsaiAh shouted this about IsraEl:

‘The people of IsraEl will then grow to be as many as the sands of the seas from the few that survive.’ [Isaiah 10:22-23, LXX]

²⁸ For whatever Yahweh has established and decided regarding this land he will carry out![Syr]

²⁹ IsaiAh also prophesied:

‘If Yahweh of armies hadn’t left us an offspring,

We would’ve become just like Sodom

And the same as GomorRah.’

[Isaiah 1:9, LXX]

³⁰ So this is why we can say that gentiles became righteous (although they weren’t trying to be righteous) with the [kind of] righteousness that comes from faith, ³¹ while IsraEl, which was following a righteous Law, just didn’t make it!

³² And why was that so?

Because [IsraEl] didn’t look for it in faith, but in the things that they were doing… They tripped over the ‘stumbling stone.’

³³ As it’s written:

‘{Look!} I’m laying in Zion,

A stone... (of stumbling, and a rock of offense [Isaiah 8:14 DSS+MS])

And those trusting in him,

Will never be shamed.’

[Isaiah 28:16 LXX; see note]

Romans 10

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¹ Therefore brothers,

The goodwill that I feel in my heart for [the Jews], and what I beg God for, is for them to be saved!

² For I can swear to the fact that, although they have a zeal for God, they still don’t know [Him]... ³ And since they don’t understand God’s righteous ways, and they’re always trying to prove their own ways to be righteous, they’re unwilling to submit to God’s righteousness.

⁴ However, the Anointed One fulfilled the Law so that he could bring righteousness to those who have faith.

⁵ Notice that Moses wrote:

‘You must follow all My rules and all My decisions… Yes, follow them in such a way [that you learn to] live by them.’ [Leviticus 18:5]

⁶ Yet, righteousness that’s based on faith says that you shouldn’t ask yourself, ‘Who could ascend into the heavens (to bring the Anointed One down)?’ ⁷ or, ‘Who could descend into the abyss (to bring the Anointed One up from the dead)?’ [a reference to Deuteronomy 30:11-13]

⁸ No, what does it say? That the words are close to you; they’re in your mouths and in your hearts. [a reference to Deuteronomy 30:14]

And these are the words of faith that we’re preaching!

⁹ So if you confess and say the words in your mouths that Yeshua is Lord, and if you truly believe in your hearts that God raised him from the dead, you’ll be saved!

¹⁰ For heart-felt faith [moves you to] righteousness, and your mouth’s confession of this [leads you to] salvation.

¹¹ And the Scriptures tell us:

‘Those who believe in him will never be shamed.’ [Isaiah 28:16, LXX]

¹² Therefore, there’s really no difference between Jews or Greeks, because we all have the same Lord, and he provides abundantly for all those who call on him.

¹³ Therefore:

‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved!’ [Joel 2:32]

¹⁴ However, how will they call on someone in whom they don’t believe?

How will they believe in someone of whom they’ve never heard?

How will they hear without someone to preach?

¹⁵ And how will they preach if they aren’t sent?

This is why it was written:

‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news about good things!’ [Isaiah 52:7]

¹⁶ Yet, not everyone will obey the good news; for notice that IsaiAh asked:

‘Who has trusted our report of the Lord?’ [Isaiah 53:1]

¹⁷ So, faith comes from hearing… That is, by hearing the things that the Anointed [One] said!

¹⁸ So now I ask, didn’t they hear? Yes, they did!

‘The call has gone throughout the whole earth… In fact, the words have reached to the ends of the earth!’ [Psalm 19:4, LXX]

¹⁹ So, I’m asking why doesn’t IsraEl already know? Well, Moses first told them:

‘I’ll provoke you to jealousy with those who are not [of your] nation, and anger you with those who don’t understand.’ [Deuteronomy 32:21, LXX]

²⁰ Then IsaiAh dared [to write]:

‘I was seen by those not searching for Me,

And found by those not asking for Me.

I said, ‘Here I am,’ to a nation,

That has never called on My Name.’

[Isaiah 65:1]

²¹ And he went on to say this regarding IsraEl:

‘I’ve held out My hands all day long,

To a people who will just not listen,

And to those who prefer to talk back.’

[Isaiah 65:2, LXX]

Romans 11

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¹ So let me ask: Has God pushed His people away?

May that never be so!

I’m also an IsraElite…

I’m the descendant of AbraHam, of the tribe of BenJamin, ² and God hasn’t rejected these people whom He knew first!

Don’t you remember what the scriptures tell us about what EliJah said as he was pleading with God about IsraEl?

³ [He said]:

‘O Yahweh; they’ve killed Your prophets, they’ve dug up Your Altars, and I’m the only one left… And now they’re seeking my life!’ [paraphrase of 1 Kings 19:10, 14]

⁴ And what was [God’s] reply?

He said:

‘I’ve kept 7,000 people for Myself that haven’t bent a knee to BaAl.’ [1 Kings 19:18]

⁵ So the same thing is true today, for there are still some left over, who through [His] loving care, are being chosen.

⁶ However, [receiving] His loving care doesn’t come to them just because they’re [obeying the Law]! For if it did, His loving care wouldn’t really be loving care. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace; otherwise work is no more work. [spurious words]

⁷ So what happened to IsraEl?

Well, not all of them received the things that they were seeking…

Just the ones who’d been chosen from among them received it, while the rest just became more obstinate, yes, ⁸ just as it’s written, God gave them a spirit to slumber so that their eyes haven’t seen, and that their ears haven’t heard – down to this very day! [a reference to places like Deuteronomy 29:4 or Isaiah 29:10]

⁹ David also said:

‘Let their table be a snare, trip lever, and trap

As retribution upon them.

¹⁰ Let their eyes grow dim, so they can’t see,

And their backs forever bent double.’

[Psalm 69:22-23, LXX]

¹¹ So I ask:

Did they stumble so [badly that] they couldn’t be raised [again]?

May that never be so!

However, they’ve been missing out as the gentiles were being saved, in order to make them jealous.

¹² But if their missing out has enriched the world, and if their failures have enriched the gentiles... How much more will result when they’re included?

¹³ Now I want to address those of you who are gentiles:

Since I’m really an Apostle to the gentiles, I can make my service even more glorious ¹⁴ if I can somehow make those who are my own flesh[, that is, the Jews] jealous and bring some of them to salvation.

¹⁵ Because, if throwing them away will restore the world’s relationship [with God], then what will receiving them back again mean, other than life for those who are ‘dead?’

¹⁶ For if the first fruits [can be made] holy, [then the rest of the crop will also be holy]… And if the roots are holy, so are the branches!

¹⁷ Therefore, if some of the branches were broken off so that you ‘wild olives’ could be grafted in, you’ve become sharers in the fatness of that olive [tree’s] roots.

¹⁸ So, don’t start cheering because those branches [were removed]... For if you find yourselves doing that, remember that you aren’t supporting the roots, they’re supporting you!

¹⁹ Yes, you could, in fact, say, ‘The branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in’… ²⁰ And that’s a fact!

They were broken off because they lacked faith, and you’ve taken their places because you have faith. But don’t think too much of yourselves… Be afraid!

²¹ For if God didn’t spare the natural branches, He doesn’t have to spare you either!

²² Therefore, recognize God’s loving kindness as well as [His] willingness to remove.

So, although those who’ve fallen have been cut off and you’re now receiving God’s loving care... It’s only yours for as long as you stay in that [good relationship], because you can be pruned off too!

²³ And then, if [the Jews] don’t continue in their disbelief, they’ll be grafted back in, since God can graft them back in again!

²⁴ For if you were cut from an olive tree that’s wild by nature, and then, contrary to nature, grafted into the garden olive tree... Recognize how much easier it’ll be for those who are natural branches to be grafted back into their own olive tree once again!

²⁵ Brothers, I don’t want you to ignore this mystery, so you don’t become too wise in your own eyes:

IsraEl was allowed to become calloused until the full number of gentiles came in.

²⁶ Yet, this is how all IsraEl is going to be saved!

For it’s written:

‘A Savior will come out of Zion,

And remove from Jacob, his godless ways.

²⁷ Yes, this is My promise to them,

After I’ve removed all their sins.’

[Isaiah 59:20-21, LXX]

²⁸ Therefore, from the standpoint of the good news, they’e become His enemies for your sakes!

But from the standpoint of the choosing... They’re the ones who are loved because of their ancestors, ²⁹ since the loving gifts of God and His calling are irrevocable!

³⁰ So, just as you were once disobedient to God, but have now been shown mercy [despite your] disobedience... ³¹ They’re now being disobedient.

Yet, because you were shown mercy, they may also be shown mercy... ³² Yes, God has locked them up together in disobedience, so that He might show mercy to all of us.

³³ ‘O the depths of God’s riches, wisdom, and knowledge,

And the mysteries of all His decisions;

For His ways can’t be figured out!

³⁴ ‘Who’s come to know the mind of Yahweh,

And who can give Him advice,

³⁵ Or give Him something that He must repay?’

[Isaiah 40:13, LXX]

[And:]

³⁶ ‘Since all is from Him, by Him, and for Him,

To glorify Him throughout the ages.

May it be so.’

[Job 41:11]

Romans 12

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¹ So I beg you by the compassion of God, brothers, to offer your bodies as living, holy sacrifices that are pleasing to God, and to serve Him in sensible ways.

² Don’t [allow yourselves] to be molded by this system of things... Instead, be transformed by renewing your minds, so that you come to think well of the good, pleasing, and perfect Will of The God.

³ Yes, through the loving care that was shown to me, I’m telling all of you not to think too much of yourselves. Rather, you must think clearly, as God has given each of you your own share of faith.

⁴ [Remember that] our bodies have many parts, and none of [these parts] have the same function...

⁵ So although there are many of us, we’re really just one body in the Anointed One, and starting from him, we are each parts of that body… Therefore, we all belong to each other.

⁶ Likewise, each of us have different gifts that were kindly given to us, whether it’s prophesying (according to our portion of faith), ⁷ serving in some service, teaching some point, ⁸ offering some encouragement, simply sharing, earnestly taking the lead, or cheerfully showing mercy.

⁹ Therefore, we should love [each other] without being judgmental… We should hate what’s wicked and stick with the things that are good!

¹⁰ So, let your brotherly love make you more tender and caring to each other, and take the lead when it comes to showing honor to each other.

¹¹ Do your best… Don’t be lazy… Slave for the Lord, and bubble over with his Spirit… ¹² Let your hope fill you with joy as you endure the difficulties and persecutions… And keep on praying.

¹³ Also, share whatever you have with the Holy Ones and be hospitable! ¹⁴ Learn to say nice things to those who persecute [you]… Don’t curse them, praise them!

¹⁵ Rejoice with people who are rejoicing, and cry with those who are crying… ¹⁶ Be aware of each other’s needs… Don’t spend too much time thinking about high ideas, but deal with each other humbly… Don’t think too much of yourselves!

¹⁷ Don’t be rude to people who treat you poorly, but plan to do good things in the eyes of everyone.

¹⁸ And if possible (as much as you can), be peaceable with everyone…

¹⁹ Don’t get even, loved ones; put anger away, because it’s written that if you don’t pass judgment yourself[Syr], then Yahweh says....

‘I’ll pay them back!’ [Deuteronomy 32:35, LXX]

²⁰ And:

‘If your enemy is hungry, give him something to eat;

And if he’s thirsty, give him something to drink;

For whenever you do this, you’re piling burning coals on their heads.’

[Proverbs 25:21, LXX]

²¹ So, don’t allow evil to beat you; instead, keep conquering evil with goodness.

Romans 13

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¹ Everyone should submit to the authorities that are over them. Indeed, there are no offices of authority that don’t come from God, or any that weren’t instituted by God.

² So those who resist the authorities, whose laws have come from God, are really opposing and condemning themselves!

³ For there’s no reason to fear the rulers when we’re behaving… Only when we’re misbehaving!

Do you wish that you didn’t have to fear the authorities?

Then do good things, and they’ll praise you, ⁴ because they’re God’s servants for your own good!

But if you’re doing something that’s wrong, you’ve got good reason to fear them. For that’s why they bear the sword of God… They’re God’s servants and His avengers to show His rage upon those who are doing what’s wrong!

⁵ So it’s important for us to obey them… And not just for [fear of] angering them, but because of [our] consciences!

⁶ This is why we pay our taxes; because, as public servants, they’re serving God’s purposes!

⁷ Therefore, pay everyone whatever they’re owed…

To the tax collector [pay] the property tax; to the toll collectors, [pay] the tolls; respect [those who should be] respected; show honor to those [who should be] honored.

⁸ Don’t owe anything to anyone, except your love for each other, because those who love others have fulfilled [the] Law.

⁹ For [the Laws]...

‘You must not murder,

You must not commit adultery,

You must not steal,

You must not envy,’

[Exodus 20:13-15, 17]

...and any other Commandment, are all summed up in the phrase:

‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’ [Leviticus 19:18]

¹⁰ Yes, those who love won’t do anything bad to their neighbors, since the Law is fulfilled through love.

¹¹ As for those of you who aren’t aware of the season, it’s time for you to wake up! Because our salvation is now closer than it was when we first became believers!

¹² Yes, since the night is almost over, and that Day is near, we should be getting rid of the things that belong to darkness and start putting on the weapons of light.

¹³ Then we should all behave as we would in the daytime… Not in wild partying and drunkenness; not in immoral sex and the lacking of principles; not in arguing and jealousy.

¹⁴ Instead, we should be putting on the Lord Yeshua the Anointed One – and no longer planning [to satisfy] the cravings of the flesh.

Romans 14

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¹ Therefore, welcome those who are weak in the faith – and don’t try to judge their motives!

² For one person who has [a strong Christian] faith will eat anything [they wish, even what’s forbidden to Jews], but someone else, who’s [spiritually] weak, would [rather] only eat vegetables.

³ Those who will eat anything shouldn’t look down on those who won’t, and those who won’t eat anything shouldn’t judge those who do, since God has accepted them both.

⁴ For who are you to judge the house servant of another, since we each stand or fall before our own master?

And we can stand, because the Lord can make us stand!

⁵ Also, some consider one day as more important than others, while others consider each day to be the same as all the rest... However, each of us should be sure of this in our own minds!

⁶ Then those who observe a certain day [as holy] should observe it to the Lord.

Also, those who will eat [anything they wish] should eat it to the Lord, because they’ve thanked God for it.

Likewise, those who won’t eat [anything they wish] should abstain to the Lord, since they too have thanked God [for their food].

⁷ So, none of us should be living just for ourselves, and none of us should be dying just for ourselves.

⁸ For when we live, we live for the Lord, and when we die, we die for the Lord… Because whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord!

⁹ And the reason why the Anointed One died and came to life again was so that he could be the Lord of both the ‘living’ and the ‘dead.’

¹⁰ So, why are you judging your brothers? Why are you looking down on them? We’ll all stand before the judgment seat of God of the Anointed One![Syr]

¹¹ Notice that it is written:

‘As I live,’ says Yahweh...

‘Every knee shall bow before Me,

‘And to Me, every tongue will give praise.’

[paraphrase of Isaiah 45:23-24, LXX]

¹² So since each of us must answer for ourselves before God, ¹³ we should stop judging each other, and we shouldn’t be setting anything before our brothers that might cause them to stumble and fall.

¹⁴ Now, I know (and I’ve been persuaded by the Lord Yeshua) that no [food] is unclean… It’s only when a man considers something [edible] to be unclean that it’s unclean to him.

¹⁵ Yet if what you’re eating upsets your brother, you aren’t following the path of love yet!

For you shouldn’t want anyone –for whom the Anointed One died– to be lost over the food that you’re eating… ¹⁶ Nor should they speak badly of the good things that you’re doing.

¹⁷ Because, the God’s Kingdom has nothing to do with eating or drinking… Just with righteousness, peace, and the joy of Holy Breath.

¹⁸ So, those of you who choose to make yourselves slaves in such matters [for the sake of] the Anointed One will be approved both by God and by men.

¹⁹ And what we should all be doing is trying to do the things that promote peace and to build each other up… ²⁰ [We must] stop tearing down the work of God over food!

So although, yes, it’s true that all [food] is clean, it can still be bad for someone who stumbles over what we’re [choosing to] eat!

²¹ Therefore, it isn’t [necessarily] good to eat meat [forbidden to Jews], or to drink wine, or to do anything else that could be a snare to our brothers, ²² because we should be sure that the things we believe [to be right] also look good in the eyes of God!

As for someone who doesn’t condem himself over specific things – good for him![Syr]

²³ However, if he’s unsure about something he’s eating... His lack of faith is condemning him for eating it; because everything that’s not from faith, is sin.

Romans 15

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¹ So, those of us who are strong [in the faith] must handle the [spiritual] weaknesses of those who aren’t strong, and not just be pleasing ourselves. ² Rather, we should each be trying to please our neighbors by doing good things that build them up.

³ For even the Anointed One didn’t just please himself.

Notice that it’s written:

‘The insults of those insulting you, have fallen upon me.’ [Psalm 69:9]

⁴ Understand that everything that was written until now has been written to teach us, so that through our endurance, and through the comfort that comes from the Scriptures, we might have hope.

⁵ Therefore, may the endurance and comfort that comes from God supply this to you, so that you may pay close attention to each other’s needs – in the same ways that the Anointed Yeshua did!

⁶ Then together, as with one ‘mind’ and one ‘mouth,’ we can all bring glory to the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua the Anointed One.

⁷ So, welcome each other as the Anointed One welcomed us (to the glory of God)!

⁸ For [he] became a servant to those who are circumcised for the sake of the truth of God, and he verified the promises that were made to their ancestors, ⁹ while he allowed the gentiles to glorify God for His mercies.

As it’s written:

‘That’s why I’ll praise You to the nations,

And that’s why I’ll sing to Your Name.’

[Psalm 18:49]

¹⁰ And again it says:

‘Rejoice you gentiles, along with His people!’ [Deuteronomy 32:43]

¹¹ And again:

‘Praise class="tnote">Yahweh, you gentiles…

Let everyone give praise to Him.’

[Psalm 117:1]

¹² Also, IsaiAh wrote:

‘In that day, the root of JesSe [will sprout]…

He’ll arise to rule [all] the nations.

Yes in him, the gentiles will trust,

And upon him, honor will rest.’

[Isaiah 11:10, LXX]

¹³ So may the God who provides hope fill you with all joy and peace – in the belief that you’ll have more than enough faith through the power of Holy Breath.

¹⁴ I’m sure of this about you, my brothers:

You are filled with goodness, because you’ve been filled with all the knowledge that you need to strengthen each other!

¹⁵ Now, I’m writing to you in plain words to remind you of this:

Because of a gift that God kindly gave to me, ¹⁶ I was appointed a [temple] official to the gentiles by Yeshua the Anointed One, and to serve as their Priest of the good news of God... In order that their offerings can be found worthy and clean through Holy Breath.

¹⁷ And the Anointed Yeshua has given me many good reasons to be cheerful when it comes to these things of God.

¹⁸ Therefore, I wouldn’t dare to speak about anything that the Anointed One might have failed to accomplish on behalf of the gentiles through me, because I’ve obediently followed his instructions in everything that I’ve been saying and doing... ¹⁹ through the power of signs, omens, and by the might of the Holy Breath.

I’ve thoroughly preached the good news about the Anointed One in a circuit – from JeruSalem, all the way to IlLyricum.

²⁰ And I’ve made it my goal not to preach the good news in places where they’ve already heard about the Anointed One, so that I wouldn’t be building on another man’s foundation.

²¹ As it’s written:

‘He’ll be seen by those to whom he didn’t preach,

And those who haven’t heard him will learn.’

[Isaiah 52:15, LXX]

²² That’s why I’ve not been allowed to come to you on several previous occasions; ²³ but now that I don’t have have a place in those regions any more, and because I’ve been wanting to come to you for several years, ²⁴ it’s my hope to see you along the way as I travel to Spain.

[And if so], perhaps you can come to the place where I’ll be staying?

²⁵ However, right now I have to travel on to JeruSalem to serve the needs of the Holy Ones, ²⁶ because those in Macedonia and Achaea have been so happy to share their things by contributing to the poor among the Holy Ones in JeruSalem.

²⁷ Yet, while it’s true that they were happy to do so, they were also indebted to them... For if they’ve shared their spiritual things with the gentiles, the [gentiles] are now indebted to them as part of a public service, to share things for the fleshly body.

²⁸ So after I finish doing that, and deliver these things to them safely, I’ll visit you while I’m on my way to Spain.

²⁹ And I know that when I do get to you, I’ll come with a full measure of blessings from the Anointed One!

³⁰ Now I beg you brothers, through our Lord Yeshua the Anointed One and through the love of the Breath [of God], to share in praying to God on my behalf, ³¹ that I might be saved from the unbelievers in Judea…

And also that my service in JeruSalem may prove to be what the Holy Ones need, ³² so that when I have the joy of getting back to you (if that’s God’s Will), I can spend some time resting up with you there.

³³ May the God who gives peace be with all of you.

May it be so!

Romans 16

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[P.S.]

¹ I want to especially recommend our sister Phoebe to you, who is a servant in the congregation at Kenchreae.

² Accept her in the Lord as you would [all] the Holy Ones, and help her in any matter where she may have needs, because she has protected me many times… Yes, me personally!

³ Give my greetings to Priska and Aquila, my fellow workers in the Anointed Yeshua ⁴ who’ve risked their necks for my life... And not just for mine, but offer them thanks on behalf of all the called ones who are gentiles, ⁵ and [send my greetings] to the called ones in their home.

Also send my greetings to my beloved EpaiNeton, who is one of the first fruits of the Anointed One in [the province of] Asia.

⁶ And send my greetings to Mary, who’s done so many things for you.

⁷ Give my greetings to Andronicus and Junia, my relatives and fellow captives, who are notable ones among the Apostles, and who’ve been in the Anointed One longer than I have.

⁸ Give my greetings to Ampliatus, my loved one in the Lord.

⁹ Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in the Anointed One, as well as my beloved Stachys.

¹⁰ Greet Apelles, the one who’s approved in the Anointed One.

Also greet those from the household of AristoBoulou.

¹¹ Send my greetings to my relative Herodion, as well as to those in the Lord from the household of Narcissus.

¹² Greet TryPhaina and TryPhosa, [women] who are working hard in the Lord. And send my greetings to our beloved Persida, because she’s done so many good things in the Lord.

¹³ Greet Rufus, the Lord’s chosen one, as well as his mother and mine.

¹⁴ Greet AsynCritus, Phlegonta, Hermes, PatroBas, Herman, and the brothers who are with them.

¹⁵ Send my greetings to PhiloLogus and Julian, Nereus and his sister Olympas, and all the Holy Ones with them.

¹⁶ Also greet each other with a holy kiss.

For all the congregations of the Anointed One send you their greetings.

[P.P.S.]

¹⁷ Now, I beg you brothers to keep an eye on those who are creating divisions and setting traps by going against the teachings that you’ve learned…

Avoid them, ¹⁸ because such men aren’t slaving for our Lord the Anointed One, but for their own bellies.

They’re seducing the hearts of people who aren’t really bad through kind words and praises.

¹⁹ Meanwhile, because everyone has noticed your obedience, I’m rejoicing over you.

I just want you to be wise when it comes to doing what’s good and not to be getting mixed up in doing bad things, ²⁰ since the God of peace will crush the Opposer under your feet shortly.

So may the loving care of our Lord Yeshua be with you.

[P.P.P.S.]

²¹ Timothy, my fellow worker, sends you his greetings, as do Lucius, Jason, and SosiPater, my relatives.

²² I, Tertius, the one who wrote this letter, greet you in [the] Lord.

²³ GaiUs, our host, and everyone in his congregation send their greeting to you.

Erastus (the city public works manager) sends his greetings, as does KouArtos his brother.

²⁴ May the loving care of our Lord Yeshua the Anointed One be with you all. Amen. [copied from verse 20]

²⁵ Now, to the One who can make you strong in the good news whom I declare through my preaching about Yeshua the Anointed One and about the revelation of the mystery (that has remained a secret throughout the ages), ²⁶ but which has now been made known through the prophetic scriptures and which is being seen among all the nations by the command of the God of ageless time to promote obedience by faith...

²⁷ Yes, to God who’s the only truly wise One, be the glory through Yeshua (the Anointed) throughout the ages.

May it be so. [spurious words]

1 Corinthians

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A letter from the Apostle Paul to the congregation in Corinth, Greece.

It was likely penned by a secretary on behalf of Paul, perhaps by Sosthenes. It was probably originally written in Aramaic, and dates from around 48 CE.

1 Corinthians 1

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¹ Paul, who by the Will of God is a called Apostle of the Anointed Yeshua, and [your] brother Sosthenes, ² to the congregation of God in Corinth; to you who’ve been made holy in the Anointed Yeshua and who are called to be Holy Ones along with all those who call on the name of our Lord Yeshua the Anointed everywhere (their Lord and ours):

³ May you receive loving care and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Yeshua the Anointed.

⁴ I always thank God for you, because in His loving care (through the Anointed Yeshua), God has given you ⁵ everything that you need to make you rich in Him. [He’s given you] all the words and a complete knowledge, ⁶ while the testimony about the Anointed One is being made firm in you.

⁷ Therefore, you haven’t lagged behind in any gift as you eagerly await the revelation of our Lord Yeshua the Anointed, ⁸ who’ll make you strong to the end and keep you free from any accusations to the Day of our Lord Yeshua the Anointed. ⁹ For God, who called you to have a share with His Son (our Lord Yeshua the Anointed), is faithful.

¹⁰ Now, through the name of our Lord Yeshua the Anointed, I want to encourage you brothers to all be united in purpose. There shouldn’t be any divisions among you. Rather, you must all be completely united in mind and will.

¹¹ For those of the house of Chloe have told me that you do a lot of arguing, my brothers. ¹² What I mean is, some of you are saying, ‘I follow Paul,’ or ‘I follow Apollos,’ or ‘I follow Cephas,’ or ‘I follow the Anointed One.’ ¹³ And by this, the Anointed One is being divided. Paul wasn’t hung on a pole for you, was he? Or were you immersed in the name of Paul?

¹⁴ I’m thankful that I didn’t immerse any of you (other than Crispus and GaiUs), ¹⁵ so that no one can say that they were immersed in my name. ¹⁶ Oh yes, I also immersed the household of Stephanas... But as for the rest, I don’t think that I immersed anyone else, ¹⁷ because the Anointed One didn’t send me to immerse [people], but to preach the good news.

[And I wasn’t sent] with many wise words, because that would make the Anointed One’s impaling pole less important. ¹⁸ For the message about the impaling pole is just foolishness to those who are dying… But to those of us that are being saved, it’s the power of God.

¹⁹ As it’s written:

‘I’ll destroy the wisdom of their wise,

And the understanding of their discerning, I’ll hide.’

[Isaiah 29:14]

²⁰ So, where are all the wise men? Where are all the writers? Where are all the great debaters of this age?

Didn’t God make the world’s wisdom foolish?

²¹ And since the world doesn’t understand the wisdom of God, He saw that it was good for us to preach foolishness in order to save those who would believe! ²² So while the Jews ask for signs and the Greeks search for wisdom, ²³ we preach the Anointed One as having been hung on a pole.

[Of course], this is a trap to the Jews and a lot of foolishness to the gentiles. ²⁴ But to those who are called (both Jews and Greeks), the Anointed One is the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵ Because [even] a foolish thing from God is wiser than men, and [even] a weak thing from God is mightier than men.

²⁶ Now, notice this about your calling, my brothers:

Not many were called who were wise in a fleshly way,

Not many were called who had power,

And not many were called from important families.

²⁷ Rather, God chose the foolish things of the world to put its wise men to shame;

He chose the weak things of the world to put the mighty to shame;

²⁸ And He chose the common things of the world and the things that are looked down on;

The things that aren’t [prominent] – in order to make the things that are [prominent], worthless.

²⁹ The reason why He did this was so that no flesh can boast before God. ³⁰ And, since you’re in the Anointed Yeshua, he’s become God’s wisdom to us, as well as His righteousness, His holiness, and our ransom.

³¹ As it’s written:

‘Whoever boasts; let him boast about Yahweh!’ [paraphrase of Jeremiah 9:23]

1 Corinthians 2

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¹ So when I came to you, brothers, I didn’t bring you the mysteries of God with high-sounding words of wisdom. ² In fact, I decided not to teach you about anything other than Yeshua the Anointed, and about how he was hung on a pole. ³ I came to you as weak, afraid, and trembling.

⁴ And what I said and preached wasn’t done with persuasive wise words, but with Spirit and power, ⁵ so you wouldn’t believe because of the wisdom of men, but because of the power of God.

⁶ Yes, we do use wisdom when we’re speaking to those who aren’t mature… But not the wisdom of this age or that of the rulers of this age who are coming to nothing. ⁷ Rather, we speak God’s wisdom as a mystery (hidden wisdom), when it comes to the things that God planned for our glory long before this age arrived.

⁸ This is the type of wisdom that none of the rulers of this age understand; because if they understood it, they wouldn’t have lifted up our glorious Lord [to be executed].

⁹ As it is written:

‘Eyes haven’t seen and ears haven’t heard,

Nor have the hearts of men even thought of the things

That God has prepared for those who love Him.’

[Isaiah 64:4]

¹⁰ Yes, these are the types of things that have been revealed to us by God’s Spirit, because His Spirit searches through all things… Even through the deep things of God.

¹¹ For just as no man really understands another man better than the spirit within him; nobody understands the things of God better than the Spirit of God.

¹² And this is why we don’t really have the spirit of this world… Because we’ve received the Spirit that comes from The God, through which we can understand the things that He’s so kindly given to us. ¹³ Therefore, we don’t speak with words that come from human wisdom. Rather, we’re taught by the Spirit in spiritual ways that communicate spiritual things to us.

¹⁴ For physical men don’t recognize the Spirit of The God, because these are just foolishness to them and they can’t understand them, since such things can only be understood spiritually. ¹⁵ However, because a spiritual man can judge everything, no one can pass judgment on him.

[As the scripture says:]

¹⁶ ‘Who can know the mind of Yahweh

And who’s become His advisor?’

[Isaiah 40:13]

And we now have the mind of the Anointed One.

1 Corinthians 3

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¹ However, brothers, I can’t talk to you as I would to spiritual men. Rather, [I must speak to you] as I would to fleshly men (as babies in the Anointed One).

² For I’ve had to feed you milk, not solid food, because you weren’t strong enough… And you’re still not strong enough, ³ since you’re still men of the flesh! For whenever you’re jealous and arguing, aren’t you fleshly… Aren’t you acting like men of the flesh?

⁴ So when one of you says, ‘I follow Paul,’ and another says, ‘I follow Apollos,’ aren’t you [proving yourselves] to be men of the flesh? ⁵ For, what is Apollos and what is Paul?

[We’re just] servants through whom you became believers, since you were each given to us by the Lord!

⁶ Yes, although I planted and Apollos watered, it’s God who makes it grow. ⁷ So the one who plants is nothing and the one who waters is nothing, for it’s God who makes it all grow!

⁸ However, those who plant and those who water will each be rewarded for the work that they’re doing. ⁹ Understand that we’re just God’s field hands, while you’re God’s field and God’s house! ¹⁰ It was only through the loving care of God that I was assigned to be a wise chief craftsman.
So although I laid the foundation, someone else is actually doing the building… And he must keep an eye on how he’s doing his building, ¹¹ because no one can lay a foundation other than the one which has already been laid, Yeshua the Anointed.

¹² Now, whether someone builds on that foundation using gold, silver, and precious stones, or with wood, hay, and stalks, ¹³ [the quality of] his work will show up and be seen in the daytime, since it’ll be exposed by fire… And that fire will prove what kind of work each one has done.

¹⁴ Then, if his construction remains, he’ll be rewarded. ¹⁵ But if his construction burns down, he’ll be damaged by the loss… Although he will still be saved. However, it will be as if he came through fire.

¹⁶ Don’t you know that you’re God’s temple sanctuary? For God’s Breath is dwelling within you! ¹⁷ And if someone should destroy God’s Most Holy, God will destroy him… Yes, you’re God’s Holiest of Holies!

¹⁸ Therefore, don’t try to fool yourselves, for if you’re thought of as being wise in this age, then you should become morons in order to be [truly] wise.

¹⁹ Recognize that the wisdom of this system of things is just silliness to God.

As it’s written:

‘He catches the wise in their cunning deeds.’

²⁰ And again:

‘Yahweh knows what wise men think,

[and their thoughts] are useless.’

[Psalm 94:11]

²¹ Therefore, nobody should boast about [being followers of] men, since everything already belongs to you, ²² whether [it came from] Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or from this system of things, or from life, or from death, or from what’s here or what’s about to come…

All of this already belongs to you!

²³ Rather, you belong to the Anointed One, and the Anointed One belongs to God.

1 Corinthians 4

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¹ Therefore, you should think [of us] as just the Anointed One’s assistants [or in Greek, galley rowers], and as housekeepers of God’s mysteries. ² And when it comes to housekeepers, all that’s required of them is just to be found faithful!

³ Now, it really isn’t too important to me if I’m being judged by you, or by some human court… For I don’t even judge myself, ⁴ since I’m unaware of anything against myself.

However, this doesn’t mean that I’m righteous, because Yahweh is my true judge.

⁵ So, recognize that we shouldn’t be judging anything before its time.
For when the Lord’s Day arrives, the secret things that are done in darkness [will be brought] into the light and the secret thoughts of hearts will be put on public display… Then each ones’ commendations will come from God.

⁶ Now brothers, if I’ve overstated these things about Apollos and me, I’ve done it for your own good so that you’d learn the rule:

Don’t go beyond the things that are written!

And don’t get all puffed up by showing more favor for the one than for the other!

⁷ [After all,] who really knows us… And what do we have that wasn’t given to us? So since these things were just given to us, why should you be boasting over things that you received as gifts?

⁸ Are you already satisfied?

Are you already rich?

Have you started ruling without us?

Oh, I wish that you had already started ruling so that we could be ruling along with you! ⁹ For I think that God has put us (the Apostles) last on display as men who are condemned to death…

Yes, we’ve become theatrical spectacles in this world to both men and angels!

¹⁰ Yet, while we’re viewed as fools because of the Anointed One, you’re wise in the Anointed One… We’re weak, but you’re strong… We’re dishonorable, but you’re the glorious ones.

¹¹ Why, down to this very moment, we’ve been hungry, thirsty, almost naked, beaten up, homeless… ¹² and we’ve had to work for a living.

But when we’re being shouted at, we praise; when we’re being persecuted, we bear it; ¹³ and when we’re being slandered, we offer encouragement.

Yet until now, we’ve been considered the world’s refuse and scum!

¹⁴ Understand that I’m not writing this way to shame you, but to teach you as my beloved children. ¹⁵ For although you could have thousands of tutors in the Anointed One, you don’t have many fathers… And since I [am the one who] became your father in the good news through the Anointed One, ¹⁶ I beg you to start imitating me!

¹⁷ This is why I’m sending Timothy to you.

He’s my loved son, and faithful in Yahweh. He will remind you of my ways that I’m teaching in all the congregations everywhere, through the Anointed Yeshua.

¹⁸ Now, I know that some [of you’ve become] all puffed up as though I weren’t coming to you. ¹⁹ But I’ll be there shortly (if Yahweh desires it), and I won’t pay any attention to what those who are puffed up have to say. Rather, [I’ll pay attention] to their power, ²⁰ because the Kingdom of God doesn’t have anything to do with words, but with power.

²¹ So... Which would you prefer?

Should I come to you with a stick, or with a loving and mild spirit?

1 Corinthians 5

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¹ However, I’ve actually heard that there’s sexual immorality among you, and it’s a type of immorality that isn’t even [heard of] among the gentiles… That someone has taken his father’s woman!

² Are you proud of this?

Shouldn’t you mourn instead, and shouldn’t the man who committed this act be removed from your midst?

³ Although I’m not there physically, I am there in spirit, and I’ve already judged the man who’s done this thing as though I were there.

⁴ My spirit and the power of our Lord Yeshua agree that ⁵ in the name of our Lord Yeshua, you should hand such a man over to the Opposer for the destruction of his flesh, so that the spirit within him may be saved in the Day of the Lord.

⁶ There’s nothing for you to boast about here!

Don’t you know that a little [yeast] ferments the whole ball [of dough]?

⁷ So, you must clean out the old fermentation in order to become something that’s new and unfermented! For since the Anointed One (who is our Passover) has already been sacrificed, ⁸ we shouldn’t be observing this Festival with old fermentation or with the fermentation of badness and wickedness, but with the unfermented bread of sincerity and truth!

⁹ Didn’t I write you in my [last] letter and say that you must stop associating with those who are sexually immoral? ¹⁰ [Of course, I wasn’t telling you to] completely avoid the immoral [people] of this system of things, or the greedy, or the extortionists, or the idol worshipers… Otherwise, you’d actually have to get out of the world.

¹¹ But I’m writing to you now to tell you this:

Stop associating with anyone called a ‘brother’ who is sexually immoral, or greedy, or an idol worshiper, or shouts insults, or is a drunk, or an extortionist… Don’t even eat with people like that!

¹² Indeed, how much can the judgment of outsiders mean to us when you aren’t judging those who are in your midst? ¹³ For God is going to judge those on the outside… But you should expel any among you who are wicked!

1 Corinthians 6

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¹ Would any of you who think you’ve been [wronged] by another dare to take it to court [to be tried by] unrighteous men, rather than by the Holy Ones? ² Don’t you know that the Holy Ones will judge the world? So if you’re going to judge the whole world, aren’t you qualified to judge small matters?

³ Also, don’t you know that we’re going to judge the angels? And if so, then how much more the things of this life!

⁴ Or would you rather bring them before those whom the congregation views with little regard?

⁵ I’m saying this to shame you!

For isn’t there at least one wise man among you who can [serve as] judge between his brothers? ⁶ Or must a brother take a brother to court to be judged by unbelievers?

⁷ Really, if you’re bringing lawsuits against each other, you’ve already lost the battle! Why wouldn’t you rather allow yourselves to be mistreated or defrauded? ⁸ Yet, some of you are in fact mistreating and cheating others… Including your own brothers!

⁹ Don’t you know that the unrighteous won’t inherit the Kingdom of God?

Don’t make any mistakes about this:

• Sexually immoral people,

• Idol worshipers,

• Adulterers,

• The perverted,

• Men who have sex with men,

• ¹⁰  Greedy people,

• Thieves,

• Drunks,

• Insulters, and

• Exploiters[Syr]

...won’t inherit God’s Kingdom.

¹¹ And that’s what some of you once were! However, you’ve been washed clean, you’ve been made holy, and you’ve been found righteous through the name of our Lord Yeshua the Anointed and by the Breath of our God.

¹² Yes, everything is legal for me, although not everything is good for me... And even though everything is in fact legal for me, I won’t allow anything to become my master.

¹³ For example:

Food is for the belly and the belly is for food. However, God is going to bring [both] to nothing.

The same is true of the body… The body isn’t for sexual immorality, it’s for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. ¹⁴ Therefore, just as God raised our Lord, He will use His powers to raise us.

¹⁵ Don’t you know that your bodies are all a part of the Anointed One? [And if this is so,] should I take one of the Anointed One’s body parts and give it to a whore?

Never!

¹⁶ For anyone who joins himself to a whore becomes one with her body, since [God] said:

‘The two will become one flesh.’ [Genesis 2:24]

¹⁷ Understand that those who share his Spirit are really in the Lord, ¹⁸ and this is why you should flee from sexual immorality!

Now, every other sin that a man commits is outside of his body; but when he has immoral sex, he’s sinning against his own body! ¹⁹ And don’t you realize that your bodies are the temple sanctuary of the Holy Breath within you which you received from God?

So you no longer belong to yourselves, ²⁰ since you were bought and paid for.

So you must use your bodies to glorify God!

1 Corinthians 7

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¹ Now, concerning those things that you wrote to me about [when you said]:

‘It’s best for a husband to not touch [his] wife.’

² However, [I say,] because of all the immorality, each man should be allowed to have his own wife and each woman her own husband. ³ Then every man should give his wife what she’s due, and every woman should do the same for her husband.

⁴ Wives don’t have authority over their own bodies, their husbands do, and men don’t have authority over their own bodies, their wives do. ⁵ So you shouldn’t deprive each other, except for set periods that you may agree on to devote time to prayer… Then you may come together again. No – don’t allow the Opposer to tempt you by your lack of self control.

⁶ However, this is just my opinion, not a command.

⁷ I wish that all of you were just like me! However, everyone has his own gift from God, and each in a different way. ⁸ So I’m telling unmarried people and widows that it’s best for them to be like me. ⁹ But if they don’t have self-control, let them marry, because it’s better to marry than to burn with passion.

¹⁰ To married people I give this warning (not really me, but the Lord):

A woman shouldn’t leave her husband.

¹¹ But if she does, she must either remain unmarried or make up with him… And the men shouldn’t leave their wives.

¹² To the rest I say this (yes me, not the Lord):

If any brother has an unbelieving wife that agrees to live with him, he should never leave her. ¹³ And if a woman has an unbelieving husband that agrees to live with her, she shouldn’t leave him, ¹⁴ because the woman makes [her] unbelieving husband holy, and the brother makes [his] unbelieving wife holy. Otherwise, their children would be unclean… But now they’re holy.

¹⁵ However, if the unbelieving one wants to leave, let him go, because a brother or a sister isn’t a slave to such matters, since God has called us to peace.

¹⁶ But woman:

How do you know that you won’t save your husband?

Man:

How do you know that you won’t save your wife?

¹⁷ Except, go on in the same way that God gave to you when Yahweh called you. That’s the command I give in all the congregations.

¹⁸ Has a circumcised man been called? Then he shouldn’t act like someone who’s uncircumcised.

Has an uncircumcised man been called? Then he shouldn’t be circumcised.

¹⁹ For being circumcised doesn’t mean anything, and being uncircumcised doesn’t mean anything either – [what’s important] is obeying God’s commandments! ²⁰ So it doesn’t matter what state you were in when you were called… Just stay that way!

²¹ Were you called when you were a slave?

Don’t let that bother you… But if you can become free, seize the opportunity, ²² because anyone in the Lord who was called [when he was] a slave has already become a free man in the Lord.

And anyone who was free when he was called has become a slave of the Anointed One. ²³ So, since you’ve already been bought and paid for, stop becoming slaves to men!

²⁴ Therefore, brothers, it doesn’t matter what condition each [of you] were in when you were called… Just stay that way, living to God.

²⁵ Now, when it comes to virgins, I don’t have any commands from the Lord. However, I’ll give you my own opinion (as one who by the Lord’s mercy, has been faithful):

²⁶ I think that it’s best for anyone who’s had a reason to stay one way, to continue as he [or she] is. ²⁷ [For example], are you tied to a wife? Stop trying to get free! Are you free from a wife? Stop searching for a wife! ²⁸ However, even if you marry, you aren’t sinning. And if a virgin marries, she hasn’t sinned.

Remember that those who [marry] will have fleshly problems, and I’m just trying to save you [from this].

²⁹ Let me say this, brothers… The season has been shortened! Therefore:

Let those who have women act as though they have none;

³⁰ Let those who are crying act like those who don’t cry;

Let those who are rejoicing act like those who don’t rejoice;

Let those who are buying act like those who own nothing;

³¹ And let those who are using this system of things act like those who don’t use it…

Because the ways of this world are about to change.

³² [You see], I don’t want you to worry about anything. A single man worries about the things of the Lord and winning His approval, ³³ while a married man worries about worldly things and winning his woman’s approval… So he’s divided.

³⁴ Also, single women and virgins just worry about the things of the Lord… About how they can be holy in their bodies and the type of people who they are on the inside. However, a married woman must worry about worldly things and winning the approval of her man.

³⁵ Now, I’m just describing the best situation… I’m not trying to ‘hang’ you, I’m just trying to move you to do things that work out well and sit well with the Lord, and which won’t distract you.

³⁶ But if anyone thinks his virginity isn’t working out and he’s past the bloom of youth, this is what should happen:

Allow him to do whatever he wishes, for he isn’t sinning if he marries! ³⁷ However, if someone is settled in heart, doesn’t have any [sexual] needs, has self-control, and has decided in his heart to keep his virginity, he’ll do better.

³⁸ Yes, although the one who gives up his [or her] virginity and marries does well, the one who doesn’t marry does better. ³⁹ For a woman is tied down as long as her man’s alive. But if her man falls asleep [in death], she can marry whomever she wants (but only in the Lord).

⁴⁰ However, in my opinion she’ll be happier if she stays [single]… And I consider myself as having God’s Spirit.

1 Corinthians 8

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¹ Now, regarding things that have been sacrificed to idols:

We realize that everyone knows something [about this]… However, knowledge puffs up, while love builds up. ² So if anyone thinks he already knows everything about this, he doesn’t really understand it as well as he should yet… ³ And God knows those who truly love Him.

⁴ Yes, when it comes to eating food that has been offered to idols, we know that this world’s idols aren’t real; there’s no God but the [true] One... ⁵ And although there are some who are called ‘gods’ (whether heavenly or earthly, for there are many ‘gods’ and many ‘lords’), ⁶ we only have one God –the Father– from whom everything came, and we’re in Him.

There’s also just one Lord, Yeshua the Anointed; everything is in his hand, and we are in his hand too.[Syr] [see translator note]

⁷ However, not everyone fully understands this yet. For up until now, some [Christians] have followed the practice of [buying and] eating food that’s been [previously] sacrificed to idols… And this has damaged their consciences and made them [spiritually] weak. ⁸ But understand that what we eat doesn’t really affect our standing with God; so if we choose not to eat [food that was previously sacrificed to idols], we aren’t sinning… Nor will we be blest if we eat it.

⁹ But be careful that this power of yours doesn’t become a trap to those who are [spiritually] weak!

¹⁰ Because, if anyone sees you (the one who knows) dining in an idol’s temple... {Look!} Won’t the [spiritually] weak one’s conscience be emboldened to eat what’s sacrificed [to idols]? ¹¹  And then, because of your knowledge, this [spiritually] weak man –your brother, for whom the Anointed One died– may be lost [back to idol worship]! ¹² If you sin against your brother in this way and assault his weak conscience, you are [in fact] sinning against the Anointed One.

¹³ Therefore, if food is a trap to my brother, I’ll won’t eat [such] meat throughout [the rest of] the age, so that I won’t turn myself into a snare for my brother!

1 Corinthians 9

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¹ Am I not free?

Am I not an Apostle?

Haven’t I seen our Lord Yeshua, and aren’t you my works in the Lord?

² If I weren’t an Apostle to all the rest, I certainly am to you, because you’re the seal that confirms my Apostleship in the Lord!

³ So I say this in my defense before those who would judge me:

⁴ I can eat or drink whatever I wish, ⁵ and I could also take a sister as my wife [if I wished], as did the other Apostles, the Lord’s brothers, and Cephas (Peter).

⁶ And are BarNabas and I [the only Apostles] that should have to work for a living? ⁷ For, who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and doesn’t eat its fruit? And who shepherds a flock and doesn’t drink some of the [sheep’s] milk?

⁸ Is this just human reasoning, or doesn’t the Law tell us the same thing? ⁹ For it’s written in the Law of Moses:

‘You must not muzzle a bull when it’s threshing the grain.’ [Deuteronomy 25:4]

So does God just care about bulls, ¹⁰ or didn’t he say that for all of our sakes? Really, it was written for all of us, because the man who plows ought to plow in hope, and the man who threshes ought to do so in hope of eating [the grain].

¹¹ Therefore, if we’ve planted things of the Spirit within you, is it such a big thing for us to harvest things of the flesh from you? ¹² And if the people you work for are benefiting from your efforts, shouldn’t we [benefit] from them even more?

Yet, we haven’t really used the [full] authority that we have, for we’ve been taking care of ourselves so that we don’t get in the way of the good news about the Anointed One.

¹³ Don’t you know that those who serve in the Temple also eat the things that are [contributed], and that those who serve at the Altar also share in the things that are sacrificed there? ¹⁴ So the Lord meant for those who preach the good news to be provided for by means of this good news.

¹⁵ However, I haven’t used any of these provisions, and I’m not writing this so that will to happen to me… For I’d rather die than allow someone to take away my reason for boasting!

¹⁶ Now, there’s no reason for me to boast when it comes to preaching the good news, because it’s something that I must to do… In fact, woe to me if I don’t preach the good news!

¹⁷ For if I do this willingly, I’ll receive my wages. However, if I don’t do it willingly, it’s still my assignment.

¹⁸ Therefore, what’s my reward?

It’s my ability to preach the good news free of charge.

And by doing this, I’m not abusing the authority that I have in the good news, ¹⁹ which leaves me free from being indebted to anyone. Yes, I’ve made myself a slave to everyone so that I can gain more.

²⁰ I became a Jew to Jews, so I could gain Jews;

I became as under the Law to those who are under the Law (although I’m not under the Law), so I could gain those who are under the Law;

²¹ I became like someone who’s without the Law to those who aren’t under the Law (although I’m not without law towards God, and I’m under the law of the Anointed One), so I could gain those who are without the Law;

²² And I became weak to those who are weak, so I could gain the weak.

Yes, I’ve become everything to everyone and used every means to save some of them, ²³ doing it all for the sake of the good news, so that I might share it with others!

²⁴ Don’t you know that even though everyone who [enters a] race in the stadium must run, only one gets the prize?

So, run to win!

²⁵ Also, every fighter has to maintain full control of himself just to win a garland that rots away… But we’ll receive something that doesn’t rot.

²⁶ As a result, I’m not running timidly nor am I just swinging my arms; I’m boxing! ²⁷ I beat my body and treat it like a slave, so that after I’ve preached to others, I won’t be rejected!

1 Corinthians 10

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¹ Now, I don’t want you to miss this point, brothers:

Our ancestors were under the cloud and they all passed through the sea, ² so they were all ‘immersed’ into Moses because of the cloud and the sea.

³ Also, they all ate the same food from [God’s] Spirit, ⁴ and they all drank the same spiritual drink, because they drank from the spirit of the rock… And that rock was the Anointed One.

⁵ However, because God wasn’t pleased with most of them, He left [their bodies] spread across the desert.

⁶ Now, things like this should serve as examples to us, so we won’t become people who desire bad things as they did… ⁷ We don’t want to become idol worshipers, as some of them did!

Notice that it’s written:

‘The people sat down to eat and drink, and then they got up to play.’ [Exodus 32:6]

⁸ So we shouldn’t commit sexual immorality as some of them did, because 23,000 of them fell in just one day! ⁹ Also, we don’t want to put Yahweh to the test as some of them did, because they were destroyed by snakes. ¹⁰ Nor do we want to complain as some of them did, because they were killed by the destroyer!

¹¹ Recognize that the things that happened to them [should serve as] examples to us, for they were written as warnings to us upon whom the end of the age has arrived.

¹² So let those who think they’re standing be careful that they don’t fall! ¹³ For none of you have faced any temptations yet, other than the things that are common to all men.

And since God is faithful, He won’t allow you to be tested beyond what you can bear… For with every temptation, He provides a way out, so you can hang on.

¹⁴ However, my loved ones, flee from idol worship!

¹⁵ And since I’m talking as I would to people with good sense; figure out for yourselves whether the things that I’m saying here are the truth.

¹⁶ Now when we [say a] blessing over the cup of blessings, aren’t we sharing in the blood of the Anointed One? And when we break the loaf, aren’t we sharing in the body of the Anointed One?

¹⁷ So although there are many [of us], there’s just one ‘loaf’… therefore, we’re all one ‘body’, since we all eat from that same ‘loaf.’ ¹⁸ And like in fleshly IsraEl, don’t those who eat the sacrifices also share some of it with the Altar?

¹⁹ So, what am I saying? That idols are anything? Or that things sacrificed to idols are anything?

²⁰ No, I’m telling you that whatever the nations offer as sacrifices are really being offered to the demons, not to God… And I don’t want you to become sharers with the demons! ²¹ For you can’t drink from the cup of the Lord and from the cup of demons, nor can you eat at the table of the Lord and at the table of the demons.

²² We aren’t trying to make the Lord jealous, are we?

We aren’t mightier than he is, are we?

²³ Recognize that although everything is legal [to eat], not everything is good for us [to eat]… Yes, everything is legal, but not everything makes us stronger. ²⁴ So let’s not just be watching out for our own interests, but [for the best interests] of others.

²⁵ The fact is, you can eat whatever’s sold at the meat markets without it bothering your consciences, ²⁶ for the earth and everything in it belongs to the Lord. ²⁷ And if an unbeliever invites you [for a meal] and you wish to accept, you can eat whatever is set before you and not let it bother your consciences.

²⁸ But if someone should say, ‘This was offered as a sacrifice,’ then don’t eat it.

You should do this for the sake of the one who said that, because of conscience… ²⁹ Not your conscience, but that of the other person.

But [you might ask], ‘Why should I let anyone else judge my freedom? ³⁰ If I’m eating thankfully, why should I be slandered over something for which I’ve given thanks?’

³¹ Well, whether you’re eating, drinking, or doing anything else, you should be doing everything for God’s glory!

³² So you shouldn’t want to do anything that would stumble Jews, Greeks, or the Called Ones of God. ³³ And this is why I’m trying to please everybody in everything and not just doing what’s best for myself… I’m [trying to do] what’s best for others... So I can save them!

1 Corinthians 11

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¹ I’m asking you to imitate me as I’m [imitating] the Anointed One.

² I also want to praise you for remembering me and all the things that I’ve given to you, as well as for holding onto the things that I taught you.

³ However, I want you to recognize this:

• The head and origin of the woman is the man,

• The head and origin of every man is the Anointed One, and

• The head and origin of the Anointed One is God.

⁴ So, every man who prays or prophesies with something on his head shames his head and origin. ⁵ And every woman who prays or prophesies without something on her head shames her head and origin, for it’s the same as if her head was shaved.

⁶ Indeed, if a woman doesn’t wish to cover her head, she should have her hair cut off. But if cutting her hair short or shaving her head would shame a woman, then she should cover her head.

⁷ However, a man shouldn’t cover his head, since he [was created in] the image and glory of God, while a woman is the glory of man. ⁸ For the man didn’t come from the woman, the woman came from the man. ⁹ Also, the man wasn’t created for the woman, the woman [was created] for the man.

¹⁰ So, that’s why the woman should have [a sign of] authority on her head… As well as [for the sake of God’s] messengers.

¹¹ Yet there really isn’t any difference between males and females in the Lord. ¹² For as the female came through the male, the male came through the female… Although everything really comes from God. ¹³ So, judge it for yourselves – is it appropriate for a woman to pray before God with no covering?

¹⁴ Well, doesn’t physical nature teach us that if a man has long hair it dishonors him, ¹⁵ but if a woman has long hair it glorifies her? Yes, because women were given hair to act as a covering.

¹⁶ However if anyone wants to argue about this, well, we have no such custom, and nor does the congregation of God.

¹⁷ But when it comes to your meetings, I’m not praising anyone, for they seem to be doing more harm than good!

¹⁸ First of all, I hear that when you meet as a congregation, there are divisions among you… And I believe that’s partly true, ¹⁹ because there has to be strife among you in order to clearly identify those who are approved.

²⁰ Therefore, when you meet up on the Lord’s day, you don’t eat and drink in a fitting way. ²¹ [I hear that] some of you [bring your own meals] and eat before others do, while others go hungry – and some are drunk!

²² Don’t you have homes where you can eat and drink? Or are you condemning the congregation of God by shaming those who don’t have anything?

What should I say to you? Should I praise you for this?

No, I don’t praise you!

²³ Let me tell you something that I received from the Lord, and which I want to share with you:

The Lord Yeshua (on the very night that he was going to be handed over) took a loaf, ²⁴ and after giving thanks he broke it and said:

‘This is my body that I’m giving for you.

Keep on doing this in remembrance of me.’

²⁵ And after the meal he did the same thing with the cup, saying:

‘In this cup is the blood of my New Sacred Agreement.

Keep on doing this… And as often as you drink it, think of me.’

²⁶ Therefore, as often as you eat from the loaf and drink from the cup, you’ll keep proclaiming the death of the Lord until he arrives.

²⁷ But recognize that anyone who eats the loaf and drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy condition will also be judged by the Lord’s body and blood. ²⁸ So each person should examine himself before eating from the loaf or drinking from the cup. ²⁹ For those who eat and drink unworthily are eating and drinking condemnation upon themselves if they don’t recognize that this is [not ordinary food and drink, but] the Lord’s body!

³⁰ This is why so many of you are [spiritually] weak and unhealthy… And quite a few have ‘fallen asleep!’

³¹ Understand that if you would judge yourselves, you wouldn’t have to be judged. ³² But [if you leave that] judgment to the Lord, you’ll have to be disciplined so that you aren’t condemned along with this system of things!

³³ Therefore, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for each other. ³⁴ And if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so you don’t meet for judgment.

As for the rest of the matters, I’ll straighten them out when I get there.

1 Corinthians 12

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¹ Now brothers, I don’t want you to be ignorant when it comes to spiritual things. ² For you know that when you were impious, you were led to be followers of dumb idols.

³ But I want you to understand that nobody speaking through the power of Yahweh’s Breath can say that Yeshua is cursed; likewise, nobody can say that Yeshua is Lord, except by Holy Spirit.

⁴ For no matter how many types of gifts there are, they all come from the same Breath. ⁵ And no matter how many types of services there are, [they all come from] the same Lord. ⁶ So, although there are many way in which it manifests [itself], they all come from the same God who provides the outworking of everything for each person, ⁷  so that each man has the Breath revealed and given [to him] in order to help him.

⁸ Therefore, via the same Breath, one person is given words of wisdom, while someone else is given words of knowledge. ⁹ It gives words of faith to some, while others get the gift of healing, ¹⁰ or the ability to perform powerful deeds, or of prophesying, or of distinguishing different spirits, or of speaking different languages, or of interpreting the languages…

¹¹ Yet, they all come from the same Spirit, which works in many ways (as it wishes) through each person.

¹² So, just as the body is a single thing that has many members, and all the members (while being many) make up that one body… This is how the Anointed One is. ¹³ For through the same Spirit we were all immersed into that one body, whether we’re Jews or Greeks, slaves or free men… And we were all made to drink from this same Spirit.

¹⁴ Therefore, you should understand that this body isn’t just one part, but many. ¹⁵ So if the foot should say, ‘Because I’m not a hand, I’m no part of the body,’ that doesn’t mean it’s no part of the body.

¹⁶ And if the ear should say, ‘Because I’m not an eye, I’m no part of the body,’ that doesn’t mean it’s no part of the body either.

¹⁷ For if the whole body were just an eye, how would it hear? And if it could just hear, where would the sense of smell be?

¹⁸ Therefore, God has placed each part in the body as He pleases. ¹⁹ For if all parts were the same, how could there be a body?

²⁰ So understand that although there are many body parts, there’s just one body. ²¹ The eye can’t say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you,’ nor can the head say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you.’

²² And notice that the weaker each body part seems to be, the more it is needed.

²³ For the body parts that we consider the least honorable are those which we surround with the most honor. And our unattractive parts were made more attractive ²⁴ because our attractive parts don’t need any help.

When God assembled the body, He gave more honor to the parts that have less ²⁵ so that there would be no divisions in the body, and all the parts would show the same loving care for each other.

²⁶ As a result, if one body part suffers, all the other body parts suffer along with it. Or if a body part is glorified, all the other body parts rejoice along with it.

²⁷ Therefore, you should realize that you’re all the Anointed One’s ‘body’ and ‘body parts,’ ²⁸ and that God has designated each of your places in the congregation… First the Apostles, second the Prophets, and third the teachers. Then come [those with] powerful works, or the gifts of healing, or performing helpful services, or the ability to direct, or speaking different languages.

²⁹ Not all are Apostles, are they?
Not all are Prophets, are they?
Not all are teachers, are they?
Not all can perform powerful works, can they?
³⁰ And not all have the gift of healing, or can speak different languages, or can serve as translators.

³¹ However, zealously keep seeking the greater gifts.

But now I’m going to show you something that’s even better.

1 Corinthians 13

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¹ If I could speak the languages of both men and angels but didn’t have love, I’d be the sound of [clanging] brass or of a clashing cymbal.

² If I could prophesy, understand all the mysteries, had all knowledge and enough faith to move mountains, but didn’t have love, I’d be nothing at all.

³ And if I were to give everything that I own to feed the poor, or hand over my body so that I could boast... But didn’t have love, none of this would have any value.

⁴ However, love is patient and kind. It isn’t envious, it doesn’t brag, it isn’t conceited, ⁵ it doesn’t act shamefully, it doesn’t watch out for just itself, it isn’t easily provoked to anger, it doesn’t like evil, ⁶ and it doesn’t rejoice over unrighteous things, rather, it rejoices in truth.

⁷ It endures everything, believes everything, hopes everything, and carries everything…

⁸ Love never fails!

But the [gift of] prophesying will be done away with,

The [gift of] speaking [in foreign] languages will end,

And the [gift of miraculous] knowledge will pass away...

⁹ Because we now have just a partial knowledge and we can only prophesy partially. ¹⁰ However, when the perfect thing arrives, the partial thing will be done away with.

¹¹ Back when I was a baby, I talked like a baby, thought like a baby, and reasoned like a baby. But now that I’ve become a [grown] man, I’m finished with baby’s things.

¹² So the things we see here today are like looking into a metal mirror… However, then it’ll be face to face! And although I can only understand partially now… Then I’ll have a complete understanding and I’ll be completely understood!

¹³ And at that time, only these three things will remain: faith, hope, and love.

And the greatest of them is love.

1 Corinthians 14

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¹ Therefore, we should [all be] pursuing love, as we also zealously seek the [gifts] of the Spirit… And I prefer that you prophesy.

² For those who speak in tongues aren’t talking to men but to God, since nobody else is listening… So by the Spirit they’re speaking mysteries. ³ On the other hand, those who prophesy are building up, encouraging, and bringing comfort to others.

⁴ So while the one who speaks in tongues builds himself up, the one who prophesies builds up [the whole] congregation.

⁵ While I would like all of you to [be able to] speak in tongues, I’d prefer that you prophesy, because the one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues… Unless he can also translate, so the whole congregation can be built up.

⁶ Brothers, if I were to come to you right now and speak to you in a foreign tongue... What good would it do if I didn’t also speak to you with a revelation? Or with knowledge? Or with a prophecy? Or with something that I can teach you?

⁷ It’s the same as with inanimate things that make sounds, like flutes or harps. If you can’t distinguish the difference between the notes, how can you tell what’s being played? ⁸ If a trumpet blows an unrecognizable signal, who’ll prepare for war?

⁹ So unless you use your tongues to say things that are easily understood, how will anyone know what you’re saying?

You will, for a fact, just be speaking into the air!

¹⁰ There are many kinds of vocalizations in the world, and they all mean something. ¹¹ However, if I don’t understand the meaning of the sound, I’m a foreigner to the one who’s speaking, and the one who’s speaking will be a foreigner to me.

¹² Therefore, if you have a zeal for the Spirit, use it in ways to build up the congregation, so that everyone can prosper… ¹³ Let the one who speaks in tongues pray that he can also translate! ¹⁴ For when I pray in a foreign language, although my spirit may be praying, my mind isn’t receiving any benefit.

¹⁵ Then, what should we do?

If I pray by the Spirit, I’ll also pray in my mind. And if I sing praises by the Spirit, I’ll sing praises in my mind.

¹⁶ For if we’re only offering praise by the Spirit, how will any ordinary man who’s there and doesn’t understand us say, ‘May it be so,’ when we’re giving thanks? ¹⁷ For even though it may be true that we’re giving thanks in a fine way, this person isn’t being built up.

¹⁸ I thank God that I can speak more languages than all of you.

¹⁹ However, I’d rather speak 5 words using my mind so that I can teach others when I’m in a congregation, than 10,000 words in a foreign language.

²⁰ Brothers, don’t be like children when it comes to [using] the power of your minds… Be babies when it comes to badness, as you perfect your abilities to reason!

²¹ For it’s written in the Law:

‘‘Even though I speak to these people in other tongues and with other lips... They still won’t listen to me,’ says Yahweh.’ [Isaiah 28:11-12]

²² Understand that speaking in a foreign tongue isn’t a sign to unbelievers, but to believers, while prophesying isn’t for believers, it’s for unbelievers. [see translator note]

²³ [For example:] If the whole congregation is speaking in tongues when some ordinary person or unbeliever comes into your meeting place, won’t he just think you’re crazy?

²⁴ However, if everyone is prophesying when an unbeliever or ordinary person enters, he’s corrected and judged by them all. ²⁵ Then, as the secrets in his heart are revealed, he will fall to his face before God and say:

‘God is truly among you!’

²⁶ Therefore, what should happen, brothers?

When you’re meeting, one should have a psalm, another should have a teaching, another should have a revelation, and another should speak in a foreign language… That is, as long as someone else interprets it. Because, everything that’s done there should be for [the purpose of] building up!

²⁷ So if some are speaking in tongues, limit it to two or three at the most, and do it in turns, and then have someone do the translating.

²⁸ However, if no one can translate it, such people should be silent in the congregation, speaking just to themselves and to God.

²⁹ Let two or three prophets speak instead, and allow the rest to judge the meaning of what they’re saying.

³⁰ Then if someone else has a revelation while he’s sitting there, the first one should [yield to him]. ³¹ This way, when each of them prophesy in turns, everyone can learn and be encouraged.

³² For the breaths of the prophets should be controlled by the prophets [themselves], ³³ because God doesn’t send us confusion, [He sends] peace, as in all the congregations of Holy Ones.

³⁴ The women should remain silent in the congregation… They shouldn’t be allowed to speak out. Rather (as the Law says), they should be submissive. ³⁵ And if they wish to know something, let them ask their men [when they get] home; for it’s disgraceful for a woman to speak out in a congregation. [likely spurious]

³⁶ Or [do you think that] the Word of God is coming from just you, and that you’re the only one who understands it?

³⁷ Well, if someone thinks he’s a prophet and that he’s under the influence of [God’s] Spirit, then he should agree with these things that I’m writing to you, because these are the Lord’s commandments!

³⁸ However, if there are those who choose to be ignorant, let them remain ignorant.

³⁹ My brothers, keep on zealously seeking the [gift of] prophesying, but don’t forbid the speaking in tongues. ⁴⁰ Just make sure that everything is conducted in a tasteful and orderly way.

1 Corinthians 15

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¹ Now brothers, I want you to understand this about the good news that I preached to you (which you received, in which you’re standing, ² and through which you’re being saved):

If you’re still holding onto this good news that I preached to you, your faith hasn’t been wasted. ³ Because what I passed along to you was the first thing that I learned, that the Anointed One died for our sins (just as the Scriptures foretold), ⁴ and he was buried and then raised on the third day ⁵ when he appeared first to Cephas (Peter), then to the rest of the twelve.

⁶ After that, he appeared to more than 500 brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive today (although some have ‘fallen asleep’), ⁷ and he appeared to James and to all the Apostles.

⁸ But lastly – like some miscarriage – he appeared to me… ⁹ For I’m the least of the Apostles, and I’m unfit to even be called an Apostle, because I persecuted the Called Ones of God.

¹⁰ Yet, through the loving care of God, I am what I am. And the loving-care that He showed me hasn’t been wasted, because I’ve worked harder than all the rest… And not just for my own benefit, but because of God’s loving care that’s now in me.

¹¹ However, whether it was from me or from some other source, we’ve all preached and you’ve believed.

¹² Now, if we’re preaching that the Anointed One was raised from the dead, then, why are some of you saying that there’s no resurrection of the dead?

¹³ For if there was no resurrection of the dead, then the Anointed One couldn’t have been raised either!

¹⁴ And if the Anointed One hasn’t been raised, our preaching and our faith is all in vain!

¹⁵ Yes, we’ve proven to be false witnesses of God, because we’ve testified concerning God that He raised the Anointed One… Who couldn’t really have been raised at all, if the dead won’t be raised!

¹⁶ Indeed, if the dead won’t be raised, the Anointed One hasn’t been raised either!

¹⁷ And if the Anointed One hasn’t been raised, our faith is useless and we’re all still sinners.

¹⁸ Also, all those who’ve fallen asleep in the Anointed One are just gone!

¹⁹ Then if we’ve been putting our hope in the Anointed One when this life is all that there is, we’re the most pitiable of all men!

²⁰ However, the Anointed One has been raised from the dead, and he’s the first fruit of those who have fallen asleep [in death].

²¹ For even though death came through a man, resurrection from the dead has also come through a man. ²² And as all are dying because of Adam, all will be made alive in the Anointed One… ²³ But each one in his own order, [starting with] the first fruits of the Anointed One, followed by those who belong to the Anointed One when he arrives.

²⁴ Then, in the end, after he’s brought all governments, authorities, and powers to nothing, he will hand over the Kingdom to his God and Father. ²⁵ For he must rule [as king] until he’s put all his enemies under his feet ²⁶ and the final enemy, the death, has been brought to an end.

²⁷ Yes, he will indeed put everything under his feet!

However, when it says that everything will be put under his feet, it’s evident that the exception is the One who put everything under him.

²⁸ For after everything has been put under him, the Son will submit to the One who put everything under him, so that God can be everything to everyone.

²⁹ Also, if none of the dead will be raised, then what will those who are immersed for the dead do? Yes, why are they immersed for the dead? [possible spurious text] ³⁰ why are we in danger all the time?

³¹ For I’m [close to] dying every day just to prove that you’re worthy of all my boasting about you… You whom I [call] my brothers through the Anointed Yeshua our Lord.

³² And if the dead aren’t going to be raised, and if it was just as a man that I fought wild animals at Ephesus, what good did it do me?

Why not rather say, ‘Let’s eat and drink, for tomorrow we’ll die’?

³³ So, don’t allow [anyone] to mislead you about this… Remember:

‘Evil communications corrupt good morals!’

³⁴ Brothers, become more serious about your righteousness and stop sinning! For some [of you actually] know nothing at all about God… Yes, I’m saying this to embarrass you!

³⁵ Because, some have been asking:

‘Just how will the dead be raised… In what sort of bodies will they return?’

³⁶ You foolish people! Those who plant seeds know that they can’t live unless they ‘die’ first. ³⁷ For whatever is planted isn’t the body that it’s going to become… It’s just a naked grain of wheat, or whatever.

³⁸ So understand that God will give us any [type of] body that He wishes, just as He gives each seed its own body.

³⁹ Realize that not all flesh is the same.

There’s one type of flesh of men, another of cattle, another of birds, and another of fish. ⁴⁰ There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies… And the glory of heavenly bodies is different from that of earthly bodies. ⁴¹ The glory of the sun is one type, the glory of the moon is another, and the glory of the stars is yet another.

In fact, stars differ from other stars in their glory.

⁴² So, that’s how it’ll be with the resurrection of the dead:

It’s planted in decay and then raised as clean.

⁴³ It’s planted without honor, and then raised in glory.

It’s planted as weak, and then raised in power.

⁴⁴ Therefore, what’s planted as the body of something that breathes will be raised as a spiritual body… As there’s a breather’s body, there’s also a spiritual [one].

⁴⁵ It’s written that the first man (Adam) became a living soul.
However, the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
⁴⁶ Thus the first [body] is human, not spiritual, for the spiritual one comes later.

⁴⁷ Likewise, as the first man came from the dust of the ground and the second man came from the Lord of heaven, ⁴⁸ those who come from the dust are like the one who came from the dust, while those who are heavenly are like the heavenly one.

⁴⁹ Therefore, as we’ve worn the shape of the one who was made from the dust of the ground, we’ll also wear the image of the Celestial One.

⁵⁰ Let me tell you this, brothers:

Flesh and blood can’t inherit God’s Kingdom, nor can [something] that’s corruptible inherit something that’s incorruptible.

⁵¹ Look, I’m going to explain a mystery to you:

Not all of us will be laid to rest. Rather, we’ll be changed ⁵² in a moment – in the twinkling of an eye – during the last trumpet! For the trumpet will be blown and the dead will be raised incorruptible… Yes, we’ll be changed.

⁵³ Then that which is corruptible will put on incorruptibility, and that which is dying will put on immortality. ⁵⁴ But when that which is dying puts on immortality, the words that were written will be fulfilled:

‘Death, which prevails, will be swallowed.’ [Isaiah 25:8]

⁵⁵ So, where is your victory, O death… Yes, where is your sting, O death?

⁵⁶ The sting that brings death is sin, and the power for sin comes from the Law. ⁵⁷ But thanks to God that each of us will see victory through our Lord Yeshua the Anointed One!

⁵⁸ Therefore, my beloved brothers:

Become settled, immovable, and always have an abundance of the Lord’s work to do, knowing that with Yahweh, your hard work is never in vain.

1 Corinthians 16

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¹ Now, regarding the collection for the Holy Ones:

I want you to do the same thing that I told the congregations in Galatia. ² On each Sabbath day, you should set something aside in your savings, since you’re prospering, so we won’t have to take up a collection after I arrive.

³ Then, when I get there, I'll send whichever men you choose to carry your kind gift to JeruSalem along with a letter. ⁴ And if I’m found worthy to go myself, they can travel with me.

⁵ I’ll come to [visit] you after I go to Macedonia, because I have to travel through Macedonia. ⁶ And if things turn out well, perhaps I can stay [with you] for a while, or even spend the winter with you. Then you can escort me part of the way to wherever I’ll be going [next].

⁷ I don’t want to see you as I’m passing through right now, because I hope to spend more time with you, if my Lord allows it. ⁸ I’ll be staying in Ephesus until Pentecost, ⁹ because a large door of opportunity has opened to me there. However, there are also many opposers.

¹⁰ When Timothy gets there, make sure that he has nothing to fear while he’s with you, because he’s doing the Lord’s work the same as I am.

¹¹ Don’t allow anyone to treat him disrespectfully!

Then escort him part of the way in peace so that he can come here to me, because I’m waiting for him with the brothers.

¹² Now, regarding our brother Apollos:

I begged him to come to you with the brothers, but he doesn’t want to do that right now. However, he’ll come when he has the opportunity.

¹³ So, stay awake, stand firm in the faith, carry on as men, and grow mighty. ¹⁴ And may everything that you do be accomplished in love.

¹⁵ Now, I want to encourage you to do this, brothers:

You know that the household of Stephanas is the first fruit of Achaia, and that they’ve been serving the needs of the Holy Ones. ¹⁶ Follow the instructions of such people, and all of you should labor and work hard together.

¹⁷ I’m very grateful that Stephanas, Fortunatus, and AchaiKus are here, because they’ve made up for your not being here. ¹⁸ Since they’re a breath of fresh air in my life and in yours, give special recognition to such men.

¹⁹ The congregations of [the Province of] Asia send you their greetings.

Aquila, Priska, and the called ones in their home send you hearty greetings in the Lord. ²⁰ In fact, all the brothers send their greetings!

So, greet each other with a holy kiss.

²¹ [Here are] my (Paul’s) greetings, written in my own hand.

²² May all those who don’t care for the Lord be cursed!

Come, O Lord!

²³ May the loving care of the Lord Yeshua be with you, ²⁴ and may my love be with all of you, in the Anointed Yeshua.

2 Corinthians

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A letter from the Apostle Paul and Timothy to the congregation in Corinth, Greece.

It was probably written through a secretary (possibly Timothy), perhaps originally in Aramaic, and likely in within months after the writing of 1 Corinthians – so around 48 or 49 CE.

2 Corinthians 1

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¹ Paul, an Apostle of the Anointed Yeshua (by God’s Will), and our brother Timothy, to God’s congregation in Corinth (and to all the Holy Ones throughout Achaia):

² May loving care and peace from God (our Father) and from our Lord Yeshua (the Anointed One), be with you!

³ May God, the Father of our Lord Yeshua the Anointed One be praised! Yes, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort!

⁴ [Yes, He] comforts us during all our troubles, so we, in turn, can use that same comfort from God to comfort others.

⁵ For just as we [experience] plenty of suffering [because] of the Anointed One, we also [experience] plenty of comfort through the Anointed One.

⁶ But if we’re suffering, then [it just means that] we’re suffering for your [eventual] comfort and salvation.[Syr] And if we’re comforted, it’s so you’re comforted too – so you can have the endurance [needed] to put up with the same trials that we suffer.

⁷ So we have great confidence in you, because we know that if you share in the suffering, you’ll also share in the comfort.

⁸ Brothers, I want to tell you about the trouble we experienced[Syr] in [the province of] Asia. We were under enormous pressure, far beyond our ability to cope, to the point where we actually thought that we were going to die. ⁹ In fact, we [decided that] our lives were over, so we [resolved] not to trust in ourselves, but rather in The God who raises the dead, ¹⁰ who, [in the end] did rescue us from certain death[Syr]... And we hope, will rescue us again [in the future]!

¹¹ You can help us out [in this matter] by praying for us – [because then,] His gift to us can be a kindness performed for many people, and [also] many people will thank Him for us.

¹² We can take pride in what our consciences testify – that thanks to God’s loving care, we’ve conducted ourselves in this system of things decently and with sincerity (especially towards you) and not with human wisdom.

¹³ Now, we’re not writing to you about anything that you don’t already know about and understand... And I hope that you’ll keep on recognizing right up until the end ¹⁴ that, just as you’ve (partially) acknowledged that we’re something you can boast about – well, [you’ll be something to boast about] for us too, in the Day of our Lord Yeshua.

¹⁵ So it’s with this confidence that I wanted to come to you… Doubling the benefit that you’d receive. ¹⁶ [The plan was] to go past you on my way to Macedonia, and then to visit you on my way back from Macedonia – then have you escort me to Judea.

¹⁷ So, when I considered doing this, was I being rash? On the contrary, I’m considering these fleshly things because it’s [right and] proper[Syr] – so that ‘yes’ [means] ‘yes,’ and ‘no’ [means] ‘no!’ ¹⁸ Yes, you can trust God that we don’t say ‘yes’ and [then say] ‘no.’

¹⁹ After all, the Son of The God, the Anointed Yeshua, about whom we (Silvanus, Timothy, and I) preached to you, wasn’t a ‘yes but no’ person – his ‘yes’ [always] meant ‘yes!’

²⁰ Indeed, all of God’s promises regarding him, the Anointed One,[Syr] are ‘yes!’ That’s why we give our ‘May it be so’ through him – to God’s praise.

²¹ But it’s God Himself who establishes us (and you also) in the Anointed One, and who anointed us, ²² sealed us, and gave the guarantee [that we’d receive His] Spirit in our hearts.

²³ But I swear on my life to God, that [the reason] I haven’t come to [you in] Corinth yet is to spare you [the experience]... ²⁴ Not that we’re the masters of your faith – rather, we’re [just] your cheerful helpers[Syr]. Indeed, you stand upon [your own] faith.

2 Corinthians 2

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¹ I’ve decided not to come to you again as long as I’m feeling sad [about you]. ² For if I’ve made you sad, then who’ll [be there to] cheer me up, other than those I’ve saddened?

³ As a result, I’m writing this [letter], so that when I do come [to visit you], those who should be making me happy won’t sadden me [instead]; but I’m confident in all of you – you’re all my joy!

⁴ [The previous time] I wrote you was with great difficulty, pain of heart, and with tears. It wasn’t to make you sad, but rather to let you know what great love I have for you.

⁵ But if any man has saddened [others], then he hasn’t [just] saddened me, but more-or-less all of you! Therefore, the message [I have] won’t be too harsh. ⁶ Yes, the rebuke [he’s had] from most of you is enough. ⁷ Therefore, it’s now proper for you to instead forgive him and comfort him, so that such a man won’t be swallowed up by his deep sadness…

⁸ Yes, I’m telling you to let him know that you love him!

⁹ This is also why I’ve written to you, to test and find out whether you’d listen[Syr] to everything. ¹⁰ But whomever you forgive, I’ll do too!

For when I forgive someone on your behalf before the Anointed One (that is, if I should ever have anything to forgive), ¹¹ it’s so that the Opposer won’t take advantage of us, since we know his schemes.

¹² [Anyway, I wish to tell you that] when I arrived in Troas to preach the good news about the Anointed One, Yahweh had opened a door [of opportunity] for me there. ¹³ However, I was deeply disturbed by the fact that I couldn’t find my brother Titus, so I left the others and traveled on to Macedonia.

¹⁴ But, thanks to God, He makes us a [public] spectacle the entire time, so, through us, the Anointed One can reveal the [pleasant] perfume of the knowledge of Him everywhere!

¹⁵ Indeed, to God, we’re a pleasant perfume in the Anointed One. As for those being saved and those who are dying, ¹⁶ to these [latter ones], we’re the smell of death [leading] to death, while to those [former ones], the smell of life [leading] to life!

Who else is qualified to do this [work]?

¹⁷ Well, we aren’t like the rest who dilute and weaken[Syr] God’s words[Syr] [like a dishonest merchant does to wine]. No, instead we speak the plain truth[Syr] from God in God’s sight (through the Anointed One).

2 Corinthians 3

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¹ So, do we now have to introduce ourselves to you again, or do we (like some men do) need letters of recommendation written to you, or [perhaps] you could write [a letter of] recommendation for us?

² But you are our letters – written on our hearts, recognized and read by everyone, ³ since you’ve proven to be a ‘letter’ [from] the Anointed One whom we serve. And it’s not written in ink – but in the Living God’s Breath. [Further], it’s not [written] on tablets of stone, but rather on ‘tablets’ of human hearts!

⁴ Indeed, that’s how much confidence we have – thanks to the Anointed One and to God.

⁵ No, we should never think that we’re so good that any of this comes from ourselves! Rather, our ability is from God – ⁶ who made us equal [to the challenge] of being ministers of the New Sacred Agreement which isn’t [made] in writing, but is [made] in [God’s] Breath... Indeed, the writing [of the Jewish Law] kills, while the [God’s] Breath saves!

⁷ So if the ‘ministry of death’ ([which is dedicated] to the writing [of the Jewish Law] engraved in stone), was so glorious that the IsraElites couldn’t even look at Moses because of [God’s] glory [shining] on his face (which stopped)... ⁸ Then how could the ‘ministry of [God’s] Breath’ not be exceptionally glorious?

⁹ Yes, if the ‘ministry of condemnation’ [founded by Moses] was glorious, then how much more should the ‘ministry of righteousness’ excel in glory? ¹⁰ Since what was glorified [back in Moses’ day] isn’t even [particularly] glorious [when] compared to this exceptional glory.

¹¹ So if the thing that’s now abolished was glorious, then what’s still here will be exceptionally glorious!

¹² Therefore, since we have such a hope, we can go around with exceptional confidence,[Syr] ¹³ and not like Moses who had a veil over his face so the IsraElites couldn’t take a good look at what would [only] be abolished in the end. ¹⁴ Instead, they were blinded in their understanding.

And right up until today, whenever the Old Sacred Agreement is read [in the scriptures], that same veil rises up over them – and [the fact that] the Anointed One abolished it isn’t revealed to them. ¹⁵ Yes, whenever Moses is read today, a veil rises up over their hearts, ¹⁶ but whenever one of them turns to Yahweh, the veil is taken away...

¹⁷ But Yahweh is spirit, and wherever Yahweh’s spirit is, there’s freedom...

¹⁸ Therefore, with uncovered faces, we see Yahweh’s glory like it’s in a mirror, in order to thoroughly transform into [reflecting] his likeness – yes, [transforming] from [a human] glory, to a glory like [the glory coming] from Yahweh’s Breath.

2 Corinthians 4

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¹ So, because of this ministry (that we’ve been so mercifully assigned to), we haven’t given up. ² Instead, we’ve given up the things that lead to shame!

No, we aren’t sneaking around, twisting God’s Word! Rather, we’re making the truth known! And in God’s sight, we’re proving ourselves worthy to the minds of all men.

³ So, if the Good News that we bring is hidden in any way, it’s only hidden to those who are dying – ⁴ to the unbelievers – whose minds have been blinded by the god of this age, so that the light of the glorious Good News about the Anointed One (who is the image of The God) is unable to shine through.

⁵ And we aren’t preaching about ourselves, but about the Anointed Yeshua our Lord, but as for us, we’ve become your slaves for Yeshua’s sake... ⁶ Because God (who commanded the light to appear out of the darkness), caused this light of knowledge about the glory of God to shine into our hearts, via the person of Yeshua the Anointed.

⁷ Therefore, we have this treasure stored in ‘clay pottery,’ so that exceptional power may be [shown to come] from God, and not from us.

⁸ Therefore:

Although we’re under pressure in every way, we’re not suffocated.[Syr]

Although we’re beaten up, we’re not conquered.[Syr]

⁹ Although we’re persecuted, we’re not abandoned.

Although we’re knocked down, we don’t die!

¹⁰ For we always bear the death of Yeshua in our bodies, so that Yeshua’s life can also be seen in our bodies. ¹¹ So if we, the living, are handed over to death for Yeshua’s sake… Then the life of Yeshua can be seen in our dying flesh too!

¹² As a result, death is at work in us, while life [is at work] in you.

¹³ Nevertheless, we share the same spirit of faith.

For it’s written:

‘Because I had faith, I spoke.’ [Psalm 116:10, LXX]

Well, we also believe, so we’re speaking too!

¹⁴ Indeed, we know that the One who raised our[Syr] Lord Yeshua [from death], will also, through Yeshua, raise us [from death]... And [when that happens], we’ll be standing there beside you with him![Syr]

¹⁵ Yes, everything is [being done] for you... And when [God’s] loving care grows enormously, by means of many [persons] there’ll be an even greater praise to God’s glory.

¹⁶ That’s why we haven’t worn out!

Even if the man [you see] on the outside is wasting away, the man on the inside is renewed day-by-day. ¹⁷ While our troubles [during] this time are pretty minor and short,[Syr] a great and unending glory is ready for us – [from] age to ages!

¹⁸ So, we shouldn’t enjoy the visible things, but rather, the invisible things! Indeed, you would only see them for a time, but things you can’t see are eternal!

2 Corinthians 5

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¹ [Here’s one thing] we know [for sure]:

If our earthly ‘home’ (this body[Syr]) would be destroyed, we’d still have a ‘house’ from God (not made by hands) that lasts throughout the ages…

² Also, we sigh over this because we yearn to be clothed in that ‘house’ from heaven ³ (besides, even when clothed, we exist ‘naked’).[Syr] ⁴ While we’re [still] in this ‘house’,[Syr] we sigh from the weight of it... Yet we don’t really want to take it off, instead, we keep wearing it, swallowing down its death in [one’s] life.

⁵ Now, God has prepared us for this, and He’s given us a down payment… His Breath... ⁶ So thanks to this, we know and are convinced[Syr] that as long as we’re at home in the body, we aren’t with our[Syr] Lord.

⁷ Yes, we walk by faith, not by what we can see... ⁸ So because of this we’re trusting[Syr] and are happy to leave this body and be with[Syr] our[Syr] Lord. ⁹ And we love the fact that whether we’re in this home or we leave it, we still please him!

¹⁰ For we’ll all stand before the Anointed One’s judgment seat, and a man is rewarded in the body [based on] whatever he did, whether good or foul.

¹¹ So, since we know the fear of our[Syr] Lord, we’re persuading people [to turn to him]. We’re then revealing to God, I think,[Syr] [what sort of people we are] and also to you, too, ¹² so we won’t have to prove ourselves to you [again]… And then you’ll have reasons to boast about us, and [you’ll also have something to offer] those who are more influenced by what we look like, and not by [what’s really in the] heart.

¹³ So we’ll either be crazy for God, or sensible for you.

¹⁴ The Anointed One’s love urges us to consider this: that one person died on everyone else’s behalf, therefore, all of us have ‘died’ ¹⁵ and he died for all of us. So the living shouldn’t live for themselves [anymore],[Syr] but for him – yes, [the one] who died for them and stood up [again].

¹⁶ So from now on, we don’t recognize anybody in a human way (even if we knew the Anointed One in a human way, we certainly don’t know him that way anymore) ¹⁷ because, whoever is in the Anointed One is a new creation! Yes, the old things have passed away, and they’ve all been renewed ¹⁸ by God, who’s restored us to a good relationship with Himself through the Anointed One.

So now, [God] has assigned us to a ministry [dedicated to] this restored relationship with Him!

¹⁹ Yes – God, through the Anointed One, has brought[Syr] the world back into a good relationship with Himself and his majesty,[Syr] by no longer holding their sins against them, and He’s put the message of this reconciliation within us.

²⁰ We are, therefore, ambassadors for the Anointed One – yes, as if God was calling [people] through us. Yes, we’re begging them to come back to a [good] relationship with God on the Anointed One’s behalf. ²¹ He made the one who didn’t know sin [to become] ‘sin,’ so that we can become God’s ‘righteousness’ along with him.

2 Corinthians 6

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¹ Moreover, since we’re your helpers,[Syr] we urge you not to waste the loving care of God that you’ve received. ² For He says:

‘In an acceptable time, I heard you,

And in a day of salvation, I came to your aid.’

[Isaiah 49:8]

So look! This is the acceptable time!

And look! This is the day of salvation!

³ Therefore, we aren’t doing anything that might offend anyone, so that our ministry might remain spotless. ⁴ And we’re taking our stand as God’s servants in everything… By enduring many difficulties, by shortages of necessities, ⁵ by beatings, by imprisonment, by mobs, by hard work, by sleepless nights, by hunger, ⁶ by holiness, by knowledge, by patience, by loving care (through Holy Breath), and by love that isn’t judgmental.

⁷ We’re also doing this by telling the truth (through the power of God) by [using] the weapons of righteousness (the right-handed ones and the left-handed ones)… ⁸ Through glory and dishonor, through bad reputations and good reputations, as ‘deceivers’ who tell the truth, ⁹ as unknown but recognized among the dying (and yet, look… We’re alive!), as those who were disciplined but not yet condemned to death, ¹⁰ as sad but always rejoicing, as poor but making many rich, and as having nothing while owning it all!

¹¹ Therefore, our mouths and our hearts have been spread wide open to you Corinthians!

¹² So, you aren’t having a hard time finding room in us; you’re having a hard time making room [for us] in yourselves!

¹³ Just be fair with us!

I’m telling you this as [my] children:

Make room for us!

¹⁴ You must stop joining yourselves unevenly with unbelievers like different types of animals under the same yoke... For what connection is there between righteousness and law-breaking?

Or what does light have in common with darkness?

¹⁵ Yes, what harmony is there between the Anointed One and [the demon] BeliEl?

Or what can a faithful person share with an unbeliever?

¹⁶ And how can a holy dwelling of God [make room for] idols?

Recognize this as a fact:

We are the living and holy dwellings of God!

As God Himself said:

‘I’ll live and walk among them… I’ll be their God and they’ll be My people.’ [Leviticus 26:12]

¹⁷ [And:]

‘‘Come out from among them and separate yourselves…

Stop touching unclean things, and I’ll take you in,’ says Yahweh.’

[Isaiah 52:11]

¹⁸ And:

‘‘Then I’ll be your Father,

And you’ll be My sons and My daughters’ says Yahweh, the Almighty.’

[unknown quote, or a combination of 2 Samuel 7:8, 2 Samuel 7:14, and Isaiah 43:6]

2 Corinthians 7

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¹ So since we’ve been given these promises, loved ones; let’s wash off all the filth of the flesh and the person we’ve been on the inside, and become perfectly holy in our fear of The God.

² Also, make room for us, because we haven’t wronged anyone, corrupted anyone, or taken advantage of anyone!

³ I’m not saying this to condemn you, because, as I told you before, you’re in our hearts… So we’ll live together and die together!

⁴ And this is why I feel so perfectly free to speak to you... Yes, I’m very comfortable [with you], and I have many reasons to boast about you. In fact, I overflow with joy over you because of all the difficulties that we’ve shared together!

⁵ [I want you to understand that] since we’ve arrived here in Macedonia, our bodies haven’t had any relief, for there have been problems over everything. On the outside there are conflicts, and on the inside there are fears.

⁶ However, The God who gives comfort to the lowly has provided comfort to us through the presence of Titus. ⁷ And it wasn’t just his presence alone that brought us comfort… It was also because of the comfort that he felt over you, since he again brought us word of your longing, mourning, and zeal for me.

And that made me very happy.

⁸ So if what I wrote in my [first] letter made you sad, I don’t regret it!

And even if I did regret it [at first], I see that my letter only saddened you for a little while. ⁹ Therefore, I’m rejoicing now… Not because you were saddened, but because you were saddened into repenting!

And because you were saddened in a Godly way, we know that we didn’t damage you.

¹⁰ For being sad in a Godly way brings a repentance that results in salvation (and there’s nothing to regret about that), while the sadness of this world brings death.

¹¹ And look at what this sadness in a Godly way has accomplished… See how it speeded things up and gave us answers… How it caused indignation, fear, desire, zeal, and vengeance!

Because after that, you proved yourselves to be pure in every way in this matter!

¹² Now, I didn’t write [that letter to] you because of the one who was acting unrighteously or because of the one who was being treated unrighteously. Rather, [I wrote it] to prove how earnestly you obey us in the sight of God, ¹³ and this is what’s brought us so much comfort!

For we now have even more reasons to be joyful, because of the joy that this has brought to Titus, since the man he is within has been refreshed by all of you.

¹⁴ Therefore, if I’ve boasted to him about you, I’ve had no reason to be ashamed of it, because everything that I said about you is true…

Yes, after we bragged about you to Titus, it has all proven to be true!

¹⁵ And he cares for you even more deeply now, as he remembers how well you’ve obeyed, and how all of you received him with fear and trembling. ¹⁶ So I’m rejoicing and I’m encouraged in every way because of you!

2 Corinthians 8

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¹ Brothers, we want to tell you about how God’s loving care has been shown towards the congregations in Macedonia. ² Although they’re undergoing many trials and difficulties, their great joy and deep poverty brought out the richness of their generosity.

³ For as they were able (and I testify that it was more than they were able to do) ⁴ and of their own accord, they kept begging us to [allow them to] share in donating to the fund for the Holy Ones. ⁵ And it wasn’t just as we had hoped they would do; first they gave to the Lord, and then they gave to us (as it was God’s Will).

⁶ So this led us to encourage Titus (since he was the one who initiated it) to complete the collection among you also.

⁷ Therefore, because you’re prospering in everything – in your faith, words, knowledge, eagerness, and in our love for you – may you share your prosperity through similar [acts of] loving kindness.

⁸ I’m not saying this to pressure you; [I’m saying this] because these others have been so eager, and because I want to prove the genuineness of your love.

⁹ Of course, you know of the loving care that was shown by our Lord Yeshua the Anointed One... Even though he was ‘rich,’ he became poor for your sakes in order to make you ‘rich’ through his poverty.

¹⁰ This is my opinion on the best way to handle it:

Last year, you were the first ones who wanted to give, and you even started contributing. ¹¹ So now, finish what you started, and bring all of that eagerness and willingness to a climax. Just give from whatever you have on hand; ¹² for when [people] are already willing, it’s best to accept what they have rather than what they don’t have.

¹³ Understand that I’m not trying to make it harder on you than for the others, ¹⁴ because everything balances out. If you can give more right now, it’ll make up for those who can give less. And if others can give more than you, it’ll make up for those who can give less.

So, everything balances out.

¹⁵ As it’s written:

‘Those who gathered more didn’t have too much, and the rest that gathered little didn’t lack.’ [Exodus 16:18]

¹⁶ Now, thanks to God that He’s put the same earnestness [that I have] for you into the heart of Titus, ¹⁷ for he’s responded to your encouragement and he’s decided to return to you quickly.

¹⁸ We’re also sending a brother along with him whose praise in the good news has spread throughout all the congregations. ¹⁹ He’s the one who was appointed by the congregations to be our traveling companion, and who’ll actually distribute the gifts that are so willingly being donated for the glory of the Lord.

²⁰ That way, we can avoid having anyone complain about us over the generous contributions that are being handled by us. ²¹ For we’re planning ahead to do good things – not just in the sight of the Lord, but also from the viewpoint of men.

²² And of course:

We’re sending along our brother who’s proven to be zealous so many times and in so many ways, but who’s now even more eager because of his greater confidence in you. ²³ Now, if there are any questions about Titus, [let me say that] he’s my partner and co-worker for your interests.

Or if [there are any questions] about [the rest of] our brothers, [let me say that] they’re apostles to the congregations and a glory to the Anointed One. ²⁴ So now, prove your love for them – [the love] that we’ve been boasting about to the congregations.

2 Corinthians 9

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¹ Regarding the collections for the Holy Ones:

I really don’t have to write anything about this to you, ² for I know how eager you’ve been. I’ve even bragged to the Macedonians about you, telling them that Achaia has been ready for a year now, and your zeal has been an incentive to most of them.

³ So at this time, I’m sending the brothers [to you] to prove that our boasting about you hasn’t been in vain… And I hope that you’re ready, as I said you’d be. ⁴ Otherwise, if the Macedonians should come with me and find that you aren’t ready, we’d be shamed by the assurances we gave them.

⁵ So, I thought it’d be best to encourage the brothers to come to you ahead of time in order for you to start collecting the generous gift that you promised. That way, what’s given will, in fact, be a generous gift and not something that we’ve extorted from you!

⁶ Remember that those who plant little will harvest little, while those who plant much will harvest much. ⁷ So, may each of you do whatever you’ve resolved in your hearts… But not grudgingly or because you feel pressured, since...

‘God loves a cheerful giver.’ [Proverbs 22:8, LXX]

⁸ Moreover, God is able to show all of His loving kindness towards you, so that you can have more than enough of everything and an abundance of good deeds!

⁹ As it is written:

‘They contribute to those who are needy,

And throughout the ages, they prove themselves just.’

[Psalm 112:9]

¹⁰ Therefore, may the One who supplies an abundance of seeds to the farmers and plenty of bread to the hungry, supply (and even multiply) the seeds that you need for planting, and may He increase your harvests because of your righteousness, ¹¹ so that you’ll be made rich because of your generosity…

Yes, thank God for that!

¹² For the purpose of this community service isn’t just to supply the [physical] needs of the Holy Ones abundantly, but also to [make you] rich through their many words of thanks to God.

¹³ Realize that the proof of the value of the service [you’re performing] is when others glorify God because of your generous contributions to them and to everyone else, as you continue to obey and preach the good news about the Anointed One.

¹⁴ And this is why they’re praying for you and are longing [to see] you… Because of the tremendous loving care that God has shown to them through you.

¹⁵ Yes, thanks to God for His indescribable gifts!

2 Corinthians 10

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¹ Now, I Paul (whose appearance is considered lowly among you) am pleading with you [in the same] mild and obedient ways as did the Anointed One. And although I’m not there, I hope that I can be so bold as to say this to you:

² Please don’t be upset by what I intend to do when I arrive. For I’m going to say what I really think about those ones who reckon that we’re [just] walking in the flesh.

³ Yes, even though we are, in fact, only flesh, we don’t fight in fleshly ways ⁴ because our weapons aren’t fleshly… They’re from the power of God and we can [use them to] tear down mighty fortifications!

⁵ So, this is what we’ll use to tear down their ideas and all the high-minded things that they’re raising against the knowledge of God... Yes, we can capture all of their thoughts and then force them to obey the Anointed One!

⁶ We’re also ready to avenge any disobedience (whenever there’s disobedience) ⁷ of those who are just looking at our faces!

Therefore, let those who are trusting that they belong to the Anointed One remember this:

As they belong to the Anointed One, so do we!

⁸ And even if I do boast a little too much about the power that the Lord gave me to build you up (not to tear you down), ⁹ I won’t be ashamed if I also give you the impression that I want to terrify you with my letters.

¹⁰ For it’s a fact that some of you are saying:

‘His letters are heavy and forceful, but when he’s here, he looks weak and what he says has little value!’

¹¹ So, may they be reminded that what we write about in letters when we’re away, is what we’re going to do when we get there!

¹² Notice that we don’t dare to make any comparisons…

We aren’t comparing ourselves with those who think too much of themselves, because when they measure themselves (when they compare themselves against themselves), they aren’t reaching the right conclusions.

¹³ However, we don’t have to brag about how we measure up, for we gauge everything by the yard stick that God gave us… And that stick reaches as far as you!

¹⁴ Therefore, we aren’t just stretching ourselves out far enough that we can’t reach you, because we were the first to come all the way to you [when we] preached the good news to you about the Anointed One. ¹⁵ And those braggarts can’t really measure [themselves against] the efforts of others.

What we’re hoping is that as your faith grows, we’ll be recognized as great among you when you measure us by this same ruler; for then we’ll [see more results] ¹⁶ as we go out preaching the good news to regions that are far beyond you, and there’ll be no more boasting over how we measure up by someone else’s stick.

¹⁷ ‘Let those who boast, boast in Yahweh.’ [Jeremiah 9:23]

¹⁸ So understand that those who think of themselves as being important aren’t necessarily the ones who’ll be approved…

Just those who are recommended by our Lord!

2 Corinthians 11

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¹ I wish that you’d bear with me in my foolishness… But then, you are bearing with me. ² For I’m jealous over you with a Godly zeal, since I personally promised you in marriage as ‘chaste virgins’ to a ‘husband’…

Yes, to stand beside the Anointed One!

³ However, I’m afraid that somehow, in the same way that the snake cunningly seduced Eve, your minds might be corrupted away from the simplicity concerning the Anointed One.

⁴ For [I know that] if [someone] should come preaching about a Yeshua other than the one whom we preached to you, or if you should receive a spirit other than the one you’ve already received, or if [you should hear] good news other than what you’ve [already] accepted, you’d likely tolerate it too well.

⁵ Now, I don’t think that I’ve done anything to prove myself inferior to your super-fine ‘apostles.’ ⁶ And even if I’m an unskilled speaker, I’m certainly not [inferior] when it comes to knowledge, for I’ve shown this to you in everything and in every way!

⁷ Did I commit some sin by humbling myself so as to make you greater when I gladly preached the good news of God to you free of charge?

⁸ [Oh well, then... I guess] I must have robbed other congregations by accepting their provisions in order to serve you! ⁹ For when I was with you and I needed something, I didn’t make myself a burden to anyone. And then the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed more than adequately.

Yes, I’ve kept myself from being a burden to you in every way, and I’ll keep on doing so! ¹⁰ As the truth of Anointed One is in me, nobody will stop me boasting about this in the regions of Achaia.

¹¹ Why not? Is it because I don’t love you?

God knows [that I do].

¹² So what I’m doing is what I’ll continue to do in order to cut off the attacks from those who wish to attack me… Those who want to be proclaimed our equals in this thing they’re bragging about.

¹³ For they’re false apostles… Deceivers who are trying to turn themselves into the Apostles of the Anointed One. ¹⁴ And this shouldn’t come as [a great] surprise to you, since the Opposer keeps turning himself into a messenger of light.

¹⁵ Therefore, it should be expected that those who serve him would also turn themselves into servants of righteousness. However, their end will show up what they’re doing.

¹⁶ Allow me to say this once again:

Don’t let anyone think that I’m foolish!

But even if you should choose to accept me while you believe that I’m foolish, that gives me a bit more reason to boast.

¹⁷ Now, I’m not saying this to follow the Lord’s example, but foolishly as a braggart… ¹⁸ Yes, since many [of you] are bragging as humans do, I’ll boast also.

¹⁹ It seems that you’re just too happy to put up with foolish people, because you’re all so ‘reasonable.’ ²⁰ In fact, you obey[Syr] anyone who ‘enslaves’ you, or ‘eats’ you, or takes from you, or who elevates himself over you, or [even] slaps you in the face!

²¹ It’s so shameful to say this... It’s like we’re stupid weaklings.[Syr]

[Well then], whatever other men dare to do, I will do too!

²² Are they Hebrews?

Well I’m one too!

Are they IsraElites?

Me too!

Are they a descendant of AbraHam?

Well so am I!

²³ Are they servants of the Anointed One?

(I reply like a crazy man…) I’m even more so!

For [I’ve] worked harder, been in prison more times, been beaten more that anyone else, and have often been near death!

²⁴ Why, five times I received 40 strokes less one from the Judeans, ²⁵ I was beaten with rods three times, I was stoned once, I’ve been shipwrecked three times, and I’ve spent a night and a day in the sea!

²⁶ In my travels, I’ve often been in danger from rivers, from robbers, from those of [my own] race, and from gentiles. [I’ve been] in danger in cities, in deserts, at sea… And I’ve been in danger from false brothers!

²⁷ [Yet through all of this, I’ve continued to] work and labor hard!

I’ve often been sleepless, hungry, thirsty, and starving… And many times [I’ve even been] cold and naked!

²⁸ Then in addition to all of these external things, there are the anxieties [that I feel] for the congregations that flood over me each day. ²⁹ For who is weak who doesn’t make me ‘weak?’ And who stumbles into a trap who doesn’t set me ‘on fire?’

³⁰ So if there has to be bragging, well then – I’ll boast about the things that show how ‘weak’ I am!

³¹ Before the God and Father of the Lord Yeshua (the One who is to be praised throughout the ages), [I can swear that] I’m not lying about these things.

³² For in Damascus, the governor under King Aretas posted guards around the city to arrest me. ³³ And as a result, [the brothers] had to lower me on a wicker basket through a window in the [city] wall to help me escape from his hands!

2 Corinthians 12

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¹ Yes, although it isn’t good, I have to brag…

Please allow me to pass along some supernatural visions and revelations from [the] Lord:

² I know of a man in the Anointed One who was caught away some 14 years ago (whether [it happened] in the body or out of the body – only God knows) into the third heaven. ³ Yes, I know such a man (whether [it happened] in the body or apart from the body – only God knows) ⁴ that was caught away into a paradise where he heard unspeakable things that are illegal for a man to discuss.

⁵ Yes, I’ll boast about a man like that, but I won’t boast about myself, other than about my own weaknesses.

⁶ Also, as I’m boasting, I won’t do it foolishly… I’ll just tell the truth.

I’ll hold myself back lest anyone should give me more credit than what they see in me or what they hear anyone say about me ⁷ when it comes to the surpassing types of revelations that I’ve shown to you.

And so that I wouldn’t become too conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh… A ‘messenger from the Opposer’ who keeps ‘slapping’ me so I don’t get too impressed with myself!

⁸ I’ve begged the Lord three times to remove it from me, ⁹ and he really answered me and said:

‘My loving kindness is enough for you, since [your] strength is being perfected [by your] weaknesses!’

Therefore, I’ll gladly boast of my weaknesses so that the power of the Anointed One will cover me like a tent!

¹⁰ Yes, I [actually] appreciate the weaknesses, the insults, the [times] that I’ve done without, and the persecutions and difficulties that I’ve experienced on behalf of the Anointed One... Because, when I’m weak, that’s when I’m [the most] powerful!

¹¹ So now I’ve become foolish… And you’re the ones who’ve made me that way, because I should have been recommended by you! But even if I [really] were nothing, I [still] wouldn’t be less than those super-fine ‘apostles’ in any way.

¹² Indeed, it was the proofs of [my Apostleship] that produced endurance in you by means of signs, omens, and powerful works. ¹³ So, in what way have you received less than the rest of the congregations… Other than the fact that I wasn’t a burden to you?

Kindly forgive me for this ‘wrong!’

¹⁴ {Look!} This is the third time that I’ve gotten ready to come to you, and [once again], I won’t be coming as a burden to you, because I’m not looking for the things you have, but for you!

For the children shouldn’t be setting things aside for their parents; parents [should be setting things aside] for their children!

¹⁵ And as for me, I’ll happily spend and be spent for your lives!

Therefore, if I love you the most, why am I the one who’s loved the least? ¹⁶ May that be as it is… But I’ve never been a burden to you.

Was I sneaky and did I try to capture you through trickery? ¹⁷ Or did I try to take advantage of you through any of those whom I sent to you?

¹⁸ When I urged Titus [to come to you] and I sent a brother along with him... Did Titus take advantage of you in any way? Don’t we in fact both act the same way and follow in the same footsteps?

¹⁹ [I hope that] you’ve been thinking about all of this as we’ve been defending ourselves to you, for we’re speaking [to you] before God [and] the Anointed One.

Loved ones, everything [we’ve done is] to build you up!

²⁰ Yet I’m afraid that when I arrive, I might not find you to be as I wish… For then I might not be something that you’d wish for either.

I don’t want to find divisions, jealousy, anger, arguing, backbiting, whispering, pride, or disorder.

²¹ For if that happens, perhaps the next time that I come, I’ll be humiliated by my God over you; and then I’ll have to mourn for the many who’ve sinned and not repented their uncleanness, immorality, and the dirty things that they’re doing.

2 Corinthians 13

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¹ Now, this is the third time that I’ll be coming to you.

And since from the mouths of two or three witnesses everything is proven ² (as I told you before in my second visit), although I’m not there now, I’m giving this warning once again to those of you whom [I found] sinning the last time (and to all the rest of you):

When I come there the next time, I won’t put up with it!

³ Yet, here you are, searching for the proofs that the Anointed One is speaking through me!

Realize that [Yeshua] isn’t weak towards you… [in fact], he’s very powerful among you!

⁴ For although he was lifted up [to execution][Syr] in weakness, he’s now alive through the power of God! And likewise, although we’re weak in him, we are alive in him through the power of The God who’s within you.

⁵ So, keep testing yourselves to make sure that you’re really in the faith… Yes, prove what you are! For you must understand that Yeshua the Anointed One is within you… That is, as long as you have his approval. ⁶ And I truly hope you know that we haven’t been disapproved!

⁷ Now, we keep praying to God that you don’t do anything wrong.

And we aren’t doing this to make ourselves look like we’re approved, but so that you may be doing what’s better even if that makes us look disapproved.

⁸ For we’re unable to do anything against the truth – only for the truth.

⁹ Therefore, we rejoice whenever we’re weak and you’re strong, because that’s what we’re praying for… For you to be restored! ¹⁰ This is why I’m writing these things while I’m away… So that when I get there, I won’t have to cut anyone off.

And then [I can] use the authority I’ve received from the Lord to build you up, not to tear you down!

¹¹ Finally, brothers:

Keep on rejoicing, growing to perfection, and being courageous.

Also, be of the same mind and live peaceably, so that the God of love and peace will always be with you.

¹² Keep on greeting each other with a holy kiss.

¹³ All the Holy Ones send you their greetings.

¹⁴ May the loving care of the Lord Yeshua the Anointed One, the love of God, and a sharing in the Holy Breath be with all of you.

May it be so!

Galatians

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A letter written to the congregation in Galatia, Asia Minor by the Apostle Paul, perhaps via a secretary, and probably in Aramaic. Thought to be from about 50 CE.

Galatians 1

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¹ From Paul, who was appointed an Apostle not by a man nor through a man, but through Yeshua the Anointed One and by God the Father who raised [Yeshua] from the dead, ² as well as from all the brothers that are with me, to the congregations of Galatia:

³ May you receive loving care and peace from God (our Father), and from the Lord Yeshua the Anointed One!

⁴ The one who gave himself for our sins to save us from this wicked age because it was the will of our God and Father, ⁵ to whom all glory belongs throughout the ages of ages…

May it be so!

⁶ I’m amazed that you’re so quickly making the change from the One who called you (by the loving care of the Anointed One) to a different type of good news.

⁷ It really isn’t another [good news], it’s just that certain ones among you are causing problems, and have made changes to the good news about the Anointed One.

⁸ However, if we –or even a messenger from heaven– were to come preaching something to you as good news other than the good news that we’ve already preached to you... Let him be cursed!

⁹ Let me say that again:

Whoever preaches good news to you other than what you’ve already believed – let him be cursed!

¹⁰ Indeed, whose approval do you think I’m seeking now?

Do I wish to please God or men?

Well, if [I was trying to please] men, I’d wouldn’t be a servant of the Anointed One! ¹¹ So I want you to understand this, brothers:

The good news that I preached as good news, didn’t come from men – ¹² because I didn’t get it from men; nor did any man teach it [to me].

[It came] through a revelation [directly] from Yeshua the Anointed One!

¹³ You’ve heard about how I used to behave [while I was involved] in Judaism; I fanatically persecuted the congregation of God and I was destroying it.

¹⁴ [I did this because] I was more advanced in Judaism than many others of my own age and race, and I was far more zealous for the traditions of my ancestors.

¹⁵ But when The God who took me from my mother’s womb called [me] through His loving care, ¹⁶ to reveal His Son through me – so that I could preach the good news about him to the gentiles...

I didn’t seek advice from flesh and blood. ¹⁷ Nor did I go to JeruSalem to visit those who’d become Apostles before I had.

Instead, I went off to Arabia – and after that, I returned to Damascus.

¹⁸ In fact, I didn’t go up to JeruSalem until some three years later! [I only did] when I went to visit Cephas (Peter) and stayed with him for fifteen days, ¹⁹ but I didn’t see any of the other Apostles (other than the Lord’s brother James).

²⁰ Look! I’m not lying to you about anything I’m writing in the sight of God!

²¹ Then after that, I traveled to the provinces of Syria and Kilikia…

²² So those who were called by the Anointed One in Judea wouldn’t have even known what I looked like!

²³ All they heard about me was:

‘That man who used to persecute us – {look!} he’s now preaching the same good news that he once tried to destroy!’

²⁴ So they ended up glorifying God because of me.

Galatians 2

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¹ Then after 14 years, I finally went to JeruSalem again, taking BarNabas and Titus along with me. ² And the [only] reason why I went there then, was because of a [divine] revelation [that I’d received]!

And while I was there, I explained to the prominent ones about how I’d been preaching to the gentiles… However I did this privately, for fear that somehow I’d been doing it all for nothing.

³ Yet, even though Titus (who was with me) was a Greek, they didn’t force him to get circumcised then.

⁴ However, they did bring in some false brothers who looked down on the freedom we have in the Anointed Yeshua, and who wanted to make us their slaves.

⁵ But we didn’t give in to them, not even for an instant, so that the truth of the good news might continue among you!

⁶ And when it came to those who seemed to be important (whatever they used to be makes no difference to me, because God doesn’t go by what a man appears to be on the outside), they didn’t show me anything new.

⁷ In fact, it was just the opposite! When they saw that I’d been entrusted with the good news to the uncircumcised, as Peter was to those who are circumcised ⁸ (since the one who gave Peter the powers of an Apostleship to the circumcised also gave me such powers for the gentiles)… ⁹ Yes, when they came to know of the loving care that had been shown to me... James, Cephas, and John (the ones who seemed to be the pillars) gave BarNabas and I their approval to go to the nations, while they would [instead] go to the circumcised.

¹⁰ They just told me to remember the poor, and I’ve tried hard to do that.

¹¹ Then when Cephas (Peter) came to AntiOch, I opposed him to his face, since I knew that he was in the wrong.

¹² Because, before certain men who came from James arrived, he used to eat with the gentiles... But after they arrived, he stopped associating [with them] and [started acting like a Jew] in fear of those who were circumcised!

¹³ And because of this, all the rest of the Jews also joined in this ‘performance,’ even influencing BarNabas to join in with this hypocrisy!

¹⁴ So when I saw that they weren’t following the path of the truth of the good news, I said to Cephas there in front of everyone:

‘If you’re a Jew who lives as the gentiles do, not as Jews do... Why are you forcing gentiles to act like Jews?

¹⁵ ‘For those of us who are natural Jews (not sinners from the nations) ¹⁶ know that a man isn’t called righteous because of following the [Jewish] Law, but because of his faith in the Anointed Yeshua!

‘Even we had to put faith in the Anointed Yeshua so we could be called righteous by our faith in him… But not by following the [Jewish] Law, for no flesh will be declared righteous by following the [Jewish] Law!

¹⁷ ‘Now, if we’re seeking to be called righteous through the Anointed One, and we’re still found to be sinners [under the Jewish Law]... Is the Anointed One just a servant to sin?

‘May that never be so!

¹⁸ ‘But if I’m found rebuilding the things that I once tore down[, that is, the Jewish Law], this proves that I’m still a sinner!

¹⁹ ‘As for me, I ‘died’ to the [Jewish] Law so that I could become alive to God!

‘²⁰ Yes, I was executed along with the Anointed One!

‘Therefore, I’m no longer the one who’s alive… It’s the Anointed One who’s living within me. So the life that I’m now living in the flesh is being lived for the Son of God – [the one] who loved me and handed himself over for me.

²¹ ‘As a result, I’m not about to push aside the loving care of God!

‘For if righteousness came through the [Jewish] Law, then the Anointed One died for nothing!’

Galatians 3

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¹ O you foolish Galatians… Yes, you whose eyes have seen what was written about Yeshua the Anointed One being impaled!

Who has cast this evil spell over you?

² I just want to ask you this one thing:

Did you receive [God’s] Spirit because you were obeying the [Jewish] Law, or because you believed in the things that [you] heard?

³ Are you really so foolish?

Did you start out in the Spirit just to end up in the flesh?

⁴ And did you go through so much suffering for no reason?

Well, if there really wasn’t any reason for your doing that, ⁵ then, did the One who gave you His Spirit, and performs powerful works through you, do this because you’re obeying the [Jewish] Law, or because you put faith in the things that you heard?

⁶ Remember that:

‘AbraHam was considered righteous because he put his faith in God.’ [Genesis 15:6]

⁷ So, don’t you know that all who have such faith are the sons of AbraHam?

⁸ Now, the reason why God gave the good news to AbraHam was because He saw ahead of time that He’d be calling gentiles ‘righteous’ due to their faith.

For He said:

‘All the nations will be blest because of you.’ [Genesis 18:18]

⁹ Therefore, those who have such faith are being blest along with faithful AbraHam!

¹⁰ Now, everyone who’s under the [Jewish] Law is under a curse, because it’s written:

‘Any man who doesn’t observe and obey all the words of this Law is cursed!’ [Deuteronomy 27:26, LXX]

¹¹ So it’s obvious that nobody is called ‘righteous’ before God because of obeying the [Jewish] Law.

‘For it’s by their faith that the righteous will live.’ [Habakkuk 2:4]

¹² However, the Law really doesn’t have anything to do with faith; rather:

‘The man doing these things will live by them.’ [Leviticus 18:5]

¹³ And the Anointed One bought our freedom from the [Jewish] Law’s curse by becoming a curse on our behalf.

For it’s written:

‘Anyone who’s hung on timber is cursed before God.’ [Deuteronomy 21:23, LXX]

¹⁴ Therefore, the reason why this happened to him was so that the blessing of AbraHam could come through Yeshua the Anointed One, and so that the other races could receive the promised Spirit… Which [we’ve received] because of our faith!

¹⁵ Brothers, allow me to explain this in human terms:

Nobody can change or destroy a valid agreement between men.

¹⁶ And notice that the promise was given to ‘AbraHam and his descendant.’ It doesn’t say, ‘to his descendants,’ like there were many of them, but only to one, ‘his descendant’ – who is the Anointed One! [Genesis 12:7 or Genesis 13:15]

¹⁷ Moreover, I tell you that the Sacred Agreement which was confirmed by The God some 430 years earlier, which the [Jewish] Law came from, didn’t overwrite the promise that He gave [to AbraHam].

¹⁸ So if we could only receive the inheritance by [following] the [Jewish] Law, it couldn’t have come from the promise [to AbraHam]!

[Yet, notice how] God granted this favor to AbraHam as a promise.

¹⁹ So, why [do we have] the [Jewish] Law?

It was added to show us what sin was before the descendant (the one about whom the promise was given) would arrive!

And this was entrusted to the hands of a mediator by [angelic] messengers.

²⁰ However, there’s no need for a mediator when only one person is involved… And God is just one.

[Therefore, it was just a promise].

²¹ Then did the [Jewish] Law override God’s promise [to AbraHam]?

May that never be so!

For if the [Jewish] Law had been provided to give [people] life, then the result of following the [Jewish] Law would be righteousness.

²² However, following these scriptures just locked everyone up in sin, so that the promise might be given to those who believe through their faith in Yeshua the Anointed One.

²³ Yes, before faith arrived, we were all locked up and prisoners to the [Jewish] Law until the things about faith were revealed.

²⁴ So the Law was just the guide that led us to the Anointed One and [to the promise] that we could be counted as righteous by our faith... ²⁵ And now that the faith has arrived, we don’t need the guide anymore!

²⁶ The fact is, you’ve all become sons of God through your faith in the Anointed Yeshua.

²⁷ Indeed, everyone who’s immersed into the Anointed One has put on the Anointed One.

²⁸ So there’s no [difference] between Jew and Syrian, nor slave and freeman, nor male and female... Because you’re all in the Anointed Yeshua!

²⁹ And if you belong to the Anointed One –as the promise told us– you’re AbraHam’s descendant and his heirs!

Galatians 4

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¹ Now, let me say this:

As long as the heir is [still just] a baby, he isn’t any different from a slave. Yes, even though he’s [technically] the master of everything, ² he’s still under guides and house managers – until a day arrives set by his father.

³ Well, that’s how it used to be with us!

Back when we were [spiritual] babies, we were slaves to the simple things of this world.

⁴ But when the time arrived, God sent his Son (who was under the [Jewish] Law and born from a woman) ⁵ so he could buy those who were under the [Jewish] Law and adopt them as His sons.

⁶ And now that you’re [His] sons, God has sent the spirit of His Son into our hearts, where it calls out, ‘Papa… Father!’

⁷ So – you’re no longer slaves, but sons. And as sons, you’re also heirs of God via the Anointed One!

⁸ Therefore, back when you didn’t know God, you were slaves to those who really aren’t gods. ⁹ But now that you’ve come to know God (or rather, now that God has come to know you), why are you turning back to those weak and sorry [Jewish] rules… Why do you want to become slaves to them once again?

¹⁰ For you’ve [gone back to] the observance of days, months, seasons, and years… ¹¹ So I’m afraid that all the work I’ve done on your behalf has been wasted!

¹² Brothers, I beg you to become like me, because I used to be just like you!

You’ve never done me any wrong, ¹³ and you surely recognized that I had a severe fleshly weakness when I preached the good news to you the first time.

¹⁴ But even though this problem must have created difficulties for you, you didn’t treat it with contempt or spit on it in disgust.

Rather, you received me like an [angelic] messenger from God… Like the Anointed Yeshua.

¹⁵ So where is all the joy that you [once] had?

I swear that if it were possible, you would have taken out your own eyes and given them to me! ¹⁶ But am I now your enemy because I’m telling you the truth?

¹⁷ However, [there are those who are now] zealously chasing after you for the wrong reasons… For they want to snip you off and make you their own zealous followers!

¹⁸ And it’s good for you to always be zealously chased after (and not just when I’m with you), as long as it’s for a good purpose.

¹⁹ O my little children,

I’m enduring ‘childbirth pains’ again until the Anointed One becomes strong in you. ²⁰ I wish that I could be there with you right now and talk to you in a different tone of voice… But I just don’t know how to help you!

²¹ So tell me this, O you who wants to be under the Law:

Don’t you hear what the Law says?

²² It was written that AbraHam had two sons, one by the slave girl and the other by the free woman... ²³ The one [born] through the slave girl was born in the flesh, but the other ([born] through the free woman) [arrived] through a promise.

²⁴ So, understand that this story is symbolic. For the two [women] symbolize two sacred agreements.

[The first] one (Hagar) came from Mount SinAi and bore children into slavery. ²⁵ So this Hagar means SinAi (a mountain in Arabia), and she symbolizes JeruSalem today, which is in slavery with her children.

²⁶ But the JeruSalem above is free, and she is our mother.

²⁷ For it is written:

‘So be glad, all you who are sterile,

And yell, O you who didn’t give birth…

O you, the one without birth pains!

For the children of the barren will be many…

Yes, more than those who have [their own] husband!’

[Isaiah 54:1]

²⁸ Therefore, brothers, we’re now children of the promise in the same way IsaAc was!

²⁹ And just as the one who was born in the flesh started persecuting the one who was born through the Spirit… That’s what’s happening now!

³⁰ What do the Scriptures say?

‘Drive out the slave girl and her son, because the slave girl’s son will never be an heir with the free woman’s son!’ [Genesis 21:10]

³¹ So brothers:

We aren’t the children of a slave girl, but of the free woman!

Galatians 5

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¹ Understand that the Anointed One set us free so we can truly be free!

Therefore, we should be standing up straight, and not allowing ourselves to be put under the yoke of slavery [to the Jewish Law] again!

² Look! I (Paul) am telling you that if you get circumcised, the Anointed One won’t be of any use to you!

³ And I again testify to every man who gets circumcised, that he’s thereafter obligated to obey the whole [Jewish] Law!

⁴ So those of you who are trying to be called ‘righteous’ by the [Jewish] Law have voided the Anointed One, and have fallen away from his loving care.

⁵ Indeed, it’s by the spirit of faith that we’re eagerly awaiting the hope of [being counted as] righteous!

⁶ As a result, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision have any value to the Anointed Yeshua… Just faith that’s motivated by love!

⁷ Now, since you’ve been running ‘so well,’ who is it that’s trying to keep you from obeying the truth?

⁸ Ideas like this aren’t coming from the One who’s calling you! ⁹ Rather, it’s coming from a little bit of ‘yeast’ that’s started fermenting the whole ‘ball [of dough]!’

¹⁰ For I’m confident that you who are in the Lord wouldn’t have even thought of such a thing. So the one who’s causing all this agitation will have to face judgment, no matter who he may be!

¹¹ Brothers – if I were preaching circumcision, why am I being persecuted? [In that case], the upright [execution stake] wouldn’t be a snare [to the Jews] anymore!

¹² Oh, I wish that those who are stirring you up would get lost!

¹³ You were called to be free, brothers!

So don’t use this freedom to serve your flesh; rather, use it to slave for each other in love!

¹⁴ Understand that the entire [Jewish] Law is fulfilled in the words:

‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’ [Leviticus 19:18]

¹⁵ However, if you keep on snapping at each other, and chewing each other up... Be careful that you don’t swallow each other down!

¹⁶ I tell you this:

If you’re walking by Spirit, you won’t do any of the things that your flesh desires!

¹⁷ For what the flesh wants is at odds with what the Spirit wants, and the Spirit is at odds with the flesh… They’re in opposition to each other, keeping you from doing the things that you may wish to do.

¹⁸ And if you’re being led by Spirit, you aren’t under the [Jewish] Law!

¹⁹ Now, we know what the flesh does...

They include:

• Sexual immorality,

• Uncleanness,

• Lewdness,

• ²⁰ Idol worshiping,

• Involvement in the occult,

• Hatreds,

• Quarreling,

• Jealousy,

• Anger,

• Selfishness,

• Divisions,

• Sects,

• ²¹ Envying,

• Getting drunk,

• Wild partying,

...and things like that.

I’m warning you now (as I’ve warned you before), that those who do such things won’t inherit God’s Kingdom.

²² On the other hand, the fruitage of the Spirit is:

• Love,

• Joy,

• Peace,

• Patience,

• Being caring,

• Goodness,

• Faith,

• ²³ Reasonableness, and

• Self-control,

...and there are no laws against such things!

²⁴ So those who belong to the Anointed Yeshua have hung their flesh on the elevated [execution stake] along with its passions and desires.

²⁵ And if we’re living by Spirit, we need to walk in [the ways of the] Spirit… ²⁶ We shouldn’t be conceited, or challenging or envying each other!

Galatians 6

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¹ Brothers, if someone ever gets caught up in doing bad things, those of you who are spiritual should try to restore the person in a reasonable way – as you keep an eye on yourselves, so that you aren’t tempted too.

² And if you’ll carry each other’s burdens, you’ll fulfill the law of the Anointed One.

³ However, if anyone thinks he’s something when he’s nothing, he’s just fooling himself.

⁴ Therefore, let us each prove [the value] of what we’re doing to ourselves first, and perhaps this will give us grounds for boasting to ourselves… But not to other people.

⁵ For each of us has to carry our own load.

⁶ Also, may those who are being taught the Word share the good things they have with those who are teaching [them].

⁷ Now, don’t make any mistake when it comes to this, for you can’t mock God!

Whatever a person is planting is what he’s going to harvest.

⁸ So if he’s planting [the desires] of his own flesh, he will harvest decay from the flesh... But if he’s planting things of [God’s] Breath, he will harvest age-long life.

⁹ Therefore, let’s not misbehave… Let’s keep on doing what’s right until that time arrives, because we’ll harvest what we deserve if we don’t tire out. ¹⁰ And until then, we should be doing good things for everyone – but especially for those who are related to us in the Faith!

¹¹ Look at these large letters that I’ve written with my own hand!

¹² Now, those who are urging you to get circumcised are appealing to your fleshly nature. [And the reason they’re doing this] is so that they won’t be persecuted over the elevated [execution stake] of the Anointed Yeshua!

¹³ So while they fail to obey the [Jewish] Law themselves, they want you to get circumcised so they can have reasons to boast over your flesh!

¹⁴ However, may I never find myself boasting over anything other than the upright [execution stake] of our Lord Yeshua the Anointed One! For to me, the whole world has been lifted up [to be executed] through him… As I’ve been to this world.

¹⁵ Understand that circumcision isn’t anything, nor is uncircumcision.
Rather, [what matters is becoming] a new creation!

¹⁶ May peace and mercy be on all those who walk in line with this rule, and upon the IsraEl of God.

¹⁷ Finally, don’t let anybody undermine my work — because I’ve got the brand of Yeshua on my body!

¹⁸ May the loving care of our Lord Yeshua the Anointed One be with you, my brothers.

May it be so!

Ephesians

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A letter to the congregation in Ephesus, Asia Minor from the Apostle Paul – possibly on his behalf by TychiKos, and possibly in Aramaic. Written sometime around 62 CE.

Ephesians 1

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¹ Paul, an Apostle of the Anointed Yeshua (by the will of God), to the Holy Ones in Ephesus… Those faithful ones in the Anointed Yeshua:

² May you receive loving care and peace from God our Father and the Lord Yeshua the Anointed!

³ Yes, may the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua the Anointed One be praised!

For He’s blest us with every blessing of his Breath in the heavens through the Anointed One. ⁴ Also, He chose us to be in him – before the foundation of the age, so we could become holy and unblemished before Him in love.

⁵ For He’s pre-designated us[Syr] to be adopted sons through Yeshua the Anointed One, as it pleases His will, ⁶ in praise of the glory of the loving care that [is shown by] the one through whom He shows His favor upon us… This one whom He loves[, that is, Yeshua].

⁷ It’s through this one, and his blood, that our ransom has been paid; and it’s through the richness of his loving care that our sins could be forgiven. ⁸ [Also, we’ve received] such an abundance of wisdom and good sense [through him].

⁹ For He’s allowed us to understand the mystery of His will, according to His pleasure. He decided [all] this within Himself ¹⁰ for [the purpose of arranging] an administration, at the appointed time, to renew everything both in heaven and earth via the Anointed One.[Syr]

¹¹ So, it’s through [Yeshua] that we’ve obtained the inheritance that was predetermined by [God’s] purpose for him… Yes, this one, through whom all things are accomplished according to [God’s] council and will!

¹² So those who were the first to put faith in the Anointed One might give praise to his glory. ¹³ [For, he’s the one] through whom you heard the words of truth (the good news about your salvation), [the one] in whom you put faith, and [the one] who’s sealed you with the promised Holy Breath... ¹⁴ Which is the guarantee that he inherited us through the ransom that he paid to purchase us for his glory and praise.

¹⁵ This is why, when I heard of your faith in the Lord Yeshua (and of your love for all the Holy Ones), ¹⁶ I haven’t stopped giving thanks for you!

Yes, I keep mentioning you in my prayers, and ¹⁷ asking the God of our Lord Yeshua the Anointed One (the glorious Father) to give you the spirit of wisdom, and to reveal to you an accurate knowledge about Him, ¹⁸ so that the eyes of your hearts will be enlightened – and you can know the glorious richness of the hope that He’s called you for, and which He holds as an inheritance for the Holy Ones.

¹⁹ O how great His power is towards those of us who are believers – while it operates through the mightiness ²⁰ that He demonstrated in the case of the Anointed One, when He raised him from the dead and seated him at His right hand in the heavens! ²¹ Yes, far above every government, authority, power, lordship, and above every name that’s been given... Not only in this age, but also in the one that’s coming, ²² when He’ll put everything under his feet, and make him the ‘head’ of everything to the called ones, ²³ those who are his ‘body,’ his fullness, and his completeness.

Ephesians 2

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¹ For you have ‘died’ to the ways of sin and error – ² in which you once walked (the ways of this world) when you used to follow the ruler of the power of the air… The spirit that now operates in the sons of disobedience, ³ which is the way we were all once headed as we followed our human desires and did whatever our bodies wanted.

Yes, because of the cravings that we once had, we were like everyone else… The natural children of [God’s] wrath!

⁴ But due to the love that He has for us, God (who’s so rich in mercy) ⁵ made us alive in the Anointed One while we were still ‘dead’ in our failings.

So it’s by His loving kindness that we’ve been saved ⁶ and raised [to life] together, then seated together in the heavens in the Anointed Yeshua, ⁷ so that, in ages to come, [God] can show the tremendous richness of His loving care by the kindness that He’s shown towards us through the Anointed Yeshua.

⁸ Yes, it’s because of [His] loving care that you’ve been saved, through a faith that didn’t come from within yourselves, but as a gift from God!

⁹ No, it didn’t come from anything that you’ve done, so you could boast.

¹⁰ Instead, we’re His workmanship… We were created through the Anointed Yeshua to do the good things that God previously prepared as the ways we should walk in.

¹¹ Remember:

Although you were once other races in the flesh, and were called ‘the uncircumcised’ by those who were circumcised by hand in the flesh, ¹² and you were without the Anointed One (you were aliens to the citizens of IsraEl and strangers to the Sacred Agreement of the promise…
Godless and without any hope in this world)... It was ¹³ through the Anointed Yeshua, you who were once far away, have now come to be near to him – via his blood.

¹⁴ So he’s our peace [between us]. For he made the two ([Jews and Gentiles]) one by breaking down the wall that fenced them off from each other.

¹⁵ Through his flesh, he destroyed the hatred [that was brought about by] the Law of Commandments and rules, so that through himself he could take the two, and create a new man – in order to bring about this peace.

¹⁶ Therefore, he brought both [types of] people back to God, [united] as one ‘body’ through the upright [execution stake][Syr] – using himself to destroy the hatred between them!

¹⁷ For when he came, he proclaimed the good news of peace to you who were far away, and to those who were nearby... ¹⁸ So that through him, we can all gain access to the Father in [the same] spirit.

¹⁹ As a result, you’re not strangers or aliens anymore! You’re fellow citizens among the Holy Ones, and family members of God’s household!

²⁰ You’re being built upon the foundation of the Apostles and the Prophets, and the cornerstone is the Anointed Yeshua himself!

²¹ And through him, the whole building is being fitted together, growing into a Most Holy Place for Yahweh. ²² Through the Spirit, you’re being built into a place for The God to dwell!

Ephesians 3

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¹ I give thanks that I (Paul) am a slave of the Anointed Yeshua on your behalf… Yes for you – the people among the other races!

² Perhaps you’ve heard about the responsibility that I was given (by the loving care of God) concerning you, ³ and of how this mystery, that I wrote to you about briefly in the past, was revealed to me.

⁴ So as you read on, hopefully you can grasp [how well] I understand the mystery of the Anointed One.

⁵ [Although this mystery] wasn’t revealed to past generations of the sons of men, it’s now been revealed through his holy Apostles and Prophets via [God’s] Breath…

⁶ [The mystery is this:] That other races will also be fellow heirs, fellow members of the ‘body,’ and fellow partakers of the promise (in the Anointed Yeshua), through the Good News.

⁷ And I became a servant of this [Good News] through the gift given to me by the loving care of God, and in harmony with His Power.

⁸ This loving care was revealed to me (a man who’s less than the least of all the Holy Ones) so that I should preach the good news about the unimaginable richness of the Anointed One to the other races, ⁹ and to shine a light on how this mystery –which was hidden throughout the ages in The God who created all things– shall work out! ¹⁰ Yes, so that governments and heavenly powers might now learn about the vast wisdom of The God via His called ones. ¹¹ [This] has been His age-long purpose through the Anointed Yeshua our Lord.

¹² And it’s through our confidence and faith in him that we’ve been given this direction and this freedom to speak out.

¹³ It’s also because of this that I’m asking you not to tire of the concern I have for you, because it glorifies you.

¹⁴ For it’s over this that I thankfully bend my knees to the Father ¹⁵ (out of whom all lines in heaven and on earth get their paternal names) ¹⁶ to [ask Him to] grant you (by the richness of His glory) the power to become strong in His Spirit, and to make the persons you are on the inside ¹⁷ alive in the Anointed One, through the faith in your hearts, along with love... And to give you sufficient roots and foundation ¹⁸ to be able to understand (along with the rest of the Holy Ones) the width, the length, the height, and the depth…

¹⁹ Yes, to recognize the love of the Anointed One (which is more than you can comprehend), and to fill you with all the fullness that can only come from The God!

²⁰ Now, to the One who, through His power that operates in us, can do far more than anything we can ask or even conceive:

²¹ May He be glorified by the called ones and by the Anointed Yeshua throughout all generations and into ages of ages…

May it be so!

Ephesians 4

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¹ So as a prisoner in the Lord, I’m urging you to be sure that you’re worthy of the calling you’ve received – ² in all humility, gentleness, and patience, while you lovingly put up with each other.

³ Try hard to recognize the unifying force of [God’s] Breath, and its power to bring you together in peace. ⁴ For there’s just one ‘body’ and one Spirit, according to the one hope you were called towards (when you were called)…

⁵ There’s just one Lord, one faith, one immersion, ⁶ and one God and Father of everyone, who’s over all, through all, and in all.

⁷ Now, the amount of loving care that was shown to each of us depends upon how much of the Gift the Anointed One measured out to us.

⁸ For he says:

‘To the highest places, he’s stepped up,

And he’s taken captives into captivity;

Then, he gave gifts to the people.’

[Psalm 68:18]

⁹ So when it says ‘he stepped up,’ this also means that he first had to step down to the lower places… [that is,] to the earth.

¹⁰ So the one who stepped down, also stepped back up – high above the skies – so he could bring everything to a completion.

¹¹ Then he assigned some to be Apostles, some to be Prophets, some to be messengers of the Good News, and some to be shepherds and teachers, ¹² in order to prepare the Holy Ones for the work of serving and strengthening the body of the Anointed One, ¹³ until we all become one in the faith and in knowledge of the Son of The God – to the point where we’re a complete man who fully measures up to the stature of the Anointed One.

¹⁴ Yes, so we won’t be [spiritual] ‘babies’ anymore, being troubled and confused by every breeze of deceitful teachings from people who’ll use any cunning scheme to seduce you.[Syr]

¹⁵ Therefore, while holding onto the truth (and in love), let’s develop in every way into this one who’s the ‘head’ [of the ‘body’] – the Anointed One.

¹⁶ For he brings the whole ‘body’ firmly together at its joints, and supplies enough of the gift to each part according to its needs, so the ‘body’ will grow itself in love.[Syr]

¹⁷ I say and advise this from the Lord:

Don’t continue in the same path that the nations are following, because their thoughts are worthless, ¹⁸ their minds have been darkened to any understanding, and they’re aliens to a god-fearing life because they’re ignorant [of God] and blind in their hearts!

¹⁹ For since they’re cut off from any hope,[Syr] they’ve surrendered themselves to debauchery, and greedily doing filthy things.

²⁰ However, that isn’t what you’ve learned to be true of the Anointed One ²¹ (if you for a fact heard and were taught about him), because truth comes through Yeshua.

²² Therefore, you must get rid of the former man (who’s corrupted by sinful desires) ²³ and create a new personality.

²⁴ Then put on this new person… Yes, [someone] created by God in righteousness and true purity.[Syr]

²⁵ Also, get rid of lying… You must always tell your neighbors the truth, because we’re all fellow ‘body parts’ of each other!

²⁶ [Yes, you can] get irritated, but don’t sin… For the sun will never set on reasons to be irritated!

²⁷ Nor should you allow any room for the Slanderer [to act].

²⁸ So if you’ve been a thief, you shouldn’t steal anymore. Instead, you should work hard and do good things with your hands, so you’ll have something to share with the needy.

²⁹ Nor should you allow any foul words to come out of your mouths. Instead, use good words that are upbuilding (as needed) to show that you care about everyone who listens to you.

³⁰ Don’t impede the Holy Breath of The God, with which you’re sealed for the day of salvation.

³¹ Yes, get rid of all the bitterness, anger, wrath, screaming, and slandering, and everything bad, ³² and be kind to each other… Be sympathetic and graciously forgive each other, as God (through the Anointed One) has graciously forgiven you.

Ephesians 5

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¹ Become imitators of God as His beloved children, ² and keep on walking in love – in the same way that the Anointed One loved you and gave himself up for you, as an offering and a sweet-smelling sacrifice to The God.

³ Don’t allow sexual immorality or any type of uncleanness or greediness to be even mentioned among you – as would be expected of holy people.

⁴ Nor [should you share in] shameful conduct, foolishness, or dirty jokes (which are all unbecoming), but instead, [share] in the giving of thanks.

⁵ [For it’s easy] to recognize those who are immoral, unclean, and greedy (which really amounts to being idol worshipers); and you know that such ones won’t receive an inheritance in the Kingdom of the Anointed One and of The God.

⁶ So don’t allow anyone to seduce you with empty words; for the wrath of God is coming upon the disobedient sons [of mankind] because of things like that!

⁷ Therefore, don’t go along with them... ⁸ Because, although you were once dark, you’ve now become light in the Lord!

So instead, keep on walking as children of the light!

⁹ For the fruitage of light is every sort of goodness, righteousness, and truth… ¹⁰ Things that prove to be pleasing to the Lord.

¹¹ So don’t share in the unproductive deeds of darkness. Rather, speak out against them!

¹² It’s shameful to speak about things that are only done in private, ¹³ because everything that the light speaks against is being exposed, since the light illuminates everything.

¹⁴ That’s why it’s said:

‘Wake up, sleepy!

Rise from the house of the ‘dead’…

Then the Anointed One will shine upon you.’

[possibly a quote from a popular hymn]

¹⁵ So you must pay close attention to the ways that you’re walking… That it’s not like foolish ones, but like wise ones. ¹⁶ Buy the time [to do this], because these are wicked days.

¹⁷ Yes, don’t be foolish, but start learning what the Lord’s will for us is.

¹⁸ And don’t be getting drunk on wine, which leads down an unsavory path. Instead, fill yourselves with the Breath [of God], ¹⁹ and speak to each other in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs… Sing and create music in your hearts to Yahweh ²⁰ in the name of our Lord Yeshua the Anointed One.

Yes, always give thanks to our God and Father for everything!

²¹ You should also submit to each other in the same way that you show reverential fear for the Anointed One.

²² Wives should submit to their husbands like they would to the Lord, ²³ because a husband is the head and origin of his wife, just as the Anointed One is the head and origin of the congregation, that is, the savior of that ‘body.’

²⁴ So, just as the congregation submits to the Anointed One, that’s how wives should [submit] to their husbands in everything.

²⁵ Men:

Love your wives as the Anointed One loved the congregation and gave himself up to make it holy.

²⁶ He washed it in a bath of water (so to speak), ²⁷ in order to present a glorious gathering to himself that doesn’t have any spots, wrinkles, or any such things, but which is holy and without any blemishes.

²⁸ Yes, that’s how the men should love their wives… As their own bodies.

So, the man who loves his wife is really showing love for himself… ²⁹ And nobody ever hates his own flesh. Rather, he feeds it and takes pride in it, just as the Anointed One does the congregation.

³⁰ And we’ve become parts of [Yeshua’s] ‘body’… Of his very flesh and his bones!

³¹ [So as the scripture says]:

‘A man will leave his father and mother and stick with his woman, and the two will become one flesh.’ [Genesis 2:24]

³² Now, this is a great mystery, because I’m comparing [the relationship between husbands and wives] to the Anointed One and [his love for] the congregation.

³³ But this is how each man should love his wife… As he does himself.

And women should have a reverential fear of their husbands.

Ephesians 6

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¹ Children:

Obey your parents in our Lord, because this is righteous. ² Honor your father and mother, for this is the first Commandment that came with a promise:

³ ‘...that things would go well for you, and that you may live a long time on the land.’ [Exodus 20:12 or Deuteronomy 5:16]

⁴ Fathers:

Don’t frustrate your children, but bring them up in the discipline and council of our Lord.

⁵ Slaves:

Be obedient to those who are your fleshly masters with reverential fear and sincere hearts, like you would to the Anointed One.

⁶ Don’t just put on a good show to please men, but as slaves of the Anointed One, do the will of God whole-souled.

⁷ Be willing slaves as to the Lord (not of men), ⁸ because you know that whatever good you do will be rewarded by the Lord, whether you’re a slave or a free man.

⁹ Masters:

Keep on doing the same for [your slaves]… And don’t be threatening them, because you know that there’s a Master who’s over both them and you in the heavens, and He doesn’t recognize any difference [between you].

¹⁰ [To all:]

Finally, become powerful in the mightiness and strength of the Lord. ¹¹ Put on the complete suit of God’s armor, so that you can resist the methods of the Slanderer.

¹² For our fight isn’t against flesh and blood, but against the governments, the authorities, the mighty ones of this worldly darkness, and against the unseen wicked powers in the heavens.

¹³ So because of this, take up the complete suit [that comes from] God, so you can fight in that wicked day and still be found standing.

¹⁴ Yes, stand firm with your hips wrapped in the truth and wearing the breastplate of righteousness!

¹⁵ Wrap your feet and prepare them with the good news of peace.

¹⁶ And above all else, pick up the large shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked one!

¹⁷ Also, accept the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit (which are the things that God has said).

¹⁸ Keep on praying and begging [God] about everything in Spirit throughout each season. Be aware of this, and never stop petitioning [God] on behalf of all the Holy Ones.

¹⁹ Also [pray] for me… That the words may be given to me to open my mouth and speak freely so I can make the mystery of the good news known [to others].

²⁰ Indeed, that’s why I’m now an ambassador in chains… So that I can speak boldly about these things and to say the things that I’m supposed to say.

²¹ Now, so you can know how I’m getting along and what I’m doing, TychiKos (a beloved brother and faithful servant of the Lord) will explain everything to you.

²² This is why I’m sending him to you… To let you know what’s happening to us and to bring comfort to your hearts.

²³ Peace to the brothers, and love with faith from God the Father and from the Lord Yeshua the Anointed One.

²⁴ May all those who have an uncorrupted love for our Lord Yeshua the Anointed One receive [His] loving care.

May it be so!

Philippians

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A letter from the Apostle Paul and Timothy to the congregation in Philippi, Greece.

It was probably written down by Timothy due to Paul’s poor eyesight, and it may have originally been in Aramaic. It likely dates from sometime around 62 CE.

Philippians 1

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¹ Paul and Timothy, slaves of the Anointed Yeshua, to all the Holy Ones in the Anointed Yeshua [who are] in Philippi, along with the overseers and servants:

² May you have kindness and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Yeshua the Anointed!

³ I thank my God every time you’re mentioned, ⁴ and I’m constantly begging [God] on your behalf… Yes, begging with joy, ⁵ because of your partnership in [sharing] the good news from the first day until now.

⁶ I’m confident that the one who started this good work among you will continue to perfect it until the Day of Yeshua the Anointed One.

⁷ It’s a righteous thing for me to think this way about all of you, and I keep you in my heart – both when I'm in chains, and when I'm defending and confirming the good news, for you’re all sharers in my loving care.

⁸ God is my witness as to how much I long for all of you with the same tender affection that the Anointed Yeshua has.

⁹ And this is what I keep praying:

That your love will continue to grow more and more, along with your higher knowledge and understanding; ¹⁰ and that you’ll keep on proving the most excellent things, so that you might be found pure and blameless until the day of the Anointed One… ¹¹ Yes, being filled with righteous fruit (through the Anointed Yeshua) to God’s glory and praise.

¹² Now, I want you to know this, brothers:

I’m seeing results from what I’m doing for the Good News’s advancement.

¹³ For my imprisonment because of the Anointed One has become public knowledge among the entire Praetorian Guard and everyone else [here].

¹⁴ Also, because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord are now more confident and they’re showing more courage and fearlessness when teaching the word of God.

¹⁵ Unfortunately, it’s true that some are preaching the Anointed One out of [a spirit of] envy and rivalry.

However, many others are doing it for good motives… ¹⁶ Out of love, because they know that [the reason why] I’m lying here is to defend the good news.

¹⁷ Yet, none of the rest are doing it for good reasons; for they’re preaching the Anointed One by arguing – and they think that this will create more problems for me while I’m in prison.

¹⁸ But it doesn’t make any difference, for whether they’re just pretending or they’re being sincere, the Anointed One is being made known... And I rejoice over this.

In fact, I’ll keep on rejoicing, ¹⁹ because I know that through your earnest prayers and a [generous] supply of the spirit of Yeshua the Anointed One, I’ll be saved [from this imprisonment]. ²⁰ Yes, I eagerly hope (and don’t expect to be disappointed) that soon I’ll be able to speak freely about the Anointed One just as before, and even more so, whether my body is dead or alive!

²¹ To me, life is the Anointed One and my reward is death... ²² However, if I can keep on living in the flesh, I consider this to be the fruitage of my work.

Which do I prefer?

I won’t say, ²³ for I’m obsessed by the two.

What I really want is to be released [from this body] and to be with the Anointed One, since that’s surely the best.

²⁴ However, for your sakes, it’s better for me to remain in the flesh. ²⁵ And because I’m confident of this, I know that I’ll survive and still be with all of you, so I can help you to grow in the joy of the faith…

²⁶ And then your reasons for pride in the Anointed Yeshua will grow because of me, due to the fact that I’ll be coming to you again.

²⁷ Just behave in a way that’s worthy of the good news about the Anointed One, so that regardless of whether I’m coming to visit or I’m far away, I can hear [good] things about you…

For example, [I want to hear] that you’re all standing firm with the same motivations, and that you’re serving the faith of the good news side-by-side as a single ‘person,’ ²⁸ not being frightened by those who oppose you.

[This fine conduct on your part] will be evidence of both their [spiritual] ruin, and our salvation.[Syr]

²⁹ God has given you the privilege of not only really believing in the Anointed One, but also of suffering for him,[Syr] ³⁰ and of struggling with the same things you saw me [struggle with], which you’re now hearing are happening to me again.

Philippians 2

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¹ Therefore, if there’s any encouragement [to be found] in the Anointed One, any consoling love, any fellowship of the [Holy] Breath, any depth of heart or compassion ² – anything that would make my joy in you complete – [it would be to hear that] you’ve been:

• Of one mind,

• Of one love,

• Of one spirit,[Syr] and

• Of one will.

³ And that you aren’t doing anything out of spite or pride but humbly, believing all the others to be better than you. ⁴ Also that you’re not just watching out for yourselves, but for the best interests of each other!

⁵ Yes, just as the Anointed One did, have this feeling inside of you: ⁶ That, even though he’s in the same form as God, he never considered exploiting this to make himself equal to God. ⁷ Instead, he emptied himself into the shape of a slave and became a human!

⁸ And when he found himself shaped as a human, he humbled himself and became obedient to death… Yes, to death on an upright [stake].

⁹ This is why God promoted him to a superior position and granted him a reputation that’s far above every other name, ¹⁰ so that in the name of Yeshua every knee in heaven, on earth, and under the ground should bend, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Yeshua the Anointed One is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

¹² So, my loved ones:

In the same way that you’ve always obeyed (not just when I’m there but also while I’m away), keep on working towards your own salvation in fear and trembling. ¹³ For God is encouraging and motivating you to do the good things you want to do.[Syr]

¹⁴ Therefore, do everything without complaining or arguing, ¹⁵ so that you can be found blameless and innocent children of God – free from the accusations of this crooked and twisted generation [reference to Deuteronomy 32:5], among whom you’re shining as lights to the world!

¹⁶ Also, hang on to the life-giving words, so that I can boast in the Day of the Anointed One who I didn’t run without reason or labor in vain.

¹⁷ And then, even if I’m being poured out as a drink offering sacrifice (over the welfare of your faith), I can be thankful and rejoice with all of you…

¹⁸ As I want you to be glad and rejoice along with me!

¹⁹ I hope (in the Lord Yeshua) to send Timothy to you soon, so I can be encouraged by hearing about how you’re getting along.

²⁰ For I’ve got nobody else here who has the same spirit as me, who genuinely cares about your needs... ²¹ All the rest are just watching out for their own interests, not those of the Anointed Yeshua.

²² So recognize how well [Timothy] has proven himself; for he has slaved with me as a child does with his father when it comes to promoting the good news.

²³ Yes, this is the man I hope to send to you, just as soon as I see where I really stand in this situation that I [find myself] in.

²⁴ However, I’m confident in the Lord that I'll soon be able to come and see you myself!

²⁵ I also considered it necessary to return EpaPhraditus (my brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier, but your envoy and social worker for my assistance) to you, ²⁶ because he’s been longing to see all of you, and he’s been concerned over the fact that you learned about his illness.

²⁷ Yes, he was indeed ill, almost to the point of death! However, The God had mercy on him… And not just on him, but on me too, so I wouldn’t be grieved with sadness!

²⁸ Therefore, I’m sending him to you immediately, so that you can rejoice once again when you see him… And I can be less anxious too!

²⁹ Therefore, recieve him to you in the Lord with all joy… And remember his reputation!

³⁰ For he came very close to being killed while doing the Anointed One’s work, and he’s exposed his life to great danger in order to make up for your not being here to provide for my welfare.

Philippians 3

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¹ Finally, my brothers:

Keep on rejoicing in the Lord!

The fact that I’m writing these same things to you once again is no trouble for me, and it’s for your own safety. ² Just watch out for the ‘dogs,’ those who are doing wicked things, and those who cut the flesh[, that is, circumcise]!

³ Indeed, we are the [real] circumcision – those serving in the Breath of God and finding glory in the Anointed Yeshua, and not putting their trust in the flesh.

⁴ Realize that I’m someone who has every reason for confidence in the flesh… And if anyone else thinks he has a reason for confidence in the flesh, I have even more reasons!

⁵ [For I was]:

• Circumcised on the 8th day,

• [I’m] of the race of IsraEl,

• Of the tribe of BenJamin,

• And a Hebrew from among Hebrews.

[Also:]

• When it comes to the Law, [I was] a Pharisee;

• ⁶ When it comes to zeal, [I was] a persecutor of the called ones;

• When it comes to righteousness by following the Law, [I was] one who’s proven himself blameless!

⁷ Yet, the things that I [once] considered my assets are what I now consider my shortcomings because of the Anointed One!

⁸ For now I consider everything a detriment compared to the superiority of the knowledge of the Anointed Yeshua, my Lord.

And because of him, I’ve accepted the loss of everything and consider it all like garbage, so I can gain the Anointed One ⁹ and to be found in him.

But this isn’t because of my own righteousness due to following the Law; rather, it comes from my faith that he’s the Anointed of God!

For my righteousness [is now based on my] faith, ¹⁰ that I know Yeshua,[Syr] and in the power of his resurrection.

Therefore, I've been willing to share in his sufferings and resign myself to a death like his, ¹¹ so I can be found worthy of a resurrection from the place of the dead.

¹² [No, I’m not saying] that I’ve made it yet or that I’m already perfect, just that I’m chasing after it so that I might take it – because Yeshua has taken me.

¹³ Brothers, I don’t think of myself as having achieved it yet, but I’m doing this one thing:

[I’m] forgetting the things in the past and stretching out to reach for the things that are ahead… ¹⁴ I’m running towards the goal, the prize of the higher calling from God – through the Anointed Yeshua.

¹⁵ And may all of us who are mature start thinking this way; and if you think differently, God will [soon] reveal it to you.

¹⁶ Nevertheless, let’s all walk together with one accord so we can achieve this!

¹⁷ So be like me, brothers, and contemplate those who are following the example that you see in us.

¹⁸ However, there are many who walk differently, people I used to talk to you about... But now I say with tears that they’ve become enemies of the Anointed One’s upright [stake]!

¹⁹ They'll end up in ruin, because their bellies have become their gods – and the things they’re proud of are things that shame them, since all they think about is earthly things... ²⁰ While our concerns are in heaven,[Syr] to which we look for our Savior, the Lord Yeshua the Anointed.

²¹ He will transform our humiliated bodies and mold them into the likeness of his own glorious body, in the same way that he’s able to make all things subject to himself.

Philippians 4

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¹ So my brothers who are loved and longed for (my joy and my victory garland):

Keep standing just as you are in the Lord, my loved ones!

² I encourage EuOdia and SynTyche to think the same way in the Lord. ³ And I’m asking [the rest of] you (who’ve truly shared under my same yoke) to stick by these women who’ve worked so hard side-by-side with me in the good news…

Along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers whose names are [written] in the Scroll of Life.

⁴ Always rejoice in the Lord!

I’ll say it again:

Rejoice… ⁵ And let everyone know how reasonable you can be!

Since the Lord is close [to you], ⁶ don’t be anxious about anything! But through prayers and heart-felt petitions along with the giving of thanks, make your requests known to God…

⁷ And then the peace of God –which is beyond all understanding– will guard your hearts and your reasoning, through the Anointed Yeshua.

⁸ Finally, brothers:

Keep on thinking about whatever things are true, serious, righteous, chaste, lovable, well spoken of, virtuous, and praiseworthy.

⁹ And if you continue to do the things that you learned, accepted, heard, and saw through me, the God of peace will be with you.

¹⁰ I’m so joyful in the Lord that you’ve finally started thinking about my needs once again. It’s not that you’ve forgotten me, it’s just that you haven’t had much opportunity...

¹¹ I’m not saying this because I’m in need, for I’ve learned to be very self-sufficient… ¹² I know how to be poor and I know how to have plenty.

For in everything and in every way, I’ve learned the secrets of how to have enough to eat and how to go hungry, how to have plenty and how to do without. ¹³ Yes, I have the strength for everything by the One who gives me power.

¹⁴ However, you’ve acted well by sharing with me during my difficulties. ¹⁵ In fact, you Philippians may remember how, back in the early [days] of the good news (after I left Macedonia), not a single congregation was willing to share with me in the matter of giving and receiving – other than you!

¹⁶ For even [when I was] in ThesSalonica, you sent something to help with my needs… Not just once, but twice!

¹⁷ I’m not saying this because I want a gift – I want you to have an increase of [good] fruits!

¹⁸ Indeed, I’ve received everything that I need from you, which is more than enough!

I’ve been filled with the sweet-smelling odor of a sacrifice that’s acceptable and very pleasing to God, now that I’ve received these things from you through EpaPhraditus.

¹⁹ So be assured that my God will in turn fully supply all of your needs from His great wealth – through the glory of the Anointed Yeshua.

²⁰ Now, may our God and Father be glorified throughout ages of ages...

May it be so!

[P.S]

²¹ Give my greetings to all the Holy Ones in the Anointed Yeshua. The brothers who are with me also send you their greetings... ²² Yes, all the Holy Ones – and especially those of the house of Caesar – send you their greetings.

²³ May the kindness of the Lord Yeshua the Anointed One be with you all.

May it be so!

Colossians

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A letter from the Apostle Paul and Timothy, to the Christian congregation in the city of Colossae, Phrygia, a region of Asia Minor.

It was probably written around 62 CE. The text itself was likely written by Timothy (apart from a greeting at the end by Paul), and it was probably first in Aramaic before being translated into Greek.

Colossians 1

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¹ Paul, an Apostle of the Anointed Yeshua by the Will of God, and Timothy our brother, ² to the holy and faithful brothers in the Anointed One at Colossae:

May you have loving care and peace from our Father, God.

³ We always thank the God and Father of our Lord, Yeshua the Anointed One, when we’re praying for you... ⁴ Since we’ve heard about your faith in the Anointed Yeshua, and of the love you have for all the Holy Ones – ⁵ through the hope that’s been reserved for you in the heavens.

This is the same hope that you were taught when the truth of the good news ⁶ was first brought to you.

[And today] it’s producing fruit and increasing throughout the entire world – the same as it’s been doing among you since the day you first heard of it, and came to an accurate understanding about the truth of God’s loving care.

⁷ [You first heard through] EpaPhras our beloved fellow slave, who’s a faithful servant of the Anointed One on our behalf... ⁸ And he’s the one who told us about the love that you have through the Breath [of God].

⁹ As a result, from the very day that we heard [this about you], we haven’t stopped praying for you, and asking for you to be filled with a complete knowledge of [God’s] will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.

¹⁰ For we want you to walk in a way that’s worthy of the Lord – and to be completely pleasing [to him] while you keep on producing the fruitage of all sorts of good deeds... Growing in a full knowledge of The God ¹¹ and getting stronger in the power of His Glorious Might, so that you’ll be able to endure everything joyfully and patiently, ¹² while you thank the Father who qualified you to receive a portion of the inheritance among the Holy Ones in the light.

¹³ For He’s drawing us to Himself from out of the power of darkness, and transferring us into the Kingdom of His beloved Son ¹⁴ (into which we’ve been delivered through his blood [spurious words] by the forgiving of our sins), ¹⁵ who is the image of the invisible God and the firstborn of all creation.

¹⁶ It was through him that everything in the heavens and on the earth was created, both the things that are visible and the things that are invisible…

It was all created through him and for him, regardless of whether it’s thrones, rulerships, governments, or powers... ¹⁷ Since he was before everything and everything came into existence through him.

¹⁸ And now he’s the ‘head’ and origin of the body of the congregation, the beginning, and the first to be born from the dead so that he would be first in everything.

¹⁹ Yes, [God] saw that it was good for him to be the completion of everything, ²⁰ and He’s using [Yeshua] to bring it all back into a peaceful, good relationship with Himself (through his blood [that was shed] on the upright [stake])[Syr]... Whether these things are heavenly or earthly.

²¹ So although you were once just aliens and enemies (since all you thought about then was doing wicked things) ²² [Yeshua] has restored your relationship with [God] by means of the death of [his] fleshly body.

[This was done so that] you could be presented to Him as holy, without any blemishes, and free from all accusations… ²³ That is, as long as you stay firmly founded and deeply rooted in the faith – and aren’t diverted from the hope of the good news that you were taught, and which is being preached in all creation under the sky (of which I, Paul, am a servant).

²⁴ So, even as I’m here suffering, I’m rejoicing over you!

Yes, right now my flesh is finishing whatever may have been lacking during the difficult time that the Anointed One endured... And I’m doing this on behalf of his body, the congregation, ²⁵ which is what I’m serving.

This is the obligation God’s assigned to me for your sakes – to fulfill His Word ²⁶ about the mystery that was hidden from past ages and peoples, but which has now been made clear to His Holy Ones.

²⁷ Yes, it was God’s Will to allow you other races to understand the glorious richness of this mystery. So the Anointed One can be in you too, [yes, the one] who is the hope of our glory ²⁸ whom we’ve been advertising.

[We did this] while admonishing you and teaching you in wisdom... So that we can present every person as complete in the Anointed One.

²⁹ I’m working hard and struggling to do this – but helped by the power he gives me.

Colossians 2

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¹ I want you to realize what a great struggle I’m undergoing on your behalf, as well as for those in LaoDikea and for all those who haven’t met me face to face yet...

² And I want your hearts to be comforted over this, so that you can meet together in love, and be provided with a rich and sure understanding as well as an accurate knowledge of that great mystery of God the Father,[Syr] and of the Anointed One.

³ For the treasures of all wisdom and knowledge are hidden in him!

⁴ I’m saying this so that nobody will mislead you with strong arguments [to the contrary], ⁵ for although I’m not there in the flesh, I’m still with you in spirit!

I’m also very happy to see how well you’re doing in orderliness, and how firm your faith in the Anointed One has become.

⁶ Therefore, since you’ve accepted the Anointed Yeshua (our Lord), [you must] keep on walking with him… ⁷ Becoming rooted and built up in him, and growing firmer in your belief in the things that you were taught.

[Yes, I want you to] overflow with these things whenever you’re giving thanks!

⁸ But watch out so that nobody carries you off as a ‘captive’ into the philosophies and empty hopes of human traditions! Because these base things of the world don’t come from the Anointed One.

⁹ Rather, the divinity fully lives within him bodily, ¹⁰ and you’re [also] fully within him, [the one] who’s the head and source of all government and power!

¹¹ For you were ‘circumcised’ into him with a ‘circumcision’ that was done without hands... [it happened] when you stripped away your fleshly bodies though the circumcision of the Anointed One.

¹² Then you were all buried with him when [you went] under the water, and you were all raised together by your faith in what God (who raised him from the dead) has done in you!

¹³ For that’s when you ‘died’ to your errors and the uncircumcised state of your flesh and became ‘alive’ with him... And then he kindly forgave all your errors ¹⁴ by wiping away the handwritten [Jewish] Laws that held you down and oppressed you…

He lifted them out of the way and nailed them on to the upright [stake], ¹⁵ which stripped away the governments and powers, and openly displayed that this is how he’d conquered them.

¹⁶ So, don’t allow anyone to judge you over [what you] eat or drink, or over your views of festivals such as the New Moons or Sabbaths... ¹⁷ For these were just shadows of things to come, while the realities belong to the Anointed One.

¹⁸ And don’t allow anyone to steal your prize by suggesting some lowly form of angel worship and by making strong claims of things that [someone says] he’s seen.

For [this man has become] overly impressed with something he just imagined in the flesh, ¹⁹ and he’s no longer hanging onto the ‘head’… The one who holds the whole ‘body’ together with its joints and ligaments so that it keeps growing with the [type of] growth that comes from The God.

²⁰ However, since you’ve already ‘died’ [when it comes] to the base things of this world (along with the Anointed One), why is it that you (as if you’re still living in this world) are putting yourselves under such laws as ²¹ ‘don’t feel it,’ ‘don’t taste it,’ or ‘don’t touch it,’ ²² when it comes to things that are just going to be consumed?

For these are the commands and teachings of men!

²³ Look, it might sound wise (with all its humility, fear of God, and mistreatment of the body), but it’s got no real value... It’s just concerned with [desires of the] flesh.[Syr]

Colossians 3

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¹ Rather, since you’ve been raised with the Anointed One, you should now be searching for the things that come from above, from the right hand of God, where the Anointed One is sitting…

² Yes, think about the things above, not the things on the earth!

³ So, since you’ve already ‘died,’ and your life has been hidden away in the Anointed One and in God... ⁴ When the Anointed One (who is our life) reveals himself, you’ll also be seen with him in his glory!

⁵ Therefore, deaden your earthly [body parts] when it comes to sexual immorality, unclean passions, desires for bad things, and greediness (which is idolatry)...

⁶ For the wrath of God is coming because of such things.

⁷ And although that may have been how you acted back when you used to live for such things, ⁸ you must now remove all the wrath, anger, badness, slander, and obscenities from your mouths… ⁹ And don’t lie to each other!

Yes, you must now take off the old person (and the things that he did) ¹⁰ and put on the new person who’s being remade with a complete knowledge in the image of the One who’s creating it.

¹¹ So there’s no [distinction between] Jews and Syrians, nor circumcised and uncircumcised, nor Greek and barbarian, and nor slave and freeman!

There’s just the Anointed One, who is everything and within all of you![Syr]

¹² Then, as God’s chosen people who are holy and loved, you must put on the caring traits of empathy, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.

¹³ Also, keep on putting up with each other and forgiving each other kindly, whenever anyone has a reason to complain. Yes, just as the Lord kindly forgave you, you must do the same…

¹⁴ And add love to all of that, because it’s the perfect unifying force.

¹⁵ Let the peace of the Anointed One serve as the judge in your hearts, because it’s calling [all of] you into one ‘body.’

So be thankful and ¹⁶ allow the words of the Anointed One to live in you richly and in all wisdom, as you kindly teach and remind each other through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.

Yes, sing to God from your hearts!

¹⁷ And no matter what you’re saying or doing, do it all in the name of the Lord Yeshua, continuously thanking God (the Father) through him.

¹⁸ Wives:

Obey your husbands – because this is proper [for those] in the Lord.

¹⁹ Husbands:

Love your wives – and don’t be nasty to them.

²⁰ Children:

Obey your parents in everything – because this is beautiful before our Lord.[Syr]

²¹ Fathers:

Don’t demand too much from your children, so they don’t get discouraged.

²² Slaves:

Obey your fleshly masters in everything… Not just by putting on a good show to please men, but sincerely, from the heart – and in the fear of Yahweh.

²³ Yes, whatever you’re doing, work at it wholeheartedly as if it’s for the Lord and not for men... ²⁴ Remember that from our Lord you’ll get rewarded with an inheritance from Yahweh – because you serve the Anointed One.

²⁵ For the wrongdoer will be ‘rewarded’ exactly according to what he’s done – no matter who it is!

Colossians 4

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¹ Masters:

Act righteously and fairly with your slaves, remember that you too have a Master – in heaven!

² [And to all:]

Keep in constant prayer, stay alert, and give thanks.

³ Also, keep praying for us… That God may open doors for us to speak and tell others about the mystery of the Anointed One...

This is why I’m [here in] shackles… ⁴ To display whatever it is that I’m supposed to say.

⁵ Keep on walking wisely when it comes to those on the outside, and keep an eye out for opportunities.

⁶ Be respectful in everything that you say… Season everything with salt, and know how to answer everyone appropriately.

⁷ TychiKos (my dear brother, faithful servant, and fellow slave in the Lord) will explain to you everything that’s happening to me. ⁸ That’s why I’m sending him to you… To keep you abreast of what’s going on and to comfort your hearts.

⁹ [I’m also sending] OneSimus, my faithful and loved brother who came from you, who’ll tell you all the rest.

¹⁰ AristArchus (my fellow prisoner) sends you his greetings, as does Mark (BarNabas’ cousin).

He’s the one who you were told to welcome if he ever comes to [visit] you… ¹¹ And so does Yeshua (who’s also called Justus).

All of them are circumcised, but they’re also my fellow workers for the Kingdom of God, and they’ve done so much to comfort me!

¹² EpaPhras (who came from you), a slave of the Anointed Yeshua, sends you his greetings.

He always puts a lot of effort into his prayers for you, asking that you might become perfect in the stand that you’re taking, and [that you’ll] completely carry out the will of God.

¹³ I can testify to the fact that he goes to a lot of effort on your behalf, as well as for those at LaoDikea and HierApolis.

¹⁴ Luke (the beloved physician) sends you his greetings, and so does Demas.

¹⁵ Give my greetings to the brothers at LaoDikea, as well as to Nympha and the called ones in her home.

¹⁶ After this letter has been read among you, also arrange for it to be read in the LaoDikean congregation… And you read the one from LaoDikea.

¹⁷ Also, tell ArcHippus to keep an eye on the service assignment that he accepted in the Lord and to make sure that he fulfills it.

¹⁸ Here is my greeting (Paul’s) in my own hand!

Remember me in prison.

May [God’s] loving care be with you.

1 Thessalonians

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A letter from Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the congregation in Thessaloniki, Greece.

It was probably penned by Timothy or Sylvanus around 52 CE, and possibly in Aramaic.

1 Thessalonians 1

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¹ Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the called ones among the Thessalonians who are in God the Father and in the Lord Yeshua the Anointed:

May you have peace and [God’s] loving care!

² We always thank God when we mention you in our prayers, ³ because we never forget your faithful work, loving labors, and endurance... That [all] comes from [your] confidence in our Lord Yeshua the Anointed, [who stands] before our God and Father.

⁴ We know that He chose you, our brothers who are loved by God, ⁵ because the good news that we’re preaching didn’t become just words to you, but power, Holy Breath, and a strong conviction, since you recognized what sort of men we became to you for your sakes.

⁶ Then you started acting like us, and like the Lord, because you accepted the word in the joy of [God’s] Holy Breath despite many difficulties, ⁷ and you became [good] examples to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.

⁸ For you’ve preached the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has been spread everywhere!

So we don’t have to say anything more, ⁹ since everyone is talking about the way we first came to you and of how you turned away from idols, then [turned towards] The God…

Yes, to slave for a God who is living and true!

¹⁰ And [they also speak about how you’re] awaiting His Son from the heavens that He raised from the dead… This Yeshua, who’s drawn us to himself and away from the coming wrath.

1 Thessalonians 2

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¹ Brothers, you know that our visit with you hasn’t been without results. ² For although we’d just suffered and been mistreated in Philippi (as you well know), our God gave us the boldness to speak to you about the good news of our God (although with a lot of difficulty) ³ because the encouragement we give doesn’t come from errors, uncleanness, or deceit.

⁴ And since God has inspected us [and found us] fit to be entrusted with the good news, we don’t speak just to please men, but [to please] God, who inspects what’s in our hearts.

⁵ So, with God as Witness (and as you well know), we didn’t come to you with flattering words or pretending to be in need of anything, ⁶ nor have we sought glory from men… No, neither from you, nor from anyone else (although as Apostles of the Anointed One, we could have been [justified in being] such a burden).

⁷ Instead, we came to you as gently as a mother who feeds and cares for her children!

⁸ And because we cared for you so much, we were not only happy to share the good news of God with you, but also our lives, since you’ve become so dear to us.

⁹ Brothers, surely you remember how we toiled and labored… How we worked hard night and day so we wouldn’t put an expensive burden on anyone, as we preached the good news about The God to you.

¹⁰ And both you and God are our witnesses as to how loyal, righteous, and free from blame we became to you believers.

¹¹ For each of you must recognize how we kept on encouraging you, consoling you, and testifying to you, just as a father does to his own children!

¹² [We did this] so you’d keep on walking in a way that’s worthy of The God who’s calling you to His Kingdom and glory.

¹³ And we keep on thanking God, because, when you accepted the word of The God that you heard from us, you didn’t accept it as the word of men, but just as it truthfully is… The word of God – which is at work in you believers!

¹⁴ Yes, you became our imitators and our brothers – in the same way as those who were called by The God in Judea and are in the Anointed Yeshua, because you started suffering at the hands of your own countrymen, just as the [Called Ones] did at the hands of the Judeans ¹⁵ who killed the Lord Yeshua and the Prophets, and who persecuted us.

These men aren’t pleasing to God, for they’re [really] opposing all humanity ¹⁶ by trying to keep us from speaking to the gentiles so that we can save them.

As a result, they’re always filled to the brim with their sins, and they’ll receive His full wrath.

¹⁷ As for us, brothers:

We’re forced to be separated from you for a short while… In body, but not in our hearts, and we anxiously desire to see your faces.

¹⁸ That’s why I wanted to come to you (yes me, Paul) on two different occasions. However, the Opposer kept on cutting us off.

¹⁹ When our Lord Yeshua arrives and we’re standing before him, why would we have any hope, or joy, or a winner’s garland to boast over, if not for you?

²⁰ Because you… Yes, you are our glory and joy!

1 Thessalonians 3

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¹ So when we couldn’t bear it any longer, we arranged to be sent to Athens alone. ² Then we sent Timothy – our brother and God’s servant in the good news about the Anointed One – to strengthen and comfort you in your faith, ³ so that none of you would become discouraged by all these difficulties.

However, you know that we were all appointed [to endure] things such as this!

⁴ Yes, when we were there with you, we warned you that we were about to suffer persecution (as you well know is now happening).

⁵ And it’s because I just couldn’t stand [not knowing how you were faring] that I sent [Timothy] to see how your faith [is bearing up], and whether the Tempter has put you to the test and brought all of our hard work to nothing.

⁶ But now that Timothy has returned from you, he’s brought us the good news about your faithfulness and love; and [he’s told us] how you keep us in your fond memories and of how you’re always longing to see us, just as we’re [longing to see] you.

⁷ That’s why, brothers, despite all our own needs and difficulties, we find comfort in you and in the faith that you’re showing.

⁸ Because, if you’re standing firm in the Lord, then we’re living [happily]!

⁹ So, what sort of thanks can we offer to God for you in return for all the joy we now have because of you before our God?

¹⁰ Therefore, we’ll keep on begging night and day to see your faces and to correct anything that may be lacking in your faith.

¹¹ Now, may our God and Father Himself and our Lord Yeshua straighten our road to you.

¹² May the Lord cause you to grow and to have more than enough love for each other and for all, just as we have for you.

¹³ And may he make your hearts firm in holiness, without any blame before our God and Father when our Lord Yeshua appears with all of his Holy Ones…

May it be so!

1 Thessalonians 4

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¹ Finally brothers:

We ask and urge you by the Lord Yeshua to follow the path of what you learned from us, and to keep on pleasing God.

Although you’re already doing this, you must do it even more so!

² For you’re aware of these orders that we gave to you through the Lord Yeshua:

³ ‘It is God’s Will [for you] to be holy and to stay free from sexual immorality.’

⁴ So you must each learn how to take control of yourselves in holiness and honor… ⁵ Not in passionate desires like those of the nations who don’t know God!

⁶ Nobody should overstep the limits or take advantage of his brother in this matter, for the Lord is the avenger in all of such things, just as we warned you before and explained completely…

⁷ God didn’t call us to uncleanness, but to holiness!

⁸ So, those of you who [may choose to] disregard this [warning] aren’t disregarding a man, but The God who put His Holy Breath in you.

⁹ Yet, when it comes to the matter of brotherly love, there’s no need for us to write you, because God has taught you to love each other, ¹⁰ and you’re showing this to all the brothers throughout Macedonia...

Nevertheless, we’re now urging you brothers to become even better at it!

¹¹ Also:

Pledge yourselves to living quietly, to minding your own business, and to working for a living (just as we’ve instructed you to do), ¹² so that you’ll always be acting in an appropriate way towards those on the outside, and so that you won’t ever be in need of anything.

¹³ Brothers, we want you to understand the situation of those who are sleeping [in death], so you aren’t saddened like those who don’t have any hope.

¹⁴ For if we believe that Yeshua died and was resurrected, we must also believe that The God will (through Yeshua) lead back those who’ve fallen asleep.

¹⁵ Understand that what we’re saying to you is the word of the Lord… That those who are still living at the appearance of the Lord will definitely not go ahead of those who’ve fallen asleep.

¹⁶ Because the Lord himself will come down from the sky and give the command in the voice of the highest messenger [of God] and with God’s trumpet...

Then those who’ve died in the Anointed One will be the first to be resurrected.

¹⁷ And after that, the living (those of us who are still left at that time) will be snatched into the clouds along with them for a meeting with the Lord in the air…

And thereafter, we’ll always be with the Lord.

¹⁸ Keep comforting each other with these words!

1 Thessalonians 5

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¹ Now, when it comes to the times and seasons brothers, nothing needs to be written to you, ² because you know very well that the Lord’s Day is coming [unexpectedly] like a thief does at night... ³ while they’re speaking of well-being and tranquility.[Syr]

And then ruin will come upon them – like [the inevitability of] labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they won’t escape.

⁴ Therefore brothers; since you aren’t in the dark, don’t let that Day [sneak up] on you like a thief.

⁵ For you’re all sons of light and sons of the day… You don’t belong to the night or to darkness!

⁶ As a result, we shouldn’t be ‘falling asleep’ like all the rest. Instead, we should be staying awake and remaining sober!

⁷ For those who are sleeping, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.

⁸ But may those of us who belong to the day stay ‘sober,’ while we put on the breastplate of faith and love, and wear our hope of salvation like a helmet.

⁹ Because, The God didn’t destine us for His wrath, but for us to gain salvation through our Lord Yeshua the Anointed One ¹⁰ who died for us, so that whether we remain alert or we ‘fall asleep’ [in death], we’ll all live together with him.

¹¹ Keep on comforting each other with these words and continue to build each other up, just as you’re already doing!

¹² Now, brothers:

We’re asking you to give [special] recognition to those who are working so hard among you by taking the lead over you in the Lord and in counseling you.

¹³ Give them extraordinary loving consideration because of what they’re doing, and be at peace with each other!

¹⁴ We also urge you brothers to reprimand the disorderly, to comfort the depressed, to support the weak, and to be patient with everyone.

¹⁵ Also, make sure that no one is trying to get even with anyone else over bad things... Keep on searching for the best interests of each other and for all the rest.

¹⁶ Keep on rejoicing!

¹⁷ Pray constantly!

¹⁸ And give thanks for everything, because this is God’s will for you in the Anointed Yeshua!

¹⁹ Also, don’t put out the fire of [God’s] Breath ²⁰ or ignore the prophecies, ²¹ and prove everything…
Then hang onto whatever is good ²² and avoid anything that appears to be wicked!

²³ May the God of peace make you completely holy and sound in every way – preserve your breath, inner person, and body as blameless, [ready] for when our Lord Yeshua the Anointed One arrives.

²⁴ For the One who’s calling you is faithful, and He’ll make it happen!

²⁵ Brothers,

Continue to pray for us, ²⁶ and keep on greeting all the brothers with a holy kiss.

²⁷ Now, I’m putting you under oath in the Lord to read this letter to all the brothers.

²⁸ May the loving care of our Lord Yeshua the Anointed One be with all of you.

May it be so.

2 Thessalonians

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A letter from Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the congregation in Thessaloniki, Greece.

It was likely written on behalf of Paul by either Timothy or Sylvanus, probably originally in Aramaic, sometime between 52 and 54 CE.

2 Thessalonians 1

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¹ [From] Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the called ones among the Thessalonians who are in God our Father, and in our Lord Yeshua the Anointed:[Syr]

² May you have loving care and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord Yeshua the Anointed![Syr]

³ We’re always obligated to give thanks to God for you, our brothers, which is appropriate because of the super growth of your faith, and [because of] the love that you have for each other, which keeps on growing.

⁴ We also take special pride in you among all the called ones of God because of the endurance and faith that you’ve shown throughout all the persecutions and difficulties that you’ve been enduring.

⁵ It’s an example of the righteous judgment of God that you’re being counted worthy of the Kingdom of God, for which you’re suffering.

⁶ And, if it’s righteous before God, he will repay those who are persecuting you by crushing them. ⁷ And you who are suffering [this persecution] he will make alive, with us, when the Lord Yeshua is revealed in the sky with his powerful [angelic] messengers... ⁸  when he’ll execute punishment, with flaming fire, upon all those who don’t know God and upon those who aren’t obeying the good news about our Lord Yeshua.

⁹ Yes, in justice, they’ll be repaid with age-long ruin away from the face of the Lord and the glory of his might ¹⁰ when he arrives to be glorified among his Holy Ones and to be marveled at by all of you who are found to be believers in that day…

Because you’ve put faith in the testimony we gave.

¹¹ We’re always asking for this in our prayers for you:

That our God may count you worthy of the calling, and that He might fulfill in you all [His] good intentions through powerful deeds of faith, ¹² so that the name of our Lord Yeshua may be glorified in you (and you in him), through the loving care of our God, and of the Lord Yeshua the Anointed One.

2 Thessalonians 2

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¹ However, brothers, regarding the appearance of our Lord Yeshua the Anointed One and our being gathered to him:

We urge you ² not to quickly lose hope or to be disturbed by [something from the] spirit, or by words, or [by things written] in a letter that may have come through us, indicating that the Lord’s Day has arrived.

³ No, don’t allow anyone to mislead you in any way, because [that day] won’t arrive before there’s a rebellion[Syr] and the person of sin (a son of ruin) is revealed... ⁴ [a person] who opposes and puts himself above everyone who’s called a god and revered – and even seats himself in the Most Holy Place of The God, where he publicly displays himself like he is God! [or, ‘like he is a god’]

⁵ Don’t you remember how I used to warn you about such things while I was still with you?

⁶ And you know what’s stopping him from being revealed during his time [of activity]... ⁷ Indeed, this sinner has started operating in secret, but only until the one who’s holding him back is no longer among us – ⁸ for that’s when that sinner will be revealed. [He’s the one] our Lord Yeshua will consume with the breath from his mouth and will eliminate by the appearance of his arrival.[Syr]

⁹ This one will come with the works of the Opposer, using great powers, lying signs, false wonders, ¹⁰ and with every sort of deceit of the unrighteous (those who are ruined because they didn’t have any love for the truth that they received – which would’ve saved them)!

¹¹ Because of this, The God will send them active delusions so that they’ll believe a lie, ¹² and they’ll prefer unrighteousness to believing the truth…

Which is what will condemn them.

¹³ However, we’re obliged to always thank God for you brothers who are loved by the Lord, since God chose you for salvation right from the start (through the holiness of the Spirit) [because of] your belief of the truth.

¹⁴ This is why He called you through the good news that we brought to you… So that you might also receive the glory of our Lord Yeshua the Anointed One.

¹⁵ Therefore, brothers:

Stand firm and hang onto the commands[Syr] you were taught, either by word [of mouth], or in the letters that we sent to you.

¹⁶ May our Lord Yeshua the Anointed One himself and God (our Father who loves us and kindly gave us comfort and good hope in this age) ¹⁷ comfort your hearts and make you firm in all good words and good deeds!

2 Thessalonians 3

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¹ Finally brothers… Pray for us!

Pray that the word of the Lord may be glorified and spread rapidly, just as it is currently being done among you.

² And [pray] that we might be delivered from unruly and wicked men, because not everybody has faith.

³ However, you can trust that Yahweh will watch over you and rescue you from evil.[Syr]

⁴ We also have confidence in the Lord about you, that you’re following (and will continue to follow) the commandments that we’ve given to you.

⁵ So may our Lord direct your hearts towards the love of The God, as well as towards the Anointed One’s patient endurance.

⁶ Also brothers:

We’re ordering you – in the name of the Lord Yeshua the Anointed One – to withdraw from any brother who’s leading a wicked life... [someone] not following the commands that you’ve received from us. ⁷ You know how important it is for you to imitate us, and we weren’t leading a wicked life when we were among you!

⁸ Indeed, we didn’t even ask anyone to provide us with food... Instead, we worked hard day and night so we wouldn’t be a burden on any of you. ⁹ This isn’t because we aren’t authorized to [ask for such things], but because we wanted to set an example for you to imitate.

¹⁰ So when we were there with you, we told you:

‘If anyone isn’t willing to work, then he shouldn’t even chew [a bite of food].’

¹¹ However, we’re now hearing that some wicked men among you aren’t working, but are idle instead.[Syr]

¹² So we’re warning them and commanding them – through the Lord Yeshua the Anointed One – to cease this and [begin] working so they’ll be able to eat their own bread.[Syr]

¹³ Brothers, don’t give up when it comes to doing what’s good!

¹⁴ But if there’s anyone who isn’t willing to obey the things we’re writing about in this letter, stay away from him, don’t mingle with him, so he’ll be shamed... ¹⁵ But don’t consider him an enemy, instead council him as a brother.

¹⁶ Now, may the Lord of peace himself give you peace in every way throughout all time.

Yes, may the Lord be with all of you.

¹⁷ [Here’s] my greeting in my own (Paul’s) hand. Every letter proves it, because this is the way that I write.

¹⁸ May the loving care of our Lord Yeshua the Anointed One be with all of you.

May it be so!

1 Timothy

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A letter from the Apostle Paul to Timothy.

It was either written by Paul himself or via a secretary. It may have been originally in Aramaic, and sent around 62 CE.

1 Timothy 1

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¹ Paul, an Apostle of the Anointed Yeshua by the authorization of God (our Savior) and of the Anointed Yeshua (our hope), ² to Timothy (a genuine child in the faith):

May you find loving care, mercy, and peace from God our Father,[Syr] and [from] the Anointed Yeshua, our Lord!

³ [Timothy, please] stay in Ephesus like I’d encouraged you to do, while I travel on to Macedonia, because I want you to give orders to some who are there not to be teaching anything different ⁴ or paying attention to myths and genealogies... Because there’s no end to these things, they only cause disputes, and they don’t build up Faith in God either!

⁵ Instead, what I want you to [encourage them to do] is to love [each other] with a clean heart and a good conscience, and to develop a faith that isn’t judgmental.

⁶ Since, because of what they’re teaching, some are being misled into foolish discussions. ⁷ And even though they want to be teachers of the [Jewish] Law, they don’t have any idea what they’re talking about, and they don’t understand the effects that all of this will have.

⁸ Now, we know that the [Jewish] Law is good… As long as it’s used for legal purposes...

⁹ But recognize that the [Jewish] Law wasn’t laid out for the righteous, but for the lawless and undisciplined, the godless and sinners, the disloyal and unclean, those who’d slap their fathers and mothers, the murderers, ¹⁰ those who hire prostitutes, the men who have sex with men, the presumptuous, the liars and promise breakers, and all the rest who go against the wholesome teachings ¹¹ that come from the glorious good news that our Blest God has entrusted to us.

¹² I feel so grateful to the Anointed Yeshua (our Lord) who’s considered me faithful, given me this authority, and made me his servant ¹³ [despite the fact that] I used to be a slanderer, a persecutor, and an arrogant man.

However, I was just ignorant and I acted [that way] because I didn’t believe… And then I was shown mercy ¹⁴ by the loving-kindness of our Lord, through the faith and love of the Anointed Yeshua.

¹⁵ Therefore, when we say that the Anointed Yeshua came into the world to save sinners... These words are faithful and deserve to be believed, because I was the foremost of them!

¹⁶ And the reason why I was shown mercy was so that the Anointed Yeshua might demonstrate all of his patience and use me as a prime example of someone who can still put faith in him and receive age-long life.

¹⁷ So, to the King of the Ages [who’s] incorruptible and invisible (the only God), may there be honor and glory into the ages of ages…

May it be so!

¹⁸ Now, this is the responsibility that I’m laying upon you, my son Timothy:

As those earlier prophecies about you foretold (that you would fight in a good war), ¹⁹ hang onto your faith and good conscience… Because some have pushed theirs aside and experienced [spiritual] shipwreck.

²⁰ This includes Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I’ve handed over to the Opposer so they can be taught not to blaspheme.

1 Timothy 2

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¹ [Timothy,] first I’m encouraging you to beg for, to pray for, to ask on behalf of, and to give thanks for all sorts of men ² (for kings and for all those in high offices) so that we can just go on living a calm and quiet life, devoutly and seriously... ³ For this is something that’s good and acceptable in the eyes of our Savior, God – ⁴ because He wants all men to be saved and to come to a complete knowledge of the truth.

⁵ Understand that there’s just one God, and there’s just one mediator between God and men… A man, the Anointed Yeshua. ⁶ For he offered himself as the ransom price on behalf of everyone at just the right time, in proof of this [fact].

⁷ Yes, this is the reason why I was made a preacher, an Apostle (I’m not lying, I’m telling the truth), and a teacher to the other races about the Faith and the Truth!

⁸ So, I’m praying that all men everywhere might raise their hands in holiness and set aside their anger and their arguments.

⁹ Likewise, the women’s clothing should be modest, respectable, and sensible; not with fancy hairstyles, gold, pearls, or expensive clothes. ¹⁰ But instead, [their fancy clothing] should be good works – something befitting women who say that they fear God.

¹¹ Let a woman [or, wife] learn quietly and obediently. ¹² Indeed, I don’t argue[Syr] that a woman [should] teach – nor [that she should] domineer[Syr] a man; rather, stop it. ¹³ For Adam was created first, then Eve. ¹⁴ Also, Adam wasn’t seduced, but the woman was seduced and then broke the commandment.

¹⁵ However, she’ll be sustained by her children – as long as they[, that is, her children] remain in the Faith in love, holiness, and sensibleness. [see translator note]

1 Timothy 3

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¹ You can believe that whenever anyone desires eldership,[Syr] he’s seeking a good work.

² However, an elder[Syr] must be [someone who] hasn’t been charged [with misconduct]… He must be a one-woman man who’s moderate in his habits, sensible, orderly, friendly to strangers, and a teacher.

³ He shouldn’t be someone who drinks lots of wine or is quarrelsome, but [someone who’s] gentle and peaceable, and not a lover of money.

⁴ He should also be a good manager of his own family and have children who obey him in all dignity... ⁵ Because if any man doesn’t know how to manage his own house, how can he care for the congregation of God?

⁶ He can’t be a newly-converted man, in case he gets too proud and falls into the [same] judgment as the Slanderer.

⁷ Also, those outside [the congregation] should speak well of him, so he doesn’t fall into the Slanderer’s reproach and snares.

⁸ Likewise, servants should be serious, not deceitful or excessive drinkers, and not looking for easy money.

⁹ Instead, they should hold onto the mystery of the faith with a clean conscience. ¹⁰ Let them prove themselves first, and if they do well, you may allow them to serve.

¹¹ Women should likewise be serious and not slanderous, but moderate in their habits and faithful in everything.

¹² Servants should be one-woman men who are managing their own households and their children well. ¹³ Indeed, those who serve well will gain [both] confidence and a good standing in the faith that’s in the Anointed Yeshua.

¹⁴ I’m writing these things to you (although I’m hoping to come to you shortly), ¹⁵ so that if I’m delayed, you’ll know how you should conduct yourself in God’s household (the Congregation of the living God) – as a pillar and supporter of the truth.

¹⁶ Admittedly, our sacred devotion is a great mystery...

For he was shown in the flesh,

He was found righteous in spirit,

He was seen by [God’s] messengers,

He was preached about among the nations,

He was believed in the world,

And then he was taken up in glory!

1 Timothy 4

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¹ However, the Spirit definitely says that some will leave the faith in the future and pay attention to wicked spirits and the teachings of demons, ² as well as to hypocritical men who are liars and whose consciences are seared as with branding irons.

³ These will forbid marrying and the eating of food that God created to be eaten appreciatively by everyone who has faith and understands the truth ⁴ (for everything that God created is good, and nothing should be thrown away). So if we thank Him for it, ⁵ it becomes holy by what we say to God in our prayers.

⁶ So if you’ll explain these things to the brothers, you’ll prove yourself a fine servant of the Anointed Yeshua, and [you’ll] grow strong on the words of the Faith and the fine teachings that you’ve been following so closely.

⁷ You must avoid worldly fables and old-wives’ tales, and train yourself to be a truly reverent person... ⁸ For even though physical exercise does some good, learning reverence [for God] is good for all things! It holds the promise of life – both now, and into that which is coming.

⁹ Yes, what I’m saying is trustworthy and deserves [your special] attention, ¹⁰ for this is why we’ve been struggling and working so hard as we’ve continued to put faith in a living God who is the Savior of all men – but mostly of the faithful.

¹¹ So, instruct and teach…

¹² And don’t allow anyone to look down on you because you’re young! Instead, become an example to the faithful in what you say, in what you do, in your love, in your faith, and in your purity!

¹³ Until I get there, work at public reading, at giving council, and on your teaching abilities.

¹⁴ Don’t be careless with the gift in you, which was given through a prophecy when the elders laid their hands on you.

¹⁵ Think deeply about these things… Get wrapped up in them, so that everyone can see the progress that you’re making.

¹⁶ Yes, pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching, and stick with it! For if you do that, you’ll save both yourself and those who are listening to you!

1 Timothy 5

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¹ Don’t be too harsh with older men… Speak to them as you would to fathers, to younger men as brothers, ² to older women as mothers, and to younger women as sisters, with all purity.

³ Show honor to the widows who are really living as widows.

⁴ However, if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn the lesson of how to show deep respect inside their own families – by paying what they owe to their parents and grandparents… For in God’s sight, that’s the right thing to do.

⁵ Now, a [truly-worthy] widow is one who’s been left on her own, and because she puts her hope in God, she keeps begging Him in her prayers both night and day.

⁶ However, [a widow] who lives alone for pleasure is already ‘dead’ while she’s still alive.

⁷ So you must always teach them this, so they’ll be found blameless:

⁸ ‘If you don’t provide for [those who are] your own (especially for those in your own households), you’ve denied the faith and you’re worse than an unbeliever!’

⁹ However, put a widow on the list if:

• She’s more than 60 years old,

• She’s had just one husband,

• ¹⁰ She’s done good things that can be attested to,

• She’s raised children,

• She’s been hospitable,

• She’s washed the feet of the Holy Ones,

• She’s provided for those in difficulty,

• She’s followed the course of doing all sorts of good deeds.

¹¹ On the other hand, turn down younger widows...

For when they feel the need, they leave the Anointed One because they want to marry! ¹² And they’re judged for doing this, because they set aside the faith that they had at first, ¹³ while learning wasteful habits such as going around and doing a lot of visiting.

They not only waste time, they also gossip, meddle in other people’s affairs, and talk about things that they shouldn’t.

¹⁴ I prefer to see younger widows marry, have children, and manage a home. That way, the Opposer isn’t given something over which he can gleefully gloat... ¹⁵ Yet, some of them have already turned to following the Slanderer.

¹⁶ So if any believing woman has a widow [in her family], she should take care of this herself, so that the congregation won’t have to handle the burden and can then help those [truly in need].

¹⁷ Also, let the elders who take the lead in a fine way be considered as worthy of a double honor… Especially those who work hard at speaking and teaching!

¹⁸ For the Scriptures tell us:

‘You shouldn’t muzzle a bull when it’s threshing grain.’ [Deuteronomy 25:4]

And that a worker deserves his pay! [reference to Deuteronomy 24:15]

¹⁹ [Also, don’t] accept an accusation against an elder unless there are two or three witnesses. ²⁰ However, you should expose those whom you find guilty of sins before all onlookers, so the rest will be afraid [of doing such things].

²¹ Before God, the Anointed Yeshua, and the chosen messengers, I solemnly charge you to follow these instructions!

However, don’t reach any conclusions before you’ve heard all the evidence, and never decide because you’re biased one way or the other.

²² Also, don’t be too quick to [appoint] any man [to a responsibility], so you aren’t found to be a sharer in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure!

²³ And don’t just drink water, instead you might take a little wine for the sake of your stomach and for your frequent illnesses.

²⁴ [Remember that] the sins of some people are done in the open and lead directly to judgment. However, the [sins] of the rest will eventually become known... ²⁵ For just as many good deeds become widely known, [sins] can’t be kept hidden either.

1 Timothy 6

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¹ Now, those who are in bondage as slaves should treat their masters as worthy of all honor, so that the Name of God and our teachings won’t be slandered.

² And those who have believing owners shouldn’t think less of them because they’re brothers. Rather, they should zealously serve them as slaves, because those who work hard are considered faithful and are loved in return.

Keep on teaching these things and giving them this encouragement!

³ Now, if anyone is teaching something different and doesn’t follow these life-giving words (which are those of our Lord Yeshua the Anointed One), or doesn’t teach deep respect for God... ⁴ He’s just blowing smoke, he doesn’t understand anything, and he’s ill with arguing and debating over words… It results in envy, arguing, slandering, wicked suspicions, ⁵ and conflict between men with corrupt minds who’ve let themselves be robbed of the truth… And they’re the same ones who say that we should earn a profit from this worship! But you, keep yourself away from them!

⁶ Of course, we do gain much ‘profit’ from this worship… That is, if we pay our own way. ⁷ For none of us brought anything into the world and we can’t carry anything out!

⁸ So if we have enough to eat and enough to wear, we should be satisfied with that.

⁹ However, those who want to be rich fall into temptation, snares, and many foolish and damaging desires, which drag people down into destruction and ruin…

¹⁰ For the love of money is the root of everything that’s bad.

And because some have reached out for it, they’ve been led away from the faith and into error, stabbing themselves all over and causing themselves a lot of pain.

¹¹ But you, O man of God – flee from these things, and pursue righteousness, reverence, faith, love, endurance, and humility.

¹² Yes, fight this fine contest of the faith. Also, seize this age-long life to which you were called – about which you offered such a fine confession before so many witnesses!

¹³ I’m ordering you in the sight of The God (who’s saving all), and of the Anointed Yeshua (who gave such a fine testimony before Pontius Pilate), ¹⁴ to obey these instructions flawlessly and blamelessly until the appearance of our Lord Yeshua the Anointed One ¹⁵ whom God[Syr] will reveal at his time.

Yes, the only praised and only sovereign,

The King of kings and Lord of lords.

¹⁶ The only one who can’t perish,

And who lives in unapproachable light.

The one whom no man has seen or can see,

May he have honor, and age-long power.

May it be so!

¹⁷ Also, give orders to those who are rich in this age not to think too much of themselves, and not to trust in their wealth (which is fickle), but in God who brings [the type of] wealth to us that we can truly enjoy.

¹⁸ [Yes, teach them to] work at being good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and ready to share... ¹⁹ while they safely store away for themselves the treasures of a fine foundation in that which is coming, so they can put on the real life.

²⁰ O Timothy,

Guard this hope and turn away from all the worldly babbling, as well as everything falsely called ‘knowledge.’ ²¹ Because it’s through [such things] that some who once showed much promise in the faith have been turned aside.

May [God’s] loving care be with you.

May it be so!

2 Timothy

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A letter from the Apostle Paul to Timothy.

It was possibly written by Luke on Paul’s behalf, and maybe originally in Aramaic. It likely dates from around 62 CE.

2 Timothy 1

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¹ Paul, an Apostle of the Anointed Yeshua by the will of The God and by the promise of life in the Anointed Yeshua, ² to my loved child Timothy:

May you find loving care, mercy, and peace from God the Father and from the Anointed Yeshua, our Lord!

³ I’m thankful to The God whom I’m worshiping with a clean conscience (as did my forefathers) that I never forget you in my prayers, which I offer [on your behalf] night and day.

⁴ For I remember you with tears and I long to see you, so that I can be filled with joy.

⁵ I fondly remember the unhypocritical faith that your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice had first, and I’m confident that you have this also. ⁶ So, this is the reason why I’m reminding you to rekindle the gift of God that you received when I first laid my hands on you.

⁷ Since God didn’t give us a spirit of fear (but of power, love, and good sense), ⁸ don’t be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me – a prisoner for his sake!

So, come and share with us in suffering evil for the good news with the power of God.

⁹ For He didn’t save us or call us to holiness because of anything that we’ve done, but because it’s been His will throughout the ages to show us His loving kindness, through Yeshua the Anointed One.

¹⁰ And all of this has now appeared via the arrival of our Savior, the Anointed Yeshua, who’s done away with death – and is shining a light on life and freedom from corruption through this good news ¹¹ (of which I was appointed a preacher, an Apostle, and a teacher).

¹² Yes, this is the reason why I’ve been suffering these things and why I’m unashamed… Because I really know this one in whom I’ve put my faith, and I’m confident that he’ll guard everything I’ve entrusted to him until that Day.

¹³ Likewise, you should be hanging onto the healthy words that you heard from me and which I laid out for you (through the love that’s in the Anointed Yeshua). ¹⁴ You should be guarding these things that you’ve been given through [this] Holy Breath that dwells within us!

¹⁵ I’m sure that you’re aware of the fact that everyone in the [province of] Asia have turned their backs on me, and especially PhyGelus and HermoGenes...

¹⁶ But may the Lord’s mercy rest upon the household of OnesiPhorus, because he’s often brought me refreshment and he’s never been ashamed of my chains. ¹⁷ For when he came to Rome, he diligently started searching for me and quickly found me! ¹⁸ So, may he find mercy with the Lord on that Day. And you know very well how much he served me in Ephesus, too.

2 Timothy 2

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¹ However, as for you my child,

Keep growing stronger in the loving care of the Anointed Yeshua, ² and keep on teaching the things that you heard from so many witnesses while you were with me, to faithful men who are qualified to teach others.

³ Then, as a fine soldier of the Anointed Yeshua, [be prepared to] endure hardships!

⁴ For no soldier can just go on living his life as he once did, since he wants to please the one who enlisted him. ⁵ And the same is true of an athlete… He can’t win the prize unless he plays by the rules! ⁶ Yet, the hardworking field-hand must also be the first one to taste the fruit.

⁷ If you’ll visualize what I’m saying, the Lord will truly give you insight into everything.

⁸ Remember that the good news I’ve been preaching teaches us that Yeshua the Anointed (the offspring of David) was raised from the dead… ⁹ And it’s over this that I’m being persecuted and imprisoned like a criminal.

However, the word of God hasn’t been locked up with me!

¹⁰ I’m putting up with all of this for the sake of the elected ones… So they can gain the salvation that comes from being in the Anointed Yeshua and receiving age-long glory.

¹¹ For you can believe the saying:

‘If we die together,

We’ll also live together;

¹² And if we hang on together,

We’ll also rule as kings together!’

However, if we deny this, he’ll also deny us.

¹³ Even if we stop believing in him, he’ll still believe, [won’t he?] Because he can [hardly] deny his own existence![Syr]

¹⁴ I want you to keep on reminding [the brothers] about these things, and I want you to instruct them –in the sight of God– not to be arguing over words, for this is just a waste of time and it’s a snare to those who listen to it.

¹⁵ As for you:

Keep on seeking God’s approval zealously, so you’re accepted by Him as a workman who’s got nothing to be ashamed of, and who lays out the truth straightforwardly.

¹⁶ Therefore, you should avoid speaking about worldly and foolish topics, because this leads [people] away from pure worship, ¹⁷ and whatever is said [spreads like] a field of gangrene!

That’s what happened to Hymenaeus and PhileTos – ¹⁸ they got away from the truth and started teaching that the resurrection has already happened, which misdirected the faith of some.

¹⁹ However, you have a solid foundation in God, and it has this seal [of approval], that Yahweh...

‘...knows who are His.’ [Numbers 16:5, LXX or Nahum 1:7]

And:

‘Everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be rescued.’ [paraphrase of Joel 2:32, see note]

²⁰ Now, in a large house there aren’t just containers made of gold and silver, but also those [made] of wood and pottery… Because some were made for honorable purposes, while others were made for dishonorable purposes.

²¹ So if anyone chooses to be clean, he must remove [everything that’s dishonorable] from himself so that he can become a container for an honorable purpose – holy and useful to his master. And from then on, he must be ready to do every sort of good work.

²² So, flee from the desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace... Along with everyone else who’s calling on the Lord with a clean heart.

²³ However, avoid foolish and ignorant questions, because you know that they just create arguments… ²⁴ and a slave of the Lord shouldn’t be arguing.

Instead, we should be gentle with everyone, we should be good teachers, and we should know how to keep our composure in bad [situations] ²⁵ so we can teach those who disagree calmly.

[After all,] perhaps God may lead them to repentance and to an accurate knowledge of the truth, ²⁶ so that they may escape the Slanderer’s snares and return to their good senses – once they realize how they’ve been lured into his cage!

2 Timothy 3

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¹ Understand that hard times will come in the last days, ²  and people will just love themselves and money... [They’ll be] braggarts, loud blasphemers, argumentative ([even] with their own people)[Syr], unthankful, wicked[Syr]. ³ They won’t have any natural (family) love.[Syr]

[They’ll be] false accusers, addicted to lust, fierce, hating what’s good, ⁴ betrayers, impetuous[Syr], and proud of [themselves] – yes, lovers of many pleasures, away from the love of God.

⁵ Even though they might have some form of Godly fear, they’ll be far away from its power [to change them].[Syr]

You should reject people like this, ⁶ because it’s from among such ones that certain men will arise... Ones who’ll work their way into homes and seduce weak women who are loaded down with sins (because they have so many desires), ⁷ and who’ll always just be students who can never come to a higher knowledge of the truth.

⁸ So, whenever you must deal with men who are resisting the truth and corrupting their own minds (making themselves worthless when it comes to the faith), follow the example of Moses when he opposed JanNes and JamBres, ⁹ so they can’t make any more inroads.

Then (as happened [to JanNes and JamBres]) their unreasonableness will become clear for everyone [to see]!

¹⁰ Now... You’ve closely followed my teachings, my directions, my purposes, my faith, my patience, my love, and my endurance. ¹¹ [However, you’ve also had to share in] my persecution and my sufferings (such as the things that happened to me in AntiOch, Iconium, and Lystra), and you’ve endured the same types of opposition that I’ve had to endure (but from which the Lord has delivered me).

¹² For everybody who wants to worship The God through the Anointed Yeshua is going to be persecuted... ¹³ Because wicked and deceitful men will just get worse and worse, misleading and being misled!

¹⁴ As for you:

Stick with the things that you’ve learned and were convinced to believe… And remember from whom you learned them!

¹⁵ For you’ve been familiar with the Holy Writings since you were a child, and they can make you wise for salvation through your faith in the Anointed Yeshua. ¹⁶ [Remember that] all the Holy Writings were inspired by God and they’re good for teaching, for correcting, for setting things straight, and for providing righteous discipline…

¹⁷ They qualify a man of God by providing him with whatever he needs to do all sorts of good work.

2 Timothy 4

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¹ So I solemnly charge you in the sight of God and the Anointed Yeshua (who’s going to judge the living and the dead when he manifests himself in his Kingdom) ² to keep on preaching the word!

Keep on doing it through both good times and bad!

Then, as you consider [what you see], you must offer criticism and encouragement. However, you should do this patiently and with all of your teaching skills.

³ Yet, the time is coming when they won’t put up with life-giving teachings anymore. Rather (because they’ll prefer to follow their own desires), they’ll gather teachers for themselves who’ll tell them whatever they want to hear!

⁴ They won’t listen to the truth, but they’ll all show up when it comes to listening to fables.

⁵ But as for you:

Be serious about everything, endure all the bad, preach the good news, and completely carry out your ministry!

⁶ As for me:

Even though I’ll soon be poured out as a sacrifice, and the time for my undoing[Syr] is almost here, ⁷ I can say that I’ve wrestled the fine match, I’ve finished the race, and I’ve obeyed the faith!

⁸ So now he’s keeping a righteous crown for me, which the Lord (the righteous judge) will give me on that day (but not just to me, but to everyone who eagerly looks forward to his appearance).

⁹ So hurry… Come to me quickly – ¹⁰ because Demas has let me down and gone to ThesSalonica (since he still loves this age), Kreskes has gone to Galatia, Titus has gone to Dalmatia, ¹¹ and Luke is the only one who’s here with me!

So, go find Mark and bring him with you, because his services are very useful to me.

¹² Oh yes, I also sent Tychikus off to Ephesus.

¹³ And when you come here, bring along the robe that I left with Carpus in Troas… And the scrolls, especially the parchments.

¹⁴ Alexander the coppersmith has testified and said many bad things against me. But the Lord will repay him for what he’s done.

¹⁵ So watch out for him!

Because he really opposes everything that we say.

¹⁶ Unfortunately, nobody stayed with me during my first court hearing… But despite the fact they all left me, I don’t want this to be held against them, ¹⁷ because the Lord stood by me.

Yes, he gave me strength so that the preaching might be completed through me, and that all the gentiles might hear it. As a result, I was saved from the lion’s mouth!

¹⁸ And the Lord will continue to save me from every sort of wickedness until he brings me into his heavenly Kingdom.

May he be glorified throughout the ages of ages…

May it be so!

¹⁹ Give my greetings to Priska and Aquila, and to the household of OnesiPhorus.

²⁰ Erastus stayed in Corinth, and I left Trophimus at Miletus, because he was sick.

²¹ Hurry and get here before the winter arrives!

EuBoulos sends you his greetings, as do Poudes, Linos, Klaudia, and all the brothers.

²² May the Lord bless the spirit you’re showing, and may his loving care be with all of you.

May it be so.

Titus

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A letter from Paul to Titus, which is thought to have been written (possibly in Aramaic) around 62 CE.

Titus 1

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¹ From Paul – a slave of God, an Apostle of Yeshua the Anointed One and a follower of the faith of God’s elected who have a complete knowledge of truth and whose worship ² is based on the hope of age-long life, which The God (who doesn’t lie) promised ages ago ³ and who, in His own due time, made His Word known through an important message that was entrusted to me by the command of our God and Savior.

⁴ To Titus – a true child in the faith that we hold in common.

May you have loving care and peace from God the Father, and from the Anointed Yeshua our Savior!

⁵ The reason why I left you in Crete is so that you could straighten out some of the problems there, and for you to appoint elders in each city, as I instructed you.

⁶ [So, choose those who] haven’t been charged with misconduct… one-woman men who have believing children who aren’t rebellious or accused of being beyond hope.

⁷ Because, as a manager of the household of God, an overseer must be blameless.

[He can’t be] selfish, quick tempered, a heavy drinker, a fighter, or a greedy person.

⁸ Rather, [he must be] hospitable, a faithful friend, levelheaded, righteous, devout, self-controlled, ⁹ [and a person who] lives by the word of truth, so he can teach and encourage those who are strong as he exposes the wrongs of those who contradict.

¹⁰ For there are lots of rebellious and deceitful windbags (most of whom are circumcised) ¹¹ and whose mouths need to be sealed.

They’re the ones who are dishonestly making money by teaching things that they shouldn’t, and they’re misleading entire households!

¹² It was one of their own prophets who said:

‘Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons.’

¹³ And that’s a fact!

This is why you’ll have to be tough when it comes to exposing their wrong ways, so they can become healthy in the faith, and stop ¹⁴ paying attention to Jewish myths and the rules of men, which are turning them away from the truth.

¹⁵ For although everything is clean to those who are clean, nothing is clean for those who are dirty and faithless, because both their minds and their consciences are dirty!

¹⁶ And while they all claim to know God, everything they do disproves it, because they’re disgusting, disobedient, and unqualified to do anything worthwhile.

Titus 2

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¹ You however, keep on talking about the correct, healthy teachings.

² Encourage the older men to be free from excesses and to be serious, levelheaded, and healthy in their faith, love, and endurance.

³ [Also encourage] the older women to behave as though they’d just entered a holy place… Not to be slanderers or alcoholics, but to become teachers of good things.

⁴ Teach the younger women to love their husbands and their children… ⁵ To be level headed, pure, homemakers, and good people who are willing to obey their husbands so that God’s Word won’t be spoken of shamefully.

⁶ And you must give younger men the same encouragement… To be level-headed.

⁷ [Teach them to] become good examples in all sorts of good deeds, to be serious and blameless in their teaching, ⁸ and to speak in wholesome ways so that no one can condemn them, and nobody who opposes us will have anything bad to say about us.

⁹ Also, teach those who are slaves to obey their masters in everything… To please them well, not to talk back, ¹⁰ and not to steal things!

They should prove that they’re faithful in doing whatever is right, so they can adorn the teachings of our God and Savior in everything.

¹¹ For the reason why God’s loving care is being displayed [through us] is so that we all might be saved!

¹² And once they’ve rejected the godlessness and worldly desires, they must then be taught how to live sensibly, righteously, and devoutly in this age ¹³ while they expect the blest hope and the manifestations of the glory of the great God, and our Savior, the Anointed Yeshua... ¹⁴ [the one] who handed himself over in order to free us by ransom from lawlessness, and to bring out a clean people for himself who are all zealous in doing whatever is good.

¹⁵ Yes, I’m authorizing you to talk about such things, as well as to encourage and correct…

And don’t let anyone ignore you!

Titus 3

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¹ Keep on reminding them that they must be obedient and that they must submit to the rulers and the authorities…

That they must always be ready and willing to do good things!

² They shouldn’t be slanderous to anyone or want to fight with them. [Rather, they should all] be willing to give in to [the wishes of] others and to be humble before everyone.

³ Realise that we were all once senseless, disobedient sinners... Slaves to our own desires in badness and envy (disgusting [people] who hated each other), ⁴ but when God’s kindness and compassion, our Savior, came here ⁵ (not because we were righteous, but because of His mercy), He saved us through the cleansing [water] that re-created us – by means of the renewing [power] of Holy Breath.

⁶ Yes, He poured plenty of it over us, through Yeshua, our Anointed Savior, ⁷ so that afterwards we’re counted as righteous (through His loving care), that we might become heirs who have the hope of age-long life.

⁸ You can believe these things…

And these are the instructions that I want you to keep on giving to them, so that those who’ve come to believe in The God will stand firm in doing all that’s right!

Yes, these are good and helpful things that you must teach them.

⁹ [For they must learn to] avoid foolish questions, genealogies, arguments, and fights over the [Jewish] Law, since such things don’t really do any good – and they’re just a waste of time.

¹⁰ After you’ve reasoned with an heretical man once, and then a second time, [but he still refuses to change,] avoid him!

¹¹ [Do this] because you know that those who turn from The Way are self-condemned sinners!

¹² After I send Artemas or TychiKos to you, try to come to me here in NikoPolis, since I’ve decided to spend the winter here.

¹³ Hurry and send Zenas (the lawyer) and Apollos [to me]… And make sure they won’t lack anything they need for their journey.

¹⁴ Yes – let our [brothers] learn how to do good things in times of need, so their efforts won’t be wasted.

¹⁵ Everybody who’s with me sends you their greetings.

Give my greetings to everyone in the faith who truly care about us.

May [God’s] loving care be with all of you.

Philemon

A letter from the Apostle Paul to a faithful Christian named PhileMon.

It was apparently written by the hand of Paul himself, perhaps originally in Aramaic, and sometime around 60 CE.

Philemon 1

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¹ Paul, a prisoner for the sake of the Anointed Yeshua, and your brother Timothy, to our beloved fellow worker PhileMon, ² our sister ApPhia, our fellow soldier ArcHippus, and to the called ones in your homes:

³ May you receive loving care and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Yeshua the Anointed One.

⁴ I always give thanks to my God when I mention you in my prayers, ⁵ because I keep hearing about the faith that you have in the Lord Yeshua, and of the love that you have for all the Holy Ones.

⁶ [And I pray that] we can have a share in the faith that’s in you by telling you more about the good things that we’re doing through the Anointed One.

⁷ For I’ve felt so much joy and comfort, our brother, over the loving things that you’ve been doing to refresh the hearts of the holy ones! ⁸ And this is the reason why I feel free in the Anointed One to obligate you to do something that would be very becoming…

⁹ Or should I say that I’m encouraging you because of your love, seeing that I am who I am, Paul, an old man — and now a prisoner for the sake of the Anointed Yeshua!

¹⁰ The encouragement I wish to offer is regarding my child (someone I’ve become a father to while I’ve been in prison): OneSimon.

¹¹ For although he was once useless to you, he’s now become useful to both you and me… ¹² So, I’m returning this one (for whom I care so deeply), to you.

¹³ Actually, I’d rather keep him here for myself instead of sending him to you, so he can continue to serve my needs while I’m in the shackles that I’m wearing for the sake of the good news!

¹⁴ However, I don’t wish to do anything without your consent, because I don’t want any good deed that you may wish to do only happen because you were forced into it…

I’d rather it was something that you really wanted to do!

¹⁵ Perhaps that’s the reason why he was able to break away from you for a little while? So that you could have him back in this age ¹⁶ as no longer a slave, but more than a slave... As a beloved brother!

He’s especially that to me, and now much more so to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

¹⁷ So if you consider me a worthy associate, welcome him kindly as you would welcome me. ¹⁸ And if he did you any wrong, or if he owes you anything, charge it to my account!

¹⁹ I (Paul) am writing this in my own hand, and telling you that I’ll pay you back… Of course, let me remind you that you already owe me! ²⁰ Yes, my brother; may I request some profit from you in the Lord… Please offer me this refreshment in the tender mercies of the Anointed One!

²¹ Now, I’m writing you in full confidence that you’ll go along with my request. And I’m sure that you’ll do even more than what I’ve suggested.

²² In addition, prepare a place for me to stay, since I’m hoping that, because of all your prayers, I’ll soon be free for your sakes.

²³ EpaPhras (my fellow captive in the Anointed One) sends you his greetings, as do ²⁴ Mark, AristArchus, Demas, and Luke, my co-workers.

²⁵ May the loving kindness of the Lord Yeshua the Anointed One be upon the spirit that you show.

Hebrews

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A letter to the Jewish Christians (that is, the ‘Hebrews’) in the Christian Congregation in Jerusalem. However, it is more than a mere letter, as it contains a long essay on the role of Yeshua.

The text itself doesn’t say who wrote it, but the context and tradition indicates that it was from the Apostle Paul, although it was likely written through a secretary because of his poor eyesight.

It may have been originally penned in Aramaic before being translated into Greek later on. It dates from around 65 CE.

Hebrews 1

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¹ A long time ago, God spoke to our fathers through the Prophets in many places and in many ways. ² And in the last part of these days, He spoke to us through a Son whom He’s made the heir to everything – the one He used to create the ages... And ³ who shines with the same glory... Is the exact image of His being... And is responsible for everything that’s said through His power!

Then, after he cleansed us of our sins, this one sat down at the right hand of the Great One in the highest places, ⁴ and has now become so much greater than the messengers [of God], and so different, that he’s inherited a [special] name among them.

⁵ For example, to which of His angels did He ever say:

‘You’re my son; today I’ve fathered you.’ [Psalm 2:7]

Or:

‘I’ll become his Father and he will become My son.’ [an allusion to 2 Samuel 7:14]

⁶ But again, regarding bringing His firstborn into the world, [Moses] says:

‘Let all the [angelic] messengers bow low before him.’ [Deuteronomy 32:43]

⁷ [Also notice that] when [David] speaks of those [angelic] messengers, he said that He made his messengers like breath, and His ministers like burning fire! [reference to Psalm 104:4]

⁸ But, about the Son, [the Psalmist] said:

‘Your throne, O god, is throughout ages of ages,

And the scepter of your kingship is the scepter of righteousness.

⁹ So, because you loved righteousness and hated wickedness,

The God – your God – has [anointed] you

With the oil of great joy among those who are your companions.’

[Psalm 45:6-7]

¹⁰ And also:

‘In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth,

And [you] made the heavens with your hands.

¹¹ But although they’ll pass away, you’ll still remain;

For like clothes, they’ll grow old.

¹² ‘Then, as [you would do to] a robe, you’ll wrap them up and repair them.

Yes, you’re the one and your years will never expire.’

[Psalm 102:25-27]

¹³ Also, to which one of His angels did [God] ever say...

‘Sit here at My right until I set your enemies as a stool for your feet?’ [Psalm 110:1]

¹⁴ Aren’t all these others just spirits who serve – sent to serve those who’ll inherit life?

Hebrews 2

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¹ This is why it’s so important for us to pay extraordinary attention to the things that we’ve heard, so we don’t drift away!

² Because, if these words that have been spoken through [God’s] messengers is actually true, then the ‘reward’ for all errors and disobedient acts is going to be strictly enforced! ³ How could we get away with it, if we’ve neglected these things which mean our life? [Things that] began with our Lord, and were confirmed to us by those who heard it directly from him?

⁴ Notice how even God joined in this witness-testimony by providing signs, omens, many powerful deeds, and by distributing His Holy Breath as He wished!

⁵ However, He didn’t entrust the home that’s coming (the one I’m talking about) to the hands of [His angelic] messengers!

⁶ For somewhere, someone testified to this fact when he asked:

‘Just what is man that You should remember him,

Or the Son of Man that You should watch over him?

⁷ Although You made him just a little lower than [Your angelic] messengers,

You then crowned him with glory and honor,

And put him over everything that You had made with Your hands…

⁸ You put everything under his feet!’

[Psalm 8:4-6, LXX]

So notice that when [God] put everything under [Yeshua’s feet], He didn’t leave anything out... There’s nothing that he isn’t in charge of.

Nevertheless, we don’t see everything [and everyone] obeying him... Yet.

⁹ Even though he was made lower than [God’s angelic] messengers for a little while [as a man], we can see that after Yeshua suffered and died, he was crowned with glory and honor so that, because of God’s loving care, he might taste death for us all!

¹⁰ Yes, it was fitting that this one (through whom and for whom everything exists), this primary leader [who’s responsible for] our salvation, should bring many sons to glory, and make them perfect through his sufferings.

¹¹ Both the holy one, and those made holy, are from one [God]... So he’s not ashamed to call them his brothers.

¹² For [the Psalmist] says:

‘I’ll declare Your Name to my brothers,

And among the congregation, I’ll praise You.’

[Psalm 22:22, LXX]

¹³ And again:

‘In Him, I’ll put all my trust.’ [Isaiah 8:17]

And again:

‘{Look!} It is I, and the children God gave me.’ [Isaiah 8:18]

¹⁴ Therefore, since his ‘children’ share in his blood and flesh, he shares [with them] in the same way, so that through his death he can finish off the one who has the power [to bring] death, the Slanderer... ¹⁵ and to set free all of those who’ve spent their lives as slaves to the fear of death.

¹⁶ So [when he came], he really didn’t take on [the shape] of one of [God’s] messengers somewhere. Instead, he took on [the shape of] AbraHam’s descendant…

¹⁷ For he was obliged to become like his brothers in every way – so he could become a merciful and faithful High Priest before God, and to offer a sacrifice that would cover their sins.

¹⁸ And because he suffered and was tempted, he’s also able to help those who are still being tempted.

Hebrews 3

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¹ Therefore, holy brothers (who are partakers of the celestial calling), consider this Apostle and High Priest for our confessions: Yeshua the Anointed One!

² He was faithful to the One who made him, just like Moses – the man whom [God appointed over] His whole House.

³ However, [Yeshua] was considered to be worthy of an even greater glory than Moses, because the one who actually builds the house receives more honor there ⁴ (of course, every house is built by someone, but the One who built everything is God).

⁵ Now, Moses was a faithful servant within His whole House (which was evidence of what would be said [about him] later)... ⁶ But, the Anointed One is the Son who’s in charge of [God’s] House – and we are that House! That is, provided that we keep on boasting about our hope and hanging on to it until the end.

⁷ That’s why it was said through [God’s] Holy Breath:

‘If you should hear His voice today, ⁸ don’t harden your hearts like they did in the bitter day of testing in the desert.

⁹ ‘For that’s when your fathers put Me to the test to prove [My power], although they had already witnessed all that I had done during [the previous] 40 years!

¹⁰ ‘And this is the reason why I became so disgusted with that generation and said:

‘Their hearts are always wandering and they’ve never understood My ways.’

¹¹ ‘So in My rage, I swore:

‘They will not enter My rest!’

[Psalm 95:8-11]

¹² Therefore brothers, watch out… Yes, be careful that none of your hearts should ever become so wicked and unbelieving that they cause you to pull away from the Living God!

¹³ Rather, you must encourage each other every day –including today– so that none of you’ll ever become hardened [in your hearts] and be tempted to sin.

¹⁴ For if we can hang onto this position from the time that we start believing until the end, we’ll remain sharers in the Anointed One.

¹⁵ And that’s why it was said:

‘If you should hear His voice today, don’t harden your hearts like they did in the bitter day of testing in the desert.’ [Psalm 95:8]

¹⁶ So then, who, exactly, heard [God’s voice] and brought Him this bitterness?

Wasn’t it everybody who left Egypt under Moses?

¹⁷ So then, who did He became disgusted with for the next 40 years? Wasn’t it those who’d sinned and whose carcasses fell in the desert?

¹⁸ And who [was He talking about] when He said they wouldn’t enter His rest?

Wasn’t it those who disobeyed?

¹⁹ As you can see, they didn’t enter [His rest] because they didn’t have enough faith!

Hebrews 4

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¹ Therefore, we should all be afraid that some of us might actually be left behind [like they were in the desert] when it comes to the promise of entering His Rest.

² For we’ve been preached to, just as they were – but what they heard didn’t benefit them, because those who heard it didn’t combine it with faith.[Syr] ³ But we, who actually have believed [what we heard], yes – we do enter into [God’s] Rest.

Yet... As He said, ‘So in My rage, I swore: They will not enter My rest’... [So what does that mean?]

Well, note [how during] God’s works [back] at the founding of the world,[Syr] ⁴ he said this about the seventh day:

‘God rested from all His of works on the seventh day.’ [Genesis 2:2]

⁵ Hence, once again, [when] He said, ‘They will not enter My rest,’ ⁶ [it means that] they all had the opportunity to enter it – but those who were first preached to didn’t enter it, because they weren’t reconciled [to God].

⁷ Furthermore, notice how He appointed another day, much later, mentioned in the same [psalm of] David quoted above.

For He went on to say:

‘If you should hear His voice today, don’t harden your hearts.’ [Psalm 95:8]

⁸ So if they’d already been led to this place of [God’s] Rest by JoShua, then [God] wouldn’t have spoken of another day in the future. ⁹ So it’s well-established that God’s people will [enter God’s] Rest ¹⁰ (for whoever has entered into His Rest will rest from their own works, just as God is [resting] from His own).

¹¹ Therefore, we should be doing everything we can to enter that Rest, and not to fall into being like those who weren’t reconciled [to God]!

¹² Understand that God’s word is living – it’s at work, and it’s sharper than any double-edged sword! It cuts so fine that it can separate the breath from the breather, as well as his joints from his marrow!

It can even judge our thoughts and the desires of [our] hearts! ¹³ For nothing in creation is invisible to His eyes… Everything is naked and open before the One we [all] have to answer to.

¹⁴ So in view of the fact that we have such a great High Priest who went up [into] the sky – Yeshua the Anointed One,[Syr] the Son of The God – let’s keep talking about him!

¹⁵ For we don’t have a High Priest who can’t sympathize with our weakness; rather, we have one who’s been tested in every way just like us – except he didn’t sin!

¹⁶ Therefore, let’s approach his throne of loving kindness confidently, so that we can receive his mercy, and find loving care and help when we need it.

Hebrews 5

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¹ Now, all High Priests are selected from among mankind, and then they’re appointed over other men and assigned to do the things of God, such as offering the gifts and the sacrifices for sins... ² Yes, ones who can humble themselves and empathize with those who don’t know [what’s right] and err – since they’re also enveloped by their own weakness!

³ That’s why they have to make offerings for themselves too, and not just for the people’s sins!

⁴ However, nobody can take this honor for himself; he can only be called to [the Priesthood] by God (like Aaron was). ⁵ Likewise, the Anointed One didn’t glorify himself to the position of High Priest! No, that was done by the One who said to him:

‘You’re My Son… Today I have fathered you!’ [Psalm 2:7]

⁶ And He said in another place:

‘You’re a Priest throughout the ages in the order of MelchiZedek.’ [Psalm 110:4]

⁷ Then, while he was here in the flesh, [Yeshua] begged and pleaded with the One who was able to save him from death, calling out with tears… And he was drawn close and listened to, because he was faithful.

⁸ But thereafter, although he was the Son, he learned obedience from the things that he suffered.

⁹ Then when his [training] was finished, he became the source of age-long salvation for everybody who’d obey him – ¹⁰ which is when God made him a High Priest in the line of MelchiZedek.

¹¹ Now, we have so much to say about him that will be hard to explain to you, since you’ve become so slow in your hearing.

¹² Yes, even though you should be teachers (in view of the time), you now need someone to go back and teach you the basics of God’s word again!

You’re now people who need milk, not solid food!

¹³ Yes, those who are unfamiliar with righteous teachings are [in fact] ‘babies’ who need milk to survive... ¹⁴ while those who’ve trained their senses to recognize the difference between right and wrong have become adults who can eat solid food.

Hebrews 6

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¹ Therefore, let’s go beyond the basics of the Anointed One and move on towards maturity!

Why do we have to –yet again– lay the foundation on subjects like repentance of past sins and having faith in God? ² Or the teaching of immersion, of making appointments [in the congregation], of the resurrection from the place of the dead, or the age-long judgment?

³ Of course, we’ll do this [for you] – if Yahweh allows us.

⁴ However, it’s impossible for those who’ve already gone down [into the water] for immersion, who’ve tasted the heavenly gift, who’ve received Holy Breath, ⁵ who’ve tasted God’s good word (and the power of the coming age), ⁶ who again start sinning... To all over again experience the renewal to repentance, or to once again raise up God’s Son [to execution] and subject him to shame.

⁷ The ground that’s soaked up much rain will produce useful plants for those who cultivated it – yes, it gets God’s blessing. ⁸ But what if it [instead] just produces thorns and thistles? It’ll be rejected, and almost cursed – and in the end, it’ll just be burned!

⁹ But when it comes to you, my loved brothers:

We’re convinced that you’ll receive good things connected to salvation (even though we speak like this), ¹⁰ because God isn’t unrighteous, and He won’t forget all the good things that you’ve done, or the love that you’ve shown for His Name, or the ways that you’ve served the needs of the Holy Ones and [of how you] keep on doing so.

¹¹ So what we want is for each of you to show a real zeal when it comes to holding onto these things that you’ve been hoping for all the way to the end…

¹² Don’t be discouraged![Syr]

Instead, copy those who, thanks to their faith and endurance, are going to inherit what they’ve been promised!

¹³ [After all], when God gave his promise to AbraHam, because He couldn’t swear by anyone greater, He swore by Himself!

¹⁴ He said:

‘When it comes to blessings, I’ll bless you;

And when it comes to growth, I’ll make you grow.’

[Genesis 22:17]

¹⁵ Then because he was patient, [AbraHam] finally received what he was promised.

¹⁶ Now, men always swear by a greater one [when they make agreements] – and in every dispute they have, they’ll finally settle it by means of oaths.

¹⁷ So, when God wanted to show those who’d inherit what was promised how unchangeable His promise was, He sealed the deal with an oath. ¹⁸ So we can find refuge within these two unchangeable things[, that is, the promise and the oath], neither of which God could lie about, by holding on to this hope that He’s promised.

¹⁹ This is like an anchor that holds our lives [in place] and can’t be moved. It even goes through the ‘inner curtain’ [into the Most Holy of the Temple] – ²⁰ yes, where Yeshua previously entered as the age-long High Priest, in the order of MelchiZedek.

Hebrews 7

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¹ Now, this MelchiZedek (who was the King of Salem and a Priest of the Most High God) is the one who met AbraHam as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings, and the one who blest him. ² Then AbraHam shared a tithe[, that is, one-tenth] of everything that he [was carrying] with him.

Now, notice how his name[, that is, MelchiZedek] translates to mean ‘King of Righteousness.’ Also, ‘King of Salem’ means ‘King of Peace.’

³ Further, notice how there are no genealogical records of him... So he was [virtually] without a father or mother, because there’s no [record] of his birth or death.

So, just like the Son of God – his Priesthood is unending.

⁴ Also, do you see how great this man [MelchiZedek] was? [Our] family head AbraHam gave him both a tithe and first-fruits!

⁵ So while it’s true that the sons of Levi were [also] made Priests, commanded by the Law, to collect a tithe from the people (who were their brothers, because they all came from the loins of AbraHam), ⁶ this man [MelchiZedek] –whose genealogy isn’t even recorded– took a tithe from AbraHam himself!

Then he blest him, yes, [the one] who’d received [God’s] promise.

⁷ And you can’t argue with the fact that the lesser one is always blest by the greater one!

⁸ Now, today, [ordinary] men who die receive the tithes [in the Temple], but the scripture testifies that he[, that is, MelchiZedek] is still ‘alive’ [because it doesn’t record his death]!

⁹ We could also say that via AbraHam, Levi, a man who takes tithes, also had to give a tithe [to MelchiZedek] himself – ¹⁰ because he was within the loins of his forefather when he met with MelchiZedek.

¹¹ Also, if we could have achieved perfection by means of Levi’s Priesthood and the [Jewish] Law, then we wouldn’t have needed another Priest like MelchiZedek. Indeed, [the scripture] would instead have said, ‘He will be like Aaron.’

¹² However, just like there’s been a change in the Priesthood, there’s also been a change in the [Jewish] Law, ¹³ because this man whom we’re talking about[, that is, Yeshua] was born into a different tribe… One that’s never had anybody serve at the Altar... ¹⁴ Yes, it’s clear that our Lord came out of Judah – a tribe that Moses never mentioned in connection to the Priesthood.

¹⁵ Therefore, it’s even more obvious why He said that a new Priest will arise like MelchiZedek – ¹⁶ a man who didn’t become [a Priest] by the Law of fleshly commandments, but by the power of a life that can’t end!

¹⁷ So He testified about him:

‘You are a Priest throughout the age – just like MelchiZedek.’ [Psalm 110:4]

¹⁸ Therefore, this former rule [to only allow Priests from Levi] was changed because it was weak and it didn’t do any good, ¹⁹ as the Law never made anybody perfect. Instead, there’s now a better hope which is drawing us closer to God, ²⁰  and he established it with a sworn oath.

²¹ For [the Levitical] Priests were appointed without a sworn oath... But [Yeshua] was [appointed] with an oath!

[Again,] just like David said about him:

‘Yahweh has sworn (and He won’t change His mind):

‘You are a Priest throughout the age – just like MelchiZedek.’

[Psalm 110:4]

²² Therefore, Yeshua has become the guarantee of a better Sacred Agreement, ²³ since there always had to be lots of Priests because they were mortal – their deaths prevented them from continuing [to serve].

²⁴ However, because [Yeshua exists] eternally, his Priesthood is permanent!

²⁵ And [this is why] he’s able to save those who approach The God through him, because he will always be alive to plead for them! ²⁶ Yes, he’s truly become a High Priest for us – pure, without evil, without blemish, separate from sins,[Syr] and exalted higher than the heavens!

²⁷ And unlike the [Levitical] High Priests who have to offer daily sacrifices for their own sins first, and then for the people, he only had to do this once – when he offered himself!

²⁸ Yes – the [Jewish] Law appoints men with weaknesses as High Priests... But the promise that came with a sworn oath (which supersedes the [Jewish] Law) [has appointed] the Son – [someone] who remains perfect eternally!

Hebrews 8

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¹ But the main point of everything is this:

We have a High Priest who’s sitting on the right-hand side of the throne of Majesty in the heavens. ² He’s become a servant of the Most Holy, but in the real Tent built by God[Syr], not man.

³ And since every appointed High Priest must bring gifts and sacrifices, [Yeshua] must have something to offer too.

⁴ However, if he was [still] here upon the Earth, he wouldn’t be a Priest, because there are [already] Priests who are [appointed] by the Law to offer gifts. ⁵ Now, when they handle these duties, they’re following a pattern that’s a shadow of [how it’s done] in the heavens... Yes, just like it was said to Moses (when he was about to finish the [Sacred] Tent):

‘Be sure to assemble everything by the pattern you were shown on the mountain.’ [Exodus 25:40]

⁶ But now Yeshua the Anointed One has received a much better assignment, in the same way as he’s become the mediator of a better Sacred Agreement – which is given with better promises too!

⁷ Of course, if the first [Agreement] had been without problems, then there wouldn’t have been any need for a second one. ⁸ But [notice that God] had a problem with the people, for He said:

‘{Look!} The time is coming,’ says Yahweh, ‘when I’ll make a new Sacred Agreement with the Houses of IsraEl and Judah ⁹ that’s unlike the Agreement that I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand and led them out of Egypt.

‘But because they didn’t keep their [side of] the agreement, I stopped caring for them,’ says Yahweh.

¹⁰ ‘So, this is the Agreement that I’m going to make with the House of IsraEl at that time,’ says Yahweh.

‘I will put My laws in their minds and write them in their hearts. Then, they’ll be My people and I’ll be their God.

¹¹ ‘So at that time, no one who lives in the land will have to teach their neighbors and brothers and tell them to know of Yahweh.

‘For from their least to their greatest, they’ll all know Me. ¹² Then I’ll be merciful towards their unrighteous ways, and I’ll forget all their sins.’

[Jeremiah 31:31-34, LXX]

¹³ So when he called it ‘new,’[Syr] He [automatically] made the former one, ‘old’... And whatever’s grown old and obsolete is soon destroyed.

Hebrews 9

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¹ Now, under the first [Agreement], there were regulations for worship and a worldly Holy Place:

² They prepared this first Tent, which contained both the [sacred] lampstand and the table for the showbread, and this was called ‘the Holy.’

³ Then behind the curtain was a second Tent called ‘the Most Holy.’ ⁴ It contained a gold incense holder, plus the Chest of the Sacred Agreement (which was completely overlaid with gold).

It contained:

• The gold jar of manna, [Exodus 16:33]

• Aaron’s staff that grew buds [Numbers 17:10], and

• The Tablets of the [Sacred] Agreement. [Leviticus 16:13]

⁵ Then, on top of it, there’s the glorious cherubs that cast a shadow over its cover (we don’t have time to talk about how these things were made).

⁶ Now, the Priests regularly entered the outer Tent to perform their sacred duties.[Syr] ⁷ But only the High Priest entered the inner Tent once per year, along with the blood that he had to offer for both himself and for the peoples’ sins.

⁸ Now, the Breath of Holiness makes it clear that the path to ‘the Holy’ couldn’t be seen while the first Tent was standing… Well, ⁹ this well illustrates that era – when they’d offer gifts and sacrifices that could never make them a perfect character! ¹⁰ No, this whole thing was only about food, drink, and various types of [ritual] washing. These are fleshly, legal requirements [that would only last] until a time of correction.

¹¹ But when the Anointed One came as the High Priest of the good things he accomplished, and entered the greater and more perfect Tent (that wasn’t made by [human] hands, nor was part of creation)... ¹² he didn’t enter with the blood of goats and young bulls. Rather, he entered the Holy Place just once, with his own blood, to get us age-long salvation!

¹³ Now, if the blood of goats and calves, or the ashes of a young cow, could be sprinkled on an unclean people and make their flesh holy and clean... ¹⁴ How much more will [this be true of] the blood of the Anointed One? [The one] who, by the age-long spirit, offered himself spotlessly to God? Yes, he cleans our character from our former deeds, so we can keep serving the living God!

¹⁵ This is why he was made the mediator of the New Sacred Agreement – that through his death, he can become the ransom for those who sinned against the first Sacred Agreement... So that those who are called to the age-long inheritance can get what was promised!

¹⁶ [Understand that] whenever an agreement is made, [it’s strength] is only proved after the person who made it dies, ¹⁷ because an agreement is really only valid if it manages to stay in place after they’re dead. It’s pretty pointless while the one who made it is still alive.

¹⁸ That’s why even the first [Sacred Agreement] had to be established with blood.

¹⁹ For after Moses had explained all the Commandments of the Law to the people, he took the blood of a young cow and mixed it with water, then with scarlet wool and hyssop, [he] sprinkled it over the scrolls and over all the people.

²⁰ And he said to them:[Syr]

‘This is the blood of the Sacred Agreement that God has made with you.’ [Exodus 24:8]

²¹ Next he sprinkled that blood on the Tent and over all the things that were used for ministering.

²² Yes, according to the Law, everything is cleansed by blood. So there’s no forgiveness unless blood is spilled!

²³ It’s necessary that these things, which are symbols of heavenly things, should be cleaned that way. However, heavenly things require better sacrifices... ²⁴ So the Anointed One didn’t enter a Most Holy that was made with hands (which is just a symbol of the real thing), but rather, he actually entered heaven itself to stand before The God on our behalf!

²⁵ Now, he doesn’t have to offer himself many times, like the High Priest does when entering the Most Holy every year (with blood that isn’t his own). ²⁶ Otherwise, [Yeshua] would have to suffer many times since the start of the age! But now, at the end of the age, he’s offered himself only once... To abolish sin by means of his sacrifice.

²⁷ And just like how men must die once (and after their death there’s a judgment), ²⁸ the Anointed One was also offered just once to carry the sins of many...

But the second time [he appears], it’ll be without our sins – and those who are expecting him will see their salvation.

Hebrews 10

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¹ You see, within the [Jewish] Law there was the shadow of the good things that would come [in the future]; it wasn’t the real thing.

Even though they’d offer sacrifices every year, it could never make them perfect. ² Since, if they’d become perfect, they would have stopped offering them ages ago! Yes, because once purified, their minds wouldn’t be urging them to sin anymore!

³ No, instead, the sacrifices would just remind us of our sins, year after year... ⁴ because it’s just not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to purify us from our sins.

⁵ Thus, when he came to the world, he said:

‘Sacrifices and offerings, You didn’t want...

Yet, You prepared a body for me,

⁶ Because You found no delight,

In burnt offerings and sin offerings.

‘Then I said:

‘Look! In the chapter of the scroll it was written about me: ‘I’ve come to do Your Will, O God.’’

[Psalm 40:7-8]

⁸ So as above, when he said that He didn’t want ‘sacrifices and offerings’ or ‘burnt offerings and sin offerings’ (which are being offered in observance of the Law), ⁹ he went on to say:

‘Look, I’ve come to do Your Will.’

Thus, he’s abolished the first [Sacred Agreement] so he can establish the second!

¹⁰ So yes, because of this ‘Will,’ we’ve been made holy through this single offering of Yeshua the Anointed One’s body!

¹¹ Now, all the High Priests who took their stations in daily Temple service offered the same sacrifices over and over… Which can never take sins away completely. ¹² But [Yeshua] offered just one sacrifice for sins, and then he sat down at the right-hand side of God for all the age,[Syr] ¹³ where he now waits until [the time when] his enemies are put under his feet like a stool!

¹⁴ Indeed, by this single offering he’s made the holy ones ‘perfect,’ forever!

¹⁵ The Holy Breath testifies to us about this, for it said:

¹⁶ ‘This is the Sacred Agreement that I’ll make with them in those days, says Yahweh.

‘I’ll put My Laws in their hearts, and I’ll write them in their minds.’

[Jeremiah 31:33]

¹⁷ And:

‘I will be merciful towards their lawless acts, and I’ll forget all their sins.’ [Jeremiah 31:34]

¹⁸ Now, where there’s a cancellation of sins[Syr], the sin offerings aren’t required anymore!

¹⁹ Therefore, brothers:

We can confidently enter into the Most Holy Place thanks to Yeshua’s blood, ²⁰ as well as a new, living pathway through the curtain that he’s now made for us – yes, his flesh.

²¹ And since we now have such a great High Priest over God’s House, ²² let’s approach him with honest hearts and complete faith – since we’ve ‘sprinkled’ and cleaned our hearts from its wrong character, and washed our bodies in clean ‘water.’

²³ Yes, let’s hang onto the confession of our hope and not be unsteady on our feet... Because the One who gave us this promise is faithful.

²⁴ And let’s keep looking out for each other [so we can] incite love and good deeds.

²⁵ Also, don’t stop meeting together as some have made it their custom... Rather, let’s keep on encouraging each other! And [do this] even more as you’re seeing that Day approaching.

²⁶ However, if someone deliberately chooses to sin after coming to know the truth, then there’s no longer any sacrifice to offer for [these] sins! ²⁷ Instead, he’s ready for a frightening judgment, and the zealous fire that consumes [God’s] enemies!

²⁸ [Remember how] if anyone violated the Law of Moses, they’d die without compassion – just on the testimony of two or three witnesses. ²⁹ Well, how much more punishment do you think they’ll get if they’ve walked all over The God’s Son... And regarded the blood of the Sacred Agreement (which had made the person holy) as being just like anybody’s [blood][Syr]... And has treated the loving care of [God’s] Breath with contempt?

³⁰ For we know who said:

‘Vengeance is Mine… I will repay!’ [Deuteronomy 32:35, LXX]

And again:

‘Yahweh will judge His people.’ [Deuteronomy 32:36]

³¹ It’s very frightening to fall into the Living God’s hands!

³² I want you all to think back to those days when you’d just been immersed,[Syr] and endured so much suffering, reproach, and oppression! ³³ You were a spectacle,[Syr] along with [many] others who endured [these things].

³⁴ [Back then,] you were so grieved for those who were in prison. And even when everything you owned was being confiscated, you were still joyful... Because you know that you’ve gained something much better in the heavens – and not something temporary!

³⁵ So, don’t throw away your confidence to speak out, because it’ll pay you a great reward!

³⁶ Yes, you need to hang on in there, so that after you’ve done God’s will, you can take [the prize] you were promised!

³⁷ Because:

‘In just a short while...’ [Isaiah 26:20]

...(and it is short), the one who’s coming will be here, and:

‘He won’t be late!’ [Habakkuk 2:3]

³⁸ But:

‘My righteous one will live by faith.’ [Habakkuk 2:4b, LXX]

[And:]

‘But if he withdraws, My soul finds no pleasure in him.’ [Habakkuk 2:4a, LXX]

³⁹ But we’re not those who withdraw and are led to ruin. Rather, [we’re] people of faith, which gains us life.[Syr]

Hebrews 11

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¹ Now, faith is the belief in whatever things you hope for, as if they’re already happening... Without seeing it with your eyes.

² This [kind of faith] was the [only] ‘evidence’ that [many] ancient ones had. ³ Likewise, our faith teaches us that the ages were set in place by the Word of God, and the visible things came from the invisible things.[Syr]

⁴ Thanks to faith:

Abel offered God a sacrifice more preferred than Cain’s.

Because of this, he received evidence that he was righteous, and God testified about his offering.[Syr] So because of this, despite being dead, he’s still ‘speaks!’

⁵ Thanks to faith:

Enoch was transported and didn’t experience death:

‘No, he couldn’t be found, because God transported him.’ [Genesis 5:24, LXX]

However, before being transported, there was a testimonial [given] that he’d pleased God.

⁶ Therefore, it’s not possible to please God[Syr] without faith – because the one who comes near to Him must believe that He exists, and that He rewards those who look for Him.[Syr]

⁷ Thanks to faith:

Noah, when he was warned about things that he hadn’t seen, became fearful, and built a [giant] chest to save his family. Yes, by [doing] that, he condemned that age and became an heir [who received] righteousness – [all] thanks to [his] faith.

⁸ Thanks to faith:

AbraHam obeyed when he was called, departing [Ur] to a place that he’d inherit in the future… Yet when he left, he didn’t even know where he was going!

⁹ Then, thanks to faith, he settled like an alien in a foreign country (in the land that was already promised to him), and lived in tents with IsaAc and Jacob (who were also heirs of the same promise). ¹⁰ For he was [really] looking for an established [spiritual] ‘city,’ whose designer and builder is God.

¹¹ Thanks to faith:

SarAh received the power to become pregnant when she was [both] barren and too old. Yes, she gave birth – because she considered the One who’d give her the promise to be trustworthy.

¹² So, a huge number [of people] were born from just one man[, that is, AbraHam] who’d couldn’t reproduce in old age! [Indeed, they became] like the stars of the heavens, or the countless grains of sand on the seashore!

¹³ And, even though all these faithful people died without getting what they were promised, they ‘saw’ it from far away and rejoiced – while admitting that they were [still] strangers and aliens in the land.

¹⁴ Now, [normally] when people talk like that, they’re indicating that they’re looking for a city[Syr] [to settle in], ¹⁵ because if they were looking for [the place] they came from, well, they could just go back there. ¹⁶ But now we understand that they were reaching out for something better… Something that’s in the heavens.[Syr]

As a result, God isn’t ashamed to be called their God. In fact, He [really] has prepared a ‘city’ for them!

¹⁷ Thanks to faith:

AbraHam offered up IsaAc when he was being tested – and he did this [despite the fact that IsaAc] was his one-and-only son who was [supposed] to receive the promises… ¹⁸ Yes, about whom [God] had said:

‘What will be called your descendant will come through IsaAc!’ [Genesis 21:12]

¹⁹ But [nevertheless], inside himself, [AbraHam] thought that God would [simply] also raise him from the dead. So because of this, [IsaAc] was sacrificed to [God] in a figurative way.[Syr]

²⁰ Thanks to faith in future events:

IsaAc blest Jacob and Esau.

²¹ Thanks to faith:

Jacob blest each of JoSeph’s sons while he was dying, leaning on the top of his cane.

²² Thanks to faith:

JoSeph, while dying, remembered [the future promised] departure of the sons of IsraEl [from Egypt], and gave them instructions regarding his bones.

²³ Thanks to faith:

Moses’ parents hid him for three months after his birth, because they saw that he was a beautiful baby, and they weren’t afraid of the king’s order.

²⁴ Thanks to faith:

Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of PharaOh’s daughter, ²⁵ [instead] he chose to be treated badly with the people of God, and not spend his time enjoying sinful pleasures.

²⁶ [He did this] because he considered the [same] reproach of the Anointed One as being far more valuable than all of the treasures of Egypt!

Yes, he was ‘looking at’ the [future] reward payment.

²⁷ Thanks to faith:

He[, that is, Moses] left Egypt without any fear of the king’s anger... And endured as if he’d seen the invisible God Himself![Syr]

²⁸ Thanks to faith:

They[, that is, the Israelites] performed[Syr] the Passover and the sprinkling of [the lamb’s] blood, so that the [angelic] destroyer of the firstborn wouldn’t touch them.

²⁹ Thanks to faith:

They[, that is, the Israelites] crossed the Sea of Reeds as if it was dry land... But when the Egyptians dared [to do the same thing], they drowned!

³⁰ Thanks to faith:

The walls of JeriCho fell down after they’d been circled for seven days [by the Israelites].

³¹ Thanks to faith:

The prostitute RaHab didn’t die along with the others who didn’t obey – because she peacefully welcomed the spies [into her home].

³² What more can I say?

I don’t have enough time to tell the stories[Syr] about GideOn, BarAk, Sampson, JephThah, or David… Or about SamuEl and the Prophets... ³³ Who, thanks to faith:

• Defeated kingdoms [in war],

• Did righteous things,

• Received promises,

• Shut lion’s mouths,

• ³⁴ Extinguished the power of fire,

• Escaped the edge of the sword,

• Were cured of disease,[Syr]

• Became mighty in battles,

• Defeated enemy camps[Syr]

• ³⁵ Gave women their sons from a resurrection of the dead.

Further, while some others died under torture, they didn’t hope to be rescued,[Syr] no, they were expecting a superior resurrection!

³⁶ Yes, and others were:

• Mocked and whipped,

• Put in chains and prisons,

• ³⁷ Stoned [to death],

• Sawed [in half], and

• Killed with swords.

Some [were so] poor [that they] went around dressed in sheepskins and goatskins, being oppressed and mistreated... ³⁸ Yes, these ones –whom the world didn’t deserve– became vagrants in the deserts, mountains, caves, and crevices[Syr] of the land.

³⁹ All these [people], whose faith speaks [so well] about them, never received the promise ⁴⁰ because God had already planned [how] to help[Syr] us... So they won’t be made perfect separately from us.

Hebrews 12

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¹ Therefore, let us also (since these witnesses surround us like a cloud) throw off whatever weighs us down – and sin too (which is always ready for us). Let’s keep on running the difficult race that’s ahead of us with endurance... ² And keep looking towards the source[Syr] and perfecter of our faith, Yeshua.

[Yes, he] who, instead of the joy that he could have had,[Syr] endured the [execution] stake, was condemned to shame,[Syr] and is now sat at the right-hand side of God’s throne!

³ Therefore, look at how much he endured from sinners (who [really] just acted against themselves), so we don’t tire out and give up on life! ⁴ [After all,] you haven’t had to fight sin to the point of bleeding – [at least] not yet.

⁵ And don’t forget the encouragement that was said to you like children:

‘My son, never treat Yahweh’s instructions lightly,

Or give up when He disciplines you.

⁶ ‘For Yahweh disciplines those He Loves,

And He spanks the sons He’s pleased with.’[Syr]

[different version of Proverbs 3:11-12, LXX]

⁷ So endure [His] discipline, because [it proves] that God is treating you as His children! After all, which son isn’t disciplined by his father? ⁸ So if you haven’t been corrected with the telling-off that everyone normally gets, then you’re not His sons – you’re just strangers!

⁹ Now, if our fleshly fathers disciplined us, and we respected them – then shouldn’t we be even more willing to obey the Father of the breaths [of life], [so we can] live?

¹⁰ Yes, for a brief period [in our lives], [our fathers] used to discipline us however they saw fit. However, [now] God [disciplines us] for our advantage,[Syr] so we can share with His Holiness!

¹¹ And while it’s true that discipline doesn’t feel good at the time (rather, it makes us sad)... Later on, those who learn from it harvest the fruit of peace and righteousness.

¹² So – firm up up those ‘drooping arms’ and those ‘shaky knees!’ ¹³ And make sure that the tracks you’re making with your ‘feet’ are straight… So the ‘limp leg’ can get better rather than just stumble about!

¹⁴ Chase after [the way of] peace with everyone; and chase after [the way of] holiness too – for without that, no one can see our[Syr] Lord!

¹⁵ Therefore, make sure that none of you are lacking God’s loving care... Otherwise some ‘poisonous plant’ might grow to harm and defile many of you... ¹⁶ Or we might find a sexually immoral person among you, or someone [spiritually] weak[Syr] like Esau – who gave away his birthright for a single meal! ¹⁷ Do you remember how [he changed his mind] later and wanted to inherit the blessing? But he couldn't get it back – even though he begged for it with tears!

¹⁸ Now, [unlike the ancient Israelites] you haven’t come near to a burning fire,[Syr] nor even dark gloom or a thunderstorm... ¹⁹ Nor [have you heard] the sound of trumpets being blown, nor the voice [of God] speaking… Yes, a voice that they asked not to have to listen to ²⁰ since they couldn’t stand it when it commanded:

‘If so much as a wild animal touches this mountain, it must be stoned!’ [Exodus 19:12-13]

²¹ Yes, it was such a frightening scene that even Moses admitted:

‘I’m terrified and shaking!’ [Deuteronomy 9:19]

²² But you’ve approached [near] to ‘Mount Zion,’ and to the ‘City’ of the Living God! Yes, to the Heavenly ‘JeruSalem,’ and to gatherings of millions of [God’s] messengers, ²³ and to the congregation of the firstborn (whose names have been written in the heavens), and to God – the judge of them all.

[Yes, you’ve approached near to] the breaths of those who are righteous and who’ve been made perfect… ²⁴ And [you’ve approached near to] Yeshua, the mediator of the New Sacred Agreement, and to the sprinkling of his blood [in sacrifice], which speaks out better than Abel’s!

²⁵ Therefore, beware in case you [also] ask [to get away] from He who speaks to you [just like the Israelites did]!

Because if they didn’t get away with it, who asked to not [have to listen] to Him when he spoke with them on the earth… How much more will we not get away with it, if we ask [not to listen to] He who’s spoken with us from the heavens? ²⁶ Yes, He whose voice rattled the ground!

But now He’s promised:

‘Next time, I’ll not only shake the ground, [I’ll also shake] the sky!’ [Haggai 2:6]

²⁷ So when He said ‘next time’, He implied that the things He’ll shake then will be transformed, because they’re creations [of mankind]… But things that won’t be shaken will remain [unchanged].

²⁸ So in view of the fact that we’ve received a Kingdom that won’t be shaken, let’s grab hold of the loving-kindness [of God] that allows us to serve and please God with reverence and fear. ²⁹ Indeed, our God is a ‘consuming fire!’

Hebrews 13

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¹ Love for the brothers should live within you, ² and don’t forget [to show] love for strangers [too] – since some people were privileged to show hospitality to [God’s] messengers – without realizing it!

³ And remember those who are in prison… Act as if you’re locked up with them!

Also, remember[Syr] those who are being persecuted… Because you’re only human too!

⁴ Marriage is honorable for all [people], and [marriage] beds are clean – but God will judge sexually immoral ones and adulterers.

⁵ Don’t be the sort who loves wealth… Instead just be satisfied with what you have, because Yahweh promised:

‘I won’t forget you and I’ll never leave you.’ [Joshua 1:5]

⁶ Yes, let’s confidently say:

‘Yahweh is my helper, so I will not fear;

For what can man do to me?’

[Psalm 118:6]

⁷ Remember your shepherds[Syr] who teach you God’s word. Then, as you see the results of their conduct, copy their faithfulness.

⁸ [Remember that] Yeshua the Anointed One was the same yesterday as he is today, and [the same] as he will be throughout the ages... ⁹ So, don’t allow yourselves to be misled by various strange teachings.

[Speaking of which], it’s better for [your] hearts to be strengthened by [God’s] loving care than by anything that you might eat (for it didn’t help those who went that way). ¹⁰ Instead, we have an ‘Altar’ [we may eat from] that even those who serve in the Tent can’t eat from!

¹¹ Also, just like how the High Priest [in the Temple] carries the blood of [sacrificial] animals into the Holy Place to serve as sin offerings, and the bodies are then burned up outside the camp afterwards, ¹² Jesus suffered outside of the [city] gate to make people holy with his blood...

¹³ Therefore, let’s all go to him outside of the camp, bearing all the bad things that were said about him ¹⁴ (for we don’t have a permanent city here – instead, we expect the one prepared for us).

¹⁵ Then, through him, continuously offer God the ‘sacrifice’ of praise – that is, the ‘fruit’ from our lips, praising His Name!

¹⁶ And don’t forget [to practice] compassion and association with the poor,[Syr] because a man can please God[Syr] through such ‘sacrifices.’

¹⁷ Also, have confidence in your shepherds,[Syr] and listen to them – because they’re watching over your lives like a man who has to give an explanation [to his superior]! May they do this with joy, and not with groaning, because that wouldn’t be better for you.

¹⁸ Pray for us! For we’re confident that we have good character, since we want to act properly in everything. ¹⁹ And I especially want to ask you to do this, so I can return to you soon!

²⁰ Now, may the God of peace who raised the great Shepherd from the house of the dead (our Lord Yeshua), thanks to the blood of the age-long Sacred Agreement, ²¹ make you accomplish every good work, do His will, and among you all, do something good [in his sight].

Through Yeshua the Anointed One, praised into the ages of ages…

May it be so!

[P.S.]

²² Now, I ask you, my brothers, ponder over my message of encouragement, because I really haven’t written very much.

[P.P.S.]

²³ O yes... I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released, and if he gets here soon, I’ll come to see you with him.

²⁴ Give [my] greetings to all your shepherds and to all the Holy Ones.

All the [believers in] Italy [also] send you their greetings.

²⁵ May [God’s] loving kindness be with you all!

May it be so!

James

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James is a letter for general circulation to the Christian congregations.

Although it’s attributed to someone named ‘James,’ it’s unclear exactly which James it is, since there were several. Traditionally, it’s understood to be the James who’s the brother of Jude and half-brother of Yeshua.

The letter was probably first written in Aramaic before being translated into Greek. We don’t really know when it was written, but it must have been sometime before 66 CE, when the Roman invasion came to Jerusalem.

Some have doubted the authenticity of this book. Why? Well, unlike Paul, the writer may appear to be a staunch defender of the Old Law and its customs (James 2:8-11). Also, it lacks some Christian terms. Further, it was one of the last books to enter the Bible canon.

However, if there was a real person named James who was an Apostle to the Jews in JeruSalem, then his terms and subject matter would certainly have reflected the life of Jewish Christians, as Jewish Temple worship was still operating. Further, claims that he defended the Old Law are missing the point of his argument, as it only looks that way if his words are taken out of context.

James 1

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¹ [From] James, a slave of God and of the Lord Yeshua the Anointed One, to the tweleve tribes that are scattered about:

Rejoice!

² Consider it all a joyful experience, my brothers, when you have to endure various types of trials, ³ because you know that this proving of your faith helps you to endure.

⁴ So, may your endurance reach its goal of making you perfect and complete in every way, lacking in nothing.

⁵ If any of you are lacking in wisdom, you should continue to ask God, and He will give it to you… He provides it easily and without any scolding!

⁶ However, you must believe [that you’ll receive it] and not have any doubts, for those who doubt are like waves of the sea that are driven and blown about by the wind. ⁷ Such a person shouldn’t expect to receive anything at all from Yahweh, ⁸ due to his unsureness and lack of faith.

⁹ Therefore, let the lowly brother boast of his high standing, ¹⁰ and the rich one boast of his lowliness, because he too will pass away like a flower in a field... ¹¹ For when the sun comes up and puts out all its heat, the plant withers, the flower drops off, and its beauty fades… And this is how the rich man will fade away in his journey through life!

¹² However, the man who endures his trials is blest, because after he’s been approved, he’ll receive the garland of life that the Lord promised to all those who love him.

¹³ So may no one who’s being tried ever say:

‘I’m being tried by God!’

...because God doesn’t send bad things to try us. In fact, He doesn’t try anyone!

¹⁴ Rather, we’re each being tried by our own desires, which bait us and lead us on. ¹⁵ Then when our desires become pregnant, they give birth to sin... And once the sin is committed, it ends in death.

¹⁶ Don’t allow anyone to mislead you, my beloved brothers...

¹⁷ Every good deed and every perfect gift comes to us from above. It comes down from the Father of all light, who doesn’t change any more than a shadow when it turns. ¹⁸ And because it was His Will, He gave birth to us through the message of truth, so that we could be some of the first fruitage of His creation.

¹⁹ Recognize this, my beloved brothers:

Every man must be eager to listen... Slow to speak... And slow to get angry!

²⁰ For a man’s anger doesn’t make him righteous with God.

²¹ So, once you’ve gotten rid of all the filth and badness, humbly allow the Word to grow within you… Because it can save your lives!

²² Yes, become a person who does what the Word [directs him to do]. Don’t [be someone who just] listens to it, [for people like that] are fooling themselves.

²³ Because if anyone is a hearer but not a doer, he’s like the man who looks into a mirror at the face he was born with ²⁴ and carefully considers himself, then leaves and immediately forgets what sort of person he really is.

²⁵ However, the one who gazes into the perfect Law that belongs to a free people – and then keeps on looking into it – isn’t someone who listens and forgets, but someone who takes action!

This man will be blest in whatever he does!

²⁶ Now, if any of you think of yourselves as devout, but you’re misleading your hearts by not putting a bridle on your tongues, your worship is worthless...

²⁷ For what our God and Father views as clean, pure worship is this:

[Providing aid] to orphans and widows when they’re in need, and keeping ourselves free from the stains of this system of things.

James 2

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¹ My brothers,

Don’t show favoritism when it comes to the glorious faith of our Lord Yeshua the Anointed One!

² Because if a man who’s wearing a gold ring and fine clothes enters your synagogue, and then somebody whose clothes are filthy also enters... ³ do you favor the one who’s wearing the fine clothes and say:

‘Here’s a good place to sit?’

And do you then say to the poor one:

‘Stand [over there]!’

Or:

‘Sit here under my footstool?’

⁴ If so, aren’t you showing favoritism among yourselves and judging from evil thoughts?

⁵ Listen, my beloved brothers!

Didn’t God choose the poor of this system of things to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom that He promised to those who love Him?

⁶ Yet, you [tend to] dishonor the poor!

Aren’t rich people the ones who are oppressing you and dragging you into courts?

⁷ And aren’t they the ones who speak badly of the good name you’re called by?

⁸ Now, if you’re obeying the royal law of the Scriptures that says, ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself,’ you’re doing well... ⁹ But if you’re showing favoritism, then you’re sinning and the Law convicts you of being its violator!

¹⁰ Because if someone who’s trying to obey the Law fails in just one little part of it, then he’s broken the whole thing.

¹¹ Because the One who said:

‘You must not commit adultery,’ [Exodus 20:14]

...also said:

‘You must not murder.’ [Exodus 20:13]

So if you aren’t committing adultery, but you murder someone, you’ve broken the whole Law.

¹² Therefore, speak and behave as though you’re about to be judged by the law of a free people… ¹³ And [remember that] the merciless will be judged without mercy, since mercy is an important part of justice.

¹⁴ So what good does it do, my brothers, if someone says that he has faith, but isn’t moved to do anything about it? Can his faith save him?

¹⁵ [For example], if a brother or sister doesn’t have clothing or enough food for each day, ¹⁶ and you tell him:

‘Go in peace; be warm and well fed.’

...if you don’t give him what he needs to survive, what good have you done?

¹⁷ So, faith without good deeds is dead!

¹⁸ Now, someone can say:

‘Even though you may do good things, I have [more] faith!’

Well, you show me your faith without good deeds, and I’ll show you my faith by the good things that I do.

¹⁹ And do you say that you believe there’s just one God?

That’s good… But the demons believe that too!

Yes, they believe and it frightens them!

²⁰ I want you to know, O empty man, that faith apart from [good] deeds is dead!

²¹ For wasn’t our father AbraHam called righteous because of the things that he did… Such as when he offered up his son IsaAc on the altar?

²² Yes, you can see how his faith worked along with his deeds, and that it was his deeds that perfected his faith. ²³ So the scripture was fulfilled that says AbraHam...

‘...believed in The God, and for this he was considered to be righteous...’ [Genesis 15:6]

...and he was called God’s friend.

²⁴ So you see, a man is pronounced righteous by the things that he does, not just by the things he believes!

²⁵ The same was true of the prostitute, RaHab. For she was called righteous because she took the messengers in and then sent them out by another way. ²⁶ So, just as a body that isn’t breathing is dead, faith without good deeds is dead.

James 3

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¹ Brothers, not many of you should become teachers, because you know that [teachers] will be held more accountable… ² and we all make a lot of mistakes!

So if there’s any man who doesn’t stumble in his words, he’s perfect and he can lead his whole body as if with a bridle... ³ Because if we put a bridle in the mouth of a horse to make it obey us, we can control its whole body.

⁴ {Look!} Even large boats that are driven by strong winds are steered wherever the pilot wishes by very small rudders… ⁵ and that’s just like it is with the tongue! Even though it’s just a little body part, it can boast about big things… And just a little flame can set a whole forest on fire!

⁶ That’s how the tongue is… It’s a flame in a world of unrighteousness.

It sits among our body members as the corrupter of the whole body, which sets our very origins on fire… And what sets them ablaze is the garbage dump!

⁷ Even though every sort of wild animal, flying creature, slithering thing, and sea creature can be tamed (and has been tamed) by men, ⁸ no man can tame the tongue… For it won’t stop saying bad things, and it’s full of deadly poison.

⁹ With it we can praise the highest Lord and the Father, or curse men who came into existence in God’s image… ¹⁰ So out of the same mouth comes both blessings and curses.

There’s no need for things like this to keep happening, my brothers!

¹¹ Are there any fountains that bubble up both sweet and bitter [water]?

¹² Fig trees can’t produce olives.

Grapevines can’t produce figs.

And you can’t get sweet water from salt water, can you my brothers?

¹³ So, who among you is wise and understanding?

Let him show that he has the inner strength that comes from wisdom through the ways that he acts and the things that he does.

¹⁴ But if you’re bitterly jealous, and in your hearts you just want to argue... Don’t be too proud of this and don’t lie about the facts. ¹⁵ This isn’t wisdom that comes from above! It’s earthly, animalistic, and demonic!

¹⁶ For where you find jealousy and arguing, you’ll also find disorder and everything that’s foul.

¹⁷ But the wisdom that comes from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, reasonable, ready to obey, and full of mercy and good fruitage. It isn’t hypocritical or prejudiced, ¹⁸ because the seeds of the fruit of righteousness are planted in peace by the peacemakers!

James 4

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¹ So, where are all these fights and wars among you coming from?

Aren’t they the result of battles that are being fought in your body parts over [sensual] pleasures?

² You want, but you can’t have!

You’re jealous... And murderous... But that doesn’t get you anything!

You’re fighting and waging war, but you haven’t received because you haven’t asked.

³ Then when you do ask, you don’t receive, because you’re asking for the wrong reasons, since all that you’re really interested in is pleasure!

⁴ Adulteresses, don’t you know that if you’re a friend of the world you’re an enemy of God?

So, whoever wants to be a friend of this world is putting himself down as God’s enemy!

⁵ Does the scripture say that the spirit within us...

‘...lusts with envy...’ [perhaps referencing Proverbs 27:4]

...for no reason?

⁶ Now, the loving care that He sends to us is greater than of all that, for we were told:

‘Yahweh opposes the proud,

But shows loving-care to the humble.’

[Proverbs 3:34, LXX]

⁷ So, let’s do what God says… Resist the Opposer and he’ll run from you!

⁸ But draw closer to God and He will draw closer to you!

So, wash your hands, you sinners! And those of you who are undecided should purify your hearts!

⁹ Otherwise you’ll be crying, groaning, and miserable… Your laughter will be turned into groaning and your joy will be turned into sadness!

¹⁰ Yes, humble yourselves in the eyes of Yahweh and He will lift you higher!

¹¹ Brothers, stop complaining about each other, because those who speak against or judge their brothers are speaking against and judging the Law.

And if you’re judging the Law, you aren’t someone who’s under it, you’re its judge… ¹² And there’s just one Lawgiver and Judge who can either save or destroy.

So, who [do you think] you are to be judging your neighbors?

¹³ And those of you who say:

‘Today or tomorrow I’m going to travel to this city or that, and I’ll spend a year there doing business and making profits...’

¹⁴ You don’t even know what’s going to happen in your life tomorrow! For you’re just a mist that appears for a little while and then disappears!

¹⁵ Shouldn’t you rather be saying...

‘If it’s Yahweh’s will, I’ll live and do this or that?’

¹⁶ But now you’re taking pride in things that you just assume to be true, and being proud over such things is wickedness. ¹⁷ Because, whenever you know what’s right and you don’t do it, that’s a sin to you!

James 5

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¹ So go on, you who are rich... Cry and bawl over the miseries that you’ll have to endure!

² For your wealth will rot away. Your clothes will be moth-eaten. ³ Your gold and silver will corrode. And whatever remains will testify against you and eat your flesh – just like the fire that you’ve treasured away for yourselves in the last days.

⁴ Look! The wages that you refused to pay the workers that harvested your fields are crying out, and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of Yahweh of Armies!

⁵ For you’ve lived on the earth merrily and have been greedy… Yes, you fattened-up your own bodies[Syr] to be ready for the day of slaughter! ⁶ You’ve condemned and murdered a righteous one, [even though] he didn’t stand against you.

⁷ Brothers, let’s be patient until the Lord arrives.

{Look!} For just as the farmer harvests the precious fruitage of the ground after patiently waiting for both the early and late rains, ⁸ we must also be patient… But with determined hearts; because the appearance of the Lord is drawing near.

⁹ Brothers, stop groaning about each other, so you won’t be judged. For look… The judge is now standing at the door!

¹⁰ Brothers, you should learn from the examples of the Prophets who spoke in the Name of Yahweh about how to suffer bad things and how to be patient, ¹¹ for we call those who endured, ‘the blest!’

You’ve all heard of the endurance of Job and you saw how Yahweh ended it…

And this proves that Yahweh is very kind and merciful.

¹² But above all, my brothers... Stop swearing oaths by heaven, or by the earth, or by anything else.

Just let your yes mean yes, and your no mean no, so that you don’t fail when you’re being judged!

¹³ Are there any among you who are being persecuted?

Let them keep on praying!

Are there any among you who are cheerful?

Let them sing psalms!

¹⁴ Are there any among you who are ill?

Let them call the elders and ask them to pray over them, as they rub them with oil in the name of the Lord!

¹⁵ Then their faithful prayers will rescue the ill and the Lord will lift them and forgive any sins that they’ve committed.

¹⁶ So, admit your errors to each other and pray that each one of you’ll be healed, because prayer has a lot of power when it’s working through righteous people.

¹⁷ Remember that EliJah was just a man with passions like ours; but when he prayed and asked for it not to rain, it didn’t rain in the land for 3-1/2 years! ¹⁸ Then when he prayed again, the skies poured with rain, causing the ground to produce its fruitage!

¹⁹ My brothers,

Whenever someone is led astray from the truth and someone else leads him back... ²⁰ Recognize that the one who turns the sinner from the error of his ways will save his own life from death… And it’ll cover many of his own sins as well.

1 Peter

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A letter, traditionally believed to be written (or dictated) by the Apostle Peter (as stated in the text), and probably sometime before the destruction of Jerusalem.

While the text says that it’s written in ‘Babylon,’ this could mean the region rather than the city – as the city may have been abandoned by this time.

Some believe that ‘Babylon’ is really a reference to Rome, as some sort of early reference to the prophetic ‘Babylon’ later mentioned in Revelation (for those who believe that it represents Ancient Rome). Many who share this viewpoint hold the Roman Catholic belief that Peter was the first pope, and any effort to place him in Rome would bolster the idea. Otherwise, Peter would be thousands of miles away from where he was supposed to be.

Many modern scholars doubt whether Peter was the real author. Why? They say that the quality of the Greek text is too good for a simple fisherman, and that the arguments are too sophisticated for an uneducated person.

However, we maintain that the letter was probably originally written in Aramaic, not Greek, and besides, it was probably penned on Peter’s behalf by a secretary. Also, the wording and sophistication of the arguments show a nice similarity to Peter’s words found in Acts.

1 Peter 1

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¹ Peter, an Apostle of Yeshua the Anointed One, to the elected ones among the scattered [Jews] living in Pontus, Galatia, CappaDokia, Asia Minor, and Bithynia... ² who, by the foreknowledge of The God and Father, and by the holiness of the Breath, are obedient and sprinkled with the blood of Yeshua the Anointed One...

May loving care and peace be multiplied among you!

³ Praise the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua the Anointed One, who according to His great mercy fathered within us the hope of life by resurrecting Yeshua the Anointed One from the dead, ⁴ so that an undying, incorruptible, and enduring inheritance will be reserved for you in the heavens.

⁵ Yes, you who are being guarded by faith through the power of God for a salvation that’s ready to be revealed in this final season, ⁶ and in which you’re rejoicing.

So, although you’re currently being grieved by various trials, ⁷ understand that these things are happening to you in order to prove your faith, which is something that’s much more valuable than gold that’s refined and proven by fire, and so that you’ll be found to be a reason for praise, honor, and glory at the revealing of Yeshua the Anointed One.

⁸ For even though you’ve never seen him, you’ve loved him..
And even though you can’t see him, you’ve believed in him and are rejoicing with an unspeakable and glorified joy.

⁹ For it’s by this that you’re carrying off for yourselves the reward of the hope that’s bringing salvation to your lives!

¹⁰ And when it comes to this salvation, understand that the Prophets (those who prophesied that this loving-kindness would be shown to you) used to seek and search, ¹¹ trying (through the spirit of the anointing that was in them) to determine the exact time and circumstances of the sufferings of the Anointed One, and of his being glorified…

Yes, they knew about this even back then!

¹² However, it wasn’t revealed to them as it has been to you, for they were just servants of the things that have now been revealed to you by those who proclaimed the good news to you through Holy Breath sent from heaven.

Yes [at that time], even the messengers [of God] wanted to see these things!

¹³ As a result, prepare your minds to understand, and become perfectly sober when it comes to your hope of the loving kindness that’ll be manifested in you at the revelation of Yeshua the Anointed One.

¹⁴ And as obedient children, don’t go back to being what you used to be by desiring ignorant things. ¹⁵ Rather, like the Holy One who called you, become holy in all of your ways.

¹⁶ For it’s written:

‘You must be holy, because I’m holy!’ [Leviticus 11:45, one of many places saying this]

¹⁷ So, if you’re calling this One your Father (someone who doesn’t discriminate, but judges each person by the things that they do), you should be living your lives in fear!

¹⁸ For you’ve got to recognize that the ransom, which was paid to release you from the worthless way of life that you learned from your fathers, wasn’t paid for with things that waste away like silver or gold.

¹⁹ Rather, it was paid for with the precious blood of a spotless and perfect lamb, the Anointed One! ²⁰ And even though he was appointed[Syr] before the founding of the cosmos, he’s been finally revealed during this period for your sakes... ²¹ so that, through him, you could come to believe in The God who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so that you could put all your faith and hope in that God.

²² Then, after you’ve purified your lives by [learning how to] obey the truth, you must also learn to love each other intensely…

Yes – develop a sincere brotherly love for each other out of a pure heart!

²³ For you weren’t born again as seeds which are planted [in the ground] and will perish, but as something that, through the enduring Word of the living God, is now imperishable!

²⁴ [As it is written]:

‘All flesh is like grass

And its glory is like the flowers in a field.

But although grass dries up and its flowers will drop,

²⁵ God’s Word lasts throughout the ages.’

[Isaiah 40:8]

Yes, these are the words that we’ve preached to you as good news.

1 Peter 2

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¹ Therefore, you must now get rid of all of your badness, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slandering!

² Then, like newborn babies, develop a taste for the pure milk of the Word, which will help you to grow to salvation… ³ That is, if you have indeed tasted that the Lord is good.

⁴ Yes, you must approach him as though he’s a living block of stone that was for a fact rejected by men, but has been chosen as something precious by God.

⁵ Because, it’s upon him that you’re being built as living blocks into a Spiritual Temple and as a Holy Priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God, through Yeshua the Anointed One.

⁶ For the Scripture says:

‘{Look!} I am laying in Zion a select and precious cornerstone... And all who put faith in it will never be shamed.’ [Isaiah 28:16, LXX]

⁷ Therefore, you’ve put faith in this precious thing that others don’t believe in…

‘The block that the builders rejected, but which has become the foundation cornerstone.’ [Psalm 118:22]

⁸ And,

‘A stumbling block ... and snare’ [Isaiah 8:14 DSS; see note]

...to those who stumble over the words because of the disobedient ways they’ve been appointed to.

⁹ And now you’ve become a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a people who were specially selected to announce the virtues of the One who called you out of darkness and into His wonderful light.

¹⁰ So, although you haven’t always been a nation, you’re now a nation of God!

And although you once knew no mercy, you’re the ones who are now being shown mercy!

¹¹ My loved ones,

I want to encourage you [Jews] who are [living as] foreigners and exiles not to indulge in the things that your bodies might crave and which fight a battle against the person who you are on the inside.

¹² Yes, while you’re [living] among the other races, behave yourselves, so that when they condemn you and say bad things about you, they can see the good things that you’re doing and then glorify The God in the Day that He arrives for His inspection.

¹³ Also, you must obey every office that men have created through the Lord, regardless of whether the one who’s over you is a king, ¹⁴ or [just] a governor who’s been sent [by the king] to punish criminals and to praise those who are doing good things.

¹⁵ Because, it’s God’s Will for you to do good things, so that you can put a muzzle on the ignorant accusations of unreasonable men.

¹⁶ And even though you’re a free people, as slaves of God, don’t use your freedom as a cover-up for doing bad things!

¹⁷ Rather, be respectful to everyone, love your brothers, fear God, and show special respect for the king.

¹⁸ Those of you who are household servants should obey and fear your masters… And not just those who are good and reasonable, but also those who are hard to please.

¹⁹ For if a person with a Godly conscience has to put up with the grief of having to suffer for something he didn’t do, it shows a lot of inner strength.

²⁰ So if you’re being slapped for something wrong that you didn’t do, and you [choose to] put up with suffering when you’ve only done good things, this shows your inner strength to God.

²¹ And for a fact, this is the [course] you were called to... Because, the Anointed One suffered on your behalf as an example, so that you’d follow in his tracks.

²² ‘He wasn’t guilty of any sin,

‘And his mouth didn’t speak any lies.’

[Isaiah 53:9]

²³ When they shouted bad things at him, he didn’t shout back. When he was suffering, he didn’t threaten anyone. He just left himself [in the hands of] the One who judges righteously.

²⁴ Then he...

‘carried our sins’ [Isaiah 53:4, LXX]

...on his body when he was hung on the tree. That’s when the sins died so that we could, thereafter, be counted as righteous.

For,

‘by his wounds, you were healed.’ [Isaiah 53:5]

²⁵ Yes,

‘you were like sheep who had strayed’ [Isaiah 53:6]

...but you’ve now returned to the shepherd who’s watching over your lives.

1 Peter 3

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¹ Also, you women should obey your [husbands], so that those who aren’t obeying the Word can be won over without words through your fine conduct – ² when they see the fear that you’re showing by being pure.

³ Don’t let your beauty come from fancy hairstyles, gold jewelry, or the way you arrange your clothes, ⁴ but from what’s hidden in your hearts…

Let it be the type of clean, quiet, and mild personality that’s valuable in the eyes of God!

⁵ Indeed, this is how holy women in the past who put their hope in God have been beautifying themselves… By obeying their husbands. ⁶ So, just as SarAh used to obey AbraHam, calling him ‘Lord;’ you should become her children in doing good things, so you’ll have nothing to fear.

⁷ And you men should be wise when it comes to living with [your wives]… Treat them as you would a delicate vase, and show them the type of honor that should be shown to women who are fellow heirs of the gift of life, so it doesn’t affect your prayers.

⁸ And finally, you should all share the same attitude when it comes to being sympathetic, loving your brothers, caring for each other, being humble, ⁹ and by not trying to get even or by trading insults. Rather, you should bestow blessings, since you were called to the Way so as to inherit blessings.

¹⁰ For,

‘May those of you who love life,

And want to see good days,

‘Keep your tongues from saying bad things,

And your lips from telling lies…

¹¹ ‘Turn away from what’s bad and do what’s good,

As you search for and chase after peace!

¹² ‘Yahweh watches out for the righteous,

And He listens when they’re crying to Him…

But Yahweh opposes those who are doing what’s bad.’

[Psalm 34:12-16a, LXX]

¹³ Therefore, who’ll treat you badly if you’re zealously doing what’s righteous?

¹⁴ And even if you should have to suffer for doing something righteous, you’ll be blest!

So, don’t be afraid or even be bothered by such things!

¹⁵ Rather, make the Lord Anointed One holy in your hearts, and always be ready to make a defense before anyone who demands to know why you’ve got this hope.

However, do it calmly... And with [Godly] fear.

¹⁶ Yes, keep a clean conscience so that anyone who may accuse you and speak out against you will be shamed by your fine conduct.

¹⁷ And remember that it’s better for you to suffer for doing something good (if that’s God’s will) than for doing something that’s bad.

¹⁸ For even the Anointed One died (once and for all time) over sins as someone who’s righteous on behalf of those who are unrighteous, so as to lead you to God.

He was dead in the flesh, but alive in spirit, ¹⁹  and he preached to the spirits who had been imprisoned ²⁰ because of their disobedience during the time that God was patiently waiting for Noah to build the chest in which a few people (just 8 souls) were saved through the water.

²¹ And this is the same type of thing that’s saving you now: immersion. The purpose of which isn’t to get rid of the filth of the flesh, but to ask God for a good conscience through the resurrection of Yeshua the Anointed One, ²² who’s currently at God’s right hand in the heavens, where all of [God’s] messengers and all the authorities and powers must now obey him.

1 Peter 4

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¹ So, since the Anointed One had to suffer in the flesh, you should start thinking about fighting that same battle!

For somebody who’s suffered in the flesh has stopped sinning ² and doesn’t live for human desires anymore... But [instead] to do the will of The God for the rest of his life in the flesh.

³ For a fact... Enough time has elapsed for you to have resolved the types of things that the gentiles desire, as they go their own immoral ways, following their desires, drinking too much wine, partying, getting drunk, and worshiping disgusting idols.

⁴ Then, because you don’t go along with them and follow them into the same deadly course down into the sewer, they slander you!

⁵ However, they’ll have to answer to the One who’s ready to judge both the living and the dead!

⁶ Indeed, this is why we’re preaching the good news to those who are the ‘dead’… So that, although they may be judged in the flesh, they can now start living to God in the spirit.

⁷ Therefore, since the end of everything has drawn closer, you should become more sensible and sober-minded when it comes to prayer.

⁸ And more than anything else, you should be reaching out to each other in love, because love covers a multitude of sins.

⁹ Yes, be hospitable to each other without grumbling! ¹⁰ And, as each of you has received a gift, use [that gift] to serve each other as good managers of the abundant loving kindnesses of God, ¹¹ so that whenever anyone speaks the Word of God, or whenever anyone serves through the strength that’s supplied by The God, He may be glorified by it all through Yeshua the Anointed One…

May He have glory and power throughout ages of ages!

May it be so!

¹² Loved ones,

You shouldn’t think that it’s strange that there’s a ‘fire’ blazing among you and testing you, as if what’s happening to you is something that’s very unusual.

¹³ Rather, as you [find yourselves] sharing in the sufferings of the Anointed One, rejoice!

Because, when his glory is revealed, you’ll once again be happy and cry out in joy!

¹⁴ For if you’re being slandered over the name of the Anointed One, you are truly blest, because [this proves that] God’s glory and Breath has come to rest upon you.

¹⁵ So, although none of you should ever have to suffer for being a murderer, a thief, a criminal, or for not minding your own business... ¹⁶ if you’re suffering because of being a Christian, you should never be ashamed of it!

Rather, you should keep on glorifying God in that name.

¹⁷ For the time of judgment has arrived… And it’s starting with the House of God!

So if it’s starting with us first... How will those who don’t obey the good news of God end up?

¹⁸ ‘For if the righteous are just barely being saved,

Where will those who are godless and the sinners make a showing?’

[Proverbs 11:31, LXX]

¹⁹ Therefore, let those who are (by God’s will) suffering, gladly entrust their lives to the faithful Creator by doing whatever is good.

1 Peter 5

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¹ I encourage the elders among you (my fellow elders and witnesses of the sufferings of the Anointed One who’ll share in the glory that’s soon to be revealed) ² to shepherd the flock of God which has been entrusted to you.

Don’t do this because you have to, but because you want to!

No, don’t do it to make a lot of money, but because you want to help!

³ And don’t [set yourselves up as] rulers over those who’ve been entrusted to your care; rather, become examples to the flock.

⁴ Then when the Chief Shepherd is revealed, you’ll walk away with the enduring garland of glory!

⁵ And the same [is true] for you younger men – obey the elders!

All of you should be humble before each other. In fact, tie humility around yourselves with knots!

‘For God opposes those who think too much of themselves,

While He’s kind to those who are humble.’

[Proverbs 3:34, LXX]

⁶ Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God so that He can eventually raise you to a higher position. ⁷ Yes, throw all your worries upon Him, because He really cares about you!

⁸ Also, be serious and stay alert, because your accuser the Slanderer is roaming about like a roaring lion that’s looking for someone to swallow down.

⁹ Oppose him by taking a solid stand for the faith, and realize that the things you’re suffering in this system of things are also happening throughout the entire brotherhood…

¹⁰ And that the God of all loving kindness will call you to age-long glory in the Anointed Yeshua.

For after you’ve suffered a little while, on His behalf, He will prepare you, establish you, strengthen you, and firmly set your foundation!

¹¹ Yes, to Him be the power throughout the ages… May it be so!

¹² I’m sending what I consider these few words that I wrote through Silvanus (a faithful brother) to encourage you and to testify to the fact that you’re standing in the true loving-care of The God.

¹³ The elected congregation in Babylon greets you, as does Mark (my son).

¹⁴ Greet each other with a kiss of love!

Peace to all of you in the Anointed One.

May it be so!

2 Peter

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A letter, traditionally believed to be written by the Apostle Peter, as claimed in the text. It claims to follow the previous letter of 1 Peter. If true, it must have been written before 68 CE, when Peter was said to have been executed.

Some doubt its authenticity because there are no direct quotes from it among the early ‘Church Fathers,’ and because the writing style is somewhat different to 1 Peter. However, it is a very short letter with similar themes to other writings, and the writing style of an author can change over time.

It was first accepted as inspired scripture by the ‘bishop’ (or overseer) Clement of Rome, who died in 99 CE, although it took longer for the wider community to accept it as such. Note that being accepted as inspired is different to being accepted as genuine. A letter can be regarded as genuine, but not regarded as inspired.

It may have been originally written in Aramaic, however the original Aramaic text may have been lost. The Aramaic text that we have today is probably a back-translation from the Greek.

2 Peter 1

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¹ Simon Peter, a slave and Apostle of Yeshua the Anointed One, to all those who are precious to us and have received their share of faith by the righteousness of our Lord[Syr] and Savior, Yeshua the Anointed One:

² May you grow in loving care and peace by coming to a higher knowledge of The God, and of our Lord Yeshua.

³ For He’s granted us all of His Divine Power when it comes to [clean] living and godliness, through the knowledge of the one who called us to his own glory and virtue... ⁴ and through whom He’s given us the most precious and greatest promises, so that through these things you might become sharers in the divine nature – now that you’ve left the corrupt desires of this system of things!

⁵ And then, after you’ve zealously done all of this...

Add virtue to your faith,

Knowledge to [your] virtue,

⁶ Self-control to [your] knowledge,

Endurance to [your] self-control,

Piety to [your] endurance,

⁷ Brotherly-love to [your] piety,

And pure love to [your] brotherly love.

⁸ For if you’re filled and overflowing with these things, they’ll keep you from being lazy or from failing to produce fruitage when it comes to gaining a higher knowledge of our Lord Yeshua, the Anointed One.

⁹ However, there are those who don’t have these qualities; they’ve proven to be short-sighted and they’ve forgotten how they’d once been purified, so they’ve returned to their old sinful ways!

¹⁰ Therefore, brothers... Be zealous when it comes to making your calling and electing a sure thing!

For if you can do that, you’ll never stumble, ¹¹ and you’ll be richly supplied with entry into the age-long Kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Yeshua the Anointed.

¹² This is why I always want to remind you of these things, despite the fact that you already know [them] and are firmly rooted in the truth.

¹³ However, as long as I must live in this temporary dwelling, I’ll consider it righteous to shake you and remind you, ¹⁴ since I realize that this ‘tent’ will soon be set aside – as our Lord Yeshua the Anointed One has indicated to me.

¹⁵ Therefore, I’m going to do everything I can, whenever I can, so that you’ll keep on reminding each other of these things after I’m gone.

¹⁶ Now, what we’ve told you about the power and appearance of the Lord Yeshua the Anointed One wasn’t some myth that we just made up... Rather, we were eyewitnesses to his magnificence!

¹⁷ For he was honored and glorified by God, the Father, through a voice that came to him, which glorified him in an appropriate way when it said:

‘This is My Son whom I love and of whom I have approved.’ [Matthew 17:5]

¹⁸ Yes, we heard these words from heaven itself as we were there with him on the Holy Mountain, ¹⁹ and by this, we had the prophetic words made surer to us.

So... You’ll do well to pay attention to them!

For [these words] are like a lamp that will illuminate the dark places until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.

²⁰ Understand this:

None of the prophecies in the Scriptures came from [anyone’s own] ideas, ²¹ nor [were they spoken] just because some men wanted to prophesy.

Rather, holy men spoke from God as they were being lead by [His] Holy Breath.

2 Peter 2

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¹ However, just as there were false prophets in the world, there’ll be false teachers among you! They’ll introduce ruinous heresies and deny the master who bought them, which will bring swift ruin upon themselves.

² Yet, many will follow them into their disgusting ways. And because of this, the way of the truth will be slandered. ³ Also, because they’ll desire whatever you have, they’ll worm their way [in among you] with carefully-planned words.

However, the ancient judgment upon them won’t be delayed, and their destruction hasn’t fallen asleep.

⁴ Notice that God didn’t spare the [spirit] messengers who sinned, for He threw them into the dark pits of ‘Tartarus’ where they’re still awaiting His justice.

⁵ Nor did He spare the first system of things… Although He guarded Noah (who was a preacher of righteousness) along with seven others, when He brought a downpour upon that world of godless people.

⁶ Also, after He condemned the cities Sodom and GomorRah, He reduced them to ashes.

And all of these things are examples of what’s going to happen to such godless people!

⁷ Yet, remember that [God] protected righteous Lot, who was deeply disturbed by the lewd actions of those lawless individuals. ⁸ For the wicked things that this man saw and heard each day while he was living among them tortured his righteous soul.

⁹ So, [understand that] Yahweh knows how to rescue devout people from trials, while he keeps the unrighteous for a day of judgment when they’ll be punished.

¹⁰ This is especially true of those who chase after flesh in filthy acts of lust and who despise [divine] authority… The self-willed who don’t tremble when they speak ill of the glorious ones.

¹¹ Even the messengers [of God] (who are much stronger and more powerful than they are) wouldn’t commit such blasphemy before Yahweh!

¹² So, people like that are like unreasoning animals that were born to be caught and killed. And because they speak badly of things that they don’t understand, they’ll rot in their filth.

¹³ Yes, the payback for their unrighteousness is the mistreatment of themselves!

For what brings pleasure to these people is just spending their days in luxury… They’re spots and flaws that enjoy doing anything that they feel tempted to do, as they feast among you!

¹⁴ Such ones have eyes that are always full of adultery and sins, as they try to tempt those who are weak.

Yes, their hearts have been trained to want things that aren’t theirs, and they [give birth to] children who are cursed. ¹⁵ For they’ve been led away from the straight path and are directed onto the course of BalaAm [the son] of BeOr, who loved the reward for doing what was wrong, ¹⁶ but was scolded for going beyond the limits by a farm animal which couldn’t speak… Yet it did speak in a man’s voice – and it stopped that crazy prophet!

¹⁷ Such people are like springs without any water, and like clouds being blown by storms that are reserved for the gloom of darkness.

¹⁸ Yet they talk in big ways about stupid things, as they try to tempt [people] into following human desires and loose lifestyles… Yes, they turn the little ones who are fleeing [this system of things] back into doing things that are wrong.

¹⁹ They keep promising them freedom, while they’re personally slaves to filth… For whoever is conquered by another, becomes his slave.

²⁰ Understand that anyone who’s escaped from the filth of this system of things by coming to an accurate knowledge of our Lord and Savior (Yeshua the Anointed) and then turns back to it, is conquered by it again and is worse off than he was before [he became a Christian]!

²¹ Therefore, it would be better for such ones if they’d never learned about the ways of righteousness than to have turned from it after they’ve been taught the ways of Holiness!

²² So what happens to them is just as the proverb truthfully says, that the dog...

‘returned to its vomit’ [Proverbs 26:11]

... and the washed pig [returns] to wallowing in the filth!

2 Peter 3

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¹ My loved ones:

This is now the second letter that I’ve written to you.

In the first letter, I tried to shake you into thinking clearly and remind you to ² never forget what the holy prophets used to say, or any of the commandments that our Lord and Savior gave to us through [his] Apostles.

³ Recognize this:

In the last days there’ll be those who’ll ridicule… They’ll go their own way and do whatever they want, ⁴ then they’ll mock you by asking:

‘So, where is his appearance that they’ve been promising since our ancestors fell asleep?

‘For everything is still the same as it’s been since the beginning of creation!’

⁵ However, what’s hidden from them is this:

Even though the ancient skies and lands were out of the water, by the Word of God, they still stood between the waters. ⁶ And it was through this that the world back then was flooded and destroyed by water.

⁷ Likewise, it’s by this same Word that what’s in store for the skies and the lands today is the fire of the Judgment Day, when those godless men will be ruined!

⁸ But loved ones:

Don’t overlook the fact that one day to Yahweh is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like one day [paraphrase of Psalm 90:4].

⁹ For Yahweh isn’t slow when it comes to His promises, as some people think. Rather, He’s being patient with you, because He doesn’t want anyone to be lost… He’s allowing enough time for everyone to repent!

¹⁰ However, the Day of the Lord will come [unexpectedly] just like a thief! And then the skies will become extremely hot, their basic parts will melt, and they will all pass away with a hissing noise…

Then the earth and everything that’s being done on it’ll be exposed!

¹¹ So, since all of this is about to be dissolved, what sort of people should you be when it comes to holy conduct and godliness?

¹² Yes, we’re awaiting and anticipating the appearance of the Day of the Lord, during which...

‘...the skies will burn and dissolve and their basic parts will melt...’

...due to the intense heat. [paraphrase of Isaiah 34:4]

¹³ But we’re also awaiting the new skies and lands that He’s promised in which righteousness will dwell!

¹⁴ Therefore, loved ones:

Since we’re [truly] expecting these things, we should be swift about making ourselves flawless and spotless, so we’ll be found to be at peace with him!

¹⁵ You should think about the patience that our Lord is showing when it comes to our salvation… Which is something that our beloved brother Paul wrote to you about through the [special] wisdom that he’s been given ¹⁶ and which he speaks about in all of his letters.

Yes, some of [what he writes] is hard to understand, so it’s being twisted by the ignorant and unstable, the same as they’re doing to the rest of the Scriptures, to their own ruin.

¹⁷ So to you, my loved ones:

Since you’ve been warned, be careful that you aren’t led astray by the bad things that these lawless people are doing and then lose your grip on your firm convictions!

¹⁸ Rather, keep growing in the loving care and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Yeshua the Anointed One.

May he be glorified now and into that age-long Day.

May it be so!

1 John

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A letter, traditionally understood to be from Yeshua’s Apostle John, probably originally written in Aramaic sometime late in the 1st Century CE.

However, if it was written by John, then he may have used one or more secretaries, because there are specific differences in the writing styles between all the works traditionally attributed to him (John, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Revelation).

1 John 1

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¹ The message of life has been here since the beginning.

We’ve heard about it, seen it with our eyes, stared at it, and felt it with our hands.

² Yes, the life was on display… We’ve seen it, we’ve testified about it, and now we’re reporting to you that there’s age-long life with the Father, because He’s shown it to us.

³ As a result, we’re reporting back to you about these things that we’ve seen and heard, so that we can share in it with you.

Yes, we’ve shared in this with the Father and His Son Yeshua the Anointed One, ⁴ and now we’re writing these things down to complete our joy!

⁵ The message that we heard from Him (which we want to announce to you) is this:

‘God is light and there isn’t any darkness in Him!’

⁶ Now, if we say that we’re sharing with Him, but we just keep on walking in the darkness, then we’re lying and we aren’t being truthful. ⁷ But if we’re walking in the light (since He’s in the light), we’re also sharing what we have with each other, and the blood of His Son Yeshua is cleansing us of all our sins.

⁸ However, if we claim that we don’t have any sins, then we’re misleading ourselves. There’s no truth in us.

⁹ But if we’ll admit to our sins, He will forgive us and wash away all our unrighteousness, because He’s faithful and righteous. ¹⁰ For when we say that we haven’t sinned, we’re saying that He’s a liar, and His words aren’t in us!

1 John 2

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¹ My little children,

I’m writing these things to you so as to keep you from committing any sins.

However, if anyone does commit a sin, we have someone righteous who’s our advocate with the Father: Yeshua the Anointed One. ² For he’s the sacrifice that begs forgiveness for our sins… And not just for ours, but also for those of the whole world!

³ This is how we can be sure that we’ve come to know him:

If we keep on obeying his commandments!

⁴ So anyone who says, ‘Now I know him,’ but doesn’t obey his commandments, [he] is a liar and the truth isn’t in him.

⁵ However, God’s love has been made perfect in all those who really do as they’ve been told. And that’s how we know whether we’re really in him. ⁶ For whoever says that he’s in [Yeshua] is obligated to keep on walking in the same path that [Yeshua] walked.

⁷ Loved ones,

What I’m writing to you about here isn’t a new commandment, it’s an old commandment that you’ve had since the beginning. This old commandment is all the instructions that you’ve heard so far.

⁸ However, now I’m also writing a new commandment for you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. ⁹ It’s that those who say they’re already in the light, but dislike their brothers, are still in the dark!

¹⁰ Only those who love their brothers are in the light, so they don’t go stumbling about. ¹¹ Meanwhile, those who dislike their brothers are still in darkness. They’re walking around in the dark without any idea of where they’re going, because the darkness has left them blind.

• ¹² I’m writing to those of you who are still boys, because your sins have been forgiven through his name.

• ¹³ I’m writing to those of you who are fathers, because you’ve come to know the one who’s from long ago.

• I’m writing to those of you who are young men, because you’ve conquered the wicked one.

• I’ve written to you who are boys, because you’ve come to know the Father.

• ¹⁴ I’ve written to you who are fathers, because you’ve come to know the one who’s from long ago.

• I’ve written to you who are young men, because you’re strong, God’s word is in you, and you’ve conquered the wicked one.

¹⁵ Don’t love the world or anything in [it]. For if anyone loves the world, there’s no love of the Father in him!

¹⁶ Because, nothing in this world – its fleshly desires, its lusting after the things we can see, its trusting that we can each provide for ourselves – [none of it] comes from the Father. Rather all of this comes from the world…

¹⁷ And the world is passing away with all of its desires!

However, those who do God’s Will remain throughout the age.

¹⁸ Young children,

It’s the last hour.

And as you’ve heard, the fake anointed one is coming, for there are already many fake anointed ones… And that’s how we know it’s the last hour. ¹⁹ They left us because they weren’t like us; for if they’d been like us, they’d still be with us… And this is what proves that they aren’t like us.

²⁰ However, the Holy One has chosen you (but then, you already know that). ²¹ So I’m not writing to you because you don’t know the truth, but because you do know it.

Remember that there are no lies in the truth!

²² And who are the liars?

They’re the ones who deny that Yeshua is the Anointed One!

Yes, these are the fake anointed ones: they’re the ones who deny both the Father and the Son. ²³ For whoever denies the Son [also denies] the Father. But those who have the Son also have the Father.

²⁴ As for you, hang onto the things that you heard long ago!

For if the things that you heard long ago stick with you, you’ll remain in the Son and in the Father… ²⁵ and what they’ve promised us is age-long life!

²⁶ Now, I’m writing this to you [so as to warn you] about those who are trying to lead you astray.

²⁷ I realize that you don’t need anyone to be teaching you, since the anointing that you received from him is still in you, and his anointing is teaching you about everything… It is true and it doesn’t lie. So, just as it is teaching you, you must remain in him.

²⁸ Little children,

You must stay in him, so that when he’s revealed, we can then speak freely and not be shamed at his appearance. ²⁹ For if you recognize the fact that he’s righteous, you’ll also recognize that all who do what’s righteous have been fathered by him.

1 John 3

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¹ Look at the type of love that the Father has given us… To be called the children of God (which is what we really are). And that’s the reason why the world doesn’t understand us… Because they don’t understand Him!

² But loved ones, although we’re the children of The God, we really haven’t been shown what we’ll be yet. All we do know is that when [Yeshua] is revealed, we’ll be like him, and then we’ll see him just as he is.

³ Therefore, all those who’ve been given this hope will purify themselves [so that they can be like him]. ⁴ However, those who just keep on sinning are lawbreakers… For lawlessness is sin.

⁵ You already know that the reason why he showed himself [in the flesh] was to take away our sins, since there are no sins in him. ⁶ Therefore, no one who’s in him will keep on sinning. However, those who continue to sin haven’t seen him or come to know him yet.

⁷ Little children,

Don’t allow anyone to mislead you. Only those who do righteous things can be righteous in the same way that he’s righteous. ⁸ For sinners come from the Slanderer, because the Slanderer has been sinning since ancient times. And the reason why the Son of God was shown [in the flesh] was to wipe away the deeds of the Slanderer.

⁹ Therefore, no one who’s been fathered by The God can remain a sinner, because His [life] is within him… He can’t keep on sinning, because God has become his Father!

¹⁰ Now, it’s easy to tell the children of God from the children of the Slanderer, for God doesn’t become a father to the unrighteous and to those who don’t love their brothers.

¹¹ Indeed, from the earliest [days] you’ve heard the message that we must love each other! ¹² [We don’t want to be] like Cain who came from the wicked one and slaughtered his brother.

And why did he slaughter him? Because what his brother did was righteous, while what he did was wicked. ¹³ Therefore brothers, don’t be surprised that the world hates you!

¹⁴ We know that we’ve crossed over from ‘death’ to ‘life’ when we truly love our brothers. However, those who don’t love them just stay ‘dead.’ ¹⁵ For whoever dislikes his brother is [just like] a murderer… And we all know that murderers won’t receive age-long life.

¹⁶ But we know that we’ve been loved, because [Yeshua] gave his life for us… And this is why we should also be willing to lay down our lives for our brothers!

¹⁷ However, how can God’s love be in a person who may have the worldly means to give aid, but doesn’t feel any pity for his brother when he sees that he’s in need?

¹⁸ Little children,

Don’t just love with your tongues and with words, but in reality, by doing [whatever is needed].

¹⁹ And this is how we can prove whether we’re really being truthful with ourselves and that our hearts can be confident when we stand before Him. ²⁰ But if our hearts are still condemning us, God is greater than our hearts and He knows all that’s going on in there!

²¹ Loved ones,

If our hearts don’t condemn us, we can have full confidence in God ²² and trust that we’ll receive whatever we ask of Him, because we’re obeying His commandments and doing the things that are pleasing in His eyes.

²³ And this is what He’s commanded:

We must believe in the name of His Son Yeshua the Anointed One, and [we must] love each other… Just as He told us.

²⁴ For those who keep His commandments are in Him, and He’s in them! Yes, this is how we can know that He’s in us:

By the Spirit that He’s given us.

1 John 4

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¹ But loved ones,

Don’t believe every breath… You must test the breaths to prove whether they actually come from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

² You can tell whether a breath is from The God by this:

Every breath that speaks of Yeshua the Anointed One as having come in the flesh, comes from God.

³ But any breath not speaking of Yeshua doesn’t come from God, but from the fake anointed, whom you heard would come into the world… And who’s already here.

⁴ Little children,

Since you were fathered by God, you’ve already conquered them all… For [the One] who’s in you is greater than the whole world!

⁵ Now, those who are fathered by this world talk about worldly things, and the world listens to them. ⁶ But because we’ve been fathered by The God, only those who know Him will listen to us, while those who aren’t from Him won’t listen to us… And this is how you can tell the true breaths from the false breaths.

⁷ Loved ones,

Keep on loving each other, because love comes from God… So those who love, know God, because love comes from God!

⁸ However, those who don’t love haven’t known God, because God is love!

⁹ He showed His love for us when He sent His one-and-only Son into this world so that we could gain life through him. ¹⁰ And this is true love! Because, [back when] we didn’t love God, He still loved us, and He sent His Son as a sacrifice to cover our sins.

¹¹ Loved ones,

If this is how much God loves us, then we’re also obliged to love each other!

¹² Indeed, no one has ever seen The God, but as long as we love each other, He’s in us and He’s perfecting His love in us.

¹³ Therefore, we can know that we’re in Him and He’s in us, because He’s given us His Breath… ¹⁴ And we’ve also seen and testified to the fact that the Father sent His Son as the Savior of the world. ¹⁵ For whenever anyone admits that Yeshua the Anointed One is God’s Son, God is in [this person] and he’s in God.

¹⁶ So, this is how we’ve come to know and believe in the love that The God has for us… Because God is love, and whoever keeps on loving is in God, and God is in him.

¹⁷ This love is also being made perfect in us, so we’ll be able to speak freely in the Judgment Day. And by this, we can be just like Him while we’re still in this world!

¹⁸ Understand that there isn’t any fear in love, because perfect love casts out all our fears. However, those who are still afraid are being tormented by it, because they still haven’t perfected their love.

¹⁹ But, as for us, we love because He loved us first!

²⁰ Therefore, if anyone says ‘I love God,’ and he still dislikes his brother, then he’s a liar! For if he doesn’t love his brother whom he can see, how can he love God whom he can’t see?

²¹ So we have this commandment from Him:

‘All who would love God must also love their brothers!’

1 John 5

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¹ Now, those who believe that Yeshua is the Anointed One have been fathered by The God. And those who love the One who fathered [them], must also love those [others] whom He fathered.

² And this is how we know that we love God’s children:

When we love God and we’re obeying His commandments.

³ Yes, this is love for God: obeying His commandments and not [feeling that] His commandments are hard to follow, ⁴ because everyone fathered by God has conquered the world. And the victor who conquers the world is our faith.

⁵ So, who’s conquered the world other than those who have faith that Yeshua is the Son of The God? ⁶ For he’s the one who came through water and blood… Yeshua the Anointed!

No, not just through water, but through water and blood! And the Breath testifies to this, because the Breath is true.

⁷ So there are these three witnesses: For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Breath, and these three are one. ⁸ And there are three that bear witness on the earth: [spurious text] the Spirit, the water, and the blood, and these three are one.

⁹ Understand that if we can believe the testimony that men provide, the testimony that God gives is even greater… And God has personally testified about His Son! ¹⁰ So, all those who put faith in the Son of God now have this testimony within themselves!

Yet, those who don’t believe God’s own testimony are making Him out to be a liar, because they haven’t trusted what God personally said about His Son. ¹¹ And this is what He testified to:

He will give us age-long life, and this life is in His Son!

¹² Therefore, those who have the Son also have the life. But those who don’t have the Son don’t have the life.

¹³ I’m writing all of this to you, so you’ll know that those who have faith in the name of the Son of God have age-long life. ¹⁴ And as a result, we can trust that no matter what we may ask for ourselves (as long as it’s His Will), He hears us.

¹⁵ So, if we know that He hears whatever we ask Him for... We also know that we’ll have the things we asked for, just because we asked Him.

¹⁶ Now, if you should see your brother committing a sin that isn’t deadly, you can ask that he might be given life, not death. However, there are sins that do bring death, and when it comes to such sins, I’m telling you not to ask for anything. ¹⁷ Of course, everything that’s unrighteous is a sin… But there are sins that aren’t deadly.

¹⁸ We know that none of those who’ve been fathered by God will continue to sin. For having The God as their Father protects them so that the Wicked One can’t touch them.

¹⁹ And we know that, while we come from The God, the whole world is still under the influence of the evil one.

²⁰ We also know that the Son of God has come here and he’s given us the understanding so that we might know this One who’s true, and that we’re living in this True One through His Son Yeshua the Anointed.

For He’s the God of Truth and of age-long life!

²¹ My children, stay away from following idols!

2 John

A letter, traditionally understood to be from Yeshua’s Apostle John, to ‘the chosen lady and to her children.’

However, if it was written by John, then he may have used one or more secretaries, because there are specific differences in the writing styles between all the works traditionally attributed to him (John, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Revelation).

It may have been originally written in Aramaic sometime late in the 1st Century CE, however the original Aramaic text may have been lost. The Aramaic text that we have today is probably a later back-translation from the Greek. We can see evidence of this in the word ‘antichrist’ in verse 7, which is just the Greek word phonetically-spelled out in Aramaic characters, rather than the original Aramaic term used in 1 John. Whoever translated it into Aramaic (or back into Aramaic) may have been unaware of the previously-used Aramaic term.

2 John 1

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¹ The older man, to the chosen lady and to her children whom I truly love… And not just from me, but from all those who’ve come to know the truth ² through the truth that exists in us and will continue to be with us throughout the age,

³ For the kindness, mercy, and peace from God the Father and from Yeshua the Anointed One (the Son of the Father) [comes to] us through this truth and love.

⁴ I’m so very happy, now that I’ve found out that your children are still walking in the truth and following the commandments that we received from the Father. ⁵ So I’m begging you lady (I’m not giving you a new commandment, just one who we’ve had since the beginning) to love each other.

⁶ And this is [how we prove our] love: By following His commandments!

Yes, that’s the commandment! It’s the same thing that you’ve heard since the beginning… Just keep on following it. ⁷ Because, many have strayed [back] into the world and will no longer admit that Yeshua the Anointed One came in the flesh… This [one] is a deceiver and a fake anointed one.

⁸ So watch out for yourselves!

Be careful not to destroy the things we’ve worked [so hard] on, so that you can receive the full reward!

⁹ For those who are running ahead and not remaining in the teaching of the Anointed One don’t really have God. However, those who stick with this teaching have both the Father and the Son.

¹⁰ Therefore, if anyone comes to you and doesn’t bring this teaching [anymore], don’t let him into your home, nor rejoice with him,[Syr] ¹¹ for anyone who rejoices with him shares in his bad actions.

¹² Although I have many [other] things to write to you, I don’t want to do it with paper and ink. Rather, I’m hoping to come and speak to you face to face, so your joy can be realized.

¹³ The children of your chosen sister send you their greetings.

3 John

A letter, traditionally understood to be from Yeshua’s Apostle John, sometime late in the 1st Century CE.

However, if it was written by John, then he may have used one or more secretaries, because there are specific differences in the writing styles between all the works traditionally attributed to him (John, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Revelation).

It may have been originally written in Aramaic, however the original Aramaic text may have been lost. The Aramaic text that we have today is probably a later back-translation from the Greek.

3 John 1

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¹ The older man, to my beloved GaiUs, whom I truly love.

² My loved one,

I pray that you’re doing well in everything, and that you continue in good health as the man within you prospers.

³ I was so happy when the brothers came and testified to the fact that you’re continuing to walk in the truth. ⁴ For nothing brings me greater joy than hearing that my children keep on walking in the truth!

⁵ Loved one,

You’re doing a faithful work by helping the brothers… And even those who are strangers, ⁶ for they’ve testified about your love for the called ones.

So it would be a fine thing if you’d also send them off in a way that’s worthy of The God, ⁷ because they’ve been going to the gentiles in [His] name, and they haven’t asked for anything from them. ⁸ As a result, we’re obliged to welcome such ones hospitably, so we can be fellow workers for the truth.

⁹ I wrote something to the congregation, but DioTrephes (who likes to be the most prominent) refused to welcome us. ¹⁰ That’s why, if I go there, I won’t forget the way that he acted, nor any of the wicked rumors that he spread about us. Yet even these things weren’t enough for him, because not only does he fail to welcome the brothers, but he also prevents the rest from doing so… Even expelling them from the congregation!

¹¹ Loved one,

Don’t imitate his bad ways, just do what’s good. Because, those who do what’s good come from God, while those who do what’s bad haven’t seen God.

¹² Yes, everyone has testified about this matter to DeMetrius, so he knows the truth. And now we’re warning you about this… And you know that what we’re saying is true.

¹³ I have many other things to write about, but I don’t want to write them with pen and paper. ¹⁴ I hope to see you soon, and then we can talk face to face.

May you have peace.

The friends send you their greetings.

Give my greetings to the friends by name.

Jude

Jude is a short letter for general circulation to the Christian congregations. It’s purportedly written by Jude the brother of James and half-brother of Yeshua through Mary.

This is one of the last books to be included in the Bible canon and some Bible scholars question its authenticity. Why? The writer appears to quote from the Book of Enoch, a book that many consider to be an uninspired and fraudulent work.

However, nobody knows if Jude was really quoting from there, as it’s quite possible that both The Book of Enoch and Jude were quoting a now-lost third source (see this commentary on Enoch for more information).

Jude may have been originally written in Aramaic sometime late in the 1st Century CE, before being translated into Greek for a wider audience. However, the original Aramaic text is probably lost, as the Aramaic text that we have today looks like a later back-translation from the Greek.

Jude 1

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¹ Jude, a slave of Yeshua the Anointed One and a brother of James, to those who are in God the Father (and are loved) as they are in Yeshua the Anointed; yes, those who’ve been called and who are being watched over...

² May you grow in mercy, peace, and love.

³ Loved ones,

Although I really wanted to write to you about the salvation that we hold in common, I found it necessary to write instead so as to encourage you to keep on struggling for the faith that the Holy Ones have passed on to you, ⁴ because some men have slipped in among you whose judgment was written about long ago.

These are godless men who are turning the loving care of our God into something that’s immoral, and they’re denying our only owner and Lord, Yeshua the Anointed One.

⁵ Now, despite the fact that you already know everything, I want to remind you of this:

Although Yahweh once delivered our people from the land of Egypt, He later destroyed the ones who didn’t show enough faith.

⁶ He also locked up those [heavenly] messengers that didn’t keep the position they’d [been assigned to] long ago, and left the place where they lived. So He’s now keeping them in perpetual darkness where they’re awaiting their judgment on the Great Day. ⁷ For, just as as [the people] once did in Sodom, GomorRah, and in the cities round about them; these [angels] also started chasing after strange flesh and for things that are sexually immoral.

Yes, this is why such examples have been set before us:

To show us that [those who do such things] will undergo the penalty of age-long fire.

⁸ Yet, this is how some among you who are day-dreamers have also started polluting the flesh! And you aren't showing proper respect for those who’ve been put over you, for you’re even speaking disrespectfully of the Glorious Ones.

⁹ Indeed, when MichaEl (the Highest Messenger [of God]) had an argument with the Slanderer over the body of Moses, he didn’t dare to bring a blasphemous judgment against him by speaking disrespectfully. All he said was:

‘May Yahweh give you what you deserve!’

¹⁰ However, these men continue to speak disrespectfully about many things that they really don’t understand. And like senseless animals that everyone knows [dirty themselves] naturally, [these men] are really messing on themselves [when they’re doing] things like this.

¹¹ So, woe to them, because they’re going the way of Cain, they’ve rushed into the wrongs of BalaAm for a reward, and they’re bringing destruction upon themselves with rebellious words like those of KorAh!

¹² [Yet, these men are still] feasting among you at your loving [congregational] meals. [They’re] like rocks that are hidden [below water]. They’re fearless shepherds over just themselves, or dry clouds that are blown in every direction by the winds, or fruitless trees in late autumn that have died twice and been uprooted. ¹³ [They’re also] like wild waves of the sea that foam shameful things on themselves, or like wandering stars that have been reserved for the gloom of age-long darkness.

¹⁴ Remember that the 7th man from Adam, Enoch, prophesied about them when he said:

‘{Look!} Yahweh will arrive with tens of millions of His holy ones ¹⁵ to condemn them and to give all those godless ones what they deserve for the irreverent things that they’re doing in their worldly ways, as well as for all the shocking things that these godless sinners have said against Him.’

¹⁶ For these men continue to grumble and complain about how things work out, as they keep on doing whatever they wish. Their mouths also do a lot of bragging, and they feign admiration of people in order to serve their own [evil] purposes.

¹⁷ But as for you, loved ones, remember what you were once told by the Apostles of our Lord Yeshua the Anointed! ¹⁸ Yes, remember that they used to say this to you:

‘In the last days, there’ll be those who speak disrespectfully as they go their own way and do godless things. ¹⁹ These are the ones who’ll create divisions, for they’re carnal and they don’t have the Breath [of God]!’

²⁰ However, as for you, loved ones:

Keep on building the Holy Faith within yourselves, continue to pray through Holy Breath ²¹ and keep yourselves in God’s love while you’re expecting the mercy of our Lord Yeshua the Anointed One and age-long life.

²² Also, be merciful to those who are unsure… ²³ Save [them] by snatching [them] from the fire! However, as you’re showing them mercy, do this in fear, because you must hate any dirty underwear that has been spotted by the flesh.

²⁴ Now, to the One who’s able to protect you against stumbling and that can make you free from any defects... May you continue to joyfully shout aloud within the sight of His glory!

²⁵ Yes, to our only God (our Savior) and to Yeshua the Anointed One (our Lord), may there be glory, majesty, might, and authority throughout all time, both now and throughout the ages…

May it be so!

Revelation

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Revelation is a book describing an apocalyptic vision sent by Yeshua to his disciple John. It was probably written in the late 1st Century CE.

The Christian community was divided on whether to accept the book as inspired. In the west, it only came to be fully accepted at the Council of Rome in 382 CE under Pope Damasus I. It remained unaccepted in the East until the 5th Century CE, and not completely well into the 15th Century CE. Some descendants of the Syriac Church of the East still reject it today.

It may have been originally written in Aramaic, however the original Aramaic text was lost for many centuries. One possible copy of the original is found in the Crawford Codex. In that, only Revelation 1:1-8 is probably a back-translation from the Greek, with the remainder showing signs of being the Aramaic original. See the Dukhrana project for more information.

We’ll soon update our translation of Revelation to match that most ancient manuscript.

Revelation 1

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¹ A revelation that The God gave to Yeshua the Anointed One to show his slaves the things that must happen very quickly.

He sent it by his messenger to his slave John in signs. ² And [John] testifies that everything he saw was the Word of The God and the testimony of Yeshua the Anointed.

³ Those who read it aloud, as well as those who listen to the words of this prophecy and obey the things that are written in it are blest, because the appointed time is near.

⁴ From John, to the seven congregations in Asia [Minor]:

May you find loving care and peace from The One who is, who was, and who’s coming, as well as from the seven spirits that are in front of His throne, ⁵ and from Yeshua the Anointed One, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth, who loves us, who freed us from our sins by his own blood, ⁶ and who made us to be a Kingdom of Priests to his God and Father.

May he have glory and might throughout ages of ages.

May it be so!

⁷ Look! He’s coming in the clouds and every eye will see him, including those who pierced him, and all the nations of the earth will wail because of him.

Yes, may it be so!

⁸ ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End...’

...said Yahweh The God...

‘The One who is, that was, and is coming… The Almighty!’

⁹ I, John, am your brother who shares in your difficulties over the Kingdom, and in your endurance in Yeshua. I’m now on this island called Patmos because of the Word of God and because of my testimony about Yeshua.

¹⁰ Now, on the Sabbath day,[Syr] I came to be in The Breath [of God]... For I heard a voice from behind me, and it was as loud as a trumpet!

¹¹ It said:

‘I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last[spurious] Write the things that you’re about to see on a scroll and send it to these seven congregations:

• Ephesus,

• Smyrna,

• PergaMom,

• ThyaTira,

• Sardis,

• PhilaDelphia, and

• LaoDikia.’

¹² Then I turned around to see who was speaking to me. But when I turned, I saw seven gold lampstands. ¹³ And between the lampstands, [I saw] someone [that looked] like a son of man... He was dressed in a robe that came down to his feet, and his chest was wrapped in gold.

¹⁴ His head and hair were as bright as white wool or snow, and his eyes were as flames of fire. ¹⁵ His feet looked like the finest copper as it is being poured from a smelter.

His voice sounded like the noise that’s made by large bodies of water.

¹⁶ In his right hand [he held] seven stars, a long, sharp, two-edged sword was protruding from his mouth, and his face glowed as brightly as the sun.

¹⁷ Well when I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man.

Then he laid his right hand on me and said:

‘Don’t be afraid! I’m the first, the last, ¹⁸ and the living one. And although I died, {Look!} I am living throughout ages of ages. I also hold the keys to death and the place of the dead.

¹⁹ ‘You must now write down the things that you’re about to see… For they are things that are now and things that will soon be.

²⁰ ‘As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and the seven gold lampstands:

‘The seven stars signify the messengers of the seven congregations, and the seven lampstands signify the seven congregations.’

Revelation 2

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¹ ‘Write this to the messenger of the congregation in Ephesus. Tell him that the one holding the seven stars in his right hand, and who walks among the seven gold lampstands, said this:

² ‘I know what you’re doing… That you’ve worked hard and endured, that you don’t tolerate evil men, and that you’ve put to the test those who say they’re Apostles (but really aren’t), showing them to be liars.

³ ‘You’ve also been patient, because you’ve been bearing my name and you haven’t given up.

⁴ ‘However, you’ve lost the love that you had at first, and I hold this against you. ⁵ So you must recognize how far you’ve fallen and turn around… Go back to doing what you did at the first!

‘For if you don’t (and unless you repent), I’ll be coming to you, and I’ll remove your lampstand from its place.

⁶ ‘However, I can say this on your behalf, that you hate what the Nicolaitans are doing, and I also hate what they’re doing.’

⁷ ‘Let those who have ears hear what [God’s] Breath says to the congregations!

‘I’ll allow those who conquer to eat from the Tree of Life that’s in the Paradise of The God.’

⁸ ‘And write this to the messenger of the congregation in Smyrna. Tell him that this is what the one who is the first, the last, and that died and came to life, has to say:

⁹ ‘I know of your problems and your poverty (although you’re really rich), and about the blasphemy of those who say they’re Jews (although they really aren’t, they’re just a synagogue of the Slanderer).

¹⁰ ‘Don’t be afraid of the things that you’re about to suffer, for {Look!} the Slanderer is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you’ll be persecuted for 10 days.

‘But if you’ll be faithful to death, I’ll give you the garland of life.’

¹¹ ‘Let those who have ears hear what [God’s] Breath says to the congregations!

‘The ones who conquer won’t be harmed by the second death!’

¹² ‘And write this to the messenger of the congregation in PergaMom. Tell him that the one who has the long, sharp, two-edged sword said this:

¹³ ‘I know that the place where you’re living is the very throne of the Slanderer, and yet you keep hanging onto my name. For you didn’t deny your faith in me even in the days of my faithful witness AntiPas, who was killed among you there where the Slanderer lives.

¹⁴ ‘However, I still hold a few things against you, for there are some among you who are following the teachings of BalaAm – the one who taught Balak how to set a trap before the Sons of IsraEl [by getting them] to eat sacrifices to idols and to be sexually immoral.

¹⁵ ‘You also have those following the teachings of the Nicolaitans. ¹⁶ So turn around! For if you don’t, I’ll be there soon, and [I’ll] fight a war against you with the long sword from my mouth!’

¹⁷ ‘Let those who have ears hear what [God’s] Breath says to the congregations!

‘To those who conquer, I’ll give some of the hidden manna and a white pebble. This pebble has a new name written on it that no one will know other than those who receive it.’

¹⁸ ‘And write this to the messenger of the congregation in ThyaTira. Tell him that the Son of The God (the one who has eyes like flames of fire and whose feet are like fine copper) said this:

¹⁹ ‘I know what you’re doing, and I know of your love, your faith, your service, and your endurance. [I also know that] what you’ve been doing recently is even more than what you’ve done in the past!

²⁰ ‘However, I do hold this one thing against you:

‘You’re still putting up with that woman JezeBel… The one who calls herself a prophet but teaches and misleads my slaves into immoral sexual acts and into eating things that are sacrificed to idols. ²¹ And although I’ve given her enough time to turn around, she doesn’t wish to repent her immorality.

²² ‘So {Look!} I will be throwing her into a stretcher for carrying the dead, and I will bring a time of great difficulty upon those who are enjoying sex with her... Unless they repent over what they’re doing with her. ²³ I’m also going to put her children to death, so that all the congregations will know I’m the one who searches their kidneys and hearts, and that repays each one according to his deeds.

²⁴ ‘But, to the rest of you in ThyaTira (those of you who are unaware of such teachings and that haven’t come to know about what they call the deep things of the Slanderer), I’m saying that I won’t lay any more loads on you. ²⁵ Just hang on until I get there.

²⁶ ‘For then, I’ll give those who conquer and who’ve obeyed everything that I’ve told them to do down to the end, authority over the nations… ²⁷ they’ll shepherd them with an iron rod – with the same [authority] that I received from my Father – and they’ll shatter them like clay pots!

²⁸ ‘I’ll also give them the morning star.’

²⁹ ‘Yes, let those who have ears listen to what [God’s] Breath says to the congregations!’

Revelation 3

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¹ ‘And write this to the messenger of the congregation in Sardis. Tell him that the one who has the seven Breaths of God and the seven stars says this:

‘I know what you’re doing, and although you have the reputation of being alive, you’re really dead!

² ‘So, you must wake up and revive the things that aren’t quite dead yet, because I don’t see where you’ve accomplished any of the tasks [that you’ve been assigned] in the sight of my God!

³ ‘You must start remembering [all the things] that you’ve received and heard, then hang onto them and repent! For if you don’t stay awake, I’ll come like a thief… And you won’t be aware of it until I’m right there on you!

⁴ ‘However, there are a few names in Sardis that haven’t dirtied their robes. These will walk with me and they’ll wear white [robes], because that’s what they truly deserve. ⁵ Yes, all those who conquer will be dressed like that… In white robes. I’ll never erase their names from the Scroll of Life, and then I’ll admit to knowing their names before my Father and His messengers.’

⁶ ‘Let those who have ears hear what [God’s] Breath says to the congregations!’

⁷ ‘And write this to the messenger of the congregation in PhilaDelphia. Tell him that the one who’s holy and true, and has the key of David that opens what no one can close, and closes what no one can open, said this:

⁸ ‘I know what you’re doing, and {Look!} I’ve put an open door before you that no one can close!

‘I also know that although you don’t have much strength, you’ve kept my word and you haven’t denied knowing my name. ⁹ So, look at what I’m going to do to those from the synagogue of the Opposer who say they’re Jews (but who really aren’t and are just lying)… {Look!} I’m going to make them come and bow at your feet, and I’ll make sure that they know how much I love you.

¹⁰ ‘Also, since you’ve obeyed my instructions to be patient, I’m going to protect you from the hour of trial that’s coming upon the whole habitation of mankind, which will try everyone who lives on the face of the earth.

¹¹ ‘I’m coming soon, so hang on, and don’t let anyone steal your garland! ¹² For I’ll make those who conquer pillars in the temple sanctuary of my God, and they’ll never leave it. I’ll also write the Name of my God upon them, as well as the name of the city of my God, New JeruSalem, which will come down out of the sky from my God, along with my new name.’

¹³ ‘Let those who have ears hear what [God’s] Breath says to the congregations!’

¹⁴ ‘And write this to the messenger of the congregation in LaoDikia. Tell him that the Amen (the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation by The God) said this:

¹⁵ ‘I know what you’re doing, and that you’re neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! ¹⁶ But, since you’re neither hot nor cold (but lukewarm), I’m going to vomit you out of my mouth!

¹⁷ ‘For you’re saying:

‘I’m rich, and because I’m rich, I don’t need anything!’

‘However, what you don’t realize is that you’re really miserable, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked!

¹⁸ ‘Therefore, I advise you to buy gold that has been refined by fire from me, so that you can become truly rich and wear white robes; and then nobody will see the shame of your nakedness.

‘Also, buy some salve to rub in your eyes so you can see, ¹⁹ because, I correct and discipline all those whom I really care for. Yes, [you should] repent and become zealous!

²⁰ ‘Look, I’m standing at your door and knocking! And if anyone hears my voice and opens that door, I’ll come in and we’ll dine together. ²¹ Then I’ll allow the ones who conquer to sit down with me on my throne, just as my Father has allowed me to sit on His throne, because I have conquered.’

²² ‘Let those who have ears hear what [God’s] Breath says to the congregations!’

Revelation 4

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¹ Well, after I saw those things, I saw a door that opened up in the sky. And the first voice that I heard speaking to me (which sounded like a trumpet) said:

‘Now, come on up here, and I’ll show you what must happen next.’

² And at that, I immediately [became like] the wind! And look… There was a throne in the sky, and someone was sitting on the throne.

³ The One who was sitting on it looked like jasper and sardius gems, and all around his throne was a rainbow which looked like an emerald.

⁴ Then, surrounding this throne, there were 24 more thrones, upon which sat 24 elders who were each dressed in white robes and had gold garlands on their heads. ⁵ And at the time, there was lightning, thunder, and voices coming from the throne.

In front of the throne there were seven flaming lamps, which were the Seven Spirits of The God.

⁶ Also in front of the throne was a transparent sea that looked like crystal.

And on each of the four sides of the throne there was a creature that had many eyes on its front and back.

• ⁷ The first creature looked like a lion.

• The second looked like a young bull.

• The third had the face of a man.

• And the fourth looked like a flying eagle.

⁸ Also, each of the four creatures had six wings that were wrapped around them, and the inner parts of their wings were full of eyes. These didn’t rest night or day, and they were saying:

‘Holy, holy, holy is Yahweh God the Almighty… The One who was, who is, and is coming.’

⁹ Then, as the creatures were giving glory, honor, and thanks to the One who was sitting on the throne (the One who lives throughout the ages of ages), ¹⁰ the 24 elders fell down before Him and bowed to their faces.

Then they threw their garlands in front of His throne, and said:

¹¹ ‘You, the Lord and our God, deserve all the glory, honor, and power, because You created everything… Yes, everything was created and exists because You willed it to be!’

Revelation 5

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¹ Then I saw a scroll that had writing on both sides in the right hand of the One who was sitting on the throne. However, it had been sealed tightly with seven seals.

² And at that, I saw a mighty messenger that called out in a loud voice:

‘Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?’

³ However, there wasn’t anyone in the heavens or on the earth that was able to open the scroll to examine it. ⁴ So I started crying, because nobody could be found that was worthy to open and examine the scroll.

⁵ But then, one of the elders said to me:

‘Stop crying.

‘Look! The Lion from the tribe of Judah and of the root of David has conquered, so he will be able to open the scroll and its seven seals!’

⁶ And that’s when I saw a lamb that looked like it had been slaughtered standing between the throne and before the four cherubs and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which symbolize the seven Spirits of The God that have been sent throughout the entire earth.

⁷ Then [the lamb] went right up and took [the scroll] from the right hand of the One who was sitting on the throne. ⁸ And when he took the scroll, the four cherubs and the 24 elders (each of whom held harps and gold bowls that were filled with the incense that symbolizes the prayers of the Holy Ones) fell down in front of him, ⁹ and they sang a new song, which went [like this]:

‘You’re the only one who’s worthy,

To receive the scroll and open it’s seals.

‘For, you’re the one who was slaughtered,

To buy a people for God with your blood.

‘From every tribe, language, country, and race,

¹⁰ That will serve as Kings and Priests of our God,

And to rule as Kings on the earth.’

¹¹ Then I looked around, because I heard the voices of many messengers (along with the cherubs and the elders) who were all around the throne and who numbered into the millions and tens of millions!

¹² And they were all shouting in a loud voice:

‘This Lamb who was slaughtered deserves to receive the power, the wealth, the wisdom, the strength, the honor, the glory, and the blessings!’

¹³ And after that, I heard all the creatures in the skies, on the ground, under the ground, in the seas, and everything else in those places say:

‘May the One who’s sitting on the throne and His Lamb be praised, honored, glorified, and allowed to retain the power throughout ages of ages.’

¹⁴ And during all of that, the four cherubs kept saying ‘May it be so,’ as the elders fell down and bowed to their faces.

Revelation 6

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¹ It was then that I saw the Lamb open one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four cherubs say in a thundering voice:

‘Come on out!’

² And suddenly, {Look!} I saw a white horse. The one who was sitting on it had a bow. Then he was given a garland, and he went out to conquer and to finish his victory.

³ And after that, he opened the 2nd seal, and I heard the 2nd cherub say:

‘Come on out!’

⁴ So another horse came out, which was fiery red. The one who was sitting on it was authorized to remove peace from the earth, so that [people] would slaughter each other… And a large sword was given to him.

⁵ Then he opened the 3rd seal, and I heard the 3rd cherub say:

‘Come on out!’

And at that, I saw {Look!} a black horse. The one who was sitting on it had a balance scale in his hand. ⁶ I also heard a voice that sounded like it came from the midst of the four cherubs, which said:

‘A quart of wheat for a silver coin and 3 quarts (2.8 liters) of barley for a silver coin… And don’t use any olive oil or wine.’

⁷ Then when he opened the 4th seal, I heard the voice of the 4th cherub say:

‘Come on out!’

⁸ And I saw {Look!} a greenish-yellow horse. The one who was sitting on it was named Death… And the Place of the Dead was following closely behind him.

These [four horsemen] were given authority over a quarter of the earth to kill with the sword, with famines, with plagues, and with the wild animals of the earth.

⁹ Next he opened the 5th seal.

And underneath the Altar, I could see the lives of those who had been slaughtered because of the Word of God and because of the things to which they’d testified. ¹⁰ They were crying out in loud voices and asking:

‘How much longer, O Sovereign Lord who is holy and true, will You keep holding back Your judgments and from bringing vengeance for our blood upon those who live on the earth?’

¹¹ Well at that, they were each given white robes and they were told to rest just a little while longer, until the full number of their fellow slaves and brothers was to be filled (who were going to be killed as they’d been).

¹² Then I saw him open the 6th seal.

There was a great shaking that caused the sun to become as black as haircloth and the entire moon to become like blood. ¹³ And at that, the stars in the skies fell to the earth like a fig tree drops its figs when it’s shaken by a strong wind.

¹⁴ Thereafter, I saw what looked like the sky being rolled up like a scroll, and all the mountains and islands were removed from their places.

¹⁵ Well when that happened, all the kings of the earth, all the important people, all the military commanders, all the rich and powerful, as well as all the slaves and free people went and hid themselves in caves and under rocks on the mountains.

¹⁶ For they were saying to the mountains and rocks:

‘Fall over us and hide us from the face of the One who is sitting on the throne and from the rage of the Lamb… ¹⁷ For the Great Day of their rage has arrived and who’ll be able to survive?’

Revelation 7

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¹ Then I saw four messengers who were standing on each of the four corners of the earth. These were holding onto the four winds of the earth so they couldn’t blow on the lands, on the seas, or on the trees.

² And after that, I saw another messenger arising from the sunrise, and he was carrying the seal of the living God.

Then he shouted loudly to the four messengers who were allowed to harm the lands and the seas, saying:

³ ‘Don’t harm the lands, the seas, or the trees until after we’ve sealed the slaves of our God in their foreheads.’

⁴ Well, that’s when I heard the number of those sealed… 144,000 out of all the tribes of the sons of IsraEl.

• ⁵ 12,000 were sealed out of the tribe of Judah,

• 12,000 out of the tribe of ReuBen,

• 12,000 out of the tribe of Gad,

• ⁶ 12,000 out of the tribe of Asher,

• 12,000 out of the tribe of NaphTali,

• 12,000 out of the tribe of ManasSeh,

• ⁷ 12,000 out of the tribe of SimeOn,

• 12,000 out of the tribe of Levi,

• 12,000 out of the tribe of IsSachar,

• ⁸ 12,000 out of the tribe of ZebuLun,

• 12,000 out of the tribe of JoSeph, and

• 12,000 sealed out of the tribe of BenJamin.

⁹ And after that, I saw {Look!} a crowd so large that no one could count them. They came from all countries, nationalities, ethnic groups, and languages, and they were all standing within view of the Lamb and the throne. They were each wearing white robes and carrying palm branches in their hands, ¹⁰ and they were shouting:

‘We owe our salvation to our God who’s sitting on the throne and to the Lamb!’

¹¹ Well, when that happened, all the messengers who were standing in a circle around the throne (as well as all the elders and the four cherubs) started falling to their faces in front of the throne and bowing low before God ¹² and saying:

‘May it be so! May our God have all the praise, glory, wisdom, thanks, honor, power, and strength throughout ages of ages… May it be so!’

¹³ Then one of the elders asked me:

‘Just who are these [people] dressed in the white robes? And where did they come from?’

¹⁴ And I replied:

‘My lord, [surely] you’re the one who knows!’

So he told me:

‘They’re the ones who’ve come out of the great time of difficulty and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

¹⁵ ‘This is why they’re under the gaze of the throne of The God, serving Him day and night in His temple sanctuary. For the One who’s sitting on the throne will spread His tent over them, ¹⁶ then they won’t be hungry or thirsty anymore, nor will the sun beat down on them with blistering heat.

¹⁷ ‘For the Lamb that’s in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and guide them to the springs of the waters of life, and God will wipe all the tears from their eyes.’

Revelation 8

←7 | All books | All chapters | 9→

¹ Well, after he opened the 7th seal, the skies went silent for about a half hour.

² Then I saw seven trumpets that were being distributed among seven of the messengers that were standing before God.

³ And at that, another messenger arrived that was carrying a gold incense bowl. So he stopped in front of the Altar and he was given a large quantity of incense that was to be offered on the gold Altar that was in front of the throne, along with the prayers of all the Holy Ones.

⁴ The smoke from the incense that was being offered by the messenger thereafter kept arising before God along with the prayers of the Holy Ones.

⁵ Well after that, the messenger then took the incense bowl and filled it with some of the fire [that was burning on] the Altar, and he threw it down to the earth, which caused thunder, voices, lightning, and a great shaking.

⁶ And that’s when the seven messengers prepared to blow the seven trumpets:

⁷ So the first one blew his trumpet, and hail and fire that was mixed with blood was thrown down to the earth, which caused 1/3 of the lands, 1/3 of the trees, and 1/3 of all of the green plants to be burned.

⁸ Then the 2nd messenger blew his trumpet, and something that looked like a huge burning mountain was thrown down into the sea, which caused 1/3 of the sea to turn into blood, ⁹ and this killed 1/3 of the creatures that live in the seas and it destroyed 1/3 of the ships [that were traveling there].

¹⁰ Then the 3rd messenger blew his trumpet, and a huge star that was burning like a lamp fell out of the sky onto 1/3 of the rivers and onto 1/3 of the springs of water.

¹¹ I was told that the name of this star was Wormwood.

So, 1/3 of the water turned into wormwood, and many people died from the water, because it had become so bitter.

¹² Well when the 4th messenger blew his trumpet, 1/3 of the sun was then struck, as was 1/3 of the moon and 1/3 of the stars, which brought darkness upon 1/3 [of the earth], so that the day didn’t appear over 1/3 of [the earth], nor did the night.

¹³ It was then that I saw an eagle that was flying high in the sky, and I heard it shout:

‘Woe, woe, woe to those who are living on the earth, for there are three more trumpet blasts that the three messengers are getting ready to blow!’

Revelation 9

←8 | All books | All chapters | 10→

¹ Then the 5th messenger blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fall out of the sky onto the earth, and this one had been given the key to the abyss.

² So it opened the abyss, and smoke poured out of it as though it was coming from a huge furnace. The smoke from the abyss thereafter darkened the sun and all of the air.

³ Well at that, locusts started dropping to the earth out of the smoke, and they were given the same power as earthly scorpions.

⁴ However, they’d been told not to damage any of the earth’s vegetation or trees, only those men who didn’t have God’s seal on their foreheads… ⁵ They weren’t allowed to kill them, just to sting them for 5 months.

However, the pain that they’d bring would be like the sting of a scorpion when it strikes a man. ⁶ So during that time, men will look for ways to die, but they won’t find any.

Yes, although they’ll wish to die, death will escape them.

⁷ These locusts looked like horses that are prepared for battle.

On their heads were what appeared to be gold garlands, and their faces looked like the faces of humans. ⁸ They had women’s hair, they had teeth like lions, ⁹ and they wore breastplates that looked like they were made of iron.

Also, [the flapping] of their wings sounded like the attack of many chariots in a war, ¹⁰ and they had tails with stingers like scorpions. The tails [of these locusts] were to be allowed to sting the people for 5 months.

¹¹ And they also had a king who led them… The messenger of the abyss. In Hebrew [meaning, Aramaic], his name is AbadDon, but he’s called ApolLyon (the Destroyer) in Greek.

¹² Well, after this first woe passed, {Look!} there were two more woes that were getting ready to follow!

¹³ So then the 6th messenger blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice that came from the gold horned edges on the Altar that are in front of The God.

¹⁴ And they said to the 6th messenger who held a trumpet:

‘Now, release the four messengers who have been tied down at the great EuPhrates River!’

¹⁵ Well at that, four messengers who were prepared to kill 1/3 of all mankind on [a specific] hour, day, month, and year were untied, ¹⁶ and they led an army that I was told numbered 200 million horsemen.

¹⁷ This is what the horses and their riders looked like in the vision:

They wore fire-red, hyacinth-blue, and sulfur-yellow breastplates.

Their horses had heads like lions, and fire, smoke, and sulfur came out of their mouths.

¹⁸ It was these three plagues (the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur that came out of their mouths) that killed 1/3 of all mankind. ¹⁹ Also, the power of their horses was all in their mouths and their tails, and their tails were like snakes that had heads… Which is what they used to do all the damage.

²⁰ However, the rest of the people who hadn’t been killed by these plagues still refused to repent over the things that they were doing… They refused to stop bowing before the demons, or before their idols of gold, silver, copper, stone, and wood (things that can’t see, hear, or walk).

²¹ Nor did they repent their murders, their occult practices, their sexual immorality, or their thievery.

Revelation 10

←9 | All books | All chapters | 11→

¹ Well after that, I saw another very powerful messenger coming down out of the sky who was wrapped in a cloud and he was wearing a rainbow on his head. His face was [as bright] as the sun, his feet were like columns of fire, ² and he held a small opened scroll in his hand.

Then he put his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the ground, ³ and he shouted in a loud voice that sounded like the roar of a lion! And as he was shouting, there were seven rumbles of thunder that each spoke in its own voice.

⁴ Well I was getting ready to write down the things that the seven thunders were saying, but then I heard a voice from the heavens that said:

‘Don’t write what the seven thunders said… Seal up [those words]!’

⁵ Then the messenger whom I saw standing on the sea and on the ground raised his right hand towards heaven, ⁶ and he swore this by the One who lives throughout ages of ages, the One who created the heavens and everything in them and all the lands and everything in them and the sea, and the things which are therein [spurious words].

[And he shouted]:

‘The time has finally arrived! ⁷ For when the 7th messenger blows his trumpet (which is about to happen), God’s mystery that has been revealed through the good news that He sent through His slaves the Prophets will then be fulfilled.’

⁸ And at that, I heard the voice from the sky speaking to me again.

It said:

‘Now, go and take that little open scroll out of the hands of the messenger that’s standing on the sea and on the ground!’

⁹ As a result, I went over to the messenger and I told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me:

‘Yes, you must take it and then eat it! It’ll be as sweet as honey in your mouth, but it will be very bitter in your stomach.’

¹⁰ So I took the little scroll out of the hand of the messenger, and I ate it! It was, in fact, as sweet as honey. However, after I ate it, my stomach became very bitter.

¹¹ Then I was told:

‘Now you must prophesy to peoples, nations, languages, and many kings a further time!’

Revelation 11

←10 | All books | All chapters | 12→

¹ Next [he] handed [me] a cane that was like a large walking stick.

And he said:

‘Now, go measure God’s Most Holy, the Altar, and those who are bowing low there. ² Pay no attention to the courtyard outside of the Most Holy… Don’t measure it, because it has been given to the nations and they’re going to trample the Holy City under their feet for 42 months.

³ ‘But after that, I’m going to have my two witnesses prophesy for 1,260 days wearing sackcloth.

⁴ ‘These [two witnesses] are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that have been standing on the earth before the Lord.

⁵ ‘If any of their enemies should wish to harm them, fire will come out of their mouths and consume them. So if anyone wants to persecute them, that’s how they’re going to die, ⁶ because these have been authorized to close up the skies so that no rain will fall during the period of their prophesying!

‘They’re also authorized to turn water into blood and to bring every sort of plague onto the earth whenever they wish!

⁷ ‘Then after they’ve finished their testimony, the wild animal will come out of the abyss to fight them, conquer them, and kill them, ⁸ and their corpses will lie in the main street of the great city, which [God’s] Breath refers to as Sodom and Egypt… Because it’s where their Lord was hung on a pole.

⁹ ‘There the peoples, nationalities, tongues, and ethnic groups will then look at their corpses for 3-1/2 days, during which time they won’t allow them to be buried.

¹⁰ ‘And all the while, those who live on the earth will be happy and approve of what happened to them, even sending gifts to each other, because these two prophets will have brought so much pain to those who live on the earth.’

¹¹ However, after the 3-1/2 days, The God then sent His breath of life into them and they stood up on their feet, which frightened everyone who saw them.

¹² Then [the two witnesses] heard a loud voice from heaven that said to them:

‘Come on up here.’

And their enemies saw them ascend into the sky in a cloud.

¹³ This was followed by a tremendous shaking, and a 10th of the city toppled, destroying the names of 7,000 people.

Of course, this frightened all those who were left, and they gave glory to The God of the heavens.

¹⁴ Well, this ended the 2nd woe.

But look, a 3rd woe was on its way!

¹⁵ Then the 7th messenger blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in the heavens that were shouting:

‘The kingdom of this world now belongs to our God and to His Anointed One, and He will be its ruler throughout ages of ages!’

¹⁶ Well, at that, the 24 elders that were sitting on their thrones fell to their faces before The God and bowed low before Him, ¹⁷ saying:

‘We thank You, O Yahweh God the Almighty (the One who is and that was), because You’ve finally assumed Your great power and started ruling as King.

¹⁸ ‘Yes, this made the nations angry, but [the time for] Your rage has arrived when the dead will be judged, when Your slaves (the Prophets, the Holy Ones, and those who fear Your Name – the small and the great) will be rewarded, and when those who are corrupting the earth will be thoroughly corrupted.’

¹⁹ Then the heavenly Most Holy Place of God became visible to me. And inside of His Most Holy Place I could see the Chest of His Sacred Agreement.

This was all followed by lightning, voices, thundering, shaking, and a great hailstorm.

Revelation 12

←11 | All books | All chapters | 13→

¹ And thereafter, a great sign appeared in the sky… There was a woman that had the sun wrapped around her, the moon was under her feet, and there was a garland of 12 stars on her head.

² She was also pregnant and screaming in labor and agony to give birth!

³ Then another sign appeared in the sky:

{Look!} There was a huge fire-red Dragon that had seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads there were seven royal turbans. ⁴ It was dragging 1/3 of the stars of the sky with its tail, and then it threw them down on the ground!

This Dragon then went and stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she did give birth he could swallow [her child] down!

⁵ Well, she then did give birth… To a son, a male, who is to shepherd all the nations with an iron rod.

And thereafter, her child was snatched away to God and to His throne, ⁶ as the woman escaped into the desert to a place that God had prepared for her, where she was to be fed for 1,260 days.

⁷ Next, a war broke out in heaven.

MichaEl and his messengers battled with the Dragon, and the Dragon and his messengers fought back!

⁸ However, [the Dragon] lost [the battle] and he could no longer stay in the heavens. ⁹ So the huge Dragon (the original snake who’s called the Slanderer and Opposer) who is misleading the whole habitation [of mankind] was thrown down! He was thrown down to the earth along with [all of] his messengers.

¹⁰ And at that, I heard a loud voice in heaven say:

‘Now the salvation, the power, and the Kingdom of God has arrived;

For His Anointed has now been empowered,

And the accuser of our brothers has been cast down,

Who blames them before God both day and night!

¹¹ ‘By the blood of the Lamb, he was conquered,

And by the things to which they’ve testified.

For they didn’t value their lives,

As they stared death in the face!

¹² ‘So, rejoice you heavens and all those who live there!

But woe to the earth and the sea,

For the Slanderer has come down to you in great rage,

Knowing that he has little time.’

¹³ Then, when the Dragon saw that he’d been thrown down to the earth, he started persecuting the woman who gave birth to the male [child]. ¹⁴ However, the woman was given the two wings of a huge eagle so she could fly away to her place in the desert where she was to be fed for 3-1/2 times, and where the snake couldn’t reach her.

¹⁵ Then this snake shot a river of water out of its mouth after the woman in an attempt to drown her!

¹⁶ But the ground came to the woman’s aid… It opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the Dragon shot out of its mouth.

¹⁷ This made the Dragon so angry with the woman that he went off to wage war with the rest of her offspring… Those who are obeying God’s instructions and carrying the testimony of Yeshua.

¹⁸ And I stood on the seashore. [Note: these words should be at the start of the next chapter]

Revelation 13

←12 | All books | All chapters | 14→

¹ I stood on the seashore and {look!}, I saw a wild animal that had seven heads and ten horns come up out of the sea!

On its horns, there were ten royal turbans, and on its heads were blasphemous names.

² This wild animal that I saw looked like a leopard, but it had feet like a bear and a mouth like a lion.

Then the Dragon gave [this beast] power, a throne, and great authority.

³ One of [the animal’s] heads looked like it had been mortally wounded, but this deathblow had been healed and the whole earth started following it admiringly.

⁴ They also bowed to the ground before the Dragon, because it is what gave the wild animal its authority!

And they bowed before the wild animal too, saying:

‘Who else is like this wild animal and who can stand against it?’

⁵ Then [the animal] was given a mouth to speak great things and blasphemies, and it was given the authority to act for 42 months. ⁶ So it opened its mouth and spoke blasphemous things against The God… It blasphemed His Name, His Tent, and all those who are encamped in the heavens.

⁷ Thereafter, he was allowed to go to war with the Holy Ones and conquer them, and he was given power over every nation, people, language, and ethnic group, ⁸ so that all those on the earth whose names aren’t written in the Lamb’s Scroll of Life would have to bow low before him… This one who’d been slaughtered since the founding of the system of things.

⁹ Now, all who have ears should listen to this:

¹⁰ If anyone is a jailer, he’ll be thrown in jail.

If anyone kills with the sword, he’ll be killed with a sword!

For this is where the Holy Ones will need faith and endurance.

¹¹ Then I saw another wild animal coming up out of the ground!

It had two horns like a lamb, but it started speaking like the Dragon. ¹² It had all the authority of the first wild animal, which it used in its presence to force all the lands and all those who dwell in them to bow low before the first wild animal whose deathblow had been healed.

¹³ It also performed great signs, even making fire come down from the skies onto the earth before everyone, ¹⁴ so as to mislead those who live on the earth with the signs that it is allowed to perform in front of the wild animal.

It also told those who live on the earth to make an image to the wild animal that had survived the sword stroke.

¹⁵ Then it was allowed to give breath to the image of the wild animal so that the image could speak and cause everyone who doesn’t bow low before the image of the wild animal to be killed.

¹⁶ Thereafter, it forced everyone (the small and the great, the rich and the poor, the free and the slaves) to receive a branding on their right hands or on their foreheads, ¹⁷ so that no one would be able to buy or sell other than those who have the branding, which is the name of the wild animal or the number of its name.

¹⁸ This is where wisdom is required.

Let those who can reason calculate the number of the wild animal; it’s a human number: 666.

Revelation 14

←13 | All books | All chapters | 15→

¹ Then, {Look!} I saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion. With him there were 144,000 that had his name and his Father’s Name written on their foreheads.

² I also heard a noise coming from the sky that sounded like a lot of water and loud thunder.

Well, the sound that I heard was of people who were all playing harps and singing. ³ They were singing a new song before the throne and before the four cherubs and the elders, and no one was able to master that song but the 144,000 that had been purchased from the earth.

⁴ These hadn’t defiled themselves with women. In fact, they’re virgins who kept following the Lamb no matter where he went. They were bought from among mankind as first fruitage to God and to the Lamb, ⁵ for no lies were found in their mouths and they didn’t have any defects.

⁶ Then I saw another messenger flying high in the middle of the sky, and he had age-long good news to proclaim to those who live on the earth… To every ethnic group, nation, language, and people.

⁷ He was shouting aloud:

‘Fear God and glorify Him, because His hour of judgment has arrived!

‘So bow low before this One who made the skies, the lands, the seas, and the springs of water!’

⁸ Then another (a second) messenger followed him, saying:

‘She has fallen… the Great Babylon has fallen!

‘She’s the one who made all the nations drink the wine of her sexually-immoral rampage!’

⁹ He was followed by a third messenger who was shouting aloud:

‘If anyone bows low before the wild animal and its image and receives its brand on his forehead or on his hand, ¹⁰ he will have to drink the pure wine of Yahweh’s anger that’s being mixed in the cup of His rage, and he will be examined through torture by fire and with burning rocks in front of the holy messengers and in front of the Lamb.

¹¹ ‘The smoke from this torture of those who bow low before the wild animal and its image and all those who receive the branding of its name will ascend throughout ages of ages, and they won’t have any rest either day or night.

¹² ‘Yes, this is where the Holy Ones (those who keep the commandments of God and have faith in Yeshua) must really hang on!’

¹³ Then I heard a voice coming from the sky that said:

‘Write this:

‘From now on, the dead that die in the Lord are blest!

‘Yes, [God’s] Breath said: let them rest from their hard labor… And may their [good] deeds follow them!’

¹⁴ Well after that, I saw {Look!} a white cloud, and someone was sitting on top of the cloud that looked like a son of man. He had a gold garland on his head and he held a sharp sickle in his hand.

¹⁵ Then another messenger came out of the Most Holy and he shouted this at the one who was sitting on the cloud:

‘Now, take that sickle and start harvesting, because it’s time for the harvest… And the harvest is absolutely ripe!’

¹⁶ So at that, the one who was sitting on the cloud lowered his sickle to the ground and started harvesting.

¹⁷ Then another messenger came out of the Most Holy in the heavens who also carried a sharp sickle. ¹⁸ [He was followed by] a messenger who arose from the Altar, whose responsibility was to burn. And this one shouted to the messenger who held the sharp sickle:

‘Now, take that sharp sickle and harvest the clumps of grapes from the vine of the earth… For its grapes are now ripe!’

¹⁹ So the messenger lowered his sickle to the ground and harvested the grapes of the earth. Then he threw them into the great winepress of God’s rage, ²⁰ where they were trampled by foot outside of the city.

What came out of this winepress was blood that flowed in a stream that was as deep as a horse’s bridle for 1,600 stadia [200 miles / 320km].

Revelation 15

←14 | All books | All chapters | 16→

¹ Well after that, I saw another great and wonderful sign in the sky…

There were seven messengers [who were bringing] seven plagues.

These were the last ones, because they would bring an end to God’s rage.

² Then I saw what looked like a sea of crystal and fire.

Standing beside the crystal sea were those who had conquered the wild animal, its image, and the number of its name. They were each holding harps of God, ³ and they were singing the song of God’s slave Moses and the song of the Lamb.

It went:

‘Everything that You may do,

O Yahweh the Almighty God,

Is wonderful and great, King of ages.

‘For Your ways are all righteous and true,

⁴ And who doesn’t fear You, Yahweh?

[Yes, who won’t] honor Your Name?

‘And because You’re the One we can trust,

All the nations will come and bow before You;

For Your righteous deeds have now been revealed.’

⁵ Well, at that, I looked and I saw that the heavenly Most Holy (which is [inside] the Tent of Proofs) had been opened up. ⁶ And at that, seven messengers that had the seven plagues came out of the Most Holy wearing clean, bright linen, and they had gold braids around their chests.

⁷ Then one of the four cherubs gave [each of] the seven messengers one of the seven golden bowls that were full of the wrath of The God who lives throughout ages of ages.

⁸ And then the Most Holy became so filled with smoke because of the glory of God and His power that no one could enter it until after the seven plagues that were being brought by the seven messengers had been delivered.

Revelation 16

←15 | All books | All chapters | 17→

¹ Well, after that, I heard a loud voice coming from the Most Holy that told the seven messengers to go and pour the seven bowls of the wrath of God onto the earth.

² So the first one went and poured his bowl out on the ground.

And with that, the men who had the brand of the wild animal and who were bowing low before its image broke out in very bad malignant sores.

³ Then the 2nd one poured his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of dead men. So everything in the sea – every living creature – died.

⁴ And after that, the 3rd one poured his bowl into the rivers and springs, and they turned into blood.

⁵ Then I heard the messenger that was over the waters say:

‘O Holy One who is and that was,

You are righteous, because You’ve passed judgment on these things.

⁶ Since they’ve shed the blood of Your Holy Ones and Prophets, You’ve given them blood to drink… And that’s what they deserve!’

⁷ And after that, I heard the Altar speak. It said:

‘Yes, O Yahweh God the Almighty, Your judgments are righteous and true.’

⁸ Then the 4th [messenger] poured his bowl out on the sun, which caused it to sear men with fire.

⁹ Although the tremendous heat seared the men, they just blasphemed the Name of The God who has the power over these plagues, and they didn’t turn back and glorify Him.

¹⁰ Thereafter, the 5th one poured his bowl out on the throne of the wild animal, which made its whole kingdom become dark and its [people] were biting their tongues in pain.

¹¹ However, they just blasphemed the God of the heavens for all of their pain and their sores, and they didn’t repent of their deeds.

¹² So then the 6th one poured out his bowl into the great EuPhrates River, and this dried up all of its water. [He did this] to prepare the way for the kings from the sunrise.

¹³ And then I saw three unclean spirits that looked like frogs come out of the mouths of the Dragon, the wild animal, and the false prophet.

¹⁴ These were the unseen powers of demons that were to serve as signs.
They were sent to all the kings of the habitation of mankind in order to assemble them for the battle of the Great Day of the Almighty God.

¹⁵ ‘Look, I’m coming as a thief!

‘So, whoever stays awake and keeps his clothes on will be blest… He won’t have to walk around naked and have people see his shame.’

¹⁶ They then assembled [all the earth’s kings] at the place that’s called in Hebrew, Har-Mageddon.

¹⁷ And at that, the 7th [messenger] poured his bowl out into the air.

Then a loud voice from the throne inside the Most Holy proclaimed:

‘It is now finished!’

¹⁸ This was followed by thunder, lightning, voices, and a shaking that was so great and covered so large an area that nothing has been seen like it since men have lived on the earth.

¹⁹ For it split the great city into three parts, and all the cities of the nations fell into ruin!

It was then that God looked at The Great Babylon and He remembered to also give her the cup of the wine of His anger and rage.

²⁰ For by then, all the islands were gone and there weren’t any more mountains. ²¹ Also, a great hailstorm like [the weight of] talents [100 pounds / 45kg] fell out of the sky upon the people.

However, the people just blasphemed God over the plague of hail, although it was an unusually bad plague.

Revelation 17

←16 | All books | All chapters | 18→

¹ Then one of the seven messengers that had the seven bowls came over and spoke to me. He said:

‘Come here and I’ll show you the judgment on the great whore that sits over many waters. ² [She’s the one] with whom the earth’s kings have had sex, and who made the people of the earth drunk from the wine of her sexual immorality.’

³ So he carried me on the wind into the desert, and there I saw a woman who was sitting on a scarlet-colored wild animal that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns.

⁴ This woman was wearing purple and scarlet clothes that were covered with gold, precious gems, and pearls. In her hand [she held] a gold cup that was full of disgusting things and the filth of her immoral sexual acts.

⁵ She also had a mysterious name written on her forehead:

‘The Great Babylon, the Mother of Whores and of [all] the Disgusting Things of the Earth.’

⁶ It was then that I realized that this woman had been getting drunk on the blood of the Holy Ones, as well as on the blood of the witnesses of Yeshua.

Well when I saw her, I was both confused and amazed.

⁷ So the messenger asked me:

‘Why are you so confused? I’ll tell you the mystery of the woman and of the wild animal with the seven heads and ten horns that she’s riding.

⁸ ‘The wild animal that you see had once been, but then it was not.

‘However, it’s about to come out of the abyss again, and then it’ll go off into destruction.

‘Yet when they see the return of the wild animal that once was but is no longer, those who live on the earth will marvel at it… But their names haven’t been written in the Scroll of Life since the founding of the world.

⁹ ‘Here’s where intelligence and wisdom are required:

‘The seven heads are seven mountains upon which the woman is sitting.

¹⁰ ‘And there are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, and the other hasn’t arrived yet. But when he gets here, he will only be allowed to stay for a little while.

¹¹ ‘However, the wild animal that was, but isn’t, is an 8th king that comes from the seven, and it’ll go off into destruction.

¹² ‘Now, the ten horns that you saw represent ten kings who haven’t received a kingdom yet. However, they’ll be authorized to be kings for one hour with the wild animal. ¹³ And they’ll all have the same idea in mind… To give their power and authority to the wild animal.

¹⁴ ‘Then they’ll go and fight against the Lamb. But because he’s the Lord of lords and King of kings, the Lamb and those who are with him (the called, elected, and faithful) will conquer them.’

¹⁵ And then he said this:

‘The waters over which you saw the whore sitting mean peoples, crowds, ethnic groups, and languages.

¹⁶ ‘Because the ten horns and the wild animal that you saw will hate the whore, they’re going to take away everything that she has and leave her naked…

‘Then they’ll eat her flesh and burn [what’s left] in a fire!

¹⁷ ‘For God will put [the thought] into their hearts to do what He knows she deserves, and He’s also the One who’ll give them the idea to hand their kingdoms over to the wild animal, so that whatever God says will be fulfilled.

¹⁸ ‘Now, the woman whom you saw means the great city that dominates the kings of the earth.’

Revelation 18

←17 | All books | All chapters | 19→

¹ Well after all that, I saw another messenger coming down out of the sky. This one was so very powerful that the earth glowed with his glory!

² Then he shouted in a mighty voice, saying:

‘She has fallen… the Great Babylon has fallen and she has become a home for demons, a prison for unclean spirits, and a cage for scavenger birds!

³ ‘Because, all the nations have fallen [victim] to the wine of the rage of her sexual immorality, all the kings of the earth have had immoral sex with her, and the earth’s businessmen have become rich through the power of her shameless luxury.’

⁴ And at that, I heard another voice coming from the sky that said:

‘Come out of her my people!

‘Come on out, so you don’t share in her sins and receive part of her plagues!

⁵ ‘For her sins have piled all the way to the heavens, and God has remembered all the unjust things that she has done. ⁶ So, now she must be paid back for all of those [bad] things that she’s done!

‘In fact, pay her back with twice as much… Double the payback for the things that she did! If she poured [poison] into a cup, then pour in twice as much for her!

⁷ ‘Also, as she glorified herself and lived in shameless luxury, pay her back that much more in pain and sorrow!

‘Because she keeps saying in her heart:

‘I’m sitting as a queen. I’m nobody’s widow, and I’ll never have to mourn!’

⁸ ‘So, that’s why her plagues will come upon her in a single day – death, mourning, and famine – and she’ll be consumed by fire, because the Almighty God Yahweh is passing judgment on her!

⁹ ‘Then those kings of the earth who had sex and lived in shameless luxury with her will bawl and beat themselves in grief over her, as they stand and watch the smoke from her fire.

‘¹⁰ However they’ll stand at a distance, because they’ll be afraid of her torture.

‘And they’ll say:

‘Woe, woe, you great city… O Babylon you mighty city; for your judgment has arrived in a single hour!’

¹¹ ‘The earth’s businessmen will also bawl and mourn over her, because there won’t be anyone to buy their complete stock of goods anymore… ¹² any of the gold and silver, the precious stones and pearls, the fine linen, the purple, the silk, the scarlet, any of the scented wood, or any of the things made of ivory, precious wood, copper, or iron… Or the marble, ¹³ the cinnamon, the Indian spice, the incense, the perfumed oil, the frankincense, the wine, the olive oil, the fine flour and wheat… Or the cattle, sheep, horses, coaches, slaves, or human lives.

¹⁴ ‘Yes, all the juicy fruit that she so deeply desired has been taken from her, as have all the fatty foods and the bright colors. They’re no longer available to her, and she’ll never have them again.

¹⁵ ‘Then the men who sold these things and became rich from her will cry and mourn at some distance from her, because they’ll [also] be afraid of her torture.

¹⁶ ‘They’ll say:

‘O woe, woe, you great city that wore all the fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and that was so richly covered in gold, precious stones, and pearls; ¹⁷ because all of that great wealth has been taken away in a single hour!’

‘And this was also true of the ship captains, all those who sail, the sailors, and everyone who makes a living at sea. They too stood some distance away ¹⁸ and called out as they watched the smoke of her burning, saying:

‘What other city was like this great city?’

¹⁹ ‘Then they threw dust on their heads, bawled, and mourned, shouting:

‘O woe, woe, for this great city that made so many shipping companies rich with her wealth, because everything has been taken away from her in a single hour!’

²⁰ ‘O heavens, you Holy Ones, and you Apostles and Prophets!

‘Rejoice over this, because God’s judgment has brought vengeance upon her for your sakes!’

²¹ Then a mighty messenger picked up a stone that looked like a huge millstone and threw it into the sea, shouting:

‘This is how fast that city (the Great Babylon) will be thrown down, and she’ll never be found again!

²² ‘Then the sounds of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpet players will no longer be found in her, nor will craftsman of whatsoever craft he be and tradesman be found there anymore and the stone of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee. [spurious words]

²³ ‘No lamplight will ever shine in her again, and the voices of brides and grooms won’t be heard in her thereafter.

‘For although her traveling merchants were once the most important men on the earth, and she misled all the nations with her sorcery... ²⁴ the blood of the Prophets, the Holy Ones, and of all those who’ve been slaughtered throughout the whole earth... Have been found within her!’

Revelation 19

←18 | All books | All chapters | 20→

¹ Well after all that, I heard what sounded like the voices of a huge crowd proclaiming from the skies:

‘Praise Yah! [Yes, praise] the salvation, the glory, and the power of our God, ² for His judgments are righteous and true!

‘Now He’s finally passed judgment on the great whore that made the whole earth filthy with her immoral sex, and He’s avenged the blood of His slaves [that died] at her hands!’

³ Then they shouted a second time:

‘Praise Yah! Because, the smoke from her will keep ascending throughout ages of ages!’

⁴ And at that, the 24 elders and the four cherubs fell down and bowed low before The God as He sat on His throne, saying:

‘May it be so! Praise Yah!’

⁵ Then a voice came out of the throne that said:

‘Praise our God, all of you who are His slaves… Yes – you, the great and the small who fear Him!’

⁶ Then I heard what sounded like the voices of a huge crowd, along with the noise of a lot of water and heavy thunder.

They were shouting:

‘Praise Yah! For Yahweh our God the Almighty has started ruling as king! ⁷ Let’s rejoice, shout in joy, and glorify Him, since it’s time for the Lamb’s wedding!

‘Yes, his bride has now prepared herself, ⁸ and she’s been found worthy to be dressed in bright, clean, fine linen… For the fine linen represents the righteousness of the Holy Ones.’

⁹ Then he said to me:

‘Write this down:

‘Those who are invited to the Lamb’s wedding banquet are blest!’

And he added:

‘God really said this.’

¹⁰ Well, when that happened, I fell down in front of his feet to bow low before him. But he warned me, saying:

‘Be careful… Don’t do that!

‘For I’m just a fellow slave of you and your brothers that are witnesses of Yeshua. And testifying for Yeshua is the spirit behind this prophecy.

‘You should just bow low before God!’

¹¹ Then I saw the sky opening up, and Look…

There was a white horse, and the one who was sitting on it was called Faithful and True, because he judges and he fights his wars for righteousness!

¹² His eyes were like flames of fire and he wore many royal turbans on his head.

He also had a name that was written, which nobody knew but him, ¹³ and he was wrapped in a robe that was splattered with blood.

This name that he was called is, The Word of The God.

¹⁴ Then following behind him were all the armies of the heavens, [riding] on white horses and wearing white, clean, fine linen.

¹⁵ He also had a long sharp sword protruding from his mouth that he could use to strike the nations. For he will shepherd them with an iron rod.

[It was then that I realized that this is the same one who I saw] crushing the grapes with his feet in the winepress of the Almighty God’s anger and rage.

¹⁶ For on his robe and on his thigh he had the name written:

‘King of kings and Lord of lords.’

¹⁷ And I also saw a messenger that was standing on the sun and shouting in a loud voice.

He was saying to all the creatures that fly high in the skies:

‘You should all come and gather for God’s great supper.

¹⁸ For here you can eat the flesh of kings, generals, mighty men, horses, and riders, as well as the flesh of all the freemen and slaves…

Yes, both the small and the great!’

¹⁹ Then I noticed the wild animal, along with the kings of the earth and their armies, all gathering to wage war against the one who was sitting on the [white] horse and his army.

²⁰ However, the wild animal was thereafter captured, along with the false prophet that performed the signs in front of it that he’d used to mislead those who received the branding of the wild animal, as well as those who bowed low before its image.

Then, while they were all still alive, they were tossed into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. ²¹ And after that, the long sword that was in the mouth of the one who was riding the [white] horse killed off all the rest…

Then the birds came and ate their fill of flesh.

Revelation 20

←19 | All books | All chapters | 21→

¹ Well, after that, I saw a messenger coming down out of the sky who had a long chain in his hand [that held] the key to the abyss. ² Then he grabbed the Dragon – the original snake, the Slanderer and Opposer – and chained him up for 1,000 years. ³ And then he threw him into the abyss… He closed it up and locked it up over him, so he couldn’t mislead the nations anymore until after the 1,000 years had ended.

However, he will be set free for a little while after that.

⁴ Next I saw thrones, and those who sat down on them were the ones who had been executed with axes for testifying about Yeshua, for telling about God, and those who hadn’t worshiped the wild animal or its image, nor had they received its branding on their foreheads or on their hands.

For they were appointed to be judges.

Yes, they came to life and ruled as kings with the Anointed One for 1,000 years… ⁵ The rest of the dead didn’t come to life until the end of the thousand years [spurious text]

This is the first resurrection. ⁶ Those who have a part in the first resurrection are blest and holy, because the second death won’t have any power over them... For they’ll be Priests of God and of the Anointed One and they’ll rule for 1,000 years.

⁷ However, after the 1,000 years have ended, the Slanderer will be set free from his prison ⁸ and he’ll go out to mislead people – Gog and Magog – in all four corners of the earth.

Then he will assemble them all for a war…

There’ll be as many [of them] as [there are grains of] sand in the seas!

⁹ These will thereafter march across the whole earth and they’ll surround the camp of the Holy Ones and the loved city… But then fire will come from the sky and consume them!

¹⁰ And the Opposer who misled them will then be thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the wild animal and the false prophet will already have been, and they’ll be tortured there day and night throughout ages of ages.

¹¹ Then after that, I saw someone sitting on a huge white throne… And before him the land and the sky just vanished and couldn’t be found.

¹² I also saw the dead – the great and the small – standing before the throne, and several scrolls were opened.

Then another scroll was opened, which was the Scroll of Life. And the dead were judged by the things that were written in the scrolls, according to the things that they’d done.

¹³ Then the sea gave up its dead, and death and the place of the dead gave up the dead in them, and they were all judged by the things that they had done.

¹⁴ And finally, death and the place of the dead were thrown into the lake of fire (the lake of fire symbolizes the second death), ¹⁵ and anyone whose name wasn’t found written in the Scroll of Life was also thrown into the lake of fire.

Revelation 21

←20 | All books | All chapters | 22→

¹ Well at that, I saw new skies and new lands, because the previous skies and lands had disappeared, as had the seas.

² I also saw the Holy City, New JeruSalem, stepping down out of the sky from God, prepared like a bride that had been adorned for her man.

³ Then I heard a loud voice from the throne say:

‘Look! The Tent of God is with mankind! He’s going to put up His Tent among them, then they’ll be His people and He’ll be their god.

⁴ ‘He’s going to wipe all the tears from their eyes and there won’t be any more death, mourning, wailing, or pain, because all that once was will be gone!’

⁵ And the One who was sitting on the throne said:

‘Look! I’m making everything new!’

And he added:

‘Write this down, because these words are faithful and true.’

⁶ Then He said to me:

‘It has all been accomplished!

‘I am the Alpha and the Omega – the beginning and the end – and I’m going to give everyone who is thirsty a free drink from the Spring of the Water of Life!

⁷ ‘Yes, those who conquer will inherit these things…

‘Then I’ll be their God and they’ll be My sons!

⁸ ‘But as for the cowards, the unbelievers, the nasty, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who cast spells, the idol worshipers, and all the liars... Their inheritance is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur… The second death!’

⁹ Well at that, one of the seven messengers with the seven bowls that were full of the seven last plagues came and spoke to me, and said:

‘Come here and I’ll show you the bride… The Lamb’s woman!’

¹⁰ So he carried me off on the wind to an enormously high mountain, and there he showed me JeruSalem, the Holy City, as it was coming down out of the sky from God. ¹¹ It had all the glory of God, it sparkled like the most precious of gems, and it gleamed like crystal-clear jasper stones.

¹² It had high, thick walls and 12 gates.

There was also a messenger standing at each of the 12 gates, and each gate was inscribed with the name of one of the 12 tribes of the sons of IsraEl.

¹³ There were three gates on the east side, three gates on the north side, three gates on the south side, and three gates on the west side.

¹⁴ The city wall also had 12 foundation stones upon which the names of the 12 Apostles of the Lamb were written.

¹⁵ Now, the one who was talking to me held up a ruler (a gold reed) that he used to measure the city, along with its gates and its walls. ¹⁶ The city was square… As long as it was wide. For he then measured the entire city with the reed. Its length, width, and height (which were all equal) measured 12,000 stadions [1,170 miles, / 1,900 km].

¹⁷ Then he measured [the thickness of] its walls.

These were the length of a man’s forearm (which is about the same as for a messenger [of God]), times 144.

¹⁸ The walls were made of jasper, and the entire city was made of gold that was as pure as clear crystal.

¹⁹ The foundation stones for its walls were also decorated with all sorts of precious gems.

• The first one was decorated with jasper,

• The 2nd with sapphires,

• The 3rd with chalcedony,

• The 4th with emeralds,

• ²⁰ The 5th with rubies,

• The 6th with sardius,

• The 7th with peridots,

• The 8th with beryls,

• The 9th with topaz,

• The 10th with chrysoprase,

• The 11th with hyacinth,

• And the 12th with amethysts.

²¹ Also, the 12 gates were 12 pearls (each of the gates was made of a single pearl), and the city’s main street was paved with gold that was as pure as clear crystal!

²² I didn’t see a temple sanctuary within [the city], because Yahweh God the Almighty and the Lamb are its Most Holy. ²³ Nor did the city need the sun or moon to shine upon it, because it was lit by the glory of God… And the Lamb was its lamp.

²⁴ So, all the nations were able to walk in its light, and the earth’s kings were bringing their glorious things into it.

²⁵ Its gates won’t ever be closed during the day, and night won’t exist there. ²⁶ For this is where they’ll carry the glory and honor of the nations.

²⁷ And nothing that’s dirty, nor anyone who does disgusting things or tells lies will ever enter it… Only those [whose names] are written in the Lamb’s Scroll of Life.

Revelation 22

←21 | All books | All chapters

¹ Well after that, he showed me the River of the Water of Life…

It was crystal clear and it flowed out [from under] the Throne of The God and of the Lamb, ² down the middle of the street.

And along both of its banks were the Trees of Life, which bore 12 [crops of] fruit, putting out the fruit every month! And the Trees’ leaves were used to heal the nations.

³ Then, everything that might cause people to sin will thereafter be gone. For the Throne of The God and of the Lamb will always be there, where His slaves can come to bow low before Him ⁴ and see His face, and they’ll wear His Name on their foreheads.

⁵ Also, since there won’t be any night, they won’t need lamps or sunlight, because Yahweh (The God) will be shining upon them…
And they’ll rule as kings throughout ages of ages.

⁶ Then he said to me:

‘These words are faithful and true.

‘Yes, Yahweh, The God who gave His Breath to the Prophets, sent His messenger to show His slaves the things that will happen very quickly.

⁷ ‘And look… I’m coming quickly!

‘Blest is the one who obeys the things that are prophesied in this scroll.’

⁸ Well, I, John, was the one who saw and heard these things. And after I saw and heard it all, I fell down to bow at the feet of the messenger who had shown me these things.

⁹ But he warned me again, saying:

‘Be careful… Don’t do that!

‘For I’m just a fellow slave of you and your brothers who are Prophets and are obeying [the things that] are spoken of in this scroll.

‘Rather, bow low before The God!’

¹⁰ He also warned me:

‘Now, don’t seal up the things that are said in the prophecy of this scroll, because the season is near. ¹¹ So may those who are acting unrighteously stay unrighteous, and may the filthy stay filthy.

‘However, may those who are righteous remain righteous, and those who are holy remain holy.

¹² ‘Look, I’m coming quickly!

‘And the reward that I’m bringing is the repayment to each one for what he’s done.

¹³ ‘I’m the Alpha and the Omega;

The first and the last;

The beginning and the end.

¹⁴ ‘Blest are those who wash their robes, for they’ll be allowed access to the trees of life and they’ll be able to enter these city gates.

¹⁵ ‘But the dogs, those who cast spells, those who are immoral, the murderers, the idol worshipers, and everyone who enjoys lying will be left on the outside.

¹⁶ ‘I am Yeshua, and I sent my messenger to testify to you about these things that will be [coming] to the congregations.

‘I am the root and the descendant of David… The bright morning star.

¹⁷ ‘Now the Spirit and the bride are saying to you, Come! And let all those who hear this also say, Come!

‘Yes, let all that are thirsty come; for anyone who wishes to do so may partake of the water of life freely!

¹⁸ ‘I’m also testifying to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll, that if anyone adds anything to it, God will add the plagues to him that are written about in this scroll.

¹⁹ ‘And if anyone removes any of the words of this scroll of prophecy, God will remove his share from the Tree of life and from the things that are written in this scroll concerning the Holy City.

²⁰ ‘So, the one who’s testifying to you about these things has said:

‘Yes, I’m coming quickly!’

May it be so!

Come Lord Yeshua!

²¹ May the loving care of our Lord Yeshua the Anointed One be with all of the Holy Ones.

Index of All Translator Notes

1

1 Chronicles 20:3 – sawed in half?

1 Corinthians 14:22 – Why the wrong way around?

1 Corinthians 15:33 – ‘bad company’ or ‘evil communications?’

1 Corinthians 6:9 – ‘the perverted’

1 Corinthians 8:6 – everything made through Jesus, or everything in Jesus’ hand?

1 John 5:7-8 – ‘these three are one’

1 Kings 6:1 – How many years?

1 Samuel 24:3 – Was Saul preparing himself, having a sleep, or having a poo?

1 Timothy 1:10 – fornicators, the sexually immoral, or whoremongers?

1 Timothy 1:18 – ‘fight in a good war’

1 Timothy 2:9-15 – verses about women

1 Timothy 3:16 – ‘he’ or ‘God’?

2

2 Corinthians 2:12 – ‘in the Lord’ or ‘by the Lord’?

2 Corinthians 2:17 – Peddlers of God’s word?

2 Samuel 21:19 – Who killed GoliAth?

2 Samuel 6:14 – David dancing naked?

2 Thessalonians 1:9 – ‘with age-long ruin’

2 Timothy 2:19 – The mystery quote

3

37 mighty men?

A

Acts 3:20 – ‘proclaimed’ or ‘appointed’?

Advocate, Helper, Comforter, or Savior?

Age, Eternal, Perpetual, Everlasting, Immortal, or Forever?

Age-long fire

Amen

Amos 1:6 and 1:9 – Captives of Solomon?

Amos 7:1 – ‘Gog the Grasshopper King’

‘Anointed’ or ‘Christ’?

Antichrist or false anointed one?

Ark of the Covenant = Chest of Proofs, Chest of the Sacred Agreement

‘Ark’ or ‘Chest’?

ArtaXerxes or ArthaSastha?

Astin

A ‘thousand’ years, or ‘thousands’ of years?

B

BaAl, BeEl, Bel, and El

Baptism or Immersion?

Bible Measurements

Bless or Praise?

Blest or Happy?

Breath or Spirit?

Brotherly love, brotherly affection, or brotherly kindness?

C

‘Chief,’ ‘head,’ or ‘foundation’ cornerstone?

Colossians 2:9-10 – ‘Bodily Divinity’

Confusing lists of David’s mighty men, The

Consecrated = Perfect

Cosmos, Era, Eternity, Arrangement, or World?

Crowns, Garlands, Turbans, and Diadems

D

Daniel 9:1 – Darius the Mede, ‘of Xerxes’

Daniel 9:24 – Anoint the ‘Most Holy’ or the ‘Holiest of the Holy?’

Death – literal or figurative?

Destruction, loss, perdition, or ruin?

Deuteronomy 10:22 – 70 or 75 persons?

Deuteronomy 18:22 – ‘have nothing to do with him’

Did an Angel Want to Kill Moses?

Downpour

Dragons

E

Ecclesiastes 11:1 – ‘Bread on water’

Empowering the Priests

Ephesians 4:8 and Psalm 68:18 – Gifts to, from, or in men?

Ephesians 4:8 and Psalm 68:18 – Taking captivity itself captive?

Eroticism in the Bible

Esther / HadasShah

Eue, Euan, or Eve?

Eunuchs

‘Executed’ or ‘raised up’ or ‘crucifed’?

Exodus 20:13 – ‘kill’ or ‘murder’?

Ezekiel 1:1 – ‘30th year’

F

Fear and Respect

Fool, Foolish, or Uncaring?

Fornication or Sexual Immorality?

Fountains or Springs?

Funeral

G

Gadflies or Stable Flies?

Garbage Dump

Genesis 11:2 – ‘from the east’ or ‘eastward?’

Genesis 21:22, 32 – ‘Ochozath’

Genesis 2:12 – Coal or red gemstone?

Genesis 2:4 – ‘this was the scroll’

Genesis 4:7

Genesis 5:1– ‘this was the scroll’

Gentiles, Nations, Other races, or Ethnics

Gnats or Fleas?

God, The

God’s Name – incorrectly restored to the Hebrew text?

God’s Name in the Christian Era: A common Old Testament expression that used YHWH (Category E)

God’s Name in the Christian Era: Ephesians 2:21 – ‘Jehovah’ or ‘Lord’?

God’s Name in the Christian Era: Greek grammar ‘errors’ (Category A)

God’s Name in the Christian Era: Maryah in the Aramaic New Testament (Category B)

God’s Name in the Christian Era: Quote of the Old Testament containing YHWH (Category C)

God’s Name in the Christian Era: Talking of actions of YHWH in an OT account (Category D)

God’s Name in the Christian Era: The context clearly points to Almighty God and not to Jesus (Category F)

Gospel of Matthew, The

‘Great shakings’ or ‘earthquakes?’

Grieve the spirit?

H

Hades

Hate, Dislike, or Care Less for?

‘Head’, ‘chief’, or ‘origin?’

Heavens or Sky, Earth or Land?

Hebrew Songs and Poetry

Hebrews 13:17– ‘have confidence in’

Hebrews, IsraElites, Jews, and Semites

Horeb or Sinai?

House, Temple, or Palace?

‘House to house’ or ‘in [private] homes’?

Hypocrite

I

‘In’ and ‘One’

Interpolations

Isaiah 14:12 – Bright or Howl?

Isaiah 23:1 – ‘Carthage’ or ‘Tarshish?’

Isaiah 45:7 – Did God create evil?

Isaiah 7:16 - possible spurious words in LXX source

Isaiah 7:8 – ‘six plus five years,’ or ’sixty-five years?’

J

Jeremiah 31:37

Jeremiah 37:5

‘Jew’

John 1:1 – Why ‘a god?’

John 4:9 – ‘Jews have no dealings with Samaritans’

John 7:38 – The non-quote

John 8:51 – ‘never see death at all’?

K

Kainan – did he exist?

‘Kingdom of the heavens’ or ‘Kingdom of God’?

L

Lake of Fire and ‘torture’, The

Land of Ramesse or Gesem/Goshen?

Last Lamb/Ram

Literal or figurative?

Lord’s Prayer, The

Lost text in 1 Chronicles 11

Luke 14:5 – ‘son’ or ‘donkey’?

Luke 23:43 – today in paradise?

Luke 4:44 – Galilee or Judea?

M

Mandrakes

Mark 16:8 – ‘because’

Matthew 1:17 – The missing ancestor of Jesus

Matthew 19:24 – ‘Camel’ or ‘Rope’?

Matthew 2:23 – Quoting who?

Matthew 24:34 – “this generation”?

Matthew 25:1 – ‘and the bride’

Matthew 26:31 quoting Zechariah 13:7

Matthew 27:9 – JeremiAh or ZechariAh?

Matthew 28:19 - The baptism formula

Matthew 5:3 – ‘humble’ or ‘poor in spirit?’

‘Men That Have Sex with Men’

‘Messengers’ or ‘angels?’

MordecAi

Mystery

N

Naos: The temple sanctuary

Numbers 24:7 – Two versions, one meaning

O

‘Opposer,’ ‘Evil One,’ ‘Slanderer,’ and ‘BeElZebub’, The

P

P.S. and P.P.S.

Paradise of Delights, or the ‘Garden of Eden?’, The

Parvaim or Pharaoh Aim?

Paul’s letters

People or Men?

Perfect or unspotted?

Playing, or Playfully Making Fun

Pole, Tree, Stake, Upright, or Cross?

Possible spurious text: Acts 7:16

Possible spurious text: Matthew 24:3 – ‘the sign of your coming/presence and the end of the age’

Prices in 1 Kings 10 and 2 Chronicles 1, The

Pronunciation of ‘c’ and ‘ch’ in Greek, Aramaic, and Hebrew words

Propitiatory

Psalm 110:3 – ‘morning star’ or ‘womb of the dawn’?

Psalm 119:120 (118:120 LXX) – A Messianic Prophecy, or not?

R

Reptiles and Birds

Ressurection

Revelation 11:15 – ‘our God’ or ‘our Lord’

Revelation 2:22 – Bed, sickbed, mortuary couch, or coffin?

Revelation 4:6-8: Cherubs, Animals, or Creatures?

Revelation 6:6 – harm, injure, damage, use?

Revelation and Truth, or Umim and Thummim?, The

‘Rhinoceros’ or ‘unicorn?’

Romans 14:10 – Judgment seat of whom?

Romans 16:7 – A woman named Junia or a man named Junias?

S

Seven stars, The

‘Signal of Release,’ or ‘Jubilee Year?’

Song of Solomon 5:10 – ‘white and red’

Sop

‘Sor’ or ‘Tyre?’

Soul

Spanking

Spiritism

Spurious text: Matthew 27:52-53

Spurious text: Revelation 20:5

Spurious texts: 1 Corinthians 14:33-35

Stereoma – firmament, space, or expanse?

‘Stone of stumbling’ quotes by Paul and Peter

‘Stumble’ or ‘Trap?’

Swearing an oath

Synagogue

T

‘Tar pits’ or ‘slime pits?’

Tartarus

Tent

Tent of Proofs

Terah’s age when he begot Abram

Translating ‘grace’ (caris and tayb’uwt’ah)

Translator bias: Literal or figurative flesh and blood?

V

Vision, Ghost, Spectre, Apparition, or Phantom?

W

Were David and Jonathan lovers?

Who Wrote the Book of Judges?

Who is ‘he’?

‘Why have you abandoned me?’ – Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34

Why use the term ‘Christian?’

Word of Judgment

Worshiped, did obeisance, or bowed down?

Wrong chapter separation between Matthew 27 and 28

Z

Zeal and Jealousy

Zechariah 13:6 – Wounds in hands

Zechariah 5:1-2 – ‘scroll’ or ’sickle?’

D

‘days’ in Genesis, The

Translator note

1 John 5:7-8 – ‘these three are one’

In several other Bibles, 1 John 5:7-8 reads:

‘There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one.’

However, these words are missing from every ancient Greek, Aramaic, Syriac, Slavic, Georgian, Coptic, and Arabic manuscript. In fact, they do not appear in any Greek manuscript of the Bible until the 14th or 15th century – approximately 1,400 years after the Apostle wrote this Bible book!

It does appear in one 10th century Greek manuscript, but it’s clearly been added by someone later on, believed to be during the 19th century. Also, the words themselves have three significant variants, typical for a spurious addition to the Bible.

Further, the Church fathers did not mention this verse, even when collecting verses that they argued supported the Trinity doctrine. Clement of Alexandria quoted these verses and didn’t include these words.

You can find these words in a document from the 4th century, but it’s not a Bible manuscript – it’s a homily called Liber Apologeticus by a writer called Priscillian of Ávila.

So how did these words get into the Bible? Well, the words were first deliberately added to the Latin Vulgate translation by persons working for the Catholic Church. They moved them from a marginal note into the main body of the text. It remained there, alone among Bibles, until recent centuries. However, even then, they are missing from the two oldest Vulgate manuscripts, the Codex Fuldensis and the Codex Amiatinus. This suggests that Jerome, the original creator of the Latin Vulgate, did not recognize the words. There is one quote of his that supposedly mentions it, but it’s now thought to be from a pseudo-Jerome – a later impostor.

Today, it is easily the most well-known fake verse in the Bible. Entire books have been written about this. Even several Catholic Bibles now omit the ‘verse,’ including the Jerusalem Bible and the New American Bible, both sponsored by the Vatican.

If that wasn’t enough, even the context shows that the words do not belong there. John chapter 5 is speaking about the three witness-bearers of Jesus:

The water (baptism),

The Holy Spirit (in Greek, Pneuma – Breath),

His shed blood

So adding words mentioning ‘the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost’ makes the rest of what John wrote illogical, because he wasn’t talking about that.

Scholars call this fake verse the Johannine Comma.

See our list of spurious texts that are crossed out in our Bible.

Translator note

The confusing lists of David’s mighty men

The list of David’s mighty men in 1 Chronicles 11 contains more names than the list in the parallel account in 2 Samuel 23.

The list in 2 Samuel 23 lists 25 men (at least in the Greek Septuagint), whereas the list in 1 Chronicles 11 lists 32. Further, many of those listed don’t match up!

What’s going on?

It may be a mixture of reasons.

Firstly, the author(s) of 1 Chronicles may have taken the opportunity to add the names of men who replaced the first batch of ‘mighty men’ after they died.

Secondly, there must have been some corruption in the Hebrew text of this list (or both lists) in the 5th or 4th centuries BCE before the Greek Septuagint was translated. It’s pretty clear that this happened because some of names are muddled together.

This is understandable. You can imagine how easy it would be for misunderstandings and copyist errors to creep into a long list of names, both native and foreign, all listed together in a text without vowels, spaces, or full-stops! Narrative is transmitted very well, but long lists are ripe for errors.

For example:

The list in 2 Samuel features a man named EliAsou who has a son named JoNathan. He is followed by another man named ‘SamNan the Arodite.’

However, the parallel list in Chronicles seems to get the names get muddled. ‘SamNan the Arodite’ disappears, along with JoNathan’s father, but it’s okay because then JonNathan’s gets a new father: ‘Sola the Arodite!’

One day we hope that new archaeological discoveries will reveal an older, more reliable source for this list. Until then:

** We have marked with double-asterisks the names that we believe are corrupted.

* Names that are new to this list and don’t feature in 2 Samuel are marked with one asterisk. These may be men who replaced those who died.

Note that we might not have got this right, because there are also spelling differences in the names (after all, about 550 years had passed), which makes it even more confusing.

Also see these translator notes:

• 37 mighty men.
• Lost text in 1 Chronicles 11.

Translator note

Lost text in 1 Chronicles 11

In 1 Chronicles 11:13, we’ve had to add a large translator insertion into the text. Why?

It seems that part of the original Hebrew manuscript was lost sometime before the Greek Septuagint was translated in the 3rd century BCE.

This can be seen very clearly from the context, because of the ‘three mighty men’ (JeseBaAl, EliEzer, and Shammah), only the first two are actually named, and the latter part of EliEzer’s famous deed is missing, and the beginning of Shammah’s famous deed is missing too!

We know this from the parallel account in 2 Samuel 23. So, we’ve filled in the missing information by taking it from that other Bible book, putting the inserted text [inside square brackets].

Experts in Hebrew state that about 3 lines of Hebrew text were lost back in antiquity. A major loss like this could only have happened very early, back when the Jewish population was still very low, and there were very few copies of Chronicles around to compare against.

It seems that later scribes didn’t realize there was material missing, so they merged the two famous deeds of EliEzer and Shammah together, creating a hybrid account which is all ascribed to EliEzer.

Poor old Shammah got erased!

Thankfully for Shammah, and us, the parallel account in 2 Samuel lets us know what happened. Perhaps one day, an ancient text will be found that contains the original wording.

You can read more about this issue in the Keil and Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary

Also see these translator notes:

• 37 mighty men.
• The confusing lists of David’s mighty men.

Translator note

1 Chronicles 20:3 – sawed in half?

Our Greek Septuagint source text says that David took the conquered Ammonite people and had them sawed in half with saws, axes, and threshing devices. However, the parallel account in 2 Samuel 12:31 says no such thing, it says that they were put to work in jobs that both used and creating iron tools (carpenters, farm laborers, iron smelters, blacksmiths, and brick makers).

The problem seems to be in the original Hebrew source used by our Greek translator. The Pulpit Commentary reports that there was a simple copying error of just part of one letter:

Hebrew word וַיָּשַׂר (and he cut) instead of וַיָּשֶׂם (he put). Probably it is nowhere else used in the sense of "cutting," if it is here. Its ordinary sense is to rule or put into subjection.

So the two accounts do not contradict each other, and King David did not administer a cruel and medieval punishment upon the conquered people. On the contrary, they were put to work using saws, axes, and farm tools for threshing grain.

Translator note

1 Corinthians 8:6 – everything made through Jesus, or everything in Jesus’ hand?

In most translations (including this one, at one time), the latter half of this verse sounds like it’s talking about Jesus being involved in creation:

“And there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we exist.” –Berean Standard Bible

However, the Aramaic could be taken in one of two ways. It could agree with what is said above, but it could also simply be about everything being in Jesus’ hand, or power. Literally, the Aramaic reads:

...and-one lord, Jesus Anointed-One, all-of in/with-his-hand/arm also we in/with-his-hand/arm.

We translate this as:

There’s also just one Lord, Jesus the Anointed; everything is in his hand, and we are in his hand too.

The confusion arises because the Aramaic for ‘in’ can also mean ‘with’ or ‘by means of’, and the expression ‘hand/arm’ is part of a common way of talking about acting, fighting, and so on. Consider how many times Yahweh talks about showing his ‘mighty arm’ in the Old Testament.

So the Aramaic text could mean:

‘all [is] by means of his hand’, or

‘all [are] in his hand’.

Or, in other words:

Everything was created by/through Jesus, or

Everything is in Jesus’ hand.

Which is correct?

Well, the ancient Greek translator (remember, our project assumes that this book was originally in Aramaic) seems to quite clearly believe that it should mean ‘all [is] by means of his hand’. He clearly translated it as ‘through whom all’. Modern Bibles translate this to mean that everything was created by God through Jesus.

However, could the Greek translator have made a mistake here? Was it really just a statement about everything being in Jesus’ dominion? Well, if the Greek text really was just an uninspired translation, then yes, it’s possible that a mistake was made.

So is there any further context to clarify what was meant?

Well, the idea of everything being in Jesus’ hand nicely fits many other scriptures, including ones further on in the same letter. Paul later talks about ‘everything’ being acceptable because ‘everything’ belongs to the Lord.

1 Corinthians 10:22-26:

Yes, everything is legal, but not everything makes us stronger... you can eat whatever’s sold at the meat markets without it bothering your consciences, for the earth and everything in it belongs to the Lord.

It also agrees with many other statements, such as Hebrews 2:8, which says:

...when [God] put everything under [Jesus’ feet], He didn’t leave anything out... There’s nothing that he isn’t in charge of.

However, this does not prove anything. It just shows that the alternative translation could be correct.

So, does this verse talk about everything being in Jesus’ hand, or everything being created through Jesus? Well, we can’t ask the Church Fathers for help, since if the Greek translator really did get it wrong, then all these other men would have been working from the mistranslation!

We really can’t say which version is the correct one without stepping outside of translation and into theology. We are not taking sides on any controversy over Jesus’ pre-human existence. The question we’re considering here is one of translation of a few words.

If the Aramaic text really is the original, then it’s our duty to point out that it can be translated in two different ways. We are merely using the alternative translation to bring your attention to this issue; that’s all.

Translator note

1 Corinthians 14:22 – Why the wrong way around?

All Greek and Aramaic manuscripts have Paul saying in verse 22 that:

Speaking in tongues is a sign for unbelievers,

While prophesying is a sign for the benefit of believers.

Yet our translation puts this the opposite way around! Why?

We strongly suspect a manuscript corruption, because having it the ‘correct’ way around causes direct contradictions with the words immediately before and after!

Before this verse, in verse 21, Paul mentions how the ‘Law’ (shorthand for the Law and the Prophets, in this case, Isaiah) predicted that Jehovah will speak to his people (believers) in other languages.

Afterwards, in verse 23, Paul remarks how unbelievers will just think Christians are crazy if they see Christians speaking in other languages; and then in verses 24 and 25, he says than if an unbeliever should hear congregation members prophesy, then the unbeliever will benefit. In other words, prophesying is for unbelievers, while speaking in tongues is for believers. Yes, exactly the opposite of what was stated in verse 22.

For this reason we strongly suspect that 14:22 suffered some early corruption in copying, that someone accidentally switched the statement around. Remember that it took some time for Paul’s writings to be accepted as inspired scripture, and very few copies circulated for many years, allowing corruptions to be overlooked more easily.

So, either there was a corruption, or Paul contradicted himself. We’re assuming there’s a corruption.

Let’s not be too harsh on the scribal copyists. Remember, coffee was not yet known in the ancient world!

Translator note

The prices in 1 Kings 10 and 2 Chronicles 1

In our Greek Septuagint source text, there is a contradiction between the prices given in the two parallel accounts of 1 Kings 10:29 and 2 Chronicles 1:17.

In 1 Kings, the customs duty paid by a chariot was 100 silver coins, and a horse for 50 silver coins.

In 2 Chronicles, however, the fee paid by a chariot was 600 silver coins, and a horse 150 silver coins.

This contradiction does not exist in the surviving Hebrew Masoretic text, nor in the Aramaic Peshitta – only in the Greek Septuagint. So what’s going on?

Could it be a scribal error? Perhaps, but we’re going with the possibility that the Greek Septuagint is right in both places, and that there was a range of fees paid by the traders, depending on what they were carrying. Yes, perhaps 1 Kings is giving the minimum fee charged, while 2 Chronicles is recording the maximum fee charged.

This may be supported by the phrase ‘according to their means,’ which is only found in 2 Chronicles 1; it may suggest that it’s giving the maximum value paid if the trader’s customers can afford it.

This would make sense, as you can get more tax money out of the rich than you can out of the poor. Otherwise, importers of lower-value everyday goods would be paying a higher percentage of tax than the importers of luxury goods. Not only would this be unfair, but it would be bad economics, as it would probably kill-off all trade of lower-value goods, leading to less tax revenue, not more (as many modern governments have found).

So perhaps the actual fees were:

Between 100 to 600 silver coins per chariot.

Between 50 to 150 silver coins per horse.

Again, the fee depends on what goods they were carrying. This sounds more reasonable.

However, if this is the case, then the Hebrew Masoretic text must have been spuriously ‘fixed’ by someone later on to make both accounts match up, with only the Greek Septuagint preserving the original (correct) numbers.

However, this is all just a guess; we don’t really know what happened.

Translator note

1 Kings 6:1 – How many years?

There is a disagreement here between the different Bible source texts. The Greek Septuagint says:

‘It was in the four hundred and fortieth year after the sons IsraEl left Egypt ... that the foundation of the Temple of Jehovah was laid.’

However, the Hebrew text says the foundation of the Temple was laid four hundred and eighty years after the exodus from Egypt.

So, which is correct?

Well, the period from IsraEl’s entry into the promised land – from the period of the Judges to the start of the reign of King Saul (as shown in the books of Judges and 1 Samuel) – seems to have been about 400 years. Then if we add the 40 years of Saul’s rule and the 40 years of David’s rule, you can see that there had to be at least 480 years between the time of the Exodus and the laying of the Temple foundation by David’s son Solomon.

So the Greek Septuagint text is probably is error here, and the Hebrew Masoretic text is most likely correct.

It can be argued that this 480-year period may not have actually started with the Exodus, but with IsraEl’s entry into the Promised Land. To learn more, see the commentary, Who was Pharaoh during the Exodus?.

Translator note

1 Timothy 1:18 – ‘fight in a good war’

Most Bible translations say something like he will ‘fight the good fight.’ However, in our opinion, Paul wanted to use a much stronger imagery.

The Greek source seems to indicate that Timothy would act as soldier or warrior in fighting (strateun) in a good (kalen) war (strateian). Presumably, this would be a spiritual war.

What may be the original Aramaic source agrees, saying that Timothy would perform military work or service (dəṯeplūḥ) in a good, or proper, (šappīrtā) war (pālḥūṯā).

We feel that this is more colorful than merely ‘fight a good fight’. It is also logical, because both letters to Timothy follow a theme of a soldier in battle. For example, Paul refers to him as a ‘fine soldier’ at 2 Timothy 2:3-4.

Translator note

1 Timothy 2:9-15 – verses about women

Since this passage is about an emotionally-charged topic, here’s a breakdown of why we translate it in this way.

Verses 9-10

In the NKJV:

⁹ in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, ¹⁰ but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works.

In our translation:

⁹ Likewise, the women’s clothing should be modest, respectable, and sensible; not with fancy hairstyles, gold, pearls, or expensive clothes. ¹⁰ But instead, [their fancy clothing] should be good works – something befitting women who say that they fear God.

The problem is that all three words used (in both Greek and Aramaic) could reasonably be translated as some variation of modesty. So the differences must be subtle. So the question is, what are the differences?

According to the interlinear Apostolic Bible, the Greek literally says ‘composed apparel with respect and discreetness’, while the Dukhrana interlinear of the Aramaic text gives ‘modest/sober apparel with modesty/reverence and modesty/sobriety.’

Now we must turn this into everyday English. If we instead look at the opposite of these words, we can start to see how to convey this in modern terms.

What is the opposite of being sober and modest? Probably wild (or drunk) and showing off. What’s the opposite of modesty and reverence? Probably showing off (again) and being disrespectful. What’s the opposite of modesty and sobriety? Making poor choices that also results in showing off.

So in everyday English, we could say modest (opposite of wild showing off), respectable (opposite of disrespectful), and sensible (opposite of making poor choices). Also, if these comments are made in the context of Christian meetings (like the next comments about learning seem to be), the reference to respect could refer to respecting the solemness of the occasion.

These Aramaic-based translations are all very similar to the Greek words, except for ‘discreetness’ instead of ‘sensible.’ However, in Greek ‘discreet’ also means ‘wise,’ ‘sanity,’ and ‘self-control’. So both languages seem to be saying the same thing.

Verse 11

In the NKJV:

¹¹ Let a woman learn in silence with all submission.

In our translation:

¹¹ Let a woman [or, wife] learn quietly and obediently.

In this place, our translation is very similar to others, but phrases like “in silence” and “with all submission” are old-fashioned.

Further, some men take the phrase “all submission” out of context in order to tell women that they should allow themselves to be subjugated and abused because “the Bible says you ought to be silent and submit to me!” However, this verse is just talking about learning – being obedient to Christian teachers, probably in the context of Christian meetings.

Look at it this way, the opposite meaning would be to behave “loudly and disruptively”. Should any Christian act like that when learning about their Faith, male or female?

Verse 12a

In the NKJV:

¹² And I do not permit a woman to teach ...

In our translation:

¹² Indeed, I don’t argue that a woman [should] teach ...

The differences between the Greek and Aramaic are interesting here. The Aramaic word is usually translated as ‘allow/permit,’ but it’s actually a stronger inflection of the verb ‘to persuade’, so it could be order, but the root is usually used to mean beg or plead. If that’s correct, then Paul isn’t setting up a rule, rather, he is stating that he would never argue for a woman to teach. In other words, he would never demand it, nor try to make it happen.

If this is right, then it may resolve a problem, because if he really had set up a ‘rule’ that women can never teach, then what about places where the local Christian group has no Christian men willing (or able) to teach? The problem disappears when we see that it’s not a rule, it’s just not what he would argue for; it’s not the ideal.

While the Christian books mention women praying, prophecying, singing, and preaching, they don’t mention women teaching a congregation. On the contrary, James recommended that very few ‘brothers’ should be teachers (James 3:1).

Being a teacher is, however, different from leading the congregation in song, saying a prayer, prophecying, speaking in tongues, or sharing testimonies and experiences. Teaching is something very specific that (according to James) few should do. And nobody (male or female) should be the Leader other than the Anointed One. (see below)

Verse 12b

In the NKJV:

... or to have authority over a man...

In our translation:

... nor [that she should] domineer a man;

The Aramaic uses a strong inflection of ‘to dare’, or ‘to be bold’. The Greek can mean to be something like a despot. In the everyday English of our translation, we choose to say ‘to domineer a man’.

One might think that authority and domination are the same thing, but they are not. Saying ‘have authority over’ implies an official appointment to an office. Therefore, the meaning of the verse is changed entirely; it sounds like Paul is implying that while women can’t gain such authority, men can.

We have learned through our translation efforts that men are not permitted to have authority (or to act as ‘Lords’) over other Christians, for only the Anointed One is the Leader. Even the Apostles were mere servants. See our page on mistranslations to support the authority of men.

To ‘have authority over’ implies some official appointment, whereas anyone can be domineering. No appointment is needed. So, if Paul was saying that a woman shouldn’t be domineering over a man, it changes the sense to something much broader. Also, keep in mind that the Aramaic and Greek words for woman and man also mean wife and husband. The actual meaning is only seen by context. You could choose to read it as ‘nor [should a wife] domineer a husband’.

Verse 12c

In the NKJV:

...but to be in silence.

In our translation:

... rather, stop it.

Finally, instead of ‘be silent’, our translation says ‘stop it’ because the broader sense of the Aramaic word (and its root) means to cease something, including speaking and doing, but ‘be silent’ would be a reasonable choice too.

Verses 13-14a

In the NKJV:

¹³ For Adam was formed first, then Eve. ¹⁴ And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived ...

In our translation:

¹³ For Adam was created first, then Eve. ¹⁴ Also, Adam wasn’t seduced, but the woman was seduced ...

The Aramaic word has a broad range of meanings – from simply making a mistake, to going astray, to be seduced. Since we know the context – what happened in the Garden – we know that seduced is the correct meaning here.

Eve was not just deceived – there was more to it. She was enticed to look at the tree and to develop a desire for its fruit; the ‘snake’ aroused feelings in her and then used these against her. This is more than mere deception, it’s seduction.

To translate it as ‘deceived’ could imply that she was simply tricked and that God will punish innocent people if they are fooled by someone – yes, that He punishes people for being victims! It makes far more sense when one understands that it’s not that simple; she wasn’t just lied to, she was enticed to fulfill her own desires and to sin.

According to HELPS Word Studies, the scholar Deissmann stated that “deception with [this word] is often sensual (personal desires, pleasure)”.

Verses 14b

In the NKJV:

... fell into transgression.

In our translation:

... broke the commandment.

There are three problems with ‘fell into transgression’. First, it’s old-fashioned (and our translation is supposed to be in modern English). Secondly, it speaks generally, whereas the original text is referencing a specific event. The actual words in Greek say that Eve was in violation – meaning, she broke a law. The Aramaic says she broke the command. Yes, she ate the fruit. So that’s what we have in our translation.

Finally, the more general statement, unfortunately, implies to some that through Eve, all women have fallen into transgression (or sin) in some way that Adam (and all men) did not. Therefore, they say, women are uniquely sinful. Yet this is not supported by the original words.

There is no implication that by extension, through Eve, all women are somehow uniquely sinful. Surely, by this logic, the men would be uniquely sinful since Adam wasn’t seduced and knew what he was doing.

Verse 15

In the NKJV:

¹⁵ Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.

In our translation:

¹⁵ However, she’ll be sustained by her children – as long as they[, that is, her children] remain in the Faith in love, holiness, and sensibleness.

This verse has caused some to think that giving birth to multiple children will save (or at least help to save) women.

There are two main problems with this. First, only faith in the sacrifice of Jesus can save. Paul could hardly tell Timothy that a woman is saved by having kids. He can’t say that; only Jesus saves.

The problem evaporates when you realize that the word for ‘saved’ has further everyday uses (in both Aramaic and Greek) than just salvation through Jesus. The Aramaic word can also mean the ordinary sustaining things of life (money, food, drink, shelter, etc.), or to be kept safe and well. Also, the Greek can mean to be safe and sound. Only the context reveals which is the correct meaning. We choose “sustained”.

So Paul is not saying that the woman will be saved in a religious sense (how could he?), but looked after, sustained. But how can giving birth sustain you? Well, the Aramaic word can mean either births or children. Again, the context is key. Paul must be referring to the support of her grown, believing children in the Faith – not little babies! So here our translation says “sustained by her children”.

If the Greek is merely a translation of an Aramaic original (as we suspect), then we can see where the misunderstanding came from – the Greek translator chose the wrong definition. He saw “births/children”, ignored the obvious context, and turned children into childbearing! Suddenly, giving birth grants women salvation.

Further, when it says “she’ll be sustained by her children as long as they remain in the Faith”, the Aramaic word meaning ‘they remain’ has a masculine plural spelling. So it can’t be referring back to the singular woman, it must refer to her children remaining in the Faith (a mixed-sex group of people uses a plural masculine spelling). Also, newborn babies cannot be ‘in the Faith.’

Therefore, by considering the context, Paul said that a woman will be sustained via her faithful children. Sustained in what way? Perhaps sustained in the Faith, and protected from what he mentioned previously, being seduced by something and led away from the Faith.

Translator note

1 Timothy 3:16 – ‘he’ or ‘God’?

The wording was altered – either accidentally or deliberately – in some Greek manuscripts to say that God appeared in the flesh instead of ‘he.’ This is one of the most famous corruptions of the Bible text that researchers have found. It is corrected in most modern Bibles, but still appears in a few translations, such as the King James Version and the World English Bible.

Sir Isaac Newton even wrote a pamphlet about this corruption, which also covered the fake words of the ‘Johannine Comma’ too.

Translator note

2 Thessalonians 1:9 – ‘with age-long ruin’

The precise wording and meaning of 2 Thessalonians 1:9 is a bit unclear, and we have chosen to deviate from the thoughts expressed in other Bibles for the following reason.

For example, the New American Standard Bible, says:

‘These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.’

However, we believe that this is in error. Literally, the Greek source reads:

‘which/ones justice will/pay ruin age-long (Greek: holethron aionion) from face of/the Lord and from the glory of/the strength of/him.’

Firstly, aionion does not mean eternal, but age-long. In other words, it lasts for a specific period. How long that period may last is unspecified. Yes, it could turn out to be eternity, but it may not turn out to be.

Secondly, being eternally destroyed is inconsistent with the thought of being sent away from the face of the Lord. Is one being destroyed or sent away? Which is it? Indeed, Strong’s says this about the word used in the Greek source, that the word:

“...does not imply ‘extinction’ (annihilation). Rather it emphasizes the consequent loss that goes with the complete ‘undoing.’”

If indeed this should be understood to mean a complete loss or a complete undoing, then the Aramaic sources might agree. The Aramaic word can mean “loss, perdition, waste”, although it could mean “ruin” and “destruction” too.

So, we have translated this verse more literally in a way that harmonizes the Greek and Aramaic, and the context, as:

‘Yes, in justice, they’ll be repaid with age-long ruin away from the face of the Lord and the glory of his might’

Translator note

2 Corinthians 2:12 – ‘in the Lord’ or ‘by the Lord’?

The apostle writes (in most Bibles):

a door was opened for me in the Lord,

The Greek word used for ‘in’ is εν, which can be translated as ‘in’. However, it can also mean ‘by’ as in ‘by means of’. The same dual use applies to the equivalent Aramaic word.

So in English, this is more suitably translated as:

a door was opened for me by the Lord

Or, since this verse seems to be using Lord as a euphemism for the Divine Name of God (see the link in the text for details), our translation says:

Jehovah had opened a door [of opportunity] for me there.

Translator note

2 Samuel 6:14 – David dancing naked?

The account at 2 Samuel 6:14 is a great example of why we trust the Greek Septuagint manuscripts over the Hebrew Masoretic text.

In the Septuagint, King David is described as wearing a fine robe (στολην εξαλλον) while he danced in the parade leading God’s Sacred Chest into JeruSalem for the first time. On the other hand, the Hebrew Masoretic text says that he was wearing just a linen ephod (vest).

So when his wife Michal accused him of exposing himself while he danced, the conclusion that the Hebrew text implies is that he celebrated bringing Jehovah’s Chest to JeruSalem by dancing naked from the waist down! This certainly doesn’t sound appropriate or likely.

However, the Greek Septuagint shows that he was fully covered in fine clothes, so Michal’s accusation could just be the exaggeration of a disgusted wife who didn’t approve of David’s dancing. Perhaps she thought that her husband was not behaving in the dignified matter that her father Saul would have done.

Therefore, did David actually expose his genitals?

Well, apparently, ancient IsraElites didn’t wear underpants beneath their robes, so lively dancing may have caused David to accidentally expose himself. But the rest of Michal’s and David’s words may just mean that she disapproved of his exuberant dancing and used exaggeration to make her point.

Translator note

2 Timothy 2:19 – The mystery quote

The Apostle quotes two phrases here. The first is usually understood as a quote of Numbers 16:5 (or Nahum 1:7).

The second one, however, is a ‘mystery’ to academics. Nobody knows what the apostle was quoting. Some have proposed that it’s alluding to certain passages, but none really fit. Some have even suggested that he was combining the thoughts of two different passages into one. However, it sounds very much like a direct quote.

In most Bibles it reads like this:

‘Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.’ –NIV

So, what is the answer to this little mystery?

Well, maybe we have it.

While it’s certainly true that we should turn away from wickedness, our theory is that this is actually a mistranslation. However, not a modern mistranslation, but an ancient one!

You see, the word which appears above as ‘turn away’ is translated from the Greek, which our project believes was likely translated from an Aramaic original. Now, in the Aramaic manuscripts, the word used is ܘܢܦܪܘܩ (wnprwq) and it has two completely different meanings.

It can indeed mean to abstain, or to leave off and abandon something. However, it can also mean to be rescued, saved, or most interestingly of all: to be ransomed. The correct meaning is deduced from the context.

Once you realize this fact, you can see how an ancient Greek translator (who turned the original Aramaic letter of Paul into Greek) could make a simple mistake – he could simply chose the wrong meaning. Once you change the word from abstains to saves, it becomes very obvious what Paul was quoting.

Literally, in Aramaic, it says:

ܐܶܢܽܘܢ ܘܢܶܦ݂ܪܽܘܩ ܡܶܢ ܥܰܘܠܳܐ ܟ݁ܽܠ ܕ݁ܩܳܪܶܐ ܠܰܫܡܶܗ ܕ݁ܡܳܪܝܳܐ
he-them saves from evil all who-call-to his-name of-the-lord

Or:

He saves all who call on the name of the Lord.

The ancient Greek translation, therefore, has two errors. It says ‘abstain from evil’ instead of ‘saves from evil,’ and it says ‘Christ’ instead of ‘the Lord’. If we fix both errors, then the Greek text would say something like:

Everyone calling on the name of the Lord will be saved from evil.

Any experienced Bible reader can immediately identify this quote. It’s not hard. It’s obviously a paraphrase of Joel 2:32:

‘...all who call on the name of the Lord will be the ones who are saved’

This verse is also quoted by Peter in Acts 2:21 and by Paul again in Romans 10:13. Here in 2 Timothy, Paul simply adds that we’re being saved from evil.

The only English Bibles to fix this error is ours and the 1933 Lamsa Bible. For everyone else, this quote is a mystery.

Translator note

37 mighty men?

You may notice that the list (in our translation) of David’s ‘mighty men’ in 2 Samuel 23:24-39 only contains 25 names, and the entire chapter only lists 30 names of mighty men. We can assume these are the original members of the group of ‘30’ that’s mentioned several times. ‘The 30’ probably became a name itself.

So why does it then say ‘In all, they numbered 37’ at the end?

Could our manuscript, the Greek Septuagint, have it wrong here? Perhaps. The Hebrew Masoretic text contains a longer list of names, and parts of the list itself are quite different. Clearly at least one version is corrupted, maybe both.

Also, some have been able to make the list in the Hebrew add up to 37... although you need to jump through some mental hoops to get there! They say that if you use the slightly longer list in the Hebrew text, and if you make an assumption that there are actually two groups of ‘three mighty men’ (which has one unnamed member), and then if you also assume that JoAb was over them all (even if he wasn’t listed in the chapter)... Then (finally) you reach 37.

However, it seems like a bit of a coincidence that the chapter overall mentions ‘the 30’ men several times, and exactly 30 names are listed in the Septuagint text. That part seems to add up.

Also, remember that our Greek Septuagint manuscript is centuries older than the oldest Hebrew manuscript, and the Hebrew was certainly revised (or censored and ‘corrected’) in the late 1st century CE. In other words, we generally trust our Septuagint manuscript over the Hebrew. Or to put it more plainly: someone may have tried to ‘correct’ the Hebrew text by adding more names to reach 37.

So what’s the truth?

Well, we don’t know. Perhaps the number 37 is an earlier corruption which now appears in both texts, and should actually read ‘30.’

Or could the number 37 be referring to other (unnamed) men who replaced members of ‘the 30’ as they died? Indeed, there‘s another list of ‘David’s mighty men’ in 1 Chronicles 11, but the Septuagint text lists even more men there – 51! So it may be that the number 37 includes some of the men who replaced those who died, but perhaps there was a difference of opinion over who was really good enough to be counted among the ‘30.’ Perhaps the author of the later list in 1 Chronicles 11 was a bit more generous and included far more men among the ‘mighty ones.’

So it’s not very clear.

The simplest explanation for the number 37 in 2 Samuel, may be that the number should read ‘30,’ not ‘37,’ and it was simply an earlier scribal error. Then, later on, editors of the Hebrew Masoretic text tried adding to the list to ‘correct’ the discrepancy by taking names from the longer list in 1 Chronicles 11. That longer list of names probably included various men who replaced the ones who died.

Note also that the number 7 in Hebrew is figuratively used to mean completion. Could the original Hebrew text have meant ‘a complete 30’? But it was later corrupted into ‘37?’ Maybe, but if that’s what happened, all manuscript evidence for this is lost.

Alternatively, the Hebrew text has it right, and with a little work (and adding in JoAb) you can get to 37, and the Greek Septuagint translators really messed up their translation and missed out lots of names by accident. However, that goes against all our experience with the Greek text. We just don’t think they could have messed up that badly.

Whatever the truth, David certainly had a group of mighty men known as ‘the 30,’ and some who died were likely replaced by others, perhaps totalling 51. Where the number 37 fits in to all this is unclear.

Also see these translator notes:

• Lost text in 1 Chronicles 11.
• The confusing lists of David’s mighty men.

Translator note

Acts 3:20 – ‘proclaimed’ or ‘appointed’?

There are two variants of this verse. Some say proclaimed, others say appointed.

The two Greek words look and sound similar:

προκεχειρισμένον / prokecheirismenon (appointed)
προκεκηρυγμένον / prokekerygmenon (proclaimed)

Perhaps when scribes made copies of the scroll, the original scroll was said aloud, and someone misheard! Alternatively, someone may have seen the wrong word with their eyes. This is very understandable. Both words would fit the passage, and both look and sound similar.

So we ended up with some copies saying ‘appointed’ and others saying ‘proclaimed’. Since both words can fit the context, and both say something right, it didn’t matter so much.

So which is correct?

Well, the Aramaic says appointed, but since our translation’s position is that Acts was probably penned in Greek, this carries less weight.

So again, which is correct? We don’t know for sure. However, it seems more likely that the Apostle would speak of Jesus who was proclaimed to you, because the idea of Jesus being ‘appointed to you’ is an unfamiliar phrase that we don’t find anywhere else.

Translator note

Possible spurious text: Acts 7:16

There are several reasons to suspect that this verse is spurious. It was most likely added by mistake as an interpolation – where someone’s personal note (perhaps scribbled in the margin, or written between the lines) got moved into the main text when later scribes came to make copies. The scribes simply didn’t know if the words were part of the text or not, and added them to be safe.

Why do we suspect this verse? For several reasons:

It contains factual errors.

There is great disagreement between the manuscripts on the wording.

It breaks the chronology.

Removing it causes no problems, and makes the passage flow better.

If it had been written as someone’s personal note, and that person didn’t really know what they were talking about, later people (who didn’t realize that it was spurious) probably tried to correct this ‘verse,’ and then created multiple different versions of it.

Let’s look at the reasons to suspect it in more detail:

1. Greek says ‘they,’ Aramaic says ‘he’, and both may be wrong.

The Greek source texts say that ‘they’ (meaning, their bodies) were taken to SheChem and laid in a tomb. However, Joshua 24:32 only records them burying the bones of JoSeph there. Of course, it’s possible that others were too, but that is not recorded anywhere. Further, when 1st-century historian Josephus describes the account, he only reports that others were buried at Hebron, not SheChem. This means that 1st century Jews did not generally believe that multiple people were buried in SheChem.

The Aramaic version of this verse says something different: that only ‘he’ (Jacob) was taken and buried in SheChem. Yet Jacob wasn’t buried in SheChem. Genesis 50:13 says he was buried in a double cave in Hebron, 40 miles away!

2. AbraHam did not buy the burial place in SheChem.

This verse says that the burial place in SheChem was bought by ‘AbraHam.’ However, this is incorrect. According to Genesis 33:18-19, it was bought years later by Jacob.

People have proposed several answers to this. Some say that Stephen simply got his facts wrong. Others say that Stephen meant that the tomb was bought on behalf of AbraHam. Yet others say that the word ‘AbraHam’ is a later false addition.

It is hard to imagine that Stephen would get such a simple fact wrong. There is no reason to attribute the purchase by Jacob to being on behalf of AbraHam, who was buried elsewhere. The word AbraHam could be a false addition though, but it would not explain the other problems with this verse described here.

But simple factual errors are typical of false additions, especially interpolations – since they only began as someone’s personal notes, and were never meant to be copied by others.

3. Manuscripts differ on the wording.

In most Greek manuscripts, it says that the tomb was bought by AbraHam from the sons of Hamor in (the city of) SheChem. However, the Aramaic does not contain the words ‘in SheChem’. That’s rather odd.

Also, the Greek Alexandrian family of manuscripts does include the words, but says ‘of SheChem’ instead of ‘in SheChem’ – as if SheChem is a person, not a city!

Again, this sort of confusion between manuscripts is typical of false additions.

4. It breaks the narrative.

Stephen is providing a chronological summary of Jewish history. One event is followed by another. Yet this verse breaks that smooth order of events. If we would believe this verse to be genuine, then he mentions Jacob coming down to Egypt, then their bodies being buried in the promised land in SheChem, and then moves back to Moses. Yes, the events are not only factually incorrect – but they’re in the wrong order! Yet if we remove this ‘verse,’ the chronology flows.

Again, this is typical of false additions. After all, a false addition is very likely to break a narrative, because it was not meant to be there.

5. If we remove it, no harm is done.

As is typical for false insertions, removing it causes no harm to the text. It still reads perfectly fine, and since the chronology is no longer broken, removing it actually improves the text by making it flow better.

Conclusion: a probable fake

What a great number of problems in a single verse! Yet this is quite typical of false insertions in the Bible. Not only are they factually wrong, but they break the narrative, there is variation in the wording between manuscripts – probably from different people trying to ‘correct’ the errors in the ‘verse’ in different ways – and when you remove all this, the passage either still makes perfect sense, or makes more sense.

Here’s what may have happened:

An early Christian preacher added a note between the lines, perhaps for a sermon he was going to give. He decided to add the detail that Jacob was later buried in the promised land. However, he confused two events: (1) when Jacob was taken and buried in Hebron inside the same cave that AbraHam had bought for his own burial, and (2) when Joseph’s bones were taken and buried in SheChem after the Exodus.

For whatever reason, nobody picked up on the error, and when scribes needed to make more copies of the scroll of Acts (for use in other churches), they copied the note along with the rest of the text. The note then became part of the Bible.

Later, some people realized that the ‘verse’ had factual errors. Scribes probably assumed that the errors were created by previous scribes copying the verse incorrectly. So different ones tried to fix the text in different ways. This created the disagreements between the different Greek manuscripts that we see today, and the version we find in the Aramaic translation.

Obviously it may have happened in some other way, but we feel that this is a good candidate.

As of 2022, we have no direct manuscript evidence that this verse is a later false addition. It would be wonderful to find an ancient manuscript where this verse doesn’t appear. Maybe it will be found one day, but our oldest manuscripts of Acts only date to the 3rd or 4th centuries, as much as 300 years after it was written. If the error appeared very early, say 50 years after it was written, then there is little hope of ever finding manuscript proof.

For the time being, we only have our strong suspicions.

Translator note

Age-long fire

In Jude 7, we read of how the people of Sodom, GomorRah, and surrounding cities were condemned to age-long fire (greek: pyros aioniou). We also see in Matthew 18:8 and Matthew 25:41 how Jesus said that some are condemned to the same fate.

This term is usually translated in other Bibles as eternal fire, and it has long been understood to be speaking of an eternal punishment of torture in Hell Fire. Others may see it as a symbol of eternal destruction.

However, we believe that ‘age-long’ more accurately reflects the word usually translated as eternal in the source texts, and therefore, ‘eternal fire’ may actually be a mistranslation. Why?

Well, the word that most Bibles usually translate as ‘eternal’, aioniou, doesn’t actually mean that. Instead it means age or era, and it appears in this translation as age-long. The original word means an undefined period of time, not eternity or forever.

Further, if we wanted to view the words as meaning an eternal punishment in Hell Fire, other verses contradict the idea. For example, the Greek word for immortality (athanasia, which literally means undying) only appears in the Bible three times:

Once at 1 Timothy 6:16, where it speaks of Jesus as being immortal.

Twice at 1 Corinthians 15:53-54 where it tells us that God offers immortality as a reward to the faithful.

So, there is no scripture in the Bible that ever speaks of sinners as having athanasia (immortality) or of having immortal souls, something that would be necessary to be tortured eternally in a Hell Fire.

Translating pyros aioniou (age-long fire) as ‘eternal fire’ therefore deceives readers into thinking that the text is describing sinners being burned for eternity, when the original text does not say eternal at all, but age-long, and other verses describe eternal life only as a reward to faithful ones.

Therefore, you can see how seriously we must take the translation of these words. If we get it wrong, readers can be wildly misled.

What exactly, though, does ‘age-long’ mean? For a greater discussion on the meaning of this word, please see our translator note on the word forever.

Note also that fire is sometimes symbolic in the Bible. For a greater discussion of the subject of Hell Fire, please see the commentary on Hell.

Translator note

Amen

‘Amen’ is a Hebrew word that was never really translated into English, it was just anglicized (made to sound English). In Greek, it’s pronounced, ah-main. People never translated it because scholars were afraid to change this supposed ‘magical’ word that ensures that God will listen to our prayers.

Interestingly, there is no record in the Bible of anyone ending a personal prayer with amen. However, we do know that it was likely said at the end of group prayers. At 1 Corinthians 14:16, Paul mentions that hearers of a congregational prayer would say amen at the end to show that they agreed.

However, all other uses of amen in the Bible (especially by Paul) have nothing to do with prayers; they are merely exclamations to affirm that what the person is saying is true (like saying ‘absolutely!’ or ‘right on!’). So the literal meaning and best translation of the word amen would be ‘May it be so’, and this is how it usually appears in our translation.

Then, should Christians end their prayers with the word amen (or with may it be so)?

It really makes no difference. There is no specific instruction about it in the Bible. Further, God is surely smart enough to know when you’ve ended your prayer! However, an audible ‘amen’ (or, ‘may it be so’) at the conclusion of a public prayer is surely useful, as it indicates that the prayer has indeed ended and that we agree with the words that were spoken (if, in fact, we do agree).

In our translation, we’ve left the word amen unchanged in just four places, each for poetic reasons. The only place in the Christian books is at Revelation 3:14, where Jesus is referred to symbolically as ‘the Amen.’

Translator note

Amos 7:1 – ‘Gog the Grasshopper King’

At Amos 7:1 in the Greek Septuagint, we read about Gog the Grasshopper King, which is mentioned apparently in reference to the king of Assyria (who would thereafter attack the northern 10-tribe Kingdom of Israel). Or it could possibly be in reference to the unseen force behind that great world power.

For it says there:

‘Then {Look!} the Lord showed me a breed of locusts that arrived early in the morning, being led by Gog the grasshopper king.’ —Amos 7:1

Note that in Greek, he is described as:

βρουχος εις γωγ ο βασιλευς
grasshoppers they/are of gog the king

However, this term isn’t found in the Hebrew Masoretic text, which says:

‘This is what the Almighty lord showed me:
He was preparing swarms of locusts when the second crop was being harvested.
It was the harvest that followed the harvest for the king.’

Which is correct? While it’s impossible to know for sure, the Greek Septuagint text is so much older than the Hebrew Masoretic. So the Greek version should be taken seriously.

Translator note

‘Anointed’ or ‘Christ’?

We’ve decided to consistently translate the word for ‘anointed’ the same way at all times, while other translations do not. For example, 2 Corinthians 1:21 (in our translation) says:

‘And indeed, the One that confirmed us among you into the Anointed One, and the One that anointed us, is God.’

Yet, the King James Version translates the same verse like this:

‘Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God.’

Yes, the King James says ‘Christ’ and ‘anointed’, but ours says ‘anointed’ in both places. Why? Well, in Greek, you’ll see that this verse reads:

‘Ho de bebaion hemas syn hymin eis christon kai chrisas hemas Theos,’

‘The of stabilizing us with you into anointed and anointing us God.’

Yes, they are the same word; they’re just conjugated differently: christon (anointed) and chrisas (anointing).

The Aramaic version is similar, also using two variants of the same word: b'amshiyha (in-anointed-one) and mashan (anointed-us).

Therefore, our translation is consistent and uses Anointed One, rather than Christ. But would it not be better to say Christ, as countless other translators have done?

We don’t think so, for two reasons:

1. The term ‘Christ’ has almost totally lost its meaning to many Bible readers today, since most have come to believe that this was Jesus’ last name. It wasn’t.

2. ‘Christ’ is a word that was made up by early Bible translators. It is merely an Anglicization of the Greek word christos or christon, and they only use it in that form when the translators assume that the Bible is speaking of Jesus. In other places it is correctly translated into the English word, anointed. Is it appropriate for Bible translators to decide when the text is referring to Jesus, and when it is not?

Understand that all the kings, priests, and prophets that Jehovah/Yahweh chose were anointed with oil to show that He had chosen them (olive oil was poured over their heads). For example, Kings Saul, David, and Solomon were anointed with oil by God’s Priests, because God chose and appointed them to their positions. He also poured His Spirit (or Breath) upon them.

So the word christos means anointed. Now, if you prefer the word Christ, then please keep in mind that Saul, David, and Solomon were also ‘Christs’, for you can’t have it both ways.

For example, at 1 Samuel 24:6 (in the Greek Septuagint), David refers to King Saul as ‘christo’, and in the Hebrew version David calls King Saul ‘mə-šî-aḥ’ (messiah). So, if christos should be translated as Christ, then unrighteous King Saul was also a Messiah or Christ. However, almost all Bibles translate christos or mə-šî-aḥ as anointed in this case because the translators knows that nobody would accept it any other way.

However, the translators are inserting an interpretation into the text. They have invented and assigned a new title to one person (Jesus), but not to others, when the source text calls all those persons by the same word (anointed).

Notice how the consistent translation of christos and christon as ‘anointed’ rather than sometimes saying ‘Christ’ provides you with a better understanding of certain verses.

For example, at Matthew 24:24, most other Bibles say that Jesus foretold the coming of false Christs and false prophets. What he actually said was that false anointed and false prophets (greek: pseudo christon kai pseudo prophetai) will arise. So Jesus wasn’t necessarily saying that people would come claiming to be him (although many have), but rather, that people would come falsely claiming to be God’s anointed and His prophets… though they truly will not be.

For a fuller discussion about who are the anointed, please see the commentary on the False Anointed.

Another example can be found at 1 Peter 1:10-11, which reads in this Bible:

‘When it comes to salvation, the Prophets looked and searched for this loving-care that’s being shown to you. They tried, through the spirit of anointing that was in them to determine the exact time and circumstances of the sufferings of the Anointed One and of his being glorified, which they knew about even back then.’

You see, other Bibles say it was the Spirit of Christ that was in the ancient Prophets. Yet the verse just uses the word for anointed, and translating it into English as ‘Christ’ is just an assumption of the translator. This may be undesirable to readers who understand that Jesus only became the Christ or the Anointed at his baptism.

The context of Peter’s words could easily be saying that the spirit of their anointing as prophets, priests, and kings is what compelled them to look forward to Jesus’ coming. Indeed, if you check the wording of that verse in Greek, you’ll see that there’s no ‘the’ (greek: ‘ho’) before the first christou (anointed). That word would be required if Peter was actually talking about the Spirit of the Christ (or the Anointed One). However, ‘the’ is nowhere to be found.

So consistently using the word ‘anointed’ can clarify the meaning of certain verses. That’s why we’ve chosen to translate it the same way each time.

Translator note

Antichrist or false anointed one?

While the Greek texts can typically be translated as ‘antichrist,’ the Aramaic text makes it abundantly clear that it says and means ‘false anointed one,’ or ‘false Christian.’

‘Christ,’ of course, just means ‘Anointed One.’ Every Christian is an Anointed One (‘Christian’ literally means ‘little anointed’), and Jesus is also called the Anointed One.

The ‘Anti-’ part in Greek could mean ‘opponent’ or ‘opposite’ but it can also mean ‘like’ or ‘reminiscent of,’ which basically means fake. The Aramaic clarifies what was meant, since the Aramaic word clearly means ‘false’ or ‘liar’ – again, fake.

So when most Bible says ‘Antichrist,’ this is a mistranslation. The word actually means a fake anointed one, or a fake Christian. Note that it may not refer to a false ‘Messiah’ because the context in 1 John 2 describes some of these ones – they are ordinary Christians who now ‘deny the Son.’

How could anyone falsely identify as an anointed one (a Christian), and deny the Son? Well, remember that the gnostic ideas were the first real heresy in Christianity – and one gnostic teaching was that Jesus was merely an ordinary human who attained ‘enlightenment’ through studying wisdom (known as ‘gnosis’).

So the fake anointed ones mentioned in John 2 may have been Christians who had been seduced by some gnostic teaching that ‘denied’ Jesus in some manner.

Translator note

ArtaXerxes or ArthaSastha?

The name given for the king mentioned in the Greek Septuagint version of Esther is ArtaXerxes, who was probably ArtaXerxes I, king of Persia.

However, the Septuagint accounts of Ezra and Nehemiah give a different name for what appears to be the same king. There he is called ArthaSastha. Yet the Hebrew Masoretic texts of all those books consistently identify him as ArtaXerxes. Why is there a discrepancy in the Greek?

If all three accounts are truly speaking of the same ArtaXerxes I (which seems to be so), the difference may simply be caused by the Septuagint translators of Ezra and Nehemiah using a local Jewish spelling of the name, while the translator of Esther preferred the Greek spelling.

Translator note

Astin

In Persian, the name of this rebellious queen is VashTi, but the Greek pronunciation is Astin (see the Wikipedia reference, ‘Vashti’). Although some sources claim that she was the daughter of the defeated Babylonian King BelShazzar, the 140 years or more since his death makes that relationship unlikely. However, she could have been a descendant (a granddaughter) of BelShazzar.

Translator note

BaAl, BeEl, Bel, and El

Throughout the Jewish Era Books (the ‘Old Testament’) you’ll read of gods, people, and places with names that either contain, or are, ‘BaAl,’ ‘BeEl,’ and ‘Bel.’ These terms are mean the Lord, the Master, or the Owner, and they could refer to various different gods, not just one.

Yes, ‘Baal’ is not the name of a god. Rather, this word is just the title given to a god. Sometimes the god’s name (or the place that the god represented) follows the title. For example, ‘BeEl Phegor’ (found at Numbers 25:3) means the ‘Lord of Phegor.’

When people only call a god BaAl (or BeEl), they are simply referring to a particular lord or god, and the one being referred to should be implied by the context. Usually it’s just a shorthand reference to the local god, or of whichever people or place is being discussed.

So when a person’s name includes one of these terms, such as, ‘BelShazzar’, it’s a reference to a god. In this case, ‘BelShazzar’ means ‘Lord, protect the king.’ Since BelShazzar was Babylonian, the ‘Bel’ here is probably a reference to the god Marduk.

Of course, having the title BaAl or BeEl in a name doesn’t necessarily imply that a person is a worshiper of that pagan god. Several faithful worshipers of Jehovah/Yahweh also had that title as part of their names.

For example, the faithful Judge Gideon came to be known as JeroBaAl (meaning ‘May BaAl Defend Himself’), because of his action in cutting down an altar to BaAl. Also, one of King Saul’s grandsons (through faithful JoNathan) was named MeriBaAl (meaning ‘Opposer of BaAl’).

Sometimes BaAl even referred to Jehovah/Yahweh Himself! One of King David’s faithful warriors was named BaAlJah (meaning ‘Lord Jehovah’), and David named one of his own sons BaAlJada (meaning ‘Lord Knows’).

By the way, BaAl is pronounced Bah-ahl and BeEl is pronounced Beh-el, not ‘Bail,’ or ‘Beel.’ It’s two syllables because it means two words, ‘the’ and ‘lord.’

In our translation, you will see all names that contain such a reference spelled as BaAl or BeEl to remind you of the proper pronunciation, and of the meaning within the name.

Why do we see the different spellings of BaAl, BeEl, and Bel? It’s probably due to variations in the local pronunciation, or it could have been a spelling choice of later Hebrew translators, since there were no vowels specified in the original writings.

What about ‘El?’

In places where we find the letters ‘El’ at the beginning of a name or place, this is usually just a shortened version of the Hebrew word Elohim, meaning God.

So whereas many Bibles show the Greek word ‘Baithelbereth’ (as found at Judges 9:46) as ‘Bethel Bereth,’ we have translated it as ‘the House of God Bereth.’ For ‘Beth (or Baith)’ means ‘the house (or temple) of,’ ‘El’ means ‘God,’ and ‘Bereth’ is that God’s name.

Translator note

Baptism or Immersion?

To many people today, baptism is the act of being sprinkled with water when you’re a baby. However, baptism was originally full immersion in water.

This is both:

Described in the Bible text (Matthew 3:16; Mark 1:10; Acts 8:38-39; Colossians 2:12; Hebrews 6:4), and...

Conveyed by both the Greek and Aramaic words, which can also mean “washing,” “dipping,” or even “to sink”.

The tradition of sprinkling or pouring water over someone seems to have begun in later decades to make things easier. The first mention of it is probably in the Didache (c.60-150 CE), which says that merely pouring water over someone is an acceptable alternative for times when a large body of water is unavailable.

Also, Christian Baptism was originally a modified form of fully immersive Jewish ritual washing.

Therefore, to fully convey the original meaning, this translation uses “immersion”, “immersing”, and “immersed”. Further, “John the Baptist” becomes “John the Immerser”.

Translator note

Translator bias: Literal or figurative flesh and blood?

In our translation, we try to include ‘figurative quotation marks’ to show when something should not be taken literally. However, sometimes the original wording is ambiguous, and adding the marks would be “putting words into the mouths” of those who were speaking.

Good translation should convey any ambiguity that was present in the original language.

The most controversial texts that may, or may not, be figurative are these words uttered by Jesus at the last supper.

Matthew 26:26-28 says:

Take some of this and eat it, because this is my body... for indeed, this is my blood of the Sacred Agreement...

Mark 14:22-24:

[Jesus] then took a loaf... Then he passed it among [his Apostles] saying: ‘Take it, for this is my body.’ ... And after that, he took a cup... Then he said to them: ‘This is my blood of the Sacred Agreement...’

John 6:53-56:

So Jesus said: ‘I tell you the truth; if you don’t eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you won’t have life in yourselves. For those who chew my flesh and drink my blood will have age-long life… Since my flesh is truly food, and my blood is truly drink... Those who chew on my flesh and drink my blood will remain in me, and I in them.’

1 Corinthians 11:24-25:

‘This is my body that I’m giving for you...’ He did the same thing with the cup, saying: ‘In this cup is the blood of my New Sacred Agreement...’

A majority of Christian denominations teach that Jesus was saying that the bread and wine miraculously turn into literal flesh and blood when consumed at communion. This is called the doctrine of Transubstantiation. They feel this way partly because Jesus’ descriptions seem very plain, and Jesus also called his flesh and blood “real food” and “real drink” (John 6:51-55).

A minority of denominations either say that there’s merely a ‘spiritual’ presence of Jesus in the bread and wine, or that Jesus was speaking figuratively. They feel this way partly because drinking blood and eating unbled flesh is forbidden in the laws given to Noah (Genesis 9:4), the law given to Moses (Leviticus 7:27), and the law given to Christians (Acts 15:29); also Jesus was said to always speak in parables (Matthew 13:34-35).

These denominations would perhaps prefer that we add the ‘figurative quotation marks’ around Jesus’ statements, like this:

Take some of this and eat it, because this is ‘my body’...

Or they would use other means to show the figurative interpretation:

Take some of this and eat it, because this is my [figurative] body...

Or even changing the word ‘is’:

Take some of this and eat it, because this means my body...

However, doing any of these things would change Jesus’ words and remove the original ambiguity. And if that’s what was originally said, then there would be no disagreement today. By ‘clearing it up’ we would not just be putting words into the mouth of Jesus, but we would be changing history, 1984-style.

A correct translation is one that conveys the original meaning, even when that original meaning is unclear. If the original was unclear, then the translation ought to be unclear too (as far as possible).

For an exhaustive discussion on the scriptural arguments for and against transubstantiation, see this blog entry.

Translator note

Bible Measurements

The most common unit for measuring length, height, and depth in the Bible is a cubit, which is described at Ezekiel 40:5 as being ‘a forearm and a palm.’ Obviously, these lengths vary depending on the size of the person. Usually, however, a cubit is regarded as being somewhere around 19 to 22.5 inches (48 to 57cm).

However, to give you a better idea of the size and proportions of things in the Bible, we’ve converted the units of measure to more familiar terms, such as feet and inches (with metric conversions). Since they aren’t exact measurements, we’ve roughly averaged them for easy reading.

Also, some units, like a cor (about 32 bushels), a hin, or a bath (about 6 gallons), have been more roughly estimated because their exact ancient amounts are uncertain.

Finally, we’ve dropped the obscure names of coins, since their modern value (which continues to grow) is unfamiliar to modern readers. Instead, we just describe what type of coin they are (whether gold, silver, or copper), and sometimes the size of the coin, to provide you a relevant frame of reference.

For more information on Biblical measurements, see the Wikipedia article.

Translator note

Blest or Happy?

There is quite a debate among translators over the word makarios, which is found throughout the Greek text of the Bible. Some say it should be translated as blessed, while others say happy.

We actually decided to always translate it as blest – an older spelling of the word blessed, chosen to get rid of the annoying pronunciation of ‘bles-sed.’

Why have we settled on blest rather than happy?

Well, according to Zodhiates’ Complete Word Study Dictionary, the word should never have been translated as happy, as is done in some other Bibles, because happy is derived from the words happen, happening, or happenstance (luck). Why does that matter? Well, when someone receives a reward from God, this is a blessing. However, happiness can come from any source of good luck or fortune.

Therefore, in his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus wasn’t telling his listeners about things that would simply make them happier. Rather, he was speaking of the blessings they would receive if they became his followers.

Note that in Aramaic, there is no debate, as every English translation says ‘blessed’.

Translator note

Worshiped, did obeisance, or bowed down?

A popular argument is this:

The Bible say that various people “worshiped” Jesus, and since Jews and Christians were commanded to only worship God (Revelation 22:9), then Jesus must be God Almighty, and these verses prove the Trinity.

We hate to disappoint people, but the word often translated as worshiped is merely a choice of the English-speaking translator. The original Greek and Aramaic words do not automatically mean worshiped, although they can do.

They simply describe the physical action of bowing down, or kissing the hand. Whether that person is bowing down or kissing as part of a greeting, as a sign of respect, or as an act of religious worship, well, that depends on the context, and is up to the reader to decide.

The term was commonly used in the ancient world to describe the homage given to people of greater rank, such as human rulers, the High Priest, and of course, God.

When modern Bible translators have chosen to translate the term as worshiped, this is based upon their own beliefs and understanding. Some people have then drawn conclusions from that, mistakenly thinking that it’s from the Bible. However, the original language just says bowed/kissed.

Translator note

Breath or Spirit?

The word that most Bibles translate as ‘Spirit,’ ‘Holy Spirit,’ or even ‘Holy Ghost,’ is literally just the word for breath, the wind, or any sort of movement of air. We get the English word ‘spirit’ from the Latin word spiritu, which also just means breath.

So the ‘holy spirit’ said to be sent by God or Jesus is really the sending of holy breath. What exactly this ‘breath’ is, is a matter of much debate and argument.

In the Greek sources, the word is pneuma (πνεῦμα). That’s where we get the English word pneumonia, a breathing disease.

In the Aramaic sources, the word is ruhah (ܪܘܚܐ).

The problem with translating these terms as spirit or ghost is that these words have gained religious meanings over the centuries that weren’t there originally. This has led people to form doctrines based upon misunderstandings and wrong assumptions. It can also radically change the meanings of certain verses which were not intended by the original authors. Most confusion comes from translating the terms as ghost.

We usually translate the Greek word pneuma and the Aramaic word ruhah as breath, but occasionally occasionally as wind. However, sometimes we do say spirit or spirits, for example, where the Bible is referring to demons, because it may be confusing otherwise.

There are also places where pneuma is speaking of a person’s motivation (the spirit behind why we do something). So these places also appear as spirit.

However, most of the time, you’ll see it translated as Holy Breath, as this really is more accurate.

Breath of life

Another important use of these words is in the phrase, ‘Breath of Life’ that appears in 11 places, and other references to breath that simply mean normal human breathing and being alive.

This pneuma or ruhah is not the same as the soul (which literally means a breathing thing, or a breather), and is never described as being immortal.

For example, note how pneuma is found in the Greek Septuagint at Job 27:3, where Job asked:

‘Does the breath of the Divine One remain in my nose?’

So here pneuma is referring to actual breath here, not to God’s Holy Spirit. He was clearly talking about his own breathing, the breath of life.

It’s interesting how at Genesis 6:3, God said concerning the wicked people on earth before the Downpour:

‘I won’t allow My Breath (Greek: pneuma mou, literally ‘Breath Mine’) to stay with these men through the age, for they are fleshly.’

Most other Bibles use Spirit here. So while the words Breath Mine (pneuma mou) may refer to God’s Holy Breath, it seems more likely to us that He was just referring to the breath of life that He gave to Adam. Otherwise, it’s difficult to believe that the wicked people He destroyed had the Breath or Spirit of God!

So, it appears that God was saying that the breath of life, which originally came from Him, would be removed prematurely – in other words, they’d die!

More controversially, you can see how translating ruhah as breath greatly changes the appearance of John 19:30, where Jesus dies. In the NIV it says:

‘When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.’

But our translation says this:

‘Then he hung his head and gave up his breath.’

This translation shows how the words simply mean that Jesus died and stopped breathing.

Yet for many centuries, people have mistakenly thought that the passage is describing Jesus’ ghost, or spirit, leaving his body and returning to God. This causes a Bible contradiction, as elsewhere it states that he didn’t return to God until 40 days later.

Yet once you understand that it simply meant he stopped breathing, that is, he died, then the confusion disappears.

Translator note

Brotherly love, brotherly affection, or brotherly kindness?

Some Bibles would put a phrase like ‘brotherly affection’ or ‘brotherly kindness’ here, but we use ‘love.’ Why?

The word used in the Aramaic source text of 2 Peter 1:7 for ‘love’ is huwb’ah, which is the same word used in Paul’s epic description of love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. Therefore, this is something deeper than mere affection or kindness. Since our project assumes that 2 Peter may have been originally penned in Aramaic, this word association holds much weight.

But what about the Greek? Well, the Ancient Greek translator used the word philadelphian. The first part, phila–, refers to the love a person may have for a close friend (the related Greek word phileo means friend). Usually philea is viewed as a lesser form of love (or affection), so did the Greek translator get it wrong? Probably not. Remember that AbraHam was called God’s friend (phileo). The second part, –adelphos, means brothers. So, philadelphian refers to a close brotherly love or friendship. The translator may have viewed that as an appropriate term for a love that is as close as that between Jehovah/Yahweh and AbraHam.

The context of Peter’s words at 2 Peter 1:7 appears to show that brotherly love is one step away from achieving pure love. So for the all of the above reasons, we use the words ‘brotherly love’ here rather than mere affection or kindness.

Translator note

Pronunciation of ‘c’ and ‘ch’ in Greek, Aramaic, and Hebrew words

Most English-speakers mispronounce Biblical names that contain the letters C or CH. How so?

There is no ‘soft C’ pronunciation; it is always a hard C, like in the English word ‘call’. Even when a CH is used, it is the same, like in the word ‘CHrist.’

Pronouncing C

So the name Caesar was actually pronounced more like Kaiser. The faithful woman Priscilla had her name pronounced like Pree-skee-lah. The town of Laodicea was called La-oh-dee-kay-ah, and so on.

However, the mispronunciations are so deeply entrenched in English, that it’s probably better to deliberately pronounce well-known names incorrectly. Yet, when it comes to less familiar names, there’s nothing wrong with trying to pronounce them properly.

For example, consider the name of the sons of Chet, or the people called the Chaldeans. These names were originally pronounced as with a ‘K.’ So why not pronounce these correctly?

Pronouncing CH

Both Ancient Hebrew and Ancient Greek had two letters pronounced like a K.

In Greek, one letter looks like a K and is pronounced that way, and we always transliterate this as a C, as described above. However, the other one looks like an X and is pronounced with the tongue touching the soft palate at the back of the mouth, which gives a breathier or more guttural sound. We always transliterate this as either C or CH.

You can hear the difference in the English words Kill and Christ. If you say these words aloud, you’ll notice the slightly different parts of your mouth that your tongue touches. That’s why there’s a letter for K and another for CH in both the Hebrew and Greek languages.

So when you see CH, it also sounds like a K, but it’s a softer and a slightly more guttural sound.

Why did the Ancient Greeks bother have two different letters for such a small difference in sound?

They didn’t have an alphabet until about the time of their classical poet, Homer. They then borrowed or adapted their alphabet from the Hebrew (if you examine both alphabets from that period, you will see the similarities). Yet Hebrew is a much more guttural language, so their letter cheth (from which the Greeks got their letter X) has a far more pronounced palate sound.

Translator note

Matthew 19:24 – ‘Camel’ or ‘Rope’?

There’s a strong possibility that Jesus’ use of the word camel at Matthew 19:24 was a humorous play on words. You see, if he was speaking Aramaic, the word used would be g’amlah, which can be translated as either camel or rope.

Why were camels called by the same name as ropes?

The ancients used descriptive words for animals. So horses were called hypos (translated as mounts) and camels were called ropes, which referred to the way they were led.

On the other hand, if Jesus spoke Greek (which we doubt), he would have called the animal a camelon. Although camelon likely came from the same root as the more ancient Aramaic word, it only meant a camel in Greek (not rope).

Yet, if Jesus said g’amlah (in Aramaic), he was really saying that it would be easier to ‘thread a rope through the eye of a needle,’ which in the context makes more sense than camel. But there may be more – it may be a play on words, something common in Aramaic. This amusing double-meaning (camel/rope) would have helped his listeners to remember his parable.

So did Jesus mean to say camel, or rope? If he spoke Aramaic, then he actually said both, and it’s up to the listener to conclude which was meant by the context. In that case, rope would fit best.

Translator note

Amos 1:6 and 1:9 – Captives of Solomon?

The Greek Septuagint version of Amos 1:6 and 1:9 mention ‘captives of Solomon,’ however the Hebrew Masoretic text does not mention this little detail, only referring to captives in general. Nor does the Aramaic Peshitta. Is the Septuagint in error?

Well, the Bible records that both David and Solomon captured people from the surrounding gentile nations to use as soldiers and high officials. This includes Cherethites and Pelethites who served and fought for King David, and also Edomites who, despite being slaves, were given supervisory positions in his realm (see 2 Samuel 8:13-18).

Therefore, the Greek Septuagint version of Amos 1:6 and 1:9 could be the more accurate text, since it seems to refer to these particular peoples. However, we don’t know for sure.

Translator note

Translating ‘grace’ (caris and tayb’uwt’ah)

It’s very difficult to know how to translate the Greek and Aramaic words usually shown as ‘grace’ in most bibles.

The Greek word is caris – it’s where we derive the English words care and caring. Strong’s defines it as meaning (besides grace of course) is that of extending favor to someone. It also has a double-meaning of thanks or gratitude.

The Aramaic word is tayb’uwt’ah – and is much like the Greek equivalent. It can mean devotion, extending kindness, beneficence (charitable behavior), and also has the double-meaning of thankfulness.

Now, most English Bibles translate these words as grace. What’s the problem with that?

Well, the most common meaning of grace today means a smooth and flowing movement, like when walking or dancing. The Christian definition of grace is only used by Christians! So the meaning is lost on non-Christians who may be trying to learn, and the word is difficult for non-native speakers of English who have to learn yet another definition.

Someone may even misunderstand entirely, and think that the Bible is saying that God moves graciously, or talks graciously, or only acts in a gentle, smooth manner. That’s not what God’s grace is at all!

So we do not use the word grace. Also, our translation charter forbids us from using traditional terms that may be misunderstood.

So what do we use instead?

Well, some bible dictionaries define the Greek word as undeserved kindness. While that may be technically correct, in modern English it sounds horrible – like the kindness is given reluctantly, which certainly does not fit the context or tone of the bible passages. Further, it’s very wordy, which distracts from the ease of reading.

So instead we use care, loving care, caring, or kindness, depending on the context. We do not use favor because that’s something that can be earned, whereas care is not something that we typically earn. Generally, we care for people out of love – like when we care for children – and there’s no suggestion that our children have earned it, nor that we are giving such care reluctantly.

Translator note

Revelation 4:6-8: Cherubs, Animals, or Creatures?

At Revelation 4:6-8, we read of four entities that are covered with eyes, each of which has a different type of face, and they stand at the four corners of God’s throne.

In the Greek sources, these are zoa, which can be translated as animals or living creatures. It’s where we get the English word ‘zoo’ from.

In the Aramaic sources, these are hey’ewa, which basically means an animal or a wild beast, but the root word means a living thing.

However, you’ll find a very similar description of these animals in Ezekiel 1:5-10. Then, later in Ezekiel 10:20, the prophet says that ‘I came to realize that they were in fact cherubs.’

There is an interesting difference between the descriptions of the cherubs in Ezekiel, and these very similar beings in Revelation. In Ezekiel, each one has four different faces, with a different one on each side of their heads. But in Revelation, each of the four cherubs have a single, but different, face.

This makes us wonder if the difference is deliberate (which it may be), or if one of these passages has been corrupted.

Since Ezekiel is the oldest text, it may be that the description there has been misunderstood, and perhaps originally was just like that in Revelation. Indeed, there are many problems with descriptions of positioning and measurements in Ezekiel, which is why we refused to translate much of Ezekiel’s description of the temple in his vision (particularly, the end of Ezekiel chapter 40, all of chapter 41, and the first part of chapter 42).

There were obviously standard ways of describing physical things back then, which have been forgotten today. It’s possible that similar ways of describing the creatures were originally used in Ezekiel chapter 1, and this either leads us to completely misunderstand the text today, or later editors tried to ‘clarify’ the meaning and update the language to something more contemporary (for their time) and did so incorrectly.

Obviously, we don’t know this for sure, but it is a possibility.

Translator note

Ark of the Covenant = Chest of Proofs, Chest of the Sacred Agreement

The charter of our translation forbids using older religious terms that are mistranslated and/or have later meanings not intended by the original authors. This certainly includes the Ark of the Covenant.

The ancient Greek Septuagint text usually calls it the kiboton marturion, which literally means, Box [of] Testimony. This is a logical name, because the box was built to hold many pieces of testimony, that is, proofs, or pieces of evidence, of the things that God did for IsraEl.

It contained the tablets of the Ten Commandments, the writings of Moses, some manna, and Aaron’s walking stick.

So we choose to translate the name kiboton marturion as the Chest of Proofs. It could also be called the Chest of Evidence, or if you wish, the Box of Evidence.

Note, however, that it was only called the kiboton marturion, or Chest of Proofs in the Septuagint text after the IsraElites had settled in the Promised Land. Before that time, it was called something else – the kibotos diathekes, or Chest of the Sacred Agreement. You’ll find this second name used in 42 places in the Septuagint text (for example, at Exodus 31:7) and once in the Greek version of Hebrews 9:4.

So, to recap:

The common name Ark of the Covenant just isn’t what it’s called most of the time in the Septuagint.

The meaning of the ancient English word ‘ark’ has been lost; it confuses people who only know about ‘Noah’s Ark.’

The second word, ‘covenant’ is completely alien to modern English speakers, especially younger people and non-Christians.

And finally, the name obscures its function – a box to hold evidence. Thanks to movies like Raiders of the Lost Ark, people think it was some sort of magical box that held spirit creatures!

Something else that most people don’t realize, is that during the time of the Prophet SamuEl and the High-Priest Eli, the Philistines captured the Chest, emptied its contents, and returned it to IsraEl empty. According to the Bible account, they returned it because it brought a plague on their people (1 Samuel 5:12).

However, later on, the sacred tablets containing the Ten Commandments are once again mentioned as being in the Chest during the time of King Solomon – but nothing else (1 Kings 8:9). So we must assume that these less-perishable items had been recovered or returned.

Translator note

‘Ark’ or ‘Chest’?

Surely everyone has heard of Noah’s Ark, but what is an ark?

Ark is an ancient English word, the meaning of which has been mostly forgotten. However, it’s often used in other Bibles to translate the Greek word kiboton. Yet nobody uses the word ark anymore, so few people know what one is.

Most people see pictures in children’s storybooks of a small boat crammed full of animals (usually with their heads pointing out the windows) and they think that an ‘ark’ is an old name for a boat. It’s not.

An ark is just a box or a chest.

If you carefully examine the measurements that God gave to Noah, you’ll see that He told Noah to build a long, three-story tall, wooden box – not a boat. It didn’t have to be a boat that could navigate, because all it had to do was float. Nor did the animals look out the window(s) – it didn’t have many windows, nor did it have an open top deck. Besides, the animals were kept in stalls.

Simply put, Noah’s Ark was not a boat, it was a big wooden box, or chest. Noah’s Box would sound rather strange, but it would be accurate.

Translator note

Why use the term ‘Christian?’

Our Bible translates the Greek word Christon (Christ) as Anointed One. However, we leave the words Christian and Antichrist unchanged. Why is this?

In the translator note for Anointed, we pointed out that Christon means Anointed or Chosen One, and using the Anglicized corruption of the Greek word Christon doesn’t really convey the proper meaning to most Bible readers today. This is why, rather than speaking of Jesus as the Christ, we have chosen to speak of him as the Anointed One, which is what the word ‘Christ’ really meant to 1st-century Christians.

However, this isn’t the case with the word Christian (which literally means Follower of the Anointed One), because there is no common misunderstanding over that term.

If we put it as ‘Anointed One-ians,’ or anything similar, it would only be confusing. The word Christian has been the name applied to Jesus’ followers for 2,000 years, and causes no misunderstanding (unlike the word Christ). This is also why we’ve left the word Antichrist unchanged.

The purpose of using new, neutral terms, is not to have consistency, but rather, it’s to help readers understand the true meanings of the Bible’s words.

Translator note

Colossians 2:9-10 – ‘Bodily Divinity’

It is very difficult to translate Colossians 2:9-10 into English, and many different conclusions have been reached about what Paul was writing here.

Literally, from the Greek, it says:

‘(9) for in him dwells all the fullness/fulfillment of-the diety bodily (10) and you-are in him being-fulfilled who is the origin/head/chief of-all sovereignty and authority.’

Literally, from the Aramaic, it says:

‘(9) in-him he-dwells all fullness/fulfilment of divinity bodily (10) in also you you-fill of-him who-is origin/head/chief of-all-their principalities and-power ’

Notice that the King James Version translates these verses as:

‘For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.’

The GOD’S WORD Translation says:

‘All of God lives in Christ’s body, and God has made you complete in Christ. Christ is in charge of every ruler and authority.’

The International Standard Version says:

‘Because, all the essence of deity inhabits him in bodily form. And you have been filled by him, who is the head of every ruler and authority.’

As you can see, the wording of different Bible translations varies quite a lot, and their choice of words depends on whether the translators believe the Trinity doctrine. As a result, the translators have slanted the words to support their own religious beliefs – with the KJV even adding ‘Godhead’ – a word that does not exist in the source texts.

So, what did Paul actually mean? Well, instead of looking to Church doctrines from centuries after Paul wrote his words, it makes far more sense to look at the context of the verse itself and to other Bible verses that convey a similar idea.

In the surrounding context, whatever ‘the fulness of the bodily divinity’ may be, verse 10 indicates that it’s something also shared by people in the Christian congregation.

So the wording of Colossians 2:9-10 doesn’t appear to be talking about a Trinitarian Godhead concept, or the idea that God lives in Jesus’ body, since ordinary Christians share in the ‘fullness’ of that ‘bodily divinity.’ It must be talking about something else.

We are going by the theory that the wording may reflect what is said in John 14:20, which reads:

‘In that the day you will/know that I in (εν) the Father of/me, and you in (εν) me, and I in (εν) you.’

Here Jesus was also speaking of a special relationship between the Father, himself, and the congregation. So this is the most similar verse in the Bible.

Notice how it uses the Greek word εν (English: in) to reflect their relationship. From this description (given by Jesus himself), we conclude that this sharing of the divine body refers to that same oneness between Jesus, God, and the congregation.

Notice how this conclusion is supported by the words of Colossians 3:1-4, which read:

‘So if you’ve been raised with the Anointed One, search for the things that are above… at the right hand of God where the Anointed One is sitting. Also, think about the things that are above (not on the earth), because you died and your life has been hidden away in the Anointed One and in God. Then when the Anointed One (who is our life) shows himself, you will also be seen with him in glory.’

So, if we’re right about all this (and we’re not saying that we are), then we can translate the verses like this:

(9) Rather, the divinity fully lives within him bodily, (10) and you’re [also] fully within him, [the one] who is the origin of all government and power!

Translator note

Consecrated = Perfect

Leviticus 4:5 describes the Priest who was directed to offer the blood of a sacrificial animal to God. In the Greek Septuagint text, he’s described as ho teteliomenos.

Other Bibles translate that as consecrated. However, these days, nobody knows what consecrated means, especially not non-Christians and young people. So we need a better word.

Also, is consecrated even a correct translation? Perhaps, but perhaps not. The root portion of teteliomenos is telios, which means perfect, end, or finish. So we decited to use perfect.

Perhaps God considered such Priests to be perfect when they were performing their sacred duties within the Most Holy. The same term (Perfect Priest) seems to describe specific Priests among those in the lines of Moses and Aaron. In fact, Leviticus chapter 16 indicates that it was those Priests who were later called the ‘High Priests’. Later, the same term applied to those who were chosen from among the Priests to offer sacrifices on ‘The Day of Atonement’ (‘Yom Kippur’).

Translator note

Cosmos, Era, Eternity, Arrangement, or World?

In Jesus’ discussion about the sheep and goats, he said:

Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. —Matthew 25:34, Berean Study Bible

Some use this verse to argue for predestination, that God must predetermine which individual Christians are saved ahead of time, because, after all God had prepared a kingdom for you since the days of creation in Genesis! Well, we don’t wish to take sides on issues of doctrine, but we will take sides on issues of translation – and it seems to us that many Bible translations are being highly misleading when they translate the words found here as founding of the world (and in many other verses using the same words).

The words translated as foundation of the world come from the Greek words katabole kosmou. You may recognize that the English word cosmos comes from kosmou, as well as the words, cosmetics and cosmetology, and cosmos is the word that modern people use to mean ‘the universe.’

Yet that is not what the Greek word means. The word is used to describe the arrangement or situation of human society in general, while at other times it’s used to describe just the Jewish arrangement (not the whole world). So the terms age or arrangement are frequently the better and more accurate word choices when translating it. Another correct translation could be ‘system of things.’

For example, when Paul urged Christian women to dress modestly in 1 Timothy 2:9, the Greek text uses the adjective form kosmios to describe well-arranged clothing. Exactly what arrangement is being referred to, is dictated by context.

Indeed, multiple different arrangements are mentioned. One began after the Downpour of Noah’s day. The Greek version of Hebrews 11:7 says:

‘And through this righteous faith [of Noah] he condemned that arrangement [kosmos] and became its heir.’

So there was an arrangement that existed in the past. Also notice the Greek version of 2 Peter 2:4-5:

‘God didn’t spare the messengers that sinned, but threw them into the dark pits of Tartarus where they are awaiting His justice. And He didn’t spare that first arrangement [kosmos], but He guarded Noah (who was a preacher of righteousness) along with seven others, when He brought a downpour upon an arrangement [kosmos] of godless people.’

It’s quite clear then, that kosmos cannot simply mean planet earth, but is an arrangement of things, system of things, era, or age.

The Aramaic text agrees, as it uses the word for ‘age’ or ‘era’, which translators also sometimes choose to translate as ‘world’ (again, potentially misleading readers), but which we could also translate as the arrangement or system of things. Usually we translate it as age.

So when the Greek text has Jesus talking about the Kingdom that was prepared from the founding of the world, or kosmos, the word does not (necessarily) mean that the Kingdom was prepared all the way back when planet Earth was being created. It’s literally just saying that the Kingdom was prepared at the start of that arrangement, or age, or era, and the Aramaic text agrees. But which arrangement did Jesus mean? The Christian arrangement? The Jewish one? Or the arrangement that began when Adam sinned? Or could it, in fact, be talking about the planet?

Well, the point is that a translator shouldn’t be making that call. You, the reader should be deciding what is implied by foundation of the arrangement. It is inappropriate for a translator to rule out all but one possible interpretation because it happens to be his or her personal belief. This is especially ridiculous when it starts arguments over predestination, fate, God’s justice, and so on, all because some translator somewhere happened to make a certain decision!

Similar problems arise from verses like Revelation 13:8, which states that Jesus is:

‘The one who had been slaughtered from the founding of the arrangement [kosmos].’

This has led people to think that Jesus was destined to be slaughtered right from the start of creation – again, opening up cans of worm about predestination, fate, free-will, and so on.

Now, as translators, it’s not our job to say whether he was or not.

If we translate it correctly as ‘arrangement’ or ‘age’, then the reader can decide whether the start of the age is referring to his death in 33 CE (the start of the Christian age), or whether it’s some other age. If the former, it may imply that we’ve all been living in an entirely new world, arrangement, or system of things since the time of Jesus’ death. So actually, nothing about fate or predestination is implied.

But again, it’s not appropriate for the translator to decide for everyone else. That’s why our translation keeps the same ambiguity that’s found in the source texts.

By the way, there actually is a Greek word which may mean planet Earth: oikoumene. That word refers to the habitation or home of mankind and was frequently used in the Greek Septuagint in places clearly referring to the physical place that mankind lives.

Translator note

Crowns, Garlands, Turbans, and Diadems

In the Bible we read of two different types of royal headgear that was worn by Kings:

Crowns (Greek: stephanos) and

Turbans (Grek: diademas)

Which did the kings of IsraEl, such as David and Solomon, wear?

According to historians, most kings wore some sort of headgear on official occasions, which varied by time and by country. However, in ancient IsraEl and in other middle-eastern countries, it seems that kings didn’t usually wear crowns like those worn by Medieval European monarchs. No, instead they wore turbans set with gold and jewels.

This remained the custom throughout Jewish history.

Some pagan kings wore gold crowns with points added, representing ‘haloes’ of the Sun, to indicate their appointment by (the Sun) God. So faithful Jews considered this design to be idolatrous.

The first Bible reference to a gold crown worn by a king is found at 2 Samuel 12:30, where David took one from the head of the Ammonite king of RabBath, named Malchom, and then put it on his own head. However, it doesn’t look like wearing such things then became the custom of IsraElite kings. It seems that wearing Malchom’s crown just represented David’s victory.

Interestingly, at Revelation 12:3, other Bibles say that the ‘Dragon’ with seven heads has diadems on each head – which are usually portrayed as gold crowns in artwork. However, this is incorrect. They should actually be depicted as turbans! Why? Firstly, the Aramaic uses tagah which is also used for the headgear worn by priests (turbans), rather than using k’lila, which is the word that can mean a gold crown. The Greek version is the same – it uses the word diadéma (meaning through-wraps or turbans), not stephanos (crowns).

However, the Greek word stephanos has an additional meaning, and doesn’t always mean a gold crown. If you look up the dictionary meaning for stephanos, you’ll see that it also describes a victory wreath given to athletes who win a contest (a wreath made from olive leaves and sprigs, also called a kotinos)… so this is how we’ve translated the word in many cases.

You see, the Bible uses the words for crowns more often as a sign of victory than of kingship. It gives us a better understanding of the true meanings of these verses:

1 Corinthians 9:25:

‘And every fighter has to maintain full control just to win a garland that rots away.’

Obviously, the context is talking about winning in a fight, and gold crowns cannot rot away. So he must be referring to the victory garland.

Philippians 4:1:

‘So, my brothers that are loved and longed for (my joy and my victory garland); keep standing just as you are in the Lord, O loved ones!’

Rather than saying that the brothers were somehow his crown, he was victorious in winning these brothers to Christianity – so they were his reward, the victory garland.

1 Peter 5:4:

‘Then, when the Chief Shepherd is revealed, you’ll walk away with the enduring garland of glory!’

The word ‘enduring’ is literally ‘unfading.’ An unfading crown is likely referring to the victory garland, since a gold crown cannot fade away. But his victory will never fade.

Translator note

Daniel 9:1 – Darius the Mede, ‘of Xerxes’

Who was Darius the Mede? Well, in Daniel 9:1 it says that he is ‘of Xerxes’ – and this implies that Darius the Mede’s father was a man named Xerxes. So what’s the problem?

Well, the only recorded king named Darius, who was connected to a man named Xerxes, is King Darius I of Persia. However, it can’t be him, because Darius I wasn’t born yet (and was actually Xerxes’ father – not his son).

Also, there’s no room in the time between Babylonian King BelShazzar’s reign ending and Persian King Cyrus’s reign starting to then insert an extra king inbetween. And secular history only records Cyrus, the king of Persia conquering Babylon – with no mention of a Median king.

All of this has led Daniel (and the Bible more widely) to be charged with inaccuracy. Indeed, some declare Darius the Mede to be a fictional character! So was Darius the Mede fictional?

No, the accusations make little sense.

The Bible does not say that Darius was the king of Persia. It merely says that he was a Median who ‘took’ the Babylonian kingdom, a kingdom which would be...

...divided among the Medes and Persians. –Daniel 5:28

Now, the Persian Empire was a federal nation, with many different kings and royal families ruling different parts. So if Darius the Mede was just one of the nobility living under Cyrus, who was then appointed over Babylon by him, then we wouldn’t need to ‘find room’ for an ‘extra king’ between BelShazzar and Cyrus.

However, that very night, BelShazzar (the king of the Chaldeans) was killed and Darius the Mede took the kingdom as his own at the age of 62. –Daniel 5:30-31

Therefore, 62-year-old Darius could easily have been appointed as king over Babylon by Cyrus and they both ruled at the same time... but eventually Cyrus became king over Babylon directly.

So DaniEl continued to prosper during the reign of Darius, and on into the reign of Cyrus the Persian. –Daniel 6:28

So the existence of Darius the Mede is not as difficult as some make it out to be. As for the ‘of Xerxes’ part, for all we know, Darius the Mede’s father (or grandfather) may indeed have been called Xerxes, or Xerxes may been a family name or a title passed down from father to son. After all, archaeology has (so far) not found records of all the Median nobility.

So historians and archaeologists could have said:

‘Persian king Cyrus conquered Babylon, but the Bible reports that one of the Empire’s Median nobility, a man named Darius, then became its king – unfortunately we can’t identify him yet.’

However, instead they choose to say:

‘We don’t know who Darius the Mede was, so he must be an invented fictional character.’

However, we can’t entirely blame them for being skeptical; it is rather strange that we have records outside of the Bible describing Cyrus’ conquest of Babylon, and even the name of the city governor that he appointed – but no reference to Darius the Mede. So while there’s nothing wrong with imagining Cyrus appointing one of the Median nobility to rule as king on his behalf (while he leaves to tend to other things) you’d think that Darius would at least be mentioned somewhere.

After all, even if he wasn’t much of a man, he was still ruling over the conquered Babylon! Surely there must be something about him somewhere?

Well, there is an interesting theory that Darius was actually a different name (a ‘throne name’) for the last king of Media, Cyaxares II, whose family was in a marriage alliance with the Persian royalty.

Could that king have been given Babylon by Cyrus? Perhaps, but we don’t know. The records of him are rather scant, but there is a compelling argument for him being our Darius the Mede, and Xerxes could have been a traditional dynasty name.

Translator note

Daniel 9:24 – Anoint the ‘Most Holy’ or the ‘Holiest of the Holy?’

Most Bibles translate these words as ‘the Most Holy Place’ (which is a part of the temple which housed the Chest of Proofs, commonly known as the Ark of the Covenant). However, the 2001 Translation instead says ‘the holiest of the holy’:

‘Seventy periods of seven Have been set for you and your people And upon the Holy City on Zion,
To bring an end to its sins,
To set a seal on its sins,
To wipe away all their lawless deeds,
And to atone for their errors;
To restore righteous ways through the ages,
To put a seal on the prophecies and visions,
And to anoint the holiest of the holy.’

In the Greek Septuagint, the words in bold read, ‘kai tou chrisai agion agion,’ or, ‘and of anointing the/holy holiest.’ So you can see why some translators would assume this is referring to the Most Holy compartment of the temple. However, this may not be correct.

First, while it’s true that the ancient temple and its ‘Most Holy’ were regularly ‘cleansed’ by the priests (by being sprinkled with water and blood), there is no special concept of anointing the Most Holy compartment.

Second, there is no record of this happening after this prophecy was made. On the contrary, the Most Holy compartment was destroyed in 70 CE along with the rest of the second temple.

Third, since this prophecy is widely believed to be about Jesus, it could be referring to him. Jesus was, of course, anointed as King.

Of course, it could be that these words are indeed referring to the Most Holy compartment, but in some kind of symbolic way.

Therefore, since there is this uncertainty, this translation simply translates the Greek as literally as possible, saying ‘to anoint the holiest of the holy’. You, the reader, can decide what it’s talking about.

Translator note

Were David and Jonathan lovers?

1 Samuel 18:1 says:

‘As Saul was speaking, [the heart of his son] Jonathan became bound to David… He loved him as much as his own life.’

This verse is one of a few that are often quoted to argue that King David and Jonathan were lovers. Could that be true?

Well, not according to the manuscripts that we use. Our Bible uses the oldest Greek manuscripts that are older than the Hebrew manuscripts by many centuries... And in our manuscripts, 1 Samuel 18:1 does not appear!

We’ve actually crossed it out in our translation, along with many other verses in that chapter, as they all appear to be later additions. They are part of a larger group of verses which don’t appear in the oldest sources and contradict the rest of the passage, even putting the events in the wrong order.

We must also consider that under the Law, gay sex was punished with the death penalty. Even if, for the sake of argument, there was a sexual relationship between two men, would they have flaunted their close relationship so openly that Samuel could write about it? Would it rather not have been kept entirely secret, like gay relationships are today in countries with the death penalty, like Saudi Arabia?

Besides, Jonathan was old enough to be David’s father. It is far more likely that Jonathan merely felt a protective, fatherly, love for the young lad.

Also, the house of Saul, and David, both had many enemies in their lives; one would think that anything which could be used against them would be.

The part which talks about loving him more than his own life does appear to be genuine, though, as the words were merely copied from later in the book at 1 Samuel 20:17, which says:

Jonathan swore an oath to David because of his love for him… For he loved him as much as his own life.

However, people usually take this out of context, for just beforehand Jonathan made David swear to show him mercy, despite being related to his father, Saul:

...throughout the rest of my life, you must agree to deal with me in the mercy of Jehovah!

‘And after I die, you must be merciful to my house throughout the age...

(1 Samuel 20:14-15)

Making someone promise that they won’t take violent revenge, is hardly the sentiment heard between lovers. Notice also that the love is one-way, it’s only mentioning Jonathan’s love for David, not the other way around.

Later, after Saul and Jonathan died in battle, David composed a long poem about the events (remember that David was a poet and musician). Part of it, in 2 Samuel 1:25-27, says:

‘O JoNathan,

You were killed in the mountains.
I grieve over you, JonNathan,
O my brother, you were always there for me.
Your affection for me amazed me,
More so than the love of women.

‘But now, the mighty have fallen,
And their weapons of war are destroyed.’

First of all, notice again that this is talking about a one-way love from Jonathan. Also, what we translate as ‘affection’ and ‘love’ is the word agape, which means principled love, it is not eros, the word for romantic or erotic love.

So, for what it’s worth, the opinion of the Greek translators of the 3rd century BCE understood this to be David comparing the principled love from Jonathan to be better than the principled love he received from women. In other words, they did not understand it to be erotic love. This agape love can indeed come from a wife, but also from a mother, or a daughter, an aunt, or a grandmother.

Okay, but if that’s the case, why did David not compare Jonathan’s love to the love of a father for his son? Why compare the love to that with women? After all, as we said, the age-gap between them was just like that of a father and son...

Well, our translation may clear this up. Our wording suggests that what was greater here, was not the love itself, but the amazement that David felt because of receiving it.

Indeed, the love David got from Jonathan was remarkable, since by all accounts, Jonathan should have been David’s enemy – not friend! So no wonder David was amazed by it, far more amazed than he would be if a woman dedicated herself to him... that would be normal, but Jonathan’s dedication was very unusual. Love from a woman would not be. In effect, he was saying:

‘I could understand why a woman might love me, but I’m amazed that you – of all people – would do so!’

Rather than being words of a gay lover, these are absolutely the words of a straight man who was shocked that the son of the rival King would betray his father, give up the throne, and dedicate himself to the man that Saul regarded as a rival and traitor.

Of course, if you’re looking for mistranslations and cultural misunderstandings that end up sounding rude or funny, there is no shortage of them.

The final frequently-quoted verse is 1 Samuel 20:41, which says in part:

‘Then he [David] kissed his friend [Jonathan] and they both cried over this ending of David’s important position.’

Some assume that this kissing implies a romance. However, yet again we find the problem is that Westerners do not understand Semitic cultures. Kissing others of the same sex is an ordinary part of life. It was done in greeting, saying goodbye, or to bless someone; including before a long journey – which is exactly what was happening here. It is still the custom in many places today.

Indeed, it’s not the only account of a man kissing another man in 1 Samuel. In 10:1 it says:

Well at that, SamuEl took a flask of oil and poured it over [Saul’s] head, and he kissed him and said:

‘Jehovah is anointing you to be the ruler over His inheritance.’

So the kissing does not indicate romance, it was ordinary part of the ancient Semitic culture and is both expected and required.

You’ll find this cultural practice at:

Exodus 4:24

Exodus 18:7

2 Samuel 14:33

2 Samuel 15:5

2 Samuel 19:39

2 Samuel 20:9

Matthew 26:49

Acts 20:37

Romans 16:16

1 Corinthians 16:20

2 Corinthians 13:12

1 Peter 5:14

Therefore, in a situation where two close friends know they will never see each other again (as was the case here), it would be utterly bizarre for the custom of kisses goodbye to be suddenly absent.

If they did not go through the normal custom of kissing, it would almost imply that they hated each other!

So, all of this appears to be a mixture of:

A fake Bible verse,

Poor translation,

A lack of understanding of the context,

A lack of understanding of Semitic culture,

And perhaps a dose of wishful thinking.

Translator note

The ‘days’ in Genesis

How long are God’s ‘days’ in Genesis? Are they 24 hours? Or 1,000 years each? Or 7,000 years each? Or an undetermined length?

24 Hours?

Christians known as Creationists believe that God created the heavens and the earth in six literal earth days (144 hours), and therefore read Genesis 1 as literally describing 24-hour creative days. However, when they read Genesis 2:4, which talks about “the day” that God created the heavens and the earth, they assume that the same word is now figurative, meaning the entire period of time, that is, all six days together.

Therefore, while we will agree that we would trust the Bible’s chronology over the modern dating methods used by archaeologists, it does seem as though the creationist position is at least a little inconsistent.

1,000 years?

Some Christians believe that the days were 1,000 years long from reading 2 Peter 3:8, which says:

‘But loved ones: Don’t overlook the fact that one day to Yahweh is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like one day.’

This is a paraphrase of Moses’ words at Psalm 90:4, which says:

‘Why, a thousand years in Your eyes, O Yahweh, Are like yesterday, after they’ve passed… They’re like a watch in the night.’

However, neither the Moses nor Peter was saying that God’s days are 1,000 years long. Indeed, in the Greek texts of both verses, the word used (hos) means ‘like’. In other words, it’s just pointing out that time isn’t relevant to God, since He lives in a realm where time doesn’t exist.

7,000 years?

Back in the late 1800s, some theologians known as Adventists decided that each of the creative ‘days’ of Genesis 1 must be 7,000 years long. Why?

Well, they had miscalculated Bible chronology and came to believe that Adam was created nearly 6,000 years ago. Then, being sure that Jesus was soon to come, they concluded that Christ’s millennium (from Revelation) must begin at the 6,000 year mark – and once that was over, human history would add up to a nice round 7,000 years.

Further, since other scriptures talk of God’s ‘rest,’ and Genesis says that God rested on the 7th day, they concluded that this 7th ‘day’ must be still continuing, and has continued ever since Adam’s creation. Therefore, the ‘7th day’ of Genesis must be 7,000 years long... And, if the 7th day is 7,000 years long, then all the other ‘days’ in Genesis must be 7,000 years long too.

Got that?

Unfortunately, the entire basis for this was flawed, since they used the incorrect chronology of the Hebrew Masoretic Text. They didn’t realize that according to the much more reliable Greek Septuagint text, Genesis originally said that Adam was actually created about 7,500 years before today. This demolishes the entire theory.

An undetermined length?

From our point of view, as translators, it seems more likely that the days are of an undetermined length, because Genesis 1:1 to 2:3 was originally an ancient poem or song.

You can probably see this for yourself if you pay attention to the opening words of each phrase, and observe the length of the sentences and the cadence of the words that follow.

So are we saying that the Genesis creation account is just a nursery-rhyme or a fable?

Hardly! The order of events described in the song is remarkably correct in accordance with how modern science describes the emergence of life on our planet:

Land

Plants

Clear skies

Sea life and birds

Land animals

Humans

It is easy to see inspiration in the song, since the chance of ancient humans getting everything in the right order is very unlikely. It’s also in stark contrast to how other ancient religions described creation, such as the universe starting with a bull – yes, even before there’s any grass, air, or planet.

So, our conclusion is that the days in Genesis 1 are probably of an undetermined length, written in simplistic poetry, in a way that could easily be remembered and understood by ancient peoples who had no understanding of the vastness of time or space.

Translator note

Deuteronomy 10:22 – 70 or 75 persons?

The most common Greek Septuagint text (referred to as the Septuagint B) says that there were 70 of the IsraElite’s ancestors that originally traveled down to Egypt during the terrible famine in the time of JoSeph.

This agrees with the Hebrew texts, which consistently say 70. However, Acts 7:14 recounts the tale and says that there were, not 70, but 75 of them.

So which is it, 70 or 75?

Well, a more ancient Greek text (known as Septuagint A, perhaps used by Luke when writing the Acts) says 75. This also agrees with Septuagint B’s version of Genesis 46:27 and at Exodus 1:5, which say there were 75.

So which number is correct?

Probably 75. Even if that’s wrong, such a minor deviation in numbers has little effect on our basic understanding of the Bible.

Translator note

Deuteronomy 18:22 – ‘have nothing to do with him’

The last words of this verse in our Greek source are:

ουκ αφέξεσθε απ' αυτού

Literally: ‘not you-all-keep-away away-from him’.

The word for ‘you-all-keep-away’ (αφέξεσθε) is a conjugated form of the verb ᾰ̓πέχω (apékhō) which means ‘to avoid’. This specific conjugation is in the future tense (so it is giving advice as to what ought to be done when it eventually happens), it’s the second person plural (so it’s speaking to all of us), and it’s the middle indicative (telling you what to do). Therefore, it commands everyone to stay away.

As for the word ‘not’ which appears beforehand, it’s a double negative, which is frequently used in Ancient Greek for emphasis. Therefore, “don’t have anything to do with him” more accurately represents the Greek source in modern American English.

At first glance, the Hebrew text appears to say something quite different: “thou shalt not be afraid of him”. However, the Greek and Hebrew may have originally had the same meaning to ancient readers.

You see, in Hebrew the verb meaning to be afraid can also mean ‘to stand in awe’, and to ‘sojourn’. In modern parlance we might say that it describes being so impressed by someone that we ‘follow’ them. So at the time the Greek Septuagint was translated, the Jews clearly understood that (in the context) it was saying that the Jews should not be impressed by and follow false prophets, in other words, they should not ‘fear’ them.

So the Greek and Hebrew are actually in agreement, and the Greek translation sheds light on how the Hebrew was understood 2,300 years ago.

Translator note

Hate, Dislike, or Care Less for?

The Greek word meso means middle (as in the English term, meso soprano). However, it is often translated as middle, midst, among, and HATE in other Bibles. Is this correct?

Obviously, hate (an extreme emotion in English) isn’t conveyed by the word middle, which simply means less. For that reason, this translation uses the word dislike (or the equivalent) whenever meso refers to the emotion.

For more information, see the Strong’s Concordance entry for the word Miseo.

Translator note

Downpour

The Greek word used throughout the Greek Bible text to describe the great flood of Noah’s Day is kataklusmos (it’s where we get the English word cataclysm). However, kataklusmos doesn’t mean flood. Kata means down, and klusmos means pour.

So this Bible translation uses Downpour, and not Flood.

Is this just unimportant nit-picking?

Well, a flood is a name given to a disaster, whereas a downpour is an action or method of destruction. When the Bible names the Great Flood the “Downpour,” it chooses to name the event after the destructive method (the falling of the rain) – not what resulted from it (the flood).

This distinction may be important. Imagine there is a speeding train that crashes. We choose to call it The Great Train Crash, but God decides to call the event The Speeding Train. Why would we reject God’s chosen name (that emphasizes the cause of the crash), in favor of our own name (that emphasizes the crash itself)?

Of course, it may not really matter; but we’re being cautious and assuming that it may be important, and therefore we translate the name as accurately as possible.

Translator note

Dragons

The word dragon is found several times throughout the Greek Septuagint and New Testament Greek text of the Bible.
It is actually a Greek word (drakonta) that has basically been Anglicized.
Note that dragons are thought of as animals with the bodies of snakes (gr. orphis), but they also have feet and legs. However, the many ways that the Greek term dragon and its apparent Hebrew counterparts (leviathan or behemoth) are used in the Bible seem to indicate some sort of fearsome wild beast.

What was the original dragon?
It’s an interesting fact that the answer to this question would still be open to debate were it not for the explanation that we find at Revelation 12:9, which tells us:

‘So, the huge dragon was thrown out.
He is the first snake, the one that is called the Slanderer and Opposer, who is misleading the whole earth.’

As you can see, this last book in the Bible clarifies the mystery of who the original ‘snake’ or ‘dragon’ that seduced Eve in the ‘Paradise of Delights’ (see Genesis 3:2) really was.

That the dragon is viewed as a snake with legs in religious legends throughout the world, testifies to the fact that people everywhere once believed in the Bible account in Genesis. And they also believed that when God cursed the snake to ‘travel on its chest and belly,’ it lost its legs.

The fact that the Bible speaks about what is translated as dragons several times raises some interesting questions. For the dragon, although supposedly a mythical animal, is one of the world’s most widely recognized creatures. It is highly regarded in the Buddhist religion and it can be seen in ancient religious carvings from around the world. This testifies to the fact that people have believed in the existence of dragons for as far back as human records go.

Also note that dragons are also part of the folklore of Europe, for who hasn’t heard the story of Saint George and the Dragon? Yet, if you are familiar with that story, you’ll see that it is actually an allegory about man’s fight against sin and the Slanderer.
So in that case, it also refers to the original dragon, who was the first creature of terror.

Notice that faithful Job once asked the question (at Job 7:12):

‘Am I the sea or the dragon that guards it?’

This view that a dragon guarded the edges of the seas was common throughout Europe until after the 15th century, for dragons were usually drawn at the edges of maps of seas during that time.

Also notice that there is an entire chapter in Job (Job chapter 41) that appears to be a description of the dragon, where it clearly identifies it as the evil one. However, the meanings of the words have been misunderstood by copyists, translators, and commentators alike due to the fact that the Hebrew text uses different words (since it is a different language).
For Hebrew-based Bibles speak of a leviathan or a behemoth in the Book of Job.
And it is also calls it, the crooked serpent.

Although nowhere in the Greek Septuagint text of Job 41 do we actually find the word dragon, verses 18-21 are obviously talking about such a creature. It says:

‘His sneezing brings about brightness And his eyes are like morning stars.
From out of his mouth comes burning lamps,
Like the scattered coals of a fire.
From his nostrils comes the smoke of a furnace,
Burning with the fire of live coals.
For his soul is much like live coals,
And flames shoot out of his mouth.’

Then notice the further description in verses 31, 32:

‘He breaks from the abyss as though a brass pot;
He thinks of the seas as his own ointment jar,
And the abyss of Tartarus as his captive;
For to him, the abyss is just a promenade.
There’s nothing on earth that’s quite like him;
For he was made to be mocked by My angels.’

So, what is God talking about here?
Well, some Bible critics dismiss the account of Job altogether, claiming that it is Bible mythology, while others say that God was just describing a wild ox. However, if you examine these verses carefully, you’ll see that God was using cryptic text to explain to Job just who was to blame for the problems he had been experiencing.

Notice that the use of the word Tartarus in the Greek text (the place where evil gods are sent) in these verses provides us a clue to who is being spoken of, since the term isn’t found again in the Bible until the reference at 2 Peter 2:4; And the only mention of his coming out of his prison (pit or abyss) is found at Revelation 20:7. But of course, since Tartarus is a Greek word, the Hebrew text of these verses refers to that place as ‘the white-haired deep.’

Nevertheless, you’ll find that this second-to-the-last Chapter in Job (as in any good writing), is really bringing back all the characters that the book started out with in the first chapter, God, the Evil One, and Job.

Then, why did Jewish scribes and translators have so much trouble understanding the meaning of the words here that there are some obvious deletions in the texts?
There are four likely reasons:

1. They didn’t believe in fire-breathing dragons

2. They didn’t know that the Slanderer was the dragon

3. They didn’t know of the Slanderer’s position in Tartarus or the pit (or ‘the deep’)

4. The correct understanding would have linked the Book of Job to the NT Scriptures that were written later by Christians.

It is interesting that we also find mention of a dragon in the Greek text of Isaiah 27:1.
For there we read:

‘In that day, He will bring His great holy sword Against the dragon (the crooked fleeing snake),
And He will destroy that beast of the sea.’

Notice that this is an obvious reference to the destruction of the same dragon mentioned at Revelation 12:9. However, this link generally goes unnoticed, because the Hebrew-based texts use the word leviathan. And we only come to realize that dragon is the Greek word for leviathan if we compare the Greek Septuagint text to the Masoretic text, which most modern scholars refuse to do.

What is particularly interesting about this scripture is that it speaks of the dragon from the sea in the same words as are found at Ezekiel 32:2, where the reference is obviously to the land of Egypt and to its destruction.

And you will also find references to the land of Egypt in the song that precedes Isaiah Chapter 27.
So, there does seem to be a cryptic connection the dragon, the sea, and the land of Egypt.

Notice that this song (as found at Isaiah 26:19-21), which precedes the discussion of the dragon, seems to speak of some future time when God’s people will be released from a symbolic Egypt after an Armageddon-like battle;
For notice the rest of the words of the prophecy, which say:

‘We will not fall, though others will fall.
But the dead will be raised from their tombs,
And all on the earth will be joyful.
For as dew, You’ll send them a cure,
While the lands of the godless will fall.

‘So proceed, O my people, to enter your bedrooms…
Go inside and lock all your doors,
Then hide in there for a while!
Because this will happen, then that;
And the rage of Jehovah will pass.

‘{Look!} From His Holy Place, Jehovah sends rage Upon those that live in the lands.
Then the ground won’t cover all of the blood,
Nor [the bodies] of those He destroys.’

Therefore, Egypt seems to be used here as a symbol of the godless nations that are destroyed in the Battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16:16), and the dragon that represents them appears to be the Opposer (Devil or Satan).

Translator note

Ecclesiastes 11:1 – ‘Bread on water’

Much has been written about the meaning of Solomon’s words, where he wrote (at Ecclesiastes 11:1):
‘aposteilon ton arton epi prosopon tou hydatos oti en plethei ton hemeron heureseis auton,’
Or,
‘Send the bread yours on face the waters and in many the days find it.’
And we have often been repulsed by the thought of receiving cold, soggy bread.
So, what was King Solomon actually talking about?

While the Greek word arton is usually translated as bread, loaf, or loaf of bread; in ancient times, it also referred to just grains of wheat. This was the case where Jesse gave ‘bread’ to his youngest son David to carry to his brothers in battle, which consisted of both roasted grain and loaves (see 1 Samuel 17:17).

So the apparent meaning of Solomon’s words are as we they appear in our translation:

‘Scatter your [seeds] on the water,
And after some time you will find them.’

The meaning of these words may still seem a bit vague until you realize that birds usually only eat seeds that are scattered over dry ground. So, the practice at the time was to plant seeds only before or after a hard rain or after irrigation; then the seeds were figuratively scattered ‘on the water,’ causing them to germinate and quickly root.

Of course, Solomon wasn’t really giving advice on planting.
His words were in the form of a parable or illustration, and they implied that giving much to others will result in our receiving much in return.

Translator note

Empowering the Priests

At Exodus 28:41 (in the Greek Septuagint), we read the following instructions of God when He was talking to Moses about the special garments that were to be worn by those that served as the Holy Priests of IsraEl:

‘You must put them [the garments] upon your brother Aaron and his sons, then anoint them and empower their hands. Make them Holy, so that they can officiate as Priests before Me.’

In Greek, the highlighted words are, kai empleseis auton tas cheiras, or, and fill of them the hands. So it’s possible that the verses are saying that Aaron and his sons were to undergo some sort of empowerment ceremony following their anointing.

Translator note

Ephesians 4:8 and Psalm 68:18 – Taking captivity itself captive?

There is a confusing wording in Psalm 68:18, which is also quoted by Paul in Ephesians 4:8, where it sounds like captivity itself, as a concept, is being taken into captivity. Huh? Just look at how the King James Version puts it:

‘When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive’

How odd! Yet, the literal words in the Septuagint source of the Psalm do seem to say it:

ηχμαλώτευσας αιχμαλωσίαν
ēkhmalṓteusas aikhmalōsían
you-captured captivity

The Hebrew text of the Psalm says the same:

שָׁ֘בִ֤יתָ שֶּׁ֗בִי
sha-bi-tah she-be
you-have-led-captive captivity

Then in Ephesians, where Paul quotes it, the Greek source is identical to the Septuagint, while the (possible original) Aramaic source of Ephesians also says the same thing:

ܫܒܝܬܐ ܘܫܒܐ
shb’iyt’ah washb’ah
he-took-captive captivity

It sounds very odd to say something like captivity will be taken into captivity. It’s a bit like saying murder will be murdered, or eating will be eaten. Is the author of the Psalm (and Paul who quotes it) trying to make some deep, meaningful, point?

Probably not. You see, none of these languages has the indefinite article ‘a’. If we understand that it says ‘a captivity will be taken captive,’ then we can understand that ‘a captivity’ could simply be shorthand for ‘a group of captives.’ This is highly likely to be correct because of other uses of it in the Septuagint.

The same Greek word for captivity is found in numerous places in the Greek Septuagint, and is often called ‘the captivity,’ where ‘the captivity’ means the group of people they have taken. Therefore, referring to ‘a captivity’ is a perfectly valid, and shows that a captivity is what you call a group of captives, and also whatever spoils you have taken, such as wealth and animals, is thrown into the same ‘captivity.’

In fact, that’s how the Septuagint uses ‘captivity’ in many places where the context clearly means ‘a group of captives.’ For example, 2 Chronicles 28:17, which says in part, in English:

‘...attacked Judah and carried off captives.’

Well, in the Greek source it says:

...επάταξαν εν Ιούδα και ηχμαλώτευσαν αιχμαλωσίαν
...epátaxan en Ioúda kai ēkhmalṓteusan aikhmalōsían
...struck in Judah and they-took-captive captivity

Yes, it’s the same phrasing as used in Psalm 68 and Ephesians! It’s obvious what the expression means, and nobody would think that the account is trying to make some deep philosophical point about captivity itself – as a concept – being captured! This was just the normal way of saying ‘they took a group of captives.’

In fact, ‘captives’ and ‘a group of captives’ appears in our dictionaries as secondary meanings for the Greek and Aramaic words in question. So there never really was any translation issue, and it’s not clear why so many translations got this muddled up. It seems that saying ‘he captured captivity’ was simply a standard way of saying ‘he took captive a group of captives.’

So our translation says:

‘He’s taken captives into captivity’

Translator note

Ephesians 4:8 and Psalm 68:18 – Gifts to, from, or in men?

We translated Paul’s words at Ephesians 4:8 – which he was quoting from Psalm 68:18 – like this:

‘To the highest places, he has stepped up,
And he’s taken captives into captivity;
Then he gave gifts to the people.’

This is a very difficult verse for anyone to translate in both Ephesians and in the Psalms, because what the different textual sources say are all slightly different. Why? It’s probably because the wording has been updated by various editors to reflect however people spoke at the time. Which means that today, some of these versions make no sense.

The Greek sources say:

Ephesians 4:8: ‘Through/which he/is/saying Having/stepped/up into height he/led/captive captivity and gave gifts to/the people.’ – Ephesians 4:8

Psalm 68:18: ‘You/ascended into the/height, you/captured captivity, you/received gifts in people.’

So the Apostle says gifts were given to people, while the Psalm he was quoting says the gifts were in people – in other words, it could be understood that the people themselves were the gifts.

The Hebrew Masoretic version of the Psalm is even more vague:

‘you/have/ascended high, have/led captives, have/received gifts people.’

What does that mean? Well, most Bible translations figure it out in a different way, that it means gifts were from people!

So we have gifts TO people, IN people, and FROM people. Which is the correct one?

Well, we know that Paul was using an older version of Psalms than we have today, so we’re going to trust that he quoted the Psalm accurately. In that case, gifts to the people would be correct.

We can see from the context that Paul was quoting Psalm 68:18 to show how miraculous gifts were being given to the people in the congregation. So his quote is entirely in the context of his own words – so we can rule out a corruption within the text of his argument.

Indeed, the Aramaic manuscripts (and Ephesians may have been originally written in Aramaic) agree by saying lab’naynashah, meaning ‘to people,’ and not ‘in,’ or ‘from.’

The Aramaic version of the Psalm he was quoting also agrees. Tim Mitchell, the editor of Peshitta Inc, comments:

‘The Psalm version that Paul is quoting seems to be reflected in the OT Peshitta Psalms. He is either quoting from the Peshitta Psalms directly or he is quoting from the text that the Peshitta Psalms was translated from. Here is the text of the Psalm from the OT Peshitta (First Century Aramaic Bible):

‘You have ascended on high and you have captured captivity and you have given gifts to the children of men and rebels will not dwell before God.’

Also, Ephesians 4:8 from the Peshitta NT is an exact match for the Peshitta OT in this place (Original Aramaic New Testament):

‘He ascended to the heights and took captivity prisoner and he has given gifts to the children of men.’

From all of this, we can conclude that the Greek Septuagint version of the Psalm he was quoting was either mistranslated in the first place, or suffered from some corruption at some point – perhaps even in the years after Paul wrote his letter.

Some have disputed these conclusions, however, quoting a later verse in the same passage, Ephesians 4:11, in their support. The New Living Translation translates it this way:

‘Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.’

From these words, many men in positions of authority in churches have claimed that they are the gifts given to the congregation.

However, both the Aramaic and Greek words do not call these ones gifts, but instead use a verb which can mean give but can also mean place, put, grant, make, consign, or as we would say, assign. So we translate it like this:

‘Then he assigned some to be Apostles, some to be Prophets, some to be messengers of the Good News, and some to be shepherds and teachers.’

This is quite logical, as once these ones have received the gifts of the Spirit, they can then be assigned to certain roles.

We also feel compelled to point out that the Greek text doesn’t actually say that these ones were selected from among just the males in the congregations. Actually, the Greek word is anthropon, that is, people, and not aner which means males.

Yet, most other Bibles incorrectly translate anthropon as men, which gives the false impression that the gifts were given to just the males – something clearly false, as the Bible tells us that women also received the gifts of the Spirit.

The same is true of the Hebrew word used at Psalm 68:18. For that word is usually translated as men, but just like the Greek word, it also means people.

In other words, the gifts that he gave were the gifts of the Spirit, which were poured out upon all in the congregation and which created the Apostles, Prophets, and all the rest.

Translator note

Eroticism in the Bible

Although self-righteous people often make up their own rules when it comes to proper sexual thoughts and conduct between men and women, the Bible book of Song of Solomon is filled with words that seem to imply sexual acts that many today would consider to be lewd and ‘unchristian.’

For a broader discussion, please see the commentary Christian Morality.

Translator note

Esther / HadasShah

Esther is the Hellenized (Greek) pronunciation of the (possibly Median) name HadasShah. She was the wife of ArtaXerxes I, likely known as Damasphia.

Translator note

Gentiles, Nations, Other races, or Ethnics

When the Bible speaks of ‘the people of the nations’ or ‘the gentiles’ (gr. tas ethne – or literally, the ethnics), we think of all those that aren’t referred to as ‘IsraElites’ or ‘Jews.’
However, in Genesis we find another definition of the term.
Notice that we have rendered Genesis 10:2-5 as saying (with added notes):
‘JaPheth’s sons were Gamer, Magog, Madoi [the Medes], Jovan, Elisa, Thobel [of Tubal], Mosoch [of possibly Russia], and Thiras [Islands of the Aegean Sea]. Gamer’s sons were Aschanaz [Germans], Riphath [of Northwestern Asia Minor], and Thorgama [the Armenians]. Jovan’s sons were EliShah [of Tyre], Tarshish [of Spain], Cetians [of Phoenicia], Rhodians [of Rhodes]. [They settled the] islands, which lands were divided by tribe and nation among the gentiles, each according to his own language.’

So from this account, we can see that the term, ‘the people of the nations’ or ‘gentiles,’ originally referred to just the descendants of JaPheth (white races) that lived separate from the sons of both Shem and Ham (who lived in the Middle East and Africa).

Also notice that in the battle that AbraHam fought so as to save his Nephew Lot who had been captured (see Genesis 14:1), one of the kings that he fought against was, ‘Thargal, the king of gentiles.’

So notice again that this King Thargal seems to be differentiated from the other non-IsraElite kings, which could mean that he came from among the descendants of Noah’s son Japheth.

Therefore, this raises the question of whether the Bible’s references to the gentiles originally indicated only those that lived in Europe and the Mediterranean islands, and if the term was thereafter extended to include all nations other than just the Tribes of IsraEl.

It is also important to note that the words ethnics, gentiles, and nations, which are all derived from the Greek word ethnos, may in several instances carry a highly symbolic meaning, especially in prophecies. For these words refer to peoples that are not (or were not) in a covenant relationship with God.

Take for example, the reference at Revelation 7:9:

‘And after all that, I saw {Look!} a crowd so large that no one could count them.
They came from all countries, nationalities, ethnic groups, and languages;
And they were standing within sight of the throne and within sight of the Lamb.’

Since ‘the twelve tribes of IsraEl’ had been mentioned previously (in verses 4-8), these ‘ethnics’ stand out as a different group, and the term may refer to those who were previously non-Christians (those not claiming to be in a Covenant relationship with God). Also, later references to the nations or ethnics in the Revelation appear to be speaking about those that had yet to make peace with Him.

Translator note

Eunuchs

When we hear the word eunuch, we usually think of a man that has been castrated, because that’s what the term has come to mean through the years. However, when someone is described as a eunuch in the Bible, it doesn’t necessarily mean that he was sexually mutilated. In fact, during the reigns of faithful kings of IsraEl, such mutilation would have been considered repulsive; For a sexually-mutilated person, by Law, couldn’t serve as a Priest or worship at the Temple of Jehovah.

Does this mean that God dislikes men whose testicles have been forcibly or accidentally removed? No, surely the reason why God created this law was because He knew that some men, in their desire to better serve Him, may have considered castrating themselves in order to remove any carnal desires…
And He clearly didn’t want that to happen.
So God gave them a law that disallowed religious participation by any that were castrated.

But, notice that the Greek word eunuch doesn’t really carry the meaning of castration.
Rather, it means bed keeper.
Nevertheless, most bed keepers (or harem watchers) for kings were in fact castrated to keep them from temptation.

Yet, eunuchs are frequently mentioned in the Bible as holding other offices (take the Ethiopian Eunuch as an example) that didn’t necessarily require castration.
So, why were men that didn’t watch over harems later referred to as bed keepers?
Because the term had come under common use to apply to all of the most-trusted servants of kings.

You might notice, for example, that Potiphar (the Egyptian man to whom JoSeph was sold) was referred to as a eunuch (gr. Eunouchos) of Pharaoh at Genesis 39:1, though the account tells us that he was a married man who had sired children.

But, was DaniEl (who served under the chief Babylonian eunuch) in fact a eunuch?
His position as a special servant to the king would indicate that he held such a title.

Then, is it possible that he had been castrated?
Well, since he was an early captive from JeruSalem, he was likely a member of its nobility or royalty;
And notice what the prophecy that God gave to King HezekiAh (at Isaiah 39:7) says about this:
‘They will take your children – those whom you have fathered – and make them eunuchs in the houses of the Babylonians.’

In the above case, the Greek word that we have translated as eunuchs is castrati (one that has been sexually mutilated). And the fact that there is no mention of DaniEl having a wife or children, and that none of his descendants are listed among those that returned to JeruSalem, makes this a possible conclusion.

Translator note

Eue, Euan, or Eve?

There seems to be a contradiction between the Hebrew and Greek texts over the name of the first woman. In fact, there is even an apparent contradiction between the Greek texts, because she is referred to as Life (Greek: Zoe – pronounced zoe-ay) at Genesis 3:20, but as Eue or Euan (pronounced Eu-weh or Eu-wan) at Genesis 4:25.

However, there is no contradiction, just a difference between the languages.

The Greek word found at Genesis 3:21 (Zoe) means Life, and the Hebrew word found at Genesis 4:1, חַוָּ֣ה, or, H’Hawah (pronounced ‘Eve’ in English) also means Life. So, the reason for the difference in the Septuagint is that it gives both the Greek and Hebrew pronunciation of the name.

We understand that it may be difficult for some to understand how H’hawah came to be pronounced as Eve in English, but this is likely a later corruption of the Greek spelling of the Hebrew name (Eue), because the Greek letter u looks like a v (ευαν). So her English name should be Life, but Eve has become the common mispronunciation.

Translator note

1 Corinthians 15:33 – ‘bad company’ or ‘evil communications?’

In most Bibles, 1 Corinthians 15:33 reads something like this:

‘Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”’

This may indeed be a universal truth, but is it what the verse originally said? No. These words are actually a common mistranslation. You may have suspected this from seeing how it doesn’t flow with the rest of the argument very well.

First, consider the word variously translated as company, companionships, associating, or friends. According to ancient sources, the word does not refer to people at all, but to bad (or evil) ideas, stories, and communications.

This would make sense, because the context is Paul refuting the idea, or teaching, that the resurrection has already occurred. He is not talking about bad people, but bad talk and its logical consequences – and older Bibles seem to agree.

For example, the first Bible ever made in English (Tyndale, 1526) says:

‘Be not deceived: malicious speakings corrupt good manners.’

Also, the Aramaic version of the text clearly says communications or stories. Every English translation of the Aramaic agrees on this. For example, the Aramaic Bible in Plain English says:

Be not deceived, evil discourse corrupts pleasant minds.

The only Bibles that translate the word in a way that refers to bad people, and not bad talk, are those from the Greek. The Greek word is ομιλίαι (homilia) – which is defined in most Bible dictionaries as meaning ‘company, association’.

However, if we check the word in the Greek lexicon (which catalogs the real-world ancient uses of Greek words), we find that in ancient times it had many meanings. Yes, it included company and association, but also persuasion, instruction, and intercourse – meaning an interaction of ideas. To put it another way, talk. This matches up well with the Aramaic word. But wait, there’s more.

There is a very odd thing about the verse in Aramaic. The words seem to have a poetic, repetitive cadence, where the endings of the words seem to be deliberately matched up:

Mablan reyaneh basiymeh
shuw-yatah biy-shatah

Literally:

They/corrupt minds fair,
stories evil

This is phrased as if this is a common saying, told in the typical way that was very common in ancient times: making a slight rhyme so it’s easier to remember.

There is a good reason for this: it is a poetic quote! Indeed, it was probably a well-known one at the time. It was used by a popular ancient Greek poet, Menander. Unfortunately, most of his work was lost, and we only have fragments. So how do we know that Paul was using a quote also used by Menander? Because ancient writers tell us so.

The ancient Church historian Socrates of Constantinople reported in his book, Historia Ecclesiastica:

‘Again this sentence [of Paul], ‘Evil communications corrupt good manners,’ is a sufficient proof that he was conversant with the tragedies of Euripides.’– Book III, chapter 16, verse 114

Notice that not only does this confirm that the phrase is indeed a well-known quote, but look at how Socrates quotes it from Paul: ‘Evil communications corrupt good manners.’ He does not say ‘bad company’.

Interestingly, the Hermeneia Bible commentary series on 1 Corinthians says ‘This saying was widely known as a familiar quotation.’ Then it gives an example of its use by the 1st century BCE historian Diodorus Siculus who, speaking of Philip II of Macedon, said:

‘So, organising bands of traitors in the several cities by means of bribes and calling those who accepted his gold “guests” and “friends”, by his evil communications he corrupted the morals of the people’ –Bibliotheca Historica, 16.54.4

Do you see how it was offering bribes, and then calling these bribed people ‘friends’ – evil communications – that the people were corrupted? So it’s clear why Paul was using this common phrase, because the ‘evil’ teaching that the resurrection had already occurred was corrupting the congregation.

The second part

The second part of the phrase, usually translated as ‘good character,’ or ‘good morals’ needs to be re-examined too.

Let’s tackle the first word. The Aramaic word mostly means sweet or pleasant, and the Greek word mostly means useful, gentle, kind, or pleasant. So which is it?

Since this is a moral tale where something is corrupted, it must be the opposite beforehand, so we could collectively summarize all of these simply as good. Things that are good or can be corrupted, we don’t really speak about corrupting things that are pleasant, kind, or sweet. Also, good was the word used by Socrates of Constantinople when he quoted Paul.

But what about the second word? The Aramaic word can mean mind, thought or attitude, as well as will. The Greek word is éthos, and is where we get the word ethics. It can mean habit, manner, custom, or morals.

So, are we talking about corrupting a good mind? Or good morals? Good habits? Good manners? A good conscience? All of these?

We can immediately rule out habits, because, in our modern language, a good habit is something like brushing your teeth before bed. Good habits – as we think of them today – do not fit in the context. No longer believing in a future resurrection will not stop you brushing your teeth.

We can rule out manners for the same reason, because in modern English, good manners are things like saying please or thank you, or keeping the door open for someone behind you. This is nothing to do with being corrupted by an incorrect teaching about the resurrection!

Good conscience could fit, but when both Socrates of Constantinople and Diodorus Siculus (quoted above) used the expression, they did not say anything so specific as conscience.

So we are left with corrupting the morals or the mind. These are similar thoughts. However, corrupting your morals is the best choice for two reasons: it’s how Diodorus Siculus quoted Paul, and that’s what Paul was talking about. The previous verse said:

‘And if the dead aren’t going to be raised, and if it was just as a man that I fought wild animals at Ephesus, what good did it do me? Why not rather say, ‘Let’s eat and drink, for tomorrow we will die!’ —1 Corinthians 15:32

Clearly the implication is that, if this life is all there is, why not just enjoy it in an immoral way? So if people believe this false teaching about the resurrection, throw your morals to the wind, and enjoy life! Then comes the warning, that evil communications, or ideas, like that, can corrupt your good morals.

It makes perfect sense. Therefore our translation puts 1 Corinthians 15:33 as:

‘So, don’t allow [anyone] to mislead you about this… Remember that “evil communications corrupt good morals!”’

This fits the context perfectly, flows extremely well, matches the ancient uses of the words, and agrees with ancient historians quoting the same expression.

Are bad companions okay?

So, are we saying that the Bible doesn’t condemn associating with bad people? No, of course not. There are numerous warnings about befriending evil people, especially in the Psalms and Proverbs. However, 1 Corinthians 15:33 is not one of them.

This verse is warning about something else: how what you believe affects your morals!

Indeed, the 20th century had a very stark example of evil beliefs causing people to lose their morals. Hitler’s beliefs in a German master race, the pseudoscience of eugenics, Nietzsche’s nihilist philosophy that life is meaningless, and Darwin’s survival of the fittest, all combined to create some of the greatest horrors ever inflicted upon humanity.

Translator note

‘Executed’ or ‘raised up’ or ‘crucifed’?

Our translation follows the theory that most ‘New Testament’ books were originally in Aramaic (except for Mark, Luke, and Acts). In that language, the word used for ‘crucify’ is a verb meaning to make erect, or to be lifted up, or raised up.

It’s somewhat like our English word ‘hang’ or ‘hung,’ where it means more than just being hung like a picture on a wall – the cultural context of the word really means executed by means of hanging from the neck.

It’s the same in Aramaic. Being ‘raised up,’ in the right context, actually means to be executed by means of being raised up onto a (usually cross-shaped) piece of lumber. So, to save time and to be brief, in many places our translation just says executed.

Translator note

Ezekiel 1:1 – ‘30th year’

In EzekiEl’s opening words, he dates his writing as 30 years from some unknown starting point – but what is that starting point? Nobody knows.

Most translators believe that he was probably referring to his age at the time that he started his prophesying.

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible comments:

‘Some reckon this date from the accession of Nabopolassar (father of Nebuchadnezzar) in 625-BCE, and suppose that Ezekiel here gives a Babylonian date as a Jewish date (as in Ezekiel 1:2); But it is not certain that this accession formed an era in Babylon, and Ezekiel does not elsewhere give a double date, or even a Babylonian date. Others date from the 18th year of Josiah, when Hilkiah discovered the Book of the Law (supposed to be a jubilee year): This would give 594-BCE as the 30th year, but there is no other instance in Ezekiel of reckoning from this year.’

There is also, of course, the possibility that there is a textual corruption here, and it didn’t originally read 30th. However, this is just speculation.

So what is the answer?

We have no idea, but it doesn’t seem to affect Ezekiel’s message, and it doesn’t stop us from dating start of his ministry, since the same verse says that it was “5 years and 5 months after King JehoiAchin had been carried off as a captive.”

Translator note

Fear and Respect

The Greek word for respect (or value) is temer, while the Greek word for fear is phobou (as in phobia). Yet at Ephesians 5:33 (for example), phobou is often incorrectly translated as respect in some Bibles, where the text is talking about the feelings that Christian wives should have for their husbands.

This is likely an effort on the part of some to make the Bible more ‘politically correct,’ because, the same word, when speaking to slaves in the text that follows, is usually translated as fear.

What type of fear does the Bible mean?

Well, phobou is used in other places to describe our relationships with God and Jesus, and we are to love them. So, phobou must imply a fear of creating displeasure, much in the same way that husbands, wives, or slaves should fear (but love) God and Jesus.

Therefore, for clarification: in several places throughout this Bible where the word phobou is found, you will see that we have translated it as ‘[Godly] fear’ or ‘reverential fear.’

Translator note

Death – literal or figurative?

Death is frequently used in a figurative way in the Bible, representing a spiritual death.

This gives the translator a dilemma, because we all know that verses are taken out of context and misapplied. This happens a lot with texts describing death caused by sin. Now, while unrepentant sinners are indeed described as suffering literal death, other places are clearly describing a figurative spiritual death.

For example, Romans 6:8 says:

if we believe that we’ve already ‘died’ with the Anointed One, then we’ll be alive with him also.

Also, Romans 7:4 says:

You’ve been ‘raised from the dead’ so that you can now produce fruitage for God!

Yet this is often obscured when people take a verse out of context.

So, to prevent this from happening, in some places we put words like death, die, or dead in ‘single quotes’ to show that it’s not literal. We also insert words like spiritual beforehand where the context demands it. Did we always get it right? We hope so, but perhaps not!

Translator note

Gnats or Fleas?

The third plague that God sent to Egypt during the time prior to the IsraElite exodus was a countrywide infestation of small, biting insects. The Greek word for them is skniphes, which has been translated as gnats, fleas, mosquitoes, etc. We have decided that they were likely some sort of flea, because gnats aren’t thought of as biting insects, and the text indicates that they lived on the ground, which would rule out mosquitoes.

Translator note

Age, Eternal, Perpetual, Everlasting, Immortal, or Forever?

Many Bibles use words like forever in numerous verses. For example, according to the King James Version, Psalm 37:29 says:

‘The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.’

And the Jubilee Bible 2000 says:

‘The righteous shall inherit the earth and live upon it for ever.’

Yet does this accurately convey what King David wrote?

Not exactly.

The Greek words

Only two Greek words directly imply infinity (such as ‘forever’) in the Bible. One is the Greek word athanasia (undying), which is only found in two places, 1 Corinthians 15:53, where it mentions resurrected ones as clothing themselves with immortality, and at 1 Timothy 6:16, where Paul speaks of Jesus alone as having it.

The other Greek word is aidios, which is used at Romans 1:20 to describe God’s Power and Might as eternal, and at Jude 6, where it speaks of the rebellious angels being confined in a perpetual state of gloomy darkness.

However, the Greek word which is used throughout the Bible and often translated as eternal and forever, is aionos. It’s where we get the English word eon. It means an undefined period of time, and there is no exact English word to translate it.

The best equivalents are age or era. That is how the 2001 Translation translates the word.

The singular form (aionos) appears to mean a period such as a lifetime, generation, or era.

The plural form (aiōnōn) refers to a longer time, at least multiple generations.

Neither of these mean forever.

Where the term, ‘ton aiona tou aionos’ (the age of the age) is used (extensively in the Greek Septuagint version of Psalms), it may refer to a coming better age for mankind.

However, the term ‘tou aionos ton aionon’ (of the ages of the ages) is usually used in reference to The God, so we would assume that this truly means forever (e.g. Ephesians 3:21).

Important to get right

It’s easy to see why it’s so important to translate these words correctly. Not only could we be led astray by wrong interpretation, but getting it wrong can also discredit the Bible. How so?

Well, there are many prophecies about cities, peoples, and lands which state these were to be destroyed for a portion of time, not forever, as other Bible translations say. So when others translate these words incorrectly, and these places are later rebuilt or re-inhabited, the mistranslations make it look like the Bible got it wrong, when it didn’t. Bible critics are then given ammunition to make false claims about ‘failed’ Bible prophecy, when no such ‘failures’ really occurred.

It’s noteworthy that aionos is also the word used in the Greek Septuagint to translate several Hebrew words which usually appear in modern Bibles as forever. Yet other Bible translators have taken this one word (aionos) and display it in English as everlasting, eternal, system of things, time indefinite, [end of] the world, long ago, from of old, etc. Obviously, something is very wrong here! The same word cannot mean a defined period of time in one place, but then mean infinity in another.

End of the world?

Consider the unique way that aionos is used in Matthew 24:3 (NLT):

‘Tell us, when will all this happen?
What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?’

Yes, many Bibles translate aionos as world here. Yet, if the Apostles were asking about the world, then they would have used the proper Greek word for it: cosmos (world, system of things, or arrangement), not aionos (age/era).

Thus it shows just how problematic it is to translate the word as forever. They weren’t asking Jesus when forever, everlasting, or eternal would end, nor were they asking when the world would end. Rather, they would have been asking when that particular age, or period in which they were living, or the age of God’s dealing only with the Jews was about to end. That then happened shortly afterwards in 70 CE with the destruction of JeruSalem and its Temple. Indeed, several Bible translations agree on this point, such as the NIV, which translates the verse thus:

‘what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?’

The point is that aionos does not mean forever.

(Note: it’s possible that the Apostles didn’t ask this question at all.)

Long ago?

Another good example of mistranslation of aionos is found at Acts 3:21. There, other translators have rendered it as, long ago, ancient times, from the beginning, since the world began, since the beginning of the world, and since time began.

For example, the King James Version says:

‘...which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.’

The context clearly shows that aionos cannot be translated as eternal, everlasting, or forever here. Therefore, we have correctly translated it as age, at it makes perfect sense:

“...that God told us through the mouths of the holy [ones] in His age of the Prophets...’

Could we ever translate aionos as forever?

There are places where some forms of the word could imply forever, such as when we find it in the form aiōnōn. This is an adjective (a describing word) in the singular, which, when combined with the Greek word zoe (life), is usually translated in other Bibles as, everlasting life, but is this totally accurate? Not exactly.

In the past, we had tried to reconcile the term zoe aiōniōn as meaning, life in the age. However, the word age in this instance would not be an adjective. The two words appear to be combined into a term, that is, a name for something. So, we have chosen (in most cases) to translate it as age-long life, which we will agree could indeed imply everlasting life.

All the various ways that this word (aionos) has been mistranslated into English well illustrates why we created this Bible translation. Translators of most Bibles have simply translated in ways that promote existing religious doctrines, not in ways that would accurately reflect the true meanings of the words. When this happens, it creates a catch-22 situation for the religions that use, sponsor, and promote the use of such Bibles. They ‘verify’ their doctrines through dishonest translating, which they then use to promote their doctrines!

Admittedly, our translating of aionos as age/era probably doesn’t change how many people understand God’s purposes for righteous mankind. However, it does well illustrate how words can be twisted by Bible translators to imply things that the ancient Bible texts never said.

For a discussion of this topic, please see the scriptural commentary, Does the Bible Promise Everlasting Life?

Translator note

‘Chief,’ ‘head,’ or ‘foundation’ cornerstone?

In most Bibles, the prophecy calling Jesus a cornerstone at Psalm 118:22, reads like this:

‘The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone.’ –New KJV

‘The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.’ –KJV

However, this appears to be a mistranslation. While the word used can mean ‘chief’ in Hebrew or Aramaic, it has a wide variety of definitions, and as we shall describe, the ones used above appear to be the wrong ones.

Also, when quoted in the Greek text of the New Testament (at Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10, Luke 20:17, Acts 4:11, and 1 Peter 2:7) the word only means ‘head’ in Greek as in a physical human head on someone’s shoulders, not as a chief who is in charge of others. While most Bible dictionaries do list that meaning, that’s a more modern use of the word. Lexicons show that no ancient writers used the word (kephalé) to mean ‘chief.’ That definition came much later.

In the Bible, the word used in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek usually means the physical head on their body, but can also mean the source or origin of something. This latter meaning seems to be the correct definition here. For an extensive description of the evidence for this, please see the translator note on the word origin.

So, these verses should actually describe the cornerstone as the original, starting, or initial cornerstone, and not as a head or chief. Why?

In ancient times, the first stone laid to build something was a cornerstone. Builders would then build out all other walls from there. In other words, it was the origin of the building.

So while it’s true that Jesus is indeed our ‘chief,’ our ‘head,’ and our King, this is not the point being made here.

Jesus founded the congregation, or Church, and all Christians came from him – just like the first stone from which one constructs the rest of a building comes from the first cornerstone.

After all, think it through logically. How could there be a ‘head/chief cornerstone’ that is somehow in charge of all the others? By the time the building is finished, there are usually at least four identical cornerstones. If Jesus is one, who are the other three that are equal to him? And when is a stone in charge of a building project? Surely the person in charge is the builder, not a stone? The parable starts to break down.

However, everything makes sense once you understand that there’s a first cornerstone, that is, a starting point from which the builders lay out the rest it. This special cornerstone is the source or origin of the rest of the building. That describes Jesus perfectly; he was the starting cornerstone and origin of the Christian ‘building.’ Without him, nothing else would have been built.

In normal American English, we would call this a foundation stone. So in this translation we use the phrase foundation cornerstone. But why say ‘corner’ at all? Why not just say ‘foundation stone?’ That would break Ephesians 2:20, which says:

‘You’ve been built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, whose cornerstone is the Anointed Jesus himself!’

Translator note

Funeral

At Ecclesiastes 7:2, we rendered the Greek words, ‘Agathon poreuthenai eis oikon penthous,’ as, ‘It’s better to attend a funeral.’

Yet a word-for-word translation says:

‘Is/good to/go into a/house of/mourning.’

Why have we made this change? Because in modern terms, we would refer to this as attending a funeral.

Translator note

Garbage Dump

The Greek word GeHenna is often translated as Hell Fire in other Bibles.
However, the word simply means the Valley (heb. ge) of Hinnom.

Understand that the Valley of Hinnom (also referred to as ‘the Valley of the Sons of Hinnom‘) was an actual place in ancient JeruSalem.
It wasn’t some symbolic Hell fire;
Rather, it was a valley that was used as the city’s garbage dump, which was located along the southeastern corner of its outer wall.

Before JeruSalem’s conquest by Babylon, the Valley of Hinnom had once been a beautiful park.
However, because unfaithful Jews started offering their children as sacrifices on an altar to the God Moloch there (see 2 Chronicles 28:3); After their repatriation to JeruSalem, the people started using it as a place to dump their garbage and refuse.

Of course, since it was a garbage dump, it was necessary to keep the garbage burning in order to reduce the stench and to limit the number of flies and rats. So, sulfur and sulfurous rocks know as ‘brimstone’ were regularly thrown into the dump to keep the fires burning hot.
And this is why Jesus, when using the term, spoke of the fire as not being put out.
Also, because worms (maggots) bred along the edges of the dump, he could say that the worms would always be there.

The only cases where humans were actually thrown into GeHenna provides an insight into what Jesus was talking about when he referred to people as going there. For there were cases where the dead bodies of particularly vile criminals were thrown into GeHenna’s fires, because people felt that they were undeserving of a decent burial. And as you read the Scriptures, you will notice the importance that Hebrews placed on being ‘laid to rest with their ancestors.’

So when Jesus spoke of people being thrown into GeHenna;
He was using the name of a familiar place to make the point that those whom God views as being unrepentant sinners would be thrown into the ‘garbage dump;’
For they were unworthy of a resurrection by Him.
Notice that this outcome was well illustrated by what happened to wicked Queen JezeBel, for her body was eaten by dogs.

Such an outcome for the willfully wicked was also referred to by Jesus (in Matthew’s account) as the fire of the age.
Why did he use that term?
Because fire destroys, and this destruction is for the ages.
(For more information, see the linked document, ‘Is there a Burning Hell?’)

Translator note

The Paradise of Delights, or the ‘Garden of Eden?’

Was there really a Garden of Eden?
And if so, where was it located?

Actually, the Septuagint version of the OT text says this at Genesis 2:8:

‘God planted a Paradise on the east side of Edem, where He put the man whom he had formed.’

Then in verses 10-14 we read:

‘A river flowed from Edem to water the Paradise, and from there [came the] head [waters] of four [rivers].
The name of the [first river] is Phison.
It circles the entire land of Evilat, where there is gold (and the gold from that land is good), as well as coal and ornamental stone.
The name of the second river is Geon.
It runs around the land of Kush.
The third river is the Tigris.
It flows over toward the Assyrians.
The fourth river is the EuPhrates.’

As you can see, according to the Greek Septuagint, the Garden wasn’t named Eden, it was just called ‘the Paradise’ or ‘the Walled Garden’ (from the word’s old Iranian roots), and it was also called ‘the Paradise of Delights,’ at Genesis 2:15.

So, where did Eden come in?

Notice that the Greek Septuagint account tells us that the Garden was located along the east side of ‘the land of Edem.’ Therefore, the garden wasn’t named Eden (or Edem). Rather, it was located next to a land of that name.

But, which spelling is correct, Eden or Edem?

We don’t know, for we frequently find the letters M and N interchanged in Bible names in the ancient texts. But don’t confuse this name (Ed-em) with Edom (Ed-om), although they both have similar meanings and may have once been pronounced the same. For Edom is the name of the land that belonged to the family line of IsaAc’s son Esau, and Edem or Eden is the name of a land east of that, which was next to the garden that we commonly call Eden today.
And where was that?

It’s important to notice that when Moses wrote this first portion of Genesis, he used the names of places and countries that existed in his day to describe where they had once been.
For at Genesis 2:14 he tells us that the Tigris river ‘flows over toward the Assyrians.’
And since there was no nation of Assyria before the Downpour, we must assume that he was describing the place where it was located in his day, which was somewhere north of the ancient land of Assyria…
For the Tigris River was described as flowing from Edem into Assyria.

So then, was there really a land of Edem that existed north of Assyria in the time of Moses?
Yes, for there was a people called the Sons of Edem that are mentioned in other scriptures.
Notice, for example, that at 2 Kings 19:12 (4 Kings 19:12 Sept.), we read that when the Assyrians were taunting the people of JeruSalem by bragging about the cities they had already conquered, they spoke of their conquest of the Sons of Edem at ‘ThaEsthen’ (‘Tel Assar’ in the Hebrew text), which almost all modern references cite as being ‘a country annexed to Assyria.’

Therefore, the land of Edem (or Eden) was likely north of where most people think of it as being today (in southern Iraq). For, that’s where you’ll find the headwaters of the Tigris, EuPhrates, and two other rivers, the Geon (probably the Gihon or the Gaihun-Aras) and the Phison (likely the Pishon, which is now known as the Sefid-Rud, or Long Red River), since they have similar names today.
So, as several modern researchers have concluded;
The Garden was probably located to the southwest of Mt. Ararat near the modern city of Tabriz in Azerbaijan.

It’s also important to note that the Bible account tells us that the headwaters of these rivers all started in the area of the land of Edem (not in the Garden).
Yet, if the garden had been (as most sources say) near Babylon;
A geographical map shows that the headwaters of these rivers have never started that far south in what is now a desert. For, as with many rivers, the source is often found in the mountainous regions, such as near Mt. Ararat. And notice that this area is still called Eden today by the local tribes.

Then, was there ever a man named Edem from whom the land at the foot of Mt. Ararat derives its name? That is likely, but since Edem appears to mean red earth, the term the sons of Edem could also mean the sons of the red earth after the bright red ochre soil that is found near Tabriz.
And notice that;
Since the name Adam also seems to mean Red Earth, it could be that the red soil from that area (SW of Ararat) was the dust of the ground from which Adam was made.

Another thing to note is that according to Genesis 10:7, one of the descendants of Noah’s son Kush (a dark-skinned race of people) was named Evilat, which is the name of the land around which the Phison flowed (see Genesis 2:11)…
Yes, it’s where the account says that gold and other valuable minerals could be found.

Also, the Hebrew (Masoretic) text says that the Geon River ran around ‘the entire land of Kush’ (it was originally spelled with a K not a C). So, according to the Genesis account, the dark-skinned Kushites once lived in this area north of Assyria.
For the Bible tells us that Kush’s son Nimrod founded many cities in Iran and Iraq.
But is there any historical proof that this is so?

Notice that the book ‘A History of All Nations from Earliest Times’ by John Henry Wright speaks of a dark-skinned race that once lived along the Black Sea coast in Northern Assyria, whom the Greeks called ‘Ethiopians’ – Black People. This is found in the second paragraph under the heading, ‘Medes and Persians.’ And there we read that these people were thereafter relocated southeast and became the Indians (modern Brahui). That this is likely true can be seen from the newest maps of migrations as proven by genetics. For if you follow the ‘L’ (Indian) genetic branch backward, you’ll see that it returns to the area of modern Persia, as the Bible account in Genesis indicates.

Then, why don’t these people still live in that land today?
Because, as was common among all the races that were conquered by the Assyrians, they were displaced to other areas within the vast Assyrian empire (as were the ‘lost’ ten tribes of IsraEl, by the way). And notice that the people who live in the country that we call Ethiopia today still refer to themselves as ‘the Kingdom of Kush.’ So, they are apparently close relatives to the black or dark-skinned people that once inhabited the area around ancient Edem or Eden.

Translator note

Matthew 24:34 – “this generation”?

In most Bibles, Matthew 24:34 says something like:

“...this generation will not pass away until...”

However, ours says:

“...this people won’t pass away until...”

In our Greek sources, the word usually translated as generation has several definitions; yes, it can mean generation, but it can also mean family or a group of people. The definition chosen is entirely up to the translator, a decision usually made by looking at the context. Original readers of the Greek version of Matthew’s gospel did not see “generation.” No, they saw a word that could mean a variety of things, with generation merely being one possible definition.

We say that the usual choice of “generation” is inaccurate here because it distorts the original word. Rather than carefully conveying that the text uses an ambiguous term, modern translators who choose “generation” erase all ambiguity and present a specific meaning that is not present in the original text.

Such translators feel justified in doing this because Jerusalem was destroyed only 37 years later, that is, within a generation. However, this is putting the cart before the horse; it imposes future knowledge of events onto the past. They are, in effect, putting words in Jesus’ mouth. The text records him using an ambiguous term, and the translators use their knowledge of the future to replace that with a specific one.

Is that acceptable? Not to us, no.

It could be argued that it introduces a contradiction, as Jesus also talked about not knowing the day or hour. For if Jesus had actually said “generation,” then he would have effectively started a countdown clock until one generation expires. The apostles could have said, “Remember, Jesus said that Jerusalem will be destroyed within one generation! It’s already been over 30 years!” Yet there is no record of the apostles saying such a thing; the reason for this is simply that Jesus didn’t say generation; he used an ambiguous term – as anyone who examines the lexicons can confirm for themselves.

However, there is more.

The Aramaic sources of Matthew quote him using the word sha’urbetah. Lexicons only list this word as meaning family, tribe, nation, people, and class (as in a distinct class of people such as the priestly class). Unlike the Greek, only the plural version is listed to mean generations.

For example, the Aramaic version of Matthew 24:30 uses the same word to say tribes:

‘...the Son of Man’s sign will appear in the skies, and all the tribes of the earth will beat themselves...’

Aramaic does have a word for generation, darah, a word that appears in other parts of the Aramaic New Testament in contexts that clearly point to a time limit (for example, Ephesians 3:5 and Hebrews 3:10). However, as already stated, Matthew 24:34 does not use that word, it uses the singular sha’urbetah which means only family, tribe, people, or nation.

What does this mean? Well, it means that the large eastern community of Aramaic-speaking Christians did not think that Jesus said generation. That’s very significant indeed. And since their Greek-speaking counterparts in the West were reading a word with multiple definitions, we have no reason to think they thought Jesus said generation either.

Also, since Aramaic was Jesus’ native language, there’s the possibility that the Aramaic text accurately conveys his real word choice (although we don’t know if this is the case).

For these reasons, our version of Matthew 24:34 says ‘people’ and not ‘generation.’

This is also why our version of the parallel account in Mark 13:30 (from the Greek text) uses the definition of ‘people,’ as it is the only definition shared by both the Aramaic and Greek words.

Why is this even an issue?

Some people have strong emotional attachments to the translation of “generation” because of modern apocalyptic interpretations of scripture.

They believe that Jesus’ words about Jerusalem’s destruction by the Romans have an application in modern times. They point to the events in Matthew 24 and connect them with modern wars and earthquakes. They then use the word “generation” as a countdown timer to make sensational claims about the rapture coming, or the end of the world, or Armageddon.

Therefore, such people get very upset when we point out that Jesus probably never used that word.

Translator note

Genesis 11:2 – ‘from the east’ or ‘eastward?’

At Genesis 11:2, our Bible translation reads:

‘Then, as they migrated from the east, they found a flat area of land in Shinar and they started living there.’

However, other Bibles read:

‘As men moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there.’ –New International Version

‘As the people migrated to the east, they found a plain in the land of Babylonia and settled there.’ –New Living Translation

So, did men migrate to the east or to the west after the Chest (Ark) came to rest on Mt. Ararat?

In the Greek text, the words are:

‘apo anatolon,’
‘from the/east.’

However the current Hebrew texts read:

‘miq-qe-dem be-na-se-am,’
‘east journeyed.’

We believe that the Greek text is probably correct here, because if you go eastward from Mt. Ararat you end up in Persia, not Shinar. However, you can go south from Ararat and then move south-west to descend onto the flat plain where the land of Shinar is located.

In other words, you must come from the north-east. You cannot get to Shinar by going east from Ararat.

Translator note

Genesis 2:12 – Coal or red gemstone?

The word here for “red gemstone” is “anthrax”. This could be translated as “coal”. Coal would certainly be correct according to Strong's, however the Greek-English ancient lexicon that tracks the use of the words in ancient times indicates that in ancient writings, the word "anthrax" was also a reference to "a precious stone of dark-red color, including the carbuncle, ruby, and garnet". Indeed, this is the usage seen in the 4th century BCE in Aristotle's writings and those of the Greek historian Phylarchus.

The same word already appears in our translation at Exodus 28:18 as "carbuncle", which is an archaic term for a red ruby, as it was one of the precious stones to be put in the High Priest's breast plate.

It can certainly also mean a burning hot coal, though. It is used in Isaiah 6:6 in the Greek Septuagint to describe the hot coal taken from the altar by the angel. So the mystery may be solved by thinking of anthrax as meaning any red-colored mineral, whether it's red because it's just naturally that color, or red because it's very hot. If that's true, then the reference to it in Genesis 2:12 would not be to coal.

The Hebrew version of Genesis 2:12 calls it "bedolach" (or, "bdellium"), which was thought to be amber or some other yellow-like stone.

Also, the context of Genesis is, of course, listing precious stones and metals. So coal would not fit the context either, although admittedly, it is a very short list, so perhaps this is not a valid objection.

So the word here could mean "amber", "ruby", "precious red stone", or "red gemstone". Of course, amber is not red, nor is bdellium, but most ancient languages had very few color names, and made no distinction between red, orange, and yellow; they were all just called "red".

Translator note

Genesis 2:4 – ‘this was the scroll’

The words, ‘this was the scroll’ imply that the previous words in Genesis 1 came from a pre-recorded source.

Also, the cadence of the words indicate that it was originally a poem or a song.

When was this portion of the Genesis written?

Unlike later portions of Genesis, the language used here indicates that it was likely transcribed by Moses into his (what was then) more modern dialect of Hebrew from a far older document.

For more information, see the commentary, The Bible’s Internal Proofs of its Authenticity.

Translator note

Genesis 4:7

This verse reads quite differently in the Hebrew Masoretic text compared with our Greek Septuagint source. Here’s how it appears in the one Hebrew-based Bible:

‘Is it not true that if you do what is right, you will be fine?
But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door.
It desires to dominate you, but you must subdue it.’

As you can see, it’s very different from the version in our Bible. So which version is correct?

We don’t know.

Translator note

Genesis 5:1– ‘this was the scroll’

The words, ‘this was the scroll,’ imply that previous verses (in chapters 2 to 4) were pre-recorded history. The dialect dates it to around the time of Moses.

From the references to the Assyrians and Ethiopians (Kushites), we see that was written sometime after the Downpour. Therefore, it appears as though this chapter had been rewritten into the dialect of Moses from some much older documents, perhaps even from the time of Noah’s son Shem.

Translator note

‘Great shakings’ or ‘earthquakes?’

The Greek words seismos and seismoi are usually thought of as meaning earthquake and earthquakes, because they literally mean, a rumbling. In fact, the modern study of earthquakes is called seismology.

Therefore, when Jesus mentioned seismoi (at Matthew 24:7), most translators assumed that it referred to earthquakes.

However, seismos doesn’t necessarily imply just earthquakes:

The same word is used at Matthew 8:24 to describe an agitated sea when Jesus was on a boat with his disciples.

In the Greek Septuagint, 2 Kings 2:11 uses the word to describe the storm in which EliJah was taken into the sky in a flaming chariot.

The Greek lexicon states that in addition to ‘earthquake,’ the ancient writers Plato and Julius Pollux used the word to mean ‘shock, agitation, commotion.’

From this, we can see that Jesus’ use of the word at Matthew 24:7 could imply more than just earthquakes, since it carries a broader meaning. It could actually be speaking of any forms of natural disasters, such as windstorms, or perhaps even political turmoil or civil unrest.

However, Jesus likely spoke his words in Aramaic, not Greek. So what does the Aramaic word mean?

Much the same. The word is zawa, and the Aramaic lexicon (which tracks the use of these words by ancient writers) defines it as meaning various things, including: vigorous motion, commotion, trouble, power, force, trembling, a loud sound, and terror. So while the word could well describe earthquakes, it also has a broad range of meaning, just like the Greek.

For the above reasons, this translation coveys the broader range of meaning by translating the term as ‘shaking,’ ‘rumbling,’ and ‘agitated’ (for the sea in Matthew 8:24).

Translator note

Grieve the spirit?

Most other Bibles translate Ephesians 4:30 like this:

‘And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God’ –NIV

However, we chose to say ‘impede’ instead of ‘grieve.’ Why?

Because ‘impede’ better fits the context, agrees better with other verses, and is a valid translation from what we believe to be the Aramaic original.

This is controversial, however. You see, this verse is often used as a Trinity proof-text, to demonstrate that the Holy Spirit (or as we translate it, the Holy Breath) is a Person of the Trinity, because only a person is capable of being grieved, or saddened.

For example, the Ellicott’s Commentary says:

‘there is implied a personal relation to a Divine Person, capable of being “grieved” by our transgressions’ [italics added]

However, even many Trinitarians admit that the New Testament does not explicitly teach that the Spirit, or Breath, is a person (which is why it says ‘implied’ above). We also know from recorded history that the Holy Spirit was not considered to be a ‘Person of the Trinity’ until several centuries after Ephesians was written.

So the question is: did the Apostle Paul really mean grieve, or do we have a mistranslation?

There may indeed be a mistranslation, or at least a misunderstanding.

The word in Aramaic is mahiyqiyn, which can mean to grieve, but also to oppress, trouble, or constrict.

However, the word in Greek is lupeó, which just means to distress or grieve. However, according to the Greek lexicon, it was also used to describe annoying an enemy force with constant light attacks.

Now consider the context. Paul was warning against committing various sins. But why? Was he just pleading that you shouldn’t sin and make the Holy Spirit sad? Perhaps. Or was he warning that if you commit sins, you won’t receive as much Holy Spirit?

Admittedly, a case could be made both ways, but the latter seems more likely to us.

You see, when you understand that nobody (at this time) regarded the Spirit as a ‘Person of the Trinity,’ and that the Aramaic word can also mean to oppress, trouble, or constrict, and the Greeks also used their word to mean annoying enemy armies in attacks... then it makes perfect sense that the word – in this context – means something like: ‘Don’t commit these sins or your actions will impede or constrain or attack the Spirit and prevent it from acting in your lives.’

This would agree with other verses:

‘Do not stifle the Holy Spirit.’ –1 Thessalonians 5:19, NLT

‘You always resist the Holy Spirit.’ –Acts 7:51, NIV

So putting it all together, we believe that the ancient peoples who first read Ephesians 4:30 probably understood ‘grieve the Spirit’ as meaning to impede or constrain the Spirit’s action in their lives, as if their sins were attacks upon it, so that’s why we translate it as ‘impede.’

We may be wrong, of course, but that’s why we have these translator notes – so you can see what we’re doing.

Translator note

Hades

The Greek word Hades (the Greeks pronounced it hah-dess) has been translated both as Hell (which many today think of as a place of torture) and as the Grave in other Bible versions (such as the King James). Since one word can’t mean two very different things, which translation is correct?

Hades was originally the name of the Greek god of the underworld, but the term eventually came to mean the place of his realm, ‘the place of the dead.’ And especially among Christians and Muslims, it started to be thought of as a place of torture of wicked souls.

However, an insight into what the ancient early Christians understood the word to mean can be gained from looking at how it was applied in the Greek Septuagint translation of the Ancient Scriptures of IsraEl (which appears to have been the ‘Old Testament’ Bible that Jesus and his Apostles quoted).

There the Hebrew word Sheol is translated into Greek as Hades in every instance.
And if you take the time to look each instance up, you’ll see that these are obvious references to the grave or the place of the dead, not to a place of conscious torture.
(See Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10 as an example).

But, was this the same thing that Jesus and his Apostles were talking about when they spoke of Hades?

You might notice, for example, what Jesus’ Apostle John wrote about what will happen to those in Hades as he described it at Revelation 20:13. In the NIV Bible translation (as well as in several other Bibles), the verse is rendered this way:
‘The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them.
And each person was judged according to what they had done.’

So, notice that in this reference to Hades, people were spoken of as coming out of that place (being resurrected), and after that, they were judged.
As you can see, they hadn’t even been judged and condemned yet!
Therefore, Hades is probably better translated as grave in this instance, or even better as the place of the dead in that scripture.

And something you might notice is that Hades isn’t the only Greek word that is translated as Hell in the Bible. For if you would like to see a complete list of these words and the descriptions of their true meanings, please see the linked document, ‘Is There a Burning Hell?’

Translator note

Who is ‘he’?

Unfortunately, in these places, many translations mistakenly put ‘He’ (capitalized), wrongly stating that God is saying something when it was really somebody else.

For example, the author of Hebrews chapter 1 quotes words from the Jewish Books preceded by the Greek and Aramaic word for ‘he said.’ This has been misunderstood by other translators to mean that the author was quoting God. Therefore, these translators put ‘He said’, ‘He says’, or even ‘God said’. However, if you look up the original quotations, you’ll find that God wasn’t speaking there at all!

This problem disappears when you realize that ‘he says’ isn’t referring to God. The ‘he’ is the person who really said those words (such as Moses or a psalmist). Alternatively, if the text was originally written in Aramaic, it could be referring to the scripture/verse since verses or scriptures are masculine in that language (although in Greek they’re feminine).

At one time, our own translation made the same mistake as other translations and frequently said ‘He’ where it was incorrect. Now these places either say ‘he’ (not capitalized) or they name the actual speaker via a [translator insertion].

Translator note

Heavens or Sky, Earth or Land?

In both the Jewish and Christian scriptures, we find the entire realm of creation divided into just three descriptions, the heavens (or sky), the earth (the land or ground), and the seas (or the waters) and rivers.

In contemporary English, we understand that there is a difference between the words heaven and sky, and the words earth and land (or ground). However, in both the Hebrew and Greek Bible texts, these fine distinctions that we accept because of our modern technology can’t be found.
So, Genesis 1:1 can be literally and very accurately translated as saying:

‘In the beginning, The God created the sky and the land.’
For this is what the words found there really mean, since it was the first man’s view of creation from the place where he was standing.
There was just the land beneath him and the sky above him.

At the time, men had no understanding of the earth as a planet or of a cosmos of stars, because they had never seen the earth as a globe floating in space, as most of us have done today.
Nor did they have any idea what the stars and planets were, as we now do.
So, they had just one word to describe the earth, land, or ground, and just one word to describe the skies or the heavens (the realm of God).

Therefore, to clarify what is actually meant in each instance where these single words are found, translators have used many English words to translate them. And as you will see, something as simple as selecting the wrong synonym can give us quite a different view of the meanings of some very common Bible verses.

Realize that the Greek word ourano can be correctly translated as heaven, heavens, sky, and skies, depending on the context and tense. But if the translator chooses the wrong English word to translate it in a particular instance, most people will reach a wrong conclusion because of the nuance that the particular English word implies.

You might notice, for example, the account of where the Prophet EliJah was snatched away in a celestial chariot (at 2 Kings 2:11). If you ask most people where they think he was taken, they’ll say (as their Bibles put it), ‘into heaven, where he went to live with God.’ However, this isn’t true, because the Bible tells us that King JehoRam later received a letter from Elijah (see 2 Chronicles 21:12).

Therefore, we must assume that God had used the celestial chariot to take him into ‘the sky’ (the proper translation here), where he was then sent to another place here on the earth. (For more information as to why he couldn’t have gone into the presence of God, see the linked document, ‘The Hereafter.’)

So, where is heaven?
Understand that the Bible word that is translated as ‘heaven’ (ourano) means any place that is above the ground of planet earth; So in any given instance, ourano can be speaking of the atmosphere around us, or of open space, or of another planet or galaxy, or possibly even of someplace outside of the space-time continuum, as we understand it. Therefore, we really have no idea of where God meets with His spirit sons (as mentioned in Job) or what that place really looks like…
And that we have no concept of what ‘being taken to heaven’ really means!

Likewise, the Greek words ge, ges, and gen can be translated as earth, earths, ground, grounds, land, or lands, depending on the context and tense. And notice how a wrong choice of English words affects how we view what Jesus said at Matthew 5:5, for example.
This verse reads in Greek:
‘Makarioi oi praeis hoti outoi kleronomesousin ten gen,’
or,
‘Blest the meek, for they will/inherit the (earth, ground, or land).’

Some Bibles translate Jesus as saying, ‘The meek will inherit the earth.’
However, other Bibles quote him as saying, ‘The meek will inherit the land.’
So, do you see the difference that the nuances (‘earth’ or ‘land’) make here?
Yet, understand that both word choices are equally correct, since they are both translated from the same Greek word, and your understanding of the meaning depends on what you prefer to believe.

For a good example of the problems that are created by the wrong use of the words ge, ges, and gen, see the linked document, ‘Isaiah 24 – Is It Speaking of Armageddon?’

You might also consider the symbolic words found at 2 Peter 3:5, 6, which we have translated as saying:

‘The thing that they don’t want to understand is this:
That the ancient sky and land were out of the water, but (in obedience to God’s instructions) they stood together between the waters.’

Shouldn’t this verse read ‘heavens and earth,’ as the words are translated in other Bibles?

No, for notice that Peter was talking about the things that had happened to the earth in the time of Noah, and he was explaining where all the water came from. He was saying that the earth’s ancient atmosphere and the surface of the land below it was once located ‘between the waters’… That is, there was water under the ground that arose at that time, and there was also water high in the sky that fell to the earth.
So he was saying that the water came from both above and below.

Obviously, he wasn’t saying that the water came from the heavenly presence of God;
He was saying that it came from somewhere in or above earth’s atmosphere, and from under the ground!

Also, what did John see that he described at Revelation 21:1?
Did he see ‘a new heavens and new earth,’ or a ‘new sky and new land,’ as we have quoted him as saying?

Well, he actually saw something disappear, and then something new came into existence.

So, do you think that he saw the realm of God (or the entire universe) and the globe of the earth (of which he had no concept) go away and then something new coming to take their place?
Not likely!
Rather, it just makes good sense that what he saw was the land beneath him and the sky above him disappear.
And then they were replaced by a new land and a new sky.
So, ‘land and sky’ is the better translation in this case.

Translator note

Hebrews 13:17– ‘have confidence in’

Other translations say ‘obey your leaders’, but the word in Greek (πείθεσθε) has a broad meaning: to persuade, to trust, follow, or obey. Therefore the phrase ‘have confidence in’ conveys this broader meaning of the word.

The Aramaic word is ܐܬܛܦܝܣܘ, and means ‘be persuaded by’ or ‘be appeased by’, with the thought of obedience only via voluntary consent.

The words ‘obey your leaders’ would be a mistranslation because (1) it hides the full meaning of the Greek and Aramaic word, and (2) it could be exploited by those wishing to dominate others and set themselves up as leaders in place of Jesus. In contrast, Jesus said that ‘you are all just brothers’ (Matthew 23:8), and ‘don’t even be called leaders, because you only have one Leader, the Anointed One’ (Matthew 23:10).

Translator note

Horeb or Sinai?

On which mountain did Moses meet with God… Mt. Sinai or Mt. Horeb? Actually, both names seem to be mentioned interchangeably in most Bibles.

For example, Exodus 34:2 Moses was told:

‘So, be ready to climb Mount Sinai in the morning, then stand there [and wait] for Me on top of the Mountain.’

But notice that at Exodus 33:6, the IsraElites were said to be gathered at Mount Horeb. Why were both names used?

Well, Horeb may not have actually been a name, but a description that has been mistranslated as a name! This has happened with several other words in the Bible.

Ho’reb is a Hebrew word for dry, which aptly describes this land in the Sin (pronounced Seen and/or Sheen) Desert, near the southern tip of Arabia. It’s close to where Jehovah/Yahweh empowered Moses to strike the rock and bring out water for the people to drink, since there was no other water source there.

Sinai, on the other hand, may have received its name from its prominent place toward the end of the Sin Desert. However, Hebrew scholars say that Sinai means bush, referring to the burning bush where God spoke to Moses.

Translator note

‘House to house’ or ‘in [private] homes’?

Most Bibles translate Paul’s words at Acts 20:20 (and similar words in Acts 5:42) as saying that he taught ‘from house to house.’ Yet, that is a mistranslation. The Greek words were actually, ‘kat oikous,’ literally, ‘according/to house.’

There is actually no mention in the Greek source text of moving between houses. The ancient Aramaic translation of Acts also makes no mention of it, simply saying ‘in houses’.

Therefore, The New Living Translation says, ‘in your homes.’ The Bible in Basic English says ‘and privately.’

We agree. Our translation of Acts 20:20 puts it this way:

‘Yet I didn’t fail to remind you and teach you both in public and in [your] homes’

You can see the rightness of this by looking at the entire setting, as laid out in verses 17 to 21:

‘However, [while he was] in Miletus, he [Paul] sent word to Ephesus to call the elders of the congregation to him.

And when they arrived, he told them:

You know very well that from the first day I stepped into Asia, I was with you all along, humbly slaving for the Lord.
And [you know] of all the tears and trials I endured because of the plots of the Jews.

Yet, I didn’t fail to remind you and teach you both in public and in [your] homes; For I gave a thorough witness to both Jews and Greeks about [the need to] repent before God and [to have] faith in our Lord Jesus.’

As you can see, Paul was speaking to Christian elders and reminding them of how he had preached to them! This is not a description of an organized preaching campaign to strangers in which Christians would call at their homes.

Then, does this mean that Paul never searched for new converts by preaching from house to house? No, we’re not saying that. It’s hard to know everything about how the early Christians preached.

We’re also not saying that calling at people’s homes is wrong or forbidden, for the scriptures do not imply that either.

The only records in the Bible (in Acts and Paul’s letters) are of speaking in public places like synagogues, auditoriums, and in local markets. Further, ancient sources outside of the Bible, such as the 1st century Didache, or early 2nd century Apology of Aristides and The Preaching of Peter, make no mention of house-to-house preaching campaigns.

Yet, we do know that when Jesus sent his Apostles out to do preaching, they went to nearby cities and spoke to strangers, and they usually stayed overnight in the homes of those who welcomed their message. At Luke 10:5-7 Jesus told them:

‘Then, as you enter each house you should say,
May this house have peace.

And if a son of peace lives there, your peace will rest upon him; But if not, it will return to you.

So, stay in that house and eat and drink the things they provide, because a worker deserves his wages… Don’t keep moving from one house to another.’

These latter words probably do not imply that house-to-house preaching is forbidden, for one has to understand the culture at the time. It likely implies that these preachers were to use one home as a base for preaching to the rest of the city, and that they should not move from home to home to take hospitality from different ones.

The Apostles likely used one home as a base from which to preach in public places, as described elsewhere in the Christian Bible.

So while the modern practice of house-to-house preaching (such as done by the Latter-Day Saints and the Jehovah’s Witnesses) is not forbidden, as translators we are unaware of any part of the Bible that describes it or commands it.

Translator note

Hypocrite

Hypocrite is a Greek word that is just spelled a little differently than it is in English (hypokritai). However, we give the English word a nuance that isn’t implied in Greek.

The first part of the Greek word, hypo, means under, and the second part, kritai, means judge (it’s where we get the English words critical and criticize). So in the Bible, a hypocrite is a ‘lesser judge,’ or ‘little judge.’ In other words, they are not a proper judges in a courtroom; no, they are just little judges who are very judgmental of the actions or conduct of others in their day-to-day lives. So the meaning of the Greek word is basically, ‘a judgmental person.’

This differs from the meaning in English: someone who doesn’t follow his own advice. Does this mean that ‘hypocrite’ is the wrong word to use? Would it be a mistranslation? No.

Jesus likely said all these words in Aramaic. According to the Aramaic texts of the Gospels, he may have originally said something very close to the modern English meaning. It appears as a two-word phrase (nasb'ay b'ahp'eah), which we could translate as face taker. This describes pretenders, or those who put on a false front. Therefore what was likely the original Aramaic phrasing said by Jesus carried the same meaning as the our modern word hypocrite.

Translator note

‘In’ and ‘One’

The Greek word εν (en) simply means in. However, various Bibles have translated it as in, on, among, one, and in union with. Also, adding an apostrophe (or an ‘h’) to the word (‘εν – hen), slightly changes its meaning too.

The proper translation of this little word is important as it can greatly affect certain doctrines. For example, John 10:30 uses this word and the verse basically says, ‘The father and I are one.’  Now, some teach that Jesus was saying that he was one of three personalities of God in a Trinity. However, Jesus later used the same word (εν) at John 14:20 when describing his relationship with his disciples:

εγω εν τω πατρι μου και υμεις εν εμοι καγω εν υμιν
In that the day you will know that I in (εν) the Father of me, and you in (εν) me, and I in (εν) you.

Or, in our translation:

‘And in that day, you’ll come to know that I am in my Father, just as you will be in me and I will be in you.’

So if Jesus meant that he is the same person as (or is another personality of) his Father, then what he said at John 14:20 would mean that all of Jesus’ followers will become the same person as him and his Father; thus we would all become Jesus and God!

However, a more logical conclusion would be that just as Jesus and his Father are one in mind and purpose, the Christians will eventually join them in this perfect union.

Translator note

Interpolations

Most spurious words later added to the Bible probably entered the text accidentally, via something called ‘interpolation.’ What’s that?

In ancient times, scrolls were expensive. Some people made their own hand-written copies of important passages, but generally people didn’t own their own Bible. The entire community would own a copy to be shared by everyone. That copy would be read aloud for others to hear at their meetings.

Teachers used these working copies to preach sermons, and would add notes in the margins, or even in between the lines. Later, when the scrolls came to be copied for use by other churches (or just because the scroll was old and worn-out), scribes would not know whether the note was part of the original text or not.

It’s likely that the scribes copied the note into the main text to be cautious. After all, they don’t know if they are original words or not. Perhaps the scribe who made the first scroll had forgotten to put those words in, and they were scribbled in later by someone else as a correction? The scribe simply couldn’t know. So, he chose to play it safe and copy the words into the new scroll. After all, the words reflected what the community believed, so the scribe wouldn’t disagree with what they said.

The result is that many little notes and extra words entered the Bible text. Thankfully, we can compare manuscripts and use critical thinking to identify and cross out many of these (listed on this page).

Therefore, the popular belief that the Bible is a game of ‘Telephone’ which gradually changed its message over time is completely wrong. We likely have the original Bible text; our problem is quite different – extra words and phrases crept in, and we have to rip them out.

Translator note

Isaiah 14:12 – Bright or Howl?

At Isaiah 14:12 we find a word that is often translated as bright (or shining) one.
But the words in Hebrew and Aramaic texts are heh-lehl eill, which is a form of the Hebrew stem yah-lahl ill, and ill means howl!

So, why has it been translated as bright or shining in almost all modern texts?

It has been suggested that the translators of the Septuagint could have overlooked the smallest of the Hebrew letters or used a copy in which it had been inadvertently omitted. And if the form of the word eill (as it occurs in this particular text) was shortened to ell, its meaning would be corrupted, which appears to be what happened.
For Kittel’s Hebrew Text reads ah-lahl, or HOWL.

And notice that the Hebrew verb eill in Isaiah 14:12 is identical to the word found at Zechariah 11:2, where the trees are shown to be howling (not bright ones).
For it says there:
‘And howl, O you oaks of BaShan;
For the groves that you’ve planted have all been cut down.’

So, Isaiah 14:12 could actually read:

‘O how you have fallen from the sky;
Shriek, O one that arises at dawn, for you that [once conquered] all nations, have now been broken to the ground.’

Notice that this rendering fits the context perfectly. The King of Babylon likely shrieked or howled, as he was broken to the ground.

Translator note

Isaiah 23:1 – ‘Carthage’ or ‘Tarshish?’

This verse talks of the ‘boats out of Carthage.’ However, the Hebrew Masoretic text says a different place, ‘Tarshish,’ commonly associated with Spain (called Tartessus by the Romans and Greeks).

So which is correct, the Greek, or the Hebrew? We don’t know.

However, it appears that Carthage is more in line with the words of the prophecy. You see, Isaiah 23:1 speaks the people in this city mourning the destruction of far-away Tyre, and the people from Tyre originally populated Carthage. It is logical that they would still have family and business connections and would be disturbed by its destruction.

On the other hand, Tarshish (Spain) was also under the control of Carthage, as part of their empire. So ‘boats out of Tarshish’ could fit for the same reason. It could be argued that both Carthage and Tarshish would mourn the destruction of Tyre!

At Isaiah 60:9 the Greek translators spoke of the ‘boats of Tarshish’ just like the Hebrew text. So is the reference to Carthage in Isaiah 23:1 an error in the Greek, or an error in the Hebrew? We don’t know, but either way it appears not to matter.

Translator note

‘Stone of stumbling’ quotes by Paul and Peter

In Romans 9:33, Paul quotes a Bible verse, saying:

As it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense; and the one who believes in Him will never be put to shame.”

However, what verse is he quoting?

Bible scholars usually say that Paul was mashing together words from the Hebrew Masoretic version of Isaiah 8:14 with the Greek Septuagint version of Isaiah 28:16.

Those verses say:

And He will be a sanctuary—but to both houses of Israel a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, to the dwellers of Jerusalem a trap and a snare. –Isaiah 8:14 (Hebrew Masoretic)

{Look!} Upon the foundation of Zion
I’ll place a valuable stone…
A costly, select cornerstone,
In order to serve as its base…
And those trusting in him will never be shamed. –Isaiah 28:16 (Greek Septuagint)

Meanwhile, in 1 Peter 1:28, the Apostle quotes a verse that looks like a shortened paraphrase of Isaiah 8:14 in the Hebrew Masoretic.

‘A stumbling block... and snare’

So what’s the problem?

Well, firstly, while it may be okay for Paul to mash together words from two different verses (to combine information into a fuller picture), it seems extremely odd for Paul to mash together words from two different versions of Isaiah – the Masoretic and the Septuagint.

Secondly, the Greek Septuagint version of Isaiah (at least, the one that has come down to us today) does not contain any reference to a ‘stone of stumbling’ or a ‘rock of offense’ at all! The words are only found in the Masoretic Text.

Indeed, that verse is completely different in the Septuagint. If anything, it says the opposite – it says that the Jews will not stumble over stones. That’s rather alarming!

So what’s going on?

The Apostles were probably not quoting from the Septuagint text we have today. They were either quoting from an older now-lost Septuagint text, or from some old now-lost Aramaic Bible with different wording in Isaiah.

So whatever happened, it seems like the Septuagint text of Isaiah that we use today is not the version the Apostles used.

However, the missing words are present in the Hebrew Isaiah scroll from the Dead Sea Scrolls. It says:

He will be a sanctuary, but for both houses of Israel, he will be a stumbling stone and a rock that makes them fall. For the people of Jerusalem, he will be a trap and a snare. –Isaiah 8:14, DSS

Therefore, it may be that the copy of Isaiah from the Dead Sea Scrolls is, in fact, the one most closely resembling the version used by the Apostles.

Translator note

Isaiah 45:7 – Did God create evil?

According to the Authorized King James Bible, Isaiah 45:7 should be translated as saying:

‘I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil.’

This particular translation is where some people get the idea that men have no choice in their destiny. For if evil comes from God, then He predestines the outcome for everyone, and we are what we are because it’s His Will.

But was God really saying that He is responsible for all that is evil?

You don’t get that impression if you understand ancient Hebrew Poetry, which is what this is.

In classical Hebrew poetry, one statement is made, which is thereafter mirrored in the statement that follows. And in this case, note that the second statement as it is translated it in English doesn’t seem to follow the first. For the first part of the statement makes the contrast between the opposites of light and darkness, while the second seems to speak of two things that are not thought of as direct opposites, peace and evil. So, something seems to have been lost either in the copying or in the translating of this section of the verse.

What word is the antonym of peace (gr. eirenen)?
Most would say it is war.
But is war the only thing that takes away peace?
No, we’re sure you would agree that anything that is bad and/or unsettling removes peace from our lives.
And this is what we believe is the point of this verse.
For the Greek word that is translated as evil (gr. kaka) here doesn’t necessarily mean something that is done for bad reasons.
Rather, we (and other translators) have consistently translated it as just bad.

But, does this really make a difference, for isn’t God still saying that He’s responsible for all that is bad (or evil)? No! What He’s saying is that whenever He creates something, this also brings the opposite into existences… it’s the natural law of action and reaction.

Take for example the first part of the verse, ‘I prepared light and I made the darkness.’
Understand that there was no darkness (absence of light) before God created light.
Nor was there cold (the absence of heat) before He created heat, and there was no silence before He created sound. So when He created peace, He also created the absence of peace, for one can’t exist without the other, since there would be no frame of reference by which we could measure the absence of something before it actually exists. And the point God is making is that EVERYTHING came into existence through him, for even when he creates good things, the possibility of the opposite comes into existence.

Translator note

Isaiah 7:16 - possible spurious words in LXX source

In the Septuagint source text of Isaiah 7:16, it says:

But, before the boy can know good from bad;
By resisting wicked persuasions,
He will choose to do what is right.
Then the land of two kings of which you’re afraid
Will be totally abandoned!

There are three things to notice:

First, the words don’t make sense and are contradictory. If the child doesn’t know good from bad, how can he resist wickedness and choose what’s right?

The second issue is that these words do not appear in the Hebrew Masoretic text, nor the later Aramaic translation of Isaiah, nor in the Dead Sea Scrolls (1Q and Q460). Why not?

Thirdly, the words that make no sense are suspiciously (almost) identical to several words from the previous verse, namely, “wicked, he will choose good” (πονηρία εκλέξασθαι το αγαθόν).

Take a look:

Verse 15: βούτυρον και μέλι φάγεται πριν η γνώναι αυτόν προελέσθαι πονηρά η εκλέξασθαι το αγαθόν

Verse 16: διότι πριν η γνώναι το παιδίον αγαθόν η κακόν απειθεί πονηρία εκλέξασθαι το αγαθόν

Or, comparing just the very similar parts:

πονηρά η εκλέξασθαι το αγαθόν
πονηρία εκλέξασθαι το αγαθόν

Or, in our alphabet:

ponērá ē ekléxasthai to agathón
ponēría ekléxasthai to agathón

This indicates that the scribes who copied the Septuagint text could have easily repeated, by accident, those words and transposed them into the next verse.

The only word from the confusing portion that does not appear to be duplicated from the verse above, is απειθεί (meaning “resisting”). However, later scribes may have added this to clarify or 'correct' the spurious statement, in a futile attempt to clear it up. Since without it, it would sound like the child is wicked!

While this may sound speculative, repeating some words from the immediate context is a very simple error for a scribe. It’s also an error that is unlikely to go corrected, since scribes would always (very sensibly) fear removing text - just in case it is genuine and they have just failed to understand it somehow. After all, if scribes decided to remove every bit of prophecy that they personally failed to understand, that might mean removing a lot!

However, today we can compare the LXX text with the Hebrew Masoretic and the Dead Sea Scrolls with just a few clicks of the mouse. And what do we see? That the words don’t appear there. That, plus a convenient nearby source for duplication, all adds to the possibility that it’s just an accidental scribal duplication. Finally, after removing the words, the passage now make sense, a contradiction disappears, and the flow is unharmed.

So while we may be wrong, it looks like a simple scribal error.

Very different in Aramaic!

As a side note, it is quite interesting that the later 1st century CE Aramaic translation of Isaiah chapter 7 is very similar to our other sources, except for this verse! It reads completely differently, as this:

For the sake of a New Covenant, you shall be informed to prepare the way and to build a column to tie the two kings. Keep the land that you are exalted in from before the two kingdoms.

ܡܵܪܝܵܐ ܢܲܝܬܹ̇ܐ ܥܠܲܝܟ: ܘܥܲܠ ܥܲܡܵܟ݂: ܘܥܠ ܒܹܝܬ̣ ܐܲܒ̣ܘܼܟ݂: ܝܵܘ̈ܡܵܬ̣ܵܐ ܕܠܵܐ ܐܸܬ̣ܵܘ ܡ̣ܢ ܝܵܘܡܵܐ ܕܐܲܥܒܲܪ ܠܐܲܦܪܹܝܡ ܡ̣ܢ ܝܼܗܘܼܕ݂ܵܐ ܡܲܠܟܵܐ ܕܐܵܬ̣ܘܿܪ.

Why is it so different? We have no idea!

Translator note

Jeremiah 31:37

In the Greek Septuagint, Jeremiah 31:37 is literally translated as:

‘Thus says the/Lord:
If should/be/raised/up the sky in height,
And/if lowered the floor of/the land below,
I WILL/NOT reject the/race of/IsraEl, says the/Lord,’
For all/the/things that they’ve/done.’

However, the Hebrew Masoretic text reads differently (as translated):

‘Thus says the Lord: If the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth searched out below; Then I WILL also cast off all the offspring of IsraEl for all that they have done, declares the Lord.’

As you can see, there is a significant difference between the two source texts! On the one hand, the Greek Septuagint says that IsraEl will not be rejected, but the Hebrew Masoretic text says that they will be cast off! Which is right?

The previous verse (36) seems to provide the answer. It says:

‘If these Laws before Me should cease to be,
Then the race of IsraEl will no longer stand
As a nation before Me
Throughout the rest of their days.’

So God is clearly saying that IsraEl could be rejected. The very next verse would hardly contradict what has just been spoken. Therefore, we have concluded that the Greek Septuagint text is in error in verse 37, and the Hebrew text is correct. Perhaps the Septuagint translator simply couldn’t believe that IsraEl might be rejected, and because of this, he added the negative word ‘not’ (ouk) to the sentence.

Does this mean that the Greek Septuagint is inferior to the Hebrew? No, not necessarily. We continually find obvious errors in both sources! However, most of the time the Greek Septuagint simply makes more sense, and even offers small details that are not found in the Hebrew versions. So, we tend to trust the Greek Septuagint text, while admitting that it is not perfect, and keeping an eye out for errors.

Besides, if someone wishes to read a Bible based on the Hebrew, there are many ones available, but very few based on the Greek.

To learn more about why we use the Greek Septuagint, please see this page.

Translator note

Jeremiah 37:5

In Bibles based on the Hebrew Masoretic, this verse says that when King NebuChadnezzar heard that Egypt had sent an army to assist Judah, he temporarily lifted the siege.

However, the Greek Septuagint version of this verse indicates that upon hearing the news, NubuChadnezzar attacked.

So which source text is correct?

Historically, both are correct. A reader comments:

‘So, there was a short interruption of this siege when the Babylonians (Chaldeans) withdrew in order to drive back the Egyptians to whom King Zedekiah had appealed for help. But, after having taken care of this Egyptian threat, the Babylonians returned and resumed the siege, just as the prophet Jeremiah forewarned that they would do.’

In other words, they did attack, but it was after a brief withdrawal.

So which text is the original, and which is a later corruption? It is impossible to say.

Translator note

‘Jew’

The word ‘Jew’ is just a shortened form of the word ‘Judean.’

So when Mark and John spoke of the Judeans, they were usually referring to people that lived in the Roman Province of Judea. You see, Jesus and eleven of his Apostles (although likely all from the tribe of Judah) lived in the northern province of Galilee. The Judeans called them Galileans (Mark 14:70), while the Galileans referred to the people in and around JeruSalem as Judeans (or Jews).

With this knowledge, it’s easier to understand what the scriptures mean when they speak of the water jars at wedding reception at Cana being there for the ‘Judeans’ to wash in (presumably since they had to travel far), and that the ‘Judeans’ were looking to kill Jesus, and that the ‘Judeans’ rejected Jesus. In these cases, the texts aren’t referring to the nation as a whole, but to the people that lived in Judea and/or in JeruSalem.

It seems that Jesus was widely recognized as a Prophet and as God’s Anointed One in Galilee. However, it was in and around JeruSalem (the center of Jewish worship and various Jewish sects) that Jesus was finally rejected and turned over to the Roman governor for execution.

Translator note

John 1:1 – Why ‘a god?’

In our translation, this reads:

In the beginning there was the Word,
The Word was with The God,
And [a] god was the Word.

The NIV – and most Bibles – put it quite differently:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Greek does not have the word ‘a’ (or ‘an’), but it’s found throughout Bible translations because translators insert it where it makes sense in English. Where it’s added, or not added, is entirely at the discretion of the translator (and the translator’s sponsors).

Why do we add ‘[a]’ here to say ‘[a] god?’

1. Wrong century

History tells us that the belief in the Father and Son being co-equal members of a ‘Godhead’ only arose gradually over centuries amid much public dispute (which sometimes turned violent). It was not an orthodox teaching until well after the Bible was completed. This is widely known, acknowledged, and backed up by voluminous amounts of historical data.

If John were saying that Jesus is a god, then this would be in full agreement with the documented history of early Christian belief.

For example, Justin Martyr was one of the earliest Christian writers. In his Dialogue with Trypho, he stated this:

I shall attempt to persuade you… that there is… another god and lord subject to the maker of all things who is also called an angel… He who is said to have appeared to Abraham, and to Jacob, and to Moses, and who is called ‘God’, is distinct from Him who made all things… it must be admitted absolutely that some other one is called lord by the Holy Spirit besides Him who is considered Maker of all things… He is the lord who received commission from the Lord who [remains] in the Heavens, i.e; the Maker of all things.

Since the early Christians believed that Jesus was “another God,” it helps us understand how they read John 1:1. This is supported by the Greek text, as explained below.

2. The two ‘God’ references in John 1:1 are different

The two uses of the term ‘God’ in John 1:1 are different in Greek. The first term is ton theon (“The God”), while the second simply says theos (“God” or “divine”).

This is very important because ton theon (“The God”) is a phrase used throughout the Greek Christian Bible to refer to Almighty God.

If the author had truly wanted to say that the Word was somehow both simultaneously with Almighty God and was Almighty God, then the author could have said “The God” twice, but he did not. The author instead chose two different terms.

If we translate these two terms identically in English, we would be deceiving our readers into thinking that the Greek text also has two identical terms – when it does not. Instead, we show readers that the first ‘God’ is actually the common term for Almighty God (“The God”), but it is not so with the second ‘god.’

The two different Greek terms indicate that the writer considered the second ‘god’ to be different from “The God,” in other words, another, lesser god exactly as early Christians like Justin Martyr described.

3. “a god” not offensive

In Western culture, we only think of one God, but in the ancient world, it was ordinary to talk of many different gods. Referring to any powerful being as a ‘god’ was not shocking, offensive, or alien. It does not undermine the idea of one all-powerful, Almighty God over everyone and everything. This is why Paul could talk about there being ‘many gods’ in 1 Corinthians 8:5.

Also, in Acts 28:6, when the Maltese people thought that Paul was ‘god,’ they likely thought that he was ‘a god’ rather than Almighty God – perhaps one of the gods from the various pagan pantheons. After all, in Acts 14, after Paul performed a miracle, the people of Lystra said, “The gods have turned themselves into men and come down to us!” They then called Paul “Hermes” (the god of orators, among other things), and his companion BarNabas was labeled “Zeus” (the god of thunder, son of Cronus, grandson of Uranus).

Even the Jewish holy writings would refer to the “sons of the Most High” as being “gods.” Psalm 82 says:

God stands in the gathering of gods [...] I said to them: ‘You are gods… You are sons of the Most High!’

Jesus himself then quoted those words in John 10:34.

So, calling Jesus “a god” would not be shocking in the first century, but it is entirely in line with how they thought back then.

4. “The Word” is likely referring to the Jewish concept of the “Memra”

Has it ever struck you as odd that John would start to call Jesus “the Word”? Well, that’s because the idea did not originate with John. Ancient readers would already be familiar with it, as “the Word” was a known concept at the time. In Aramaic, it was known as the “Memra”. What’s that?

When referring to God speaking something into existence in Genesis or speaking to humans at other times, it was common to say these things were done by God’s “Word” rather than by God Himself. Yes, it was common to personify God’s Word and treat it like a separate person doing things on God’s behalf. This idea was often combined with the personification of Wisdom in texts like Proverbs and Sirach. The “Word” was treated like a second entity that spoke for Almighty God, performed works for Him, and embodied God’s Wisdom.

Why did the ancient Jews do this? Were they just trying to avoid referring to God too directly (out of respect), or did they believe that the Word was a separate powerful spirit creature? Experts are divided on the matter.

Regardless of exactly what the Jews believed, John tells us exactly what he believes. In John 1:2, he states that the “Word” is indeed a separate person who even created the world: “This one was with The God in the beginning, everything, by his hand, was made.”

Conclusion

So for the above reasons, it seems highly likely to us that when first-century readers saw theos in John 1:1, they saw that he was not Almighty God (ton theon) but was “a” god – the “Memra” or “Word” who spoke for Almighty God and performed creative acts on His behalf.

This view is entirely consistent with history, early Christian texts (before they developed the Trinity doctrine), and the rest of the Gospel of John:

And, although nobody’s ever seen God, this ‘only generated god’ (the one in the favored position of the Father) has explained Him. —1 John 1:18

Interestingly, the most ancient translation of John in the Coptic language uses grammar to indicate ‘a god.’

What if John was originally written in Aramaic?

In this translation, we entertain the theory that most (but not all) of the New Testament may have been originally written, or at least narrated, in Aramaic before being translated into Greek. How does this affect our understanding of John 1:1?

Well, unlike Koine Greek, the Aramaic language did not traditionally use the phrase “The God” to indicate the Father, nor does it have the word “a” in its language. Therefore, you are not going to see “The God” or “a god” in this verse in Aramaic. Native speakers, like Arabic speakers today, use the context to assume the idea of “a” in their minds.

However, if the Gospel of John was originally written or narrated in Aramaic, then whoever translated it into Greek made the distinction between “The God” (ton theon) and “god” (theos). He or she believed there was a difference between the two and chose to convey it in writing.

The Aramaic version does teach us one useful thing about John 1:1: the second reference to “god” is probably not an adjective meaning “divine” because Aramaic has a different word for that term. So although the Greek theos can mean either “god” (noun) or “divine” (adjective), the writer was probably not trying to say that “the Word was divine.”

Translator note

John 4:9 – ‘Jews have no dealings with Samaritans’

These words are likely spurious, probably added as a later interpolation by someone trying to explain why the woman was surprised that a Jew would be asking her for a drink. We know this because they are missing from older manuscripts.

Jews clearly had some dealings with Samaritans. History records that they fought each other! Yet, these spurious words make it sound like they had no contact at all, which is not true. The added text is probably just an attempt to explain that normally, in day-to-day life, the two communities kept separate.

It might be analogous to the Unionist and Nationalist populations in Northern Ireland in recent times. Generally, the two lead quite separate lives, going to different schools, churches, doctors surgeries, supporting different sports teams, and living in separate parts of Belfast. Yet this doesn’t mean that the two communities never, ever, have any contact with each other.

Translator note

John 7:38 – The non-quote

We suspect that the book of John was originally written in Aramaic, and translated into Greek. If so, it would explain this “mystery quote” at John 7:38 that nobody can seem to find.

You see, most Western Bibles are translated from the ancient Greek manuscripts, all of which quote Jesus as saying:

as the Scripture says...

Then it follows with words about waters flowing from someone. Yet nobody can find any scripture with that wording. What’s going on?

Well, (what we belive to be) the original Aramaic actually doesn’t say “Scripture”, but “Scriptures” – yes, the plural.

It seems that the Greek translator(s) simply made a mistake. They didn’t notice that Jesus was not quoting a single verse (as he does many times elsewhere); but this time, he was summarizing what many scriptures say! There are multiple verses in prophecy that speak of water as being like God’s Spirit or the actions of His Spirit (e.g. Isaiah 44:3), water healing (e.g. Isaiah 55:1), and one even states that believers will be like springs of figurative “water” (Isaiah 58:11).

Thus Jesus was not quoting one particular verse, he was referring to a common prophetic symbol in the Bible.

Translator note

Who Wrote the Book of Judges?

There are some interesting idiosyncrasies in the book of Judges that would lead us to question who actually wrote it.
We receive one clue from the words found at Judges 1:21, where we read:

‘Nor did the children of BenJamin take JeruSalem from the Jebusites as their inheritance;
So, the Jebusites still live among the children of BenJamin in JeruSalem to this day.’

Then we read at Judges 18:1:

‘There was no king over IsraEl back then.’

Therefore, whoever did the writing must have lived during the time when a king ruled IsraEl, but before the kings started ruling in JeruSalem and/or possibly during the reign of Saul.
Thus, the prophet SamuEl seems to be the likely source.

However, notice the apparent contradiction found at Judges 18:30, where we read:

‘And JoNathan (the son of Gerson and grandson of ManasSeh) and his sons became the Priests of the tribe of Dan until the time when the nation was captured and carried away [into captivity].’

These words would then indicate that at least portions of the book were written sometime after IsraEl’s conquest by the Assyrians, and possibly as late 6th Century BCE.
So, how do we resolve those differences?

We can see from the context that the book of Judges was written close to the time of the Judges (perhaps by SamuEl).
Then it appears as though a later copyist (perhaps Ezra) added the comment at Judges 18:30.
And since this comment is found both in the Hebrew and Greek texts;
We know that it had to have been written sometime before the 3rd Century BCE.

Also notice that the surrounding books of Joshua and Ruth are clearly just a continuation of the same writing, for where one leaves off, the next begins.
So, it seems as though the transcribing of these other Bible books date to the same period.

Translator note

Romans 16:7 – A woman named Junia or a man named Junias?

This name, Junia, is a Greek woman’s name. It comes from Juno, the god to whom Greek women prayed for an easy childbirth. So it is an extremely female name. However, some Bibles choose to replace it with Junias – a male version of the name. This male version is entirely made-up, it is not found in any ancient source. A masculine version did not enter common use until after the Reformation.

Why do they do this? Well, it seems some don’t like the idea of an apostle being a woman!

However, we can be very sure that Junia was a woman. She was always understood to be a woman in ancient times. The earliest mention of her was by Origen of Alexandria writing in the 2nd century CE, who understood that she was a woman. Indeed, the tradition among the churches was always that Junia was female. Attitudes only changed in recent centuries.

How can translators can get away with changing Junia to Junias? It’s not entirely their fault; it’s partly because of Greek grammar rules.

You see, the Greek source text doesn’t say either name, it actually says Junian, but that last letter is not part of the name. The last letter is added to put the name in what’s called “the accusative case.” What’s that? It’s a feature of grammar where the spelling is changed to show who is being discussed in the sentence (this also known as the grammatical object). This is a feature of many languages, including modern Greek and German. At one time, we also had the feature in English, but now we do the same thing by using word-order instead.

Now, to put something in this case, Greek-speakers must add the letter ν (which sounds like ‘n’) to the end of the word, or change the last letter to ν if it already ends in the letter s. So, if the name was originally Junias, it would be changed to Junian. However, if the name was originally Junia, then it would still be changed to Junian. The reader has to use their own personal knowledge and the context to decide whether the original spelling was Junia or Junias.

So what would an ancient reader have thought? Well, as we said, there was no such male name as Junias, and Junia was a female name about being blessed in childbirth. It couldn’t be more female if it tried! And also, we have 1,500 years of documented writings, starting from the 2nd century, all stating that the person is female.

Finally, this Bible book may have been originally written in Aramaic, and that language doesn’t change the word ending like Greek does. In Aramaic, this Greek name is turned into Aramaic characters (transliterated) and spells out the sounds for Junia.

So yes, an apostle was a female. While this may shock some, keep in mind that the meaning of the word apostle just means ‘sent one,’ and there is no implication that she was one of Jesus’ 12 apostles – we’re decades too late for that. The word apostle could actually be translated as missionary. See the commentary, How the first Christian Churches were organized for more information.

Translator note

Kainan – did he exist?

Did this man, named Kainan, exist? It’s a difficult question because his name is in some manuscripts, but not others. Further, his existence, or non-existence, will add or remove 130 years from Biblical chronology.

His name appears in the Greek Septuagint version of the genealogies of Genesis chapter 11, and in all Bible translations of the genealogies of Luke 3:36.

However, his name is entirely missing from the Hebrew Masoretic text.

So what’s going on? Did he exist, or not?

Well, there is either an error in the Hebrew text, which the Greek Septuagint does not share in Genesis, which Luke then repeated, or... the Greek Septuagint adds in an extra name by mistake in Genesis, which Luke then copied because he was using the Greek Septuagint as a reference.

So which is it? As Bible translators, we have to decide.

The editor has decided that our translation project will proceed with the assumption that Kainan probably did exist (although we will not be dogmatic about it). Why was this assumption chosen?

Firstly, in translating the Gospel of Luke we have gained an appreciation of Luke’s research and inspiration. So we have grown to trust his writings.

Secondly, at some point in the late 1st and early 2nd centuries CE, scribes made many deliberate, fraudulent, changes to the Genesis genealogies of the Hebrew text. This puts the Hebrew version of Genesis under great suspicion, and increases our trust in the Greek Septuagint version.

But why is Kainan missing from the Hebrew if he did, in fact, exist? Well, Hebrew scribes may have deleted Kainan because there was another man named Kainan listed in the line between Adam and Noah (at Genesis 5:12-13). Perhaps they thought that a previous scribe had accidentally duplicated the man, since both men fathered sons when they were 130 years old. However, they have different life-spans.

There were probably two men in the line that led to AbraHam that just happened to have the same name, and both happened to father their next important son at the same age (both obviously fathered many sons during their lifetimes), and this caused the confusion and the a later ‘correction.’

You may also be aware that this Kainan is not mentioned in the Greek Septuagint version of 1 Chronicles. However, this is because all of verses 18 to 23 are missing, and nearly all of verse 24, where Kainan would have appeared, is missing too. Also, the descriptions of the relationships of the line from Shem to AbraHam is missing, which we have added [in brackets].

So here is one case where the Greek Septuagint text suffered corruption. Therefore, we recommend that you defer to the genealogy in the Greek Septuagint version of Genesis chapter 11, and in the Luke chapter 3.

Translator note

‘Kingdom of the heavens’ or ‘Kingdom of God’?

The phrase ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ is not found in the parallel Gospels of Mark and Luke, even where these Gospels were quoting the very same words of Jesus found in Matthew. Instead, Mark and Luke report that Jesus said, ‘Kingdom of God,’ not ‘Kingdom of Heaven.’

We put more trust in what Mark and Luke wrote wherever there are contradictions between them and Matthew (and there are several). Why? The Gospel of Matthew is the most corrupted of all the Bible texts. It’s likely that Jesus did not say ‘Kingdom of Heaven’, but that someone changed it from the original words, ‘Kingdom of God.’ They must have done this sometime before Matthew was translated from Aramaic into Greek, because the same corruption appears in the Aramaic version too.

This corruption could have a significant effect upon Biblical interpretation. How so? The phrase ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ could imply that the Kingdom is only located in heaven. However, the phrase ‘Kingdom of God’ has no such limitation.

For a greater discussion of this corruption and its doctrinal implications, please see the commentary, What is the Kingdom?

For a discussion about the Kingdom of God in general, please see the commentary, The Seed – God’s Kingdom.

Translator note

The Lake of Fire and ‘torture’

The Lake of fire, which is spoken of in the Revelation, is taught by many religions to be the same as Hell Fire. However, the passage says that what many Bibles call ‘Hell’ will also be thrown into this lake.

So they obviously can’t be the same thing. So what is the lake?

Well, notice the definition of what the lake of fire is according to the King James Bible at Revelation 20:14:

‘And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.
This is the second death.’

So, what is the Lake of Fire? As the scripture says, it is ‘the second death.’ And what does that mean?

Death is the end of life, and fire destroys. Therefore, things that are thrown there will be burned up and gone forever, with no hope of returning.

If that is so, then why does Revelation 20:10 say that those who go there are tortured?

The word translated as torture (Greek: βασανίζω) had different connotations in ancient times, because jailers were called torturers. This wasn’t necessarily because they physically tortured people (though they often did), but because being locked away in jails (or dungeons) is itself a form of torture.

Further, symbols like the wild animal, the false prophet, and representations of death and the grave, are all thrown into the Lake of Fire. Therefore, how could their ‘torture’ could mean literal pain if they are merely symbols? How can the grave be tortured? Only if it means that they will be locked away (gone) forever.

This would agree with later on in Revelation, where it says:

‘there won’t be any more death, mourning, wailing, or pain, because all that once was will be gone’ –Revelation 21:4

Translator note

Last Lamb/Ram

The 29th chapter of Exodus talks about a calf and two lambs that had to be sacrificed as a rite of empowerment of Aaron and his sons in order for them to become the Anointed Priests.

This translation refers to the sacrificing of the last lamb as just that… ‘the last lamb.’ However, other Bibles call it ‘the Sacrifice of Consecration,’ or ‘the Ram of Installation.’

Why is our translation so different?

In Greek, the words kriou teleioseos simply mean lamb final. This particular lamb was indeed the last to be offered during that seven-day event. So the term ‘last lamb’ more accurately reflects the words as they are found in the Greek Septuagint.

The same term appears at Leviticus 8:21.

Translator note

Literal or figurative?

In our translation, you will see ‘quotation marks’ around certain words to show that they’re highly likely to be figurative, at least, in our opinion.

These ‘quote’ marks do not appear in any original manuscript. They are purely our subjective opinions added to help readers grasp what we think may be the correct understanding. Have we always added them into the right places? Probably not, but it’s an honest attempt at doing so.

Another reason for adding them is to stop people from take verses out of context.

Most of the quotation marks that we’ve added are applied to words that everybody would agree are figurative. For example, when Jesus likened himself to a conerstone stone of a building, he did not mean that he was a literal stone (Matthew 21:42). When Paul said that members of the congregation were like a body, he did not mean that some people were literally hands or feet, and so on (1 Corinthians 12:12-28).

However, some verses contain words that may, or may not, be figurative. It’s often up to the reader to decide. We try to go by this rule: if an ancient reader would have viewed the words as ambiguous, we ought to convey that original ambiguity in the modern text.

For example, when 2 Thessalonians 1:8 says:

“...when he’ll execute punishment, with flaming fire, upon all those who don’t know God and upon those who aren’t obeying the good news...”

Is that ‘fire’ a literal burning flame, or a figurative reference to the zealous application of all kinds of punishments?

Well, on the one hand:

Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed with literal fire (Genesis 19:28).

Later, EliJah repeatedly called on fire from heaven to execute servants of evil King AhaziAh (2 Kings 1:10-12).

So we know that God is not averse to executing wicked people with burning flames when appropriate.

On the other hand:

Hebrews 12:29 says, “Indeed, our God is a consuming fire!”. Unless you believe that God is literal fire, you would have to accept that it’s a figurative reference to God’s power and zeal.

1 Peter 4:12 says, “You shouldn’t think that it’s strange that there’s a fire blazing among you and testing you”. Obviously, there wasn’t a real fire here, it’s just figurative language for the trials they were experiencing.

In 2 Corinthians 11:29, Paul says, “For who is weak who doesn’t make me ‘weak?’ And who stumbles into a trap who doesn’t set me on fire?”. Again, Paul wasn’t literally bursting into flames.

There are many other figurative references to fire in the Old Testament. Psalm 26:2 says, “O Lord… test me and put me on trial… Set my heart and kidneys on fire!”

So the Bible writers use fire both literally and figuratively. It’s up to us to figure out which is which. So then, is the ‘flaming fire’ in 2 Thessalonians 1:8 literal or figurative? Well, 2 Peter 3:7 says:

“...what’s in store for the skies and the lands today is the fire of the Judgment Day, when those godless men will be undone.”

If Judgment Day is literal fire, that would imply an equal punishment (being burned alive) for everyone. A man as evil as Hitler would get the same punishment as a petty thief. That violates the principle set down by God Himself in Exodus 21:24:

“eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot”

In other words, the punishment must fit the crime.

So, based on the principle that God is just, and that the Bible does not contradict itself, some feel that the ‘flaming fire’ in 2 Thessalonians 1:8 is a figurative term for all the divine, zealous judgment to be meted out on Judgment Day. Perhaps some of that will include some literal fire, if appropriate.

However, because it is controversial, and an original reader back in the 1st century may have taken it both ways, we should maintain that ambiguity in the translated text. For this reason, we don’t put the quotes around it.

Translator note

The Lord’s Prayer

This translation’s version of the Lord’s (Our Father) Prayer is quite different to that found in other Bibles. Why?

1. In the ancient Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic languages, there was no special word for heaven.

Rather, the word that appears in all the texts simply means sky. So, wherever the Greek word ouranou is found in the singular, this translation usually says sky. However, where the word is found in the plural, ouranon (indicating something greater than just the sky), then it usually says heavens.

2. The words, ‘For thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever, Amen’ aren’t found in the oldest available texts of Matthew; they are likely spurious, and we have crossed them out.

They appear to have been some person’s later attempt at completing Jesus’ words to his Apostles about what subjects they should mention in their prayers. Indeed, when the same prayer is recorded in the Gospel of Luke, those words are absent.

Translator note

Luke 14:5 – ‘son’ or ‘donkey’?

The Aramaic sources of Luke says ‘son’ (ܒܪܗ/b'reh), but the Greek source texts say ‘donkey’ (όνος/onos), specifically a burro, which is a donkey used to carry goods around. Which is correct?

The position of our translation project is that all of the New Testament was probably originally written in Aramaic, except for Mark, Luke, and Acts, which were likely in Greek and then translated into Aramaic. This disagreement between son and donkey actually supports our position. Why?

Well, in Aramaic, they are two completely different words:

ܚܡܪܐ (donkey) sounds like h’marah

ܒܪܗ (son) sounds like b'reh

However, in Greek, the two words look and sound similar:

ονος (donkey) sounds like oh-nos

υιός (son) sounds like ee-oss

Indeed, the two Greek words not only sound similar (with the same number of syllables, the same ending, and the start both being vowel-sounds), but they have the same number of letters; and with some poor penmanship, the υ could easily appear closed and look like ο, and if written quickly, a ν and ι could even be mistaken.

So it’s more likely that the original scroll of Luke was in Greek, and the translator either misheard or misread ‘donkey’ as ‘son’. Since the word ‘son’ still works in the passage, the error probably went unnoticed.

Therefore our translation says burro, the name for a donkey that is used as a working pack animal.

Translator note

Luke 4:44 – Galilee or Judea?

At Luke 4:44 this translation says that Jesus preached in the synagogues of Galilee. However, many other Bibles say that Jesus preached in the synagogues of Judea. Which is correct?

It depends on which Greek text you use as a reference. The Wescott/Hort text says he preached in Judea, while several other texts, including the Tischendorf Greek text, say that he preached in Galilee.

We have chosen to go with the Galilee, because the context makes it clear that he was preaching in Galilee at that time. The fact is, Jesus did little preaching in Judea until the last days of his life on earth, because the Judeans were always looking to kill him (see John 11:8).

Translator note

Mandrakes

The mandrake is a perennial herb that is part of the potato family. Its leaves grow almost directly from the taproot, then fan out in a circle and lie close to the ground. Each plant grows a single white, blue, or purple flower on a stalk, which thereafter develops into a yellowish-red fruit that is about the size of a plum and is described as having the sweet, fresh odor of an apple.

The thick, often-forked taproot may resemble a man’s lower limbs. Therefore (like ginseng), superstitious beliefs have developed about the mandrake having magical powers.

In ancient times, mandrake fruit was used as a narcotic. In some parts of the Middle East it’s still thought to be an aphrodisiac and an aid to human fertility and conception. This is likely the reason why Jacob’s wives RachaEl and Leah, who, when they were unable to bear children, considered this fruit so valuable.

Translator note

Mark 16:8 – ‘because’

The Gospel of Mark ends with the Greek word γαρ (for/because). Just like in English, ending a sentence with for or because is unusual, although not impossible. It is documented in other ancient Greek texts, but it’s very rare. In this context, it looks like the sentence is unfinished. Most Bibles re-order the words so it’s not obvious to readers. While nobody knows for sure, it really does look like half a sentence.

If it’s not half a sentence, then it could be translated as ‘...because they were too afraid.’

The Gospel of Mark was either never completed (some say Mark was martyred before he finished it), or the ending was lost very early in the Christian period. We don’t know.

Translator note

Wrong chapter separation between Matthew 27 and 28

When scribes split up the Bible into different chapters during the Middle Ages, it seems they accidentally put a chapter separation right in the middle of a sentence! The sentence appears across the end of chapter 27 and beginning of chapter 28.

This is a big deal, because it moves the final words of chapter 27 to the first sentence of chapter 28. The wording just happens to line up in such a way that it sounds like the women who visited Jesus’ tomb did so on Saturday evening (the end of the Sabbath). That places Jesus resurrection on the wrong day – muddling the timing of events and causing an apparent ‘contradiction’ with the other gospels.

However, everything is resolved when you realize that the sentence has been ended half-way through and you move the words back to their correct places. Then, Saturday evening is no longer the time when the women arrived, but was instead the time when the guards were placed at Jesus’ tomb. It was then the next day, at dawn, that the women arrived and saw that Jesus was gone – exactly when it was supposed to happen!

Unfortunately, many people have failed to spot this simple mistake. Over the years, writers have published all sorts of fancy and contrived explanations to explain away the problem. All they needed to ask themselves was:

“Hey, who put this chapter marker here?”

Translator note

The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew (who was also known as Levi – pronounced Leh-vee, as in Levine) was one of the first disciples of Jesus, and he was later appointed by him to be an Apostle or Sent One.

According to ancient Christian writers such as Origen (who wrote during the early 3rd century), Matthew’s account was the first recorded Gospel. Origen wrote:

‘The first book was written by Matthew. This Gospel was composed in Hebrew near Jerusalem for Hebrew Christians and translated into Greek, but the Greek copy was lost.’

While many of Origin’s personal religious views reflect pagan influences (that began entering Christianity in the early 2nd century), our research of Matthew indicates that Origen was probably right about it being the first written Gospel (regardless of what modern critics have said). It was likely written in Aramaic, and then later translated into Greek.

We also think that the first Greek copies of the Gospel of Matthew were lost. The many errors and additions (mentioned in these translator notes) indicate that the existing Greek text was in fact translated again and corrupted sometime in the 2nd century by the same person or group that translated other 1st century books into Greek.

We have partly drawn this conclusion from the use of certain unusual Greek words (such as parousias) that are found only in later Greek translations of the writings of Matthew, Paul, James, Peter, and John (which were likely originally penned in Aramaic).

For more information, please see the commentary Coming, Presence, or Nearness?

Translator note

Matthew 2:23 – Quoting who?

The verse says:

...and they went to live in a city named Nazareth. So the thing that was spoken through the prophet was fulfilled...’

So what’s the problem? Well, there is no record of any Bible prophet making such a prediction. However, we may be failing to view this with ancient eyes. To be called a ‘Nazarene’ seems to have been an insult, somewhat like being called a ‘Cretan’ (meaning someone from the island of Crete) was, and still is, an insult.

Many prophets foretold how Jesus would be despised and shamed, and being labeled with the contemptible label of ‘Nazarene’ would go towards that.

The Benson Bible Commentary gives evidence for this position:

“Thus, when Philip said to Nathanael, ‘We have found Jesus of Nazareth, of whom Moses spake,’ Nathanael answered, ‘Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?’ And when Nicodemus seemed to favour him, the rest of the council said to him, ‘Search and look, for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.’ Here then we have a plain sense of these words. He was sent to this contemptible place that he might there have a name of infamy and contempt put upon him, according to the frequent intimations of the prophets.”

Translator note

Possible spurious text: Matthew 24:3 – ‘the sign of your coming/presence and the end of the age’

Most Bibles translate this verse like this:

And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the world?’

The words marked in bold, however, could be spurious (fake) later additions for three reasons:

1. The parallel accounts in Mark 13:4 and Luke 21:7 do not mention these words. It seems absolutely incredible that words asking about ‘the end of the world’ (or, as more correctly translated, ‘the end of the age’), would be left out from the other accounts.

2. The words are out of context (like most fake additions). The question was prompted by Jesus saying that the Temple would be destroyed. Up to this point in the conversation, nobody mentioned Jesus coming in the future. Jesus later talks about a future coming in his answer, but there is nothing to indicate that the apostles had this in mind at the start. This could explain why no such words are mentioned in Mark or Luke.

3. The ancient manuscripts that we have for the gospel of Matthew are the most varied and corrupted of all Bible manuscripts, and we have none of any useful length from before the 4th century. What happened to the majority of the New Testament text before the 4th century is really a black box. Perhaps one day we may discover manuscripts that allow us to restore the original Matthew. But as of right now, we don’t have it. Therefore, any words that only appear in Matthew are automatically suspect. If anything else about them smells bad, then this increases our suspicion.

Therefore, we conclude that these provocative words could be later fake additions to the text.

Most spurious additions probably began life as a marginal note (or written between the lines) in a scroll used by a preacher. When scribes later copied the scroll, they didn’t know if the words were part of the original text or not. So, to play it safe, when making their copy, they moved the spurious words into the main body of the text.

This copy was then copied again, until eventually, these words became ‘part of the Bible.’ It’s not deliberate, just accidental. Such accidents are called interpolations.

Why, though, would a preacher scribble a note here saying “...of your coming, and of the end of the world?”

Well, in the years after Jerusalem was destroyed, some Christians were trying to work out why Jesus had not yet returned. So Matthew 24 was reinterpreted to have a secondary fulfillment beyond that of the 1st century. So by writing the words “...of your coming, and of the end of the world” near the text, a preacher would remind himself to explain this wider interpretation to his audience. Unfortunately, (if our suspicions are right) this eventually ended up in the text itself.

Presence

One of these possibly spurious words is a term usually translated as coming or nearness. However, the Greek word (παρουσία/parousia) is more correctly translated as presence.

Adventist denominations use this to argue that Jesus has already returned in an invisible presence. However, the Greek word was simply used to describe the royal visit of a king. The lexicon linked above says:

“used in the east as a technical expression for the royal visit of a king, or emperor. The word means literally the being beside, thus, the personal presence.”

There seems to be no reason to infer an invisible or spiritual presence, as its normal use is to describe visible physical events. Indeed, the same word is used in the Greek version of 2 Peter 3:12 to describe the Day of Judgment, not a period prior to it:

“...as you await and keep close in mind the presence of the day of Jehovah, through which the heavens will be destroyed in flames and the elements will melt in the intense heat!” –NWT (2015)

Therefore, what reason would anyone have had to think of it as invisible?

Also, the Aramaic text is quite different. In that language, the word in question simply means “coming”, but in the sense of the coming of a military force, in other words, an invasion. This would agree with the verse quoted above. So is there any possibility that the Aramaic-speaking Christians of the East thought that the Apostles mentioned an “invisible presence?” It doesn’t seem so.

Of course, all of this discussion is moot if the word really is part of a fake later addition to Matthew 24:3.

Translator note

Matthew 25:1 – ‘and the bride’

This translation includes the words ‘and the bride’ at the end of Matthew 25:1. We have also inserted it into verses 6 and 10 to clarify the meaning. Why? Because it is included in the Aramaic text of Matthew 25:1, as well as in other ancient Bible texts (interestingly, it’s also in the Hebrew gospels).

Is the parable spurious?

Unfortunately, this same parable isn’t mentioned in any of the other Gospel accounts, so we have no parallel texts to compare it against. This had led some to wonder whether the parable was not written by Matthew, but is a later spurious addition. Perhaps this is true.

However, since it is present in the Aramaic version (which is less corrupted than the Greek), and no ancient fragments of Matthew yet found omit it, we are treating the parable as genuine.

Why it matters

It should be obvious that a groom (representing the Lord in this parable) would arrive at his wedding banquet with his bride. Yet, because the words “and his bride” are missing from most bibles, it has led some to interpret that the virgin guests are his brides! This is explained as being some sort of bride ‘class.’

The missing words, however, clearly indicate that the bride arrived with the groom, and the virgin guests were simply wedding guests at the banquet, as one would expect.

Do we have any other basis for reaching such a conclusion? Yes!

Jesus may have been referencing Psalm 45:15-18:

‘The king’s daughter is glorious within,
And she’s wrapped in embroidered fringes of gold.
Then, all the virgins that follow in her train,
Those closest to her, will be carried to you.
They will be carried in, giving praises in joy,
And led to the king’s Most Holy Place.’

As you can see, it is the same parable, and the daughter (the bride) is accompanied by virgins following her train. They are separate people.

Also, logically, how can the virgins be the bride if some were allowed in, and others were not? Is the groom marrying many brides? If so, why not say that? All of this indicates that the virgin companions are likely not the bride.

If that wasn’t enough, recognize that in ancient Hebrew society, the custom was for a man to accept the woman from her parents, and shortly thereafter, consummated the marriage (which was the real ‘wedding’). Then the ‘proof of virginity’ (a blood stain on some cloth) was made. This was proof of both that she was a virgin, and that the marriage was consummated. Now this was complete, the family invited friends and family to celebrate at a banquet.

So the fact that the virgins were invited to the celebration (the wedding banquet) would indicate that they were indeed not the bride, but guests.

Indeed, it would seem strange for a man to marry, and thereafter be found traveling along the road to invite some of his brides to their own wedding banquet, while not allowing the rest of the brides to enter.

Translator note

Matthew 26:31 quoting Zechariah 13:7

Jesus appears to quote Zechariah 13:7 in Matthew 26:31 and apply those words to himself, where he says:

‘All of you will be stumbled [by what will happen to] me tonight, because it’s written: ‘When the shepherd is struck, the sheep will be scattered.’

Some Christians believe that Jesus is saying that the words he’s quoting are a prophecy about his death (‘the shepherd is struck’) and the apostles eventually preaching abroad in foreign countries (being ‘scattered’).

However, he might not have been quoting Zechariah 13 directly, but paraphrasing. In the most ancient text we have, which we consider to be far more reliable than the Hebrew texts, it does not say “when the shepherd [singular] is struck”, but says “strike the shepherds [plural]”.

So it could be that Jesus was just quoting the universal truth conveyed in Zechariah 13 that whenever a ‘shepherd’ (or leader) is gone, his ‘sheep’ (or followers) will be scattered. That’s exactly what happened immediately after Jesus was arrested, although they gathered back together quite quickly.

Also, the passage in Zechariah 13 is about false prophets who later deny being from God to save their own skin, and the false ‘shepherds’ of JeruSalem being ‘wiped away’ (Zechariah 13:8).

So it’s possible that Jesus was quoting the universal truth contained in Zechariah’s prophecy – simply that followers tend to scatter when their leader is gone, rather than claiming that Zechariah 13:7 was a prophecy specifically about himself.

Interestingly, the Jews were scattered across the world after their ‘shepherds’ were killed in various Jewish rebellions starting in 70 CE.

Please also see the note about the ‘wounds in hands’ verse.

Translator note

‘Why have you abandoned me?’ – Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34

Just before Jesus died, the gospels of Matthew and Mark report that he exclaimed: ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani’, which they translate for us as meaning, ‘My God, my God, why have You abandoned me?’ (or forsaken me). Why did he say these words?

Jesus was likely referencing the first line of Psalm 22 in Hebrew, which reads, in English:

‘O God, my God, please listen to me! Why have I been abandoned by You?’ —Psalm 22:1

Therefore, Jesus was not expressing shock over being ‘abandoned’ at all, but making a cultural reference to a popular song (or hymn). If you read Psalm 22, you’ll see that it’s not only a Messianic prophecy, but it even describes the manner of Jesus’ execution. (Psalm 22:8, 16, 18) So it couldn’t be more fitting!

Remember, the Psalms are holy songs, and the Jews knew all of them very well, singing them on regular occasions (as the Apostles did at the Last Supper). Just like today, when someone quotes a line from a song, when Jesus said ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani’, many people standing around likely got the reference and recalled the words of Psalm 22. Although it seems that some misheard the first couple of words, and mistakenly thought that he was calling for Elijah!

We sometimes quote songs today. For example, if I said to you, ‘Like a candle in the wind’, you would get the reference to the Elton John song talking about the fragility of life – no one would think that I’m talking about candles or the wind. You would know that; you would get the reference. Likewise with Jesus, everyone was supposed to get the reference to the song in Psalm 22.

Unfortunately, us modern Christians just aren’t very familiar with the Psalms, so the reference usually goes over our heads.

Psalm 22 ends by showing that King David, who wrote the psalm, was not really abandoned by Jehovah/Yahweh after all, and ‘with my whole soul, I’m living for Him, And my seed will serve Him alone.’ (Psalm 22:29-30) So when Jesus was referencing it, it may have been to show that, despite it looking like he was abandoned to death, Jesus would actually soon come back to life and serve his Father.

Why different from Luke and John?

This cultural reference may explain why the parallel accounts in Luke and John say different things:

Luke 23:46 reports Jesus saying: ‘Father, I leave my breath in Your hands.’

John 19:30 reports Jesus saying: ‘It is finished!’

It seems that Luke and John both got the reference and reported what Jesus meant by referencing the song, rather than quoting his exact words and providing a long and complicated explanation of it. Remember, Luke was written to a man who was probably a Greek, someone who wouldn’t have got a Jewish cultural reference. Further, John was written decades later to provide additional information about Jesus’ life, so reporting the gist of what Jesus meant was sufficient.

This is quite typical of the way the ancients told stories; today, we want exact quotes, but this is not the way things were done among verbal cultures. The details are secondary to the overall message. You can often just report what was meant, you don’t always have to report the exact words.

So Jesus’ exact last words were probably a reference to Psalm 22. Now, we have translated Psalm 22 from the oldest available manuscripts, which are about 600 years older than the ones used by most Bibles. Please take a look.

Translator note

Spurious text: Matthew 27:52-53

In our translation, we have deleted the words that are found in Matthew 27:52-53, which speak of ‘Holy Ones’ or ‘Saints’ arising from tombs and being seen in ‘the Holy City’ after the resurrection of Jesus. Why? The words are spurious (fake, added to the Bible later on).

Why do we say this? There are six main reasons.

First, there are no similar reports in the parallel account at Luke 23:45, despite the incredible and shocking nature of the events. Surely, if dead people had been resurrected from their graves, and then walked around JeruSalem, it’s quite suspicious that Luke failed to include it.

Second, why are there no accounts (or even references) elsewhere in the Bible as to who these people were, what they did, what they said, or anything at all?

Third, the only possible reference to a resurrection happening in the past was in 1 Corinthians 15, where Paul goes to great lengths to argue that there had been no resurrection of ancient people yet, and that the teaching was dangerous nonsense. This ‘event’ could well have been what he had in mind. If so, then we have Paul himself confirming that it is false.

Fourth, do you notice how these words are out of context? The words are inserted right in the middle of Matthew’s description of the things that happened at the time of Jesus’ death! Yet the words relate that the supposed resurrected ones left the cemetery much later. When? According to verse 53, after Jesus’ resurrection! That was three days later.

Indeed, if you remove the words, the entire passage flows better. This is often the case with other words that we know to be spurious.

Fifth, older manuscripts report the events with different words. For example, the words “and the graves were opened” (και τα μνημεία ανεώχθησαν) in verse 52 and the words “and went” (εισήλθον) are missing from the Codex Sinaiticus. This is also very suspicious, and typical of spurious words and passages that we know to be fake.

So the extraordinary events are oddly absent from the other Gospels, are mentioned nowhere else (but were possibly called false by Paul), are out of sequence, and the oldest manuscripts don’t agree on the wording. Further, they detract from the far more important symbolic miracle of the Temple curtain (that separated ‘the Most Holy’, the entrance to the presence of God) being ripped in two.

There is actually a sixth, broader reason: the text of Matthew is the most corrupted text of any in the Bible.

Textual corruption in Matthew

Normally we would not question a miracle, as such things are supposed to be unlikely and miraculous by their very nature. However, as pointed out in several more of our translator notes, the surviving manuscripts of Matthew contain more provable corruptions than any other Gospel. It seems that this is probably just another one of them.

We haven’t yet found any complete manuscripts of Matthew from before the 4th century CE. According to ancient sources, Matthew was the first Gospel written, and it was originally penned in Aramaic. Back then, the Christian community was small, and copying scrolls was expensive. The number of copies of Matthew was likely tiny for many decades. Now was the perfect time to corrupt the text of Matthew, and it seems that’s what happened in many places.

How did the corruption happen?

Since there were so few full copies, these were not personal copies; they were living documents used in worship services. Readers and teachers would leave marks and scribble notes into the margins and between the lines to clarify what the text meant, or to act as reminders when giving sermons.

Eventually these manuscripts became old, worn out, and needed to be copied. It seems that during this process, many of the scribbled notes were copied into the main body of the text. This is probably how most spurious words, notes, explanations, and added details made their way into Matthew.

Therefore, this corruption probably happened in the late 1st or early 2nd centuries while there were a small number of copies. Also, ancient sources report that the Greek Matthew we have today comes from a 2nd century translation. For the Greek Matthew to contain the words, it must have been made from a corrupted Aramaic copy. So all of these corruptions entered the text quite early, probably within 50 to 75 years of Jesus’ execution.

Another reason to believe that the words were added quite early is because the spurious words about this ‘resurrection’ are quoted by many early ‘church fathers’. The first was Ignatius, who died around 107 CE.

In the future, someone may discover additional ancient manuscripts of Matthew. Perhaps we may even find a copy from the 1st century. Then we might be able to fully restore the Gospel. However, until then, we can only do our best to spot possible corruptions such as this and act accordingly.

Why added?

If the words are spurious, then we must ask, why would anyone make up such things?

Well, in ancient times, it was common for myths to arise around the deaths of great people. The Oxford Bible Commentary notes that people would “encircle the ends of great figures with extraordinary events”, such as trees blooming out of season, the heavens shaking, and birds calling at the wrong time of day.

Perhaps some early Christians decided to embellish the death of Jesus in a way that would enhance his greatness in their culture, or make him seem more respectable to unbelievers. So they spread the story that a large number of dead people came to life and were later raised to heaven.

See our list of spurious texts that we have crossed out in our Bible translation.

Translator note

Matthew 27:9 – JeremiAh or ZechariAh?

At Matthew 27:9, the Greek text says that JeremiAh wrote the prophecy that foretold Jesus’ betrayal for thirty pieces of silver and of his betrayer being buried in the potter’s field.

However, JeremiAh didn’t really write that!

Rather, the prophecy was actually written by ZechariAh (see Zechariah 11:12-13). So it is clear that this is another of several corruptions in the Greek text of Matthew.

On the other hand, the Aramaic text of Matthew (which we have come to trust more only when it comes to the book of Matthew) doesn’t give us the name of the Prophet that wrote those words. It just says ‘the Prophet.’

Therefore, we have gone with the Aramaic wording of this verse. Perhaps someone before the 4th century tried to be ‘helpful’ and added a ‘clarification’ to the Greek text, but got it wrong!

Translator note

Matthew 28:19 - The baptism formula

Traditionally, Matthew 28:19 says:

‘...baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.’

There are reasons to suspect that these words (called the “baptism formula” or “the trinitarian formula”) are a later addition and that the text originally only said something like “in my name.” We can’t be sure about this – but scholars have good reasons to suspect it.

What are these reasons?

Well, it’s not because of Bible manuscripts. The words appear in all surviving Bible manuscripts (although it is absent from the 14th-century Hebrew translation by Shem Tob); however, even our earliest manuscripts don’t help us because we don’t have a single copy of this verse from before the 4th century. Yes, there is none. Those years are mostly a black box when it comes to the New Testament (we only have fragments and quotations in other writings from that era). If the words were added very early in the Christian era, we would not expect any surviving manuscripts to read differently.

So if there are no dissenting early manuscripts, why do we have suspicions? Due to other ancient writings and from other Bible verses:

1. The 4th-century bishop Eusebius quoted this verse without the extra words until the Council of Nicea.

He quoted it 18 times between 300 CE and 336 CE. At first, he quotes it as saying, ‘Go ye and make disciples of all the nations in my name, teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I commanded you.’ As you can see, baptism or the formula is not mentioned.

However, the baptism formula then suddenly appears in Eusebius’ quotes. When? Right after the Council of Nicaea, at which the Church progressed toward the Trinity doctrine.

Could Eusebius have simply been paraphrasing? No, he appears to be making direct quotations, and his quotations agree with others. It is also interesting that the words changed after AD 325.

Interestingly, if these words are indeed spurious, it could even be Eusebius himself who helped insert them into the verse. He was one of the most important historical figures in the history of the Church. He was a powerful force in helping the Roman Emperor Constantine see the political advantages of ending the persecution of Christians and establishing Christianity as the official state religion. He was also involved in creating the Council of Nicaea itself.

Given his prominence and the timing, it’s possible that he was somehow involved in the insertion of these words – or at least knew those who were. We can’t know for sure, of course. If this all happened, it would be pretty ironic that it should be his own words that help to reveal the changes.

2. Luke 24:47 is somewhat of a parallel account, and it makes no mention of these words.

There it only reports: ‘Then in his name, [the message of] repentance for forgiveness of sins is to be preached in all the nations, starting from JeruSalem.’

The formula is not present, and there is no mention of baptism.

3. Acts 1:8 reports the same (or a similar) event and still fails to mention the words.

It says: ‘However, you will receive power when the Holy Breath comes over you, and you’ll be witnesses of me in JeruSalem, in all of Judea, in Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth.’

Again, we see no mention of the trinitarian formula or baptism. Surely, if this were the true formula for baptism, then it would not have been forgotten and never mentioned again.

4. Acts 2:38 commands baptism in the name of Jesus only.

It says, ‘Repent, and each of you get baptized in the name of Jesus the Anointed One, so your sins can be forgiven. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Breath.’ It’s the same issue as above.

5. Acts 8:15, 16 reports people having been baptized in the name of Jesus only:

‘They went [to the Samaritans] and prayed for them to receive the Holy Breath, because it hadn’t come to any of them yet, although they had been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.’

Again, no mention of it.

6. Acts 10:48 reports people being commanded only to be baptized in the name of Jesus:

‘So he commanded that they should be baptized in the name of Jesus the Anointed One.’

Yet again, the formula is missing.

7. Acts 19:5 describes people being baptized in the name of Jesus and no one else:

‘When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.’

Same again.

8. Romans 6:3 only mentions that people were baptized into Jesus and his death:

‘Don’t you realize that all that were baptized into the Anointed Jesus were also baptized into his death?’

Same again.

9. And finally, Galatians 3:27 mentions people being baptized into the Anointed One:

‘All who were baptized into the Anointed One have put on the Anointed One.’

...

So what happened?

If the words are not genuine, how did they get into the Bible?

Well, if that’s what really happened, then we can make a few educated guesses. They could only be inserted very early in Christianity when it was a small community in the 2nd or 3rd centuries (the 100s or 200s). The words must have gained popularity outside of the text before being added. But why add them at all?

Prominent bishops may have made it the official baptism formula to differentiate Christian and Gnostic baptisms. You see, forms of Gnosticism were the first large heresies in Christianity. Gnostics believed in Jesus (at least nominally) and may have even baptized people in Jesus’ name (like the apostles did in Acts), but many had different views about Jesus being “the Son,” and most held radically different views about the Father (the God of the Jews) and the identity of the Holy Breath/Spirit.

Some groups taught that Jesus wasn’t God’s Son as we understand it, but was instead a divine emissary or “Aeon,” or even just a normal man who had the “Christ spirit” (a separate person) descend upon him.

Most groups taught that the Father was not really God Almighty at all, but instead an evil, lesser god called the Demiurge who imprisoned our souls in material creation.

Beliefs about the Holy Breath/Spirit also varied, with some considering the Spirit to be a feminine divine being, Almighty God’s female consort, or an intermediary between God and mankind (instead of Jesus).

2 John 1:9 may be referring to these teachings:

For those who are running ahead and not remaining in the teaching of the Anointed One don’t really have God. However, those who stick with this teaching have both the Father and the Son.

Therefore, if the Gnostic groups also baptized people in Jesus’ name, a way to reject their views could be to baptize Christians “into the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” This would show that the baptized person accepted orthodox Christian views that the Father was indeed God, Jesus was indeed the Son, and the Spirit was the same thing that descended upon Jesus at his baptism – not some feminine consort.

This formula was perhaps then inserted into scrolls of Matthew upon copying; it would show what Jesus really meant when saying to baptize in his name. Thus early Christians may have viewed the addition of the formula as an accurate expansion and explanation of Jesus’ words rather than any kind of fakery. In other words, true in meaning, even if not accurate word-for-word.

However, this is just speculation.

We’re not saying that the baptism formula in Matthew is definitely a later addition; perhaps it is genuine and original. The problem is that we can’t say for sure. We merely cross out the words in our translation to bring these issues to your attention.

Interestingly, the 1911 edition of Encyclopædia Britannica commented that the baptismal formula was not universal in early Christendom and may even have gained popularity through old pagan beliefs:

The trinitarian formula and trine immersion were not uniformly used from the beginning, nor did they always go together. The Teaching of the Apostles, indeed, prescribes baptism in the name of Father, Son and Holy Ghost, but on the next page speaks of those who have been baptized into the name of the Lord—the normal formula of the New Testament. In the 3rd century baptism in the name of Christ was still so widespread that Pope Stephen, in opposition to Cyprian of Carthage, declared it to be valid. From Pope Zachariah (Ep. x.) we learn that the Celtic missionaries in baptizing omitted one or more persons of the Trinity, and this was one of the reasons why the church of Rome anathematized them; Pope Nicholas, however (858–867), in the Responsa ad consulta Bulgarorum, allowed baptism to be valid tantum in nomine Christi, as in the Acts. Basil, in his work On the Holy Spirit just mentioned, condemns “baptism into the Lord alone” as insufficient. Baptism “into the death of Christ” is often specified by the Armenian fathers as that which alone was essential.

Ursinus, an African monk (in Gennad. de Scr. Eccl. xxvii.), Hilary (de Synodis, lxxxv.), the synod of Nemours (A.D. 1284), also asserted that baptism into the name of Christ alone was valid. The formula of Rome is, “I baptize thee in the name of Father and Son and Holy Spirit.” In the East, “so-and-so, the servant of God, is baptized,” &c. The Greeks add Amen after each person, and conclude with the words, “Now and ever and to aeons of aeons, amen.”

We first find in Tertullian trine immersion explained from the triple invocation, Nam nec semel, sed ter, ad singula nomina in personas singulas tinguimur: “Not once, but thrice, for the several names, into the several persons, are we dipped” (adv. Prax. xxvi.). And Jerome says: “We are thrice plunged, that the one sacrament of the Trinity may be shown forth.” On the other hand, in numerous fathers of East and West, e.g. Leo of Rome, Athanasius, Gregory of Nyssa, Theophylactus, Cyril of Jerusalem and others, trine immersion was regarded as being symbolic of the three days’ entombment of Christ; and in the Armenian baptismal rubric this interpretation is enjoined, as also in an epistle of Macarius of Jerusalem addressed to the Armenians (c. 330). In Armenian writers this interpretation is further associated with the idea of baptism into the death of Christ.

Trine immersion then, as to the origin of which Basil confesses his ignorance, must be older than either of the rival explanations. These are clearly aetiological, and invented to explain an existing custom, which the church had adopted from its pagan medium. For pagan lustrations were normally threefold; thus Virgil writes (Aen. vi. 229): Ter socios pura circumtulit unda. Ovid (Met. vii. 189 and Fasti, iv. 315), Persius (ii. 16) and Horace (Ep. i. 1. 37) similarly speak of trine lustrations; and on the last mentioned passage the scholiast Acro remarks: “He uses the words thrice purely, because people in expiating their sins, plunge themselves in thrice.” Such examples of the ancient usage encounter us everywhere in Greek and Latin antiquity.

— Encyclopædia Britannica 1911, volume III, page 365-366 (bold emphasis added by us)

...

Absence from Shem Tob’s Matthew

There is one old manuscript copy of Matthew that excludes the formula, the translation of Matthew by Shem Tob (or Shem Tov). Shem Tob was a 14th-century Rabbi from Spain who wrote a book called The Touchstone (Eben Boḥan), in which he argues against the belief of his neighboring Catholics that Jesus is God. His book includes a Hebrew translation of Matthew. The modern consensus is that Shem Tob translated it himself from the Latin Vulgate and distorted it in places.

However, others argue that his version of Matthew actually came from an older Hebrew version of Matthew, now lost, that descended from a very early Hebrew or Aramaic original. Could this be true? Perhaps.

The problem is that Shem Tob’s Matthew also has many differences that look like deliberate distortions. For example, numerous references to Jesus being the Messiah are also missing. So the entire text is under question and not widely respected. Further, other medieval Hebrew translations of Matthew contain both the missing formula and the missing references to Jesus’ being the Messiah.

So, while it’s possible that Shem Tob’s Matthew used an older lost Hebrew version that excluded the formula, we can’t say for sure.

Frequently Asked Questions

“Doesn’t the 1st/2nd century Didache quote the formula?

Our oldest copy of the Didache is from 900 years after it was first written. It is widely believed to have been used as a living document and updated in later years to reflect changing Church doctrine. Several things in the document indicate this. So, sadly, the Didache’s use of the formula does not resolve the issue.

Also, if you compare the Greek words in the Didache to Matthew 28:19, you can see that it is not an exact quote, as the words are slightly different to fit the context.

Didache: βαπτίσατε εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος
Matthew 28:19: βαπτίζοντες αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος

“Doesn’t Tertullian quote the words at the turn of the 2nd century?”

No. He did so at the turn of the 3rd century, around the year 200 (yes, the 3rd century), approximately 170 years after Jesus’ death.

“Are you undermining the words of Jesus Christ?”

Hardly. Showing how the early Church may have tampered with Jesus’ words is not undermining Christ. If the Church really did insert these words later, then it is the Church that has “undermined the words of Jesus Christ.” It is our duty to lay out all the facts.

“Are you saying that everyone should only be baptized in the name of Jesus?”

No. Since we don’t know if these words are genuine or not, we can hardly make such a declaration. Besides, we are not a religion.

“Are baptisms using the trinitarian formula valid or invalid?”

This is not a question for a Bible translator.

“Will we ever know if the words are genuine or not?”

Perhaps. Biblical scholars may be lucky and gain access to previously undocumented manuscripts. Indeed, new technologies are already helping scholars to read previously illegible manuscripts. Such discoveries may one day help resolve the issue.

Changelog

Note that a previous version of this text included supposed quotes from the Catholic Encyclopedia and Encyclopædia Britannica, which, while supplied to us in good faith, were inaccurate; they were actually paraphrased summaries representing someone’s personal interpretation of those sources. They have been removed, and we apologize for the mistake.

Translator note

‘Messengers’ or ‘angels?’

Most Bible translations render the Greek word aggelous (pronounced ahn-gell-ouse – with a hard g) as angel wherever it is found. However, aggelous is just the Greek word for messenger.

When the Bible mentions angels it’s usually talking of spirit messengers from God, but not every time. So when you see the word angel in other Bibles, this choice of word may just be the opinion of the translator – it’s not necessarily what the original writer meant!

For example, consider Acts 12:15. Peter had just been miraculously released from jail, and went to the door of Mark’s family home. When he knocked, the housemaid told the people inside that Peter was at their door. However, knowing it to be impossible, since he was in prison, most other Bibles say that the family thought it was ‘his angel’ knocking on their door.

If someone is knocking at your door, would you assume that it was an angel? Hardly! Therefore, notice that translating the word ‘aggelous’ as what it really means, ‘messenger,’ makes much more sense! It’s far more likely that Mark’s family thought that Peter had sent someone with a message!

Indeed, this was Roman times. Sending written messages was expensive (because paper was expensive), and not everyone could read. Further, there were no telephones or instant messaging. So it was common to employ people to deliver spoken messages.

Yet, despite this, some people believe that ‘aggelous’ should always be translated as ‘angel,’ which is what some translators have done!

This has led to misunderstandings of several Bible texts. For example, Revelation 2:1 in the King James Version says:

‘Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write...’

By translating the word aggelous as ‘angel,’ some have come to believe that Jesus sent messages to John through angels that were intended for other angels… not likely.

Rather, the ‘angels’ (actually ‘messengers’) were people in the local congregations who handled communications on behalf of everyone else, especially those who couldn’t read or write themselves. So these ‘angels’ were just humans that had the responsibility of receiving and sending out letters.

These were the ones to whom Jesus was sending the messages through John. –For a greater discussion of this topic, please see the linked commentary, Arrangement of the First Christian Churches.

An incredible number of problems would be created if we translated aggelous as angel in the Greek Septuagint. For example, Genesis 32:3 says this in the Greek Septuagint:

‘Apasteile de Iakob aggelous emprosthen autou pros Hesau ton adelphon autou’
‘Sent of Jacob angels(?) ahead of/him toward Esau the brother of/him.’

The context makes it clear that Jacob was sending human messengers ahead of him, not heavenly angels! This is not unusual. In Haggai 1:13, the Prophet HagGai was described as being ‘a messenger (Greek: aggelous) of Jehovah.’ Of course, Haggai was a man, not a spirit creature!

So, it’s clear that the Greek word aggelous should often be translated as messengers. Interestingly, other translators of the Greek Septuagint have done exactly that in the above places. Yet, these same translators put the same word as ‘angel’ in other places – sometimes right next to each other.

For example, at Numbers 20:14 Moses sends messengers (Greek: aggelous) from Cades to the king of Edom (obviously talking about human messengers), but then, just two verses later (in verse 16), we read that ‘Jehovah … heard our voice and sent His messenger (Greek: aggelon – messenger or angel) that brought us out of Egypt.’

So, here is a case where in just two sentences, we find both earthly messengers and heavenly messengers (true angels) being mentioned. Yet, Septuagint translators always render the first word as messenger, and the second word as angel… though they are both the same basic word in Greek!

Should the translator be making that judgment? Or should it be left to you, the reader?

This translation puts the words as messenger or messengers in both instances. Readers should be able to discern from the context which are human, and which are spirit – just like the ancient readers had to do. This is the better approach, as there are several places where it’s quite unclear.

Sure, there are a handful of places where this translation says ‘angels’, but this is only where the text is clearly speaking of spirit creatures, or because it fits into poetic texts better (poetic license).

There are actually some advantages to translating aggelos as messenger all the time, even when it’s obviously speaking of angels. The correct word conveys a better understanding of the actual role that the sons of God play in His dealings with mankind. Otherwise this may be lost on the reader.

Notice also that the term angel doesn’t refer to a type of creature or to a rank, as many think. The name ‘messenger’ only describes the task they are assigned, and serving as a messenger may just be a one-time thing (for all we know). Yet, many religious scholars have wildly speculated about the supposed ranking of heavenly spirits, with ‘angels’ being listed as the lowest. Yet, as we said, ‘angel’ is not necessarily a rank, but it’s certainly a job assignment.

Indeed, you could say that Jesus was once a messenger to mankind. Hebrews 1:2-4 says:

‘...after he [Jesus] cleansed us of our sins, this one sat down at the right hand of the Great One in the highest places and has now become so much greater than the [other] messengers [of God] and so different that he has inherited a [special] name among them.’

Yes, the words [in brackets] are our insertions for clarification, but notice that Jesus is also referred to as ‘now’ becoming greater than the messengers, and now so different. So yes, he too served as a messenger to mankind when he was here on earth (and perhaps before that too)… but not as a low-ranking spirit creature, since he has always held the highest position.

Also, correctly showing the word as ‘messengers’ helps us to understand why the Bible never speaks of female angels or baby angels, because the teaching that people become angels after they die is not found in scripture. It is a historic fact that the teaching developed in the years after the Apostles died, as Christianity merged with pagan traditions. Rather, the spirit messengers were created as heavenly spirits.

Why do we say that?

Well, most modern Christian denominations teach that God’s messengers (angels) are humans that died and were taken to heaven. However, Job 38:7 says:

‘When I [created the earth], all the stars praised Me And all My angels shouted a cheer.’

So from this, we can see that there were ‘angels’ long before there were humans.

Also, Jesus himself said:

‘No one has gone to heaven other than the one that came from heaven, the Son of Man.’

Since no human has entered heaven before the resurrection of Jesus, the ‘angels’ from before that time could not be dead humans. Rather, they were spirit sons of God that had been created before humans existed.

However, can people become angels now? Jesus said (at Luke 20:35, 36):

‘But those that have been found worthy of that age and the resurrection from the dead won’t marry or get married… Nor can they die anymore. For they will have the power of the angels; Since, as sons of the resurrection, they [will also be] sons of God.’

Does this mean that such humans will someday become angels? Well, remember that aggeloi is not necessarily a type of creation, but a job of being a messenger. He didn’t say that the faithful would thereafter become angels/messengers, but that they would then have the power of the angels/messengers (Greek: dynantai aggeloi).

One final point: at Daniel 4:13, 17, and 23 we find an added description of heavenly messengers that was provided by the king of Babylon, NebuChadnezzar. For there he referred to them in the Hebrew text as holy ‘watchers,’ ‘observers,’ or ‘sentinels.’

We don’t know if these words were inspired (remember that these were the recorded words of a pagan king). However, if they were, then it implies that some spirit creatures are assigned the task of keeping an eye on mankind.

Anyhow, the point is:

If you want consistency in Bible translating, the word aggelous is better translated as messenger throughout the Bible than as the English word angel, which can be misleading.

Translator note

Matthew 1:17 – The missing ancestor of Jesus

If you take the time to count them, you’ll notice that in other Bible translations, there’s a generation missing in Matthew’s account of Jesus’ genealogy.

Matthew 1:17 says:

‘So there were 14 generations from AbraHam to David, 14 generations from David until the deportation to Babylon, and 14 generations from the deportation to Babylon to the Anointed One.’

Yet, in most Bibles, Matthew’s list of ancestors after the deportation to Babylon only shows 13 names! What’s going on?

The Aramaic text of Matthew (which seems less corrupt than the Greek text) says that the last ancestor, ‘JoSeph the son of Jacob,’ wasn’t Mary’s husband JoSeph. No, rather this JoSeph was Mary’s father, who just happened to be named JoSeph as well. So that would make 14 generations. Problem solved.

This is just another example of the corruptions present in the Greek text of Matthew.

Indeed, the Aramaic version must be correct, because Luke’s Gospel lists the ancestry of Jesus going through his adoptive parent JoSeph (you can see how the names are different). In that ancestry, JoSeph is described as the son of Heli (Luke 3:23), not the son of Jacob. So the two men are indeed different.

Translator note

MordecAi

MordecAi appears to be a Babylonian name, and possibly means City of Marduk, or just Marduka (see the Wikipedia reference Mordecai).

Although it might seem unlikely that an IsraElite would bear the name of a pagan god, the Babylonians and Persians often renamed people when they appointed them as officials.

Translator note

Psalm 110:3 – ‘morning star’ or ‘womb of the dawn’?

We freely admit that our translation of Psalm 110:3, which says: ‘For, since the time that you came from the womb, I made you the [bright] morning star,’ could be wrong. It differs from the Hebrew Masoretic text and even other versions of the Greek Septuagint.

The Greek word in question here is eosphorou, which some have translated as dawn. However, others argue that the word should be translated as morning star.

We have chosen morning star because that’s the -phorou part literally means star. Also, Jesus referred to himself as ‘the bright morning star’ at Revelation 22:16. So Jesus may have been quoting this verse when he used the term ‘morning star’ in Revelation.

This rendering also makes more sense than the Hebrew words, which read:

‘In the splendors of holiness from the womb of the dawn,’

What is the womb of the dawn? These words don’t appear to mean very much, they are not used elsewhere or quoted, and they don’t tie into other prophesies.

Translator note

Fool, Foolish, or Uncaring?

The Greek word μωροὶ (pronounced, moe-roi) is often translated as foolish or fool in other Bibles. However, μωροὶ is the root from which we derive the English word moron. But understand that the term moron, as used by Jesus and his Apostles, didn’t imply someone that is mentally challenged, as the medical term ‘moron’ does today. Rather, it meant someone that knows the difference between doing the right thing and the wrong thing, but doesn’t care to do what is right.

For example, the ten virgins of Jesus’ parable in Matthew 25 weren’t just ‘foolish’ girls, they were morons; they knew what they should do, but they didn’t care to do it.

Translator note

Did an Angel Want to Kill Moses?

The words of Exodus 4:24 have long been a source of concern to most Bible students, because what both the Hebrew and Greek texts appear to say that an angel wanted to kill ‘him’ at an inn. Since the person mentioned in the preceding verse was Moses, we could logically conclude that he was the person that the angel was planning to kill.

Yet this scenario is illogical, because God had just commissioned Moses to go to Pharaoh and demand that His people be set free. So, why would a messenger from God try to thwart God’s plans?

However, the problem may just be that we’re reading it through modern eyes. The ‘him’ spoken of in the verse doesn’t have to be Moses, because writers of these ancient languages frequently use personal pronouns, such as ‘him,’ without saying exacty who they mean. That’s why you’ll sometimes see names in translation insertion brackets [ ] in this translation, to clarify who is (probably) being referred to.

In this case, the next male spoken of in connection with this event is Moses’ son. We read that his mother apparently saved his life by circumcising him on the spot. This was important because God’s instructions to AbraHam were that all of his male descendants were to be circumcised, and since this hadn’t been done, by law he was to be put to death (see Genesis 17:14).

So it seems likely that the ‘him’ who was in danger of being killed by God’s messenger was Moses’ son, not Moses.

Why hadn’t Moses circumcised his son? We don’t know, but the fact that his mother circumcised him may indicate that she was the one to blame… and she knew it. Remember that her father is described as being ‘the priest of Midian.’ Thus he could have been a priest to a pagan god. And if so, this may be why she opposed the circumcision of her son.

Translator note

‘Men That Have Sex with Men’

At 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10, Paul profiles the types of people that ‘won’t inherit God’s Kingdom.’ Also, at 1 Timothy 1:10, he makes a similar list.

In the Greek source texts, one of these is arsenokoitai at 1 Corinthians, and arsenokoitais in 1 Timothy (the difference in spelling is due to the dative grammatical case, but the meaning is identical). These terms literally translate as male-bed-ers. This is a compound word made from the same words used in the Greek Septuagint version of Leviticus 20:13 which forbids a man lying with another male as one would lie with a woman.

The the Aramaic sources, we have shakbay ham dekreh, which literally translates as sleepers with males.

We translate these terms as ‘men that have sex with men.’ This refers to men who engage in sexual activities with other males, even if they don’t identify as gay. This could include the men of Sodom who may have had wives and families, but then attempted male rape. That’s why we don’t use the term ‘homosexuals,’ as some translations do, because even heterosexuals may sometimes engage in homosexual acts. The description is of actions, not identities.

Therefore, this word would not apply to someone who merely has homosexual attractions. It only applies to those who carry out homosexual acts. So it would not describe someone who identifies as gay, but is celibate. Yet it would apply to an imprisoned heterosexual man who gets sexual favors from other male prisoners.

Are these verses politically correct?

No. However, our job as translators is to faithfully translate the text into Modern English so that you, the reader, can know what was written. We must translate the words no matter what they may say. Otherwise we would be deceiving you.

For further discussion, please see the commentaries:

Are gay people ‘eternally damned?’

Do the laws against homosexuality in Leviticus 18 apply today?

Translator note

Exodus 20:13 – ‘kill’ or ‘murder’?

In the King James Version, Exodus 20:13 is mistranslated. In that Bible, it says:

‘Thou shalt not kill.’

However, this is incorrect. Nearly every other translation says ‘murder.’ Why? The word used in the Greek Septuagint is phoneuseis, which means ‘murder,’ and not simply ‘kill.’ It is a similar story with the Hebrew word.

This makes sense, because killing, in the form of execution, was mandated in the law itself. Execution was even the punishment for murder! At Exodus 21:12 in the Greek Septuagint it literally says:

‘Thananato thanatoustho,’
‘To/death let/him/be/put/to/death!’

So Exodus 20:13 could not mean ‘Thou shalt not kill,’ because then the law would contradict itself. On the contrary, God’s Law to Moses very emphatically said that murderers should be executed.

In the modern day, some Christians have used the mistranslated words ‘Thou shalt not kill’ in political campaigns to argue against the death penalty. However, as we saw, it does not say ‘kill,’ it says ‘murder,’ and killing in the form of execution was part of the law itself.

Translator note

Mystery

The Greek word that is translated as mystery here (Sacred Secret in other Bibles) is mysterion, which is the root of the English word, mystery.

Translator note

Psalm 119:120 (118:120 LXX) – A Messianic Prophecy, or not?

Our translation says:

Nail down my body...

Many ‘Church Fathers’ quoted these words as a Messianic Prophecy, although they used the words ‘fasten my flesh with nails’. Jesus was, of course, impaled on the lumber by having nails driven down into his flesh, before being raised up.

The word that we translate as “nail down” is a single Greek verb (action word), Καθήλωσον/Kathēlōson, which is made up of:

καθ- / kath- = An inflection of κατα, a prefix which means “against” or “fully” or “downwards”.

-ἧλος- / -(h)elos- = a noun meaning a nail.

-ον = an inflective word ending that can be nominative, accusative, or imperative. We assume it’s an imperative – making the word a command to someone else.

So it’s a compound word, coming together to form a verb.

The Hebrew sources, however, say something completely different in this verse:

My flesh trembles in fear of you –NIV

Indeed, the passage as a whole is different, with different inflections referring to different persons.

On the surface, this seems fine. After all, we know that many Messianic Prophecies were changed or removed in the Hebrew Text in later times. The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls vindicates the Christians, as these pre-Christian documents include many of the Messianic Prophecies (and other wording) which were scrubbed by the early Rabbis.

So surely this must be just another one of them, right? Well, not necessarily...

Firstly, the Dead Sea Scrolls which contain this verse are dated to before the Christian Era and they read just like the Hebrew text does today – they don’t contain this Messianic Prophecy!

Secondly, we can’t defer to an Apostle for the answer, as these words are not quoted in the Christian books – which may seem strange in itself, as it’s very specific and graphic.

Thirdly, some Koine Greek experts today disagree with translating the word as “nail down” and believe it means something like “cast me down”.

So this text is in dispute. We can’t be sure that it is a Messianic Prophecy. So what is our reason for assuming that it is a prophecy? Well, it was widely believed to be so by the so-called ‘Church Fathers’ – and they were often native speakers of Koine Greek who lived in the ancient era. We can’t just dismiss their opinion. Augustine of Hippo even wrote about how to correctly translate the word for “nail down” into Latin.

So in our translation, we defer to these native speakers. However, they (and we) could be wrong.

Translator note

Naos: The temple sanctuary

There are several places throughout the Bible where the Greek word naos is used, which is commonly translated as temple in other Bibles. However, this isn’t exactly right.

There are two Greek words commonly translated as ‘temple’ in the Bible:

hieron

naos

The word hieron refers to the entire temple complex, including its various rooms and courtyards. The naos, on the other hand, just refers to the innermost part of a temple where the Greeks believed that their gods dwelled.

So naos in the Bible seems to be a Hellenized (Greek) description of the central part of the temple which contains the Holy and Most Holy compartments. In English it is commonly called the temple sanctuary.

We especially find this word (naos) used in the book of Revelation, where the word for temple isn’t found at all. Although at Revelation 11:1-2 it could imply the entire temple.

Translator note

John 8:51 – ‘never see death at all’?

According to some Bible translations, Jesus said (as recorded at John 8:51):

‘If anyone observes my word, he will never see death at all.’

However, all of Jesus’ faithful Apostles and disciples (who had certainly observed his word) died. The Bible even tells about the deaths of some of them, such as Stephen and James. Did Jesus lie?

No. Bible translators just got it wrong. In Greek, John 8:51 literally reads:

‘ean tis ton emon logon terese, thanaton ou me theorese eis ton aiōna’
‘if/ever anyone the my word should/observe, death not not he/shall/behold into the age.’

Jesus then used same sentence structure at John 11:26:

‘Kai pas ho zon kai pisteuon eis eme ou me apothane eis ton aiōna. Pisteueis touto?’
‘And all the living and believing into me not not should/die into the age.’

The Greek words thanaton (death) and apothane (should die) precedes aiōna (age/era), and here it is found in the accusative case. What’s that? The accusative case is a grammatical feature of language. It shows who is the victim, who is being acted upon.

So, in the grammar of the Greek, the death is acting upon this age, or era. This important point is completely omitted by nearly every English Bible!

By taking account of these important words, it seems clear that Jesus was saying that those who believe and obey him will not go into permanent death in this age, or era. In other words, they wouldn’t remain dead for the entire age/era. In other words, they will not remain dead permanently.

Jesus himself explained this clearly at John 6:40:

‘everyone that pays close attention to the Son and believes in him should have age-long life. For I will resurrect him… [yes] me, on the Last Day!’

As you can see, Jesus wasn’t really saying that his disciples would never die. Rather, he was telling them that they wouldn’t stay dead in this age/era, because he would resurrect them on the last day (presumably, the last day of this age/era).

This expression ‘into the age’ may seem strange to us today, but a similar Greek word, aiōnōn, is routinely translated in English Bibles as ‘forever’. Translators could have easily translated John 8:51 it as:

‘If anyone observes my word, he will not be dead forever.’

In our translation, we have chosen to retain the Greek expression, so translate John 8:51 as:

‘those who obey my words will not see death into the age.’

At least one other English translation, the Literal Standard Version, translates it similarly:

‘if anyone may keep My word, he may not see death—throughout the age.’

For a greater discussion on this topic, please see the subheading ‘The Promise of Jesus,’ in the commentary, The Hereafter.

Translator note

Numbers 24:7 – Two versions, one meaning

This verse is very interesting, as most Christians would view it as a prophecy of Jesus. However, in the Hebrew source, this verse reads quite differently and doesn’t sound like a prophecy about Jesus at all. So what’s going on?

The Hebrew source reads (from the NIV):

Water will flow from their buckets;
Their seed will have abundant water.
“Their king will be greater than Agag;
Their kingdom will be exalted.”

In contrast, our Greek Septuagint source reads:

For a man will come from your offspring
Who’ll rule many nations.
His kingdom will be raised
And he will grow mighty

Why the difference? Well, it’s probably because the Hebrew is using an expression that’s unfamiliar to us. One reference work explains it this way:

“Water from the bucket” seems to have signified the same as our low proverb “a chip from the block,” hence = a Son from the Father.

In other words, the Greek Septuagint translator translated this verse from Hebrew by explaining what the Hebrew idiom literally means. Yes, he was trying to help out his Greek-speaking audience.

So, apparently, water from a bucket means a man will have a son born, much like our modern phrase ‘a chip off the old block.’ Also, he will have abundant ‘water,’ which seems to suggest ‘people’ to rule over.

The king being ‘greater than Agag’ is shown to just mean that he will be very powerful. The translator perhaps translated it this way to help out readers who have no idea what ‘Agag’ means. An Agag is actually the title for a king of Amelek – a bit like the title Pharaoh for a king of Egypt. But the title Agag is also a pun, since it sounds like the word for ‘high.’ So Baalam is inspired to say that this future king will be higher than King High himself!

So while the Greek and Hebrew look very different, the meaning appears to be identical. This shows how important it is to understand when ancient writers are using idioms. If you don’t understand what’s really being said, a verse in the Greek Septuagint may be misunderstood as a ‘mistranslation’ or a deliberate change – when in actual fact, the meaning is identical.

So, ‘watch your step,’ or you may get ‘the wrong end of the stick!’

Modern Bible commentaries struggle to explain what the Hebrew version of this text means. They propose all kinds of explanations. However, if we’re going to trust any commentator at all, perhaps we should trust the ancient Jew who translated Numbers into Greek over two millennia ago... not forgetting all those who proofread the text, approved of it, and used it. The translator and his colleagues likely had a much better idea than any of us do today.

Translator note

Genesis 21:22, 32 – ‘Ochozath’

A person named Ochozath isn’t listed in the Hebrew Masoretic text at Genesis 21:22, 32, but he is mentioned in the Greek Septuagint. This unusual extra detail is one of several that make us continue to believe that Greek text may be more accurate that the current Hebrew texts.

Ochozath’s relationship to AbiMelech seems interesting. The Greek word used to describe him is nymphagogos, which means ‘bride bringer.’ It refers to a close friend that would procure a bride (or brides).

Translator note

House, Temple, or Palace?

Throughout the Bible, the Greek word used in most places to describe the Temple of Jehovah/Yahweh is oikos (pronounced oy-koss), or house. That’s also true when it comes to describing the building where the king lived (the texts just say ‘house’). However, for clarification, we have usually chosen to translate oikos as Temple when it is speaking of the place of worship of Jehovah, and as palace when speaking of the king’s house.

This is because neither of these buildings were just regular houses (as implied in the English word house), and the words Temple and palace better describe their appearance and use in contemporary American English.

There is a Greek word that actually means Temple, which is also used many times in the Bible; it is hiero. Another Greek word that is frequently (incorrectly) translated as Temple, is naos (pronounced nah-oss), but this refers the Temple’s inner sanctuary composed of the Holy and Most Holy compartments.

Translator note

The ‘Opposer,’ ‘Evil One,’ ‘Slanderer,’ and ‘BeElZebub’

Other Bible translations use words like Satan, Devil, Lucifer, and Beelzebub for this individual. However, this translation says ‘Evil One,’ ‘Opposer,’ and ‘Slanderer.’ Why?

His actual name is never given in the Bible. All of the above ‘names’ are actually just titles or descriptions, just like any other word that can be translated (and one isn’t actually talking about him anyway).

Bad Bible translations mislead readers into thinking that these are names. Modern translators and publishers are unwilling to correct these mistakes because it’s all tradition now. Yet, this hides the meanings of the words from readers! Why aren’t modern translators, you know, translating?

These so-called ‘names’ include:

Satan

This is not a name. It is a Hebrew word meaning opposer, resistor, and/or a wily person who does things to serve his own interests.

It was used to describe the Evil One in the Hebrew Masoretic text because of his opposition to God. Therefore, to keep people from thinking that Satan is a name, this Bible translates the term as ‘Opposer.’

Devil

Also not a name. This is an anglicized Greek word (Diabolos) that is used in the New Testament to describe the evil one.

The first part of the word, dia, means through, and bolos means throw. So, Devil describes someone who throws through. What does that mean? It appears to be an idiom which means to be a Slanderer. Perhaps it is because slandering someone is like throwing an arrow or a spear through someone?

So this Bible translates the term as ‘Slanderer.’

Lucifer

This is a name, but of the wrong person!

It appears once in the King James Bible at Isaiah 14:12. The Hebrew and Greek source texts actually say, ‘the star that arises at dawn.’ The name Lucifer does not appear in any original text. So where did it come from?

Well, in ancient times, the morning star (the first star observed at dawn) was associated with a pagan god called the ‘light bringer,’ (especially when the star was Venus). The name of that pagan god was Lucifer, the son of the goddess Aurora.

So when Isaiah was translated into Latin (to create the Latin Vulgate Bible), the translator naturally just used the common name for that star at the time, which was Lucifer. He was not trying to name the Evil One; he was just using the normal name for the morning star. Later, when the King James Version was translated, the translators just copied the same name.

The great irony in all this, is that the passage was talking about the King of Babylon! Identifying the name Lucifer with the Evil One is just a medieval misunderstanding.

BeElZebub

This is a title, not a name. There are eight references to it in the Bible source texts, and it does refer to the Evil One. BeEl (like BaAl) means Lord, and Zebub appears to refer to flies (the insects).

So, BeElZebub is a descriptive title, and means Lord of the Flies.

Translator note

‘Head’, ‘chief’, or ‘origin?’

In other Bibles, 1 Corinthians 11:3 says:

‘...the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.’ –KJV

Likewise, Ephesians 5:23 in other Bibles says:

‘For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.’ –KJV

However, these might be missing an important neuance to the word ‘head.’ How so?

If you just look up the Greek word in Bible dictionaries, it’s κεφαλή (kephalé), which is always defined as meaning ‘head, ruler, lord.’ Likewise, if you look up the Aramaic word, which is risheh, it appears to mean ‘head, top, chief.’

So what’s the problem?

The meaning of the word has changed over the centuries, and the dictionaries are not giving a full and complete definition. In ancient times, the Greek word did mean ‘head,’ but only the physical head on your shoulders. It did not mean to be ‘in charge’ as a chief or lord.

>The Greek word kephalé

You’re welcome to check this for yourself in the Greek lexicon. That lexicon tracks all ancient real-world uses of Greek words. You’ll find that there are no ancient uses of kephalé meaning ‘head’ as in ‘ruler’ from around the time that Paul wrote. Not one.

It seems that custom of calling someone in charge ‘the head’ did not arise in Greek until later. At the time Paul wrote his letter, the Greek word likely just meant the head on your shoulders, and any physical extremity, but also the starting point or source of something, such as the source of a river.

For example, the ancient Greek writer Herodotus wrote:

‘From the headwaters (>kephalé) of the river Tearus flows the best and finest water of all’ –Historiae, book 4, paragraph 91, part 2

Likewise, there is nowhere in the Greek texts of the New Testament where kephalé is clearly and unambiguously used to mean someone in charge (unless you include the verse we’re discussing, which is circular reasoning). Every time it means the head on your shoulders.

The closest it gets to meaning someone in charge is when Jesus is described as the ‘head’ of the figurative Christian ‘body’ (e.g. Ephesians 1:22). One might think that this is an apt illustration because Jesus is King, and rules over all Christians. However, Jesus is also the source or origin of all Christians, just as our heads are the sources of all thoughts as we direct our bodies. Yes, it’s in charge of our entire body, but this is only part of the meaning.

Even when the word is translated to describe Jesus as the ‘chief cornerstone,’ one must understand that a cornerstone was the first stone laid to build something. In other words, it was the origin of the building. Yes, it’s true that Jesus is indeed our ‘chief,’ but this is not the point being made.

When other Bibles say he is the ‘chief cornerstone’ of the Church, the original text likely meant that he is the ‘initial cornerstone,’ because he founded the congregation, or Church, and all Christians came from him – just like the first stone from which one constructs the rest of a building.

This understanding even helps to clear up odd-sounding expressions. For example, have you ever read Matthew 21:42 and wondered what a ‘head cornerstone’ is?

‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the head cornerstone’

There’s no such thing as a head cornerstone. By definition, there are usually at least four cornerstones that are all identical. How could one be a chief or in charge? And if Jesus is one, who are the other three that are equal to him?

However, when we understand that one cornerstone can be laid first, and the rest of the building laid out from it, we can see that this special cornerstone is the source or origin of the rest of the building. That well describes Jesus, he was indeed the starting cornerstone and origin of the Christian ‘building.’

You could also see that this first cornerstone is ‘in charge,’ somewhat because the rest of the building must obey its position.

The Aramaic word risheh

It’s a similar story in the Aramaic texts. The Aramaic version is important because ancient sources tell us that Matthew was originally written in Aramaic. Also, it’s possible that Paul originally wrote his letters in Aramaic. Even if he didn’t, the Aramaic translation tells us how Christians in the East understood his words at the time.

If you also check the real-world uses of the word risheh in the Aramaic Lexicon you will find something remarkably similar to that in the Greek. Yet again, it mostly means the head on your shoulders, or a physical extremity.

It is sometimes used to mean a chief or someone in charge (e.g. in Revelation 6:15, ‘chief of the thousands’). However, this is not the most common meaning, and just like the Greek equivalent, it can also mean the source of a river or a spring.

For example, in the Aramaic translation of Genesis 2:10, where it describes the river around Edem as splitting into four, it uses the word to say:

‘from there it divided and turned into four headwaters (literally: risheh)’,

Also, one of the Dead Sea Scrolls uses the word to mean the source of a river. Not all of the scrolls were copies of the Bible, some were extra-biblical texts. One is called the Genesis Apocryphon, and it re-tells some of the stories in Genesis with extra details (probably mostly speculative or traditionally-told).

In one place, it describes Abram entering Egypt and crossing the branches of the Nile delta. Column 19 of the scroll says:

‘So I [Abram] moved to [enter] the land of Egypt [ … … … ] I reache[d] the Carmona River, one of the branches of the river [ … … ]. Now we [ … ] our land, and I [cro]ssed the seven branches of this river which [ … … … ].’

The word translated above as ‘branches’ is indeed risheh (appearing in the Hebrew script as ראשי).

Funnily enough, ancient Greek and Aramaic are not alone. We do the same today! Modern British English also calls the source a river its head.

Possible correct translations

Adding it all up, the only real-world ancient uses that match in both Greek and Aramaic are:

The physical head on your shoulders,

A physical extremity,

The source or origin of something, such as a river.

There is no shared definition of ‘a head or chief who is in charge.’ In Greek, that definition came years later, and in Aramaic, it was rarely used. Therefore, when all other English Bible translations say ‘the head of...’, they are missing the full flavor of the word.

So what is the correct translation?

Head and origin

From both the historical evidence and the context, it’s clear that Paul was talking about a source or origin that may guide everything else. Consider the context.

According to Genesis, the first woman was created by taking Adam’s rib and building upon it. So the origin of the woman was the man, and his rib (or DNA) directed the creation of the woman.

Who created the man? Jesus, the Anointed One, since the Bible says that all things were created through him and for him. So the origin of the man was Jesus, and of course, Jesus is now King. So Jesus has authority over man, and he is the origin of man.

What is the origin of Jesus? The Bible describes him as coming ‘from’ the Father and that he was ‘sent’ to Earth by the Father. So the origin of Jesus was God, and of course, the Father is his God, so the Father is both his origin and has authority over him.

So our translation puts 1 Corinthians 11:3 as:

‘The head and origin of the woman is the man, the head and origin of every man is the Anointed One, and the head and origin of the Anointed One is God.’

Likewise, our translation of Ephesians 5:23 says:

‘because a man is the head and origin of his woman as the Anointed One is the head and origin of the congregation and the savior of that body.’

Why used

Why did Paul use this word at all? Well, in 1 Corinthians, Paul goes on to talk about the issue of women using head coverings when praying or prophesying in the congregation.

He was probably using a play on words, as in both Aramaic and Greek, the same word means origin/source as well as the physical head on your shoulders.

He was arguing that, in their culture of the time, a head covering was a way of showing respect for the fact that the origin of the first woman was the first man. The fact that these two words (head and origin) happened to be the same worked well to make his argument.

Unfortunately, less precisely translated Bibles have been exploited by some men as a license to lord it over women and put them down. Not only is the traditional translation not the full meaning of the text, but it also contradicts Paul’s inspired words in Ephesians 5:25:

‘Men; love your women as the Anointed One loved the congregation and gave himself up to make it holy.’

Other verses

This more complete understanding means that some additional verses must also differ from other Bibles, such as Colossians 2:10:

‘And you’re also part of the fullness of this one that is the head and source of all governments and powers’

Also, all references to the ‘head’ or ‘chief’ cornerstone, such as Matthew 21:42, appear like this:

‘The stone that the builders rejected Has become the foundation cornerstone’

See also the note about the so-called ‘head’ cornerstone.

Translator note

Advocate, Helper, Comforter, or Savior?

The Greek word paracletos (pronounced: para-kleh-tose), as found at John 14:16; 14:26; 15:26; 16:7, and 1 John 2:1, has been translated many ways in other Bibles, and we aren’t implying that these other translations are wrong. However, the two words that make up this single combined word are:

para, meaning ‘next to’.

cletos, meaning ‘caller’.

So, this combination of words appears to refer to an entity that stands next to us and calls out to God on our behalf. Therefore, our translation uses the word ‘advocate’.

What, or who, is this ‘advocate’?

Jesus describes it in John 14:26:

‘but the Advocate – the Holy Breath that the Father will send in my name – will teach you everything and remind you of everything that I’ve told you.’

So according to Jesus, the paracletos is another name for the Holy Spirit when it is sent in Jesus’ own name.

For a broader discussion of the topic, please see this commentary.

Translator note

Paul’s letters

Some claim that the writing styles of Paul’s letters vary so much that Paul probably did not write them all. Yet it’s obvious that he didn’t, because the letters themselves tell us that many were written through secretaries. Romans 16:22 even says:

‘I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in [the] Lord.’

This is not surprising, as several of his letters indicate that he had very poor eyesight (see Galatians 4:13-15). Like many people, he likely couldn’t do much reading or writing in the age before the invention of eyeglasses. Further, Paul was likely well over 40 years old, an age when many people today require glasses to read and write.

When Paul did write for himself, he was forced to write in large letters. Galatians 6:11 says:

‘Look at these large letters that I wrote with my own hand!’

Mentioning this fact shows that it was unusual for him to be writing without a secretary.

That probably explains why the introduction to Galatians is relatively short and less ‘flowery’ (see Galatians 1:1-5) than those in the other letters.

A man named Tertius wrote the letter to the Romans for Paul, because he said so. But who wrote the other letters for him? Well, if you look at the headings or conclusions of other letters, you’ll find references to those who may have done the actual writing. For example, 1 Corinthians starts with the words:

‘Paul … and Sosthenes our brother.’

Then 2 Corinthians starts out the same way:

‘Paul … and our brother Timothy.’

This is a reasonable explanation for the different writing styles in Paul’s letters. Different secretaries wrote them for him.

Translator note

2 Corinthians 2:17 – Peddlers of God’s word?

Most Bibles say something like the NIV, which says:

we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity as those sent from God.[emphasis added]

However, this could be a mistranslation, or at least, a misunderstanding. Firstly, note that no Greek manuscripts actually say ‘for profit’ like the NIV does above – no, that’s just a translator insertion.

What about the rest? Well, we defer to the Aramaic manuscripts whenever they say something differently from the Greek (see why) – and interestingly, the Aramaic version doesn’t use a word meaning ‘peddle’ here. Instead, the Aramaic uses a word for ‘mixing’ or ‘diluting,’ and this is probably where the problem started...

Dishonest merchants would water down (dilute) wine by mixing it with water, to boost their profits. So this word came to mean such ‘diluters’ or ‘mixers,’ which implied an ‘unscrupulous merchant,’ or as we say in English: a ‘peddler.’ So while it’s true that some people make money from God’s word, was that really the point? Was Paul emphasizing making money? Or was he emphasizing the watering down of God’s word for a dishonest purpose?

Indeed, if the point was only about money-making, it wouldn’t completely fit the context, because Paul contrasts it by saying, ‘instead we speak the truth.’

Is money-making the opposite of truth-speaking? Perhaps in some contexts. But isn’t the opposite of making money, giving something away for free?

Let’s ask it another way: What is the opposite of speaking truth? Is it making money? No – the opposite of speaking truth is speaking lies.

Indeed, according to the lexicons, the Greek word translated as ‘peddlers’ can also mean to ‘adulterate’ or ‘corrupt.’ So a 1st-century Greek reader may have understood it to mean watering-down after all; perhaps Paul was saying that, unlike dishonest merchants who dilute and adulterate their wine, he doesn’t water-down or adulterate God’s word, but instead says says the whole, unadulterated truth – the real, genuine article!

But of course, the Greek doesn’t say he is ‘speaking the truth,’ it says he speaks ‘with sincerity.’ So what about that?

Well, the Aramaic clearly says ‘truth’ instead of ‘sincerity’ here. Yet there’s more to it...

The word is a very specific version of ‘truth’ – more like ‘reality’ or ‘actuality,’ and doubles as meaning ‘firmness.’ So the Apostle wasn’t just saying he speaks truth, but he speaks reality – he says things that actually exist and are true, and these facts are strong, firm, and sure. This contrasts nicely with people who might water down or dilute God’s message to be weaker – just like wine diluted with water.

And lo and behold, according to the lexicons, the Greek word translated as ‘sincerity’ has an additional definition that (depending on the context) means ‘clearness’ – or as we might say, he speaks with ‘plainness.’

So if this line of thought is correct... Paul was actually saying that he doesn’t dilute God’s words to make them weaker (like a dishonest merchant might do to his wine), but instead he repeats God’s words plainly, and firmly, just as they are.

Also, note that the Aramaic manuscripts speak of the plural ‘God’s words,’ and not the singular ‘God’s word.’

So, while making money off religion is indeed wrong – that perhaps wasn’t Paul’s point in 2 Corinthians 2:17. So this translation puts it this way:

Well, we aren’t like the rest who dilute and weaken God’s words [like a dishonest merchant does to wine]. No, instead we speak the plain truth from God in God’s sight (through the Anointed One).

Translator note

People or Men?

The Greek word anthropois, which is usually translated as men in other Bibles, actually refers to man as the species, not necessarily to the gender. So we have often translated it as people to show that gender may not be implied in such verses.

Translator note

Perfect or unspotted?

Many other Bibles say that the IsraElites were to offer unspotted lambs for their sacrifices. Did this mean that the animals were to be perfectly white with no spots, or did it mean that they were to be perfectly healthy?

The Greek word often translated as unspotted is hamartias, which really means without sin. Obviously, the word sin can’t really be applied to animals, as we understand the term.

So we must assume it meant that the lambs were to be without a flaw, or physically perfect.

While we don’t know if the sacrificed sheep were supposed to have no literal spots on their coats (most sheep don’t have spots anyway), we do know that the other sacrificial animals (such as bulls and goats) are naturally spotted.

So this translation uses the word perfect.

Admittedly, the word perfect is actually the Greek word telios, which was also used when describing a requirement for the Anointed Priests. So while the ancient Greek translators used the word hamartias (without sin), we understand that it was supposed to mean without flaw, or perfect.

Translator note

1 Corinthians 6:9 – ‘the perverted’

The word that we translate as the perverted has puzzled Bible translators for years. Usually translators assume that it’s something to do with homosexuality, yet the next listed type of person is about homosexuality. So, is homosexuality listed twice? If so, why?

We say that no, homosexuality is probably not listed twice, and this first mention is really talking of something else. However, most Bible translators do not share this belief, and think that there’s two mentions of homosexuality.

So they speculate that this first mention is actually talking about male prostitutes (as in the New Living Translation). Others say that this first mention is specifically talking about effeminate gay men (as in the King James Version). A few even say that it’s talking about the passive role in gay sex, whereas the next listing is the active role in gay sex (as translated in the Berean Study Bible). The New International Version combines both terms into one, ‘men who have sex with men,’ hiding the fact that two separate things were listed. The New King James Version really confuses things, by listing them as ‘nor homosexuals, nor sodomites.’ Huh?

Here’s an alternative answer, found in the Aramaic word (and from a little critical thinking).

Not so specific

1 Corinthians may have originally been penned in Aramaic. The Greek text may be an ancient translation. Now, the Aramaic word used is ܡܚܒܠܐ (m’hab’leh), which comes from a root which literally means to injure. The exact spelling means to be defiled, or to be corrupted. Other words derived from this same root have meanings including to disfigure, to act perversely, to be perverted, and even to deflower.

Put this all together, and it sounds like the Apostle was listing people who corrupt or pervert either themselves or others. Or as we would say in English, perverts.

This would also solve a small puzzle. Fornication, adultery, and homosexuality all got their own special mentions by Paul, but not incest, bestiality, rape, voyeurism, pedophilia, or prostitution. Why? Well, they are all probably covered by this word.

Also, in the old law, cross-dressers were specifically condemned to a death sentence, yet in the New Testament, there’s no mention of it. How puzzling that a capital offence in Israel, would now be permitted among Christians by Paul. Why the change? Was it just forgotten? Or, in the Apostle Paul’s mind, was such a thing actually covered by this word? Perhaps, but we don’t know.

What explains the Greek?

But what about the word used in the Greek version? That says something quite different. It’s μαλακοί (malakoi). It’s the masculine plural word for soft, and so can literally mean, soft males. It could indeed be translated as effeminate males or passive males. Basically, it’s slang: softies.

However, if this was merely the choice of an Ancient Greek translator, then it may be a mistranslation. How so?

When our Ancient Greek translator – probably Jewish – saw the word m’hab’leh (the perverted), what may have first come to his mind was how, in Ancient Greece, it was quite normal for older men to ‘court’ teenage boys and enter a relationship with them, which was often sexual. We call this pederasty. Such relationships would often be illegal today due to age-of-consent laws. Yet the Ancient Greeks celebrated it. We can only imagine how much it must have shocked Greek-speaking Jews!

Ancient Greek culture also featured male prostitutes who shaved their beards off to make themselves look more feminine. Even being clean-shaven was against the Jewish Law, never mind being a male prostitute! In the Old Law at Leviticus 19:27, all men must have beards (with a exception of a cleansing ritual in Leviticus 14:9). This ordinary part of Greek culture would have also shocked the Jews.

So when our Jewish Christian translator, who perhaps lived among the Greeks in Corinth, saw the Aramaic word for the perverted, it’s not surprising that he translated it as the Greek term soft males. To him, the pederasty and effeminacy he saw every single day were shocking perversions. Yet, by doing this, he likely mistranslated.

The term, the perverted, can cover many persons, including many heterosexuals. By mistranslating it as soft males, he was seriously limiting what Paul said to apply to just one group. And this was probably a mistake, as 2,000 years later, translators are puzzling over why we have two mentions of same-sex relations. Yet, it seems that we actually don’t.

What is perverted?

Exactly what things are the perverted guilty of doing in the Apostle’s mind? Well, it would very likely cover all of the sexual crimes in the Old Law; so incest, bestiality, and so on, would be included. Beyond that, it’s up for debate.

We may get some clues from the root word, meaning to injure or perish. If an activity would injure or even kill someone’s innocence or moral purity, then it might be covered by this word. It may also imply something more rare and unusual than mere fornication, adultery, or homosexuality, which are mentioned separately and are very common.

Translator note

Parvaim or Pharaoh Aim?

At 2 Chronicles 3:6-7 this translation says:

‘Using gold that he (Solomon) got from Pharaoh Aim’

This is different from most other Bibles, which say the gold came from a land called Parvaim. However, nobody can identify such a land.

The issue may be cleared up by the Greek Septuagint. In that verse, it uses the word Pharou/aim. This appears to refer to Pharaoh Amenemnisu of the 21st Dynasty of ancient Egypt, whose reign (1051/1047 BCE) is very close to one calculation for the reign of Solomon. Egyptologists also say that he may be the same person as Pharaoh Amenemope, who is said to have reigned until 992 BCE.

Translator note

Playing, or Playfully Making Fun

The account at Genesis 21:9 speaks of Hagar’s son IshmaEl ‘playfully making fun of’’ Sarah’s son IsaAc.

The Greek word that we have used to translate this phrase is paizonta, which refers to child’s play or a sporting activity or game. However, the root comes from the Greek word empaizo, which also means to deride or make fun of, or even to get too familiar. As the result, we have concluded (from Sarah’s reaction) that some sort of disrespectful act was implied in the play. Notice that the same word is also used to describe IsaAc’s actions with his wife Rebecca (at Genesis 26:8), which caused King AbiMelech, the king of GeraRa, to recognize that she was IsaAc’s wife, not his sister.

Translator note

Hebrew Songs and Poetry

While we as translators claim no in-depth knowledge of the Hebrew language (the OT portion of this Bible is taken from the Greek Septuagint text), we do find the prophecies, blessings, and songs both interesting and beautiful, because they were written, spoken, and sung poetically.

In both Ancient Hebrew and Greek, you’ll find that rather than putting the words together in a rhyme in their poetry, as we commonly do in English today where ending words must sound alike; The sentences fit together so that the thoughts follow each other in an orderly progression, which makes them easy to remember and to sing.
For by this method;
As long as a person understands the thought, the poetry can be correctly repeated even when slightly different words are used.

You’ll notice that many Hebrew songs were broken into four lines per verse, the thoughts of which followed in a logical order (the first sentence is followed by the same thought in the second sentence). A classic illustration of this style of Hebrew poetry can be found at Psalm 18:4, 5, where we read:

‘By the pangs of death, I once was surrounded…
I was being attacked by floods of the lawless.
Of the place of the dead, I was in fear…
And I was expecting death’s snares.’

Unfortunately, however, we don’t always find such symmetry throughout the texts, and we don’t know if this is because it was originally written that way, or because of our misunderstanding of the Ancient Hebrew methods or words, or due to the fact that much has been lost in transcribing or translating over time.

Yet, you will notice that in this Bible, entire books (such as Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, etc.) and most of the words that God or His messenger spoke in the prophetic works (such as in Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc.) were written as poetry.
And notice that even Jesus (in many of his parables) spoke that way…
The ‘beatitudes’ in Matthew 5 are a good example of this.

We know that these texts were originally written as poetry or songs, because in the translating process, we could recognize the cadence from the order and progression of the words. In fact, although we didn’t write it that way, the entirety of Genesis chapter 1 was clearly written as a poem or song…
Just look at the order and the starting words of each paragraph.

Why did God’s spokesperson and the ancients speak in poetry?
It was probably done so that the words could be remembered and sung…
For songs were the ancient method of mass communication before the printed page.

Notice that wherever we found the natural poetic rhythm in our translating, we have tried to restore the cadence for your benefit. This required some rearranging and the addition or removal of extraneous words, but we have zealously worked to maintain the true meanings of the texts.

Why did we do this?
Well, not only does it provide a more pleasant reading, but also in places where the lyrics can’t be resolved, it is easy to see where something may have been lost through the years due to poor translation or deliberate forgery.
Note Proverbs 25 and 26 for example;
For the lack of natural cadence and harmony there makes us wonder whether something has been lost in copying or translating.
Remember that those were SONGS!

Also note two verses of the song that the IsraElite women were singing when Saul and David returned from a battle, as found at 1 Samuel 18:7:

‘Saul has cut down his thousands,
And David his tens of thousands.’

Although these were just two lines of a much longer victory song, the particular words offended King Saul;
For he felt that David was being considered more important by the people than he was.
Yet, if you understand Hebrew poetry, you can see that the words were just part of a natural poetic progression and they weren’t necessarily chosen to offend Saul.
Rather, Saul was being a bit over-sensitive.

Translator note

Pole, Tree, Stake, Upright, or Cross?

Aramaic words

In Aramaic, the word traditionally translated as ‘cross’ is a word which only means a structure that’s ‘erect’ or ‘straight up’, or ‘high’. It can refer to something used for either cruxifiction or hanging.

We translate it as ‘upright’ while adding a [translator note] to clarify what it means. So our translations from the Aramaic books usually say ‘the upright [execution stake]’ or something like that.

We don’t say ‘cross’ because that’s not what the Aramaic word means. Also, a cross was just one of many different shapes used by the Romans on such uprights. The Bible text does not specify the exact shape of the upright used to execute Jesus, only that an upright was used. The fact that the severely beaten Jesus was able to carry part of this upright (at least for a little while) does suggest that he was carrying a cross-piece rather than the main upright pole. However, this doesn’t tell us about what shape it was used to make at the execution site.

So, while the idea of the traditional cross-shape could easily be correct, the Bible doesn’t indicate wether its shape ended up resembling a +, t, T, or something else. We only have tradition to go on.

Greek words

There are two Greek words used to describe the instrument of Jesus’ execution: xulon and stauros.

Like the Aramaic word, neither specifically mean a cross-shape.

Xulon just means a piece of wood. It may mean something as large as a tree trunk (e.g. the tree of life in Revelation is a xulon), or as small as a wooden club (e.g. the men who came to arrest Jesus were armed with xulon, or clubs). See Strong’s Concordance for more information.

>Stauros just means a pole or a piece of lumber, but especially a pointed stake. This was the usage of other ancient Greek writers, including Homer, Herodotus, Thucydides, and Xenophon. See Strong’s Concordance for more information.

Translating these words as ‘cross’ is merely a tradition that appeared in later times. As stated above, the Bible does not contain a description of a pole with a cross piece (making a cross), it’s only inferred from the context, tradition, and Roman sources.

Therefore, our translation of the Greek books uses ‘tree’ for xulon and ‘pole’ for stauros because that is what the manuscripts say. Also, staurotheto (which other Bibles translate as crucified) is shown as impaled (put on a pole or stake), because that’s what it actually means.

Are we saying that Jesus didn’t die on a cross? Not necessarily. There’s quite a bit of historical evidence to indicate that he likely did (see the Wikipedia entry, Instrument of Jesus’ crucifixion). The Romans used a variety of different shapes, and the cross-shape was frequently one of them; but that doesn’t give us permission to insert a description into the Bible text that wasn’t there originally.

Translator note

Matthew 5:3 – ‘humble’ or ‘poor in spirit?’

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus’s first word (in most Bibles) are:

‘Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’ –Matthew 5:3, KJV

What does it mean to be ‘poor in spirit?’ Many writers have speculated different things. For example, the website gotquestions.org says:

‘To be poor in spirit is to recognize your utter spiritual bankruptcy before God. It is understanding that you have absolutely nothing of worth to offer God.’

Another view is:

‘Jesus wants us to humbly accept that in and of ourselves, we are not enough.’

Further, the New Living Translation words the verse in a way that has nothing to with spirituality:

‘God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him.’

Yet another translation says:

‘Happy are those conscious of their spiritual need.’

Perhaps one of these versions is correct. However, there is some information that these writers and translators may not know. What?

While many people know that Jesus likely spoke in Aramaic, few people are aware that back then there was a common Aramaic saying: to be ‘high in spirit.’ Jesus could have been contrasting being ‘high in spirit’ with being ‘poor in spirit.’

So what did the expression mean? Well, the Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, has documented the expression ‘high in spirit’ several times in ancient writings. It appears to mean ‘insolence’ and ‘ostentatiousness.’

What is insolence? It is a bold, disrespectful, and arrogant attitude.

What is ostentatiousness? It is to be pretentious, showy, pompous, and egotistical.

Does this description remind you of anyone? It’s a perfect description of the religious leaders that Jesus condemned, the Scribes and the Pharisees! They were absolutely arrogant show-offs.

So if being ‘high in spirit’ describes those religious leaders, what would the opposite, being ‘poor in spirit,’ describe? Would it not be humility instead of arrogance? Would it not be discretion instead of being a show-off? The English word ‘humble’ captures this well.

So did Jesus mean, ‘Blest are the humble?’ If that is what he meant, it would fit perfectly with the other things he said in the same sermon:

‘Blest are also the meek’ —Matthew 5:5

‘If you aren’t more righteous than the Scribes and Pharisees, you won’t enter the Kingdom’ —Matthew 5:20

‘Be careful not to practice your righteousness before other men so that they can see what you’re doing’ —Matthew 6:1

‘...don’t pray like the hypocrites do... standing in their synagogues and on the corners of the main streets, so that people will notice’ —Matthew 6:5

‘Also, when you fast, don’t put on a sad face like the hypocrites do, because they contort their faces to make sure that everyone knows they’re fasting.’ —Matthew 6:16

You may also be reminded of when Jesus taught that we should be as humble as young children:

‘I tell you the truth; Anyone that doesn’t welcome the Kingdom of God like a young child won’t ever get into it.’ —Mark 10:15

Therefore, it seems that ‘poor in spirit’ (humble) may well have been used as a contrast to being ‘high in spirit’ (arrogant), and this in full accord with the rest of Jesus’ teachings.

Further, ancient Christian writers linked ‘poor in spirit’ with being humble. Around the late 2nd century, Tertullian commented on the expression like this:

‘No one, assuredly, is “poor in spirit,” except he [that is] humble.’

Also Origen, probably writing in the early 3rd century, links being ‘poor in spirit’ with being ‘meek’ and obedient:

‘...those who have been obedient to the word of God... are said to deserve the kingdom of that heaven or heavens; and thus the prediction is more worthily fulfilled, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth;” and, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for they shall inherit the kingdom of heaven’

So it seems that in early times, Christians understood that ‘poor in spirit’ meant to be (1) ‘humble’ and could be likened to (2) being ‘meek’ and to (3) being obedient to the word of God. So we have: humble, meek, and obedient.

So why not just say ‘meek’ all the time? Why did Jesus use an expression? There is a subtle distinction. The Greek word used for ‘meek’ literally means to be gentle, while the Aramaic word means to be low, soft, or mild – which could also mean gentle.

Meek means to be soft, gentle, and lowly.

Poor in spirit means the opposite of being ‘high in spirit’, or an arrogant show-off; in other words, humble.

Therefore, at Matthew 5:3 this translation says:

‘Blest are the humble; For theirs is the Kingdom of [God].’

We are not alone in reaching this conclusion. In 1933 the Lamsa Bible was published by George M Lamsa. While he was a controversial figure, he was also a native Aramaic speaker who could understand the subtle idioms of the language. He translated the words like this:

‘Blessed are the poor in pride, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’

Translator note

Fornication or Sexual Immorality?

The Greek word porneia and the Aramaic zanayeh mean more than just two unmarried persons copulating. The Greek term literally means someone who gives or receives something sold by prostitutes, and the Aramaic word literally means anyone being or using a prostitute, but its root word is also used to create words or adultery and acting promiscuously, so is understood as meaning any sex outside of marriage.

Therefore, both words cover all types of sexual acts that might be sold by prostitutes between unmarried individuals (male or female), even without an exchange of money.

The problem with the English word fornication is that it traditionally implies just copulation between unmarried persons, but this is not the limit of the Greek and Aramaic words. So this translation uses the broader term sexual immorality to convey the full range of meaning.

For more information, please see the commentary Christian Morality.

Translator note

Bless or Praise?

This is a tough one, and we won’t say that our position on the translation of this word can’t be changed. The Greek word that we are struggling with is eulogetos, which is usually translated as ‘blessed’ or ‘blessing.’
Notice that the first part of the word eu, is Greek for good.
And the last part of the word, logetos means words (or expressions).
So a literal translation of eulogetos is good words.
And our question is:
Is this all that a blessing amounts to?

Yet you might wonder:
Why are we questioning the traditional translating of eulogetos as bless, blest, and blessing as it appears in other Bibles?
Because we have found too many errors in commonly-accepted renderings of many Greek words.
And here, for example, if eulogetos should be properly translated as blessing each time (which carries the nuance, ‘causing good things to happen’), then how can humans ‘bless God?’ So since all that we can do is praise God, we have concluded that ‘praise’ is a better translation of eulogetos in many instances.

Also notice that eulogetos is where we derive the English word eulogy (the kind words that are said of the deceased at a funeral). In this case, we couldn’t say that a eulogy is said as a blessing, because it’s a bit late for that.
So really, all we can do is speak in praise of the deceased individual.
Yet, despite all of these arguments, there are definitely places in the Bible where eulogetos is best translated as bless or blessing, because it best fits the context.

Notice that this isn’t the same Greek word that we have rendered as blest in other portions of this translation (for an example, see Matthew 5:5). The word in question there is makarios, which is rendered as blessed and as happy in other Bibles. However, if you read the following Note, you will see why we have chosen the word blest as the better translation of that Greek word.

Translator note

Propitiatory

We have searched hard for a modern English synonym for this difficult and obscure word and found none. Yes, the Propitiatory was the gold lid for the sacred Chest (Ark) that included the forms of two gold cherubs on the top.

So, what word can be used to describe it?

The Greek word that we are struggling with is ilasterion. Some Bibles have translated it as the Propitiatory, and others have called it the Mercy Seat. However, Mercy Seat doesn’t accurately describe what it was, because nobody was to sit on it.

Rather, this gold lid served as some sort of an Altar for the Priests to sprinkle the blood of propitiation upon it once each year on the Day of Atonement.

So what does Propitiation mean? It refers to something that is done to sooth a relationship, as with soothing God’s relationship with sinful mankind (in this case).

Translator note

P.S. and P.P.S.

Some letters in the Bible clearly have pieces of further text added to the end, usually greetings. In English, we call these ‘post-scripts,’ from the Latin phrase ‘post scriptum,’ which means ‘written afterwards.’

The custom in English is to write the abbreviation P.S. for ‘post script’ to show where such a extra piece of text begins.

If there is yet another additonal piece of extra text, we write ‘P.P.S.’ meaning ‘post post script,’ and so on.

Since we’re already adding English punctuation, sentence-structure, tabbing, and quotation marks to the Bible text (to improve its readability), it’s only fitting to also add ‘P.S.’ and ‘P.P.S’ where appropriate – because that’s how we structure a letter in our language.

Translator note

Land of Ramesse or Gesem/Goshen?

At Genesis 46:28, the Greek Septuagint text says that when the Patriarch Jacob traveled to Egypt during the great famine that raged ‘throughout the earth;’ During his time, he arranged to meet with his son JoSeph near the City of HroOn (modern Mit El-Harun) in the land of Ramesse.

However, note that the Hebrew Masoretic text says they met in the land of Goshen.
Then at Genesis 47:1, the Greek Septuagint text refers to the land where the IsraElites thereafter settled as Gesem, which the Hebrew text once again calls Goshen.

Also, at Exodus 1:5 in the Greek Septuagint, we see that this land (Gesem, Goshen, or Ramesse) seems to have been considered as being separate from Egypt, for it speaks of Joseph as living apart from his family ‘in Egypt.’ And at Genesis 45:10, Gesem is referred as being located in Arabia.

Therefore, from these renderings, we must assume that the names Gesem, Goshen, and the land of Ramesse all refer to the same area, which is found in the eastern portion of the Nile Delta. Although that location is considered part of Egypt today, it was viewed as being part of Arabia in the time of Jacob and JoSeph (remember that there was no Suez Canal back then).

Of course, there has been much discussion through the years over the fact that the Bible speaks of the land where IsraEl settled in Egypt as ‘the land of RaMesse’ (Ra’s Chosen), and that one of the cities that the king of Egypt built before Moses was born, was also called Ramesse (see Exodus 1:11). For, since this name appears to refer to Ramesses The Great who lived almost 300 years after IsraEl left Egypt. It has been assumed that either the Bible accounts are wrong, or that the events mentioned in the Exodus happened at a much later date.

However, understand that the likely reason why the land and the city are referred to in the Bible as Ramesse, is that later copyists used more modern names for the location so that contemporary readers would understand which land and city it was speaking of during their time. And because we find the Greek Septuagint using the term Ramesse first at Genesis 46:28, it looks like the change in name came about around the time that the Greek Septuagint was translated (3rd century BCE). Moses did the same thing in Genesis 2:8-13, when he used the landmarks of his time to describe the location of the original garden (‘Eden’) where Adam and Eue (Eve) first lived.

Translator note

Reptiles and Birds

The Greek word that we have translated as ‘slithering animals’ herein, is herpeton…
It’s where we get the English words reptile and it’s the root of the word herpetology (a study of reptiles).
However, ancient peoples didn’t use this word to describe just cold-blooded animals.
Rather, it’s what they called any animals (including insects) that slithered or crawled on the ground.

Notice, for example, that when describing the types of creatures that the IsraElites were forbidden to eat (in the book of Leviticus)…
Listed among the herpeton are insects, weasels, and mice.
So, this is why we have commonly rendered the word herpeton as slithering animals.

You will see that we have taken a similar liberty with the Greek word peteina, which is usually translated birds but literally means winged creatures…
Because bats are listed among them in Leviticus.

So, whereas modern science may have grouped all animals into types such as mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, insects, fish, etc., The Bible groups them into flying creatures, wild animals, cattle, slithering animals, and things that live in (or come from) the water. This difference doesn’t appear to be the result of a lack of recognition on the part of Bible writers of basic animal types. But rather, it stems from the ways they were grouped by ancient peoples to describe all possible animal species.

Translator note

Ressurection

It has often been said that the Ancient Scriptures of IsraEl don’t really speak of the hope of a resurrection of the dead. However, in each place where the Hebrew word mequim is found, it is translated as anastasia (resurrection) in the Greek Septuagint text.

For example, we find anastasia (resurrection) first used in the song that HanNah sang to God after she had offered her young son SamuEl to serve at God’s Sacred Tent (at First Samuel 2:8). This is particularly interesting, for while most would consider her words there to be just an unimportant song; It was truly an inspired and important prophecy, because this is the first place where the word resurrection (anastasia) is found in the Bible.

For more information, see the commentary, The Resurrection.

Translator note

Revelation 11:15 – ‘our God’ or ‘our Lord’

The Aramaic version says ‘our God,’ while the Greek says ‘our Lord.’ There’s great uncertainty about which language was used to write Revelation. Even if it were originally in Aramaic, some say that the original was lost, and the Aramaic we have today could be a later translation back into Aramaic from the Greek traslation of the original! We just don’t know.

Whatever really happened, either the original Aramaic or an Aramaic translator understood these words to be referring to Almighty God. The context also supports this, since Jesus is mentioned as a separate person next.

In this instance, our translation goes with the Aramaic and says ‘our God’.

Translator note

Revelation 2:22 – Bed, sickbed, mortuary couch, or coffin?

The immoral woman is thrown into a “bed” in the Greek and Aramaic source texts.

If Revelation was originally in Aramaic, then "bed" in Aramaic can also mean "Mortuary Couch". In modern terms we might say "coffin".

However, it doesn’t always mean that the person on it is dead. The same word was also used at Matthew 9:2 to name the sick bed, or stretcher, on which the (very much alive) paralytic man was carried to see Jesus.

So "sick bed", as some translations say, could be correct, but so could “coffin” or “bier” (a bier is a stand on which a corpse, coffin, or casket containing a corpse is placed to be carried to the grave). The context indicates that "coffin/bier" is correct, since the next verse, verse 23 says "I'm also going to put her children to death". Interestingly, the Greek word is also the same one used for a bier.

Otherwise, the idea of an immoral woman being thrown into a bed by Jesus, who then immediately talks about people who were "enjoying sex with her", sounds, well, ... odd to say the least!

Of course, one problem with saying “bier” is that people aren’t familiar with that term these days. So our translation says “stretcher for carrying the dead”.

Translator note

Spurious text: Revelation 20:5

In other Bibles, Revelation 20:5 reads:

‘The rest of the dead didn’t come to life until the end of the thousand years.
This is the first resurrection.’

This familiar description of the resurrection has been quoted for years and used as a basis for many religious doctrines. However, the words shown in bold above aren’t found in the Bible’s oldest Greek manuscript of the Revelation, the Codex Sinaiticus. Nor are they found in the oldest Aramaic manuscript, the Khabouris Codex.

Therefore, they appear to be a later, spurious addition to the Bible, and this is why we have chosen to cross them out. They’re probably some ancient preacher’s personal notes which he had written between the lines; they were likely moved into the main text by later copyists who couldn’t tell if they were part of the original text or not.

See the list of spurious texts that are crossed out in our Bible.

Translator note

Revelation 6:6 – harm, injure, damage, use?

In the NIV, the verse says:

...a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “Two pounds of wheat for a day’s wages, and six pounds of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!”

What does this mean?

Well, the Aramaic word literally means “harm”, inflected to mean “you cause harm”; the Greek means “harm”, “injure” or “do wrong”.

The context describes a famine or food shortage; this suggests that the ‘harm’ is simply using these foodstuffs. In our language, though, we don’t talk of “harming” something when we use it, instead we may say something like “don’t even touch them”.

To convey this in the text, instead of translating the literal expression (which is confusing today), we update the expression to ‘don’t use any olive oil or wine’.

Translator note

‘Rhinoceros’ or ‘unicorn?’

Notice that the Greek word used here, monokerotos, literally means mono (one) and kerotos (horn). So it could be translated as ‘singlehorn.’ In the past, some Bible translators fancifully envisioned as a horse with a single horn between its eyes, and called this a unicorn.

However, the unicorns that we see in artwork today are a medieval invention. Back then, Europeans didn’t know any animals that only have one horn. They had only seen horns on cattle, like cows, sheep, and goats – and they always have two.

So when some old English Bibles use the word ‘unicorn,’ it’s just because medieval translators had never seen a one-horned rhino. Not knowing what to do, they created a new English word that means ‘single horned,’ unicorn.

However, according to the World Book Dictionary:

The Greek word monokerotos (as found in the Septuagint) is just a mistranslation of the Hebrew word re’em, which refers to ‘a two-horned animal, possibly a wild ox or aurochs [an extinct species of wild cattle].’

So is the Greek Septuagint in error? Well, maybe not. Half of all rhino species have two horns. It could easily be that the Greek-speaking Jews who translated the Greek Septuagint were more familiar with the single-horned variety, and knew the species by that name. So when translating, they referred to the animal by its more well-known one-horned name, rather than the older two-horned name.

This discrepancy between the Hebrew (two-horned) name and the Greek (one-horned) name, may lend support to rhinoceros being correct. Why? Well, cattle are not sometimes one-horned and sometime two-horned. Indeed, the only big strong animals that do vary in this way, are rhinos!

So, this Bible translates monokerotos as rhinoceros. The brief description of it in Job could easily fit its physical characteristics as being a large, uncontrollable, strong animal. See a video of rhinos showing their strength.

Were rhinos known in the Middle East?

Yes. While rhinos are not found in the Middle East today, they were in ancient times. Back then, rhinos were spread much further, even into Europe. Cave paintings in France (presumably from after the Great Downpour of Noah’s day) depict two-horned rhinos. Meanwhile in Italy, mosaics in a Roman Villa show a one-horned species.

Translator note

Romans 14:10 – Judgment seat of whom?

In many Bibles it says that ‘we will all stand before the judgment seat of God,’ however, the Aramaic text and some Greek manuscripts say, ‘the judgment seat of Christ,’ or as we say, ‘the Anointed One.’

This may agree with other statements, such as at Matthew 25:31-32, showing the Anointed One sitting on his throne and judging persons to be sheep or goats. It would also conform with John 5:22:

And the Father doesn’t judge anyone, for He has left all the judging to the Son

Translator note

Destruction, loss, perdition, or ruin?

The word usually translated as destruction or perdition in other Bibles, we choose to frequently translate as ‘ruin.’ Why?

Strong’s says this about the word used in the Greek sources, that the word:

“...does not imply ‘extinction’ (annihilation). Rather it emphasizes the consequent loss that goes with the complete ‘undoing.’”

If indeed this should be understood to mean a complete loss or a complete undoing, then the Aramaic sources might agree. The Aramaic word can mean “loss, perdition, waste”, although it could mean ‘ruin’ and ‘destruction’ too.

So, we’ve translated the word as ‘ruin’ to agree with both the Greek and Aramaic, and to leave it up to the reader (and the context) to decide whether it means a spiritual ruin or a physical one, or if this ruin implies a physical destruction (wether temporary or permanent).

Translator note

The seven stars

According to the text itself:

The seven stars signify the messengers of the seven congregations.

Other Bibles translate this as the angels of the congregations. However, that’s probably a mistranslation.

In Biblical Greek and Aramaic, the word for ‘angel’ and ‘messenger’ are the same. Sometimes it means a spirit messenger, and sometimes a human messenger! It’s only via the context that we can tell which is meant.

In this case, it seems that Jesus was addressing his message to the human messengers of the congregations. Why say that?

It seems that back in those days, before everyone could read or write, certain people were assigned as messengers in a congregation. The messengers would then convey written messages to everyone else (such a letters from the Apostles), including to members who couldn’t read. Perhaps today we might call these people secretaries, since they manage communications.

Otherwise, when Jesus said ‘write this to the messenger of the congregation in ...,’ Jesus would be using John to communicate messages to other spirit creatures, who were then, in turn, supposed to communicate them to the congregation. This seems more convoluted and unlikely than the messengers simply being the human secretaries of the congregations, and John was writing to them.

For more information. please see the translator note for messenger, or the commentary How the first Christian Churches were organized.

Translator note

Zechariah 5:1-2 – ‘scroll’ or ’sickle?’

There is a discrepancy between the words found in the Hebrew Masoretic and Greek Septuagint texts of Zechariah chapter 5.

The Hebrew text tells us that Zechariah saw a flying scroll, but the Greek text calls it a δρέπανον πετόμενον, or, flying sickle.

Which is correct?

Although the Hebrew text could be right, we’ll trust the Greek text on this one. Why? Because the thing that he saw was thereafter used to punish the wicked. Notice that verse three says concerning it:

‘This is the curse…
The one that will go ‘cross the face of the earth.
One side brings death to all thieves,
And the other, to all that would lie in a trial.’

So, although a scroll could record their sentence, a sickle could actually bring the punishment (death).

Translator note

‘Signal of Release,’ or ‘Jubilee Year?’

In this translation, we had to change some favorite Bible words to provide you better, more accurate descriptions of things, places, and events. One term we had to change was the wonderful, joyful term ‘Jubilee Year,’ to reflect the actual words in the Greek Septuagint.

At Leviticus 25:11, notice that the Greek words found there (which are usually translated as Jubilee of Release) are apheseos semassia, which means release signal. So as you can see, no Jubilee is mentioned in the Greek text.

Also, notice how the ‘freeing’ that was to be done in this year (at the end of every 50 years), such as the releasing of IsraElite slaves, was not exclusive to that year alone. Later in the book of Deuteronomy, we read this (at Deuteronomy 15:12-14):

‘And if your brother (a Hebrew man or woman) should be sold to you, he may serve you for six years…
But in the seventh year you must set him free.
And when you set him free, don’t send him away empty-handed!
You must give him provisions from your flock, your grain, and your wine…
As Jehovah your God has blest you, that’s how you must treat him.’

In addition, all debts were to be forgiven every seven years! For Deuteronomy 15:1-4 tells us:

‘Every seven years you must cancel debts, and these are the rules:
You must cancel any debts that your neighbor owes you personally, and you must not ask him to pay you back, because this is a cancellation [of debts] to Jehovah your God.
You may ask strangers to pay whatever they owe you, but not your brothers…
You must cancel their debts.
That way, there won’t be any poor people among you and Jehovah your God will surely bless you in the land that He’s giving to you as your inheritance.’

So apparently, the only difference between the seventh years and the Release Years had to do with the return of inherited land.

Translator note

Isaiah 7:8 – ‘six plus five years,’ or ’sixty-five years?’

Most Bibles render Isaiah 7:8 as reading:

‘And in sixty-five years Ephraim’s kingdom will be destroyed by these people.’

However, the Bible also tells us that the ten-tribe Kingdom of IsraEl (which was ruled by the Tribe of Ephraim) was destroyed just fifteen years after Aram’s King Rezin and IsraEl’s King Pekah had planned an attack against Judah.

So is this a transcription error, or is there another explanation?

According to several commentators;

This sixty-five-year period is how long it took before the last residents of Samaria were removed and relocated by the Assyrians, which happened about fifty years after the reign of IsraEl’s last king in Samaria and during the reign of Judah’s King Manasseh. However, we recently received the following explanation as it will be soon published in the book, ‘Cracking the Number of the Beast,’ by Ricardo K Almeida (Twitter@ricardokal):

‘Rezin was killed by the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser during the reign of Ahaz, who was the king that heard the above prophecy from Isaiah and whose reign lasted just 16 years.
Actually, Ahaz became Tiglath’s subject in exchange for this service.
Ephraim ceased to be a nation after Samaria was destroyed in the 7th year of Hezekiah, the successor of Ahaz, and most of Israel’s population was taken into exile.

‘Understand that this prophecy is in the context of the prophecy about Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14-16 NET), which reads:

‘For this reason, the sovereign master himself will give you a confirming sign.
Look, this young woman is about to conceive and will give birth to a son.
You, young woman, will name him Immanuel.
He will eat sour milk and honey, which will help him know how to reject evil and choose what is right.
Here is why this will be so:
Before the child knows how to reject evil and choose what is right, the land whose two kings you fear will be desolate.

‘A child becomes accountable before the Law of God when he or she is 12 or 13 years old.
Before that, a child doesn’t know how to ‘reject evil and choose what is right.’
So, what the prophecy is saying is that:
Before 12 years are completed, ‘the land whose two kings you fear will be desolate.’

‘Tiglath-Pileser desolated Syria and killed king Rezin before the death of Ahaz.
Then Samaria’s siege began on the 4th year of Hezekiah, Ahaz’s successor.
Also, Israel continued to be inhabited more than 90 years after the death of Ahaz (see 2 Chronicles 34:33, 35:16-19). So, desolate and stop being a nation was a political, not a demographic assertion.
Its complete desolation, which would be witnessed by passersby that would be amazed by it, would only happen after the fall of Jerusalem and deportation of both Israel and Judah to Babylonian lands, about 150 years in the future. So the prophecy about 65 years is wrong and inconsistent, unless the original text was unintentionally modified.

‘What appears to be the case, is that the original text actually read, 6 and 5, a tricky expression used by God to convey the information that Rezin would be killed in 6 years, and then Samaria would be sieged in 5 more years. So 6+5 = 11 years, appears to be speaking of the times before a child learns how to reject evil and becomes accountable before the Law of God.

‘Likewise, the form 6 and 5 resembles 6 and 9, 15 years.
In Hebrew number format, 6 and 9 is used to express 15 instead of 10 and 5, because the corresponding letters are short forms of the name of God (topic ‘Key exceptions’ in the Wikipedia article ‘Hebrew numerals‘). The beginning of the expression, 6 and would create the expectation of a 9 on the reader.
That could be a cryptic way of conveying a triple meaning – the death of Rezin in 6 years, the siege of Samaria in 5 more years, and the desolation of Israel (Ephraim) in 15 years…
Thus, 4 years beyond 11 years, and the siege lasted 3 years.
It’s reasonable to suppose the deportation of the people took part of the next year to be accomplished, which completes 15 years.

‘Notice that Sixty and five in Isaiah 7:8 is in text, not number format, even in the Dead Sea Scroll of Isaiah (the complete one that is published online). The numbers 6 and 60, when written as six and sixty in Hebrew are very similar. Sixty and five/Six and five could be easily mistaken, because the 6 and 5 construction is unusual.
A careless reader could easily understand 65.

‘The same information is conveyed in two different ways, as in the age of a child, 11 years old, and 6 and 5. The mistake is easily made, and easily corrected.’

Translator note

1 Samuel 24:3 – Was Saul preparing himself, having a sleep, or having a poo?

The Greek text says that Saul entered the cave to “make preparation,” while the Hebrew says he went in to “cover his feet.” What does this mean?

Some say that that the Hebrew expression refers to taking off your outer garments to lie down and sleep. After all, David is then spoken of as creeping up to him and cutting off part of his garment. It would make sense if he was asleep. So this may be correct.

However, feet are often used as a euphemism for your nether regions, much like the word loins. And why not just say ‘sleep?’ Why would an expression be needed? And why would the Greek Septuagint say something completely different, unless the translators was using an equivalent Greek-language euphemism? Saul was, of course, King. If he wore many layers, he may have had to remove his outer coat and set it aside before easing nature. There was also an entire army outside, and the noise generated by it may have helped David to sneak up and cut Saul’s garment without Saul hearing.

So it may be a euphemism for answering a call of nature. Since the Hebrew text implies pulling down underclothes to cover the feet, it seems likely that this was not just for urination, but to empty the bowels.

However, we don’t know for sure.

Saul may indeed have been sleeping. If Saul was easing nature, then it may add to our understanding of the account, showing why David refused to strike Saul. Not only would he be killing the King, but he would be killing him in the most humiliating way possible. Saul would have forever been known as the King who was killed while having a poo.

Translator note

‘Tar pits’ or ‘slime pits?’

At Genesis 14:10, you will find that Bible translations vary in their descriptions of the type of pit that the kings of Sodom and GamorRah fell into, during their battle with AbraHam and his men.

Some Bibles (like the KJV) say it was a slime pit, while others say it was a pit of asphalt (bitumen). Surely, if they fell into a tar pit, it would be fatal? So how was the king of Sodom able to survive, as is indicated in verse 17?

Well, notice this explanation as found in The Geochemical Society Special Publications Volume 9, 2004, Pages 359г64:

‘The Dead Sea area has been associated with bitumen (= asphalt) for thousands of years.

For this reason, it has commonly been taken for granted that pits of bitumen existed in the Dead Sea area, and into which the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fell after losing a battle in the vale of Siddim in the Dead Sea region (Genesis, 14:10).

‘However, physical evidence for the existence of such pits is practically non-existent. At times when the Dead Sea water level is low, as it is nowadays, large expanses of black mud covered with a carbonate crust are exposed along the coast of the lake. The black mud resembles asphalt in its shiny black color and sulfurous smell. It has been sometimes assumed that the mud contains asphalt, although this is not the case, and the color and smell are due to poorly crystallized iron surfides. The solid looking carbonate veneer is quite frail and it is easy to sink through it into the underlying black mud. Thus, the biblical description may be of the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fleeing through the mud flats when the lake level was low, and sinking into the black sulfurous mud.’

So according to geologists, although the pits looked and smelled like asphalt, they were actually filled with a black slime that was covered by a crust into which it was easy for those kings to fall and become trapped (until someone came to pull them out).

Thus, we have another verification of the authenticity of the Bible book of Genesis.

This translation uses the word ‘slime’ instead of ‘tar’ or ‘asphalt,’ as such terms would give an inaccurate impression to the reader.

Translator note

Song of Solomon 5:10 – ‘white and red’

The Greek source text literally says that her beloved ‘is white and red.’ What does this mean?

While ‘white and red’ could be literal, meaning something like ‘fair-skinned with rosy cheeks,’ for all we know it could also be poetic. After all, it would be rather striking to have such a literal description among such poetry.

The word for ‘white’ can also mean ‘bright,’ so rather than describing his skin color, it may mean that he’s bright in the sense of noticeable or impressive. After all, same word is used elsewhere in the Bible to describe things that appear bright – not just things with a white color.

And we really don’t know what the ancient Israelites looked like anyway... and even if they were ‘white’ like Europeans (which seems like a pretty laughable idea), the poem describes the man as an ordinary outdoor laborer, living in an agricultural society, in the Middle East – so how could he have pale skin and avoided gaining a deep tan? Unless it just means he was paler than on average?

Of course, calling someone or something ‘white’ or ‘bright’ could certainly have had some (long-forgotten) poetic meaning. After all, today, if you call someone ‘bright’ it usually means ‘intelligent,’ but this wasn’t always the case. While, in ancient Latin, their word for both white and bright had several figurative meanings, including ‘fortunate’ and ‘favorable.’ So who knows what the poetic meaning actually was back then in Ancient Hebrew and Ancient Greek...

As for ‘red,’ the Greek word really means the color of fire – fiery red. Meanwhile, the ancient Aramaic translation uses a word meaning a very deep red, or ‘blood red.’ These would be odd ways to describe rosy cheeks... And we know he didn’t have red hair, because the next verse describes his hair as black... So perhaps it’s a poetic way of describing strength or virility, like the English word ‘ruddy.’ Indeed, at least one other translation says ‘strong’ here. But again, this is just guesswork.

So while we may be wrong, the 2001 has dumped the former (very literal) translation (‘white skin and rosy cheeks’) to instead be poetic, saying ‘impressive and virile.’ However, it’s impossible to really know what sort of poetic meaning these words had – they were, after all, written about 3,500 years ago in another language, with very little material from the time other than the Bible itself.

Unfortunately, sometimes you can only guess – but ‘impressive and virile’ certainly makes more sense than a literal translation, and it both fits the context extremely well and sounds great to boot!

Translator note

Sop

The Bible tells us that Jesus and his Apostles ate fermentation-free bread during his Last Supper, and that they dipped the bread into something that was in a bowl (or bowls). Ancient Bibles call this a sop.

What was sop? A gravy?

No, it was likely a mixture of olive oil, herbs, and salt. This has been a favorite dipping sauce for bread for countless generations (try it sometime, if you are unfamiliar with it).

It probably wasn’t gravy or meat sauce, because they sacrificed and ate the lamb on the following night (see the commentary, The Passover and the Lord’s Evening Meal), and in ancient times people didn’t normally eat meat with every meal. Instead, the Bible reports that the Passover celebration involved the eating of bitter herbs and bread, and they likely used salt and olive oil to add flavor and to soften the bread.

Translator note

Soul

Different Bibles have translated the Greek word psyche (from which we get words like psychology) in many ways, including soul and life. However, psyche literally means something that breathes. It’s only used in the Bible to describe breathing animals and humans. It can also mean life or your inner person.

Does it mean an immortal soul that floats away when one dies? No, that is a later development. The consensus among scholars is that the teaching of an immortal soul is not found in the Old Testament canon. It was imported into Judaism and Christianity from Greek philosophy, especially from Plato. It only became established in Christianity by the 3rd century CE.

Therefore, when Bibles translate it as soul, it can insert in the mind of the reader something that was not meant by the original authors. In other words, sometimes soul can be a mistranslation. However, in English we do sometimes use the word soul poetically to describe an entire person, with no ‘immortal spirit’ implied, e.g. ‘poor old soul.’

In this Bible, we use a variety of phrases to translate psyche, including soul, but not when it may give a false impression to the reader. This is in accord with the Charter of this project, to use religiously neutral terms to free readers from centuries of religious baggage.

For a discussion of the immortal soul, please see the commentary, Does the Bible teach an immortal soul?

Translator note

Spanking

We have translated the words at Proverbs 13:24 as saying:

‘Those that don’t spank them, dislike their sons,
While those that love them give careful correction.’

We realize that the words actually say:

‘ος φειδεται της βακτηριας μισει τον υιον αυτου ο δε αγαπων επιμελως παιδευει,’
‘The/one sparing the rod dislikes the son his, but the loving/one carefully corrects.’

So why haven’t we stuck with the common translation of ‘sparing the rod?’

Well, the word rod (or staff) in English implies a large, hard object that can be used to maim or cause injury, while the text obviously implies something more like a switch or a stick that can be used for a spanking.

However in modern society, even this mild action is found to be offensive and can result in criminal prosecution in some places. For some would choose to have Solomon say:
‘Those that don’t give their sons a time out don’t care for them.’

But that’s not what Solomon said. For you can see that careful correction is what Solomon was talking about, and the text shows that he was saying this might require a spanking.

That such corporal punishment is meant can be found by reading a similar verse, Proverbs 23:13-14:

‘Don’t avoid correcting the young…
For if you spank him, no way will he die.
And if you give him a spanking;
From death, you may rescue his soul.’

Also note that God speaks of Himself as ‘whipping’ those whom He loves at Proverbs 3:11-12, where we read:

‘Never take lightly the instructions of God
Or be upset when He disciplines you.
For Jehovah loves those that accept His correction,
And He whips those whom He welcomes as sons.’

Why is God such a disciplinarian?
Because He knows that what we will turn out to be is an eternal life and death matter, which faithless humans only begin to understand after a life is ended prematurely… Or after a good life has been ruined by not having been taught the difference between right and wrong.

Translator note

Spiritism

The Greek word that we have translated as, involvement in the occult at Galatians 5:20 is pharmakia. This word has been translated many ways over the years to fit particular religious ‘hot buttons.’

While some have applied it to forbid spiritism and others have applied it to forbid the use of illicit drugs (due to the ‘pharmacy’ connection). However, the word refers specifically to the use of ‘magic potions’ that are supplied by mystics, such as witches and the like. And perhaps some connection to modern-day (prescribed and patent) medicines as sold in drug stores could be implied. However, the difference is that modern medicines aren’t claimed to have ‘magical’ or ‘occult’ powers.

The particular Greek/English interlinear Bible that we used when preparing this version translated pharmakia as druggery. However, the nuance that druggery implies in American English simply isn’t correct. It suggests the misuse (abuse) of mind-altering drugs, and that isn’t the primary meaning of pharmakia.

While mind-altering drugs would likely have played a role in ancient potions, the corrupt act mentioned here clearly refers to any involvement in occult practices.

Translator note

Fountains or Springs?

You will notice that in this Bible, we have rendered the Greek word pege (pronounced pay-gay) as springs, not as fountains or mists, as other translators have done. Yes, it could be argued that the Hebrew word (as used in Genesis 2, for example) could imply a mist. However, in the various places where we find the Greek word pege in the Septuagint, the consistent application seems to be to springs of water.

Pege appears to be a variation of the word pegnumi, which means to gush (and yes, we can see how that could be construed as fountain). However, natural fountains of water are rare and self-destructive, while gushing springs are quite common. And though stylized Bible pictures of fountains shooting from the ground are quite idyllic, this isn’t the view that we get consistently from the word’s other uses in the Bible.

Translator note

Gadflies or Stable Flies?

The fourth plague that God sent to Egypt prior to the IsraElite exodus was a countrywide infestation of biting flies. The Greek word for them is kunomuian, which implies (and is often translated as) dog flies.
And in other Bibles, they are called gadflies.

Unfortunately, both of those terms (dog fly and gadfly) are unfamiliar to most readers in the Americas. However, when researching the term dog fly, we found that this is just another name for the common stable fly, which bites like a horsefly but is about the size of a housefly.
That is why we have settled on this term.

Translator note

Stereoma – firmament, space, or expanse?

The Greek Septuagint describes the earth’s atmosphere using the word stereoma. This is usually defined as ‘a solid body, a support, strength, firmness,’ and is used to mean a foundation, something immovable and solid. Some Bibles translate it as firmament. Yet Genesis 1, and some other verses, uses the word to refer to our planet’s gaseous atmosphere. Why?

The ancient peoples of the Near-East understood the sky to be a solid arch, or dome, made of metal.

Some Bibles translate this term as space or expanse, because the equivalent Hebrew word carries the meaning of to expand. However, scholars say that this meaning comes from the thought of hammering out metal into an expanded solid surface, not an empty space. In other words, to create a solid arch or dome.

So does the Bible teach that there’s a solid metal dome above the earth? No. It’s just what the ancients called our atmosphere because they didn’t know how it worked. They had no idea what an atmosphere was; so the Bible just used the name familiar to its readers. It would be difficult to call it anything else, because that’s what it was called back then.

As for Genesis 1, it was originally a poem or a song. It wasn’t meant to be a scientific document, it was meant to roughly convey how God created the world, speaking in terms that people back then could understand, in a few short verses. And it does that very well.

Mankind later discovered that the ‘firmament’ is not a metal dome, but an atmosphere made of gas, made possible by the earth’s magnetic field. However, just like a strong protective dome, the atmosphere and magnetic field do protect us from solar flares, cosmic radiation, and meteors.

Also, perhaps what Genesis called the ‘waters above,’ is just the blue we see in the sky, caused by the atmosphere filtering the sunlight. Some have speculated that earth once had a water canopy, which later came down during the Great Downpour. However, Psalm 148:4 indicates that the water above the skies is still present, so it could indeed refer to the blue reflection.

Interestingly, modern cosmology tells us that at one time, earth may have been a water-world without an atmosphere. The waters below (our oceans) had to, at some point, gain a new neighbor: the waters above (the blue reflection), separated by an atmosphere in between. Could the creation of our atmosphere be the event alluded to here? Perhaps.

The point of Genesis 1 is to convey, in song, that God created everything we see, by using terms familiar to its original audience.

Translator note

Swearing an oath

At Leviticus 5:1, we read:

‘And if a person sins by witnessing, seeing, or knowing of someone that has sworn an oath [of vengeance] against another and doesn’t report it, he is responsible for his sin.’

Unfortunately, many Bibles translate the word used here, horkismou, as just swearing.
Yet in American English, that generally implies using a profanity. However, horkismou refers to swearing an oath (in vengeance), not necessarily to the use of profanities.

So although this verse is often used by religious groups to condemn the use of profanities, this isn’t what the word implies.

To better understand the seriousness involved in cursing another in the Name of God, see the translator note, Dedicated to Destruction.

Translator note

Synagogue

In the Septuagint, we find the word synagogue (gr. synagoges) mentioned many times while the IsraElites were in the desert. Just what type of building was this?

Well, it wasn’t a building at all. Actually, synagogue means a gathering or a calling together.

So, the entire nation of IsraEl was usually referred to as a synagogue. It wasn’t until many years later, after they had entered the Promised Land and possibly after their return from exile in Babylon, that the Jews started using local buildings for worship.
And that’s when we first read of their referring to the buildings as synagogues.

Such gathering places were probably first used while they were in captivity in the Babylonian empire. For, many still wanted to continue their association and worship in this place where there was no sacred Temple. And the practice was likely carried over upon their return to their homeland during the years that God’s Temple was in ruins and being rebuilt.

We also find the word synagogue mentioned several times in the Christian books. In almost every case, it refers to the Jewish (not Christian) meeting places or groups.
However, there is one instance where the word could be speaking a Christian meeting place,  James 2:2.

Yet, even this instance (though commonly mistranslated and misunderstood) could possibly be speaking of a Judaic meeting place of worship, since James seems to have addressed his letter to the diaspora (scattered Jews), rather than to Christian congregations (see James 1:1).

Although synagogue originally meant a gathering of God’s people, people later later used it describe the buildings in which they met. However, during the 1st century CE, when the international language was Greek, Christians started calling their gatherings (and later their buildings) ecclesias, or in English, churches. 

For more information, see the commentary, Congregation, Synagogue, or Called Ones.

Translator note

Tartarus

At 1 Peter 3:19, we read about ‘spirits’ (literally, breaths) that were put into ‘prison’ for the bad acts they committed during the time of Noah. Genesis 6:1-4 speaks of them as ‘sons of/the God’ (gr. ouioi tou Theou), and it tells of these spirit creatures coming to earth and taking ‘the daughters of/the mankind’ (gr. thygateras ton anthropon). Then in the Greek version of 2 Peter 2:4, we read that they were put into ‘Tartarus.’

What does Tartarus mean?

In other Bibles, this Greek word is mistranslated as Hell or Hell Fire. However, it refers specifically to the place where ‘gods’ (not humans) were sent in Greek mythology. Therefore, that must have been the thought that Peter was trying to convey.

Over the centuries, people exploited this mistranslation to support the idea that the Devil and his demons are in Hell, watching over its flames, and torturing human souls for all eternity. Yet there is no suggestion of any of this here.

Then, why did Peter use a pagan term from Greek Mythology to describe the condition of unfaithful messengers (angels) of God?

Greek Mythology seems to tell highly distorted versions of real ancient events that are more accurately recorded in the Bible. These events are from Genesis chapters 2 through 6. Stories such as Hercules and the Golden Apples, Pandora’s Box, Medusa, immoral Gods that came to earth, and so on, are distorted versions of:

Adam and the forbidden fruit

Eve who brought evil upon all mankind

The snake in the Paradise

The sons of God that came to earth and lived as humans

Therefore, it could be that they also had a name for the place where these sons of God (the ‘gods’) were sent after the Downpour: Tartarus. Since this correct idea was common at the time, Peter may have used the word to convey what he was talking about to his readers.

However, there is the possibility that Peter’s letters were originally written in Aramaic, and only translated into Greek. Even if not, the Aramaic translation was very early, so it tells us what people thought it meant at the time.

Well, the Aramaic version does not say Tartarus. It just says that they were cast down, in chains, into darkness. Either way, this is not Hell Fire.

For a discussion of what it means for the spirits to be in prison, please see the commentary, Demons.

Translator note

Tent of Proofs

We are sure that many will object to our calling God’s place of worship in the desert a ‘tent’ rather than a ‘tabernacle.’ However, tabernacle is an obsolete English word, the true meaning of which is misunderstood by most people.
So for clarification;
We have opted to use the modern word ‘tent,’ because it was in fact a portable structure made of cloth and beams.

Notice that this tent is often referred to in Greek as the skenes tou marturion, which means, Tent of Testimony or, Tent of Proofs. And the reason why they called it that, was because it housed the kiboton martyrion (Box [of] Testimony or Chest of Proofs), which is referred to in other Bibles as Ark of the Covenant. However, we have more closely translated skenes tou marturion as Tent of Proofs wherever these particular Greek words are found.

Translator note

Tent

Leviticus 26:11 says:

‘I will pitch My tent among you,’

Why would God refer to Himself as living in a tent?

The Greek word translated as tent is skene (pronounced skaynay). This word is used throughout the Bible and has been translated in other Bibles as booth, tent, and tabernacle. However, none of these words accurately describe what skene means, for it implies a temporary type of dwelling that can be made of cloths, skins, or even of sticks and branches.

For example, God’s Sacred Tent (skene) in the desert was made of cloth and covered with skins, while the structures (skenes) that the IsraElites were to live in during what has become known as ‘the Festival of Booths’ was made of sticks and branches.

The Greek word oikos (pronounce oy-koss), on the other hand, refers to a permanent dwelling, and it is usually translated as house. For example, when the IsraElites were wandering in the desert, the Sacred Tent of Jehovah was to be temporary (a skene). But when Solomon later built His Temple, it was often referred to as a House (oikos), since it was a permanent structure. However, house in this case didn’t mean a home, because God didn’t live there.

So, notice how coming to an understanding of the meanings of the original words helps to explain why God refers to Himself as coming to ‘tent’ with mankind (as at Revelation 21:3). For the term likely refers a temporary presence or representation, not to His coming to the earth to live among us.

Translator note

Terah’s age when he begot Abram

Many have assumed that because Genesis 11:26 says that ‘Terah lived seventy years and begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran,’ that Abram (later called AbraHam) was born when Terah was 70. This is incorrect, and may be a false impression given by the differences in language.

We know this because other verses show that Abram was not born for another 60 years! Therefore, in this Bible the verse is translated as:

‘[After] Terah was 70 years old, he became father to Abram, NaHor, and Haran.’

What’s the evidence?

When Stephen spoke in Acts 7, he stated that AbraHam moved to the land now known as Palestine ‘after the death of his father.’ Yet if Terah was 205 years old when he died (Genesis 11:32), and AbraHam departed Haran when he was 75 (Genesis 12:4), then do the math, and Terah had to be 130, not 70, when Abram was born.

The verse actually means that Terah and his wife began having children when Terah was aged 70, not they all came along when he was 70. It’s actually common sense when you think about it.

There’s a similar situation with the age of Noah when his sons came along. Genesis 5:32 says (KJV):

‘And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.’

It sounds like all three came along when Noah was 500, as if they were triplets. Yet, it actually means Noah began having kids at age 500. How can we prove this?

Genesis 7:6 says Noah was 600 when the Downpour began; Genesis 11:10 says that Shem was 100 when his son Arphaxad was born, and says this was in the 2nd year after the Downpour. In other words, 100-year old Shem became father to Arphaxad when Noah was 602. Count back 100 years, and Noah had to be 502 years old when Shem was born.

That tells us that Shem, although mentioned first, was not the firstborn. Either Ham or Japheth (we don’t know which) must have been firstborn. Indeed, Arphaxad wasn’t the firstborn son of Shem either! The reason they’re mentioned first by Moses is because they’re the direct line of descendants to the Israelites.

This pattern continues later in the Bible. Seth, IsaAc, Jacob, Judah, and Perez, were not the firstborn sons either, but they were in the line to the Anointed One, Jesus.

Translator note

Hebrews, IsraElites, Jews, and Semites

We often hear people using the words Hebrews, Israelites, Jews, and Semites interchangeably, but they don’t always refer to the same people.

Hebrews

AbraHam and all his descendants were Hebrews, for they all descended from Abram’s (or AbraHam’s) great, great, great grandfather Heber. However, many other lines of descent also came from that man, so many, many other races could technically be called Hebrews if they wanted to do so.

The first mention of the word Hebrew is found at Genesis 14:13, where AbraHam was referred to as being one. And thereafter, IsaAc, IshMaEl, and AbraHam’s other sons were also called Hebrews, as were Jacob, Esau, and all their descendants.

IsraElites

The IsraElites (who were within the family of Hebrews) are only the descendants of the twelve sons of Jacob, whom God renamed IsraEl. So thereafter, their families were often referred to as both the ‘Sons of IsraEl’ and as ‘Hebrews.’

Jews

Later, during the time of King David, a split developed between the tribe of Judah (who were called the Jews) and the other tribes who, being the majority, just kept the name ‘IsraEl.’ During the first portion of David’s reign he only ruled over Judah, and then later, both he and Solomon ruled over all the tribes… a reunited IsraEl.

However, the tribes split again after the rule of Solomon, when ten northern tribes rebelled and created their own kingdom, which again, being in the majority, they just continued to called IsraEl. The two southern tribes (Judah and BenJamin) were thereafter just referred to as Judah (since it was the largest of the two).

Later, the Assyrian Empire destroyed the northern ten-tribe Kingdom, deported all the inhabitants, and scattered them across their Empire. The southern two-tribe Kingdom of Judeans (and the smaller BenJaminites) were later taken away to Babylon by NebuChadnezzar. Even after their restoration, the name Judeans or Jews stuck, especially since they were later restored mostly to the former land of the Judean tribe.

The word ‘Jew’ is actually just a shortened version of the word ‘Judean.’

Others

There were many other people that came to be called both Jews and IsraElites that weren’t really from either, because God’s Law allowed foreigners to become a part of their nation. Indeed, RaHab, the prostitute of JeriCho (who was a CanaAnite) became the ancestress of Kings David, Solomon, and eventually Jesus. This was also true of the Moabite woman, Ruth.

Many non-Jewish peoples of the modern Middle East are also Hebrews, as some are direct descendants of AbraHam, and some are even descendants of IsraEl/Jacob, such as the Kurdish people.

Galileans or Jews?

Although Jesus and many of his disciples were in fact Judeans, they were often referred to by people that lived in the Roman province of Judea as Galileans. This happened because they came from an area outside of Judea near the Sea of Galilee, which was geographically separated from Judea by settlements of Samaritans.

Therefore, when Jesus and his disciples spoke of ‘the Jews,’ they often meant the people that lived in and around the city of JeruSalem or in the province of Judea rather than themselves.

Semites

The term ‘Semite’ predates the term ‘Hebrew,’ because it refers to descendants of Noah’s son Shem. Therefore, the term likely covers at least a third of the peoples on the earth.

Nowadays, however, the term Semite is only used in linguistic to refers to any peoples who speak Semitic languages. These include Arabic, Amharic, Tigrinya/Tigre, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Maltese.

Translator note

The God

This translation consistently translates ho theos in the Greek (and it’s variants, such as ton theon) as The God, not just as God.

Why? In Greek Bible sources, the term ‘the’ (‘ho’) usually appears before the Greek word for God (theos) when speaking of the Almighty. Like almost all Bible translators, we’ve deleted it in some places to make the reading flow better. However, there are places where adding ‘The’ before ‘God’ makes an important difference. So in many places, this Bible says The God where other translations just say God.

For example, John 1:1 in the Greek makes a distinction between The God and God when describing ‘the Word,’ a reference to Jesus. While many people point to that verse as a proof-text for the Trinity, in the original language, Jesus is never called The God, (ho theos or ton theon) but only God (theos or theon), a word also used to describe some men (including Paul in Acts 28:6). Therefore you can see how important it is to convey this difference between The God and God to the modern English reader. Otherwise readers may be misled to believe that a verse says something that does not appear in the source texts.

Other translations remove this difference and hide it from you. Our translation is one of the very few that preserve this difference in the English text. It allows you, the reader, to decide for yourself what the text means, instead of some translator deciding for you and hiding the differences that exist.

Translator note

The Revelation and Truth, or Umim and Thummim?

At Exodus 28:26, where God was describing the High Priest’s official clothes, He told Moses:

‘You are to put the Revelation and the Truth (Greek: ten delosin kai ten aletheian) on the Expression of Judgment, and Aaron will wear it on his chest whenever he enters the Holy Place before Jehovah.’

Notice that the Greek word deloson means revelation and the word aletheian means truth. So, these are the terms used in this translation.

Unfortunately, this description is only found in the Greek Septuagint. Exactly what the Revelation and the Truth is, isn’t identified. However, tradition has it that this item (which the Hebrew Masoretic text refers to as the Urim and Thummim) was used in some way to indicate God’s decisions to the High Priest.

Translator note

A ‘thousand’ years, or ‘thousands’ of years?

There is a small doubt over the meaning of the Greek text at 2 Peter 3:8, as well as several verses of Revelation chapter 20. Most modern Greek text sources seem to agree on the words of these verses, as saying ‘a thousand years,’ but the wording in Tischendorf’s text says ‘thousands of years.’

There it uses the Greek words chilioi etos (pronounced kee-lee-o-ee etos), which is the plural form of chilia eta, which means, thousand years.

Although the words appear in their singular forms in most modern texts, sources such as Vine’s seem to acknowledge that the plural form may be how it appeared originally, since we don’t have manuscripts of 2 Peter and Revelation going back very far.

What difference does all of this make?

Well, the singular form (a thousand years) is probably correct, but if the plural form (thousands of years) is correct, then certain common Bible teachings may be in error.

For example, is a thousand years as one day to God, or are thousands of years as one day to Him? Will Jesus reign for a thousand years or for thousands of years?

We have no idea. We’re just bringing it to your attention.

Note that the Aramaic versions all say ‘thousand’ (singular). However, we have no idea if the Aramaic version of Revelation we have today is the original, or a very late translation of the Greek.

Translator note

Luke 23:43 – today in paradise?

Luke 23:43 poses an interesting problem to translators. Ancient Greek (and Aramaic) did not use commas, full stops, or any punctuation. Readers had to insert the pauses and stops themselves by understanding the context.

However, sometimes a single comma can change the meaning of a text. So it is with Luke 23:43. Why?

One of the criminals that was hung next to Jesus asked Jesus to remember him when he got into his Kingdom. Then Jesus replied (literally, from a Greek source text):

‘Amen, soi ego semeron met emou ese en to paradeiso’
Amen, to/you I/say today with me you will be in the paradise

Now, was Jesus saying (as most Bibles put it), ‘I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise’, or was he saying, ‘‘I tell you today, you will be with me in paradise’?

Do you see the difference? If we move the comma, what Jesus was saying changes. In the first way, Jesus is saying that the man will be in paradise later today. In the second way, Jesus is just telling him about it today, but the paradise could be at some future time.

Well, the same ambiguity we have in English is present in Ancient Greek!

The difference is important since some understand ‘paradise’ to mean heaven. Therefore this is a proof-text for those who believe that righteous people immediately go to heaven when they die. They feel that Jesus was confirming that the criminal was rewarded with a resurrection to heaven on that very day. The correct translation, therefore, can have serious implications.

So how can we know where to put the comma? There are no parallel accounts; only Luke records this. However, Jesus is talking about things described elsewhere:

His Kingdom

Paradise

The resurrection

Let’s look at other verses to answer this question: was it possible for the man to be resurrected to paradise under the Kingdom back then in 33 CE?

1) Was Jesus in his Kingdom on that day?

No. Jesus was not resurrected until days later and did not ascend into heaven until 40 days later. In John 20:17, after he was resurrected, Jesus said: ‘I haven’t ascended to the Father yet.’ So Jesus himself says that he was not in his Kingdom on the day he died. He could not be with the criminal in paradise on that same day. Jesus was dead.

2) What is ‘paradise?’ And did it exist on that day?

Jesus chose to use the word paradise, a word that does not mean heaven. It means a garden or park, a place that is here on earth. Indeed, paradise (Greek: paraiso) is the same word that was used to describe the Paradise of Delights in the land of Edem (Garden of Eden) in the Greek Septuagint (the popular ‘Bible’ of Jesus’ day).

I think we can all agree that the Paradise-like garden in Genesis was long-gone by 33 CE, and there was no paraiso in 33 CE. If Jesus had meant ‘heaven,’ he could have said ‘heaven’.

Even if, for argument's sake, paraiso did mean ‘heaven,’ Jesus could not be with the man there since had not been resurrected and ascended yet.

3) Did the resurrection start on that day?

No. Martha said that the resurrection would happen “on the last day,” and several years later, Paul said that he hoped for a future resurrection. Paul also said that nobody has entered heaven except for he who came down from heaven, Jesus.

Therefore, Jesus could not have been telling the criminal that he was going to join Jesus on that same day. According to the other words of Jesus himself, he was not in his Kingdom on that day, Jesus chose the word ‘paradise’ instead of ‘heaven,’ and Paul’s statement means that the dead are still dead.

Therefore, if we, the translators, put the comma before ‘today,’ to say, ‘today you will be with me paradise’ our translation choice would contradict other Bible texts.

So should we fix the problem by putting a comma after ‘today,’ so it reads, ‘I’m telling you today, you will be with me in paradise?’

Perhaps. One problem with this is that Jesus often said, ‘I tell you,’ or ‘Truly I tell you,’ but he is nowhere else recorded as saying, ‘Truly I tell you today.’

However, there is a second explanation.

The criminal’s point-of-view

From the perspective of the criminal, he would indeed be in paradise in just a few hours. After all, Jesus described death as being like sleep. As a criminal, the man would likely be part of the ‘unrighteous’ that are resurrected. As it says in Acts 24:15: ‘there’s going to be a resurrection of the righteous and the unrighteous.’

So upon his resurrection, from his point of view, it will be like Jesus only spoke to him a short time ago. From his perspective, he will be in paradise today.

The most ancient translation helps us out

The oldest copy of the gospels in Aramaic, the Curetonian Gospels is dated variously from the 2nd to 5th centuries AD. While Aramaic did not have commas back then either, they have always used the word “that” (the prefix ܕ) to separate statements. This is where it gets interesting.

In the Curetonian copy of Luke, it says this:

ܐܡܪ ܠܗ ܝܫܘܥ ܐܡܝܢ ܐܡܪ ܐܢܐ ܠܟ ܝܘܡܢܐ ܕܥܡܝ ܬܗܘܐ ܒܓܢܬ ܥܕܢ

Word-for-word:

said to-him Jesus amen I-say I to-you today that-you-will-be with in-garden Eden

Or, as we might put it:

Jesus said to him, ‘Amen. I say to you today, that you will be with me in paradise.’

It’s interesting that this, probably the oldest Aramaic translation of Luke in the world, should be written this way. It’s also interesting that it calls paradise “Eden” and not “heaven.”

However, at some point, Church authorities decided differently. All later Aramaic manuscripts move “that” (ܕ), so it instead says, “I say to you, that today you will be with me in paradise.”

Was that earlier version using “today, that” merely an error on the translator's part? Or was it an accurate reflection of what the Christians believed about Jesus’ statement in the very early days of Christianity?

Perhaps it shows that people were asking these same questions 1,800 years ago!

Interestingly, the Curetonian Gospels constantly differ in their exact wording compared to the traditional Aramaic text (the “Peshitta”). This is probably because this copy was an independent translation from their Greek source (a Western text-type). It is, in effect, an independent witness to the Greek text. That makes it all the more interesting that it should say “today, that”. Was it reflecting popular belief? Or was it just the translator’s guess? Or was it a simple mistake?

The oldest Greek manuscript agrees

The oldest complete copy of Luke in Greek is found in the 4th-century Codex Vaticanus. The manuscript has an unspaced dot after the word “today.” This appears to be a marker to indicate a pause. It’s impossible to know whether this is original or added by correcting scribes (or someone else) later. Either way, it indicates that someone, at some early time after 300 AD, believed that Jesus was not saying, “Truly I say to you, today you will be,” but was saying, “Truly I say to you today, you will be...”, and was able to insert this marker into the codex.

See the marking for yourself at the Vatican website (or see it in this screenshot). It is located on page 1,351, 1st column, on the 4th line from the bottom, just after the letters ΜΕΡΟΝ (the last five letters of ΣΉΜΕΡΟΝ, the word for “today”).

There are very few punctuation markings in the Codex Vaticanus. The fact that one exists here shows that the verse must have been debated, its reading declared unsure, and someone acted to clarify the meaning.

The faithful go straight to heaven?

We must also consider wider church history.

Church historians have documented the long development of Christian doctrine. At this early stage, Christians were awaiting a physical resurrection as a reward for their faithfulness at Jesus’ return, at which time they would get a new body like his and rule with Jesus upon Earth.

The concept of people’s immortal souls being immediately transported to heaven developed later. This development is widely documented in the decisions of various Church councils.

In other words, it is out of time to say, “I tell you, today you will be...”.

So, what is correct?

Let’s recap:

• Putting the comma before today would introduce contradictions in the Bible text. Putting it after today would not.
• What is probably our earliest Aramaic translation says that it should go after “today” by using the word “that” afterward.
• Our earliest complete Greek manuscript of Luke contains a pause marking after “today.”
• Putting it before today is primarily supported by those wishing to promote later Church doctrines, but this motivation is centuries out of time (‘anachronistic’).

Based on all of this, the comma should likely go after today, so that is what we have done.

Translator note

‘Stumble’ or ‘Trap?’

The Greek word scandalon means the trip lever of a trap. While it is often translated as stumble in other Bibles, the meaning has more to do with stumbling into a snare or trap.

Translator note

‘Sor’ or ‘Tyre?’

Ezekiel chapters 26 and 27 in the Greek Septuagint calls the city of Tyre, ‘Sor.’ Why?

Tyre was built on a rocky island and a rocky coast. Apparently, because of this, the city was nicknamed ‘rocks,’ which is ‘Sor.’

So this Bible translates Sor as both Tyre and as the Rock, depending on the context.

Translator note

Vision, Ghost, Spectre, Apparition, or Phantom?

When Jesus’ disciples saw him coming toward them walking across the water (Matthew 14:26; Mark 6:49), what did they think they were seeing? Nobody knows what was going through their minds, despite many people guessing over the years. However, many Bible translators have implanted something in the readers’ minds that may be wholly untrue. What?

Most English Bibles say ‘ghost’. Yet choosing that word has large implications. Firstly, it implies that the disciples believed in ghosts, but it also implies that they had an understanding of a spirit afterlife. Yet, if none of this is true, readers would be seriously misled.

The Greek word used in the account to describe what they saw was phantasma, which is the root of the English word phantom. Therefore, English Bibles say ‘ghost’ or ‘apparition’. However, the meanings listed in reference works give various definitions: vision, dream, apparition, phantom, and appearance.

A vision (a prophetic dream) and an apparition (a ghost), are two very different things. So which is it?

The answer may lie in the word used by the Aramaic versions of Matthew and Mark. That word is d’hezwah. That’s variously defined as appearance, vision, or sight with no reference to ghosts or spirits. It can actually be a very mundane word, used to describe how someone appears. It was used in the Aramaic translation of Genesis 12:11 where Abram says to his wife, ‘you are a woman of beautiful appearance’. Was Abram saying that Sara looked like a ghost?

It’s also the same word used to describe the visions and prophetic dreams of Daniel. We know that Daniel was not seeing the ghosts of dead people. He was seeing complex prophetic visions. Additionally, it’s used to describe the vision God gave to Moses, showing him how to make the Tent of Proofs (the Tabernacle). Again, there were no ghosts.

There is absolutely no suggestion of the ‘ghost’ of a dead person in the Aramaic word.

Further, according to ancient writings, Matthew was originally written in Aramaic, and it was likely the disciples’ native language. So they probably said the Aramaic word, not the Greek. Even if this were not true, the Aramaic Gospels would have been translated from Greek very early, and show how people understood the account back in the early days of Christianity.

In fact, additional definitions of the Greek word are indeed vision or dream, yes just like the Aramaic word. So it seems the Aramaic and the Greek words can agree.

The disciples probably did not say something meaning ghost. The word they said likely meant vision, meaning a miraculous prophetic vision, like those experienced by Daniel and Moses.

Therefore, this translation says ‘vision’.

Perhaps they even thought that the dangerous storm was part of the vision sent by God. When they cried out in fear, it may have been to ask God to end the terrifying ‘vision’ in which they thought they were trapped. Yet in reality, they were not in a vision. They were in a naturally-occurring storm, and the man walking on the water was their friend, lord, and teacher, Jesus.

Translator note

2 Samuel 21:19 – Who killed GoliAth?

This verse, both in the Masoretic and the Greek Septuagint says that GoliAth was killed by a man named ‘EleAnan the son of AriOrgim’ instead of David. This obviously contradicts the other famous accounts, including the account earlier on in the book of 1 Samuel.

Further, the duplicate account in 1 Chronicles 20:5 says that EleAnan actually killed GoliAth’s brother, a man named LachMi.

So what’s going on? Why does 2 Samuel get it wrong?

Well, there seems to be a simple scribal error in the original Hebrew manuscript!

That duplicate account in 1 Chronicles 20:5 also says that EleAnan (also spelled ElHanan) was actually called the son of Ari not son of AriOrgim. Indeed, the word ‘Orgim’ is not a person’s name, it means weaver. A scribe seems to have accidentally duplicated the word ‘weaver’ from the end of the verse, where it talks about GoliAth’s spear being as thick as a weaver’s beam. This duplicated word then makes the entire verse make no sense and mucks up the Hebrew grammar (and remember, Hebrew grammar works very differently from European grammar).

To clear up the confusing mess, it was assumed that ‘Orgim’ (weaver) was part of Ari’s name, making a compound name: AriOrgim, or in English: AriWeaver.

Then, because the grammar now makes no sense, the name of Goliath’s brother, LachMi (which looks like the word for ‘bread’), was probably ‘corrected’ by someone to form part of the name of ‘Bethlehem’ (which means ‘house of bread’)!

Lastly, the scribe seems to have confused two similar-looking Hebrew words: אחי (brother of) and א‬ת (a Hebrew grammatical marker). So he turned the ‘brother of’ into that marker, essentially removing the word from the text!

So we started off with ‘EleAnan the son of Ari killed LachMi, the brother of GoliAth,’ and we ended up with, ‘EleAnan the son of AriWeaver from Bethlehem killed GoliAth’!

What a mess!

This Hebrew scribal error – possibly a result of more than one scribe – was either present when the Septuagint was translated in the 3rd century BCE, or some later person ‘helpfully’ ‘corrected’ the Septuagint text to agree with Hebrew error. We don’t know which it was.

So while the Bible cannot contradict itself, copyists can. It’s a good example of an apparent contradiction that’s easily solved by a little insider knowledge.

It also shows the inadequacy of certain Bible translations, as some have done nothing at all to correct this error!

It’s good that many modern Bibles insert the words ‘the brother of’ to help fix the problem, but then they leave in the reference to ‘Bethlehem’ – making no note of the fact that it’s a corruption of the name of GoliAth’s brother.

Translator note

1 Timothy 1:10 – fornicators, the sexually immoral, or whoremongers?

There is a slight disagreement here between the Greek and Aramaic texts. In Greek, it just uses a derivative of porneia, which means that which is sold (by prostitutes), just like it does in 1 Corinthians 6:9. So the Greek text is always translated as fornicators or the sexually immoral. It is not about prostitutes specifically.

However, in the Aramaic, the word might be slightly more specific. It is walzanayeh. The wa- and -l- pieces are prefixes meaning and for/to, while zanayeh just means prostitute. So literally we have and for/to prostitutes. Everything in Aramaic is derived from verbs (action words), so this literally means someone who goes to prostitutes. In English, such persons are called a whoremongers.

Now, somewhat like in Greek, the Aramaic word for fornication (sexual immorality) is derived from the word for prostitute. So, is the word an expression that means all kinds of sexual immorality, or is it being specific to using a prostitute? It’s difficult to say. The Aramaic translations are split on the matter. The George Lamsa Bible says ‘whoremongers.’ The Murdock translation says the same. However, the Etheridge translation says ‘fornicators.’

It seems that our Ancient Greek translator also thought it implied fornicators, rather than specifically just customers of prostitutes. After all, would visiting a prostitute be wrong, while having sex with a slave be acceptable? Surely both would be wrong. 1 Corinthians 6:18 uses a different version of the same word, and the context makes it clear that we’re talking about more than prostitutes.

However, since we tend to trust the Aramaic, and since it is slightly different to the word used in 1 Corinthians 6:9, in this instance we go with the meaning of whoremongers (or people who use prostitutes). Perhaps the apostle was wishing to be more specific here. After all, the entire list is slightly different to the one in 1 Corinthians. This note should explain that the true meaning might be more broad. Indeed, in 1 Corinthians 6:9, the related Aramaic word zanayeh is translated as sexually immoral.

Translator note

Spurious texts: 1 Corinthians 14:33-35

The words that start in the middle of 1 Corinthians 14:33 and run through verse 35 may well be fake later additions to the Bible.

They say:

‘And as [is true] in all the congregations of Holy Ones;
The women should remain silent in the congregation.
They shouldn’t be allowed to speak out.
Rather (as the Law says), they should be submissive.
And if they wish to know something, let them ask their husbands [when they get] home.
For it’s disgraceful for a woman to speak out in a congregation.’

Here are the reasons why we question these verses:

1. The words move locations in ancient manuscripts.

In some manuscripts, these words appear at the end of the chapter instead. Such moving around gives scholars the impression that the words are later additions, perhaps added marginal notes of someone with a strong opinion on the matter.

2. There is no such injunction in the Law of Moses.

The words claim that the restrictions against women are the same as what ‘the Law says’. However, the Old Law says no such thing!

Also, Paul went to great lengths to tell Christians that they were no longer under the Old Law. So he would hardly tell them to obey it. Thus, not only is the claim a lie (and therefore, cannot be inspired by God), it doesn’t make sense for him to say such a thing.

3. These injunctions fly in the face of God’s use of women.

Jehovah/Yahweh had previously appointed women as judges of IsraEl and even as Prophets; both very prominent positions. It is not possible to be a judge or a prophet and ‘remain silent.’

God had the words of women recorded in the Bible in multiple places, such as the words of Mary and Elizabeth. God even told Abraham to listen to his wife’s voice. Two entire Bible books are about women: Ruth and Esther, and if it were not for Esther bravely speaking up, the Israelites would have massacred.

It would make absolutely no sense for women to be now told to not speak or even ask questions.

4. Previously in 1 Corinthians, women were mentioned as praying in the congregation.

Back in 1 Corinthians 11:5 specific instructions are given for women praying. Therefore, Paul did not require them to ‘keep silent in the congregation’ at all. It’s right there in the text. If we accept both statements, then there’s a massive contradiction in the text, and not even far from each other.

5. Removing it improves the flow of the text.

Removing the words doesn’t seem to damage the flow of the chapter, which you’d expect, but improves it. Before these words, he was talking about people making prophetic utterances, and afterwards about the same thing. So these words are out-of-place.

Conclusion

For these reasons, we seriously question the authenticity of these verses. It seems far more likely that these began as marginal notes written into a scroll by someone who felt strongly on the matter. These were then move into the main body of the text upon copying. This is called interpolation.

However, we could be wrong, so the words are left in place (but crossed-out) for readers to see.

As for the words at Colossians 3:18 (‘Women; Always obey your men, since this is proper [for those that are] in the Lord.’), these seem to be in context, and are in line with other scriptures. Therefore they are probably authentic. The other words talking about women at 1 Timothy 2:12 are horribly mistranslated in most Bibles.

Translator note

Word of Judgment

The term, Word of Judgment (Greek: logeion ton kriseon), is what the Greek Septuagint calls the jeweled gold cloth that the IsraElite High Priest wore on his chest. It had twelve different types of gems, each of which had the name of one of the sons of Jacob (or IsraEl) engraved upon it.

Interestingly, the names were those of the Sons of IsraEl rather than the names of the twelve tribes. This means that the name ‘JoSeph’ would be used instead of the names of his two sons Ephraim and Manasseh. That way, the Priestly tribe of Levi (not usually mentioned among the other tribes) would have had its own stone.

Translator note

Zechariah 13:6 – Wounds in hands

The verse says (in the International Standard Version):

Someone will say to him, ‘What are these injuries to your hands?’ He will reply, ‘…what I received at my friend's house.’

Some Christians view this as a prophetic reference to Jesus’ death when he was nailed up. However, it’s probably not a reference to that, but back to verse 3 where the man is supposed to be bound, which could easily refer to having his hands tied up. Understand that the man being talked about is a false prophet, and regarding his parents, it is said:

...his father and the mother who bore him, must bind him, because of his prophecies.

And then later in the passage, someone suspects that he’s a former false prophet from the injuries to his hands. Since you can bind someone by tying a rope tightly around their hands, it seems to add up.

So this is likely not a prophetic reference to Jesus, but simply back to verse 3. That’s why in our translation we try to defer this misunderstanding with a [translator insertion] saying:

‘Then what are these wounds in your hands [from being bound]?’

Please also see the note about Zechariah 13:7 being quoted by Jesus.

Translator note

God’s Name in the Christian Era: Categories A, B, and C

The source manuscripts say Lord here. However, this could be a euphemism for YHWH (Yahweh, or Jehovah), which was a common practice at the time. Therefore, we translate it as Jehovah. We suspect it is a euphemism here because:

A. In the Greek source, this verse has the grammar ‘error’ that says ‘Lord’ instead of ‘the Lord,’ treating the title Lord as if it were a proper noun. This was the normal way in which the Greek Septuagint would indicate that Lord was a euphemism for YHWH, which had been replaced in the text. Learn more.

B. In the Aramaic source, this verse uses the full spelling for Lord, maryah, instead of the more normal mara. In other Aramaic texts, this was an accepted euphemism for YHWH. Learn more.

C. This is a quote from the Old Testament. If you look up the quoted verse in the Hebrew source text, it says YHWH. Learn more.

We are not dogmatic about any instance of the Divine Name in our Bible. Instances may be added or removed in later corrections. Learn more about the Divine Name, why we use it, and why we use it our New Testament.

Translator note

God’s Name in the Christian Era: Categories A, B, and D

The source manuscripts say Lord here. However, this could be a euphemism for YHWH (Yahweh, or Jehovah), which was a common practice at the time. Therefore, we translate it as Jehovah. We suspect it is a euphemism here because:

A. In the Greek source, this verse has the grammar ‘error’ that says ‘Lord’ instead of ‘the Lord,’ treating the title Lord as if it were a proper noun. This was the normal way in which the Greek Septuagint would indicate that Lord was a euphemism for YHWH, which had been replaced in the text. Learn more.

B. In the Aramaic source, this verse uses the full spelling for Lord, maryah, instead of the more normal mara. In other Aramaic texts, this was an accepted euphemism for YHWH. Learn more.

D. This verse is referring to the actions of God Almighty the Old Testament. If you look up the relevant account in the Hebrew source text, God is repeatedly called YHWH (Yahweh/Jehovah) in that account. Learn more.

We are not dogmatic about any instance of the Divine Name in our Bible. Instances may be added or removed in later corrections. Learn more about the Divine Name, why we use it, and why we use it our New Testament.

Translator note

God’s Name in the Christian Era: Categories A, B, E, and F

The source manuscripts say Lord here. However, this could be a euphemism for YHWH (Yahweh, or Jehovah), which was a common practice at the time. Therefore, we translate it as Jehovah. We suspect it is a euphemism here because:

A. In the Greek source, this verse has the grammar ‘error’ that says ‘Lord’ instead of ‘the Lord,’ treating the title Lord as if it were a proper noun. This was the normal way in which the Greek Septuagint would indicate that Lord was a euphemism for YHWH, which had been replaced in the text. Learn more.

B. In the Aramaic source, this verse uses the full spelling for Lord, maryah, instead of the more normal mara. In other Aramaic texts, this was an accepted euphemism for YHWH. Learn more.

E. This appears to be an expression, perhaps a common one, which also appears in the Old Testament. If you look such expressions in the Hebrew source text, it includes YHWH. So when they rephrased it to say Lord instead, listeners likely understood that YHWH was meant. Learn more.

F. The context makes it clear that Lord can only be referring to Almighty God. Learn more.

We are not dogmatic about any instance of the Divine Name in our New Testament. Instances may be added or removed in later corrections. Learn more about the Divine Name, why we use it, and why we use it our New Testament.

Translator note

God’s Name in the Christian Era: Categories A, B, and E

The source manuscripts say Lord here. However, this could be a euphemism for YHWH (Yahweh, or Jehovah), which was a common practice at the time. Therefore, we translate it as Jehovah. We suspect it is a euphemism here because:

A. In the Greek source, this verse has the grammar ‘error’ that says ‘Lord’ instead of ‘the Lord,’ treating the title Lord as if it were a proper noun. This was the normal way in which the Greek Septuagint would indicate that Lord was a euphemism for YHWH, which had been replaced in the text. Learn more.

B. In the Aramaic source, this verse uses the full spelling for Lord, maryah, instead of the more normal mara. In other Aramaic texts, this was an accepted euphemism for YHWH. Learn more.

E. This appears to be an expression, perhaps a common one, which also appears in the Old Testament. If you look such expressions in the Hebrew source text, it includes YHWH. So when they rephrased it to say Lord instead, listeners likely understood that YHWH was meant. Learn more.

We are not dogmatic about any instance of the Divine Name in our New Testament. Instances may be added or removed in later corrections. Learn more about the Divine Name, why we use it, and why we use it our New Testament.

Translator note

God’s Name in the Christian Era: Categories A, B, and F

The source manuscripts say Lord here. However, this could be a euphemism for YHWH (Yahweh, or Jehovah), which was a common practice at the time. Therefore, we translate it as Jehovah. We suspect it is a euphemism here because:

A. In the Greek source, this verse has the grammar ‘error’ that says ‘Lord’ instead of ‘the Lord,’ treating the title Lord as if it were a proper noun. This was the normal way in which the Greek Septuagint would indicate that Lord was a euphemism for YHWH, which had been replaced in the text. Learn more.

B. In the Aramaic source, this verse uses the full spelling for Lord, maryah, instead of the more normal mara. In other Aramaic texts, this was an accepted euphemism for YHWH. Learn more.

F. The context makes it clear that Lord can only be referring to Almighty God. Learn more.

We are not dogmatic about any instance of the Divine Name in our New Testament. Instances may be added or removed in later corrections. Learn more about the Divine Name, why we use it, and why we use it our New Testament.

Translator note

God’s Name in the Christian Era: Categories A and B

The source manuscripts say Lord here. However, this could be a euphemism for YHWH (Yahweh, or Jehovah), which was a common practice at the time. Therefore, we translate it as Jehovah. We suspect it is a euphemism here because:

A. In the Greek source, this verse has the grammar ‘error’ that says ‘Lord’ instead of ‘the Lord,’ treating the title Lord as if it were a proper noun. This was the normal way in which the Greek Septuagint would indicate that Lord was a euphemism for YHWH, which had been replaced in the text. Learn more.

B. In the Aramaic source, this verse uses the full spelling for Lord, maryah, instead of the more normal mara. In other Aramaic texts, this was an accepted euphemism for YHWH. Learn more.

We are not dogmatic about any instance of the Divine Name in our New Testament. Instances may be added or removed in later corrections. Learn more about the Divine Name, why we use it, and why we use it our New Testament.

Translator note

God’s Name in the Christian Era: Categories A and C

The source manuscripts say Lord here. However, this could be a euphemism for YHWH (Yahweh, or Jehovah), which was a common practice at the time. Therefore, we translate it as Jehovah. We suspect it is a euphemism here because:

A. In the Greek source, this verse has the grammar ‘error’ that says ‘Lord’ instead of ‘the Lord,’ treating the title Lord as if it were a proper noun. This was the normal way in which the Greek Septuagint would indicate that Lord was a euphemism for YHWH, which had been replaced in the text. Learn more.

C. This is a quote from the Old Testament. If you look up the quoted verse in the Hebrew source text, it says YHWH. Learn more.

We are not dogmatic about any instance of the Divine Name in our New Testament. Instances may be added or removed in later corrections. Learn more about the Divine Name, why we use it, and why we use it our New Testament.

Translator note

God’s Name in the Christian Era: Category A

The source manuscripts say Lord here. However, this could be a euphemism for YHWH (Yahweh, or Jehovah), which was a common practice at the time. Therefore, we translate it as Jehovah. We suspect it is a euphemism here because:

A. In the Greek source, this verse has the grammar ‘error’ that says ‘Lord’ instead of ‘the Lord,’ treating the title Lord as if it were a proper noun. This was the normal way in which the Greek Septuagint would indicate that Lord was a euphemism for YHWH, which had been replaced in the text. Learn more.

We are not dogmatic about any instance of the Divine Name in our New Testament. Instances may be added or removed in later corrections. Learn more about the Divine Name, why we use it, and why we use it our New Testament.

Translator note

God’s Name in the Christian Era: Talking of actions of YHWH in an OT account (Category D)

When a NT verse is talking about an OT account which, when consulted, contains YHWH in the Hebrew source, that suggests that the NT verse may have used Lord as a euphemism. For example, Acts 13:47 says:

In fact, Jehovah commanded us to do this when He said: ‘I will make you a light to the nations… To bring salvation to the ends of the earth’

The reason Jehovah is used here, is because the Apostle is quoting Isaiah 49:6, which, starting in verse 5, says:

‘But now, says Jehovah... As a light to the nations...’

With the name Jehovah being so closely associated with the portion quoted, it’s quite probable that Lord in the Greek and Aramaic may have really been a euphemism for YHWH. This could even be the case with a verse that doesn’t have the grammar error in Greek, and even if it doesn’t say maryah in Aramaic.

Usually, by itself, this may not be persuasive enough. Although in two places, Acts 13:47 (mentioned above) and Jude 1:5, we felt that it probably is a euphemism. Most other places, however, also fall into at least one other category as well.

Learn more about the Divine Name, why we use it, and why we use it our New Testament.

Translator note

God’s Name in the Christian Era: Categories B, and C

The source manuscripts say Lord here. However, this could be a euphemism for YHWH (Yahweh, or Jehovah), which was a common practice at the time. Therefore, we translate it as Jehovah. We suspect it is a euphemism here because:

B. In the Aramaic source, this verse uses the full spelling for Lord, maryah, instead of the more normal mara. In other Aramaic texts, this was an accepted euphemism for YHWH. Learn more.

C. This is a quote from the Old Testament. If you look up the quoted verse in the Hebrew source text, it says YHWH. Learn more.

We are not dogmatic about any instance of the Divine Name in our Bible. Instances may be added or removed in later corrections. Learn more about the Divine Name, why we use it, and why we use it our New Testament.

Translator note

God’s Name in the Christian Era: Categories B an D

The source manuscripts say Lord here. However, this could be a euphemism for YHWH (Yahweh, or Jehovah), which was a common practice at the time. Therefore, we translate it as Jehovah. We suspect it is a euphemism here because:

B. In the Aramaic source, this verse uses the full spelling for Lord, maryah, instead of the more normal mara. In other Aramaic texts, this was an accepted euphemism for YHWH. Learn more.

D. This verse is referring to the actions of God Almighty the Old Testament. If you look up the relevant account in the Hebrew source text, God is repeatedly called YHWH (Yahweh/Jehovah) in that account. Learn more.

We are not dogmatic about any instance of the Divine Name in our New Testament. Instances may be added or removed in later corrections. Learn more about the Divine Name, why we use it, and why we use it our New Testament.

Translator note

God’s Name in the Christian Era: Categories B, E, and F

The source manuscripts say Lord here. However, this could be a euphemism for YHWH (Yahweh, or Jehovah), which was a common practice at the time. Therefore, we translate it as Jehovah. We suspect it is a euphemism here because:

B. In the Aramaic source, this verse uses the full spelling for Lord, maryah, instead of the more normal mara. In other Aramaic texts, this was an accepted euphemism for YHWH. Learn more.

E. This appears to be an expression, perhaps a common one, which also appears in the Old Testament. If you look such expressions in the Hebrew source text, it includes YHWH. So when they rephrased it to say Lord instead, listeners likely understood that YHWH was meant. Learn more.

F. The context makes it clear that Lord can only be referring to Almighty God. Learn more.

We are not dogmatic about any instance of the Divine Name in our New Testament. Instances may be added or removed in later corrections. Learn more about the Divine Name, why we use it, and why we use it our New Testament.

Translator note

God’s Name in the Christian Era: Categories B and E

The source manuscripts say Lord here. However, this could be a euphemism for YHWH (Yahweh, or Jehovah), which was a common practice at the time. Therefore, we translate it as Jehovah. We suspect it is a euphemism here because:

B. In the Aramaic source, this verse uses the full spelling for Lord, maryah, instead of the more normal mara. In other Aramaic texts, this was an accepted euphemism for YHWH. Learn more.

E. This appears to be an expression, perhaps a common one, which also appears in the Old Testament. If you look such expressions in the Hebrew source text, it includes YHWH. So when they rephrased it to say Lord instead, listeners likely understood that YHWH was meant. Learn more.

We are not dogmatic about any instance of the Divine Name in our New Testament. Instances may be added or removed in later corrections. Learn more about the Divine Name, why we use it, and why we use it our New Testament.

Translator note

God’s Name in the Christian Era: Categories B and F

The source manuscripts say Lord here. However, this could be a euphemism for YHWH (Yahweh, or Jehovah), which was a common practice at the time. Therefore, we translate it as Jehovah. We suspect it is a euphemism here because:

B. In the Aramaic source, this verse uses the full spelling for Lord, maryah, instead of the more normal mara. In other Aramaic texts, this was an accepted euphemism for YHWH. Learn more.

F. The context makes it clear that Lord can only be referring to Almighty God. Learn more.

We are not dogmatic about any instance of the Divine Name in our New Testament. Instances may be added or removed in later corrections. Learn more about the Divine Name, why we use it, and why we use it our New Testament.

Translator note

God’s Name in the Christian Era: Category B

The source manuscripts say Lord here. However, this could be a euphemism for YHWH (Yahweh, or Jehovah), which was a common practice at the time. Therefore, we translate it as Jehovah. We suspect it is a euphemism here because:

B. In the Aramaic source, this verse uses the full spelling for Lord, maryah, instead of the more normal mara. In other Aramaic texts, this was an accepted euphemism for YHWH. Learn more.

We are not dogmatic about any instance of the Divine Name in our New Testament. Instances may be added or removed in later corrections. Learn more about the Divine Name, why we use it, and why we use it our New Testament.

Translator note

God’s Name in the Christian Era: Categories C and F

The source manuscripts say Lord here. However, this could be a euphemism for YHWH (Yahweh, or Jehovah), which was a common practice at the time. Therefore, we translate it as Jehovah. We suspect it is a euphemism here because:

C. This is a quote from the Old Testament. If you look up the quoted verse in the Hebrew source text, it says YHWH. Learn more.

F. The context makes it clear that Lord can only be referring to Almighty God. Learn more.

We are not dogmatic about any instance of the Divine Name in our New Testament. Instances may be added or removed in later corrections. Learn more about the Divine Name, why we use it, and why we use it our New Testament.

Translator note

God’s Name in the Christian Era: Category C

The source manuscripts say Lord here. However, this could be a euphemism for YHWH (Yahweh, or Jehovah), which was a common practice at the time. Therefore, we translate it as Jehovah. We suspect it is a euphemism here because:

C. This is a quote from the Old Testament. If you look up the quoted verse in the Hebrew source text, it says YHWH. Learn more.

We are not dogmatic about any instance of the Divine Name in our New Testament. Instances may be added or removed in later corrections. Learn more about the Divine Name, why we use it, and why we use it our New Testament.

Translator note

God’s Name in the Christian Era: The context clearly points to Almighty God and not to Jesus (Category F)

Sometimes the context helps to imply that Lord is a euphemism for YHWH in various ways:

Lord is from the parts of the Gospels where Jesus isn’t yet born and nobody would be calling him that.

Where Lord is described either as ‘Almighty’ or ‘the God’ (in Greek), terms never used for the son, but only the Father.

Where the son and the Father are both listed or present together and a distinction is made between them.

Where people are described as doing something in the Name of the OT God.

This contextual evidence may not be persuasive by itself. Ideally, it should be one of a few reasons.

For example, at Luke 1:45, it says:

The woman who has faith will be blest, and all things that were spoken to her by kyriou/maryah [‘the Lord’] will come true.

At this point in history, before Jesus’ birth, they must have had God Almighty in mind when saying kyriou/maryah. Nobody called Jesus Lord, at least not yet. This verse also has the Greek grammar error, and uses maryah in the Aramaic. Considering all of these reasons, it may have been a euphemism for YHWH.

Or consider Acts 3:19-20:

So now, repent and turn around to get your sins erased, so that you might come to see a period of refreshment from maryah [‘the Lord’]. Then He will send this one whom He appointed to you… the Anointed Jesus.

This statement lists two people. The first is called Lord, who will send another person, Jesus. In addition, Lord is written as maryah in the Aramaic. Therefore, this could again be a euphemism for YHWH. Although it does not have the Greek grammar error. An almost identical situation appears in Acts 4:29-30.

Learn more about the Divine Name, why we use it, and why we use it our New Testament.

Translator note

God’s Name in the Christian Era: Categories D, E, and F

The source manuscripts say Lord here. However, this could be a euphemism for YHWH (Yahweh, or Jehovah), which was a common practice at the time. Therefore, we translate it as Jehovah. We suspect it is a euphemism here because:

D. This verse is referring to the actions of God Almighty the Old Testament. If you look up the relevant account in the Hebrew source text, God is repeatedly called YHWH (Yahweh/Jehovah) in that account. Learn more.

E. This appears to be an expression, perhaps a common one, which also appears in the Old Testament. If you look such expressions in the Hebrew source text, it includes YHWH. So when they rephrased it to say Lord instead, listeners likely understood that YHWH was meant. Learn more.

F. The context makes it clear that Lord can only be referring to Almighty God. Learn more.

We are not dogmatic about any instance of the Divine Name in our New Testament. Instances may be added or removed in later corrections. Learn more about the Divine Name, why we use it, and why we use it our New Testament.

Translator note

God’s Name in the Christian Era: Categories D, and E

The source manuscripts say Lord here. However, this could be a euphemism for YHWH (Yahweh, or Jehovah), which was a common practice at the time. Therefore, we translate it as Jehovah. We suspect it is a euphemism here because:

D. This verse is referring to the actions of God Almighty the Old Testament. If you look up the relevant account in the Hebrew source text, God is repeatedly called YHWH (Yahweh/Jehovah) in that account. Learn more.

E. This appears to be an expression, perhaps a common one, which also appears in the Old Testament. If you look such expressions in the Hebrew source text, it includes YHWH. So when they rephrased it to say Lord instead, listeners likely understood that YHWH was meant. Learn more.

We are not dogmatic about any instance of the Divine Name in our New Testament. Instances may be added or removed in later corrections. Learn more about the Divine Name, why we use it, and why we use it our New Testament.

Translator note

God’s Name in the Christian Era: Category D

The source manuscripts say Lord here. However, this could be a euphemism for YHWH (Yahweh, or Jehovah), which was a common practice at the time. Therefore, we translate it as Jehovah. We suspect it is a euphemism here because:

D. This verse is referring to the actions of God Almighty the Old Testament. If you look up the relevant account in the Hebrew source text, God is repeatedly called YHWH (Yahweh/Jehovah) in that account. Learn more.

We are not dogmatic about any instance of the Divine Name in our New Testament. Instances may be added or removed in later corrections. Learn more about the Divine Name, why we use it, and why we use it our New Testament.

Translator note

God’s Name in the Christian Era: Category E

The source manuscripts say Lord here. However, this could be a euphemism for YHWH (Yahweh, or Jehovah), which was a common practice at the time. Therefore, we translate it as Jehovah. We suspect it is a euphemism here because:

E. This appears to be an expression, perhaps a common one, which also appears in the Old Testament. If you look such expressions in the Hebrew source text, it includes YHWH. So when they rephrased it to say Lord instead, listeners likely understood that YHWH was meant. Learn more.

We are not dogmatic about any instance of the Divine Name in our New Testament. Instances may be added or removed in later corrections. Learn more about the Divine Name, why we use it, and why we use it our New Testament.

Translator note

God’s Name in the Christian Era: Ephesians 2:21 – ‘Jehovah’ or ‘Lord’?

Does the ‘Lord’ here refer to Jesus or God Almighty? Probably the latter, because the real Most Holy part of the Temple was, of course, built for Jehovah/Yahweh to dwell in.

Why do we use ‘Jehovah’ here in this New Testament text? We are not dogmatic about this use here. We simply suspect that kyriou (κυρίω) and d’maryah (ܒܡܪܝܐ) here are well-understood euphemisms for YHWH because:

A. In the Greek source, this verse has the grammar ‘error’ that says ‘Lord’ instead of ‘the Lord,’ as if Lord is a proper noun. This is what the Greek Septuagint used to indicate that Lord is a euphemism for YHWH. Learn more

B. In the Aramaic New Testament maryah is used as euphemism for YHWH in Old Testament quotes and other places, and it appears here also. Learn more

F. The context shows that it is talking about the Almighty and not Jesus.

Learn more about the Divine Name, why we use it, and why we use it our New Testament.

Translator note

God’s Name in the Christian Era: Category F

The source manuscripts say Lord here. However, this could be a euphemism for YHWH (Yahweh, or Jehovah), which was a common practice at the time. Therefore, we translate it as Jehovah. We suspect it is a euphemism here because:

F. The context makes it clear that Lord can only be referring to Almighty God. Learn more.

We are not dogmatic about any instance of the Divine Name in our New Testament. Instances may be added or removed in later corrections. Learn more about the Divine Name, why we use it, and why we use it our New Testament.

Translator note

God’s Name in the Christian Era: Greek grammar ‘errors’ (Category A)

Many Greek New Testament manuscripts have bizarre and obvious Greek grammar errors in many places where He is called “Lord.” Instead of saying “the Lord” (as would be grammatically correct in these sentences), it just says “Lord,” as if “Lord” were a proper noun.

What happened? It is deliberate. The exact same ‘error’ occurs in the Greek Septuagint wherever copyists removed YHWH and put kyrios in place as a euphemism for the Divine Name. It was to let readers know where YHWH was originally, so it is not really an ‘error’ at all, but a well-established custom.

Interestingly, English Bibles do something similar today, writing “Lord” for Jesus and “LORD” where the original manuscripts say “YHWH.” The ancient Greek equivalent was this ‘bad grammar.’

Could there be a simpler explanation? Like careless copyist errors? Not really.

Firstly, these ‘errors’ are so obvious that it’s difficult to imagine how any copyist or translator could make such a mistake – and why did they only make this mistake in places where YHWH could fit?

Secondly, many of these instances (all listed on this page) are within quotes from Old Testament verses that we know contained YHWH. As I mentioned, if we look up those quoted Old Testament verses in the Greek Septuagint, we find the same grammar ‘error’. The word ‘the’ is missing before ‘Lord’ in places where the Hebrew text originally had YHWH.

Even if the Christian writers did not write down YHWH in their books and letters when copying these quotes, they were copying the ‘bad grammar’ that readers understood to be a euphemism for YHWH. As translators, we must convey this understanding to the modern reader.

Not all Old Testament quotes have the grammar ‘error.’ Why not? Perhaps later copyists ‘corrected’ them. However, many remain ‘uncorrected.’

Learn more about the Divine Name, why we use it, and why we use it our New Testament.

Translator note

God’s Name in the Christian Era: Maryah in the Aramaic New Testament (Category B)

It’s possible that large parts of the New Testament were originally penned in Aramaic and only translated into Greek (although Mark, Luke, and Acts were likely originally in Greek). Even if this were not the case, then the Aramaic version would still be very useful to us. Why? Because as a very early translation it would show how people understood these books back then.

Jews and early Christians used ‘Lord’ as a euphemism for the Divine Name, YHWH (Jehovah/Yahweh).

In Greek this was kyrios (‘Lord’), used without the article (‘the’) beforehand. This ‘grammar error’ was a special signal to the reader that Lord was replacing YHWH.

Aramaic also used Lord as a euphemism, but would use a different trick to let readers know when it was replacing YHWH. What? Well, the word has several different spellings:

A full spelling, mryh (“marya” or “maryah”),

A shorter version, mry (“mary”),

A different shorter version, mrh (“mara” or “marah”),

And an even shorter version, mr (“mar”).

In Palestine, the tradition arose that people would use the shorter versions (usually mara or marah) to refer to ordinary human lords, and reserve the full version, maryah for only the highest and most important human lords, or as a euphemism for YHWH.

Indeed, it was a useful coincidence that it has the -yah ending, as this would remind Jews of the shortened form of God’s Name, Jah/Yah. This is much like the Jah/Yah- on many peoples’ names, like Jeremiah and Jesus. So to Jews, the Aramaic word maryah may have reminded them of the expression ‘Lord Yah.’

Remember, maryah is not a Jewish invention. It is an Aramaic word, invented by the Syrians and Babylonians. Maryah was used in official Aramaic of the Syrian royal court. So it’s rather unlikely that the Babylonians intended to say ‘Lord Yah’ to mean ‘Lord Yahweh.’

So maryah doesn’t necessarily always mean YHWH. It is still an ordinary word meaning Lord. This longer version may have simply been seen as more formal or respectful than the shorter mry/mrh/mr versions.

So maryah has two meanings:

The full, formal version of Lord (used by all Aramaic-speakers).

A euphemism for YHWH (used only by Jewish and Christian Aramaic-speakers).

Therefore, the 210 occurrences of maryah in the Aramaic New Testament are all potential YHWH euphemisms. Of course, in some places it may just mean Lord and nothing more.

How can we tell which is which?

By the same methods that ancient readers used: the context, recognizing common quotes and sayings, and common sense.

The uses are:

maryah (Lord Jah) 94 times

d'maryah (of Lord Jah) 82 times

b'maryah (in Lord Jah) 11 times

d'almaryah (of the Lord Jah) 2 times

l'maryah (the Lord Jah) 19 times

w'maryah (and Lord Jah) 2 times

To see a list of all instances, please see our page All instances of Maryah in the New Testament.

Jesus, maryah, and the Trinity

There are a few occasions where Jesus seems to be called maryah. Each one is listed and described below on this page.

Some translators of Aramaic see maryah being occasionally applied to Jesus as support for the Trinity doctrine. Some translators of the Aramaic Peshitta use this as justification to display every instance of maryah as “Jehovah-Jesus.”

However, as you will see on this page, this position is difficult to defend, and it would even make some verses heretical from a trinitarian standpoint.

All places where Jesus is referred to as maryah are outlined below. The list is quite short, and zero use maryah as a proper noun (a name) for Jesus. The context shows that they are titles describing him and his role. Remember, maryah is not just a euphemism for YHWH; it is also the full spelling of Lord (rather than the more common shorter spellings). If the full spelling was considered more formal and respectful at the time, it could be translated as “Highest Lord,” and this is very fitting for Jesus.

Further, some applications of maryah to Jesus appear to be later corruptions, and we believe that a few appear to be translator errors. It’s also possible that one or more could be copyist errors, as the only difference between maryah and marah is one tiny letter, ܡܪܝܐ versus ܡܪܐ (although this could work both ways).

The New Testament writers may have been aware that it was confusing to have two people referred to by different versions of ‘Lord,’ so it’s interesting to note that the expression “Lord God” only refers to the Father and never to Jesus. Likewise, the term “Lord Jesus” is only used to describe Jesus, and never the Father.

When Jesus is called maryah, it appears (at least to us) to just be the full spelling of Lord, as the context never appears to use it as a euphemism for the Divine Name when referring to him. Exhaustive details appear below.

Verses where maryah refers to Jesus

Matthew 22:43; 22:45 (likely corruptions) – These instances of maryah could well be later corruptions since the parallel accounts in Mark 12:35-37 and Luke 20:41-42 do not quote Jesus as referring to himself as maryah at all. Indeed, our research shows that Matthew has more corruptions and later insertions than any other Bible book. These seem to be just two more.

Luke 2:11 (possible mistranslation and not a proper noun) – Jesus is called the ‘Lord (maryah) Messiah.’ However, if Luke was originally written in Greek (and we suspect it was), then it only says kyrios, with no implication that it is a euphemism for YHWH. This means that the translator decided to put maryah here off his own back, and it is not inspired. We don’t know when this translation was made, so it could be a later trinitarian mistranslation or even a copyist error. Alternatively, the translator may have been trying to be respectful by using the full spelling of Lord. The same issue arises in Acts 2:36.

John 8:11 (spurious text) – This reference to Jesus as maryah is within the spurious account of the woman caught in adultery. This was added years after John wrote his Gospel and is not genuine.

Acts 2:36 (possible mistranslation and not a proper noun) – Jesus is called the ‘Lord (maryah) Messiah.’ However, if Luke was originally written in Greek (and we suspect it was), then it only says kyrios, with no implication that it is a euphemism for YHWH. This means that the translator decided to put maryah here off his own back, and it is not inspired. We don’t know when this translation was made, so it could be a later trinitarian mistranslation or even a copyist error. Alternatively, the translator may have been trying to be respectful by using the full spelling of Lord. The same issue arises in Luke 2:11.

Acts 2:38 (spurious addition) – Jesus is called ‘Lord (maryah) Jesus’ here in the Aramaic. However, in (what is likely to be) the original Greek, there is no mention of ‘Lord’ here. So this maryah is a spurious addition by the Aramaic translator. It is also likely not intended to be a euphemism for YHWH since “get baptized in the name of Jehovah-Jesus the Anointed One” not only makes no sense but also contradicts other verses only using the name Jesus in baptisms.

Acts 9:10 (possible mistranslation) – The context shows that the Lord here is Jesus, and the Aramaic text says maryah. However, this book was written in Greek and then translated into Aramaic, so maryah was the choice of the translator. The original Greek shows no implication that this was a euphemism for YHWH as there is no Greek ‘grammar error’ nor any other indication. The Greek just says ο κύριος (the Lord) and κύριε (o, Lord), so they ought to have been translated as variants of mara, not maryah, unless the Aramaic translator was just wishing to use the full spelling of Lord to be respectful.

Acts 9:27 (not a proper noun) – This book was originally in Greek, and the use of maryah in Aramaic is the translator’s choice. The Greek does not have the ‘grammar error,’ so this was probably originally meant to just say Lord, and is not a euphemism for YHWH.

Acts 18:25 (mistranslation) – Here, the reference to Lord is likely to Jesus, based on the context. Also, the Greek has the article (‘the’) beforehand. Therefore, this is not a euphemism for YHWH. However, Acts was likely originally written in Greek, so using maryah here was the choice (or misunderstanding) of the translator and is not inspired. The next verse, Acts 18:26, is also mistranslated.

Romans 14:9 (not a proper noun) – Jesus is described as the Lord (maryah) of both the living and the dead. The use of maryah does not appear to be a euphemism for YHWH, as the word is not actually naming him but describing his role. Therefore, it should be translated into English as Lord. The use of maryah is appropriate since he has total authority. The word was likely chosen because it is the full version of Lord.

Romans 14:14 (not a proper noun) – The verse says ‘Lord Jesus’ so this is not a euphemism for a proper noun.

1 Corinthians 8:6 (not a proper noun) – Jesus is described as the ‘one Lord (maryah).’ However, this is not a euphemism for YHWH because it is not a noun here; maryah is being used as a description. Using the full spelling of Lord would be appropriate because he has the highest authority. Note also that the Apostle goes to pains to separate the Father and Son here by describing the two as ‘one God, the Father,’ and ‘one Lord, Jesus.’ ‘We’ are described as being in the Father, but through Jesus, just like we go through a passageway to go into a room.

1 Corinthians 11:27 (not a proper noun) – Jesus is called Lord, or maryah here, twice. However, it does not appear to be a euphemism for YHWH since the Greek translation has the article (‘the’) before both instances, implying that it was understood to mean Lord as a title, and it is not where a proper noun would go. The writer may have used the full spelling of Lord to stress Jesus’ authority – especially considering that the previous verse calls Jesus mara, not maryah (in the spelling d’maran).

1 Corinthians 11:29 (not a proper noun) – Jesus’ body is called the body of maryah here. However, it does not appear to be a euphemism for YHWH since the Greek translation has the article (‘the’) before it, implying that it was understood as a title, not as a proper noun. It therefore appears to be merely the full spelling of Lord rather than a euphemism. Note that earlier in verse 26 it calls Jesus mara, not maryah (in the spelling d’maran).

1 Corinthians 12:3 (not a proper noun) – Jesus is called Lord, or maryah. This is describing his role as Highest Lord with complete authority. It is not a euphemism for YHWH.

Ephesians 4:5 (not a proper noun) – Here maryah is not a euphemism for YHWH as there is nobody claiming that there is more than one YHWH. However, different ones may claim that there are different Lords to follow. So here Jesus is described as a Lord using the full spelling maryah.

Philippians 2:11 (not a proper noun) – Jesus is called maryah (as d’maryah) as a title meaning Lord, and this is not a euphemism for YHWH.

James 5:7 (not a proper noun) – This cannot be a euphemism for YHWH because Jehovah/Yahweh is not expected to come/arrive except via his Son, Jesus. Also, in the next verse, it says that the maryah will make an appearance, and the Bible says that no man can see God. Therefore, maryah must just be the full spelling of Lord and cannot be a euphemism.

James 5:8 (not a proper noun) – The Aramaic says ‘our Lord’ (our maryah). Therefore, this is not a euphemism for YHWH, but the full spelling of Lord being used as a title for Jesus.

1 Peter 2:3 (not a proper noun) – Here, maryah could refer to Jesus, as the next verse describes approaching him. The Greek translation uses the article and says ‘the Lord,’ indicating that it was not understood to be a euphemism for a proper noun. Therefore, here maryah appears to be just the full spelling of Lord.

1 Peter 3:15 (not a proper noun) – Here, the Aramaic text differs from the Greek text quite wildly. The Greek refers to the ‘Lord God’, while in Aramaic, it says ‘Lord (maryah) Anointed One’. We chose to use the Aramaic version since that could be the original. Here, maryah is not used as a euphemism for a proper noun but reads as merely a full title applying to Jesus.

Revelation 22:20 (not a proper noun) – Since it’s used in the phrase ‘Lord Jesus’ here, maryah is likely not a euphemism for the Divine Name, but is just the full version of Lord, showing respect for his full authority. Note that Jesus is referred to as maran in the next verse.

Verses where maryah refers to the Almighty Father

All of the verses listed as Category #5 on our page The Divine Name in the New Testament use maryah to refer to the Father.

In addition, the below instances are where the Aramaic uses maryah, but our translation either says Lord or God instead or omits it entirely.

Here are the reason(s) why.

Matthew 3:3, Mark 1:3, Luke 3:4, John 1:23 – This quote is from Isaiah 40:3, which says YHWH in the Hebrew. The context of Isaiah 40:9 shows that the Lord who is coming is YHWH. However, in our translation, we use Lord in Isaiah 40:3, not Jehovah/Yahweh, and therefore quote it that way here in Matthew 3:3. Why do we do this? Well, we believe that at some point after the return from Babylon, the Jews removed all instances of “YHWH” from the text but then later restored them. In so doing, some references to YHWH were accidentally ‘restored’ where they were not there originally. We think that this is one of those places. However, we’re not dogmatic about this and could be wrong.

Mark 2:26 (mistranslation) – The Aramaic wording mentions the table of maryah here, just as the parallel account in Matthew 12:4 does. However, the Greek text does not mention the table of kyrios, and such words are omitted. We believe that Mark was originally written in Greek, so our translation goes by the Greek text and leaves this reference out.

Luke 2:24 and Luke 6:4 (mistranslations) – If Luke was originally written in Greek (and we suspect that it was), then there is no mention of Lord or God here. The Aramaic translator added maryah here, and therefore, we do not believe this mention to be inspired.

Luke 2:38 – If this was originally in Greek, the Aramaic translator chose to put maryah here because, from the context, it’s obvious that AnNa was thanking Almighty God in heaven, not the nearby baby Jesus. However, since there is no Greek ‘grammar error’ here, this was probably not understood as a euphemism for YHWH by the author (assuming there was no later tampering, of course). However, AnNa was probably speaking Aramaic when she said those words. So it’s possible that she was saying maryah as a euphemism for YHWH, and when her words were translated into Greek to write the gospel, this inference was lost somehow. So perhaps this should read as Jehovah/Yahweh after all. We just don’t know.

Luke 17:29 (mistranslation) – This says that the Lord, maryah, rained down fire on Sodom. However, Luke was probably originally written in Greek, and the Greek version does not mention the ‘Lord’ here. So our ancient translator friend chose to add a reference to maryah, confirming that he understood it to be a euphemism for YHWH. However, it likely does not belong in the text.

Acts 4:24 (mistranslation) – We believe that Acts was originally in Greek, and the Aramaic translator chose to put maryah here, but the Greek says ‘God,’ not ‘Lord.’ It’s possible that God is also a euphemism for YHWH here, but we cannot be sure, so we leave it saying God.

Acts 6:3 (mistranslation)– The Aramaic translator has added Lord (maryah) here, but it does not appear in (what is likely) the original Greek.

Acts 7:31, Acts 7:33, Acts 9:15 – Here Paul describes the voice of maryah speaking to Moses. However, if we look up the account, it was actually the voice of a spirit messenger (an angel), which we believe the Hebrew originally described as Lord, not YHWH. You see, we believe that the Name was removed and ‘restored’ incorrectly (in a small number of places) by the Jews after the return from Babylon. Also, this verse in Acts was originally written in Greek, so putting maryah instead of mara or mary could just be the uninspired opinion of the translator. However, we’re not 100% sure of this.

Acts 7:37 (mistranslation) – If this verse was originally written in Greek, then the inspired account says ‘God’ not ‘Lord.’ Thus the Aramaic translator chose to put maryah here. Therefore our translation says God.

Acts 15:17 – This verse was originally written in Greek, thus the Aramaic translator chose to put maryah here. However, it’s likely that this is not a euphemism for YHWH since ‘our Jehovah/Yahweh’ just isn’t a common phrase. It’s possible that Paul just meant Lord, and our ancient translator colleague then used maryah just to mean Lord or Highest Lord and not as a euphemism for the Divine Name. He simply couldn’t use any other version of the word Lord to describe the Almighty. However, it is a potential euphemism for YHWH; it would just be an odd-sounding one.

Acts 16:32 (possible mistranslation) – Some Greek texts say the word of the Lord, others say the word of the God. It’s very difficult to tell which is correct. Either way, the article is present beforehand, so it’s probably not a euphemism for YHWH. Therefore, maryah may just be the opinion of the Aramaic translator. Note that the previous verse mentions Lord Jesus as mara (inflected as b’maran), not maryah. So while this verse is likely referencing God Almighty, it is probably not a euphemism for YHWH.

Acts 18:26 (mistranslation) – The original Greek does not say Lord here, but God. This is the same error found in many other places (see above).

Revelation 6:10 – By calling Him ‘Sovereign Lord,’ no other version of Lord could be used. Therefore, this is probably not a euphemism for YHWH.

Verses where it’s unclear to whom maryah is referring

Luke 1:17 – Here, the messenger is referring to the prophecy made in Isaiah 40:3. Although in most manuscripts it says ‘prepare the way for Jehovah/Yahweh’, this is one of the places we suspect that YHWH was inserted into the text incorrectly at some point. See our page about the Divine Name for more information. However, we cannot be certain about this, as the Greek has the usual ‘grammar error’ here that we would expect to be a euphemism for YHWH. The Aramaic translation also puts maryah here, so people understood the verse in Isaiah to be referring to Yahweh.

Acts 2:20 It seems that Acts was originally in Greek, so the Aramaic translator may have chosen to put maryah here off his own back. Why ‘may?’ Well, our translation usually translates expressions like Day of the Lord using Lord, even though the Hebrew Masoretic text usually says “day of Jehovah/Yahweh”. This is because we believe this expression is probably corrupted in the Hebrew text and said Lord originally.

Acts 2:21 – This is quoting Joel 2:32, which reads “name of Jehovah/Yahweh” in the Hebrew Masoretic text. However, our translation says “name of the Lord” in that verse. We believe it’s (probably) a corruption of the Hebrew text. Although Acts 2:21 says maryah here, the Aramaic translator probably just put that there from his own opinion and assumed that Lord here was a euphemism for YHWH. Alternatively, the translator could have just been using the full spelling of Lord, with no implication that it’s a euphemism for the Divine Name. We just don’t know.

Acts 5:14 – This verse was originally written in Greek, so it was the choice of the Aramaic translator to put maryah here rather than another form of Lord. The context suggests that the Lord mentioned is Jesus; since the apostle is preaching in the temple, it would seem odd for the people who began believing in ‘the Lord’ to be just starting to believe in Jehovah/Yahweh; otherwise, why would they be at the temple to begin with? Therefore this is likely not a euphemism for YHWH.

Acts 10:36 – This verse was originally written in Greek, so it was the choice of the Aramaic translator to put maryah here rather than another form of Lord. The translator may have assumed (which may be correct) that Lord is not referring to Jesus but refers back to Almighty God, mentioned in verses 34 and 35. Alternatively, maryah may be chosen because it is the full form of the word for Lord, implying the greatest form of Lord, rather than it being a euphemism for YHWH. We simply don’t know.

Acts 11:21 – There are two mentions of maryah in this verse. The first one is missing the article before it in Greek. Therefore, the first instance is translated as Jehovah/Yahweh. What about the second instance? The Aramaic translator seems to have assumed that this second kyrios (actually kyrion) was referring to YHWH, which may be correct. However, the Greek text has the article beforehand. So this could be a reference to Jesus. Therefore, we leave it as Lord, and the reader can decide. Note that Jesus is called mara in the previous verse. Therefore, this verse’s second mention of maryah may indeed be a euphemism for YHWH, but we just don’t know.

Acts 11:17 – This verse was originally written in Greek as kyrios. The Aramaic translator chose to assume that the Lord here was YHWH, and so used maryah. However, Peter may have been calling the angel who freed him Lord, not God (who sent the angel). Our Aramaic translator friend assumed that Peter was giving credit to Almighty God (which may be correct), but since we don’t know for sure, we have left it as Lord.

Acts 13:10 – This could be a euphemism for YHWH, but in the Greek text it contains the article (‘the’), which implies that maryah was just a choice of the Aramaic translator. In Greek, it appears as τας οδούς κυρίου (literally: the ways of Lord), or the Lord’s ways. However, in the mid-4th-century Codex Sinaiticus, the article has been crossed out, as if the scribe realized that it should not be there (the Vaticanus and Alexandrinus codexes show it normally). Therefore, this could also have originally been missing the article in Greek. If we combine this fact with the use of maryah in the Aramaic text, then we could easily see this as another euphemism for YHWH. We just don’t know for sure.

Acts 13:12 – The original Greek version contains the article (‘the’), so this may be a reference to Jesus, with maryah merely being the choice and opinion of the Aramaic translator. The context could support either a reference to the Lord Jesus or a euphemism for YHWH; since the man is a Gentile, both Jesus and Jehovah/Yahweh would be new to him. However, it says teachings of the Lord, so it is more likely to be a reference to Jesus because the Apostles were, of course, spreading his teachings, and Jesus was known as the ‘Great Teacher.’ However, we don’t know for sure, so we leave it as Lord.

Acts 13:49 – The original Greek version contains the article (‘the’) here and says the Lord. So this maryah may just be the opinion and assumption of the Aramaic translator. This was probably done to match up with the previous verse, which, in Aramaic, was mistranslated to say ‘glorifies God’ instead of ‘glorifying the word of the Lord,’ so using maryah here matches up with the previous mistranslated verse. However, given the Apostle’s comments in verses 46 and 47, the use of Lord here could well have been a euphemism for YHWH. We simply cannot tell.

Acts 14:3 – This verse was originally written in Greek as kyrios. The Aramaic translator chose to assume that the Lord here was YHWH, and so used maryah. This is probably because Paul and BarNabas were preaching to a Gentile city where some Jews were present, and previously said to them, ‘We were told that we had to speak the word of God to you first’ and have not yet mentioned Jesus (at least as recorded in the account). Then, they spend a lot of time ‘boldly telling them about the Lord.’ Our Aramaic translator seems to have assumed (which may be right) that they are teaching them that YHWH sent Jesus to die for their Sins. Thus Lord could be referring to Jehovah/Yahweh or to Jesus. Both would work in the context. Since we can’t tell, we are leaving it as Lord.

Acts 14:25 (mistranslation) – The Aramaic version says they preached the word of maryah, but the original Greek does not mention Lord at all.

Acts 14:26 (mistranslation) – The original Greek says of the God here, not of the Lord.

Acts 18:9 – This verse was originally written in Greek, and Lord was kyrios. The Aramaic translator chose to use maryah, perhaps thinking that the ‘Lord’ here was YHWH. However, it could easily be the resurrected Jesus. Therefore we leave it as Lord.

Acts 19:10 (mistranslation) – The original Greek says the word of the Lord Jesus. However, the Aramaic misses out ‘Jesus’ and just says Lord, as maryah. This is, therefore, probably a mistranslation, and the casual Aramaic reader would wrongly assume that this is a euphemism for YHWH, but it is not.

Romans 10:12 – This may be unclear to some, however this reference to Lord is probably to the Almighty Jehovah/Yahweh. So the Aramaic is correct to use maryah here, but it likely isn’t a euphemism for YHWH since ‘we all have the same Lord’ is a complete sentence, and ‘we all have the same Jehovah/Yahweh’ is a weird way of using a proper noun.

Romans 10:13 – This is quoting Joel 2:32, which reads “name of Jehovah/Yahweh” in the Hebrew Masoretic text. However, our translation says “name of the Lord” in that verse. We believe it’s (probably) a corruption of the Hebrew text. Although Paul likely said maryah here, he could have just been using the full spelling of Lord, with no implication that it’s a euphemism for the Divine Name. Note that in the Greek translation, the article (‘the’) is present.

1 Corinthians 4:5 – The expression ‘the Lord’s Day’ originally comes from Hebrew. While the Hebrew Masoretic text today phrases that expression as ‘Jehovah’s Day,’ we believe this is a corruption of the Hebrew text. The original phrase may have just said Lord. Therefore, in this instance, maryah is probably not a euphemism for YHWH, although some perhaps understood it that way at the time.

1 Corinthians 7:17 – It may seem that the Lord who calls you mentioned here is Jesus, but the Apostle is probably just using a synonym for God instead of saying ‘God’ twice in a row, as is customary in many languages, including Aramaic. So could maryah refer to God Almighty? Probably, because earlier in the same book (in 1 Corinthians 1:9), the Apostle states that it is God who calls you to have a share with Jesus: ‘For God, who called you to have a share with His Son (our Lord Jesus the Anointed), is faithful.’ If you search the Bible text, you’ll see that this expression always means that YHWH is doing the calling, e.g. Isaiah 42:6: ‘I’m Jehovah/Yahweh, who called you in justice.’ For this reason, we translate maryah as Jehovah/Yahweh here.

1 Corinthians 10:26 – While the context doesn’t clarify which Lord is being referred to, it is probably God Almighty since the discussion is about the Old Law. Since the article (‘the’) is not missing in the Greek, this is likely not a euphemism for YHWH. The Aramaic maryah likely just means Lord.

1 Corinthians 12:5 – Lord (maryah) here refers to the source of the gifts. The previous verses, and the verse afterward, say that they come from ‘God.’ However, this is not a euphemism for the name YHWH because ‘they all come from the same Jehovah/Yahweh’ makes no sense in English and probably makes no sense in Aramaic either. Therefore, we translate it as Lord. Although, we could be wrong.

1 Corinthians 15:58 – Two instances of maryah are here. Since the previous verse, 57, talks about thanking God for Jesus, we assume that these references are to God Almighty, especially since the Greek translation is missing the article (‘the’) in the second instance. We do not translate them both as Jehovah/Yahweh because usually, a synonym is used instead of the same word twice. We guess that the first use is meant to be the title Lord because the Greek uses the article. With it missing in the second instance, that’s probably a euphemism for YHWH. We’re basing this only on the Greek translator’s accuracy, though, and he may have got it wrong! Either way, both instances probably refer to God, although the first one could be a reference to Jesus.

1 Corinthians 16:10 – The instance of maryah here is not missing the article (‘the’) in the Greek translation, so the ancients probably didn’t understand it as a euphemism for YHWH. It could be giving either Jesus or Jehovah/Yahweh the full title of Lord.

2 Corinthians 2:12 – It is a little ambiguous which Lord is being referred to here by using maryah. In the wording, it could easily be a euphemism for YHWH. The Greek translator understood it to mean YHWH and so translated it with the ‘grammar error’. Also, in context, Paul has already mentioned the Anointed One. If this Lord was referring to the same person, he may as well have said something like, ‘...to preach the good news about the Anointed One, and he opened a door for me there’. However, he didn’t phrase it this way, but instead introduced a contrast with maryah. So here maryah might refer to Almighty God, and could even be a euphemism for YHWH. However, we don’t know.

2 Corinthians 3:16-18 – Here, there are four instances of maryah. Paul talks about people turning to maryah, the breath/spirit of maryah (twice), and the glory of maryah. These could easily be referring to turning to Jesus, his glory, and his spirit. However, these phrases are so common in the Old Testament – in the Law, the prophets, and the psalms – in referring to YHWH, that any Aramaic-speaking Jew who read or heard them would likely assume that maryah is a euphemism for YHWH. So in this translation, we make the same assumption and translate maryah as Jehovah/Yahweh. Like all these decisions, this is not made dogmatically and is open to future change.

2 Corinthians 10:18 – Since this occurrence of maryah (Lord) comes with the article (‘the’) beforehand in the Greek translation, it seems that the ancients understood this as simply meaning the Lord and not as a euphemism for YHWH. Therefore it could be referring to either Almighty God or Jesus. Since Jesus previously appointed the Apostles, it would be consistent for this reference to be a title given to Jesus, but we cannot be sure.

Ephesians 4:17 – It’s unclear from the context which Lord is being referred to. While it has the Greek ‘grammar error’, this could just be the opinion of the Greek translator from when he saw maryah being used. Yet, Paul could have simply been using maryah as the full spelling of Lord and not as a euphemism for YHWH. Since we don’t know, in this translation, we’re just leaving it as Lord.

Philippians 2:29 – It’s unclear from the context which Lord is being referred to. While it has the Greek ‘grammar error’, this could just be the opinion of the Greek translator from when he saw maryah being used. Yet, Paul could have simply been using maryah as the full spelling of Lord and not as a euphemism for YHWH. Since we don’t know, in this translation, we’re just leaving it as Lord.

Colossians 4:7 – It’s unclear from the context which Lord is being referred to. While it has the Greek ‘grammar error’, this could just be the opinion of the Greek translator from when he saw maryah being used. Yet, Paul could have simply been using maryah as the full spelling of Lord and not as a euphemism for YHWH. Since we don’t know, in this translation, we’re just leaving it as Lord.

Colossians 3:22 – It’s unclear which Lord is referred to here. Some Greek manuscripts say God here, while others say Lord. So it seems that at least some ancients believed this verse is referring to God and not to Jesus. What may be the original Aramaic version, of course, says maryah. Is maryah a euphemism for YHWH here? No idea. We’ve left it saying Lord so the reader can decide for themselves. On the one hand, “the fear of Jehovah/Yahweh” was a common expression in the Old Testament. On the other hand, the next verse (v23), “work at it wholeheartedly as though you’re doing it for the Lord,” uses mara for Lord, not maryah. So this first occurrence of Lord in verse 22 could simply be the full spelling of Lord, in reference to Jesus in Glory. If so, then this is not a euphemism for YHWH after all, and (some) Greek translators mistranslated it to say God. So which is right? You can decide for yourself.

2 Timothy 2:19 – In reference to the second maryah here, this is a commonly mistranslated verse (as explained in this translator note). Paul is (we think) paraphrasing Joel 2:32, a verse where we think the original Hebrew was corrupted (long, long before the wonderfully accurate Masorets) to include an extra YHWH. We might be wrong about that, of course. However, if we are correct, then the verse in Joel is saying Lord as part of a messianic prophecy about Jesus. Therefore, this maryah here in 2 Timothy is not a euphemism for YHWH, but just the full version of Lord. After all, when Joel was translated from Hebrew to Aramaic (either in written form or as an orally transmitted Targum), someone had to decide which spelling of Lord to use. Would it be mara or maryah? It seems that someone chose maryah. They may have thought the Lord was Jehovah/Yahweh, but in fact, it was a messianic prophecy and the Lord would turn out to be Jesus. However, maryah is still the fitting Aramaic word since it is the full version of Lord; it isn’t always a euphemism for YHWH.

James 3:9 – The Aramaic says, ‘we bless Lord (maryah) and Father,’ but the Greek version says, ‘we bless The God and Father,’ probably because the Greek translator assumed that maryah is a euphemism for YHWH or at least refers to Almighty God. However, this was just his opinion. Does maryah here refer to Almighty God, or is it a euphemism for YHWH, or was it a reference to Jesus being Lord with full authority? We don’t know.

2 Peter 3:10 – The Old Testament expression Day of the Lord was originally coined in Hebrew, so at some point, Aramaic speakers had to translate it into their language. They chose to use maryah. Later, we believe the Rabbis inserted YHWH into the Hebrew, so the expression says now “Day of Jehovah/Yahweh” in the Hebrew Masoretic text. So we believe that the original Old Testament said “day of the Lord,” and that Peter understood it as such. So in this verse, although it says maryah, we translate it as Lord. The Lord is probably referring to Jesus and is not a euphemism for YHWH. Indeed, the full spelling of maryah is appropriate for the King.

2 Peter 3:15 – The expression ‘our Lord’ (our maryah) could be referring to Jehovah/Yahweh or Jesus. However, the expression “our maryah” is not known as a euphemism for “our YHWH.” Therefore it is just the full spelling of Lord. Which Lord it is, however, is up to you to decide.

Learn more about the Divine Name, why we use it, and why we use it our New Testament.

Translator note

God’s Name in the Christian Era: A common Old Testament expression that used YHWH (Category E)

This verse includes a common expression from the Old Testament which normally uses the Divine Name Jehovah (or Yahweh) instead of the word used in the Greek and Aramaic source texts, which is ‘Lord.’ However, by the 1st century, ‘Lord’ was a well-understood euphemism for the Divine Name, which was now taboo to say or write.

The Greek word kyrios was used to stand-in for the name Jehovah/Yahweh. Aramaic speakers used the word marya, possibly from mara (‘Lord’) and yah (‘Jah’). So the word may literally mean ‘Lord Jah’. However, this may have just meant ‘Lord’ in some circumstances.

When encountering these words, ancient readers and listeners would understand from the context when they were euphemisms for the Divine Name – something now taboo to say aloud – and they would put the name back into the text in their minds.

This tradition was very ancient by the time of Jesus. The tradition of using the word baal as a euphemism for the name of a pagan god was then 1,500 years old. The tradition of using kyrios or marya as a euphemism for Jehovah/Yahweh may have gone back 500 years.

In Bible translation, euphemisms that do not have an equivalent in English are translated to say what they mean. In this case, it appears (although we might be wrong) that Lord means YHWH. So when we encounter kyrios or marya in the source texts, we may judge that it’s just a euphemism for Jehovah.

Learn more about the Divine Name, why we use it, and why we use it our New Testament.

Translator note

God’s Name in the Christian Era: Quote of the Old Testament containing YHWH (Category C)

This verse is quoting words from the Old Testament which contains the Divine Name Jehovah/Yahweh, however, the name is missing from this quote, even in our oldest New Testament manuscripts. Why? This is because ‘Lord’ was a well-understood euphemism for the Divine Name, which was now taboo to utter.

By the Christian era, the Greek word kyrios was used to stand-in for the name Jehovah/Yahweh. It means ‘Lord’, but is used without ‘the’ beforehand, as if ‘Lord’ was a proper noun. This ‘bad grammar’ shows where it replaces YHWH.

Aramaic speakers used the word marya, possibly from mara (‘Lord’) and yah (‘Jah’). So the word may literally mean ‘Lord Jah’. However, this may have just meant ‘Lord’ in some circumstances.

When encountering these words, readers and listeners would understand from the context when they were euphemisms for the Divine Name – something now taboo to say aloud – and they would put the name back into the text in their minds.

This tradition was very ancient by the time of Jesus. The tradition of using the word baal as a euphemism for the name of a pagan god was then 1,500 years old. The tradition of using kyrios or marya as a euphemism for Jehovah/Yahweh may have gone back 500 years.

In Bible translation, euphemisms that do not have an equivalent in English are translated to say what they mean. In this case, it appears (although we might be wrong) that Lord means YHWH. So when we encounter kyrios or marya in the source texts, we may judge that it’s just a euphemism for Jehovah.

Learn more about the Divine Name, why we use it, and why we use it our New Testament.

Translator note

God’s Name – incorrectly restored to the Hebrew text?

Some literal translations put the name Jehovah/Yahweh in all locations where YHWH (יהוה) appears in the Hebrew Masoretic texts. However, while Jehovah/Yahweh does appear many thousands of times in the Old Testament, we suspect that it was incorrectly inserted about 112 times at a later date. Why?

We suspect that at some point in history, the Jewish scribes removed the Divine Name from their scrolls and replaced it with an equivalent of Lord. Eventually, later Jewish scribes restored the Divine Name. Unfortunately, they restored it in too many places. Why? Because they didn’t know when Lord said YHWH originally, or really did say Lord originally.

This verse is one of those places which we suspect originally said Lord.

To learn why we suspect this, please see our page about the issue.

Translator note

Zeal and Jealousy

At Psalm 37:8 we read in part:

‘Don’t let jealousy move you to do wicked things.’

However, notice that the Greek word we’ve translated as jealously here is zelos, which is the same as the word that is spelled as zealously in English. This points to the fact that both English words (zealous and jealous) come from the same Greek root word, and they both have the same meaning in the Bible.

Of course, in English, these two words have very different meanings. For zeal is usually thought of as something good, something that all Christians should have (as in zeal for God and righteousness). While jealously is thought of as something that’s bad (as wanting things that belong to someone else).

Notice that God is spoken of in the Bible as being jealous over His Name or His position as God. So jealously isn’t always a bad thing, if we understand that it can imply the same thing as zeal.

Therefore, we can righteously have zeal for things that are ours and of which we are proud), or have unrighteous zeal (jealousy) for things that belong to others. So the same Greek word (zelos) may be correctly translated as zeal in one place, and as jealously in another, depending on the context.

Then, is it proper for a man to be jealous of his wife, or for a wife to be jealous of her husband? No, they should never be jealous of each other, but rather, for each other.
They shouldn’t want what the other has, but they should have a burning zeal for each other, because they belong to each other.

So, when one doesn’t want to lose the love of the other, that is zeal.

However, if a person is overly concerned over the actions of the other for no reason, that is wicked suspicion, not jealously.